Beast in Shining Armor (12 page)

The
Beast thudded against the thinning wall, wanting vengeance.

Avenant’s
jaw clenched.

“I
still can’t believe you thought I’d framed you.”  Belle muttered.  “It’s kind
of insulting.”

“You
thought I’d ripped off my own kingdom.  That’s
more
insulting.  Face it,
we’ve both made mistakes.”

She
still looked miffed.  “Maybe, but you’ve made
more
.  I wouldn’t have
suspected you, if you didn’t do such Bad things.”

“But,
I do them
well
.  If I’d embezzled the money, it wouldn’t have been such
a sloppy crime.”

Rolling
her eyes, Belle started walking away.  “My God, that is the worse excuse…
Shit!
” 
Her complaint ended in a yelp as she tripped over something in the dark.  Belle
toppled forward right on top of a dead body.

Her
scream of panic probably told everyone in the maze exactly where they were.

Fuck.

“Belle.” 
Avenant grabbed her, his flashlight briefly illuminating the corpse.

It
looked like it had once been a Cheshire cat.  They were supposed to be the
prophets of the Four Kingdom, but this one must have misread her Tarot cards. 
Her tall, thin body was splayed at a grisly angle, her pink fur matted with
gore.  A blood-covered knife was in her hand.  Had she been trying to defend
herself and slashed her attacker?  If so, why weren’t there any blood trails
leading away from the scene?

Avenant
checked her frozen face and recognized that it was Cleo.  The woman was an
assassin, using her psychic abilities to plan intricate murders-for-hire.  She
was accustomed to being on her guard.  Whoever had gotten the drop on her must
have created one hell of an ambush to catch her unaware.  But how had she been
ambushed on this thin path?  And couldn’t Cheshire cats do that vanishing
thing?  Why didn’t she zap out of there after the first strike?

“Goddamn
it.”  Avenant tugged Belle away from the body and shone the beam down the
corridor, looking for the killer.  He didn’t see anyone.  Cleo’s blood was
still fresh, though, so the perpetrator had to be close.

“Who’s
doing this?”  Belle whispered.

“I
doubt it’s your friend Knoss the Minotaur, given the lack of cremation.  So,
the smart money’s on Bluebeard.”  What was one more body to that psychotic
bastard?  “Or possibly Dower.”

“The
wolf?”

“He
was in prison with me.  I don’t think the rehabilitation took.”  That was a
massive understatement.  Wolves could savage a victim in seconds and Dower was
more violent than most.  That would certainly explain the grisly crime scene. 
Avenant’s jaw ticked.  “Stay here.”  He stepped over Cleo’s corpse and started
down the path at a faster pace.  Whoever was behind this had to die.  If
Avenant could find the guy and stop him, Belle would be safer.

“Wait!” 
Belle followed him, cringing as she edged around the pool of blood.  “We should
stay together.”

“We’re
tied
together.”  He reminded her, gesturing to the clip on his belt. 
“Don’t worry.  I’m not going far.  I just have to go kill someone real quick
and I don’t think you want to watch.”

“I
don’t want you to kill someone,
that’s
what I don’t want.”  She
retorted.  “Let’s go back the other way.”

“And
wait for this son-of-a-bitch to pick us off next?  No, I’m going to stop him,
now
.” 
Avenant played offense.  It was the only way to win.  “Who knows how many other
contestants he’s killed, Belle.  These are just the two we’ve come across, but
there might be dozens more.  He could be taking out everyone.”

“But,
it’s not smart to incite…”  She trailed off.  “Avenant?”

“What?”

“Where
are you?”

He
turned back, shining the flashlight towards her so she’d see…  Except she
wasn’t there.  He stared at the empty path, his heart hammering in his chest. 
“Belle?”  He swept the beam around and didn’t spot her familiar form.  She was
gone.  She was just
gone.
  The claustrophobia was nothing compared to
the panic that washed over him.  “Belle!”

The
Beast howled in fury and alarm.

Avenant’s
control slipped and, for a second, he processed the world through the monster’s
heightened senses.  Belle was still alive.  He could feel her.  Dizzy with
relief, Avenant and the Beast quickly focused their combined energies on
reaching her.

“
Belle.
” 
His voice was a dark roar.

“Avenant!” 
Her call was faint, but at least it was there.  “The labyrinth shifted.  I
think that was the rustling noise we were hearing in the brush.  The walls
change position on their own.”

Fuck!

“Don’t
move!”  He shouted.  “I’m coming to you.”  He seized hold of the line
connecting them and followed it.

The
cord seemed to lead straight through an impenetrable mass of black roses and
jagged thorns.  It disappeared into the thicket, taunting him with the promise
of Belle connected to the opposite end.  No way could someone Avenant’s size
get through that wall.  Maybe that was the point.  Did this maze really think
it could keep him from her?

He
looked around, suddenly seeing the labyrinth as a sentient being.  “Nice try,
jackass, but it’s not going to work.  She and I are inevitable.”

Avenant
slammed a hand straight into the sharp barbs, his powers surging out.  The
roses hardened like they’d been dipped in liquid nitrogen, their pedals
becoming brittle and snapping away.  The vines grew so cold that the air around
them chilled into a cloudy vapor.  The thorns cracked like glass, dropping to
the ground.

Whoever
had designed this trap hadn’t been expecting someone with his abilities.  You didn’t
sent flowers up against a man who could manufacture winter with a twist of his
fingers.  Avenant shoved through the frozen vegetation, shattering it around
him as he headed for Belle.  His bleeding hand stayed locked around the string
that connected them, using it to guide his way.

“Belle?” 
He shouted trying to gauge the distance.  He’d been walking for ages and
everything looked the same.

“I’m
here.  I can see you coming by the frost.”  Her voice was closer now.  “The
labyrinth isn’t going to like you hurting its plants, you know.”

“It
can take me to court.  Everybody else does.”  Avenant crunched passed the last
frozen roses and finally spotted Belle.  “There you are.”  He murmured in
satisfaction.  She looked safe and irritated and all was right in his world.

Mostly.

They’d
found one edge of the maze.  Belle was sitting on a rock in a small clearing. 
Behind her, there was a stone wall that seemed to mark the end of the
labyrinth.  It was lighter here, thanks to small skylights build high on the
granite barrier, but the added illumination didn’t reveal much worth seeing.

Avenant
spared a quick look around, scanning for a way out of the clearing.  The other
three sides of the space were covered in the twisting plants.  The ceiling and
skylights were far out of reach.  It was a dead end; a small open space in a
vast jungle.  Behind him the flora was already regenerating, covering the route
he’d traveled to find her.  There was no way back to the path and no way to go
forward.

This
couldn’t be good.

“Next
time I tell you not to go kill someone, will you listen to me please?”  Belle
groused.  “Now, we’re never going to find out way out of here.  I think we’re
stuck.”

Avenant
had to agree.

Right
now, he had something more important on his mind, though.  Dismissing the fact
they were trapped, he stalked towards her.  Losing Belle for that brief moment
had brought back all the anxiety of the past eight months.  Unable to see her… 
Unsure if she was safe…  Fifty thousand crazed fantasies about what he would do
when he got her back…

He
had
to make sure Belle never left him again.  That they were tied
together forever.  He needed Belle’s surrender and there was only one way to
get it.  It was so close to breaking the rules that even Avenant knew it was
wrong, but he was going to do it anyway.  He’d laid his heart bare on prom
night and she hadn’t cared.  He’d promised her everything he had and it wasn’t
enough.  Emotions and honestly didn’t work, so he’d try a different tact.

“I’ll
take my kiss now.”  Avenant yanked her to her feet, his mouth finding hers.

For
once, he and the Beast were of one mind:  The only way to win was to cheat.

I hate him.

Testimony
of Mr. Peter Piper
- The People of the Northlands v. Prince Avenant

Twelve
Years Before

Her
prom date was a troll.

Not
in the biological sense.  He’d been born an elf.  But, Peter Piper was
totally
a troll.

Belle
had never noticed that before.  He’d just seemed like a normal guy who was a
little doofy and who used too much styling gel.  She’d never forgotten that
he’d been the only one who’d wished her happy birthday when she was fourteen,
so she went out of her way to be nice to him.

Now
she was seeing beneath the oily façade and straight into his inner troll-ness,
though.  Something about the position of Peter’s nose and chin made her eyes
cross when she looked at his face for too long.  His overly blond hair smelled
funny.  His tux was an obnoxious shade of pickled pepper purple.

And,
worst of all, he was making out with Jill Hill in Belle’s seat.

Jill
sat on his lap, her face suction-cupped to his.  They were lost in their own
little world of taffeta and groping, not even caring that they were in her
chair.  Or that she existed, at all.

The
gym was festooned with white crêpe paper streamers and blue balloons.  Belle had
helped string the decorations all afternoon and now they were a festive
backdrop for her public embarrassment.  No one in the school could possibly
miss the fact that Belle’s date had dumped her in the middle of prom.

It
was all Avenant’s fault.

Belle
liked Peter, but she’d never
liked
the guy.  Not in a romantic way.  He
was friendly enough and a hell of an asset to the Mathlete Squad, but mostly
she’d just needed a date.  He was the only one who asked, so she’d said yes. 
She was president of the dance committee and she wasn’t going to show up
alone.  That would’ve just made Avenant’s year.  Peter had been a godsend. 
He’d approached her in the cafeteria and politely asked her out with everyone
watching.

With
Avenant
watching.

Lounging
at the cool kids’ table, with his fan club of cheerleaders, Avenant looked like
the pasha of Northlands High.  He spent every lunch hour gazing down on the
lesser beings as they genuflected passed.  Belle knew that because she spent
every lunch hour glaring at him from the not-so-cool table, willing him to
choke on his food.

When
Peter had asked her to prom, she’d seen Avenant’s arctic blue eyes narrow from
twenty feet away.  He hadn’t expected anyone to approach her.  Belle didn’t get
many dates, mostly because everyone was terrified of making Avenant’s enemies
list.  You were either with Avenant or against him.  Belle was “against,” but
most of the school preferred to stay on the handsome, popular, royal side of
their war.  She could see from Avenant’s annoyingly perfect face that he was
pissed when Peter decide to cross into hostile territory and join Team Belle.

So
--obviously-- she’d agreed to the date.

Six
hours in a push-up bra seemed like a small price to pay for an opportunity to
irritate her nemesis.  And Peter was tolerable enough.  Usually.

She
should’ve anticipated that Avenant would find a way to fight back, though.  She
knew
he was behind this.  Jill had never shown the least bit of interest
in Peter before and now the girl was one love song away from unfastening his
cummerbund with her teeth.  Since Jill was part of Avenant’s clique of evil, it
didn’t take a genius to piece together who was really behind this.

Damn
if Belle was going to hang around and let him relish his victory.  The looks of
pity she was getting from the other students were bad enough.  If she saw
Avenant’s smug smirk, she’d beat him to death with a mirror ball.  Which,
granted, he totally deserved, but which would probably not look so great on her
permanent record.

She
grabbed her coat and left Peter to his fun.  As far as Belle was concerned,
prom was
done
.  Except, she was stuck there for a least another hour.

She
couldn’t go home yet.

Her
parents would know something had gone terribly wrong and they’d been so
happy
when she’d told them she had a date.  Her mother had helped her buy a poufy
dress and her father had taken her picture.  They were social people and their
bookish daughter was a constant disappointment.  Seeing her headed off to a
dance had thrilled them.  No way was Avenant going to spoil that.

So,
Belle sat under the bleachers and plotted her revenge.  Peter didn’t matter. 
Belle couldn’t even work up the energy to hate him.  He was just a tool of the
true
mastermind.  She was going to make Avenant pay.  The Beast had no idea who he
was messing with.  She tried to think of something that would
really
hurt him.  Something life-scarring and physically painful.  Something that
would haunt him for the rest of his pathetic, wasted days.

Something
that would break him.

“
There
you are.”  Avenant sang out in his cheeriest tone.  “I’ve been looking
everywhere for you, Bella.”  He ducked under the bleacher’s metal supports, heading
towards her.  A cardboard crown sat on his shiny hair, proclaiming him prom
king.  “I think Peter might like a dance.”

Belle
swiped at her eyes and hated him with the intensity of a thousand suns. 
“Peter’s drunk.  He has no idea where he
is
, let alone what he
wants
.”

“Oh,
I think he knows
exactly
what he wants.  Presently, she’s wearing a red
spandex dress and has her hand down his pants.”  Avenant arched a brow when he
saw she was upset.  “Don’t worry.  Pete’s not going to get a happy ending.  Come
Monday, Jill will forget he even exists and he’ll be a laughingstock.  I’ll
make sure of it.”

“You
must be very proud.”

“Little
bit.”  He agreed.  “The guy’s always been an asshole and now everyone will see
it.”

“
You’re
the asshole.  Peter is a nice guy and you’re making a fool of him.”

“
Nice.
” 
Avenant’s voice lost its taunting quality.  “He’s tongue-fucking another girl
in the middle of your date!”

“Peter’s
not usually like this.  He’s a Merit Scholar.”

“He
betrayed you!  I just
showed
you that.”  Avenant looked confused. 
Actually, he looked… hurt.  Like he was genuinely perplexed by her attitude.  
“Why are you defending him?  How could you even go out with someone so weak?”

She
got to her feet.  “Peter was the only one in the school brave enough to ask me. 
That’s
why you’re targeting him.”  She jabbed a finger at Avenant’s
chest.  “You can’t
stand
that someone would stand up to you.  You can’t
stand
that someone might not be intimidated by your stupid vendetta against me.”

“I
can’t stand that you said yes to him!”  Avenant loomed over her.  “You only did
it to piss me off and now you’re surprised that it worked?”

“Oh,
because everything is always about
you
, right?  Why can’t you ever take
responsibility for being a jackass?  You don’t even feel guilty about it, do
you?”

“No,
I
don’t
feel guilty.  Peter knew I would destroy him if he came near
you. 
Everyone
knows that.  What happened is on him.  When he got
between us, he became fair game.  I should have finished him off that day at
the pool.”

“It
was
your
fault, not his.  Everything is
always
your fault,
because you
always
go too far.”  She glowered up at him.  “Do I attack
your stick-figure girlfriends? 
No
.  I leave innocent people out of it,
even when they’re dumber than a pompom.  Why can’t you do the same?”

For
some reason, Avenant grew even more agitated.  “Peter isn’t innocent.  Neither
is any other guy who asks you out.  I will ruin
every
date you try to
have with another man, I promise you.”

“You
are such a beast!”

“And
I
know
you don’t give a shit who I’m dating.”  He continued ruthlessly. 
“That’s obvious.  If you
were
pissed about any of them, I’d be thrilled
and they’d be history.”

Belle
frowned.  “You’re
trying
to annoy me with…?”

He
cut her off.  “But I care about your social calendar
a lot
.  What did
you think I was going to do tonight, huh?  Let you head off to the after-party
with Mr. Merit Scholar and the goddamn flower he gave you?”  Avenant grabbed
the corsage right off her wrist, crushing the purple carnation in his hand. 
His eyes glowed electric blue.  “Or were you just fucking with me?”

That
did it.  Belle’s lips pressed together and she started around him.

He
wasn’t expecting her to stop arguing and walk away.  “Where are you going?”

“I’m
done with you, Avenant.  Forever.”

“What?
 No.”  He chased after her.  “You don’t mean that.”

She
kept going, wishing she could do or say something to really hurt him.  To break
him, like he was always trying to break her.  But that was impossible, because
he didn’t care about anything.  “I
do
mean it.  You’re not even worth
fighting with anymore.”

“Stop.” 
Avenant blocked her path, his face pale.  “Belle, no.  You can’t leave me.”

“You’re
out of control!  You just ruined my prom, my friendship with Peter, and my
first corsage!”

“I
know. 
Shit.
  I didn’t mean it.  The Beast was lashing out and I just lost
it for a second.”

“What?”

“Please.” 
He seemed almost panicked.  “I’ll buy you a new corsage.  A bigger one.  I
want
to.  I can buy you whatever you ask for.  Flowers, jewelry, books, horses. 
Name it and it’s yours.”

“I
don’t want anything
from
you
.”

He
flinched.

Belle
glared up at him.  “If you weren’t the prince, no one in this entire kingdom
would put up with you.  They’re just afraid of you.  You’re not going to bully
me like you do the others…”

“I’m
sorry.”  He interrupted simply.

She
hesitated.  Avenant had never apologized before and it took the wind from her
sails.  “You are?”

“Yes. 
I shouldn’t have touched your corsage.  I just
hated
seeing it.”

She
eyed him suspiciously.  “Are you sorry about wrecking my date, too?”

“Fuck
no.”  His expression darkened.  “Peter will be lucky to live to graduation.”

That
was the Avenant she knew and loathed.  “Leave him
alone
.”

“Give
me a reason.”

“I
won’t give you
anything
.”

“No
kidding.  You sure don’t give me a
chance
.”  He seethed.  “
That’s
what makes me crazy.  You give that pasty son-of-a-bitch a chance and not me. 
Why?”

“What
are you talking about?  I have given you plenty of chances to be a Good person
and you can’t do it
. 
You show me again and again that you never think
of anyone but yourself.”

“That’s
not true.”

“You’re
Bad all the way through, Avenant.”

“That’s
not
true.
”  His voice cracked.  “I swear, it’s not.”

“Name
one person you care about, then. 
One
.”

His
gaze sharpened.  “You.”  He moved closer to her, his body brushing against
hers.  “I care about you, Belle.  More than anything else in this world.”

She
drew in a gasp at his words and at the feel of him.  It was like that day in
the pool, only better.  She automatically shifted closer, feeling the hard
ridge of him brush her stomach and… liking it.  Her nipples tightened into
points and her blood thickened.  She tried to think of something to say and
came up empty.  All she could focus on was the blue of his eyes as they met
hers.

She
stared up at him in a trance.

Avenant’s
breathing got harsher when she didn’t push him away.  “You don’t
ever
have to be afraid of me.”  He whispered.  The electric glow was back in his
eyes, but it was no longer angry.  “I will give you everything I have and
more.  Gladly.  I’ll hand over the whole kingdom if you ask.  I can become a
Merit Scholar.  I can even try to be a knight in shining armor.”  He leaned
down, his lips brushing over hers.  “Just give me a chance, Bella.  You have no
idea how I long for you.”

Oh
God.

She
bit back a whimper as his mouth slowly coaxed hers to open.  She’d never been
kissed before.  Reading love stories from the time she could sound out the
words had turned her into a romantic.  She’d always had big expectations for
her first kiss.  Epic plans for its splendor.  No boy had ever seemed up to
matching her imagination.  And she’d certainly never pictured
Avenant
in
her dreams.  At least, not that she’d ever admitted to herself.  He was always
so mean to her and Bad and selfish.  But this…