CHAPTER SEVEN

HOW TO BREAK A FAE'S CURSE

"AHHH!" I inwardly flinched at Gaspard's cries. Fae leaned over him with a cruel smile, "Take your punishment."

I found that I couldn't move. I wasn't really there. I tried to move, to cry out, "Why are you doing this? Stop!" But I couldn't utter a word.

Gaspard cried out again. She wasn't even touching him. I didn't know what she was doing to him. He looked to be in immense pain, arching up and crying out loudly, scaring me.

"Please! Belle!" Gaspard screamed out.

Fae smirked over him, "She's not here. She'll never be here. Why would she?"

"Ugh," Gaspard grunted, "Love."

Fae cackled evilly, "Love? You think she loves you? Who could love a thing like you? So ugly. She doesn't care about you."

"No..." Gaspard whispered and I wanted to whisper it with him.

"It's true, Beast. If she loved you, she would be here, no?" She spread her arms out, gesturing around her, "But where is she? Not here. Because she doesn't love you. She doesn't care if you live or die."

I wanted to cry, to deny it. Because it wasn't true. I did care. I wanted him to live.

Gaspard's back arched off the floor, him screaming out in anguish.

"Gaspard!" I gasped out as I jolted awake in bed.

"Nice dream?" A voice said from my window.

I let out a little yelp as I whipped over to see the fae sitting at my desk. "You! What are you doing here, again? Why can't you just leave us alone?"

She smirked with cruelty, "Just showing you what's going to happen soon if you don't stop what you're doing."

I tried to stop shaking in fear. This … thing could do anything to me. Slowly, quickly. Painlessly... painfully.

"What?"

She cocked her head, "If you don't stop, the curse will kill him. The heart can only work for so long without any love to keep it going. And soon... his will give out."

"What are you saying?" I asked slowly.

"That Gaspard will soon die of a broken heart if the curse isn't broken."

"So break it," I said through my teeth, "Now."

She smirked, seeming amused at my distress and faux-bravery. "No. I won't break the curse until he's mine. So he will either be mine... or die. I should have done this a long time ago." Then she disappeared in much the same fashion she did at the library.

The door was locked when I got to the manor. I knocked loudly with the massive bronze knocker. It must have been a whole ten minutes of constant knocking before Emile slowly opened the large oak door. She looked at me with grim drowning her expression. "Ma chere, vous devez aller. (My dear, you must go.)"

I shook my head, understanding the word 'go' and said, "No, Emile. I need to see him." I walked into the manor, past her and up the stairs. I checked the study. He wasn't there. I checked the library. He wasn't there. I checked the kitchen, sitting room, and basement. He wasn't there. When I got to the kitchen I met Emile and asked, "Where is he? Ou... est, Gaspard?"

"Bed."

I ran back up the stairs. I had never been to Gaspard's bedroom. But I knew where it was. I don't know why I hadn't checked it already. I paused in front of the tall door, hand poised to knock. "Come in, Belle. I can never keep you away."

I slowly opened the door, "No, you can't." What I saw, made me want to cry. Gaspard was lying in his bed, looking half asleep, but in a weak way. "What's wrong with you?"

"I should have known this was coming with that first cough," Gaspard referenced his couch when I told him fae had come to me. "I've never gotten sick since I became immortal. Though I guess I'm immortal no longer."

I wrapped my arms around myself, "Don't say that. You're not going to die."

Gaspard coughed hardly, "Si optimiste."

I walked over to his bedside, sitting down at his side, "I still don't speak french, Gaspard. You and Emile have to stick around to teach me."

"Emile will have her work cut out for her," Gaspard 'chuckled'.

I lightly smacked his shoulder, "I said don't talk like that. You're going to be fine. We'll find a way to break this curse."

"I've stopped caring about what I look like."

"That's not what I mean, Gaspard," I closed my eyes tightly before opening them again, "Fae came to me again after giving me a nightmare about you dying. She said that soon you'll die of a broken heart unless the curse is broken and she won't lift it unless you're hers."

"I will never be hers," Gaspard swore harshly.

"I know that, but... we need to find a way to save you. I will find a way to save you."

I typed quickly on the keys of my computer, searching 'curses'. Too many things turned up on the search engine. I searched through, then narrowed down my search to 'fairy curses'. That didn't do too much for me.

I sighed and stood up, picking up my bag before walking down the stairs. Hannah-and-Cathy were in the living room, "Where are you going, Belle?"

"Out," I muttered, walking past them.

"Why the rush?"

"It's important."

I poured over every book in the library. I even went as far as to ask Myrtle what she knew about ancient curses. She gave me a weird look but answered which way that would be found. I must have had about ten books when I came home that night.

Hannah-and-Cathy seemed not to forget out little morning chat, "You were at the library all this time?"

I didn't answer, just running up stairs and into my room. I heard a knock on my door and called out, "Go away."

Hannah-and-Cathy opened the door anyway. "What's going on? What's wrong?" Hannah-and-Cathy one asked.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," I said as I laid out books on my bed and desk and turned on my computer.

"We promise we won't," Hannah-and-Cathy two said.

I shook my head, "Trust me. You'd send me to a psychiatric hospital."

"Just please tell us. We won't say anything."

I looked at them for a long time, wondering what had kidnapped them and taken the place of my sisters. "Why are you trying to help?"

They sighed, "You're our sister. We haven't really acted like sisters to you when we should have. We'd like to make up for it now. We want to help."

I sighed and gave in, "There's this... guy."

Hannah-and-Cathy squealed, "OMG, is he cute?"

I smirked, "Actually he's one of the most hideous guys I've ever seen. But I could care less about that."

They deflated a little, "Well... what's the problem?"

I hesitated, "I'm gonna sound crazy."

"Try us," Hannah-and-Cathy said.

I crossed my arms and sighed, "He is a 266 year old French farm boy who has been cursed by a fairy because he wouldn't sleep with her. He's cursed to be alone and hideous forever. But somehow I got her angry and she's slowly zapping the life out of him. He'll die if I don't find a way to break the curse."

Hannah-and-Cathy's mouths were wide open and gaping at me. I could practically hear crickets in the background. I groaned and slapped my hand over my eyes, "I knew you wouldn't believe me."

"Well can you really blame us?" Hannah-and-Cathy one asked.

"Yeah, I mean... 266 year old guy cursed to live forever ugly by a fairy?" Hannah-and-Cathy two summed up.

I threw my hands up, "Well it's not like I can prove it to you. Short of bringing you to the manor-"

"Wait," Hannah-and-Cathy one interrupted, "Manor? You mean the Haunted House at the top of the hill? Why did you ever go there!"

I sat at the edge of my bed and began, "I was walking Todo one day and he got loose. I ended up at the house and met Gaspard. But back then he was in a robe and I never saw him. I went back to get answers. That's where I've been going so much for so long lately. He's my only friend."

"Wow..."

"Yeah... I need to find a way to break this curse," I explained.

"Do you love him?" Hannah-and-Cathy two asked.

I paused at that question. Did I love Gaspard? I cared for him. So much. I wanted to be with him. But did I love him? "He's important to me."

"Can we meet him?"

"What?" I gasped out.

"We want to meet the guy who makes you happy," Hannah-and-Cathy one said.

I opened the door, looking behind me at my sisters, "Be quiet." They nodded, quietly.

I led them up the grand staircase and opened the door to Gaspard's room. Lately, every time I go in there, I want to cry at the sight of him so weak on the bed. He coughed violently and then took a shot breath, "Bonjour, Belle. You're always coming back."

I smiled weakly, sniffing, "This time I've got company. I hope you don't mind."

The small smile fell from his face, "Who did you bring?"

I gestured for Hannah-and-Cathy to follow me into the room, "My sisters. We had a... talk. And they were asking me what was wrong. So I told them about you. They wanted to meet you."

He looked panicked, like he wanted to run away. He tried to sit up but it took great effort. I ran to his side and gently pushed him back down onto the bed, "It's okay. Don't get up. Le repos."

He chuckled, "Did you look that up, too?"

I half-smiled, "Yeah. Seems you won't listen to me in English. I've gotta use French."

Gaspard coughed again and looked over to Hannah-and-Cathy and muttered bitterly, "Go ahead and scream."

They gaped at him, "Are you alright?"

Gaspard and I looked at them shocked. "Fine..."

They looked wary, as reaction to his looks. But I could see they were trying. That was all I could ask. I stood, "I need to help him..."

Hannah stepped forward and looked at Gaspard, "Hi, I'm Hannah. This is my twin, Cathy. It's nice to meet you, Gaspard."

Cathy smiled and said, "Nice to finally meet someone who can truly make Belle happy."

Aw sisterly reunion! Hope you noticed the crucial change at the end there.

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