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Book: Academia of the Beast: A Dark Retelling of Beauty and the Beast by K.N. Lee
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Authors: K.N. Lee
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what seemed to be an eternity of bone-chilling wind and darkness, Byron paused once the path opened to a road.
“We are almost there,” he said, pointing up ahead to black gates that emerged from the forest of silver and white. His brown hair lifted with the wind, and he pulled the black hood of his leather jacket over his head.
Allyn’s eyes widened as she looked at the black castle at the top of the hill. The height of the towers that stood behind the gates was astounding, with seemingly no end as if they reached directly into space, yet she knew that it was only the fog that hid the tops.
“What is this place?” she asked, her heart racing as she stared at the stained glass windows that stretched from the floor to ceiling on the front side of the castle.
There was something about this place that she didn’t like. If it wasn’t for the debilitating cold, she’d have turned around and returned to Byron’s broken down car almost a mile away.
As she paused along the path, a raging wind pushed her backward. Her red hair whipped around her face, blinding her, as she fell onto her bottom.
She cried out as the wind continued to push her down the slippery, icy road.
She flailed, trying to catch onto something, only to find sharp shards of ice and a loud roar. Her heart raced as she realized that she was defenseless against the Winter Winds.
The ice had cut through her gloves, leaving her in pain and with bloody palms. In the distance, she heard Byron calling her name, but as she relaxed her body, the wind picked her up and shot her body into the dark depths of the woods.
Is this it? Is this how I’m going to die?
Allyn’s mouth parted as the cold air encircled her and slammed her body into something hard, knocking her out.
CHAPTER 11
––––––––
A LLYN WAS FORCED to her knees before the cross, her back raw from being whipped for what felt like an eternity, her small face streaked with tears.
Allyn was twelve years old.
Sister Catherine yanked her by a handful of hair. “Look at Him. If you repent, He will strip the demons from you.”
Lips trembling, Allyn nodded. “I pray to Him every night. I repent. What else am I supposed to do?”
Sister Catherine knelt beside her and took Allyn’s face into her hands, pressing her cheeks.
A chill ran along Allyn’s exposed flesh as she looked into the Sister’s eyes. Why was she crying? She wasn’t the one that had been beaten for a power that she couldn’t control.
To her surprise, Sister Catherine pulled her into a tight embrace. She whispered to her, while the other nuns looked on, their faces free of every emotion except hate for the little witch they’d been forced to look after.
“You better learn how to control this power, Allyn, or they will kill you.”
Those words resonated through her, striking fear into her heart. She bit her bottom lip, her brows knitting together as hot tears gushed from her eyes. She nodded.
“I will try.”
Instead of replying, Sister Catherine came to her feet and looked to the others. “A night of repenting should banish the evil within her.”
The other nuns nodded, except Sister Margaret—the cruelest of them all.
“What did you say to her?” Sister Margaret asked, her blue eyes fixed on Sister Catherine.
“I told her to repent for her sins, and beg the Lord for forgiveness.”
Sister Margaret didn’t seem convinced. “A night in the sanctuary is not enough. Those that are detestable to the Lord should be removed from those that are clean.” She shot a look at the youngest nun, Sister Anne. “Take her to the well outside.”
Allyn screamed when they took her from the sanctuary. “No! Not the well! Please!” Red bands of power shot from her fingertips, wrapping around the beams that supported the ceiling. Like sashes of blood, the power wavered and flew all around her without any control or prejudice for who it struck with its fiery assault.
A gasp came from the nuns, and they all
“We are almost there,” he said, pointing up ahead to black gates that emerged from the forest of silver and white. His brown hair lifted with the wind, and he pulled the black hood of his leather jacket over his head.
Allyn’s eyes widened as she looked at the black castle at the top of the hill. The height of the towers that stood behind the gates was astounding, with seemingly no end as if they reached directly into space, yet she knew that it was only the fog that hid the tops.
“What is this place?” she asked, her heart racing as she stared at the stained glass windows that stretched from the floor to ceiling on the front side of the castle.
There was something about this place that she didn’t like. If it wasn’t for the debilitating cold, she’d have turned around and returned to Byron’s broken down car almost a mile away.
As she paused along the path, a raging wind pushed her backward. Her red hair whipped around her face, blinding her, as she fell onto her bottom.
She cried out as the wind continued to push her down the slippery, icy road.
She flailed, trying to catch onto something, only to find sharp shards of ice and a loud roar. Her heart raced as she realized that she was defenseless against the Winter Winds.
The ice had cut through her gloves, leaving her in pain and with bloody palms. In the distance, she heard Byron calling her name, but as she relaxed her body, the wind picked her up and shot her body into the dark depths of the woods.
Is this it? Is this how I’m going to die?
Allyn’s mouth parted as the cold air encircled her and slammed her body into something hard, knocking her out.
CHAPTER 11
––––––––
A LLYN WAS FORCED to her knees before the cross, her back raw from being whipped for what felt like an eternity, her small face streaked with tears.
Allyn was twelve years old.
Sister Catherine yanked her by a handful of hair. “Look at Him. If you repent, He will strip the demons from you.”
Lips trembling, Allyn nodded. “I pray to Him every night. I repent. What else am I supposed to do?”
Sister Catherine knelt beside her and took Allyn’s face into her hands, pressing her cheeks.
A chill ran along Allyn’s exposed flesh as she looked into the Sister’s eyes. Why was she crying? She wasn’t the one that had been beaten for a power that she couldn’t control.
To her surprise, Sister Catherine pulled her into a tight embrace. She whispered to her, while the other nuns looked on, their faces free of every emotion except hate for the little witch they’d been forced to look after.
“You better learn how to control this power, Allyn, or they will kill you.”
Those words resonated through her, striking fear into her heart. She bit her bottom lip, her brows knitting together as hot tears gushed from her eyes. She nodded.
“I will try.”
Instead of replying, Sister Catherine came to her feet and looked to the others. “A night of repenting should banish the evil within her.”
The other nuns nodded, except Sister Margaret—the cruelest of them all.
“What did you say to her?” Sister Margaret asked, her blue eyes fixed on Sister Catherine.
“I told her to repent for her sins, and beg the Lord for forgiveness.”
Sister Margaret didn’t seem convinced. “A night in the sanctuary is not enough. Those that are detestable to the Lord should be removed from those that are clean.” She shot a look at the youngest nun, Sister Anne. “Take her to the well outside.”
Allyn screamed when they took her from the sanctuary. “No! Not the well! Please!” Red bands of power shot from her fingertips, wrapping around the beams that supported the ceiling. Like sashes of blood, the power wavered and flew all around her without any control or prejudice for who it struck with its fiery assault.
A gasp came from the nuns, and they all
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