Page 46 of Beast of Blood and Roses
I frowned as confusion mixed with the fear churning in mygut. The kitchen suddenly felt too small, the walls pressing in around us. “What do you mean?”
“There are magical objects and I possess one.” He shifted uncomfortably.
Blood thundered between my temples. “What kind of object?” Each revelation felt like another piece of a puzzle I was terrified to complete yet couldn’t stop myself from pursuing.
“An amulet.” Beast’s eyes never left mine, gauging my reaction. His fingers found the heart-shaped pendant I’d seen him wear. A beautiful dual-colored stone that always rested against his chest. “It’s called The Witch’s Heart. It has the ability to show images, but many times, it only shows partial images that eventually tell a story.”
I stared at the piece of jewelry. “I thought it was just...I don’t know, a family heirloom or something.”
His jaw tightened, and I saw something like shame flicker across his features. “It’s more than that. Much more.” He paused, his thumb running over the dual-colored stone. “One half is ruby, the other black diamond. It has many powers, though I don’t fully understand all of them yet.”
The way he said it made my skin crawl. There was a darkness in his expression, a history I wasn’t sure I wanted to uncover. “And this amulet showed you a vision?”
“Yes. It can reveal visions during great emotional need.”
The blood drained from my face, leaving me dizzy and cold. My hands started to shake as the implications hit me. My throat tightened with dread. The scent of burnt cookies and cleaning supplies that had seemed comforting before now felt cloying and overwhelming. “And you saw me?”
He nodded. “There was a dark figure watching you from that window, but I couldn’t make out whoit was.”
I cleared my throat, the sound harsh in the tense silence. “Was it a wolf? Or a wolf shifter?”
He sighed, his shoulders sagging with possible frustration. “I’m not sure. When I went outside, I couldn’t pick up his scent. So I don’t know if it was a human or supernatural.”
My gaze fixated on the window, drawn like a magnet to the dark glass that now seemed menacing rather than welcoming. Who or what had been watching me, studying me like prey? The hair on the back of my neck stood up, prickling with unease. A chill ran down my spine as an overwhelming sensation washed over me. Whoever it was, I could almost feel their malevolent intent seeping through the glass, lingering in the air like a toxic presence.
I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly feeling exposed and vulnerable despite being surrounded by people who wanted to protect me.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Fierro
Rosalie was so pale her skin looked almost translucent in the kitchen light, her frightened eyes darting toward the window as if she expected to see her stalker’s face pressed against the glass. Every muscle in my body ached to wrap my arms around her, to pull her close and shield her from whatever danger lurked outside. But I was a beast—covered in fur and claws that could tear her delicate skin. How much comfort could I offer without overstepping the fragile trust we’d built?
The sun was setting over the estate, the sky deepening into purples and grays. Marcel and Colette exchanged a knowing look, their faces already beginning to lose their animated expressions. They clasped each other’s hands tightly, fingers intertwining one last time before the curse took hold. Slowly, methodically, their skin hardened and grayed until they stood like perfectly carved statues, frozen in their final pose of connection.
Rosalie gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. “I’ve never seen them transform before.” She reached out with trembling fingers and placed a shaking hand on Colette’s now-stone arm, the marble cold and lifeless beneath her touch. “It’s so sad.”
Her sadness opened a wound deep in my chest that I didn’t want to acknowledge. My chest clenched as the familiar guilt crashed over me like a tide I couldn’t hold back. They were cursed because of me, innocent people paying the price for my sins. Tinker Bell had taken her vengeance on me and twisted it to include them, making sure my punishment would be complete.
Marcel and Colette shouldn’t have been punished for what I’d done. They had served my family faithfully for decades, and this was how they were repaid.
I was the one who had killed Tinker Bell’s sister—not them. The memory burned through me like acid. They were condemned to turn to stone every evening, trapped in their own bodies, because I had been a monster long before any curse made me look like one.
My hands curled into fists, claws digging into my palms until I felt the sting of blood.
“You said I can’t be alone, but Marcel and Colette can only protect me during the daytime.” She turned to face me fully, her chin lifting with resolve. “What if something happens to you?”
The thought of anything happening to me while she was in danger made my chest tighten with panic. “Nothing will,” I said firmly, stepping closer to her. “I will always be here to protect you.”
“Maybe.” She crossed her arms, her eyes holding mine with surprising steadiness. “But I need to know how to protect myself.”
Every instinct in me wanted to argue with her, to insist that I was strong enough to handle any threat. My jaw worked as I fought back the protective words. But the truth was, I had limitations, like not being able to leave this damn property. The curse bound me here as surely as chains. If someone managed to snag her from underneath my watch, especially at night when Marcel and Colette were helpless stone...
I ran a hand through my fur, flour still dusting the strands. “The best way to do that is to master your magic.” The admission felt like swallowing glass, but she was right. She needed to protect herself and magic might be her only real defense if I failed her like I had Marcel and Colette.
“Then I want to learn how to do magic that would protect me like I did with the wolves.” A steely determination reflected in her eyes that reminded me she’d already faced death once and survived.
“I promise we will.” The words came out rough, fueled by my own desperation to keep her safe.
