The Beautiful Ones

****

  The scream interrupted my slumber.

  A terrifying sound that jolted me awake and had me jumping out of bed. Standing, my feet sinking into the plush carpet, it took a long moment for me to calm my harsh breathing. Another moment before I realized where I was.

  At first I’d assumed I was back in the compound, having one of my nightmares. But no, this room was too lush, too magical. Moonlight filtered through the windows, highlighting the elegant chamber in a silver glow that made it seem almost ethereal. Needing the reassurance, I reached out, touching the soft bedspread. Real, it was real.

  With trembling fingers I raked my hair from my face. Had I imagined the feral sound? Was it a mere dream, as Tom seemed to think when I’d lived in the compound? I took in a deep breath, attempting to calm the frantic beat of my heart.

  “Just a dream,” I murmured.

  It was as I was reaching for the covers to slide back into bed that the sound came again. A high-pitched cry that raised the fine hairs on my neck and produced a cold sweat all over my body. The same sort of cry I swore I’d heard coming from the woods before at the compound. Needing to understand, I raced to the windows and shoved aside the curtains.

  The courtyard glowed with lantern light below. The gentle sound of music floated up on the breeze, the sound of spring. Beautiful ones mingled in groups, chatting and drinking from fine glasses that sparkled under the moonlight. While we slept they were gathering, but gathering for what? And why were they not abed as we were? Fearful I might be caught, I let the curtain fall back into place and turned toward Sally, who lay curled in a ball, snoring in the bed next to mine.

  “Sally,” I whispered. “Sally, did you hear that?”

  She didn’t respond. Frustrated, I tiptoed toward her bed and reached out, nudging her shoulder. “Sally?”

  She didn’t even stir.

  I shook her harder. “Sally?”

  Nothing. Something was wrong. Frustrated, I moved toward the door. I would find out why we were here, and more importantly, why Tom wasn’t. I rested my fingers on the handle and turned it. The door opened easily under my touch. I was surprised it wasn’t locked. Guests or prisoners…which were we?

  The corridor was dark but I could hear the sounds of music and conversation from the beautiful ones below. I clutched at my long, white nightgown as I moved slowly into the hall, drawn by the memory of the scream. Had no one else heard the sound? I was pondering knocking on the door next to ours when another scream ripped through the castle, vibrating the very walls. I froze, my breath catching.

  Real. It was real. Those nights I’d spent wondering if the screams were something I’d dreamt were over.

  Determined, I closed the door behind me. Someone needed help, and I was about to find out who. Although my legs trembled, I started down the hall. The sounds of the gathering beautiful ones irritated me. We’d laughed, we’d even sung upon occasion, but we’d never seemed as happy as these people. Their joy, those sparkling eyes and grinning lips, made me nervous. Why did the screams bother no one but me?

  “Are they all sleeping?” I heard our maid whisper to someone, her voice floating up the steps.

  I paused as their shadows, elongated by the lanterns they held, morphed across the stairway.

  “Yes, they’re out. No one will wake.”

  “Thank God. If they only knew…”

  Their voices faded as they moved onto the floor below us.

  If we only knew what? I pressed my fingers to the cold stone walls and hurried down the steps. Something was wrong. So very wrong. I peeked around the corner. They were gone, having disappeared behind one of the many closed doors that lined the dark hall. What were they hiding?

  The music and laughter grew louder, the enjoyment calling to me. I’d never heard people having such a wonderful time. Never heard such magical music with so many different sounds coming together, creating a melody of pure bliss.

  Even as their music called to me, my anger grew. How could they laugh and enjoy life when we slept crowded in cold, drafty compounds? How could they wear beautiful, shimmering clothes when we wore dirty and worn garments? How could they ignore the screams of pain when they terrified and worried me so I couldn’t sleep?

  As the stairs ended, I paused just beside an open window, hiding in the shadows, and watched them. A soft breeze swept inside, rustling my long hair and tickling my face, not that I would dare move to push it out of the way. The beautiful ones milled around the courtyard, their faces so stunning they seemed unreal, almost like one of the paintings I’d seen in my books. In the far corner a group of men stood with a variety of instruments, some stringed while others were a shiny metal. The scream wasn’t coming from the courtyard.

  Frustrated, I started to turn away when I noticed him: Thanatos. Mesmerized, I pressed my hand to the cool, damp stone and stepped closer to the window, studying the way the lamplight made his dark hair glisten. The way his eyes scanned the crowds as if looking for something or expecting someone. He roamed the perimeter of the gathering like a cat hunting prey, and this time he wore no hood to cover his features. Those intense eyes took in everything and the scar that flashed pale in the lamplight only added to the mystery of the man. Who, I wondered, would have marked him, damaging such perfection, and why?

  I inched even closer, the tips of my bare toes touching the cold, stone wall. Although he was obviously a beautiful one, I realized he wasn’t quite a part of their society. He spoke to no one, offered no smiles or even nods of acknowledgment, and patrolled the outside, never entering their groups. No, he was…different. In that moment I felt almost as if I understood him, as if he could understand me, someone who had never belonged.

  As if sensing my attention, his head jerked my way and he froze in midstep. Our gazes clashed and for one long moment we merely stared at each other. I couldn’t look away, even if I had wanted to; the man mesmerized me. Just as suddenly as the moment had appeared, it disappeared as he snapped his attention toward the guard closest to him. I didn’t wait around to try and decipher what he said.

  Horrified I’d been caught, I spun around and raced up the stairs. I’d taken only a few steps when firm fingers bit into my upper arms. A yelp escaped my lips as I was shoved into an alcove, hidden by a curtain, and pushed up against the wall. I knew who had grabbed me even before I looked up, for I recognized his scent. Swallowing hard, I dared to tilt my head back and meet Thanatos’s angry blue eyes.

  “What the hell are you doing out of your room?” he hissed between clenched teeth.

  My heart slammed wildly against my ribcage, making it hard to breathe, to concentrate. “I…I couldn’t sleep.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “Liar. You’re not telling me everything.”

  My mouth went dry. “No, I…”

  His grip on my upper arms tightened, his lips lifting into a snarl. This close I could feel his body pressed to mine, every hard muscle, even the steady beat of his heart. And his scent…his wonderful scent swirled around me, making my mind muddled.

  “Why?” he hissed, startling me out of my stupor.

  “I…I needed to know.”

  He shook me, a quick jerk that had my head snapping back and almost hitting the rock wall behind me. “What?”

  Desperate, I looked at that curtain, but it lay securely in place, covering the alcove from prying eyes. And the window that interrupted the wall was up too high for anyone to see inside. I was alone with this man I barely knew.

  I returned my attention to him, pleading with my gaze. “Why are we here?”

  Just like that the anger seemed to drain from him. He sighed, lowering his thick lashes briefly, but not before I noticed the look of torment that crossed his features. “Sometimes it’s best not knowing the truth.”

  “I don’t—”

  “Enough.” I wanted to ask him more questions, but he wouldn’t have it. He released his hold and shoved me out of the alcove. “Go. Return to your room and make sur
e to lock your door.”

  I stumbled to a halt, but by the time I regained my balance and turned around, he was gone. No sign or trace of him. Steeling my nerves, I stepped toward the alcove and moved the curtain aside. Empty.

  A high-pitched scream rent the air. Whatever the reason for the cry, it would have to wait until tomorrow. Even I had my limits. Picking up the skirt of my nightgown so as not to trip, I raced up the stairs to my bedroom.

  Chapter 4