The Seeker's Magic, page 17
“My parents rule over court,” he said. “They took their power from someone else. The regency never belonged to them, but they took it anyway. Hence, why we were raised the way we were. My parents wanted us to seize the crown and rule over our people. We didn’t have much of a choice in the matter.”
My eyebrows lifted. “You don’t want to be king?” I asked.
“We don’t want to obtain power for others,” he replied. “Pan and I refuse to be their tools. You’ve seen my brother. Could you imagine him caring about a whole people? And I’ve always preferred my independence. We have no intention of ruling—ever—and our parents are not pleased about that.”
Before I could respond to that, Shane emerged from the back, a piece of paper in his hand. “Not sure if it’s good news or not,” he said, “but you’ve got your match. The DNA in Anna was definitely Russell Charming’s.”
I glanced over at Rumple, taking the paper from Shane.
“Thanks,” I murmured, looking at the paper myself.
Rumple froze beside me and looked at me again.
“What?” I asked. “What is it?”
“We need to leave,” he said.
“What? Why?”
“It’s Beast,” he said. “He’s calling me. For help.”
My eyes widened. There was no way Beast would call Rumple for anything unless he was truly desperate.
22
I took Rumple’s hand, and in a second, we blinked out of the medical lab and into Beast’s home, materializing in his living room. It was dark, but there was a light coming from what I assumed was the kitchen. A loud roar penetrated the walls. I wasn’t sure if Gianna was home, but Beast clearly was.
I released Rumple’s hand and called out, “Beast? We’re here.”
Beast stumbled into the room, angry and worried at the same time. “She’s gone,” he grunted. “She’s gone.”
I looked at Rumple. He shook his head, lifting a shoulder.
“Tell us exactly what happened,” I said, jumping in and taking control. This was what I did when I helped people back in college, when I helped Ella, Rory, and Crim. Now, I would be able to help Beast—and, in a way, Belle.
“We were going to meet,” Beast said. “A dinner. She’s been hounding me ever since…ever since I got out. I wanted to keep my distance, just in case…”
“Just in case the contract was null and void,” Rumple said. He shifted his eyes to me from where he was leaning against the door frame, arms still crossed casually over his chest. “In case Charming could hurt Beast by getting to Belle because he was no longer in prison.”
“But also because of the curse,” he said. He shifted his weight, not quite looking at either of us. It was clear that he didn’t like talking about it. It was akin to admitting that he had done something wrong, and instead of being given the chance to make up for it, to atone for whatever sin he had committed, it was a giant scarlet A on his clothing, telling everyone he messed up and he would be publicly shamed accordingly. “I can’t…I don’t want to hurt her.”
“I read the contract,” I said, deciding to change the subject slightly. I paced the length of the living room, the dark crimson carpet faded, probably from the amount of pacing that had been done throughout the years.
“You what?” Beast asked. He was still sitting on the edge of his couch, elbows on his knees, hands between his thighs, hanging limp. “How?”
“Let’s just say we have our own connections,” Rumple put in. “We know the deal you arranged with Pan. And we know you were somehow released from Neverland.”
“That’s what I don’t understand,” Beast said, before chewing his bottom lip. After a moment, he looked at me. “Why? Who would think to do another autopsy? What made Shane think to test anything in order to determine the time of death was three hours later than what everyone believed? It feels…”
“Convenient,” I said, my eyes widening. I paused for a moment. “Like someone purposefully wanted you out.”
“Yeah,” Beast said. “But why?”
“This has my brother written all over it,” Rumple muttered under his breath.
“Pan?” I asked, my eyebrows inching up. “Why would he care about Beast being released from Neverland?” Especially when Shane mentioned Crim told him to do it, and that she probably received the information from the Hood.
But what if it wasn’t the Hood? What if she got the information from someone else?
“I don’t claim to understand how my brother’s mind works,” Rumple said. “But besides Charming, he was the only person in possession of the contract. He understood what it said. The fact that Belle has been taken a week after Beast’s release seems to imply that someone who’s part of this strange agreement is behind it. Clearly, it’s not Beast.”
“What about Charming?” I asked. “Maybe he got word of what was found—”
“Possibly, but I doubt it,” Rumple said. “Why would he go after Belle? Belle is inconsequential to him. As is Beast. The only reason he needed Beast in the first place was to make sure he remained in prison. Now that Beast is out…” He let his voice trail off.
“I don’t know,” I said, lifting a shoulder. “If he killed Anna because she was going to go public with their affair or extort him for money in exchange for her silence, those are pretty strong motives for murder.”
“Possibly.” Rumple chewed the inside of his bottom lip, tapping the point of his chin. It was odd to see him so deep in thought for a reason that had nothing to do with any of his deals. He was more casual about things in that way. “He had an affair with Mary Stone, however, and didn’t kill her.”
“We don’t know that for sure,” I pointed out. “Though maybe we need to get Shane to test that for us now that we have his DNA.”
“All in good time, Alice,” he said, his lips curving up gently.
I glanced at him, frowning. We still hadn’t talked about the fact that he used my name to coerce the truth out of me. Obviously, I wasn’t going to start a conversation with him about it now, in front of Beast, but it had to happen. We had to discuss that.
“Can we focus on what’s important here?” Beast growled. His eyes shot from me to Rumple then back to me. I wasn’t sure why he thought I was the one who would help between the two of us when Rumple knew how to find people with a snap of his fingers. Maybe it was a point of contention—Beast wasn’t a fan of Rumple’s and never hid that fact. The fact that he called Rumple here in the first place was a big deal to everyone involved. “What do we do about Belle?”
“Okay,” I said, putting my hands up with intent. “You were supposed to meet up with Belle and she didn’t show. You’ve tried texting or calling her, right?”
Beast gave me a look that said I was an idiot for asking a question like that.
I blew out a breath from my nostrils and shot him one in return. I didn’t need him judging my detective skills. He either needed help or he didn’t. There was no need to be a dick about it.
“It goes to voicemail every time,” he volunteered.
“Where was she before?” Rumple asked. He looked like he was going to lean against Beast’s couch, glanced at the faded, outdated pattern on it, then thought better of it. “Before your rendezvous, I mean? Home? At work?”
“The library,” Beast said. “She worked today. Was going to get off around five.”
I glanced at my phone in order to check the time. It was nearly six thirty. My heart skipped a beat. If Belle had gotten off at five and hadn’t been in contact with anyone for an hour and a half, especially if she was supposed to meet up with Beast around six, that wasn’t good.
“What about her father?” I asked, hoping my voice came out calm rather than laced with worry. “Has she been to see him, maybe? He’s at the Rosewood Institution, right?”
I only knew that because people had talked about it for months when it happened. Belle’s father wasn’t a Royal, but he was definitely out there. An inventor, he was always trying to create things that had the ability to take the place of magic so the population of Wonderland could still live the lifestyle without breaking any of the rules. However, he was rarely successful, and more often than not, created some crazy explosion or a spectacular failure. I remembered at one point, Belle and her father had to stay at a motel for three weeks because of what he had done to their kitchen. It finally came to a head when the Red Queen stepped in and all but forced Belle to put him in Rosewood, a mental institution near Neverland. Belle hated it, but she didn’t have a choice at the time.
“She visits him every day during her lunch hour, no matter what,” Beast said. “Eleven to twelve. She usually brings him a little something to eat, and the two talk. She probably did visit him, but earlier. She wouldn’t go back at this time. It’s not safe.”
“Safe?” I asked, wrinkling my brow. “What do you mean?”
“It’s in the Blood Forest,” Beast pointed out. “Lycans are everywhere at night. People may think she’s off, but she’s not stupid. She’d never go in the Blood Forest after sundown. She knows better.”
I chewed my bottom lip, deciding to take a seat on the couch. I needed to get off my feet. I needed to stretch my legs. My pelvis was still slightly sore from everything that had happened the night Rumple slept over, and as much as I wanted to indulge in those thoughts and when we were going to do it again, I had to focus. Belle was gone—and that could be very bad. There was a chance she was fine, but I doubted it. There was no way Beast would ask Rumple for help unless he genuinely thought something was wrong.
“Maybe she decided she was no longer interested in you,” Rumple said. “Perhaps she grew tired of waiting for you to come around.”
Beast snarled at the comment, glaring at Rumple.
“Consider the thought for a moment, even if you don’t like it,” Rumple continued. “You two have known each other for a while, correct? You were with her when Anna died. She wanted to come forward as your witness, but you refused because of the deal you made with Russell Charming—one you hadn’t told her about.”
“A deal made for her protection,” Beast said gruffly.
“Yes, of course, but she doesn’t know that,” Rumple pointed out. “So, she waited for a little over a year for you, and then suddenly, you’re released from prison. You wrote her letters while there, and yet, when you’re finally out, instead of choosing to spend time with her, you refuse to even see her. She has to wear you down before you finally agree to meet her. But maybe she got tired of waiting for you to come around. Maybe she found somebody else who would take care of her since you refused to.”
Beast tensed. He took a step forward, his shoulders drawn up, his arms poised, as his blue eyes turned a midnight blue, glaring. My heart skipped a beat at the sight of it. Beast could be intimidating when he wanted to be. I glanced over at Rumple, to see if he had any reaction to Beast, but he was currently fiddling with a cufflink, not paying attention. Sometimes, I wanted to throttle him.
“Watch it,” he growled.
“Well, it’s the truth,” Rumple said, dropping his arms back to his sides. He snapped his fingers, and suddenly, a drink was in his hand. I rolled my eyes so hard, I was surprised they didn’t fall out of the sockets. “How do you know she didn’t get over your attitude?”
I opened my mouth to intervene. I wasn’t sure if this was the best decision, poking a pissed-off bear. However, Rumple wasn’t making things up. If I were Belle, I wasn’t sure I’d wait around for Beast to decide he wanted to be with me. Belle was the only person in Wonderland who believed in him, who was working to get him out. She wrote him letters. She was fiercely defensive of him. He was lucky she supported him, was so loyal to him.
“Don’t you think I haven’t thought about that?” Beast asked in a surprisingly calm voice. “Don’t you think I know there’s a good chance I’m going to lose her, that I am aware of it every second, especially with that assholr, Geoffrey Hunter hanging around her at the fucking library all the damn time? I have no idea what she sees in me. I don’t know what I did to deserve her. But it’s something, and that something means everything to me. I would do anything for her, but I can’t risk…” He let his voice trail off, looking away.
The curse.
He couldn’t risk the curse affecting her.
“What happened?” I asked before I could stop myself. I knew my curiosity wasn’t going to be helpful in this situation. Hell, it very well could inspire Beast’s fury. But I didn’t care. I wanted to know the answer.
I thought for sure he wouldn’t tell me. I thought he’d say that it was none of my business. So, when he started to speak about it, I couldn’t help but be surprised.
“My great-grandfather was a Lycan in the Blood Forest,” he said. “The sacrifice that he claimed happened to be a powerful sorceress who cursed him and any children he might have—if he, or any descended, touched someone physically, they would die. The only way the curse was broken was if the touch came from someone else. As in, if someone touched me. And if it was coerced or asked for, it didn’t count. I can’t tell anyone what breaks the curse, save for you both because the second I utter it, the second it loses its power to heal me. I couldn’t tell Belle about the curse, but I don’t have to. Everyone knows. My great-grandfather didn’t take the curse seriously and wound up killing five Lycans, damaging the numbers they have. He was excommunicated immediately, forced to leave the Forest entirely. William Barnes took over, and it’s his line that continues to inherit the pack while we rot away in this house.”
“But…your line continued,” I pointed out. “Surely that means the curse was broken, or else how did your grandfather, your father, and you exist?”
“It can be broken on an individual level, certainly, but that doesn’t mean it’ll stop,” he said. “If I break the curse and have a child, that child will be cursed.”
“Surely there’s something you can do,” I said. “My father said all curses can be broken.”
“I’d have to sacrifice my true love to the Blood Forest,” he said.
My eyes widened. Which meant killing Belle for the Forest. And I knew Beast would never do that.
“I need you to find her,” Beast said. “I need you to get her back to me, safe. If anything happened to her, I don’t know what I would do.”
Rumple didn’t say anything. Instead, he took my hand in his. I tightened my grip, knowing we were going to blink away from Beast. My stomach twisted at the departure, and I had to step a foot forward to catch myself.
I glanced around. We were in a familiar office. I turned, only to find Pan, sitting behind his desk, leaning to his right, an annoyed eyebrow arched.
“My brother and his mortal,” he stated, his voice flat. “And to what do I owe this honor?”
23
“Why do I have the feeling, brother, that you are behind what happened with Belle?” Rumple asked through gritted teeth. He strode toward Pan with determination. Pan must have seen something he didn’t like in his brother because he tried to scramble away but wasn’t quick enough. Rumple caught him and slammed him against the wall. His hands were balled into fists, wrinkling Pan’s black silk shirt, as Rumple held him up. Pan’s feet didn’t even touch the ground.
“I have no idea what you’re referring to,” Pan said, his voice strained as he grunted, trying to maintain a sense of dignity, even as Rumple held him in place.
“Are you in love with Belle or something?” I asked, from my position against Pan’s desk.
“I beg your pardon?” Despite Pan’s predicament, he still had the nerve to look completely appalled at my suggestion. He shifted his emerald gaze to Rumple. “Did your mortal just ask if I was in love?”
“She’s trying to understand why you would have Belle kidnapped,” Rumple told him. Despite holding his brother in place for such a long amount of time, he didn’t seem to struggle. His muscles didn’t even twitch, even as he shifted his weight.
“Kidnapped?” He looked…confused. And Pan did not come across as someone who was easily confused.
“I know Geoffrey,” Rumple said. “I know what he does, brother. His presence at the library so soon after Beast’s release seems terribly convenient. And while there is a chance our dear friend Russell Charming could be responsible, I have a feeling it’s you.”
“Look, if you’re not involved in the kidnapping, we don’t care,” I said, spreading my arms out wide. “We just need to know where Geoffrey would go. Where he would take her.”
“I’m surprised my brother can’t figure it out,” Pan said with a smug grin. How he was able to look smug in his current position, I had no idea. “Is he focusing his magic on something else, then? Tell me, do you call him to do your bidding? You do know that takes up his magic, don’t you? Do you know what it does to him, dropping everything and popping into existence at your beck and call?”
“That’s enough,” Rumple snarled, leaning forward and getting in his brother’s face.
“Rumple,” I murmured, my eyes fixed on his back. “Is that…is that true?”
I didn’t want to think he had been focusing his magic on me only to then lose it or be unable to access it because he had already spent it on me.
“Darling, I don’t think now is the best time to discuss this,” he said.
I pressed my lips together. Of course, he was right. But that didn’t mean I was ready to just give this up. First, I found out that he had been trying to prompt the truth out of me by using my first name, and now this.
What else was he keeping from me?
I didn’t like to think that I had been contributing to his decline in magic. I didn’t know much about it since I wasn’t taught anything, and since it was long-believed that I didn’t have any, I was never part of a discussion that would help me better understand it. Since Wonderland didn’t have magic anymore, no one thought it prudent to teach me about it, not even my father. I had no interested in learning about magic, either. Now, though, I wished I had pushed for it.
