They did not travel very far that day, despite the fairly good weather. Both Arabella and Keeble were fairly weak, as if the pressure from the water that had pushed out every breath of air was still having an effect on them. Okram was kind enough to allow both of them to rest on the trailer for the duration of their travels that day, but Keeble insisted that he walk. Arabella wished that she could walk with them too, to prove that she was not weak, but it was clear to everyone that she was exhausted.

After that, things were normal. Okram was no longer angry at Arabella, and Ladalee was off chasing Keeble, flooding him with compliments on his bravery. Only Slythe seemed quieter, even more so than usual. Arabella noticed him glancing up at the leaves as they sang softly.

Following his gaze, she strained their ears to try to hear what they were chanting. The wind only drifted that day, making it near impossible to pick up what it whispered. Closing her eyes though, Arabella was eventually able to pick up the faint, soft words.

Tonight, nature whispered, repeating itself like the water nymphs. Before Arabella could muse what the word meant, she fell into a deep and thick sleep. She was quickly swallowed by dark dreams, where she was surrounded by terribly strong, black waters. Sloshing around, she thought for sure she was going to drown before she felt a pair of hands pull her up. At first Arabella was relieved, but without being able to see what had a hold of her, she instantly wished she was back in the water, preferring to drown then suffer the fate she knew the hands would put upon her.

Tonight... tonight... tonight...

Arabella slept most of the day, despite the horrible nightmares that seemed to follow her. It was better than being awake, she had decided, because whenever her eyes fluttered open, she felt the pressure of the horrible and overpowering air surround her. When she refused to eat, Keeble finally hopped up onto the trailer and noticed that her ivory complexion was paler than usual and goosebumps lightly covered her skin as she shivered.

After showing her to the other Beasts, Okram decided to put her in the trailer where she could be safe and warm. Both Keeble and Okram stood over her uneasily as they lay her down on some blankets to sleep. Nervously, Keeble asked, "What's wrong with her? Is she sick?"

Okram shook his head, deep in thought. At last, he responded unsurely, "She is exhausted, but something tells me this is some sort of reaction... like a new sense of her is forming."

Keeble's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

"It's hard to explain, because being a Beauty, you have do not have it. Beasts are able to sense when danger or something unfamiliar is near them. It's like they can feel when something evil is approaching. This sense is finicky though, strong with some Beasts and weak with others. Most of the time, the Beast does not even realize this sense is acting up as it has a different effect on each Beast. We are born with 

this sense, yet some Beasts go through their whole life without knowing how their sixth sense will react."

"If something were approaching us," Keeble asked slowly, trying to wrap his head around this, "why haven't you or Slythe or Ladalee sensed it? Surely one of you would have felt it coming –"

"Because I don't have a sixth sense," Arabella suddenly said, surprising Okram and Keeble that she was awake. Her voice was soft and scratchy though, as if she had a sore throat. "I am only half Beast; therefore if I did have it, the ability of my sixth sense would be very weak. Okram, if you cannot sense anything, surely I cannot sense anything. I'm just under the weather."

Okram stared at her closely, trying to read her face. "Do not be too sure of that," he responded in a low voice. "Have you felt as if something were after you? Have you thought something were behind you when you were by yourself?"

"Never," Arabella lied quickly, "so trust me, I will be better by the morning."

After a pause, both Keeble and Okram left Arabella alone in the trailer. She sighed with relief, because all Arabella wanted to do was sleep without anyone worrying about her. And the last thing she wanted was to learn she had another unwanted Beast quality, so burying her head under the covers, Arabella pushed the idea away.

"It's just a cold," she whispered to herself, "you're just sick from all of this adventure. It's just a cold..." Very soon, Arabella drifted off into another sleep, where she fell back into the familiar waters of her dream.

A light rain fell from the sky of grey. Arabella slept. The light rain turned into a hard, pounding storm. Arabella slept. The storm faded, the sun set, and a light fog emerged from nothing. Arabella slept through it all. It wasn't until there was a small, rhythmic tapping on the wood trailer door that she finally stirred.

Head still blurry, she stared at the door for a moment before finally getting up to her feet. Arabella still felt as if she were in a dream, her mind somewhere else, when she slowly opened the door. Slythe was looking at her, panting as if he had just been running wildly.

"Arabella!" he gasped, "Thank goodness you are alright. Quick, we must leave this place at once."

Arabella did not move. She was still half asleep and was unable to grasp the panic in Slythe's velvet voice. Looking past him into the dark, she could not see nor hear anything. "What's happening?" she asked slowly.

"The centaurs," hissed Slythe, "they have returned. They attacked our campsite. The one we killed was the prince, and they have come in swarms to avenge his death."

"But that was weeks ago!" cried Arabella before she was quickly shushed.

"That only means they had weeks to plan their attack on us. Please Arabella, if you do not cooperate, I will be forced to leave you to your death."

"Where are the others?"

At this, Slythe's face looked hesitant, as if already regretting what he was about to tell her. With an apologetic nod, he said softly, "I am sorry Arabella, but they had forgotten about you. Everything was so sudden that they bolted. It was not until I remembered you, left alone in the trailer, that Okram decided one of us should go back to find you."

Arabella's blood ran cold. They had forgotten about her? She felt crushed and defeated, but managed to ask, "Are they waiting for us... for me?"

Slythe looked uncertain. "They assured me they would, but the centaurs are furious, chasing them in the forest. I only just escaped them to rescue you. If we hurry though, we may be able to find them."

They had forgotten about me... The very thought seemed to knock the wind out of Arabella and she wanted to collapse to the ground. But then she looked at Slythe. He had risked his life to come save her. All the times that Arabella had distrusted him made her cringe. How could she have been so cruel?

With a small nod, Arabella lifted her hand. Slythe's eyes flashed eccentrically as he clasped her hand tightly and made a bolt for it. Twisting her head around, Arabella tried to look at the damage of the campsite, but it was so foggy that the only thing she could see was the blurry silhouette of the trailer.

The two of them ran with amazing speed. Arabella's feet hardly touched the ground as she frantically looked around, trying to see signs of the centaurs though the fog. They were moving so quickly though that this was impossible. After some time, the two of them slowed down until they came to a stop. Slythe turned his back to Arabella as he gasped for air.

Arabella's bright green eyes shifted nervously as her stomach churned. Was this where they were supposed to meet the others? As her heart slowed down to normal, the beating subsided in her head, allowing her to hear what was around her.

Only there was nothing to hear. The forest was calm, as quiet as it was any other night. It was strange that it was so still if centaurs were planning to attack them in swarms. As Arabella tried hard to pick up some sort of sound, an eerie thought dawned on her.

"Slythe?" she asked quietly, her voice shaking, "How did I sleep though the attack of our campsite?"

At this, the Beast let out a low, hissing chuckled. Pushing his black hair out of his face, he turned around. A large, disturbing grin spread across his narrow face, which had broken into a sweat. The look in his eyes was unsettling as his snake-like tongue flicked through his fangs. Then, without a sound, he was on her.

Slythe pushed Arabella back onto a tree, so hard that she smacked her head against the bark. She opened her mouth to let out a tiny cry, but no sound came out. What was blocking the sound was Slythe's mouth on her own. His thin lips were pushing hard into her face as his hands first gripped tightly onto her tiny waist, then slid up to her breasts.

Arabella tried to scream, tried to push him off, but it was impossible. Slythe then shoved his tongue into her mouth. It was small and sharp, and as it flickered, it cut inside of Arabella's mouth. Horrified at the taste of her own blood, she suddenly opened her mouth wider, then slammed her mouth closed onto Slythe's bottom lip.

He let out a scream as one of her fangs sunk into his flesh and instantly pulled back. "Whore!" he cried as he gingerly touched his lip to see blood on his fingers.

Swallowing the blood that poured from the cuts in her mouth, Arabella was about to make a dash for it until the low sound of someone else's laughter stopped her in her tracks. Body rigid with fright, she watched as a figure emerged from the fog. She let out a shaky gasp.

With a wolf by his side, stood Thorix. His face was completely still, but his piercing, ice blue eyes were smiling dangerously at her. "You are not crying," he spoke at last, "I am surprised. Clearly there is more Beast inside you then is shown."

His sunburned lips then smirked at her, and without a word, the wolf approached Arabella and began to circle her. "You did well, Slythe," Thorix told him, "How does her blood taste?"

Slythe stood by Thorix now, not even bothering to wipe away the river of red that fell down to his chin. "She tastes forbidden," he replied darkly, "like eating the rarest of fruits. It's like nothing I've ever had before... I want more!"

"All in good time," Thorix said calmly as he lightly held onto Slythe's shoulder, as if knowing he were about to pounce on Arabella again. He then slowly walked up to Arabella, his icy eyes locked with her emerald ones.

Without giving a command, the wolf stopped circling Arabella. Thorix walked ever so slowly behing Arabella. She wished that she could keep her eyes on him, but it was as if her feet were bound to the ground. She was unable to move.

Thorix leaned so that his voice was right in Arabella's ear. "See you soon," he whispered. Then, without warning, he brought his arm back and smacked Arabella hard on the back of her head.

Pain rushed through her body as dark appeared at the corner of her vision. Her eyes flutter briefly and then closed before she even hit the ground.