The Beast And The Blessed

Forty-Four: Natalie

Natalie's P.O.V.

The castle was oddly empty, even for the middle of the week. I felt like there were eyes on me everywhere I went, but then I would turn, and the room or hallways would be empty beyond my new collection of guards.

I had asked for one extra. Tobias had responded with two.

There was no arguing with a man who refused to talk back. He won almost everytime.

The pack was steering clear of the possibly infectious Lycans that were chained up and sedated in the infirmary. I hadn't even seen Charlie around since the incident, but I knew she wasn't far. Every so often, I would see one of her wild men either in the castle or on the training field.

So far, no one else had shown any signs of the curse or disease, but it was wise of our people to steer clear of the area for the time being.

What wasn't wise was that I kept trying to get closer to them. I would make it to the end of the hallway and would stare down the long corridor. The desire to check on them and support them through their healing was masked by the fear that settled its way into my bones after the first visit.

What if there weren't enough people to hold them down, and they managed to get out of the reinforced chains? Surely, the healers were keeping them sedated still, but we still had no idea what magic was at play.

while she tried to dissect the curse and magic used. She

in the infirmary at one in the morning. From what Killian told me when he returned to

uncontrollable laughter forced its way free as

to see him that way. After he let me explore

look in his eyes was distant. He was distracted and had the right to be. But something about the way the emptiness stayed in his eyes as he looked at me made me feel guilty like I

just didn't

to tell me what I did wrong, the least I could do was

and every time I brought her up Tobias would shift his weight. He seemed to be just as worried about her as I was. Killian just seemed annoyed by her antics. If going

followed behind us. The silent man was anxious... eager even, to see the pale-haired woman. I bit back a smile as I

was the black door covered in hand-drawn white and crimson runes that sent a shiver

sure if I should knock or just enter. It was her tower, but she had also been a bit preoccupied, and I was almost

inside. I followed behind him, shivering as the air thickened in the doorway. It wasn’t unpleasant,

of frustration followed by the

of her tower. The area was cold and bland. My finger ran along the thin layer of dust covering a console table

echoed down the stairwell.

me slow as I pushed open the cracked door after going up one flight of stairs. The black, round table in the center of the room was