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I made my way down the steps, the snow immediately covering my ballet flats. I often wore them on my brief walks, but I suddenly realized that boots would have been better. I had a nice fur-lined pair in my closet, but I would be damned if I turned around and faced Sebastian again.
I flung open the large door, hard enough for it to hit the stone wall, and stomped out. My blood simmered with every step I took, and a wave of tears fell over my bottom lashes, their movement down my cheeks frozen almost instantly because of the chill of the wind. Despite knowing that Sebastian would consider my behavior childish, I couldn’t seem to calm down. However, I knew he wouldn’t follow me unless he wanted to make sure I left the premises. It then dawned on me I wasn’t even walking toward the gate, but had unconsciously taken my usual path for my walks. Suddenly, I heard a sickening crack and realized I was standing on the frozen pond without even being aware of it.
No, not just standing. I’d stomped my way onto the ice like a complete fool.
“Belle!”
I turned when Sebastian called my name, and the sound of more cracks beneath my feet made my heart freeze in my chest.
Oh god. What am I going to do?
“Don’t move!” Sebastian shouted, as answering my question. He was heading my way in a rush, but I barely registered what he was doing as I heard yet another crack.
Fear bled into my bones. The same terror I had experienced when I woke up in a cage for the first time. Back then, I was scared because I had no idea what was going to happen to me. But this time, I was even more terrified because I knew exactly what was about to occur.
That fear pushed me into a familiar headspace of panic and desperation. I needed to get off this icenow.The edge of the pond was so close, just a couple of steps. I just needed to go back toward the castle. One tiny step. Then another.
The sound this time was loud and accompanied by a tremble beneath my feet. Between one breath and the next, the ice disappeared from under me. My arms flailed out automatically, trying to find something—anything—to grab onto. But it was pointless.
I went under.
The cold was so biting that my muscles locked up in an instant, an intense sensation that was almost too much to bear. The water pinched against my skin like someone piercing me with a million needles, and my lungs burned as I thrashed beneath the surface. My eyes opened wide, despite the sting of the cold, and I tried desperately to find the hole I’d fallen through. But I was too disoriented, and my surroundings were too dark. I couldn’t find my way out. I wanted to scream, to fight. I thought of Fiona and my heart broke. She’d never know what happened to me.
Then everything went black.
Chapter23
Sebastian
Iwas pretty sure that my heart stopped as I watched the ice give way and Belle disappear beneath the water. I froze for a moment, shock making my reaction slow, but I snapped out of it quickly. Panic seized me as I ran toward the pond with my pulse racing.
I came out here after her without even grabbing a coat, and I didn’t have time to waste going for one now. The cold air whipped through my thin shirt, and I cursed the snow as my feet sunk into it, slowing me down.
I didn’t even realize Barclay had followed me outside until I heard him call out to me.
“Don’t jump in! The water is freezing, and we’d just have to save two of you.”
I wanted to ignore him. Everything inside of me was screaming to get to Belle, to save her. But as I reached the edge of the pond, my rational mind took over just enough to stop me. He was right. I hated it, but I didn’t want to make the situation worse. And I worried my staff would focus on helping me out of the water before Belle. She needed to be the priority.
I looked down at the dark water, but I couldn’t see her.Fuck.
Where is she?
I turned back to the castle and saw Barclay, flanked by several of my servants, frantically running toward me. One of them had a long pole slung over their shoulder. When he reached the edge of the pond, he smashed the pole down onto the ice, the sound ear shattering to my ears with each blow. I was filled with dread as he worked, my breath suspended as time seemed to stand still with her under the water, my fear that the pole would strike her, compounded by the passing of each second.
I was so focused on looking for her, I hardly noticed the icy breeze on my skin.
Finally, the ice broke apart, and she was there, floating face down. My temperature had nothing to do with the way my blood seemed to freeze in my veins as the staff worked to pull her body out of the water. It was so damn cold that the holes closed up almost immediately. The air was probably around twenty degrees, but the water…
It was much colder.
Before Belle’s lifeless body was laid on the snow, someone removed their coat and placed it on the ground. As soon as I noticed her blue lips, I dropped to my knees beside her.
No, this can’t be happening.
The coat she was wearing was wet and useless, so I pushed it open. Staring at her chest, I could tell she wasn’t breathing.
I started chest compressions, well aware that there were a half dozen members of my staff standing around watching. It was the only thing that kept me sane as I silently worked on getting Belle to breathe again. I couldn’t lose her.
