The Beast's Ward

Chapter Ten: Shattered Masks

"Release me!" I screamed, forcing the words past Ashton's tightening grip. It came out as an unearthly growl. I felt an odd pulse in my heart and a strong gust of wind conjured itself between Ashton and I. By the wind's shier force, Ashton was shoved away from me. He let out a surprised yell as he staggered back and fell into a heap on the floor.

Once he was away from me, the pulse and wind disappeared, fading away like early morning fog.

Ashton began to laugh madly, his eyes wide in amused awe. His lips peeled away from his teeth in a gruesome display. His mouth was suddenly much too wide and his teeth appeared sharper than Christopher's. "You are marvelous, Isabel...simply marvelous." He said gleefully. He climbed to his feet slowly, the eerie, echoing laughter still ringing in the air.

As he righted himself, he brushed back his disheveled hair and grinned. I stared blankly at him, frozen in horror. "What are you?" I gasped breathlessly. Everything that was human about him was suddenly stripped away. His face was twisted and deformed. His eyes were now glowing a bright red, his mouth filled with sharks' teeth and long claws ripped through the tips of his white gloves.

"I am the embodiment of our family's power." He said. He passed his hand over his face and the mask of humanity was restored. His claws retreated into whole, new gloves, his teeth blunted and his eyes dulled back to their normal black. "The power you could possess, if you would only accept your potential. The magic is already there, inside of you darling, you need only welcome it."

"Your magic is evil! It's turned you into something inhuman!" I cried, backing further away from him until the backs of my knees were pressed against Christopher's bedpost.

Ashton gave a shuttering laugh. "I was never human to begin with, Child."

A cold shutter ran down my spine at his words. I suddenly felt like I was looking at the devil himself, rather than someone of real blood and bone. Perhaps he was just that.

Ashton stepped to the side, giving me a clear path to the door. "Go ahead downstairs, finish your task, but remember what I've said. You needn't be a helpless maiden, trapped in a tower. If you really wanted to, you could set yourself free."

"The price is far too high." I said, rushing past him.

As I rounded the corner to descend the stairs, I heard Ashton's voice behind me. "That's what they all say, but they give in eventually, once their backs are to the wall. You'll be mine someday, darling, whether you realize it or not, and you'll beg for the gifts I offer."

His voice was so near, I could feel the heat of his breath at the nape of my neck and the presence of a body close to mine. I turned around , to see if he was behind me, but saw nothing but open air. However, when I looked down, I saw scorch marks in the shape of footprints burned into the wood.

I ran down the flights of stairs, catching myself at the last landing to slow down to the shadows' slow moving pace. My heart was pounding so loudly, I was practically deaf with it ringing in my ears. Entering the dining room, I suppressed a cringe. Ashton sat at the opposite end of the table as his mother. His hair and clothes were tidy and neat. His meal was already halfway eaten. If I didn't know better, I would have sworn that the Ashton I had quarreled with had been a figment of my imagination. However, the bruising I felt forming on my throat was a testament to the truth. That was far too real. If anything, the one politely chatting at the dinner table, the one with his arm around his young wife's shoulders was the illusion.

Ashton's latest wife, Elizabeth, sat at his right hand. The girl was very pretty. She was dressed in a blush pink dress of the latest fashion. Fine lace ringed the low neckline. A satin ribbon with a pearl crested broach was tied around her slender throat. Her pretty, dark brown hair was done up high on her head with ringlets curling around her angular face. She sat quietly, listening to her husband and her mother-in-law chat. Christopher walked around the table, refilling everyone's glasses. Yet, she didn't seem to notice his frightening appearance. She stared at her nearly empty wine glass with glassed over eyes.