A/N - sorry this is taking so long..but I just started a new job at Best Buy and it's been taking up all of my time...I PROMISE the rest is coming...and it will be finished by the end of the week! Enjoy!
BTW: I couldn't get the divider to work so the italicized, bold, and underlined X's are there as dividers...just to let you know...
Chapter Twelve
The eerie pink glow hadn't diminished with the loss of so many petals as Merric had thought it would. As it were only three petals remained, each hanging limply above the crisp dried petals that had already fallen. Merric paced his master's private study in the southeastern wing, his eyes never leaving the wilting flower encased in crystal.
It was only a matter of time now.
Merric glanced over at the beast. The monster hadn't moved from the oversized chair facing the window. Merric knew what he watched for. He knew that his master hoped against hope that Gwen would return, galloping back up the path, declaring her love.
And Merric knew that the beast's hope was in vain. No young woman in their right mind could ever love an animal such as that. But Merric wanted to rub it in. He wanted the beast to suffer as much as he, Merric, had.
"Master?" he called tentatively.
The beast didn't answer, didn't move.
"Now that the girl is gone, what do you intend to do?"
The beast blinked. A growl emitted from his throat as he glanced at Merric, his eyes quickly returning to the path outside, framed by the window's gilded edge. "I'll wait for her."
Merric rolled his eyes. "Do you really believe that she will return?"
The beast fought back tears. Yes, he would hope against hope. Gwen was worth it. "Yes."
Merric frowned, unable to fathom his master's reasoning. "Why?"
The simple answer couldn't have surprised Merric more if the beast had reached out and struck him.
"I love her."
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"And he let me go. Just like that."
Sara leaned across the table to grasp Gwen's hand in her own. Tears fell unashamedly from her eyes. Her daughter had been forced to endure so much, and yet, Gwen was grateful. Sara was more than a little surprised to see her face light up when speaking of the monster that had taken her captive and killed her father. Sara shook her head, unable to believe the transformation in her daughter. No longer was her youngest child the wild, adventurous young woman that had caused so much mischief. The young woman who sat before her displayed a sense of calm and acceptance. The restlessness that had characterized her, made her unique from the other children, was gone. She was, simply put, content.
Gwen gave a watery chuckle at her mother's perusal. "I know it sounds silly, even insane, but, Mama..."
Sara nodded. "You care for him."
Gwen shrugged. "Yes. I do. More than I ever cared to admit." Sara said something, but Gwen wasn't listening. Closing her eyes, she relived every moment she'd lived with the beast. Finding her father. Eating that first supper across the table. Reading. Sharing stories beneath the stars. His smile. His laughter. The look in his eyes when he looked at her. The stables. The horses. The way he had sent her away. And in one instant, she made a decision that would once again change her life forever.
"I have to go back."
Sara sat back as though struck. "What? Gwen, you…"
Gwen shook her head. "No, Mama. I have to go back. I belong with him." She stood, pushing the chair away from her so hard it clattered to the floor.
Sara stood with her, outraged. "You mean to tell me that after two years you show up here, only to disappear hours later? What kind of thing is that to do to your family? Don't you even know how we've suffered? First losing Henry and then you?" Sara waved a finger at her daughter. "No! No, I will not lose you again!"
"Mama, for the first time in my life I know where I belong!"
"You belong with your family!"
"You don't need me. The beast needs me!" Sara started to say something, but Gwen continued, going to her mother and taking her hands. "He makes me happy. It doesn't matter that he sent me away, that he released me. I need to go back."
Sara shook her head, unable to speak for the tears clogging her throat.
"I'm sorry. But I have to do this."
A single tear trailed its way down the older woman's cheek. "Why?" she managed to choke out."
Gwen blinked. The answer was so simple. "I love him."
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The sun settled quickly over the castle, leaving everything in darkness. While the path was no longer visible, the beast had yet to move from his post. He neither slept nor ate, but waited.
Merric brought his master a tray of tea, knowing full well that the beast wouldn't take it. If he hadn't felt such an overload of triumph, Merric might have felt a bit sorry for the animal. As it was, another petal had fallen and Merric could barely contain his joy. His life was safe. Death couldn't touch him as long as the spell was still in tact. Now that the girl was gone, it would forever stay that way.
Carrying the tray toward his master, he suddenly lurched forward. The floor beneath his swayed and groaned. Glass shattered while thunder crackled over head. Lightening lit the forest as the castle shuddered as though someone had gripped it between two hands and shook it back and forth. He screamed as he dropped the tray and hot tea spilled down his front. He fell to the floor, unable to keep his footing.
He caught a glimpse of his master, still sitting in his chair, waiting, as though he couldn't feel the castle being torn down around him. Merric tried to rise to his feet, but the writhing floor shook too badly. He was flung up against a wall. Searching for a handhold, anything, he grasped onto a candelabra on the wall and hung on for dear life.
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The emotion in her mother's eyes frightened her, but for once, Gwen knew that she was making the right decision. Love was all that mattered in life. She had lost it once. She was not about to lose it again.
Suddenly, the ground shook violently. Gwen barely kept her footing as the floor bent and twisted. She heard glass shatter as she was thrown across the floor.
"Gwen! What is wrong with you?"
Gwen felt as though the entire house was falling in around her. "Mother! It's an earthquake! Get everyone out!" she cried. Sara just stared at as if she had three horns sticking out of her chin.
"Gwen, what are you talking about?" Sara ran to her.
Gwen's stomach heaved at the rolling of the earth. The floor pitched and rolled the stones moving beneath her. "Make it stop!"
And as suddenly as it had begun, it stopped.
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The earth stilled and Merric finally found his footing. The castle had stopped its mad race to end the world and he stood shakily. He looked around, surveying the damage and gasped in horror.
Nothing had moved. The tables, the ripped curtains, the moldy wooden chairs, everything was still in their original places. The glass windows were still in tact.
The only object out of place was the crystal case that had once held the rose and its magic petals. It lay, shattered, on the floor at the master's feet. The master's feet. No longer did the beast sport claws, but toes. No longer did fur cover his entire body, but skin. Pale skin. The skin of a human.
Merric screamed in rage. Not a beast, not a monster, nor an animal, but a man. Dom sat in the beast's place. Bits of fur clung to him and the clothes hanging from him obviously belonged to a much longer man. His rage built until he could no longer contain it and he lunged.
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"Gwen, are you alright?" Sara helped her off of the floor. "What happened?"
The girl put a hand to her head, massaging the growing lump that she'd acquired when she hit her head on the floor. "I – I don't know. It felt as though the castle was falling down," she said dreamily.
Sara frowned, putting a hand to Gwen's forehead. "What are you talking about, honey? What castle?"
Gwen didn't answer. She was staring into the distance, listening for something. Sara shook her, but she didn't respond.
A scene materialized in front of her as her home and mother shimmered out of view. A battle scene. Two men. Merric. Dom. A sword. Terror. Defense. Attack. A window. Moonlight. Glass. Shattering. Merric. Pain. Dom.
Sara shook her again, hard. "Gwen! Snap out of it!"
The life came back into her eyes once again. And with it, a sense of urgency. "I have to go." She pushed her mother side and without a good-bye, she was out the door and out of sight. Sara let her go, watching her leave with terror in her heart. She stared after her a long time before dissolving into tears.
Gwen hurriedly made her way to the stables, finding Piper, still saddled, and happily munching on fresh straw just behind the barn. Gwen felt a twinge of regret as she realized she must have forgotten all about the horse last night. "Sorry girl, but we've got to leave." The mare whickered and Gwen smiled. The mixed joy and terror in her heart warred with each other. Terror made her hurry, but the joy gave her a smile. The beast had been Dom all along! She hadn't lost him!
"Are you leaving, Gwen?" Neal walked over, grunting as he heaved a bale of hay at her feet. "Again?"
"I didn't leave last time." She didn't look at him. "I'm bringing Dom home."
"Let me go with you."
Gwen shook her head. "No, Neal. This is something I have to do alone."
"Gwen, please."
"No…" she started, and then stopped. She bit her lip, turning to him, unsure. "Neal," she began.
Neal gave her a sad smile. "I understand. My little sister is all grown up, but she still needs to go out on her own adventures."
Gwen hugged him hard. "Thank you." She kissed his cheek and hurriedly mounted the mare. Tugging on the reins, she turned back to her brother. "Take care of Mama." After a moment's hesitation she added, "I'll be back." She nudged the horse into a canter and headed for the forest.
She let Piper lead the way down the path. The mare shied away from the portal's opening as they got near, but Gwen kicked her hard and sent her sprinting into the invisible force field. The blackened and twisted trees made her gasp. Thunder rolled overhead, broken by flashes of lightening. What had happened to spring?
How long had it been since the beast had sent her away? If she could spend six months in one world and come out two years later in another…
Gwen's heart nearly stopped. What if she was too late? She urged Piper into a gallop.
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Dom stared at his attacker. The sharp ragged slab of wood in his hand had, presumably, once belonged to a table. The splintered wood, sharp and deadly, gleamed dully in the flashes of light that crackled every now and then. "What do you want, Merric?"
Merric twisted the make-shift sword, wondering how best to drive it through Dom's human flesh. "I want you, Master. You don't deserve the death I'm about to give you. No, you deserve a whole lot worse!" He swung the wood. Hard.
Dom ducked, the branch missing his head by inches. He twisted his ankle in an attempt to scramble away. He gasped in pain and stumbled. It was just the opening Merric had been looking for. The former servant shrieked with rage and drew the sword with terrifying speed toward Dom. At the last possible second, Dom gathered his strength and rolled free, ignoring the pain shoot up from his ankle. Shattered glass bit into his shoulder.
"Don't run, Dominic! You'll never be able to get away from me. Not here!"
Dom scrambled away as fast as he could. He tripped and fell over a table. Merric threw away his sword, smiling at him in mockery, his hands spread wide.
"You want to fight me, Dom? Huh?" He came up on him and grabbed him by the front of his tunic. As Merric lifted him to his feet, Dom came face to face with his greatest fear. "She wasn't supposed to have found the castle! You weren't supposed to have loved her!" The madman's voice could be heard over the crackles of thunder. Leaning forward, Merric hissed, "She wasn't supposed to have broken the spell!" His muscles bunched, and suddenly Dom found himself flying through the air, against a large ceiling-high window. It shattered on impact.