Finding Beauty

Chapter 12

~The Beast~

I wake up late in the morning and find Carina frying eggs in the kitchen. She's wearing her apron and has the windows open to let the fresh air in. The wind blows the chimes hanging on a thread and it's noise agitates me. I've told her to take it down like a million times.

"Good morning," she says. Her voice doesn't sound as sweet and cheery as it usually does and she doesn't turn to face me.

"Morning," I reply. I lean on the door frame observing her. For the first time in a long time, she seems grumpy. She has a scowl on her face and is slamming all of the pots and drawers. "Is everything alright?"

She unexpectedly slams a pan on the stove. "No, it isn't." She walks further into the kitchen, opens a cubort, and loudly rummages through some more pots and pans.

"Well, making a scene won't help," I snap. Not wanting to deal with anger this early, I change the subject. "Is Belle awake yet?"

Carina slowly turns to me, frowning. "Why?"

I growl. "I just want to know! Why are you being so difficult this morning?!"

"Oh, so you can throw a tantrum but I can't?" She shakes her head and goes back to cooking without another word.

"What is this really about?" I ask. Carina is almost never upset, if she is, there has to be something big behind it.

"It's about you, Gale." She sighs and places the pan down again but more carefully. "She almost died yesterday. She was hurt physically and emotionally."

So now she's trying to make feel more guilty than I already am? I confided in her yesterday and told her about how awful I felt. She knows I wish It never happened. She knows I blame it on myself. Why is she pooring salt in the wound? I should have never admitted that to her.

"It wasn't my fault! She snuck into the car!" I retaliate.

"It's never your fault." She goes over to the fridge and pours some orange juice. "Why don't you just take a good look at yourself in the mirror?"

"Carina . . ." I warn. "Stop." My looks are a touchy subject. I've told her numerous times I didn't want to talk about it or address it. That's why there aren't any mirrors in this house.

"No! The Enchantress cursed you so that you would learn a lesson! A whole year and nothing! It's time for you to change," she says her expression hardening.

I just stand there for a while, not sure what to say. She's never confronted me like this before. I never thought she would. She's just the maid.

"Last night, you said you were a monster. What are you going to do about that? Huh?" she questions. Waiting for my answer she crosses her arms and lifts her eyebrows.

"I . . ." I don't know.

"Exactly." Carina places the egg on a plate along with toast and bacon and swiftly heads out the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" I call after her.

"To feed your prisoner!" she answers in a nasty tone. Her ponytail violently swings behind her to match her march.

"Okay then . . ." I cross my arms and head back upstairs to think.

~Beauty~

What has become of my life?

I didn't sleep very well. I kept having nightmares about the fire, Ryan Daniels, and seeing Grayson. The events wouldn't stop echoing in my head. They haunted me like a ghost. Every time I closed my eyes all I saw was the flames that shot out of the flame thrower and in the shadows of the room I saw Grayson's face.