Beautiful Torment *Book One of the Beautiful series*

24) The Forged

Luciana was burning.

The sensation of fire licked over her tiny body, radiating out from a spot just above the crook of her little elbow.

"I am sorry. I am so sorry, my sweet Lucy," her mother's voice crooned from above her, kissing her damp forehead. She held the child close to her chest, rocking back and forth with tears streaming down her face as her three year old daughter sobbed in agony. "I had to, my darling. I had to. It was the only way. The only way to save the magic."
Lucy could only continue to cry and writhe in pain. She did not understand what was happening to her. Only that it hurt worse than anything she had ever felt before and her mother had somehow made it happen.
"Please mama," her weak, quivering voice begged. "Please make it stop."
"It will stop, my love. I promise, it will stop..."
But the sound of her mother's voice faded and the room around her grew dim.
"Sabrina, what have you done?!" Madam Caledonia's voice screeched from somewhere beyond Lucy's field of vision.
The child's ragged breaths burned along with the fire inside her as she lost consciousness, slipping into a sweet, dark abyss of relief.

Lucy sat up, gasping and clutching at her arm in pain. The skin over her birthmark seared hot for a moment before ebbing away to a dull ache that pulsed in time with her racing heart. A fine coat of sweat had her white gown clinging to her form and the pile of soft animal pelts around her. She looked about the quaint, unfamiliar room, bewildered, the memory of her dream still fresh in her mind. She had no idea where she was or how she had gotten there. A fire crackled in the small hearth, warm earth toned walls were lined with shelves holding books with cracked binding, jars of herbs, and a collection of little animal bones.

Lucy shivered at the sight when a faint whine came from the foot of her bed. Startled, she pulled a thick pelt up to her chin before leaning forward to peak down where an eager black and white shepherd greeted her. It's tongue lulled from one side of its mouth and it's bright blue eyes sparkled with anticipation, wagging it's thick tail.

"Where am I?" she whispered as though the dog could understand and answer her. In response, the creature only whined again before rising to nudge her with it's cold nose. "Alright, alright," she said, pushing it's strong head back and stroking the soft fur behind its ears. "I am getting up now. Happy?" she huffed.

The dog shuffled back, spinning in excited circles as Lucy crawled on her knees to the edge of the bed. Her legs felt unsteady beneath her, but the large shepherd was at her side in an instant, offering support. She weaved her fingers into the fur of its back and limped toward the bedroom door which stood open a crack. It led out to a cozy loft, the rail carved from dark, twisting tree branches. It was there she caught wind of voices, hushed but heated. Creeping to the side, she listened.

"...you cannot take her back to that place. The palace. She is not safe." The female voice practically snarled. She was shocked by how much it had not changed a bit from the sound in her dream.

"Lucy is safe wherever I am. Of that I can assure you," Alexander's cold voice bit back. Though his anger was directed elsewhere, Lucy shivered at the tone. It would take a strong person to stand tall in the face of such power. But her mother did not relent.

"And I can assure you that she is not safe there! Your royal court is full of backstabbing vipers who will turn on you if they catch so much as a whiff of opportunity to ascend in their position."

Lucy heard the prince's angry advance forward, growling, "I would die before I let any of them harm a single hair upon her head."

"Yes, die." Sabrina countered. "Who would protect her then?"

Alexander scoffed. "Certainly not the mother who abandoned her as a child. In a place like Granston House no less. The nerve you have to talk about her protection after leaving her to a life of pure torment is astounding."