Rell and The Rose

Ch. 49, Unstoppable

Rell

Terror coursed through me.

I lifted my sword, heart thundering. It was so much bigger than I'd ever imagined. But that wasn't the problem.

It was Bastien. Bastien was the Beast.

And if it came down to it, I didn't think I could kill Bastien; even if he were a beast. So instead I did the most cowardly thing a Beast-Slayer could do: I ran.

I sprinted through the tunnels, letting the metal grate crash down behind me, and then sprinted across the open field, somehow feeling that if I could just get inside, I would be safe.

I didn't even realize tears streamed down my face, until I saw Lorcan turn the corner around the gym, stopping when he saw me.

"Rell— "

"Run! Lorcan, run!" I didn't stop, running full force into Lorcan, and using the full weight of my body to drag him away.

"Rell— ?"

A chilling, powerful howl ripped through the night, building louder and louder until the hair on my neck rose, and everything else seemed to dim. I turned, frozen as a creature climbed from the ditch and stretched to its full length, nearly half the size of the tree, monstrous and horrible.

My hands shook as I held the sword Bastien had dropped, and I heard the soft metal note of Lorcan drawing his own.

Please, don't come this way. Please...

Then the Beast took off running, towards the forest in the distance.

Lorcan cursed, but I just lowered myself to the ground, putting my head on my knees.

"Rell, are you hurt?"

"No," I whispered back.

"Then get up! We need to go after it! While we still have the chance."

"I can't Lorcan. I can't fight it. I can't kill... him."

"Rell, now is hardly the time for your— "

"It's Bastien— " I whispered into the ground. "The Beast is Bastien."

Lorcan halted mid-breath, "Oh."

I pushed myself up, wiping away the tears, trying to be cool and clinical and section off the part of me that was falling apart and trying to put the confusing mess of what had happened into some sort of order.

The Blood Rose, I reminded myself. You can show him that.

"We saw the Blood Rose. I'll show you," I said, desperate to do anything but think about what had just happened, about what this meant. I started for the tunnels, not checking if Lorcan was following or not. It was just a little bit better, forcing my body to move and think of anything else than him.

I couldn't help it though. Had he been the Beast this whole time? Why could he talk to the Blood Rose? Why had he reached out for it?

We made our ways into the tunnels. As we walked we found other students, all waking up as if from a daze. One in a green and gold leather jacket grabbed Lorcan as we passed, his words slurring as he said, "great party man. You got any more beer?"

Lorcan pried his hands off, looking disgusted. "Yah..." Then he raised his voice, so all the bleary eyed students turned to him. "There's a party going on in the gym, why don't you all head over there."

"Any fooood?" The boy slurred, finding his feet and promptly walking into the wall.

"Lots." He paused, and I could see him thinking what would get this crowd moving fastest. "And free beer too!"