Title: Chained to the Beast of the Black Rose

By The Dictator

Rating: R

Chapter Two

Powers of Air to bring on change

Cerridwen woke in the early morning. Dawn was creeping in through the window and a heavenly scent invaded her first deep breath of morning. Without really thinking, Cerridwen knew for a fact that someone was cooking. She sensed her mother's cookware being touched by those that were unclean in spirit. Considering that she was the only thing pure in both spirit and body that lived in this house, she figured it was probably one of her sisters.

Cerridwen leaped off the bed and donned a clean crisp cotton brown robe that was flung to the ground last night and hurried out her room. When she came down stairs into the kitchen, she found one of her two sisters boiling water and a few eggs there too.

Cerridwen gasped and growled a little sound like a possessive mate and pushed her older sister away. She dumped the warming water from the small pot and turned to glare at the small family that looked at her as if in shock. They were all there. Daulk sitting at the head of the table and one of her sisters on his side. The other sister that was pushed by Cerridwen glared at her and rubbed her pained arm.

"Cerridwen! What's gotten into you girl?" Demanded Daulk as if he were the master of the house. Which to everyone he was, but to Cerridwen, he was nothing but a coward wearing a kings crown and cape.

" Don't any of you dare touch mama's things!" She screeched in reply, her accent slightly more vivid but somehow suppressed. Before she could stop herself she added. "They don't fancy the likes of ye"

Cerridwen was met with lifted brows and a quirk of lips. Though it was silent, Cerridwen could tell they were laughing. They laughed on the inside, with their eyes, they laughed at what was only natural.

" Now Cerridwen, what's that you've been saying 'bout the pot and its 'feelings'?" Daulk questioned in the most well-mannered way he could. Trying to be the gentleman for her sake more then his. Even in the gentle tone, Cerridwen still caught the harsh sarcasm and it cut deeply.

Cerridwen stayed silent and held the warm pot to her breast as she just looked at Daulk. There was no understanding in his eyes so she searched out her sisters. They held nothing but ignorance, fake ignorance, for they knew what was going on beneath the surface of it all.

" I hope you've not turned to our mother's evil witchy ways Cerridwen. She was burned you know " Spoke Daulk after a few moments of Cerridwen's silence.

Cerridwen held her breath as he said his last sentence. Of course I know she thought angrily. I was there! She sniffed as her eyes watered but no tears fell. "You told me mama had a surprise for me..." She glared at him. She felt a bubbling feeling under her breasts but above her stomach. The feeling was hot and it felt wonderful; It felt painful at the same time. "You told me to hide in the hay wagon till I saw her coming. "Tears weld and threatened to spill over. " You tricked me into seeing mama burn to death." Cerridwen closed her eyes tightly to force the tears to stay in. When she opened her eyes, tiny little droplets of tears clung to the long fringes of her warm brown lashes. She embraced the bubbling power inside her, not trying to tame it but let it freely swallow her. She murmured words loud enough for them to understand. "I was only nine." Then Cerridwen fell to the floor, still clutching the warm pot.

When Cerridwen woke, she was in one of her sisters' rooms. The smell of peach blossoms woke her from an unnatural dream. She thanks the winds for bringing in the lovely new scent and glanced around. She found two faces looking at her. Two pairs of green eyes filled with worrying tears. Two mouths or the same pale pink with it's corners turned downward in a frown. Two blond heads with wisps of wavy in the sleek straightness. Both faces had fair creamy skin with round cheeks to give an illusion of youngness that the pools of gentle green failed to display.

" Life had been bad for us, hasn't it?" Cerridwen mumbled upon seeing her sisters.