Black Magic ▸ Prince Adam

VI

IN WHICH CELESTE AND THE BEAST SAVE EACH OTHER

AN OVERWHELMING FEELING of dread washed over Celeste as she stood at the beginning of the West Wing. While hers wasn't exactly bright and colorful, it was compared to this one. This wing was dark and gloomy, so much so that she could barely see anything. However, she could see the scratch marks on the wall and the worn and torn carpet. "I should turn around." She told herself, looking around before finding a light at the end of the long hallway. "This has my death written all over it." She finished, trailing off toward the end of her statement.

Celeste followed the light that appeared to be inside a suite, the door slightly ajar. "This is such a bad idea." She sighed, wishing she would listen to her instincts for once. But of course, her curiosity got the best of her. As her mother always said, Celeste's curiosity would be her best and worst trait.

The brunette slowly pushed the door open, instantly regretting it. The room was extremely unnerving and the temperature managed to drop at least twenty degrees, or maybe room just creeped Celeste out so much that it made her blood run cold. Possibly both. If the scratches in the hall were bad, this room was ten times worse. The curtains were in shreds, letting much of the moonlight in. There were shards of what were once beautiful vases scattered on the ground. The massive bed was the only thing that seemed untouched, so much so that the dust was visible on the duvet.

Celeste almost jumped when she turned her head to see the massive portrait, almost taking up the whole wall. It was evident that the painting was of the Beast in his human form, there were no eyes as blue as his. The painting had three long scratches in it, right through his face. It was evident that the picture had been the biggest victim of the Beast's rage. Celeste wondered what could have possibly happened that caused this boy that was clearly royal to become such a beastly creature. When she noticed the other two in the painting, it was evident that it was the king and queen, his parents. The woman, with kind eyes that showed love and happiness, was the only one that was left untouched. The king, who's eyes were cold and distant, had the worst marks. The thought of having a father that looked like that sent a shiver down Celeste's spine. She would much rather be fatherless than have one that was as bad as the king looked.

Once Celeste could pull her eyes away from the portrait, she saw the balcony across from her. She hesitantly took a step closer, seeing a small table with something in the middle of it, the moonlight shining directly onto it. When she just reached the balcony, she realized that it was a rose with much of its petals lying below it that was encased in a glass jar. The jar looked so thin that even the slightest of touches would shatter it. The brunette leaned down, getting a closer look at the rose. Even the fallen petals looked the same as they had on the flower, still bright red and in shape. I received an eternal damnation for one. She recalled the Beast saying about a rose. "This must be what he was talking about." She whispered to herself.

"What are you doing here?!" The Beast's voice roared, terrifying Celeste so much that she almost hit the glass. The Beast appeared out of the shadows and the girl backed up, more terrified than she had ever been. His eyes were blazing, fists clenched and Celeste was sure that he was mere seconds from unleashing his rage. He looked at the rose and if it were possible, there would be actual fire in his eyes. "What did you do to it?!"

"N-no-nothing." Celeste stuttered, so scared that she could barely get the word out. She could hear her heart pounding in her chest, which only got quicker as the Beast took another step toward her.

"Do you realize what you could have done?" He snarled. "You could have damned us all!" He clenched the closest column to him, crushing it with ease. "Get out!"