Academia of the Beast: A Dark Retelling of Beauty and the Beast (14 page)

She paused in the middle of the hallway as Maisie walked by, her eyes fixed on Allyn. She wore an old-fashioned purple smock, her short hair dull and lifeless, her face a pasty white.

“Hello, miss,” Maisie said, smiling.

Allyn spun around, her eyes wide as saucers.
That voice
.

Calinda paused as well. “Something wrong, miss?”

Allyn covered her mouth as she watched Maisie walk away.

It can’t be.

She turned back to  Calinda and shook her head. “I’m fine,” she said. “I just thought her voice sounded familiar.

Calinda bowed. “Let me know if you need anything.”

Nodding, Allyn’s mind raced. “Just one more thing. Can any of the ghosts of the castle leave?”

As if confused by the question, Calinda’s brows furrowed. “No. Part of the curse is that we are bound to the castle and the grounds.”

“Is Maisie your daughter?”

“What kind of question is that?”

Allyn shrugged, her eyes fixed on the little ghost as she vanished into the darkness at the other end of the hall. “Just curious.”

“She was an orphan. But, yes, I raised her as my own.”

“I see,” Allyn said. “Where did she come from?”

“Your questions are quite vexing, miss. I don’t follow your meaning. What are you really getting at?” Calinda asked, putting her hands on her hips.

“I don’t know. I can’t really put my finger on it. You know?”

“No,” Calinda said, shaking her head, her lips pert.

“You see, when I was a little girl,” Allyn began, lowering her voice and stepping closer to Calinda. “Something visited me when I was in the convent. I can’t say if it was a ghost, a spirit, or something else. But, it sounded just like Maisie.”

Calinda’s brows furrowed, making her forehead crease. “That’s impossible.”

“Is it?”

Calinda looked over her shoulder in the direction Maisie vanished into.

“I think you should go to bed, miss.”

Allyn sighed. “Sure. You’re right. Good night, Calinda.”

Calinda didn’t reply. She simply bowed and vanished.

Once alone, Allyn walked the rest of the way to her bedroom. Could Maisie have been the one that used to visit her? Why would she do such a thing?

She drew her own bath and sat in the hot water with her arms over the sides. As she closed her eyes, she thought of everything that had transpired that year alone.

She never thought she’d be face-to-face with the Wolf that almost captured her last winter. Now, she was falling for him.

How did that make any sense?

Nothing about Allyn’s life ever made sense. She figured she’d better get used to it. She closed her eyes, not realizing just how fatigued she was and drifted to sleep.

Her sleep didn’t last long as something touched her hand. Allyn woke up with a start, splashing in the tub as she sat up.

“Who’s there?” She rubbed her eyes and looked around the empty bathroom.

Damn ghosts.

She shivered and realized that her bath water was frigid. How long had she been asleep?

She stood and stepped out of the tub onto the cold floor. Shivering she grabbed her towel and dried herself. She left the bathroom and looked around her room. It was quiet.

Too quiet.

She yawned and stretched her arms, and an idea came to her.

The castle was asleep. Perhaps she should explore.

Crossing the room, she grabbed her robe from the back of a chair and pulled it over her nude body. Once she was out in the hallway, she tied the robe’s belt and peered into the darkness, half expecting Calinda to be there watching her door.

The hallway was clear, and she escaped her room in silence.

Without those annoying heels on, she was able to make it down the hallway and ascend the stairs to the next level of the castle unheard. All she could hear was the sound of her own heartbeat.

When she reached the top of the stairs, she noticed how it was drastically colder than the rest of the castle, which was already chillier than most modern homes. She glanced to the right.

Conall’s wing. When she looked to his wing she felt warm and safe.

A look to the left gave her an entirely different feeling. All she felt was cold, empty, sad.

She stood there, closed her eyes, and cleared her thoughts. She’d let the castle guide her.

“I’m all yours,” she whispered. “Which way should I go?

She listened, hoping to hear if Lennox was in his wing. Instead, she heard something coming from Conall’s.

That was enough to make her run in his direction. Her heart raced as she darted down the hallway. Conall. Please be there.

She wasn’t sure which door led to his bedroom, but had a suspicion that it was the one at the very end. Passing by closed doors in a dark hall didn’t frighten her. Her mind and heart was set on one thing. When she reached the door, she turned the knob and burst in.

Inside, it was quiet. At the far end was a window, and she saw the moon glowing in the dark night sky.

“Why are you really here?” Lennox’s voice asked.

She looked to her right and saw him laying on his back on Conall’s bed. She stepped inside and closed the door quietly behind her.

“To make you love me.”

He sat up in the dark, the moonlight’s casting a dim glow on him.

When he didn’t reply, she took a few steps forward.

How her heart wished it was Conall. But she wasn’t disappointed. She needed Lennox to accept and love her, and maybe she could break the curse.

Maybe she was just as crazy as they were.

“Come here,” he said, his voice making the hairs on her arms rise.

She chewed her bottom lip, afraid that if she got closer she might lose her edge over him. Their power struggle seemed to never stop. She knew that if she joined him in that bed that he would be in charge once again.

Would that be so bad?

––––––––

“I
CAN’T,” ALLYN
said, thinking of the side of the prince she’d fallen for.

“Why?” Lennox asked.

Allyn shook her head. “I love Conall.”

Lennox left the bed and approached her, the moonlight at his back, illuminating him like a man from a dream. Her eyes roamed over his bare chest, his tight muscles and abs too perfect to be real.

“What’s so special about Conall?”

Allyn shrugged. “He’s kind.”

“He’s boring.”

“He’s handsome.”

“I look better,” Lennox said, raking his hands through his hair, a wicked grin on his lips.

Allyn pursed her lips. “You tried to kill me.”

“But, I didn’t.”

He was almost right before her, and she took a step away.

“You have my father somewhere,” Allyn whispered.

Lennox stopped and lowered his voice to match her tone. “I’m a liar.”

What?

“You’re telling me you don’t have my father in some secret spot?”

Lennox shrugged. “I’m a
good
liar.”

Allyn’s hands shook. He was a good liar. That’s not the kind of person she wanted. Knowing her father was safe left her free. She could leave.

But, Conall
.

“How could you?”

Before she could turn and run, he had her in his arms.

“I’m also faster than you, Allyn,” he said, holding her tight to his bare chest.

“Let me go!” she shouted as she struggled to free herself from his arms.

“No,” he said, turning her to face him. “I can’t let you go.”

Allyn slapped his face. “Why? Don’t you already have everything you want?”

“No,” he repeated. “I don’t. I want you. That’s it. Just you.”

Allyn froze. He held her off the ground, his face less than an inch from hers.

“But, you’re a liar,” Allyn hissed. “You just said it.”

Lennox set her down, releasing her. “Not about you. Never about you.”

Free, Allyn exhaled. “I can never believe anything you say.”

“Can you believe that when we were kids that it was me you spent that weekend with?”

Allyn’s eyes widened. “What are you talking about? I’m so confused.” She held her hands out. “It was Conall!”

“Allyn. Why haven’t you figured it out yet?”

“What haven’t I figured out?”

“I am the sickness,” Lennox said, his voice breaking. “The sickness that has held Conall back from living his life. From loving. But, I am also a part of the curse.”

Allyn swallowed when she saw tears in his eyes. She never thought she’d see such a thing. It hurt her to see him that way.

“But, what about me? I suffer too.
I
get tucked away until the one season when I get to be free.”

Allyn shook her head. “I don’t understand, Lennox. Make me understand. Conall was the boy I spent that weekend with when I was a little girl.”

He took her hands, tears dripping from his face. “No, Allyn. I just told you that I am the sickness. I don’t exist for the majority of the year. When Conall is free, I am a phantom. I am nothing. But, when I get my chance, Conall is there. He is always there. He sees everything, and he fell for you at the same time that I did. You were the first good thing I’ve ever experienced.”

Allyn reached up and wiped a tear from his face. “You let me go,” she said, softly.

“I did.”

“How?”

Lennox peered into her eyes. “You are the strongest sorceress I’ve ever hunted, but not even you are stronger than me. I wanted to see you live.”

Speechless, Allyn pressed her cheek to his chest. She could hear his heartbeat, and knowing the truth didn’t make her feel any better. She thought she’d escaped that night in the woods, but it was Lennox that let her go free.

“Dear Lord,” she said. “Why not tell me the truth in the beginning?”

Lennox whispered to her. “Where’s the fun in that?”

A smile came to her lips as she looked up to him.

And with the blink of an eye, he vanished from her embrace.

––––––––

A
LLYN RACED FROM
Conall’s bedroom, her heart beating out of her chest.

“Lennox!” She shouted his name as she ran through the empty halls of the castle.

There was no reply. There was nothing at all.

The castle was completely silent.

Allyn stopped in the middle of the hallway, her eyes darting to every dark corner of the castle. She looked over the balcony. The guards were gone. She placed her hand on the wall, listening for the whispers.

Nothing.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as Allyn felt the presence of someone behind her.

“Calinda?” she called, too afraid to turn around.

“Calinda isn’t here. No one is here.”

Allyn spun around. Her face paled.

Maisie hovered in the air, her hollow eyes fixed on Allyn.

“You’re not a ghost, are you?” Allyn asked, swallowing.

Smiling, Maisie shook her head. Her hair floated around her youthful face, but Allyn knew that this was no child. “No, miss. I’m much older than witchcraft. But so are you.”

Allyn backed away. “What do you mean? What are you?”

“You’re friend.”

Allyn seriously doubted that. She wrung her hands, looking past Maisie toward Lennox’s half of the castle.

“Where is Lennox?”

Maisie laughed. “I sent him away. He was a bad boy. He let you in. He wasn’t supposed to let you in.”

Allyn turned away from Maisie and ran. She knew it was no use when Maisie appeared before her.

Instead of being angry, Maisie laughed again. “Where are you going, Allyn? Don’t you want to play?”

Allyn stood there, more afraid than she’d ever been.

“I’ll play with you, Maisie,” Allyn said, her mind racing as she tried to think of a way around this entity. “But you have to tell me what you are.”

Maisie landed on the ground with a thud that shook the ground. “I
told
you, Allyn. I am your friend. I’ve been your friend since you were a little baby.”

“Why?”

Maisie ran to Allyn, and wrapped her arms around her, knocking her to the ground.

“I can’t tell you. It would ruin everything. And, I’ve had so much fun playing with you. We can play for an eternity, if you’d like.”

A sound of beating on a door came from the west wing caught Allyn’s attention.

Allyn sat up, but Maisie pushed her back down.

Maisie’s hollow eyes widened. Inside her sockets was nothing but a black pool.

“Ignore that,” Maisie said.

Maisie was strong, stronger than Lennox, and her body pressed Allyn to the ground like a heavy weight.

“What is that sound?” Allyn asked.

Maisie grinned. “Conall. He’s dying.”

Allyn gasped. She tried to shove Maisie off of her. “Get off, Maisie!” She pleaded. “I have to help him!”

“No,” Maisie said, her voice booming throughout the entire castle. She pinned Allyn. “He’s my toy. Find your own.”

Her playful smile was gone, and Allyn shook with terror.

“Maisie. Stop this. Let me go to Conall.”

“You came to play my game, but I can’t just let you win. I’ve put too many years and effort into this game.”

“What do you mean, Maisie? No one is playing a game but you.”

“But, it’s been the most fun game of all. I can play for an eternity. I can ruin this family until I get bored. And let me tell you, Allyn. I’ve had so much fun playing with the Barans. But, what I did to Conall was the best. Cursing the clan was nothing compared to what I did to that boy. Teasing you was just the icing on the cake. Letting you think you had a chance was the rush I’ve been waiting for. Now, I can feed on your sorrow.”

Allyn tensed. Her eyes widened as she looked up at Maisie. The revelation was unexpected, and more diabolical than she’d imagined. “You are the witch that cursed them.”

“Now, Allyn. Don’t be rude. I’m not a witch. No more than you are.”

Maisie threw Allyn into the air as if she weighed nothing. Allyn sucked in a breath and opened her arms before her body slammed into the ceiling. To her rescue came her power, the red bands that had tormented her, saved her from being crushed by the force with which Maisie threw her.

She steadied herself in mid-air, the bands holding her up.