Castles & Curses

Chapter 11: Hidden Roses

CHAPTER 11

HIDDEN ROSES

ARA POV

My eyes wide I step into what appears to be a garden.  The smell of roses and honeysuckle bombard me as I take in the splashes of color.  From somewhere deeper in the room I can hear the cascade of water as I absently run my fingertips over flowers I can’t place names to.

 “Ara, we shouldn’t be here.”  I frown over my shoulder at Mac, who’s visibly pale.

 “But why…”  My voice trails off when I hear someone sobbing up ahead.  I rush forward even as Mac grabs at me frantically.  Following the path, I stop when I get to a clearing and see a woman kneeling over something, crying.  As I walk closer I can see the something in question is a clear glass casket and inside it is a girl.  I gasp in surprise and I stumble backward in shock as the woman that has been beside the coffin stands and turns towards me.  No.

My fists clench as the woman looks me up and down.  Her.  How does she keep finding me and why?  Her lips twist into a smile as Mac speaks from behind me.

“Arabella!  Get away from her NOW!”  I feel hands grasp my shoulders but I step away from them as I keep an eye on her.

“No need Mac.  She and I both know I can take her.”  She smirks at me as she tilts her head to the side.

“No need to be that way my queen.  I will never raise my hand to you.”  I laugh bitterly as my hand raises unconsciously to my throat.

“Not while I’m at stronger than you,anyway?”  She lifts her hands in a surrender gesture.

“That too but what you should really be asking is how pissed your mates are going to be.”  My eyes narrow as I step toward her.

“What did you do?”  She steps further away from the casket and gestures at the casket.  Keeping my eyes on her I step forward and glance down out of the corner of my eye.  NO!  My knees threaten to buckle as I realize it’s Rose.

“How is she here?”  When she doesn’t answer I scream.

“HOW IS SHE HERE, LIS????”  Lis shudders but continues to smile.

“Because her brothers are here.  Don’t you remember my queen?  You did the curse.”  Memories flash in and out as I fight to remember that time.  At first all I remember is Rose and that something happened but soon enough I remember it all.  Oh Goddess, my mates were going to rip me apart.  They will never trust me now.  They will never believe me.  Tears fill my eyes.

“You know….”  She smiles and places a hand on my shoulder.

“I do my queen but they do not.”  Crying out in fury I throw fire at her as she ports out.  I close my eyes as I fight back the despair.  Why?  I open my eyes to see my mates staring down at me.  My lip trembles as they both open their mouths to speak but I shake my head in denial.  I can’t do it.  I can’t bring myself to talk about the only child I wasn’t able to save.  I Sidhe dash out of the room and into the passageways as my heart breaks just a little bit more.

THE PAST

I see her eyes first; bright, blue & happy.  She’s laughing at something one of the other kids have said and she’s smiling ‘this no care in the world smile’.  She’s been captured and kidnapped.  She doesn’t know what her future holds but she is trying to cheer up the smaller kids that are crying. 

Two of them are asleep in her lap as she talks softly to three smaller children.  I watch from the cell beside them; silent and bleeding.  It had been her face my sister and I had seen.  I know beyond anything that she and the two boys asleep on her lap have to be saved.  So long I’d waited for this moment.  At first I’d just wanted to protect them but now...now I want to know why they have to be saved but I can’t be.  Selfish but true.