Read Online Before Beauty by Brittany Fichter - Free Book Online Page B

robbers and vagabonds,
and Destin would once again thrive! You, Sire, cannot make me do
such a thing!”
    “ Oh, but I can. Have you forgotten
my threat? I may not leave the Fortress, but that doesn’t mean my
power is limited by gates or byways or walls. With just a wave of
my hand, I can send this dark sickness upon your whole family as
well. I’m sure your daughter who is strong of heart wouldn’t want
such a thing to befall her brother or sister or mother. No, sir, I
do not think you are willing to risk your entire family’s
well-being for that of one.”
    Ansel’s knees gave out, and he
collapsed onto the cold stone floor, cursing himself for ever
setting foot in the wretched citadel. It would have been better if
he’d died in the storm.
    “ Take him away.” The prince
flicked his hand, and invisible beings grasped Ansel by the arms
and dragged him out of the throne room. The unseen hands were
gentle as they laid him in a bed that smelled of dust. He struggled
to get up, but they firmly held him in place. Eventually, he could
fight no longer, and his fatigue won. But even in sleep ,he could
not escape the torment of the guilt that consumed him.
    In the middle of the night, he was
awakened by an idea that had slipped into his dreams. Cautiously,
he sat up. It appeared the shadows had left him alone once he’d
stopped struggling. Silently, he hurried to put on his boots and
winter coverings. They were not entirely dry yet, as the fire the
shadows had built in his room was very weak, but he hardly noticed.
There was a way to keep Isa safe.
    In three days’ time, she and the
rest of the family would be far away, and the prince would have to
end these vile, continuous attempts on her life. Ansel wondered if
the prince knew about his attempted escape as he sneaked out to his
horse. The animal stamped its feet when he arrived, seeming as
desperate to leave the place as he was.
    Less than an hour later, they were
on their way home. Snow had made the mountain road nearly
impassible, but the merchant could not have cared less. Isa would
be safe, his family would be together, and Heaven help the man that
tried to stop him.

CHAPTER SIX
    Something
Terrible

    In the months since the almost wedding, Megane
had tried her best to stay out of Isa’s way. Launce had stopped his
teasing and replaced it with muttered threats about what he would
do if he ever got his hands on Raoul. Deline had taken over Isa’s
hardest chores, and had suggested as many ways as she could think
of to get Isa out of the house. Picnics were planned, the horses
were taken for rides in the country, and Isa’s favorite dinner was
made more often than ever before. Despite their well-laid plans,
however, outings were quiet and awkward, as the other three
attempted to draw her into their jokes and stories.
    To Isa, there was simply little to
say, and everything that should be said could be spoken at home.
Leaving the house was perilous, fraught with reminders that other
people were still living their lives, happy, continuing to move
through time. That Raoul was still living his life in the city
without her. To Isa, time would stand still forever.
    Despite Isa’s objections, however,
four months after Ansel had set out on his journey Deline continued
to insist that life would go on. And she insisted also that Isa
move along with it.
    There had been a snow the night
before, ridiculously early for the season. Still, the ground looked
pretty all covered in white, and Deline seemed to think the new
scene might cheer her daughter. So Isa was goaded into accompanying
her mother to the tailor’s shop, much to her disdain, where she had
been forced to answer trivial questions as to how she was
faring.
    They were just returning when
Margot, their neighbor, caught up with them. As the plump little
woman ran towards them, the look on her face promised juicy gossip.
Surely enough, before any greetings could be exchanged, Margot was
speaking.
    “ Have you heard?”