Page 2 of Beauty

I hold on. I can start the fire. I can envelop them all.Torin will get nothing. If the blaze I begin doesn’t kill him, at least thepalace will go. Char and ruin will be all that Torin enjoys of his bloodyinheritance.

There’s a grunt, and the tip of a sword pierces thesoldier’s torso from behind.

And then the soldier’s eyes go blank, unseeing. He slumpsover, and the fire leaves my hands. I want to scream, to wail that he was mykill, but the energy I felt fled as though a wall came down, cutting me offfrom that strange power.

And from that sweetly familiar voice in my head.

I sag back on the bed even as I feel the soldier’s bodybeing dragged away. Has another come to take his place? My mind is so misty,filled with odd, disjointed memories. My brother chasing me. Cousin Dante’sfangs popping out for the first time at the most inopportune moment. I laugh,remembering the vampire’s embarrassment. Dante. I will miss him. And my motherand Beck and Cian and Nola, the brownie who was my constant companion.

I will miss them all.

I hear someone cry and feel myself being pulled into strongarms. I’m so weak, but I still recognize my brother’s face. Cian. Cian isweeping, his handsome face covered with soot and dirt. Cian killed the soldier.Beck is the warrior half, but Cian, my sweet, intellectual brother, killed theman who would have raped me and taken my final dignity.

“Mama?” I ask. I don’t know where my mother went. I lost herwhen the battle began. Battle? It was a slaughter.

Cian’s head shakes. Loss marks his face, aging him. His grayeyes are dulled by pain. “She’s gone, Bron. Father’s gone, too.”

Cian, my sweet playmate. He’s older than me by severalyears, but he always made time for me. I don’t know Beck as well, but Beck andCian are halves of a whole, symbiotic twins who share a soul. I know that whatone feels, the other does as well, no matter how cool he appears. Beck lovesme, too.

“Love you, brother.” My lips feel dry. I want to say morebut darkness is coming.

“I love you, too.” Cian seems to force the words out. Heholds me so tight, but it doesn’t matter. I can feel myself slipping away.Darkness takes me, and I hear a mighty roar. It seems to take over my mind.That single shout fills the world, pushing everything else away. The sound hasmass and motion, enveloping me, surrounding me. Goddess, I’m only fourteen. Iwant to live. I want to wake up and find this was a terrible dream. I don’twant to lie here knowing my brothers are gone, my future dead. I don’t want todie until I know where my dreams will lead me. Just one more dream. Just onemore moment with them.

But still the darkness takes me.

Pain wracks my world as I come to consciousness. Ahand moves across my mouth.

“Hush, child. If they discover us, they’ll take us to Torin,and then we’ll both wish we were dead.”

I open my eyes. What happened? Where am I? The room is dark,and there’s a hard, cold floor beneath my body.

My body. I reach for my stomach. I can still feel the knifesliding in. It didn’t hurt at first, as though my body wasn’t sure what to makeof such evil, but then my whole being lit with agony as my death became real.Now I feel only smooth skin where there should be a hole.

A single candle illuminates the small space I’m in. Ishiver.

“You feel the cold. That’s a good thing.”

Gillian. I try to get my brain working. The Unseelieprincess arrived a mere two days before. She’s an envoy for the Unseelie king,come to discuss some sort of treaty between our two tribes. I wasn’t surprisedmy father took the meeting, but I doubt there can be lasting peace between theSeelie and the Unseelie. Too much bad blood. Why am I here? Why didn’t GillianMcIver run?

“Can you move? Don’t try to sit up. Just flex your hands atfirst to get the circulation going. The magic I used was strong.”

Magic? I flex both of my hands and am surprised at howstrong I feel. I take a moment, stretching and moving each muscle.

Gillian nods down at me. “You’re strong, Your Highness.Stronger than I would have given you credit for.”

I feel stronger. Something took root in my gut, some deepsense that I am changed forever.

“My parents are dead.” I know it, but I need to say it. Thewords make it real. My parents are gone, my home taken by that vile traitor.Torin. I call him uncle no more.

Gillian’s dark hair brushes the floor, and she gazes down atme. “Yes, Your Highness.”

“No. I’m not a princess now. I’m a… What is the word?Fugitive. I’m a fugitive.”

Gillian’s eyes go hard. “You are the princess of the SeelieFae. They can take your crown. They can take your palace. But you never letthem take your name, Bronwyn Finn.”

There it is again—that odd strength surges. I sit up. “Aremy brothers alive?”

“I think so. Beckett Finn had a chance to kill thepretender, but he chose to save his other half. I believe they ran. It’s why Iwas able to move your body. Torin sent most of his army after your brothers. Hebelieves you’re dead.”