Page 60 of Falling for the Beast

Her head snapped up. Was she really going to help him? “In the car.”

The three of them rushed down the steps, and Aribelle opened the back door where Thaddeus lay. Catherine frowned. “He’s barely alive.”

Hope filled Aribelle. He wasn’t dead, as she feared. “Is there anything you can do?”

“Let’s get him inside.” She pressed her lips together in a tight line and grabbed his ankles. “Each of you grab an arm.”

They pulled Thaddeus from the car and managed to carry him up the walkway and into the house. Catherine motioned to an oversized coffee table. “Set him down there.”

The living room was stuffed with eclectic furniture, and every free space was filled with bottles, containers, glass jars, and other strange items. Aribelle knelt beside Thaddeus, smoothing his hair out of his eyes. “Please don’t die on me,” she whispered.

Catherine stared at her. “You love him.”

It wasn’t a question, but she answered it anyway. “Yes.”

“How can anyone love—” Catherine stopped, her eyes narrowing. “What is this?” She bent over Thaddeus, examining his face. “What are all these scars from?”

Catherine’s daughter backed up, her face white.

Catherine lifted Thaddeus’s shirt, revealing more scars littered across his skin, plus the two bullet holes. “What is the meaning of this?” Catherine shouted, turning to her daughter. “Elizabeth?”

Her daughter’s gaze fell to the floor. “I’m sorry, Mother.”

Aribelle didn’t know what was going on, but she really didn’t care. All she wanted was for Catherine to heal Thaddeus.

Catherine turned to Aribelle. “How did he get these scars?”

How could she not know? “Healing others.”

Catherine made a scoffing noise. “He took these upon himself?”

Why was Catherine questioning her? He was bleeding to death! “Yes,” she said, trying not to sound short with the woman who could save Thaddeus’s life.

Catherine turned back to Elizabeth. “You gave him this power?”

Once again, Elizabeth simply said, “I’m sorry, Mother.”

Aribelle wanted to shake Catherine. “Can you heal him?”

Catherine looked at Aribelle like she was just now seeing her for the first time. “Yes. I will heal him.”

She rushed around the room, mumbling to herself and picking up items. Then she picked up Aribelle’s hand and stabbed her finger with a pin.

“Ouch!” Aribelle pulled her hand back, but Catherine took it again.

“I need a drop of your blood.”

Aribelle nodded and let Catherine squeeze out a drop. When it looked like she had what she wanted, she motioned to her daughter. “You’re going to have to undo what you did.”

Elizabeth nodded and joined her mother, standing over Thaddeus. Catherine started speaking in another language, and Elizabeth was mumbling something under her breath. Aribelle stared at Thaddeus’s face. His skin started to glow, dim at first, but then it grew brighter until she had to close her eyes against the light.

When the intense light faded, Aribelle couldn’t believe what she saw. Thaddeus lay motionless on the table, his skin smooth and perfect. The bullet holes were gone, as were all the other scars. Aribelle caressed his cheek. Could it be true? Had Catherine removed the curse?

Thaddeus took in a breath, and his eyes opened.

Tears blurred Aribelle’s vision. “You’re alive.”

He blinked up at her, confusion wrinkling his brow. “Where am I?” Then his gaze landed on Catherine, and he stiffened.

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