Before Beauty (24 page)

Isa left the Fortress more
confused and hurt than she had been when she had arrived. “Why?”
She turned miserably to Garin, who sat on the padded bench across
from her. “Why would he do all of this, push me so hard and then
send me away? I want to help! I just don’t know how.”

“
I know you do, my dear,” Garin
said kindly. “But you are not ready, and that is why you couldn’t
accept the Queen’s Ring. The prince does not want you near when the
Tumenian princess attacks.”

Isa felt the blood drain from her
face. “They’re going to attack? But the army! It’s not ready! And
Ever’s so weak…”

Garin nodded gravely. “We don’t
know when, but Everard senses it will be soon.”

“
But why do I have to go so far?
That means it will take a long time for you to return to
him!”

“
Princess Nevina will not be
satisfied with simply taking the prince’s life. She knows who you
are now, and she knows that you are valuable to him. If she found
you, and she will try, she would commit acts of unfathomable
cruelty against you out of spite. So no, I will not be
returning.”

Isa stared at him in shock. From
the prince’s birth on, and even while bound to a shadow’s
existence, Garin had rarely left Ever’s side, she had been told.
And now he was leaving his charge forever in order to protect
her.

Even more surprising was Ever’s
last act of chivalry. He had prepared himself for certain death by
sending his most trusted confidante away to keep Isa safe. True
enough, his behavior towards her had been unfair and assuming, as
Nevina had predicted it would. But she couldn’t leave, Isa realized
suddenly. Not yet. As deeply as he had wounded her, she could not
just let him die. Desperately, she tried to think of something,
anything that might change the steward’s mind, or at least delay
her departure.

“
Please, just…just let me see my
family one more time before I go. I need to let them know that I’m
safe, and that I am free.”

Garin glared at her, but didn’t
immediately refuse her request.

“
One day.” She reached out and
took his leathery hand. “I just need one night and one day with
them.”

Finally, Garin nodded his head.
Isa could have collapsed with relief, but leaned back against the
coach cushion instead. She had bought herself one chance to escape.
Now she must plan to make sure it wasn’t in vain.

The hour was late by the time the
coach reached Isa’s family’s stable. Launce was the first one to
see her. He shouted for the others as he sprinted towards her.
Within seconds, everyone was there, hugging her, laughing, and
crying. It took Isa a while to untangle herself so she could point
out Garin’s presence. Ansel’s greeting wasn’t nearly as
enthusiastic as it had once been, but he did at least invite the
steward inside.

“
My Isa!” Deline held her tightly
and whispered her name over and over again as if she were a small
child. And Isa wished she could stay in her mother’s arms forever
and never let go. But all too soon, they followed everyone else
into the house. Isa’s heart was heavy as she thought about the
heartbreak that was once again about to take place.

“
I assume you are home to stay?”
Ansel posed it as a question, but with the threatening look he shot
at Garin, Isa knew he wasn’t giving her a choice. Garin opened his
mouth to answer, but Isa spoke quickly, sending him a warning
look.

“
I wanted to see you,” she simply
said. Isa knew she was just putting off the inevitable, but perhaps
they could have one night of joy before she had to hurt them again.
Launce, Megane, and Ansel began to pepper her with questions, but
much to Isa’s relief, Deline saw how tired she was. It wasn’t long
before she was tucked in her little bed with Megane snuggling at
her side.

Isa reflected upon how miserable
she had been the last time she’d slept in the cozy attic room. Now,
she would give anything just to have more time there with her
little sister by her side, and her parents and brother downstairs.
Garin had chosen to sleep in the stable with the coachman, so
Deline, always the gracious host, had made sure they had more
blankets than they could possibly use.

Garin’s choice of a bed annoyed
Isa, as it meant she couldn’t sneak out during the night. Escape
would simply have to wait until the morning. As much as she needed
to stay awake and plan her flight, though, sleep’s call was too
strong, and Isa soon succumbed.

CHAPTER
SEVENTEEN

Revelations

The next morning, Isa woke up later than she had
planned. The sun was already high, and judging from the smells
wafting up from the kitchen, everyone else had already eaten. Isa
threw a brush through her hair and headed downstairs as quickly as
she could. As she ate her biscuits and fruit, Deline told her that
Garin had gone into the town to look at some official council
reports with Ansel. Isa had nearly jumped up then and there to race
back to the Fortress, until her mother informed her that all of the
horses had been taken by the men.

Isa would have been more upset if
she had been anywhere else. But as it was, the morning passed
quietly and quickly while Isa soaked up every detail, every smell
and sound, of her old home, as she waited for the men to
return.

By the time afternoon rolled
around, however, Garin still had not yet returned, so Isa decided
to quietly slip out for a walk around town. Perhaps, while she was
out, she could find a horse to borrow.

“
Isa!”

Isa drew a deep breath before
taking her hand from the door and turning to give her younger
sister a smile. She had been so close.

“
Where are you going?”

“
Out for a walk.”

“
Oh! I’ll come, too! Let me get my
coins!”

Isa had to bite her tongue as her
sister dashed off to find her coin purse. Still, she realized, it
might be beneficial to bring Meghane after all. It would lower her
parents’ suspicion if they realized she had gone out. No one would
think she was about to leave if she was out with her little
sister.

Isa felt some guilt about taking
her sister out, only to know that they wouldn’t be returning
together, but Meghane was long old enough to walk home from the
market by herself. In fact, Isa knew that her little sister did so
daily on errands for their father. And, Isa thought guiltily, what
she was about to do, saving Ever and the Fortress from the
Tumenians, would eventually save them all. Including
Meghane.

If she
could
save them, that
was.

The air was cool enough that Isa
was able to bring her cloak along and draw the hood without looking
out of place. Despite her limp, few people seemed to recognize her
in the bustle of the busy day. This was good, as the lack of
greetings gave her time to think.

Now that she was out and about, it
seemed likely that she should find anyone willing to give their
horse to her, particularly without money. If this venture didn’t
work, how could she change Garin’s mind? As Ever’s most loyal
servant and companion, Garin was the least likely to disobey the
prince. The bond between Ever and the steward also meant, however,
that Garin must also want to spare Ever’s life. Isa would have to
use that to her advantage.

As Isa and Megane reached the
market, Isa couldn’t help but notice how little had been put out to
sell. Just last spring, every stall had been filled with ripe,
brightly colored fruits and vegetables, fresh bread, salted fish,
wild game, and even sweets and pastries. The Fortress had been
sparse and bland when she’d arrived there. But while she’d been
gone, it seemed, the people of Soudain had making do with even
less. The sickness of the Fortress had seeped out of its borders
and into the kingdom, like burning tar rolling down a hill. Fear
made Isa shiver as she realized just how much was at stake under
the weight of the curse. It went far beyond healing Ever and his
soldiers, or even defeating Nevina and her men at the foot of the
mountain. Isa suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for the prince. She
was beginning to understand why he had been so very
desperate.

As they wandered, and Meghane ran
from stall to stall, Isa, much to her dismay, was seized by a
fierce dissatisfaction.

How many times had she wished for
just this, to be returned to her family and her old life? She was
home, and her family was safe She had gotten everything she’d
wanted and prayed for, even if it was only temporary.

And yet, it wasn’t
enough.

Even the time with her family, as
precious as it had been, couldn’t satisfy her anymore. A foreign
emptiness filled her. Somehow, the man who had made her life so
miserable had become its shining star, and in the blink of an eye,
the call of duty that Isa had felt nudging her back towards the
mountain ceased to be an obligation. Suddenly, it was a
necessity.

As this revelation came to her,
Isa was pulled out of her musings by a cry of delight from Megane.
“Isa! Look! The Caregivers are back! So many of them!”

Dozens of coaches began rolling
into the marketplace. She had to work to keep the horror from her
face as Megane ran off in search of Marko, and it took everything
in Isa not to call after her. That would raise
suspicion.

“
Isabelle? Isabelle Marchand?” a
familiar voice exclaimed, despite the fact that her hood was still
drawn. Turning, Isa gritted her teeth as she saw her old neighbor
hurrying towards her.

“
Hello, Margot.” She forced
herself to smile.

“
You’re back!” The plump woman
stopped and gaped at her. She didn’t gape long enough, however, to
let Isa speak. “You are just in time! They’ll be leaving
tonight!”

Isa frowned. “Who’s
leaving?”

“
Why, the Caregivers! Marko says
they’re putting an end to the prince’s abuse! Tonight, they’re
going to take us, anyone who wants, right from under his
nose!”

Isa shivered. Just the memory of
the flaming arrows and diving hawks made her leg tingle.

“
You are sure it’s tonight?” Isa
struggled to keep her voice even.

Margot nodded enthusiastically.
“Just think, dear! You and your family will finally be free of that
wretched monster locked away in the Fortress!”

Whirling around, Isa began to call
for Megane, but just as she spotted her sister, another familiar
face appeared.

“
Isa!” Marko boomed, holding his
arms out, no doubt expecting the same friendly embrace she had
always given him. If only she had known then what cruelties those
arms had wrought.

Terror gripped Isa as she grabbed
Megane’s hand. Pushing her body as fast as it would go, she took
off in the other direction. Her ankle kept her from going far at
such a difficult pace, however, so Isa turned down the first alley
she could find, away from the crowds and mostly hidden from
sight.

“
Megane,” she whispered
breathlessly, “I need you to do something for me. It is of the
utmost importance. It will keep you and Launce and Mother and
Father safe. But you must do exactly as I say. Can you do
that?”

“
What about you? You just came
home!” Megane whimpered.

Leaning down, Isa kissed the
girl’s face and drew her into a tight hug. “I know, Megs,” she
said. “But if I don’t do this, many people will get hurt. I am
relying on you. Now, can you help me?”

Wiping away tears, Megane
nodded.

“
Alright, I need you to go home
and tell Mother and Father that I love them very much. Tell them
that I am going away to keep you all safe.”

When she turned to send her little
sister off, however, a man’s large frame loomed at the entrance of
the alley. Marko watched them, his face dark.

“
I wish you wouldn’t have done
that,” he said as he began to walk towards them. Isa pushed Megane
behind her as she stood to face the Caregiver. For the first time,
she noticed his black metal ring glowing a dull gold as he
tightened his right hand into a fist.

“
Run, Megane!” Isa screamed,
shoving the little girl as far behind her as she could. Marko
reached out and grabbed Isa roughly.

“
I have no desire to do this,
believe me,” he said as he pinned her against the wall. She tried
to scream, but he covered her face with his hand. “But you just had
to take his side. And my princess can’t forgive that.”

Isa struggled, but he was too
strong. She began to see spots as he kept his hand clamped over her
mouth and nose. “You don’t have to worry about him suffering for
too long,” he whispered in her ear. “He won’t last much longer with
or without you.”

What she did next, Isa had not the
slightest idea as to what possessed her to try. Without thinking,
she cried out to the Fortress for help. With no other savior, she
could only scream for that ever present companion she had come to
count on. It had called her somehow to the Fortress, Ever had said.
It couldn’t abandon her now.

As the cry left Isa’s throat,
something sparked inside of her. It was familiar, and yet, she had
never felt anything like this before. The feeling bled out from her
heart, and flowed through the rest of her body. Warm, like gentle
constant water of a hot spring, it rolled through her veins and
into her hands and feet.