Thorn in the Rose {Book 1 Of The Once Upon A Time Chronicles}

Chapter 37: The Curse of the Rose

I make a sound that can only be described as a mix between a laugh and a scoff. "Yes, I suppose being granted the ability to not age and live forever would take a lot," I look out through the window at the rotting plants in the distance, "Okay maybe it didn't take too much but still." 

"We should consider ourselves lucky magic didn't want to take more from us." 

"What do you think happened to all the people who left, do you think the effects of the spell stayed with them?" Strangely, after all this time I've been coming here I never once thought about all the other people who used to live here. Beast... Henry said that there were hundreds of servants living here at the time the curse was cast, and I know they all ran away, but I never questioned it further nor did any of them tell me anything else about them. Although I suppose nobody wants to think about people who abandoned them. 

He shakes his head. "I've never thought about them much, but I doubt the effects of the spell remained on them. You have to... Oh, how can I explain this? For the consequences of a spell to affect you, you either have to be the direct recipient of the spell, like Henry is," His expression morphs into one of regret, "I mean like Beast is."

I giggle at how hard it is for him to say Beast. "It's okay he gave me permission to call him that so I highly doubt he would care if you called him by his real name in front of me." 

His eyes hold a curious gaze, but the joy he feels from the news I just shared is unmistakable. I sigh and shake my head. "Don't look so excited because nothing happened."

"He has hated the sound of his real name since the curse began, so trust me this is a big step. besides," a mischievous gleam shines in his eyes, "another petal fell when you were here the last time."

A pit starts to form in my stomach; pretending that his and Fabienne's theory about me being the clue to breaking the curse is going to be a lot harder to push aside if these damn petals keep falling while I'm here. 

"That doesn't mean anything," I quickly snap. 

"Keep telling yourself that."

"Don't use the phrase that I taught you against me."

He rolls his eyes. "Let's just get started so that you can get out of here as soon as possible. I'm sure your horse doesn't want to be stuck in this weather."

I dismissively wave my hand.  "Oh, he's fine. I put him in the undercover area that Amelie built for him."

A look of concern flashes on his face, and the pit in my stomach grows bigger and bigger the longer it remains.

"Then we need to hurry. Amelie is great but she's a singer, not a builder."

"Well, it didn't look too bad to me."

"That's cause you weren't here during her last... building phase. You know know green shelf in my office, the one by the window?"

"No."

"That's because she didn't put the nails in correctly and it fell through the window."

I can feel the colour drain from my face and my hand shoots to position over my mouth. "Oh God."

Another loud bang of thunder roars outside. The windows shake and I can briefly hear Dante neighing from his enclosure.

"Let's get moving," Maurie says.

With a swift turn on his heels, he starts racing toward the stairs with me trailing not too far behind him. We head up to his office, and while I close the door behind us Maurie takes the book and immediately starts translating the ruins.