Twisted Beauty (A Sleeping Beauty Tale)

Chapter Forty-Seven

I did not know how long I wept, nor how long the two of us sat by the Gate. As soon as I had collapsed, Drake sent the dozen men around us away, and was silent as he held me. He did not shove words of comfort down my throat, nor did he try to hush my weeping. He simply held me and allowed me to cry.

It was only when my crying ceased that Drake bundled into his arms and began walking towards the castle. I was too exhausted to fight him, and so I let him carry me to his room, where he tucked me into the bed and called for a maid to bring me broth and tea. He sat on the edge of the bed, not saying a word until the maid brought what he requested, when he thanked her.

With trembling hands, I accepted the tea, but refused to touch the broth. Despite having not eaten for weeks, my stomach was churning, and I was in no mood for eating. Just the sight made me feel ill. Drake would not take no for an answer, and held the spoon to my lips, frowning at me until I accepted the broth.

As soon as I had the first spoonful, my nausea turned to desperate hunger, as the past weeks of starvation crashed down on me. I finished the bowl within minutes and longed to have something more filling. Drake seemed to realise my thoughts, offering me an apologetic smile.

"You'll be ill if you have any more," Drake said, setting the bowl aside. "I'll fetch you something else in a few hours, but for now let's just see how your body reacts to the broth."

His voice was too calm, I realised, and after studying his expression for a few moments, I saw the fury in his eyes. A deep, dark fury, much like the one I had felt a few hours prior. Not towards me – no, even though his eyes burned with it every time he looked at me, I knew he was thinking about the people who had done this to me.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to get to you," he said quietly, refusing to meet my eyes. I grabbed his hand and squeezed it – the only comfort I could really give in my weakened state.

"Diane blocked the Gate – it is not your fault. It is only when I unlocked it that you could come through."

His brow furrowed as he turned to me, his head tilting in thought. "It is a mystery as to how you managed to do that. Such spells usually require the castor of the spell to undo them. I can only guess that your shared blood allowed you to unlock it. But even that would be unusual."

"All I did was obey my magic." A simple nod, and we fell into silence. It was not unpleasant or awkward, rather . . . peaceful. Allowing ourselves to relax before reality would come crashing down. There was no doubt in my mind that Diane would fight back, especially after I had taken Leighton's life. But for now, I did not want to think of such things.

"I understand what you meant about the magic," I eventually murmured, perhaps an hour later. We had done nothing but lie in silence, and even during that time, I had felt her at the back of my mind. She whispered into my ear and tugged at my thoughts. And it was only Drake's presence beside me that kept me steady.

"What about it?" he asked.

"The pull of the darkness." He went still, his eyes watching carefully, though I could not see the emotions within them. "Without a second thought, I murdered a man. He deserved it, but . . . never have I felt such emotions. It scares me."

His smile was sad, and not in the least reassuring. "I will not lie to you, my love. Even after years of training, I almost gave into it when you were kept from me. No amount of training will ever remove the tug – it can even make it worse. However, you will gain control of the magic within you – being able to harness it is the first step to control and stability."

"But what if I lose control?"

"I will be with you, my love." Drake kissed the back of my hand, squeezing it tightly. "Magic users often have an anchor of sorts, stopping them from losing control. The past few weeks, I have come to realise that you are my anchor. You are what keeps me sane. And I cannot fathom how I have lived without you for so long."

My chest ached, and I leaned over to kiss him sweetly. Such heart-warming words, ones that made me love him all the more. But even as I curled up beside him and tried to rest, my magic whispered into my ears.

Kill Diane. Make them pay for their crimes. Unleash yourself upon the world.

She sung a dark lullaby, one that brought a smile to my lips as I drifted into a sleep. But it made me wonder about something that Drake had mentioned. I was his anchor, and he was certainly mine.

What hell would I unleash if I lost him?

A beautifully wicked darkness.

I smiled.