Chapter Thirteen
Merric laughed hysterically, his eyes gleaming. His enemy was dead. He could live his life out in this castle forever. It may not be ideal, but it was life! In with that life came freedom. He, Merric, was master of this castle! No one was going to take it from him.
Then he heard a low groan. Merric's heart stopped and he clenched his teeth. It couldn't be true! He forced his way through he rubble and made his way to the window. With a snarl he pushed himself way from the window sill, his flesh breaking as he leaned on broken shards of glass. He had thrown that bar of wood somewhere. His enemy was still alive! The man had landed on a precipice not six feet below the window. Short and shallow, the man-beast had nowhere to go. Half-dead already, Merric presumed, as he searched for the bar he thrown away, Dom could sit in agony a few more minutes before his imminent death.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
High above the ground, laying flat against the risen turret, Dom lay, bleeding and in severe pain. The cooling rain pounded as hard as the thunder that rattled the air around him. He breathed heavily, ready to give up.
Gwen. Oh, he was so sorry he wouldn't be able to see her again. If only Henry hadn't disappeared. If only Dom hadn't gone after him. If only he had listened to Gwen. If only…there were so many 'if only's'. Tears poured down his temples.
Even as a beast, Dom had recognized Gwen, although he hadn't been able to place where or how he knew her. Her laughter, her smile that lit up her eyes, her voice; they had captivated him all over again. She loved to read, loved adventures, loved the spring as it had come over the land.
But he hadn't been able to bring himself to keep her prisoner. He knew her. Gwen wasn't someone who could sit back and let things happen. She had a restless spirit. She made her own destiny and taking one given through an ancient spell was not Gwen's way of doing things.
But, oh, the look in her eyes as he'd sent her away. He knew at that moment that he would never see her again, that he would be forever cursed to life out the rest of his life as this hideous creature, unable to do anything but wallow in his own grief. But he was content with that. As long as Gwen was happy. If Gwen was happy, nothing else mattered.
And now, Gwen was gone. And he was going to die in this prison. And he was okay with that.
His chest hurt and it was suddenly hard to breathe. As he struggled for breath, he suddenly felt a cool hand on his forehead.
"Gwen?" he managed to croak. He struggled to open his eyes, but the sudden light was too bright. It hurt too much to move.
"Don't give up. Your time has not come." A female voice, all too familiar rang in his ears, in his very soul. Dom sank back, too weary, too miserable to care.
"Your princess is coming, my King. Don't let down. Your destiny is waiting!" The cool hand made its way down his cheek and jaw line. Energy and strength flowed thought him. He felt, more than saw, his cuts and bruises and broken bones healing. The weariness dissipated. He opened his eyes.
And saw no one.
"Don't give up, my lord!" The voice faded and Dom sat up. He stared in amazement at his body. It was whole, and new, and strong.
Heavy footsteps broke through his reverie. With a sharp intake of breath that belied the fact that his broken ribs were indeed healed, Dom scrambled to hide. But where?
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Merric returned to the turret, wooden sword raised in two hands, ready to sink the splinters into the monster. He stepped out into the rain and the ugly sneer disappeared from his once handsome face. Dom was gone. A red haze swam across his vision until he couldn't see straight. No! Dom was not going to get away this time! Not for anything! Unable to see clearly, he stumbled over stray stones. Unbalanced he staggered precariously toward the turret's edge.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Dom!" Gwen shouted at the top of her lungs as she raced Piper through the forest. The castle came into view and she only urged the mare faster. Thunder crackled. The steady rain had long ago soaked her to the skin, but she paid no heed. Her only thoughts were of Dom. He needed her. "Yah!" She dug her heels into Piper's side, praying, hoping, believing that she wasn't too late.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Dom turned his head ever so slightly just in time to catch Gwen dismount a horse far below him and disappear into the castle. He wanted to cry out to her, to tell her that it wasn't safe, but that would mean his own death. It would take Gwen a while to find him. If he called out to her, now, well, he didn't have a weapon. Merric would kill him and neither Gwen nor Dom would have any chance at all. So he kept his mouth shut even as his heart cried out.
He adjusted his hold on the side of the turret. The width of the turret was just wide enough with an edge at the bottom for him to stand on. He held on, but barely. He glanced down and his vision swam. Oh, he hated heights. He blinked, hard, and glanced back, discretely, toward the window. He couldn't see Merric any longer. Couldn't hear him. Dom tries to still his heavy breathing, but it seemed to echo off every tower.
Dom stilled as Merric stepped into the light, the wooden sword raised in both hands. He watched as a look of shock exploded over the servant's face. He stepped onto the turret and swayed, stumbling. He staggered toward Dom, rage practically radiating red from Merric's entire body.
Biting his lip, Dom flung out an arm, swiping Merric's feet from under him. The man went down, hard. Grunting, Merric surged to his feet. Dom heaved himself up from his hiding place just as Merric brought the wooden bard toward Dom's head. Dom ducked, but the bar hit him square in the shoulder.
Blinded with pain, Dom fell to his knees.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Gwen raced up the many flights of stairs. The beast, Dom, hadn't been in the library. Nor had he been in any of the places the two of them had visited together. She rounded a corner and headed into the forbidden southeaster wing. It was the only place he could be.
So she hoped.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Merric brought the bar down again, but Dom rolled out of the way. He grabbed a large shard of glass as she stood up, massaging his bruised shoulder as he jumped out of Merric's way. The turret was short, too short for the kind of battle Merric was looking for.
But that didn't matter. Merric lunged, but Dom was ready. He slashed out with the glass in his hand, while bringing his other hand up and under, toward Merric's stomach. Distracted by the glass aimed at his face, Merric ducked, only to collide with Dom's fist. Dom quickly slashed down with his other hand and the glass sliced through Merric's flesh, opening his eyebrow and ruining his eyes.
Merric screamed his agony and let the wooden bar drop. He staggered back, blood pouring from his wound. Dom rounded on him, swinging. Fist after fist met Merric's face as Dom's pent up fear and anger let loose.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Gwen reached the beast's private study. Just as when she'd last saw it, broken furniture lay everywhere. One window was gone, shattered, and the case that had held that beautiful rose was gone. Thunder and rain pounded the air outside. As lightening streaked across the dark sky, a figure was illuminated outside the broken window.
A man. She hadn't seen him in nearly a year, and yet had been with him every day for a long while. Gwen burst into tears and haphazardly dodged broken furniture as she made her way toward the window.
"Dom!" she sobbed. "Dom!"
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Merric lay nearly unconscious before him. "That was for Gwen!" Dom cried. "And for my family! And for my life! That you took from me!" He didn't know if the droplets running down his face were tears or simply rain. It didn't matter. He had to go find Gwen, he realized, before the monster before him woke up.
"Dom! Dom!" He whirled. And there she was. He stood, staring at her, at Gwen, for a long moment, not truly believing that she was here. "Gwen," he whispered her name with human lips and teeth, reveling in the sound. With a cry, Dom ran to the window. He reached out a hand and his knees buckled as shards of pain radiated from his side.
He went down as Gwen screamed his name.
Merric ignored the girl. He would deal with her later. He didn't care that Dom had surged to his feet and was now circling him, warily, trying to keep him away from the girl.
Merric growled. He couldn't wait any longer. "You lose, boy! This is my life, my game! You will NOT take this from me!" Dom cringed and that was it. Merric's control snapped and he surged forward. He roared his fury, screaming. He raced at Dom, swinging the wooden sword wildly.
Gwen's scream split the air and thunder crackled all around.
Dom couldn't see. Frantically he wiped the rain from his eyes. Merric's sword was inches from his chest and time seemed to stand still.
For a split second, Dom wondered what it would be like to die. Death would be most welcome, at the moment. The pain in his shoulder and ribs intensified, it seemed, with each breath. The pain would be gone. His agony would be gone.
But then he looked at Gwen. Without her, all hope of a life well lived would die. There was no life without her. Death wasn't worth it. The spell had changed his life. The ancient spell that had held so many captive was broken, had given him a second change.
Gwen had given him a second change.
He blinked and lurched to the side. Merric, not expecting the sudden movement, kept running forward, arms and weapon outstretched.
Dom spun and swung his arms, connected in one fist, at Merric's back with all his might as the man passed. The impact sent Merric to the floor, rolling and tripping over loose gravel.
Merric tried desperately to once again gain some semblance of control. But the turret was too short. His arms flailing, a loose and wild terror took hold. And he fell.
Dom heard his scream and he heard the distant thud of a body hitting solid ground, but he had his sights on someone far more important.
Gwen, wide-eyed, and white, watched the entire thing. It couldn't be possible. Docile, polite Merric had become her and Dom's worst enemy. His greed, his anger had become a weapon, a cunning he had used all too well.
And then there was Dom. She had missed his face, his hands, his eyes, and his smile. Suddenly, she couldn't stand to be so close and yet so far. She climbed onto the turret, her hands bleeding as she leaned on the sill. Her knees gave way and she sank to the stones beneath her. She clutched her chest, her heart. Dom could have died!
Dom ran to her and knelt beside her. She threw her arms around him and he kissed her hard. She threaded her fingers through his hair and hung on with all of her might. She tried to pull away to get a good look at him.
"No," Dom whispered. He kissed her again. Their breath mingled and tears stained both their cheeks. But their tears were soon washed away by the gentle rain that now fell. Dom pulled away first and wiped at her tears. He kissed her forehead, which brought on another onslaught of tears on Gwen's part.
"I thought I'd lost you," she cried, feeling as though she may burst with relief.
Dom drew her head to his chest and simply held her, his lips against her hair. "You almost did," he whispered.
"Why did you send me away?"
Dom felt his heart constrict, remembering that terrible moment. "You weren't happy. I – I knew it was selfish keeping you here, keeping you a prisoner. I wanted you to be happy." His voice cracked and Gwen pulled away to look him in eye.
"You thought I wasn't happy?"
He wouldn't meet her gaze.
Gwen ran her fingers over his face, marveling at the touch. "I fell if love with you all over again, even as I thought you were the beast. I was happy." He looked up at her and suddenly she couldn't breathe from the pain and hope in his eyes. "I love you," she said simply.
Dom leaned forward and kissed her, sliding his hand beneath her rain-soaked hair to deepen the kiss. "I love you, too," he whispered after a long moment.
The rain stopped and the clouds began to dissipate, but the pair barely noticed. Rising to his feet, he pulled Gwen with him and enveloped her in a crushing hug. "I told you I'd be back."
Gwen smiled up at him. He kissed her, gently, and for the first time in all her life, Gwen was content. Content to stand, surrounded by the arms of her beloved. As she looked up at the quickly brightening sky, the air around her smelled, fresh, clean, new. She looked up at Dom, and knew that he felt it too. The clouds rolled away, sending beams of bright light scattered in all directions. And she knew.
Everything was all right. The world was suddenly, magnificently, right again. She turned her gaze back to Dom, who she had lost, only to find again, and lifted her chin for another kiss, knowing that in her lifetime, there would be many more to come.