Beauty and the Beasts

Chapter Six

My time had been spent enjoyably as I manifested shields and enchanted them in creative ways throughout the day. After all, that task required all of my attention, I didn't have time to worry about Lucy, my sister, or this Brain guy who gave me the creeps.

I decided to spend my time thinking of ways to perfect my armors, weapons and shields so that when I had to use them in battle I wouldn't be at a disadvantage because I couldn't use my weapons properly.

Angel had given her opinion on my outfits as well, she thought a girl as pretty as me should wear dresses and jewellery not armor and weapons. She could hardly believe me when I told her that women today are breadwinners in their households and even wear trousers.

A knock at my door brought me out of my reflecting. I wondered who it was and my hand hovered hesitantly over the door knob as I imagined Brain on the other end of the door.

I still managed to take a deep breath and open the door to see Jellal's gruesome looking face. He tried to smile but it didn't do much apart from advertise the insides of his cheeks and teeth. I shivered when I remembered kissing his cheek earlier. I had definitely been brave.

"Hello...it's a bit early for dinner isn't it?" I asked him quizzically and he offered me his gloved hand. I hesitated and took it as I closed my door behind myself.

"I thought you might have forgotten. I said I would fetch you earlier to take you to visit your friend, unless you want to do something else?" He offered and I quickly shook my head.

"Do you know if she has woken up yet?" I asked him worriedly and played with my fingers nervously. He shook his head.

"I'm sorry, I haven't kept tabs on the girl after she was brought in yesterday. Don't worry over her too much, I'm sure Meredy it taking care of her." He said dismissively. I frowned.

"I know she is, but she is my friend and she's been through so much recently, she's lost so many people who she loves...even some she doesn't know existed yet, she needs someone familiar to be there for her. I would hate to be alone or with...strangers if I was in her situation." I said sadly and his hand stroked my back startling me.

"Once she is in a better condition, I will have her moved to the room adjacent to yours. You can keep a better eye on her that way, but don't think of plotting escape. I'm sure if you just try to adjust to these changes, you'll find you like living here." He said optimistically. I highly doubted that but I smiled tightly and nodded.

Meredy hadn't been in the infirmary when we arrived but Lucy had been awake. She froze in fear as she saw Jellal, and instead of saying he would wait outside like he did before, this time he walked right up to the windows and opened the closed curtains letting the afternoon light flood in and change his corpselike appearance back into his natural form. She gasped and stared at him.

"Lucy, this is Jellal. He is kind of the boss around here. He's not so bad, he just has a bit of a temper." I said and smiled. She grimaced and looked at him hatefully.

"Did he do that to you? Your cheek?" She asked me coldly. I was momentarily surprised, it was unlike her to be so hard and impolite.

"Yes, but I was shouting at him. You know the guys sometimes test their luck as well. Jellal just got lucky." I tried to joke but she seemed to have lost her sense of humour.

"Hitting you is one thing, not that, that, is okay, but it looks like he really hurt you." She said scornfully and her fists clenched in the blanket the covered her. Jellal continued looking outside the window but I caught him cringing slightly at her words.

"Yes, I know. But that's not important. Tell me, what happened to you after you left this place? Did you find Wendy? Is she alright?" I begged her and even though the look Lucy send Jellal clearly stated that this was far from over, she looked back towards me and took something off from around her neck. My mothers necklace. My necklace.