Beauty and Beastly | ✓

Chapter 11

How can they still exist? They cannot. They are extinct. They are dead. The daste witches no longer exist. The book clearly stated that. My head was pounded from all the information, all the possibilities and uncertainties. Fear consumed me. There was no other explanation for my marking. It was the mark of the daste sists and they had to be alive and still here to do that. I tugged at my sleeve at my wrist to cover the marking. But even so, the pattern of it was etched into my mind - so that whenever I closed my eyes, even for just a second, the mark haunted me. I had always wanted to be marked -  by my mate and my love - not by an ancient group of witches and certainly not a sign that showed I was apart of that said group. I stared out the window and my eyes stretched wide; it was getting dark. The sun was departing and already a few stars were appearing in the sky. I dashed out the library and ran  through the hallway, occasionally colliding with the walls as I passed bends and made sharp turns. It hurt. My feet land on the ground following an unsteady, wild rhythm.

Then just as I ran with a large amount of momentum to push open the colossal doors, it miraculously opened, and I, collide with him. With Xavier. 

I fell onto his hard chest, my hands which were outstretched, could feel the strong muscles beneath. My cheeks blushed, but I reminded myself that it was not the right time. Not soon later, my wolf piped in, encouraging my thoughts. "Trail your hands all over!" She all but practically begged. 

"Where are you going little one?" Xavier questioned me gruffly in my head. His hands held mine tightly above his chest.

"No where." I lied. I tried and failed terribly as I tried to leave his hold. "Xavier I have to go. Let go of me." I stared at his face, still filled with hideous scars, but I noticed there were less than there were previously. 

"My lycan will not stop pestering me. He.. seeks your presence. So, on his behalf I would like to request your attendance to dinner tonight...with me." The voice that filled my head seemed tired and uncertain. 

"Sure sure! Just let me go, I'll be back." I exclaim impatiently. I tried again to leave his grasp. 

He growled out loud in reply to my response. "You cannot be out by yourself. It is dangerous. And besides, dinner is getting cold."

"No I need to go, please. I'll be back quickly" I pleaded, as I noticed our shadows were shortening. I had to find the weapon, whatever it was before the sunset.

"No you ca-" He yelled out loud. Xavier shifted his hands lower down my wrist - exactly where the mark was - and he was cut off by my whimpers. The pain in my wrist intensified. Then my eyes fell to his and they looked so empty and full of despair. I could not have mistaken it.

He let go and growled, showing me his sharp teeth that belonged to his lycan. In a split second he transformed into his lycan, while I desperately scrambled to get away from him. His lycan stood their on his hind heels, and looked at me painfully. I saw my lycan climb the palace to its roofs, out of my view. I sighed and wanted to ponder over the misunderstanding and how to explain myself to Xavier. But Xavier could not find out of my mark and he wouldn't care for my reason anyway. 

Then it was my chance. While my wrist burned, but my heart hurt much more, I ran towards the grave and prayed that the weapon was there. The sun was disappearing. I didn't have long.

I used my hands to dig. I couldn't afford getting my claws out. That would be far too dangerous for someone like me. I had no time to find a shovel either. Something in my head told me it was at the back of the gravestone. I continued digging, despite the pain in my wrists.

This continued for maybe an hour or two. Because when I finally gave up, it was long past dinner time. There was nothing. I had dug a hole maybe four metres down and there was nothing. 

There was no dagger. None.

I gave up and watched the sun set. I felt defeated, but at the same time my wolf was angry. She wanted blood, she wanted to prove herself worthy because she couldn't solve the riddle. Tears slid down my face and I felt like a  failure. My parents and Anastasia will die because of me. Because I wasn't able to solve the riddle. I wasn't strong enough. I wasn't smart enough.

Oh moon goddess!

I wiped my face and gathered wood. I took an axe and hacked them violently. I cut them into smaller sizes and finally placed them on top of each other in a large pile. I went inside and found some matchsticks and the book I was reading earlier about the date witches. I set the pile of wood on fire and watched it burn. As the fire starting growing, I threw the book in as I watched the flames engulfing it. They attacked the book from each direction, coiling around the book with their fork tongues. The book hissed and shrieked.  Green smoke billowed and I could make out the images of three witches, a dagger and the phrase "well done". I was mesmerised, I could not divert my eyes.

I was very confused. Had I found the dagger? The weapon? What was it? I did not understand. Was this a game to them? Did I find the dagger or did they do this to frighten me? Because if so, then it worked. It worked really well. I am frightened but at least I know more about my enemies so that I can defeat them. 

Then my heart stopped as I saw my parent's tear-stricken face sleeping peacefully and Anastasia sleeping in my room hugging a picture of me. Then the smoke twisted and moved and I could read the phrase "They are safe". Just as I was about to turn around, the words morphed into another set of words: "for now".