Beauty and the Beast (Demon Tales 1) (17 page)

Brigg roared and rushed forward, whipped up
his blade, and the man’s sword flew from his grip. Brigg watched
the knowledge of death flit across the humans’ eyes an instant
before Brigg slashed the blade down—and felt the sickening crunch
of bone and tissue as he ripped it through the human. He wouldn’t
feel guilty for a man who willingly defended so evil a queen.

* * * *

Cally opened her eyes and swayed. The priest
was staring at her as if waiting for something. She swung her gaze
to the waiting prince and his eyes bore down on her heavily. That
same hate shone back, only now, it was joined by irritation.

“I—I’m sorry, what was I supposed to say?”
she whispered to the priest. The room spun and she wondered just
how long this was to go on. She had been standing forever. The
priest smiled a tight-oh-for-the-love-of-god smile and the prince
sighed rudely. Cally bit her bottom lip.

“I Callindra Jane Tempath—” The priest
reiterated slowly, as if she were an idiot. Cally swallowed and
opened her mouth to repeat the foul tasting words. A loud crash
erupted in the large hall and echoed like an explosion. Cally
whirled around and saw that the great doors had been shoved open.
The light from the outside spilled into the dusky room.

Brigg stood like a warrior in the doorway,
blade in hand. He stared right at Cally, and her heart nearly
exploded.

He’s here!

She turned to run towards him, but the
prince at her side grasped her arm and yanked her back. His bony,
cold fingers dug into her skin, but she didn’t look away from her
demon.

“You stay here! Guards, arrest that man!”
Cally heard her mothers’ scream of rage. “Take him to the
dungeons!”

Brigg stalked up the aisle, his impressive
size and glare of hate sending people scrambling to clear the way
for him. Guards posted at each side of the pews struggled against
the crowd to get to the centre aisle, where Brigg strode up to
Cally. He looked at her with those dark, dark eyes. Cally felt
tears run down her face as she tugged against the prince’s grip.
She had to go to him, to run into his arms.

“Unhand her this minute!” Brigg roared at
the prince, just the sound of his voice—so strong, so Brigg—sent a
ripple of pride rushing through Cally’s body.

“Brigg!” she shouted, his name giving her
the strength to stand. She turned and slapped at the prince holding
her. He was tall and strong, and his grip closed tighter on her
arm, making her yelp in pain. She slapped at him again, and he
backhanded her with his free hand. Pain bloomed on her face, and
the force of his slap sent her reeling backwards.

“Arrest him!” her mother’s voice screeched
over the din of noise. The room was in chaos. Cally looked up and
saw three guards heading for Brigg. Fear pulsed through her and she
screamed for him to turn. Brigg spun instantly and slashed his
sword through one of the advancing guards. The human slumped to the
floor, dead. Brigg wasted no time, but turned to attack the other
two. She watched him, entranced. The prince dropped her arm and
turned to bellow something at someone she could not see.
Pandemonium ruled as people fled the hall—the prince included.

Cally tried to get up but twice tripped on
her massive dress. Someone trod on her fingers as they ran by and
she screamed in pain. She clutched her hand to her chest and
scanned the room. When her eyes fell upon her mother, her stomach
instantly froze. The queen was staring into the crowd from her
position at the front, her eyes fixed upon something with an evil
coldness. And Cally knew who her mother was staring at.

Forgetting the pain in her hand, Cally leapt
up, she grabbed at armfuls of her dress and ran desperately towards
her mother. No way could she allow the queen to hurt Brigg any
more.

Pain slashed into Brigg’s mind. The instant
hot barbed whip of agony ripped through his brain, making him
stagger under the assault. The guard he was fighting looked
confused for a moment but, sensing Brigg’s weakness, advanced
again. Brigg lifted his sword and blocked the blow that would have
taken off his head. His jaw ached as he gritted his teeth against
the agonizing feeling of his skull cracking.

The guard attacked again, the force of his
blow pushed Brigg to his knees.

Where was Cally?

He had lost sight of her as the hall had
erupted into chaos. Last he had seen, she was being dragged away by
the prince. She had looked terrified, so utterly helpless that
Brigg would remember her expression for as long as he lived. Brigg
felt his blood boil. Cally was his! She was in love with him, and
no arrogant Prince could take her from him. No way in hell!

The pain in his mind pulsed dully, it bit
like a bitch at his control, but Brigg channelled that pain and
turned it into anger. With a fierce yell he rose to his feet,
pushed forward and slashed his blade out at the advancing guard.
The man jumped back and butted against the wall. A new, harder
pulse of pain robbed Brigg of breath, but he kept his eyes squarely
on the guard. Sweat beaded on Brigg’s forehead, and his hands
shook. He lifted his sword and roared as his brain felt near to
exploding. The guards’ eyes flew wide and Brigg slashed down, and
opening the humans’ chest. His sword tip fell to the stone floor
with a loud clang as all of his strength left his body in a rush.
He sagged and staggered.

Find Cally!

Brigg managed to turn, and found the hall
mostly empty. His head throbbed and pulsed with savage pain, and
blood trickled from his nose, but he staggered forward one step and
lifted his eyes to where he had last seen Cally.

The queen stood in a red dress, her evil
glare aimed at him, and it was then that Brigg realized the queen
was causing his pain. A fresh burst of hot agony slashed through
his mind, dropping Brigg to his knees. A cold smile crawled across
the queen’s mouth—chilling, and evil. Brigg brought his palms up
and cupped his head. He was sure his brain was going to burst.
Pressure, so much fucking pressure inside his head! He moaned and
clawed at his temple. It was too much, he could hardly breathe.
Darkness swarmed his vision, as tremors wracked his entire body.
Brigg heard a whimpering sound and realized distantly that it was
coming from him. He clamped his mouth closed and wondered just how
much he could take before he passed out.

“No! Mother No!”

Brigg tried to lift his head as Cally’s
screech of anger tore through his ears. The sound battered at his
brain until he dropped forward onto his hands. The queen’s evil
cackle sent ripples of fright over his skin, but even through his
pain he feared for Cally.

“Cally get away!” Brigg tried to shout, his
voice a mere whisper. The pain in his head made talking impossible.
The room swayed and the lights dimmed, blood fell freely from his
nose but Brigg forced his feet under him.

He had to kill the queen.

His legs buckled again and the floor slammed
into his face. Distantly, he heard a woman scream.
Cally.
His eyes closed and his body floated. The pain washed away suddenly
and Brigg sighed, comforted by the sudden, and calming nothing.

Cally…
He tried to call her name, but
his mouth no longer moved. His body had stopped, and Brigg wondered
if death was upon him.

* * * *

Cally rammed her body into her mother’s and
knocked them both to the floor. Her mother shrieked and flailed as
Cally gripped the queen’s hair in her hand and slammed her head
back onto the stone. A sickening crunch filled Cally’s ears but she
didn’t care. She couldn’t. She had to save Brigg. The queen fought
beneath her, her claw-like nails slashing over her skin, leaving
rivulets of stinging red in their wake.

“Stop hurting him!” Cally screamed as she
avoided her mother’s slashing fingers. “Stop hurting him!” The
image of Brigg dropping to his knees under the force of her
mother’s attack sent Cally into a white-hot rage. So many years she
had endured her mother’s cruelty. No more.

Cally lifted her arm to hit her mother when
a blast of wind lifted her off and away from the queen. Cally flew
backwards and slammed into the stone wall. The breath left her
lungs in a painful shove, and Cally fell to the floor in a clumsy
heap. Her mother got up and dusted off her gown. The queen’s
usually impeccable attire was disheveled and ripped. Her hair was
in a bird’s nest. Again, Cally saw the glint of pure evil rush into
her mother’s eyes.

“Enough!” The queen bellowed. Wind whipped
up around her and Cally pressed closer to the wall. Her mother was
enraged as never before, and the evil bitch’s stare was directed at
Cally. Cally swallowed and felt fear wrap her body. She shook and
trembled as her mother advanced. Tears burned at Cally’s eyes, and
she swiped at them impatiently. Brigg hadn’t cried like a babe when
he had been attacked, he had stood tall and fought on—just as she
would.

For Brigg.

Cally swung her gaze around the room and saw
Brigg slumped on the floor. A sob of despair escaped her mouth. The
queen threw her head back and laughed as she followed Cally’s line
of sight.

“Ha! I killed your demon!” She swung her
gaze back to Cally, her eyes narrowing with intent. “And now I’ll
kill you, you worthless abomination. You ruined my plans! You
ruined everything!” Cally braced herself as the queen raised her
arms. Wind swirled in the air and power crackled through Cally’s
hair and clothes. She steeled herself against whatever pain her
mother chose to deliver. If she was to die, then so be it.

She turned her head and stared at the spot
where Brigg had fallen. She wanted to look upon her brave demon,
she wanted him to be the last thing she ever saw. Cally blinked
through the sheen of tears and focused, but she could no longer see
Brigg.

* * * *

Brigg staggered up behind the Queen. His
sword felt impossibly heavy, his body shook and trembled as he
tried to walk quietly—but the queen was so intent on her rage, she
probably wouldn’t have heard an explosion at her ear. He climbed
the last step and raised his sword above his head. His eyes flicked
towards Cally where she lay slumped on the floor. Her beautiful
dark hair matted and messy, her skin impossibly pale—and her eyes
full of fear. It was enough to fuel him to finish this.

He pulled forth all of his remaining
strength and slashed his blade down.

The metal bit through the queen’s dress and
spine, and the cruel bitch crumpled on the floor at Cally’s
feet.

The pain, the wind, stopped instantly. The
vast fatigue didn’t.

Brigg didn’t bother to pull the sword free,
he didn’t have the strength to, anyway. He lifted his gaze and
found Cally. She stared back at him wide-eyed. Fear pulsed through
him. Would she hate him now for killing her mother? His vision
dipped black again and he dropped heavily to his knees. Cally
stayed against the wall looking like a frightened rabbit. Brigg
reached out his hand to her.

She pushed off from the wall and tumbled
over to him in a rush of green dress and tears. She hugged him
fiercely as he fought to stay conscious.

His head hurt, his body ached and breathing
was almost impossible, but he had to tell her something, he
couldn’t allow the closing darkness to take him completely until he
had uttered the words burning through his mind.

“I love you.” Barely a sound whispered from
his chest. Cally stopped sobbing and pulled back. Brigg forced his
eyes to open, just to see her perfect face one more time. This
creeping darkness was heavy, like a smog filling his mind, entirely
too strong to fight. Cally smiled—a broken, tear-covered smile—and
then she covered his mouth with hers, a brief kiss that held so
much emotion. Tender, sweet and everything Brigg craved.

“I love you too,” she whispered back.

Relief soared through him, making him groan
in release. The room swam violently, and although he fought it, the
blackness took over.

Cally sat on the wooden chair by Brigg’s
bed. She stared at his perfect—human–looking—face, and swallowed
past the tight knot of emotion. He was Brigg, but yet so new to
her. His features were so masculine, so utterly beautiful and Cally
couldn’t help brushing her finger tips over the stubble on his
cheek. In her wild imaginings she had never thought that her cursed
demon looked anything like this under all that fur, so totally
handsome, so totally wonderful to look at.

She leaned forward and pressed another kiss
to his lips. For hours—days possibly—she had sat beside him,
willing him to wake up. Torc and Sam had helped her to move him
into her old bedroom hours ago, but had left to safeguard the
castle. From what Cally could see, everyone had fled. Not one
member of staff had stayed. So much for loyalty to the queen. As
soon as they’d heard that the queen had been killed, shouts of
happiness had filled the castle grounds—soon followed by the tramp
of departing footsteps.

Cally could understand the reaction, though
it still stung that her mother was dead.

Cally lifted her wet, tear-heavy gaze and
sighed. “Brigg, please wake up. I can’t lose you too.” Her demon
hadn’t moved, not a flinch, and Cally was beginning to feel lost.
She tried to imagine what she would do if he never awoke, but her
mind wouldn’t process such a thought. Cally didn’t think that she
could go on.

She turned and saw that the sun had begun to
set. Her muscles screamed with weariness, and her eyes felt dry and
sore. She looked at the space to Brigg’s side and imagined what it
would be like to sleep next to him. Her whole body seemed to sag at
the wonderful thought, and Cally climbed onto the bed and under the
covers almost automatically.