Bo and the Beast (Book #1) (Completed)

34. Homeward Bound

Bo stared in open-mouthed silence. The Beast looked away.

Her whole body shook as she tried to process what he'd said. "You're... You're letting me go?"

Bo would've flown out of her bed had she not been stopped short by the aching of her electrified muscles. She grimaced through the pain, but even that could not stop the silly smile that sprang to her lips and wouldn't leave.

"Yes, I'm letting you go," the Beast said, his voice low. "This screen will display a map with your position always marked, so that you can find your home."

Bo pushed back the covers and slid her legs over the side. They were shaky and she had a bit of a wobble as she took her first few steps. The Beast held out an arm to steady her and, on the happy spirit of her imminent release, Bo took it and let him walk her toward the closet.

"I need my guns back," she said, putting her hand on the door. "And ammunition if I'm to go on foot. The Dead Woods are dangerous."

"That's all already been taken of," the Beast said. He stepped back so that she could enter the closet, and she closed the door between them. "You have only to recover your health enough, and you shall be ready to leave."

As she changed, Bo thought over his words. He'd known she'd leave. He didn't even wait to see what she'd say when he told her. Just automatically he'd known that she'd leap at the chance to shake the dust of this place off her boots. It wasn't really any surprise, as he'd held her there against her will and she'd been trying to escape since that day. Of course he'd known she didn't want to stay here. He knew her dad was ill, he knew that she wanted to see him again. Bo didn't know why she felt so strange that the Beast had packed her things already, but she determined not to dwell on it.

She came out dressed in a simple shirt and pants, with her worn boots looking all the more worse for wear. Her hair was scraped into a ponytail and she even let a Service-Maton come in and see to the more serious scrapes and burns. It was Madame, and somehow Bo felt a sadness coming from the robot.

"I guess this goodbye," Bo said.

Madame sighed and continued to wrap a burn on Bo's leg. "I suppose so."

Bo flexed her newly bandaged limbs. "Thanks for your help."

"Will you say goodbye to the others?" Madame asked. "Will you say anything to the Master? He will be left alone."

Bo took a breath and told herself she was in the right. "I'll say goodbye to them if they meet me at the door. But I don't have much to say to the Beast."

Madame didn't say anything, but Bo felt that she had somehow disappointed her. But that was ridiculous. Madame was only a robot, programmed by the Beast to do his bidding.

When the bandaging was done, Bo slid out of her bedroom and found the Beast standing in the gallery and leaning against the bannister that looked over the entrance hall.

"So when can I go?" she asked, stuffing her hands in her pockets.

"You did just get shocked by a live forcefield," the Beast replied. "I don't know if you should be rushing into the wilderness on your own just this second."

"I'm fine." She gestured, as if to take in the entirety of her body. "See? I'm standing on my own, walking on my own." She illustrated the point by doing both things.

"Then I suppose you are free to leave whenever you want," he said.

They went downstairs to the foyer, where Bo spotted the Service-Matons waiting for her. Fil held her guns, and gave them to her. If she hadn't known better, she might have sworn she heard him sniffling. But then Dent was scolding her for being so stupid and Chan was telling her to be careful in the woods. She thanked them both, and waved to the rest of the Service-Matons. "Don't clean yourselves to death," she said. "Goodbye."