The Beast (Harry Styles)

Chapter Twenty-One: Part One

Who was the mysterious man?
Well you'll find out him and his plan;
But there is more to tell
Of another character and his own Hell. . .

~.~

Adeline looked towards John, not exactly sure of what to make of his presence. She was shocked, yet as realization set upon her face, her eyes filled with panic.

"Leave." Adeline's command became ironic, her firm and confident voice contrasted with the fear imprinted on her features.

John smiled, a sickening smirk that barely passed as the sign of congeniality.

"Nice to know you are still crazy. . .for me," he chuckled.

Adeline choked, coughing in disgust at his little "joke."

"You are despicable," she spat, her body shaking in anger, bile rising in her throat. "You are absolutely and utterly-"

"Charming? Handsome? I know, I know: please, don't flatter me anymore than your body language already does." Adeline's frustration rose with John's arrogant games.

There was a clock ticking away the time somewhere deep inside of Adeline; its incessant tick tock, tick tock counted the shortening patience for John. Neither Adeline nor John noticed the sound, but it continued on, playing the beat of an explosive close to detonation.

"Why are you here John? Really, I don't have time to banter." Adeline quickly gave up, lacking the incentive and energy to senselessly argue with someone who would just rile her up. She was tired, worn out, and bored with John's egotism.

The smirk dropped from John's face. His eyes fell to the ground before he sat crossed-legged in the grass next to Adeline. John folded his hands properly and laid them in his lap.

"I think we need to discuss some things," he said monotone, meeting Adeline's gaze by the last word, all frivolity gone from his voice.

Though she was taken back by John's out-of-character civility and professionalism, Adeline quickly recovered and shook her head, agreeing with him. She held John's stare, all frustration and anger gone from her face. Adeline's expression hardened, her eyes creating an ice storm that made John uncomfortable, and she spoke. The clock residing in Adeline lowered its ticking as it too was interested in what John meant.

"I think we do too."

John's hands went up in the air by his side, the smirk returning not in arrogance, but in a saccharine way that only meant terrible things would come.

"So let's talk."

~.~

As Harry entered the castle, he immediately sensed something was wrong.

The urgent message he had received last night from his council worried him. Never had Louis been so clipped in his wording or short in his conversations; he was a man of ludicrous tales that dragged on for hours without any sign of an end.

Harry has only been told it was a problem that required "immediate action" and that it was best if he "return home as soon as possible." He didn't wish to frighten Adeline with the news, so he had left out some details; Harry felt a slight remorse, but he just added it on the many things that he needed to tell her.

"Sir! Welcome back," Cobbs greeted when Harry stepped in the foyer. His smile was bright and welcoming.

Harry regarded Cobbs with a returned halfhearted smile and nod in his direction.

His mind was somewhere else, maybe lost in the woods surrounding the castle, or maybe wandering the streets of a small village trying to take note of everything Adeline said just to plan conversations to bring up the small things she mentioned.