Castles & Curses

Chapter 3: Thorns

CHAPTER 3

ARABELLA'S POV

 

THORNS

Sighing, I step quietly through the secret passage I had found earlier in the back of the bathroom's linen closet. After my bath I had fully intended to go downstairs and face Duncan, Mac, and Marek but my feet had other ideas when I discovered the passage way. I had immediately gone through it. Okay fine I'm a coward. I wasn't ready to face them so I hadn't. Years of conditioning have taught me that hiding doesn't do any good. Nowhere is safe. Especially when you are stuck in a mediaeval castle in the middle of woods, that won't let you leave. I pause momentarily when the passageway darkens and the musty smell changes to something else. Amping up my power the pink light that has been covering my hands surrounded my whole body so I can see further ahead. Who needs a flashlight when I am a living glow stick? 

My humor dies when I see what's in the passage way in front of me.  A scream rips through my throat as I stumble back. I've been dumb. Over half of my life has been spent in a constant state of fear of what would come after me next and suddenly I want to explore a passage way I found in a closet? It's a trap. I fall to my butt as heat builds. My power fails me and the darkness surrounds me as something bright starts to glow in front of me.  

I struggle to my feet as I gasp for air. The white light in front of me starts to swirl with color as the heat in the passageway triples. Then the air flashes with red and orange flames. I gasp as the fire in front of me seems to stand and spread its wings. Goddess, this is bad. Sobbing I stumble back another step as the fire takes the shape of a large bird. I watch in horror as it tries to spread its wings in the narrow passageway but is unable to. It folds the wings back to its body, scraping the passageway as it does so. I whimper when the heat from the now hot stone burns my hand. I jerk my hand from the stone and hold it close as its head turns to me and eyes the color of dying embers meet mine. The bird starts to twist in the flames and I see the figure of a man start to form. I scream and the man shape screams back. Spiraling waves of flames are rushing towards me as my world starts to collapse in on itself. I feel flames brush my cheek before my body slams to the floor then everything goes dark.

.............................

"I shoulda left the bloody numpty on da floor. Interrupts me painful process then has ta go and faint on me. Bloody git deserves what she gets. Canna believe I brought 'er here." I whimper at the harsh angry voice as I blink open my eyes.  

The first thing I see is the man by the bed I'm lying in. He's sitting in the chair with his legs spread as he drinks from a mug of dark liquid. The smell tells me it's ale like you'd find in a pub. My eyes look from his mug to his bare chest. His skin is tan from the sun and his red hair is brighter than Duncan's and his eyes are a bright yellow. I'm so drawn in by his eyes that I don't realize he's moveing until glass explodes by my head and warm ale splashes my cheek along with bits of glass. I start to tremble as he looks at me in disgust. 

"If yer the one I'll be surprised. Sitting there trembling like a wee little mouse ye are." Still shaking I wipe the ale from my face as I look behind me to the broken glass by the wall. He'd thrown it at me like I've done something to him. I should be frightened and I am but I'm also mad. Why did everyone think to treat me like I was less than the shit on the bottom of their shoe? I know I've done some bad things but I hadn't had a choice. My eyes jerk back to his as I remember his words from other and I feel something hot flash through me as I speak. 

"You called me a numpty? I'm not stupid." He blinks in surprise before throwing his head back to laugh. When he looks back at me he's smirking. 

"I throw a cup of ale at yer head and that's what ye worry about? Yer a daft one, lassie." Flushing I glare at him. 

"And ye are a bloody gobshite and a wanker." I slide off the bed and jerk a little when glass fragments dig into my feet. My hands clinch into fists as I wait for him to say something. Instead he stands and I realize he's almost a foot taller than me with broad shoulders and large biceps. I feel the wind start to rise as my fear starts to overrun my anger as he walks toward the door. 

"Aye kitten I'm a mouthy git but at least I'm not a murderer and a monster." He reaches out to open the door just as the door flies open on it's on accord and smacks him in the nose. Immediately he gushes blood from his nose as I fight the power frothing inside of me. He seems to know that I somehow slammed the door open and reaches toward me but I quickly step back. I feel blood seep from my feet as the glass embeds itself deeper as I speak. 

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" The bed starts to shake as his hand drops to his side and I fight to hold back. When I feel the powers start to ease I speak in a low voice. 

"I don't know who told you who I am and I don't care but sometimes we don't get a choice in the decisions we make. Sometimes someone else chooses for us whether we like it or not." That said I walk out the door leaving bloody footprints beside me. 

By the time I find a door out of the passageways I know I'm hanging onto my glamour by the skin of my teeth, I have to calm down and meditate or someone is going to see who I really am but first a hot shower. I open the doorway and step into the castle hallway as the man from the passageway yells. 

"Bells, wait a moment lass." I turn to see yellow eyes staring back at me but he doesn't try to step into the light of the hallway. 

"I'm sorry I was such an arse Bells. Donna be hatin me. I'm going a wee mental trapped in these passageways but I canna leave just like you canna leave da castle. Atleast not yet." He raises his arms as if to touch me but drops it when my name is bellowed from downstairs. "Well lass I do believe that's ye're other mate is calling ye.  And me name is Fin by the way." It occurs to me that not only does he call me by my real name but he knows who I am. I wonder what he means by other mate?  

When the passageway closes I turn back to it, frowning. Why am I standing here in the hallway? And why does my feet and my face hurt? I look up when Duncan roars my name and comes barreling down the hallway at me. He comes to a standstill directly in front of me, his nostrils flaring as he eyes my cheek. 

"Why are you bleeding Arabella?" I frown and try to remember but I can't. I go to step toward him but cry out when pain flares through my feet. I frown when I look down to see the bloody footprints on the wooden floor. Duncan picks me up before I can protest and starts to carry me towards his room.