Beauty and Beastly | ✓

Chapter 23

I rapidly sat up on the hospital bed breathing heavily. I placed my hand on my chest, attempting to calm my breathing. I sat on the edge of my bed and buried my face into my hands.

"Come now little girl! Follow our voices." I nearly jumped out of fright. I nearly thought I was going mad when I heard their voices again. "Come on." Their voices  were as dreadful as  scraping your fingernails down a blackboard.

I tried to contact my wolf, but she wouldn't answer. I needed her desperately. I didn't kk=now what to do.

Miraculously, I was being drawn to some part of the castle. I felt compiled to move towards it, as if it was a magnet.I found myself walking in the castle but I was nearing the wing which Xavier had made forbidden. I halted, unsure if invading his privacy was a good idea. I stared at the great stairs that led up to the west wing.

"Don't stop, we need to get the dagger." Again, I was encouraged to follow their orders. So, I continued. Step by step, thud by thud, I made my way across the carpet which felt damp. The carpets were bright red, it was as if I was trudging through a sea of blood. My hands trailed across the banister, gathering up dust. At the top of the stairs, I looked down seemingly searching for someone to stop me. Nobody came. And I was disappointed at that. I wanted someone to shake me until I saw sense. 

Then I looked up ahead and gasped. Portraits hanged upon the walls were slashed; pictures scattered on the floor had been cut  in order to remove a few heads; glasses had been shattered, the smell of wine flowed around in the air; the wall had been attacked and scarred with claw marks.

"Little Girl, hurry up! Walk forward and turn right." I don't know but their scratchy voices compelled me to follow their orders. So I did what they told me to do. There, at the end of the long corridor, was a room with its gargantuan door left open. The interior of this room seemed worse than the state of the corridor I had just witnessed.

"The dagger." They cackled in my head.

Didn't the book say that Xavier was looking for the dagger? Why would it be here?

"Oh you are clever, little one. But you aren't the cleverest. The prophecy isn't about you., if it's real at all. But you are a hybrid." A singular voice whispered.

"How can you hear my thoughts?" I inquired.

"We can only hear them here, now, in our little world.  We can control everything here because we have an anchor. We brought you here so you could be our puppet." One of them croaked.

"We hid the dagger in a place he would never find. The only part of his room which he wouldn't slash: behind his mother's portrait." Another snorted. My eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Go get it." All three cackled uncontrollably.

I reluctantly walked towards the large portrait and gazed at the beautiful women, who's son I would probably be forced to stab. Swiftly I was rising up, until I reached the base of the portrait. I looked down and saw how high I was. I moved my feet in the air but there was nothing but air particles beneath me. With a large sigh, I pushed the portrait up and then pulled it towards me. It was incredibly heavy. I then began to sink and so I placed it on the floor against the wall.

In no time, I was rising again. I saw a part of the wall where the wallpaper was curling upwards. I pulled the wallpaper up and I saw a small hole, barely visible if one does not focus very well. I reached into the hole, and pulled out the dagger. It was cold and beautifully decorated. It had sinuous patterns and small colourful gems attached to its base. The dagger looked very sharp and highly dangerous. I flipped it so that I unintentionally saw my reflection. 

What was I doing? Why couldn't I stop myself? Suddenly, I was sinking again.

"Hurry put the portrait back!" They insisted.

And I tried to. I could hear loud footsteps approaching as I pushed the portrait up, but it would not hang. Again and again I tried, and just as the footsteps drew close I did. But I was still in the room, with the dagger in my pocket and still I was suspended in the air. The doors, which I had closed slammed open as I fell to the ground with a thud. My adrenaline was running high, as I looked up and stared at Xavier. I got up rapidly. He looked at me and then he walked towards me.

"Xavier stop, I can explain."

Then he walked right through me.

I screamed in agony. It felt painful. I could not stop the tears as I fell to the ground.

I turned around, with my eyesight blurry due to the tears, and looked at him staring out of the window, unaware of what pain he has caused me. And then I started to drift off.

I woke up.It must have been a dream. A lucid dream. Was it true or was it my own imagination? Was it a vision? Was the dagger real? Was it really in his room? I got out of the bed, but I halted when I heard a clanking sound which filled the room. I looked down.

And there was the dagger.