Chapter 58
Daisy woke to the early sunrise, it wasn’t relatively light, yet it was what some call the false dawn. It was quiet though inside, she felt like screaming, she calmed herself down tonight was the night of the ball; she found that she could have cared less.
It was an exciting moment in her life, and all she could think about was death. How could anyone be so cruel as to curse an unborn child?
She stood before the arched windows and watched as the sun began the real dawn. How subtle it was at first, just the faintest of light, and then in mere minutes, the light was everywhere, and the night was forgotten.
Placing her hands on her stomach, caressing it, she promised her children no matter what, they were all going to live. She wasn’t about to sacrifice one child for any reason.
She smiled as she felt them moving as if in answer. It didn’t matter the price. If it would save her babies, then so be it. She will do all she can to pay for it.
Looking over at her mate, he was out cold. He had not slept since they learned of the curse; she knew how he felt. She didn’t need their bond to see; it was the same as she was, helpless.
She went into the bathroom to shower and let Noah get some more rest; God knew he would need it. Just as she was about to enter the bathroom, she looked back with all the love in her heart as the sun began to shine on her handsome mate’s sleeping face.
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Garret and Enid were up since before dawn making ready for the dinner and ball that was going to finally take place.
For some reason, the day seemed to be taking off on a sad note, everyone was doing their duties all was going smoothly, but it seemed like a heavy cloud hung over the whole castle.
It was breakfast time, and everyone was leaving to go and eat; Garret decided to make some breakfast for Enid. He had been spoiling her ever since her ordeal in the Dark Hall.
When she finally complained about it, he told her it was too bad because he had no intention of stopping; she would have to get used to it.
They finished eating when Noah stepped in and asked him to join him outside. Garret looked at Enid, and she gave the nod. They had a feeling that this was what they wanted to know.
Enid looked at Noah’s pale face; she wasn’t sure she wanted to know now if it could make a fierce tiger shifter go pale. She wasn’t sure what it was going to do to her.
She watched them as they stepped outside; they stopped just short of the garden entrance. That was when she could see Garret’s face go from concern to despair. What had happened? What was going on that was so devastating?
Garret then hugged Noah, and then they went separate directions, Noah off to the other west wing entrance and Garret straight back to her.
She tensed up as he approached her and sat down, pulling her onto his lap and wrapping his arms around her; he held her for a bit, then finally, he spoke in a whisper and repeated everything Noah had told him.
Enid was speechless. This can’t be, not after everything she has been through, not this. All she could think about was going to Daisy. Everything else in her mind was gone; she sprang from Garret’s lap and ran up the stairs calling Daisy’s name.
Garret let out a sigh and rubbed his hand through his hair. Speaking into the silent, empty room…
“The longer I live, the more I learn, the more I learn, the less I want to know, and then in moments like these, I find I never knew anything at all.”
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Michael knew that people were searching for him, but he blocked out all their little pings in his mind. He was in his private space; no one but Garret knew of this old room hidden in the very heart of the castle.
If Garret knew he was here, he would not come in to find him. He knew that if he was here, the situation was dire and that he needed all the time he could get to find the answer.
However, he wasn’t finding anything in his library; he searched every old tome: old and new history books, legends, even all the old fairy tales, nothing.
He went through all the daily ledgers and diaries, anything and everything he could think of, and then some more, still, nothing.
Slamming his fist down on the table in frustration, how could there be nothing? There had to be something, even the tiniest of clues, but there was nothing.
No mention of how the curse began, no mention of any dark curse. It was as if no one that knew about it wanted anyone else to know.
He didn’t want to rely on the Baba Yaga alone, but it looked like it was his only option left; he let out a deep sigh and wiped away the blood tears from his face.
What good is having lived all these long years, gained all this knowledge knowing all the ancient secrets when not one of them will help with this, everything he had in himself and his life’s accumulation of knowledge, and he sat there empty-handed.
Even the book that foretold the curse had nothing to say about how to get rid of it, only that it exists and can’t be stopped. Nothing more, he wanted to go back in time and rip out the heart of the bastard that wrote in that book.
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Daisy stood at the top of the double spiral staircase that led into the ballroom entry; Noah was there holding her hand. She looked at him and he at her; they both tried to smile and pretend that they were having a good time.
With a sigh, they both descended the stairs one at a time slowly. Garret was there to announce them into the ball when they reached the bottom.
Daisy could see and hear everything around her, but it was like she was watching a tv show; she felt detached even though she was engaging in conversations, shaking hands, dancing with Noah.
She could tell that Noah felt the same way as she did, they looked at each other while dancing the last dance for the night and the empty look in his eyes said it all; he was as detached as she was; it was all an act.
The night ended with the coronation ceremony. Daisy stood on the steps before her father as he lowered the princess crown upon her head; just as she was about to turn around and her father announced officially that she was their princess.
The double doors to the gardens flew open, and the wind came through, blowing everything that was light into the air; the curtains whipped around like angry ghosts, and the lights and lit candles went out.
In the Darkness, everyone was silent as a small female figure dressed in purple made her way to Daisy.
The candles lit up as she came towards her; she had white hair with black tips and wore them in ponytails high on her head; she looked old, yet she looked young. It was like Daisy’s mind couldn’t decide between the two.
She walked straight, and she walked hunched. She had wrinkles one moment and the face of youth the next. She was ugly and yet beautiful; Daisy couldn’t get her mind to decide what she saw.
There was one thing though even though this woman felt dangerous, she didn’t feel any evil intent coming from her.
Her eyes were black as the night; they looked like they held all the world’s knowledge and beyond; she smiled up at Daisy and held out her hand to shake it.
Daisy reached out and took it without thought, shaking her hand gently in greeting even though she had no idea who this woman was.
“Hello, my dear. My name is Willow, and I have come to help with the curse. By the way, you are looking at me; I can see my true visage. What is left of it, that is.”
She let out a laugh, and everyone in the crowd just stood there and stared at the newcomer as if she was an angel or a devil, and they were in awe of her presence. Some even looked terrified.
Willow stepped down from the dais, and Michael continued with the ceremony; everything went along quietly like everyone was trying to tiptoe around a sleeping dragon, for all Daisy knew they could be.
Noah kept Daisy as close to his own body as he physically could without tripping; she just felt numb and wanted this night to be over and done with.
She wanted answers, and she wanted them yesterday; if they were not going to let her have them, she would make it painful to keep them from her; no more trying to protect her. She is a grown woman, and she can dish it out and take it just as well as other grown-ups.