Heartless

❆ Twenty ❆

Twenty

I moved through the manor in a daze, my mind still reeling from the almost-kiss in the garden. Feeling his arms around me and his lips against my skin had pulled a string inside my chest and unraveled me at the seams, stripping me bare. I'd come undone by his touch. My body had cried for more than what he was giving, my heart leaping higher and higher just to get closer to his. I wasn't sure whether to cry for more or cry to leave. By the end, all I knew was that I wanted him more I should have. I wanted to strangle that stupid bird for tearing us apart and burn whatever stupid message it had carried

    Since the bird's arrival ten minutes ago, the estate had erupted into chaos. Servants seemed to materialize from the walls and run with their arms flailing above them in panic. Beast had disappeared, his absence leaving me with another pang of longing for the second time today. The others darted through the halls shouting orders at each other that I didn't pay attention to. The sky could have been falling and I wouldn't have cared, my head still wrapped the events in the garden. My skin hummed with the sparks of his touch. More, my body begged. I wanted more, but he was gone. I tried not to look as dejected as I felt as I slouched through the halls.

    Fingers latched onto me, a hand slapping over my mouth before I could scream. The bright lights of the corridor fell away. Panic clawed inside me; I writhed in the arms barring me from escape. My feet stumbled to walk, dragging backwards as I was hauled out of the bright hall and into darkness. I opened my mouth and ripped my teeth through the skin of the hand.

    "Son of a—!" a familiar voice yelped. His grip fell away as he leapt away from me. I caught a glimpse of the bleeding indentations of my teeth on his hand. He rubbed the spot angrily, shooting me a glare.

    I pressed my hand over my racing heart to steady my breathing. "God damn it, Hendric," I growled. "What the hell is the matter with you? You gave me a heart attack." I ran my hand over the sore spot on my arm where he'd grabbed me, frowning at the red impressions of his fingers. There would definitely be a bruise there in the morning.

    Something about him unsettled me. His wide eyes roamed over my face as if to check if it were me, his posture tense and hunched. His face was screwed so tightly in a look of sheer horror that I felt my blood chill. I reached out for him. He recoiled farther into the shadows, shaking his head. "We don't have much time," he said, his words rushed. His gaze paused on my clothes, eyes lingering on Beast's coat still wrapped around me. A muscle bulged in his jaw, the mannerism so familiar I wanted to hug him. But he seemed so far away that I feared he would push me away if I did. "We have to go."

    I blinked up at him. "What?"

    He poked his head from the alcove where we were hidden and peered to make sure it was safe. My discomfort began to rise again. "Any minute now, he's going to come looking for you to take you back to the mountain. You can't go with him, Adaira."

    Here we go again. I rolled my eyes with an annoyed sigh. "Don't start this again, Hendric. I've had enough disappointment for one night." I stepped to leave. His body jumped in my path, his jaw set in the annoyingly stubborn way of his. I groaned. "Beast has done nothing but help us. Yes, he has a hard time showing his feelings, but that doesn't mean he is heartless." I winced at my words. Just a week ago I had thought the same thing. It was Lumea who had told me to give him a chance.

    And here I was.

    Something flashed in his eyes. "He's a liar, Adaira. The only person he's interested in helping is himself."

    I fisted my hands at my sides. "What are you—?"

    He jammed his hand inside his jacket, wrenching a small leather volume from the pocket. He thrust it against my chest with a dark look of satisfaction. I stared down at the book with a mixture of dread and curiosity to see what had my big brother so scared. My fingers froze on the gold title.