Love Is Never Ugly

Chapter 57

Now when it came to other people, Lucifer had no qualms about being dishonest and deceitful but he could never be that way in regards to his children. But on the other hand, he could not bear to let Charlotte become Alastor's prisoner again. He would do just about anything to keep that fate from happening. So he reluctantly agreed to his younger daughter's plan.

"Very well." He consented. "For Charlotte's sake."

"Good." Helsa grinned deviously.

"Do I have to be apart of this?" Baxter said. "I've never been a good liar. In fact I'm terrible at lying. I get real sweaty and sometimes I break out in hives."

"Shut up Baxter!" She snapped in a threatening manner. "You'll do as I say or you'll be sorry. Understand?"

"Yes my beloved." He replied fearfully. "But precious, may I ask you something that's been on mind since we've gotten back?"

"What?"

"Why do you smell like onions?"

She answered that question by smacking Baxter across the face so hard that he fell over.

"Now Father." She said turning her attention back to Lucifer. "Here's what we're going to do."

...

Vagatha looked at the sheet of paper in her hands nervously. It was supposed to bear as message to Rosie, asking her to come help them. Probably was though, since she was naturally a moth she was illiterate. All the servants were. Nevertheless, she still tried her best to memorize certain words that had been seen in Alastor's books and wrote them down to the best of her abilities. She couldn't do full length sentences, only a few words. Words such as; Rosie, Help, Please.

"I hope she can understand this." She rolled up the sheet of paper and approached the window to the castle. Her plan was to call a group of moths and convince them to deliver the message to Rosie. "And I hope that moths are good at tracking fairies."

She opened the window and prepared to call the moths when she heard Anthony let out a horrified cry. She quickly hurried to Anthony's room and found him sitting in a corner, trembling in terror with his hands covering his face.

"Anthony what is it?"

When he heard her voice, he yanked the nearby curtains over himself.

"It's nothing!" He answered. "I just pricked my finger with a needle, that's all!"

"Anthony I've heard you scream when you've pricked yourself and it doesn't sound anything like that. What's wrong?"

"I said it's nothing! Go away!"

"Why are you hiding under the curtains?"

"None of your business! Go away!"

"Go away? Just who do you think you're talking to mister?"

"Vagatha if you want me to have any pride or self respect, you'll leave right now."

"I don't think so. You see Anthony, if we're going to be together again then we can't have any secrets. Now tell me what this is all about."

Anthony stood up to run but Vagatha was too quick. She jerked the curtains off of Anthony and forced him to turn around and look at her. What she saw shocked her. On top of Anthony's forehead were two extra eyes while mandibles had grown around his mouth.

"Oh Anthony." She whispered.

"Don't look at me!" He pulled away and covered his face again. "I'm hideous!"

"What happened?"

"I don't know! I woke up this morning and there they were!"

"But I heard you scream just now and it's the afternoon."

"That's because it wasn't until now that I realized this wasn't a nightmare. Oh God! I'll never be able to show my face again!"

"Well it's not so bad."

"Not so bad?! I have four eyes! Four eyes and my jaw is outside of my mouth! I'm a freak!"

"But Anthony you've always had four arms and four legs. What's four eyes? And yes you have a mandible but it's better than an overbite."

"I could always my extra arms and legs. I could pull them into my body and no one would ever notice. But I can't hide my eyes! And frankly I would much prefer the overbite!"

"Now just calm down. Having an emotional break down won't make this any easier on you. Positives! Focus on the positives. You can still think clearly."

"Yeah but for how much longer? How much longer for any of us. You know Niffty, Husk, and Cherri are finding it harder and harder to keep standing on two legs! Not to mention Niffty now has to keep her distance from Husk! And me...Well you know what's wrong with me! I'm ugly!"

Vagatha sighed.

"Come here." She took hold of his hands and gently pried them away from his face. "I could never think of you as ugly. Annoying, dirty-minded, and immature yes, but ugly? No."

"Really?" He whimpered. "You really mean that?"

She kissed each of his four eyes and then placed another on his now mandible-like mouth. All of it done without the slightest hint of revulsion.

"Does that answer your question?" She smiled. He smiled back shyly.

"Everything is going to be alright." She assured him. "We just need to stick together on this and keep trying to hold on. It will workout."

"Since when have you been the hopeful one?"

"Since I was given something to hope for."

She placed her hand in his, grasping it softly.

"Come on, we got a message to send. Let's just pray it gets to the right person and that she can read what I wrote."

"But what I can't let anyone see me like this. What if they laugh?"

"Then I'll punch them in the mouth. Simple as that."

"Sweet wings you are one hell of a woman. And that's why I'm damn crazy about ya."

With that declaration made, they left for the drawing room.