I know, I know, two updates in two days! Wow, I'm on a role. .:bows:. Thank you, thank you, thank you to Karli and TrudiRose for reviewing so quickly. I love you guys! Thanks for pointing out my (many) mistakes. Please, find more!
Well, here's chappy 9. Woohoo! (Be prepared, it's very corny.)
It was easy for the old man to find the castle; he had been there many times before and his feet knew the paths well. The iron gates loomed over his stooped form but he paid them no mind. With surprising ease, he pushed the gates open and closed them neatly behind him.
His footprints were instantly filled with snow as he walked so that one would have doubted he had ever been that way before.
He stopped at the rosebush and eyed the empty branch thoughtfully, one gnarled finger placed upon his lips. He looked up at the castle, a slight smile tilting the corners of his mouth, but it was not a kind smile. With a wave of his hand, a huge black raven now stood where the old man had been. A deep, hoarse caw rose in its throat as it flew into the air, aiming for a window that had been thoughtlessly left open.
Piper jumped as the clock chimed six and Raoul saw the half-dazed expression in her eyes that is always present when someone is pulled brutally from the world of a book they have just been reading.
"Six o'clock?" she said, her voice a confused whisper. "I had no idea it was that late."
Six o'clock? Raoul's eyes flew to the grandfather clock across the room and a little shiver of terror ran down his spine. In just an hour he would become the wolf he hated more than anything else in the world. He fumbled with the crutches, cursing under his breath as he stood with much difficulty. Piper set the book on the table, watching him. One slender hand reached out hesitantly as if to help.
"I do not need your help!" he snarled at her, yanking back before she could touch him. She shrank a little but her eyes met his evenly.
"Very well," she said. "As you wish."
She stood unmoving as he struggled with the horrible crutches; more than once a hot flush rose to his cheeks, the first time in a long time he had felt so embarrassed. With a final growl of anger he managed to balance himself evenly before taking a shaky step. The humiliation of the past few minutes finally caught up to him and he wanted nothing more than to go to his own room and tear some stick of furniture to shreds.
But Piper had other ideas. She steered him firmly back to her own room and despite his protests, forced him into bed, showing surprising strength for one so small. His skin seemed to burn where she touched him and he was confused as to why the sensation was strangely pleasant.
"Ring if you need anything," she said and suddenly the soft grey eyes were very close and he could smell her hair—it smelled of roses—and see the little sprinkling of freckles aross her cheeks. He looked up at her and for a moment he was staring straight into those eyes and time halted.
"Good night," she said briskly and then she was gone and Raoul cursed his weakness. Why did she vex him so, yet every word she spoke seemed to burn into his memory? Why was he so confused?
Piper was shaking. She had never been so close to a man before in her life; why had she leaned down so far anyway? It was not proper for her to have been near him, close enough to see the fear in his dark eyes, the fear he tried desperately to mask.
She was so preoccupied in wishing she had maintained a suitable distance that she almost ran over a short little old man in the middle of the hallway.
"Oh, I beg your pardon!" she said, taking a step back.
"I knew not there was a girl in the castle," he said and his voice grated oddly. Piper suddenly became aware of how very quiet it was.
"I have just arrived," she said and her voice became timid. "May I ask who you are?"
"I am no one of consequence," said the old man and Piper realized his eyes were a strange lavender color. She took another step backward.
"Everyone is of consequence," she said. The man advanced, his eyes glittering.
"Even beasts?" he whispered and Piper paled.
"I know no beasts," she said and her voice shook only a little.
"There are always beasts in the world," he said simply and smirked. "Selfish, uncaring beasts ..."
"They are only beasts if they think of themselves as such."
His eyebrows raised and one gnarled finger stroked his cheek. "We shall see about that," he said and suddenly he wasn't there anymore and a giant crow's silhouette was framed against an open window. Shivering, Piper ran to the window and shut it, sliding to the floor. Who was that man? What was he doing in the castle? He spoke as if he had been here before. Perhaps she ought to ask Raoul ...
As if on cue, a tremendous crash came from the direction of her room. Without stopping to think, Piper leapt to her feet and ran down the hall, gathering her cumbersome skirts in her hands. Throwing open the door, she found a great grey wolf madly slamming his body against the window. The glass had already shattered, staining the grey coat with blood. The bars against the window prevented Raoul from getting out but he paid no heed to that, nor to the blood or his maimed leg.
"Raoul!" Piper screamed.
"Piper!" Mrs. Lamphrey reached to grab the girl's skirt but Piper had moved toward Raoul. The wolf turned halfway and Piper met the cold, unfeeling, wicked eyes. The wolf had completely taken control of him.
"Please stop," Piper begged, tears flowing down her face. Her hands reached out to him, pleading.
"You let him in." Raoul's voice was as cold as ice; there was no compassion or sympathy or even a mote of human kindness.
"I don't know who you're talking about," Piper said and her voice trembled.
"The wizard!" Raoul screamed and suddenly the desk was flying at her. Piper ducked and it splintered on the wall behind her head. The fear was very strong in her eyes, fear that had disappeared for a few weeks.
"Raoul, please!" Piper pleaded, ducking to avoid the glass that shattered above her as an expensive vase joined the fate of the desk.
"Don't play the innocent with me," he snarled. "You knew who he was and that is why you let him in because you knew what he could do." The great grey wolf paced back and forth, his eyes gleaming in cold fury. Piper was on her knees, quivering like a leaf as she watched him.
"I don't know who he is," she whispered. He whirled around.
"You pretend to be ignorant but I know you are not," he said coldly. "You cannot live in this horrible place and be ignorant."
She stood slowly, taking a step forward, her eyes holding his. "Tell me who he is," she said, softly.
"He is the bearer of misery and the maker of pain," Raoul said and his eyes were suddenly filled with a deep sadness. His body seemed to sag, carrying his pain with it. Piper took another step forward. Nothing was thrown at her and she took another hesitant step, holding his eyes.
"Why?" Piper asked.
"Because he took away my life for the sake of his pleasure and enjoyment," Raoul said viciously and for a moment his eyes were flashing with hatred and animosity, raging fire deep within his soul. Then it was gone and suddenly the wolf-man looked years older, as if he had aged a hundred years in just a few moments.
Piper said nothing; what could she say? She reached his side and hesitating only a moment, wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head against the coarse blood-stained fur.
Raoul very nearly jumped out of his skin. He was not expecting this, nor had he ever predicted it would happen. He had tried to kill her; why would she be touching him? But now a peculiar sensation was running through his body, not entirely unpleasant. The rose-scented hair brushed against his nose and he felt oddly lightheaded.
"He has not taken away all of your life," she said quietly, and looked at him with sorrowful grey eyes.
Raoul laughed bitterly. "What has he left me?"
He watched her, waiting to see what she would say. His whole body was tense with anticipation, more than he would ever admit. He looked down into the beautiful grey eyes and watched in surprise as she smiled.
"He has left you your heart," she said and laid her hand lightly over his heart, her skin burning his fur.
She didn't know and he couldn't even suspect, but from that moment forth, Raoul's heart was no longer his.
It belonged to a girl named Piper.
