Beast Lord: (Beauty and the Beast) (Tangled Tales Book 3) (15 page)

Chapter 16

“Why did you let her go?” asked MacKay, pacing the courtyard like a wildcat in a cage. “We could have killed the men since they were probably the attackers in the first place.”

“Aye,” agreed Kin. “We let murderers just ride away.”

“We don’t know that and have nothing to prove it,” grumbled Stefan. “Besides, this is not my fight. They posed no threat to Breckenridge, so I had no choice but to let them leave.” He felt a severe cramp in his side as he said it.

“They stole your woman, or did you forget?” asked Kin. “Isn’t that reason enough to want to kill them?”

“They didn’t take her by force,” Stefan reminded them. “You heard Bonnibel say she wanted to go.”

“He let them take her,” spat MacKay. “Stefan, you are weak!”

“I am not weak!” He stood up and pulled his sword from his sheath, his voice echoing of the walls. It was loud and angry, and some of the servants and their children scurried away and into the keep. He’d even frightened one of the castle’s mangy dogs.

“What’s happening to you?” asked Kin, taking a step backwards.

“He’s turning into the beast,” said MacKay, drawing his sword and holding it up to Stefan. “I will fight you if need be, but you will not frighten me, Brother.”

There was a shout from one of the guards from atop the battlement. “More men approaching, my lord.”

Stefan looked out the gate to see another party of men on horseback approaching. At first he thought Lord Wickhambreaux’s men had returned, but then he realized it was his father and his brothers, Wolf and Arnon. Along with them was a small entourage of some of their armed men.

“Father. Brothers, what are you doing here?” Stefan called out as they entered the courtyard.

“I had the feeling you needed our help, so we came right away,” said Lucio, riding up and stopping in front of him. “Stefan, what has happened to you?” He dismounted, and Wolf and Arnon did the same.

“Egads, you look beastly!” said Arnon, shaking his head.

“It’s Hecuba’s curse,” Kin explained. “It’s getting worse, as you can tell.”

Stefan growled, not enjoying being talked about in this manner.

“He also just allowed the only woman who might have been able to break the curse to ride out of here with the enemy and she’s on her way to her betrothed,” added Kin.

“What?” asked Wolf. “Stefan why didn’t you stop her?”

“Bonnibel was his only hope of breaking the curse, but the fool let her go,” MacKay told them, and then spat on the ground at his feet. “If it were me, I would have let the messenger and his guards get acquainted with the end of my sword, and shackled the girl in my chamber and forced her to love me.”

“Nay! Love can’t be forced,” Stefan protested. Another pain shot through his body and he doubled over. The hair on his chest grew thicker and he felt his teeth elongating. His breathing turned into panting and he started to feel more like an animal than a man.

“MacKay, it wouldn’t have mattered,” said Arnon. “Look at our brother. What girl could love him?”

At his words, Arnon’s wife, Freya, appeared holding her frog in one hand, and holding on to Red – Wolf’s wife, with the other. She was a witch and had the power to transport and bring one other with her, just by kissing her Familiar that happened to be a frog.

“Arnon, I heard that,” said Freya. “What an awful thing to say to your brother. Especially since I loved you when you were in no better position than Stefan.”

Wolf laughed heartily. “Aye, you were an ugly bastard in your frog form, Arnon, I have to admit.”

“Wolf, you are no shining example,” Red, reminded him. “If you’ve forgotten what you look like every night, I’ll hold a mirror up for you next time you shift into a wolf so you can be reminded.”

That shut him up, and Stefan was glad. He knew he was wrong in letting Bonnibel go, but he just couldn’t force her to love him if it wasn’t in her heart to do so. She was promised to another man and also going to her father. She seemed to want to go and he hadn’t wanted to keep her from her father.

“So it’s over then?” asked Kin. “You’re just going to let her go away and you’ll be consumed by the beast within?”

The beast emerged at that comment, and Stefan had all he could do to hold it back. He felt bloodlust in his veins and wanted nothing more than to kill Lord Wickhambreaux for taking Bonnibel away from him.

“I don’t know. I need to think,” he said, heading toward the keep, needing to be alone. The beast within him wanted a battle, but his cautious self wanted to lay out a plan before he reacted. He headed into the keep and toward his solar with the monk running behind him. He climbed the tower stairs, taking them two at a time at first, then ending up getting to the top on all fours.

“My lord,” said Brother Andrew from behind him, but he just ignored him. He burst through the door, knocking it off its hinges and bounded into the tower room and collapsed atop the bed. The force of his large body hitting the bed caused the ropes holding up the mattress to snap and the pallet crashed to the floor.

“Naaaaay,” he cried out, rubbing his hands over his face. He felt his scars protruding more than usual, and when he dared to look up and across the room, he saw his image in the standing mirror. He was hideous. A true beast. There was very little of his original self showing now. No wonder Bonnibel left. He couldn’t blame her. The beast within was consuming him and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

He loved Bonnibel, but it no longer mattered. He glanced up to see another petal fall from the rose. When it hit the ground, he felt as if someone stabbed him through the heart with a sword. He cried out and the monk rushed over to comfort him.

“My lord, is there anything I can do to help you?”

“It’s too late,” he told the monk. “I’ve failed, and now the curse will never be broken.”

“What do you mean?” The monk sat on a chair next to the bed.

“I never told Bonnibel I love her. Now she’s gone and I’ll never have the chance to tell her.”

“Then go after her,” said the monk. “She needs to know.”

“She doesn’t want me. Besides, I’m not good enough for a girl like her.”

“I know how you feel, my lord, because I felt the same way at one time.”

“You mean with Bonnibel’s mother?”

“I do. And now I need to tell you something I haven’t told anyone before. I fell in love with Lady Grace ,and it is because of it that she is dead.”

“What are you saying?”

“When Lord Breckenridge returned from war, I admitted to him that I loved his wife, and he became violent.  In anger, he beat me, but I did not hold that against him. He went crazy, and said he no longer needed me. I had to do something and thought he would calm down if I gave him a book I’d managed to steal from a witch named Hecuba.”

“Hecuba? What kind of book did you take from her?”

“It was a very valuable book, and I’d planned on giving it to Lord Breckenridge to keep him from killing me. It was a book on alchemy.”

“Alchemy? Turning lead into gold?” asked Stefan.

“Aye,” answered the monk.

“I had no idea alchemy was real.”

“It is real, and Lord Breckenridge’s greed made him want to try it immediately.”

“I don’t understand. What does this have to do with anything?”

“What I’m trying to tell you is that his wife tried to stop her husband from hurting me. She ran through the secret door to this very tower, and tried to help me.”

“And what?” asked Stefan. “Tell me.”

“Lord Breckenridge had already set the alchemy into action when his wife got in the way. Lady Grace . . . she turned to . . . gold. Her body crashed down the tower stairs, and to our horror, she was dead.”

“Did Bonnibel know this?” Stefan asked, biting back the pain.

“Nay. Her father made me swear to keep his secret, and since I loved both him and his wife – I did. I realized it was an accident and that he’d never meant to do it. From that day on, he told me to hide the book and never let him or anyone find it. However, I overheard him promising the alchemy book to Lord Wickhambreaux as part of the dowry if he would marry Bonnibel.”

“Why would he do that?” growled Stefan.

“He told me recently that he thought he was dying. He wanted to have his last daughter married and taken care of before he left this earth. Lord Wickhambreaux is powerful and wealthy and would make a desirable husband for Bonnibel.”

“What went wrong?” asked Stefan. “If Wickhambreaux was promised all this, why would he attack?”

“I don’t know for sure, my lord, but my guess is that Lord Breckenridge went back on his promise of giving the book of alchemy to him. Perhaps he feared that the same thing might happen to Bonnibel that happened to his wife.”

“This is horrible. Bonnibel is walking right into a nightmare, and I let her go. Do you think Lord Wickhambreaux found the book? After all, that must be what he was after when he attacked the castle.”

“Nay he didn’t find it. I keep it hidden in the secret room.”

“Let me see this book,” said Stefan.

“Of course.” The monk disappeared into the secret room and then rushed back out. “My lord, it’s gone!”

“What did it look like?” asked Stefan curiously.

“It was inside here,” he said, holding up the shell of a book with an indention inside that was meant to hide another book.

“Was it gold? Did it have a gold cover?”

“Aye, it did.”

“Damn! I saw Bonnibel put a gold book in her travel bag just before she stormed out of here.”

“And she had the bag with her when she rode away with the messenger,” added the monk. That book in the wrong hands can be very dangerous, my lord. And if Bonnibel has it, then it’ll end up in Lord Wickhambreaux’s hands after all, and that is a frightening thought.”

“Aye,” answered Stefan. “It’s a book that could change someone’s life forever. It could be the difference between winning and losing a battle or even winning a war. It could make a man ruler of this entire country and richer than the king himself. Brother Andrew, I have made a grave mistake by letting Bonnibel leave. I must get my army together and go after her. I need to go after the woman I love.”

Chapter 17

Bonnibel couldn’t get the image of Stefan out of her mind. He looked so hurt when she left him standing in the tower room, but then when she left him in the courtyard he looked furious. There was no doubt in her mind he was coming after them. That is, to kill someone, not to take her back with him. She’d seen the beast emerging from him and was sure whatever was about to happen was not going to be pretty.

Her heart ached to see him turning into a beast, but she didn’t know what she could possibly do to help him. She’d spoken in haste, angry with him that he was so adamant to make her look at him while they kissed to prove his looks didn’t bother her. Yet he had his eyes closed in the process and it made her start to wonder what he really felt about her.

At first she’d thought he was attracted to her, and of course being a lady she had to act the proper way and push him from her. But he, being a man – she thought he’d at least not give up so easily. It made her feel undesirable and that mayhap he didn’t want her after all. He wasn’t the only one with struggle within him. She’d felt it too.

Now she was on her way to be with a man who wanted her, but she didn’t want him in return. She didn’t want to admit it to herself, but even though Stefan angered her at times, she thought she was falling in love with him. She had no desire for Lord Wickhambreaux, but had to do this to find her father.

“Why didn’t my father come with you to Breckenridge?” she asked the messenger as they rode over the drawbridge.

“He was – shall we say a little preoccupied?”

“What could he have been doing that was so important that he didn’t come for me?”

The messenger stopped his horse in the courtyard and another man walked up to join them. He was twice the age of Bonnibel, and looked to be a knight or lord. She had no doubt he was her betrothed.

“You might want to ask Lord Wickhambreaux,” said the messenger, dismounting and helping her to the ground.

“Lord Wickhambreaux,” she said with a slight curtsy. “Can you tell me why my father didn’t come for me himself?”

“Why ask me, when he’s right here,” said the man with a chuckle, pointing towards the gallows. “Why don’t you ask him yourself?”

Her heart almost stopped when she followed where he pointed and there was a metal cage hanging from the gallows. In it was the broken and bloodied body of her father.

“Say hello to your father, Lady Bonnibel,” said Lord Wickhambreaux with a sickening chuckle.

“Nay! Father!” With her travel bag over her shoulder she ran to the gallows. “Father, what have they done to you?”

“Bonnibel,” came the weak voice of her father, barely able to lift his head to talk to her. “Thank God you are still alive. I never should have made the alliance for you to wed Lord Wickhambreaux. I made such a grave mistake. Forgive me.”

She held her hand to her mouth, the tears flowing from her eyes. Her father, the once mighty and powerful lord of Breckenridge now dangled from the sky as naught more than carrion bait.

“Why did they do this to you? I don’t understand.”

“Well, now, Breckenridge,” said Lord Wickhambreaux, walking up behind Bonnibel with some of his men. “We have your daughter and will kill her if you don’t tell us where to find the book.” To prove his point, he held a dagger to Bonnibel’s throat. Her hands flew up to his, and she clasped her throat as he pulled her against him.

“I . . . don’t know . . . where to find it,” he told them, sounding very frightened as well as tired. “I told you that before.”

“Mayhap the girl knows,” said one of the guards.

“Do you?” snapped Lord Wickhambreaux, holding her tighter.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” said Bonnibel.

“Bonnibel, they are talking about a book of alchemy,” said her father.

“Alchemy?” she asked, her eyes darting down to the bag hanging from her shoulder.

“That’s right,” said her betrothed. “And all he needs to do is give it to us and your life will be spared.”

“What if I find it for you?” she asked. “Then will you let my father go?”

“Yes,” he said. “Do you know where it is?”

“I do. But you must let him go first or I won’t tell you where to find it.”

“Oh, is that how it’s going to be?” The man looked over to his guard and shook his head. “Get the old man out of the cage.”

“Aye, my lord.”

It was all Bonnibel could do not to cry or scream when they pulled her father from the cage and it took two men to hold him and keep him from falling. He looked so gaunt and weak. His eyes were sunken and hollow in his face, and the life gone from them.

“Here’s your father, now where is the book?” snapped Wickhambreaux. Her hand went to the clasp on the travel bag immediately.

“Bonnibel  . . . if you know where it is . . . don’t give it to them,” her father pleaded. “I was foolish to tell him about it in the first place. I told him I’d changed my mind and he stormed the castle and killed my men. I won’t have you married to him. He’s a beast.”

“Father,” she said, not knowing what to do. “I don’t want to marry him. I’ll tell him where to find the book and we’ll go home together.”

“Nay, you won’t,” spat the man. “We have a deal, and if you break the alliance, Breckenridge Castle will be mine. That’s the only reason I didn’t claim it in the first place.”

“Nay,” said her father. “That’s not true, you lying bastard! You only retreated because someone else rode up to the castle and helped me fight you off.”

“Stefan,” she said under her breath.

“Who?” asked her father.

“It was Stefan de Bar, Father. And I would rather marry him instead.”

“Are you daft to think your father would let you marry a man who seized his castle?” asked Lord Wickhambreaux.

“No more daft than agreeing to let you marry her in the first place,” said her father. “Bonnibel, when this is over, you can marry whoever you want.”

“Fine,” said Wickhambreaux. “Then don’t marry me, but just give me the book.”

“I have the book right here,” said Bonnibel, and he let loose with his hold as she dug it out of her travel bag and handed it to him.

“Is that the book, my lord?” asked his guard, looking over his shoulder. “The book that turns lead into gold?”

“It is.” His eyes lit up. “And it’s all mine now.” He placed his dagger back into his waist belt and flipped through the book and an evil smile lit up his face. “This is the book that will make me king of all of England and richer than any king on the face of this earth.”

“Bonnibel? Why did you give it to him?” Her father looked at her in disappointment and she didn’t understand his reaction.

“It’s just a book,” she said. “I did it to save your life, father.”

“You, of all people should know the power of a book.” Once again, Bonnibel felt as if she had somehow disappointed him.

“He was going to kill you, if I didn’t,” she protested. “And now we’re free and I don’t have to marry him either.”

“You silly girl,” said Wickhambreaux still looking at the book. “You’ll be my wife, no matter what you think.”

“But you said –”

“I also said your father would go free, but I can’t have that either. You see, anyone who knows I have this book must stay with me forever. If not, they could ruin me by telling my secret. I can’t have that now, can I?”

“I’ll not stay with you, and neither will my father.”

“Have it your way,” he said with a sigh. “Guard, kill them both.”

“You’ll not hurt my daughter!” Her father took the guard’s dagger from his belt and ran forward with it raised over his head, meaning to kill Lord Wickhambreaux. Lord Wickhambreaux dropped the book to the ground and reached for his weapon, drawing his sword and stabbing her father right in the chest. Bonnibel screamed, not able to believe what just happened, and her father looked up and with his dying breath, told her to run.

“Run, Bonnibel. Save . . . your . . . self.”

She turned and headed for the horse, but Wickhambreaux was too fast. He grabbed her and twirled her around and she crashed right into his body. “It seems a shame to kill such a pretty thing like you. I think mayhap I’ll have my way with you first.”

“Nay, leave me alone!” She struggled against his grip while the bastard went for his belt and his men cheered him on. He meant to have her right there in the courtyard with all of his men watching.

“Get the book,” he told his guard, and reached out and with his sword cut the bodice of her gown. “Let’s see what you’ve got under there, shall we?”

Loud cheers went up from the men and some of them even offered to hold her down for him, while others asked if they could have her when he was through with her.

She looked back to her father lying on the ground. Tears filled her eyes because she wished right now she were also dead rather than to have to endure this.

The man pulled at his braies and she struggled to get loose as two guards held her tightly. And just when she thought she was about to be defiled, a loud growling noise was heard and then the shouting of the guards at the gate.

“We’re being attacked,” shouted the sentry atop the battlements. “Close the gates!”

“Attacked? By who?” Lord Wickhambreaux fastened his braies again and drew his sword. “Men, defend! And leave none of them alive.”

Then to her surprise, she heard another deep growl, and some sort of beast bounded over the drawbridge on all fours, swiping at men left and right, taking them down with nothing but his claws.

“Stefan,” she said, relieved he came to her rescue, but horrified at how he looked. There was not much left to identify him as a man now, as his beast form had grown even worse since she’d seen him just hours ago.

“What is it?” shouted someone from behind her.

Lord Wickhambreaux just shook his head. “Whatever it is, I’ll kill the damned thing and hang its head on a spike as a trophy.”

“Nay! Don’t touch him!” she cried out, seeing MacKay and Kin riding over the drawbridge with a lot of men on horseback following. A wolf followed at Stefan’s feet and somehow she knew not to fear it. It was his brother, she was sure. The wolf from her dream. And he wasn’t chasing her father – but coming to help him.

As Wickhambreaux rushed toward Stefan with his sword held high, she saw her father out of her peripheral vision moving on the ground. He was crawling toward the book that had carelessly been left unattended.

“Father! You’re still alive.” She ran to him and threw herself down in the dirt, sheltering his body with hers. She wept bitterly and cradled his gaunt, bloodied body in her arms. “I won’t let you die, father. I promise.”

“Is that . . . the devil come to take me?” he asked, his eyes turning toward Stefan.

“Nay, father. That is my love coming to save me. He is cursed and doesn’t always look like that. He is a wonderful man, you will see.”

“He can take . . . good care of you . . . Daughter. Unlike I did . . . for your mother.”

“Hush, father. You don’t know what you’re saying.”

“I killed her . . . but I didn’t mean to.”

“What?” She pulled back and looked at him and shook her head, thinking the wound made him addled.

“Get the book, Bonnibel. It must not fall into . . . the wrong hands.”

“I’ll get it, father.” She left him just for a second and got up and reached for the book, but as she did, a guard snatched it up from her.

“Give me the book,” she said, but the guard just cackled oddly and shook his head. He had a belt with weapons and a hand mirror. “Hecuba!” She jumped back just as the old woman shifted into her own form.

“I am glad to have found the book of alchemy after all this time. It was stolen from me years ago. This could come in handy.”

“What do you need it for? You’re a witch. You can conjure up whatever you want or need.”

“I want and need amusement. And a book this powerful will prove to amuse me for a long time. Now, mayhap I will just give it to Lord Wickhambreaux and watch him destroy himself. It should be even more amusing than watching Stefan turn into a beast.” With a wave of one hand, she held the rose from the castle. It had one petal left, and it dangled off of the stem, ready to fall.

When the witch glanced over at Wickhambreaux and Stefan fighting, someone snatched the book out of her hand.

“Kin!” said Bonnibel, being just as surprised as the witch.

“Give me that,” said Kin. “Stefan told me this is the cause of all the trouble.” The witch dropped the rose and tried to pull the book back, but Kin held onto it tightly. Then Stefan dove for Wickhambreaux and their bodies crashed into Kin and the witch and they all hit the ground. As they did, the witch dissipated into thin air in a puff of green smoke and the book hit Kin hard in the chest before turning to dust in his hands.

Kin stood up, the dust slipping through his fingers to the ground. Then he shrugged his shoulders and drew his sword and continued to fight.