Cold Blood Beast

17

Lia

"What?" I gasp. It makes sense to keep yourself safe but I'm losing my freedom by the very second. I turn the bedside blankets over and go to stand up. "But-"

I get cut off by my father. "No buts Lia. We're leaving." He suddenly yells and I jump from the sudden change.

My shoulders hang low and I glare at my shoes. "I'm getting the cart ready. We leave in an hour." Father says before leaving the room. He slams the door behind him, leaving the rest of us in silence.

Everest moves to the door too. "I'm going to speak with my father. Please get her changed and ready to leave." He says to the maid, Corin, who nods in response.

He closes the door behind him and now it's truly silent. Light poured in and dust floated in the room. I tuck my knees up to my chest and sigh.

"I've got you some clean clothes," Corin says quietly, she sits on the edge of the bed holding the folded linen on her lap.

"Thank you," I say but don't move to put anything on. It's quiet for a few more seconds before she speaks up.

"Lia, I've known your father and Everest for a long time. They're not doing this to hurt you, they're doing it to protect you." She says and I play with my fingers anxiously.

"It just feels like the world is against me. I have no freedom out here, not to mention I'm the only one without wings besides my father. They look at me like they want to kill me." I admit my eyes tearing up from the stress.

"I know what it's like to lose your freedom. I can tell you feel lost." She sighs.

"What do you mean?" I whisper, turning my head to look at her side profile. A flat slim nose and chocolate brown skin sparkling under the light. The white splotches are even more prominent against her clear skin and she sits beside me, under the sun.

Without further explanation to my question, Corin stands up and hands me the dress. "Get dressed, or it'll be my head on a stake." She laughs a loud booming chuckle. I stare at her with wide eyes slightly frightened. I awkwardly laugh and stand up. Is it that bad here? "I'll be waiting in the hall when you're done."

She leaves the room and quietly closes the door. I look down at the dress in my hands. I lay the scratchy material on the bed and slowly slide off the hospital gown. It pools by my ankles and I stand there bare naked. I step out of the dress, the stone-cold flooring making my toes curl from the sharp chill. I quickly pull the dress over my head and adjust the size. It was quite big on me and without any undergarments, I felt self-conscious with a low neckline with the baggy material that itched my skin like a burlap bag.

With a sigh, I slip on the shoes and pull the fur shall over my shoulders. I move to the mirror and gasp.

My hair snarled and tangled. A dark bruise on my neck and dark shadows under my eyes. I try to fix my hair but to no avail.

I give up and make my way to the door. I give one last look to the hospital room and feel sick to my stomach. I shivered in disgust then opened the door, preparing myself for a long night of traveling. With the detestable beast himself.

~~

I follow Corin down the long dark halls of the stone castle. She stops to push open the heavy blue doors, they creak and moan loudly on their hinges. Looking into a room where everyone waits, some very eager to get out, like my father. There's an awkward tension in the air all because of me.

Everest stands beside the king, a stoic expression on his face and yellow glowing eyes staring me down significantly. His eyes move across my body rather quickly before he stands up straighter. The black wings on his back hanging low like everyone else's in the room only to give me that same feeling as before- being singled out with my father that we are a nuisance to them and their other beastly people.