Beast in Shining Armor (21 page)

“Even
though I’m not a knight in shining armor?”

She
shrugged.  “That knight thing was kind of a phase I was going through.  I like
my men a little more beastly, now.”

His
gaze glowed electric blue for a moment and Belle knew the Beast liked her, too. 
“How do you feel about sleeping with beastly men on the first date?”  His voice
was darker than before.

“My
seduction technique was that successful, huh?”

“Oh,
you wouldn’t
believe
have easy I am.”

Belle
was delighted that he was being playful and cooperating with the new game.  “Good. 
Let’s win the kingdom.  Then, we can get naked, again.”  She told him cheerily.

Avenant
blinked.  “Wait...  For real?”

“What
can I say?  You’ve seduced me, too.  It was the being
nice
part.”

He
seemed stunned by how simple that had been.  “That was being nice?  And it
actually
worked?
  Jesus, that’s all you want from me?”

“I
want you to be warm to me and have fun with me and be
open
with me. 
It’s not rocket science, doofus.”

Avenant
lapsed into to thoughtful silence.  He was
trying
to figure out what she
wanted, which was really at least half of what she wanted.  “I can do all that.” 
He said after a long moment.  “We’ll make a deal.  I can be… open and you try
to accept me as your True Love.  Okay?”

“Okay.” 
Belle said and began to believe that their insane relationship might actually
succeed.

“Okay.” 
He looked like he’d just placed a huge bet on a longshot.  “You need to be
patient with me, though, because I’m probably going to fuck up a lot.”  He
warned.  “You can’t just give up on me.”

“Believe
me, I’m used to being patient with you.”  She said dryly.  “
And
with you
fucking up.”

That
seemed to reassure him.  “God, I
really
love it when you’re a bitch.” 
He glanced down at her when they reached the suspension bridge.  “So, would you
feel safer going across first or second, my love?”

“I’d
feel safer staying right here on solid rock.”  Belle took in the rickety planks
he expected her to walk across and shook her head.  The gorge over the river
seemed endless.  “What if Knoss is wrong and there isn’t anything over there?”

“Then
I get to live my dream and finally kill him.”  Avenant started across the
bridge.  “Come on.  I won’t let you fall.  You won’t get away from me that
easily.”

It
was pathetic, but that actually comforted her a little.  Belle edged out onto
the bridge after him.  The makeshift structure swayed with each step, sending
the boards bouncing up and then sinking back down.  She squeezed her eyes shut
at the sickening sensation and slowly pressed onward.  No way was she going to
give Avenant the satisfaction of running.

Don’t
look down.  Don’t look down.  Don’t look down.

With
her eyes shut, Belle’s other senses were heightened and, after a moment, she
caught a whiff of something strange.  Unlike the damp scent of the cavern, this
was sharp and acidic and oddly familiar…  And completely out of place in the
labyrinth.

Belle
opened her eyes and looked around.  “Do you think another contestant could’ve made
it this far?”

“Not
unless they cheated.”  Avenant frowned.  “Why?”

“I
smell something weird.”  She glanced at him.  “Knoss said that the other
minotaurs might be working with the murderer.  Maybe they passed this way
recently or…”

“I
didn’t say the
other
minotaurs.”  Knoss’s voice interjected from behind
her.  “I simply said one of my kind was aiding in the kills.”

Oh
shit…  Belle slowly turned to look at him, already knowing that Avenant would
never let her live this down.  Knoss was poised at the entrance of the bridge,
blocking their retreat.

“I
knew
you shouldn’t have tried to befriend a beast.”  Avenant had the audacity
to sound pleased.  “I told you so, Bella.”

Belle
ignored his provocations, her eyes on Knoss.  “You’re the one killing people?” 
She guessed gloomily.

“No. 
I’m merely helping him stop the others, before I stop him, as well.”

“Who’s
he?
”

“I
don’t know his name.”  Knoss shrugged.  “I never even thought to ask.  My only
goal is to punish all those who quest for Excalibur and he was eager to help.”

“Why?” 
It didn’t make any sense.  “Finding it would set you free.”

“I
don’t want to be ‘free.’”  He mocked as if the word itself was tainted.  “I
like
the labyrinth.  All my life, I’ve been inside these walls.  Why would I want to
leave?”

“Because
all your life you’ve been inside these walls?”  She snarked.  “Maybe you’re
scared to take a risk, but isn’t it worse to stay trapped in here forever?”

“I’m
not trapped!”  He shouted back.  “I’m just staying where everything’s safe and
familiar.  Outside, I’d be ridiculed and mocked.”

“You
don’t know that.  You haven’t even tried.”

“I
don’t want to try!”  He raged.  “This in my
home
.  It’s my duty to
preserve what Prince Adam created.  To protect the sword and all who dwell
within these walls.”

Belle
flashed Avenant a glare, blaming him for his idiot ancestor.

“Don’t
look at me.  I’m on the record as saying Adam is a drunken lunatic, remember?”

“I’m
sorry it had to come to this Rosabella Aria Ashman.”  Knoss shook his head,
getting his anger under control.  “I knew you would get further than the
others, but I had hoped you’d see reason and turn back when you saw this bridge. 
I was praying that wouldn’t attempt to cross it.”  Knoss sighed.  “It’s too bad
you wouldn’t quit.  I didn’t want to kill you.  You really are an interesting
girl.”

“And
you really are an asshole.”  Avenant retorted, edging forward so he was in
front of Belle.  “She wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt, but there’s
rarely a point with monsters, is there?”

Knoss
glowered at him.  “On the other hand, I don’t regret killing
you
, at
all.”  He stepped out onto the bridge, the wobbly structure sagging under his
sheer mass.  “Let’s not make this harder than it needs to be.  There’s no way
you can stop what’s about to happen, Prince.  You may think you’re a beast, but
you’re no match for me.”

“You’ve
never met my Beast.”

Belle
glanced up at Avenant, a brilliant idea occurring to her.  “Introduce them.”  She
prompted in a quiet tone.  “Unchain the Beast.”

“What?” 
Avenant sent her an amazed look.  “
No
.  Are you crazy?”

“You
were thinking about doing it the last time he almost ripped us apart, weren’t
you?

“Yeah,
but…”

“Well,
if there was ever a time to drop those walls, this is it.”

He
shook his head.  “I don’t even know if I
can
.  I’ve never tried to let
go before.”

“So
try
now
.”  She hissed back.  “Unless you can think of another way to stop
the gigantic, horned maniac from slaughtering us.”

Knoss
was immune to magic, ten feet tall, and determined to bathe in their blood. 
They might be able to reach the other side of the bridge before he tore their
heads off, but then what?  The minotaur knew the labyrinth better than they
did.  He
would
catch them.  There weren’t a lot of options here.

“
Fuck
.” 
Avenant said and she heard the frustration in his tone.  “I
can’t
,
Belle.  You don’t understand.  I can’t do it.”

“You
haven’t even tried.  Did you hear what I just told him?  Because the same
applies to you.  Don’t stay trapped, because you’re too afraid of what’s
outside the cage.”

He
looked hunted.  “I’ll think of something else.  I
will
.  Just give me a
second.”

“We
don’t have a second!”

“Are
you seriously going to argue with me, right now? 
Seriously?
”

Knoss
gave a snort at their bickering.  “Jesus, you two really are True Loves, aren’t
you?  I suspected as much.”  He actually smiled.  “Well, it’s fitting that you
die together, then.”  Gripping the sides of the bridge with his hands, he used
his powers to set the whole thing on fire.  Flames began flickering along the
thick ropes.  In a matter of moments they would burn away and send Belle and
Avenant careening onto the rocks below.  At this angle, they wouldn’t hit the
water.  They’d smash into jagged stones.

Belle
tried not to hyperventilate.  Her head snapped around, instinctively trying to
gauge the distance to the opposite side of the ravine.  Too far.  They weren’t
going to make it.

“Good-bye,
Rosabella Aria Ashman.”  Knoss called, heading back to solid ground.  “You were
a worthy contender for the sword, but you…”  He slammed into a wall of ice.

Belle’s
eyebrows soared.  Avenant had used his powers to seal off the exit, trapping
the minotaur on the bridge with them.  “What are you doing?  He’ll just melt
it.”

“Trust
me and hold on.”

“Trust
you?”  She repeated skeptically.  “You wouldn’t say that unless you were about
to do something crazy.”  But, her fingers automatically wrapped around the rope
railing, because she
did
trust Avenant.  She was clearly losing her
mind.

“You
holding on or not?”  He prompted, his attention still on Knoss.

“I’m
holding on.”  Belle swept her hair behind her ear with her free hand and braced
herself.  “Commence with the Badness.”

Avenant
shot her a slight grin.  “This being friends thing is working for me.”

“Foolish
prince.”  Knoss fixed him with a snide look, the fire growing between them. 
“You know I’ll burn right through your pitiful snowdrift.”

“Sure
you will.”  Avenant smirked.  “But, how much weight do you think this bridge
can hold?”

Knoss’s
eyes went wide as Avenant dumped several tons of frost onto the rotted planks. 
The ropes behind the minotaur snapped, sending all three of them swinging
across the gorge.  It was now only connected by the posts on the far side, so
it acted like a huge jungle vine.

Belle
let out a shriek of panic, her fingers tightening on the railing as the bridge
slammed into the wall.  The force of the impact drove the air from her lungs
and spun her around, nearly making her lose her grip.  Pure terror shot through
her.

Don’t
look down.  Don’t look down.  Don’t look down.

“Belle!”

She
looked down.

She
heard Avenant call her name and the dizzy sensation in her stomach meant
nothing in comparison.  “What?”  She shouted back, hating heights and minotaurs
and
him
.  But, Jesus, she was glad to see that he was safe.

“Are
you okay?”

“Do
I
look
okay? 
This
is why I should never, ever trust you!”

He
gave her a smile that made her want to pelt him with loose rocks.  “Except you
just did, my love.”

“Oh,
shut-up.”

Peering
through the darkness and smoke, Belle realized that she and Avenant were now dangling
above flames.  He was holding on several yards below her, his elbow hooked
through one of the floor planks.  Further down, the fire burned.  She could see
Knoss hanging onto the very bottom, struggling to heave his massive body
upward.  But, he was too big and the flames were spreading too fast.

“Start
climbing, Bella.”  Avenant ordered.  “We have to get out of here.”

“He’s
going to fall.”  She whispered, her gaze on Knoss.

“No
shit.  Unless you want us to join him, you’d better move it.”

Belle
moved it.  She started climbing up the wooden planks like a ladder, headed for
the top.  Her whole body was shaking, but she forced herself to move faster. 
Avenant was right behind her.  If she didn’t get off the bridge, neither would he
and she
had
to get him off the bridge.  The jackass was vital to her.

“You’ll
never have what you seek, Prince!”  Knoss shrieked.  “You don’t know how to
surrender and that’s the real test of this labyrinth.  You won’t win, because
you’re too afraid of losing…”  He final taunted ended in a yell of terror and
fury.

The
fire ate through the ropes, breaking the bottom section of the bridge free of
its moorings.  Knoss’s arms helplessly spiraled, searching for something to
hold onto and finding nothing but air.  He went tumbling onto the black rocks
below, his final scream abruptly silenced.

Not
even a minotaur could survive a fall like that.

“Go!” 
Avenant shouted when Belle just stared down in horror.  “We have to keep
going!”

Belle
gave her head a clearing shake and forced her hands to move.  He was right. 
They had to keep going.  It was the only way they were going to get out of the
labyrinth alive.