The Beau & the Beast

6 - All alone

The days passed slowly and I could feel Clocksworth's burning glances from every corner of the castle. But I avoided him, worried about what Anthony would think.

I soon realised I didn't need to though, in fact he was the one hiding in the shadows.

  I got the feeling that Anthony had talked to him but I really didn't want to ask, and put myself in unnecessary trouble.

  But I was stuck with this sickening feeling in my gut for days, and eventually I realised I actually missed him. He was the only one I could talk to properly, but on the other hand he was so fucking scary.

   Then, one day the eyes disappeared, they no longer followed me around and wherever I looked I couldn't find him.
I checked my cell phone several times a day but there was not a single text or call, or any of those  confusing emoji puzzles he enjoyed sending me.

  Where the hell was he? Fuck, no matter what he'd think of me, I finally decided to send him a text. "Everything ok?"

   After checking my phone every ten minutes for over an hour, I decided to knock on Lu's door.

He was sitting with a glass in his hand, obviously not containing wine as the color was too deep red and the liquid too thick. "Bel, you should not be here right now, "he muttered and I sighed in response.

  "Fine, but do you know where Clock is?"

  He looked up at me with a frown, "Anthony sent him away, on a job."

   "So why isn't he answering my texts?"

   "You need to stop asking these questions." He said, clearly bird and anxious for me to leave.

   "Why? I'm just worried something happened to him."

   Lu sighed dramatically as he placed the glass down on a coffee table. "He stayed alive for hundreds of years Bel, you do not have to worry about him, maybe start thinking about your own safety instead?"

   "What do you mean?"

   "You don't want to make Anthony jealous."

   "Jealous? What're you implying?"

   He snickered, "Listen. It's important."I frowned and waited while Lu went back to his seat. "Anthony has taken a liking to you, which means he wants your total attention. At the same time, our friend Clock has a hard time taking his eyes off you and it annoys him."

   "But I-.."

   "Hush," he interrupted, "it does not matter. Our prince is used to getting what he wants."

   "But what if I don't want any of them ..." I muttered annoyed.

   "No?" He giggled to himself. "I've noticed how you breathe faster as soon as our watchmaker enters the room."

  "And it has nothing to do with attraction, you are vampires and I'm on your menu. What you feel is my fear of dying."  I answered in a sarcastic tone.

   Lu tilted his head back enjoying the last drops of the content in his glad, "If you say so." He laughed but did not look convinced.

   With a sigh, I sat down on a chair, some distance away from him, and placed my head heavily in my hands. "I don't know what Anthony wants from me, what the hell did he choose me for?"

   "You should ask him that."

   "Mmm .. sure."

   "But whatever you do, do not mention Clocksworth in his vicinity in the near future. Play uninterested and just do your job and he will be back soon, you will see."