Bewitching the Beast

Chapter 5

Ivy

" Oh . . . I can teach you..."

Dong. . .Dong. . . Dong. . .

The floors vibrating, I'm vibrating. Everything is vibrating. We must be in a clock tower. Well, it turns out its 12 o'clock. And I'm hungry, more like starved. I didn't eat much last night. I must have been running off of adrenaline.

"Sire," a new voice said. " where would you like lunch, in here or in the dinning hall?"

I look around for the voices owner, but can't find him. It came from by the door, but nothing was by the door, nothing at all.

" Where did that voice come from?"I ask suddenly scared again of the new voice and of thrain. "Thrain."

Thrain had gone ridged, stiffer then a statue. My guess is that this new voice has something to do with it. But I don't know why. The voice called him 'sire' so obviously the voice's owner is lower then he is. I guess that thrain isn't just some ugly guy that is cursed so apparently he is cursed for a reason, but that reason I have no idea what it is.

" Let me consult with the young lady if you will, please." He says in a stiff voice that has a tinge of boredom.

Turning to look at me I can see that his eyes have turned cold. They have no fire in them like they did when we were fighting, they have no guilt or sadness or any emotion at all.

" Where do you want to eat, here or in the dinning hall?"

" Thrain, where is that voice coming from? Please tell me, I'm freaking out here!" I whisper

He looks at me, almost like he doesn't recognize me. I reach out and touch his arm. Its warm and strong from years of work. I can imagine him swinging swords on old battlefields of lore. "Thrain." I beg. Looking him in the eye, but he won't meet my gaze. Instead he's staring at my hand. I glance down to where my hand lays on his arm. All the hair around my hand has vanished. In its place is skin. I draw my hand back and it changes back into black fur. Thrain looks up at me, amazement in his eyes and bewilderment is etched into his scarred face. How long has it been since he was all skin instead of all hair. And how did I get to have the power to change his fur into skin.

" You know where's a really good place to eat," he asks, rubbing his arm where I touched him. " the kitchens."

"Excellent choice Thrain." says the mysterious voice."My God, Thrain, where is that voice coming from?!?!??" I say rather loudly into his ear... okay, maybe more like yelled.

"Wait, you can't see him?" he asks. His eyes turn wild, but tamed enough to know friend from foe "Why haven't you said anything?"

Really, you're telling me that you haven't heard me ask you where that voice is coming from for the past five minutes? You need a pair of hearing aids old man? I always thought that cursed people never aged or anything, I guess the books that I've read got that part wrong. Lovely.

"No I can't see him, and it's bugging me just a little. You know how disembodied voices have a way of doing that to a person. Doesn't it get to you every now and then."

"Rowland" he growls, now more of a beast then man. " Show yourself. She is our guest, I suggest you treat her as one."

Suddenly he just appears. Standing right in front of me. His green eyes bore into mine, almost like he could slay me if he stared long enough. Which I have a feeling that he could do if thrain wasn't right there.He I could feel the hatred coming off of him like fog. He has a large scar running from his ear, across his neck and disappears under his shirt. His dark brown hair falls in waves down to his shoulders. His face is rather handsome, with a strong chin and a straight nose. His shirt is made of fine fabric, silk by the looks of it, hangs from his broad frame.

"What are you looking at wench? Am I as funny looking to you as he is?" Rowland asks in a deep voice that would bring the girls that I go to school to their knees.

I never really cared about boys, I was either swimming or focusing on my classes. Getting good grades were the only way out of my small town in Iowa. Seriously the only company around there was the girls that wore too much makeup and not enough clothes, or the multitudes of corn fields. Or cows, I hate cows with a burning passion. I had an accident when I was little. You don't want to know the details.

"Well, lets see, I just woke up in a clock tower in Lord knows where, I meet him, no offense by the way. And then I meet a man that has a disembodied voice who can appear and disappear whenever he wants. So yeah, it's a small wonder that I'm still sane. If the least I do is stare. Than please forgive me for thinking that this is all a little comical." I really don't like him anymore.

"Well, aren't you just a little snot," he growls menacingly. "maybe I should show you what happens to little snots here."

"Rowland, can we please speak privately about your manners?" he asks, I'll say that it did come out more like a command than a question.

"Yes, Thrain." Rowland grumbled still staring daggers at me. "You may, as long as it gets me away from this soothsayer."

"Thank you," he says giving him a hard stare, " Freya, will you please show Ivy to her chambers while I deal with Rowland, and help her change into something else too." He turns to me, his eyes twinkling with mischief. " I will see you in the kitchens."

Thank you so much for sticking with it this far. It means a lot to me. Please comment or vote or both. I really want to know what you people think. I hope that you liked it. 

-A