When I finally come to again, Gabriel is scooping me into his arms and carrying me up the staircase.

In the Morning

Belle

The next time I open my eyes, Gabriel is lying next to me in bed, running his fingers through my hair.

His mouth meets mine in a soft kiss, and he whispers against my lips. “Would you like me to grab another book with scenes you might’ve missed?”

“Maybe.” I can feel my cheeks heating. “Does it always feel like that?”

“You’ll have to tell me…” He presses his mouth against my neck and trails his kisses lower, rendering me useless for the rest of the day.

Conflicted Hearts

Belle

Harsh sunlight streams through my window the following morning, burning my exposed skin.

Wanting to feel Gabriel’s lips on my body again, I roll over and reach for him, but he isn’t there.

Confused, I slip out of bed and step onto the balcony. I walk over to my door and push it open, waiting to hear a guard’s voice.

It never comes.

No one is holding watch, and the corridors below are eerily silent.

Remembering the route from yesterday, I return to his library and walk between every shelf in search of him.

It’s odd that he didn’t say something before leaving this time…

I select a blue-covered book at random and read the first few pages on my way to the kitchen.

Sola is humming and twirling around between attending to trays of tea.

“Good morning, Sola,” I say.

“Morning?” She stops mid-twirl. “It’s the afternoon, Belle.”

“Oh. Good afternoon.” I clear my throat. “Have you seen Gabriel today?”

“He’s in his study, I believe.”

“That’s in the north wing, right?”

“It is,” she says, crossing her arms. “Why?”

“I’m just curious.”

“Then get un-curious.” She pats the seat next to her. “Let’s discuss what you’d like to do around the castle today instead…”

Hours later, after I’ve walked through the rose gardens for the umpteenth time and read fifteen chapters of my new novel, Sola finally leaves me alone.

Looking up at the north wing’s tower, I spot Gabriel through the window. He’s pacing fast, talking to someone I can’t quite see, and then the lights suddenly darken.

Intrigued, I return inside and make a quick left, tiptoeing up the lone silver-coated staircase that I was never given access to.

When I reach the top, toppled chairs and old furniture are blocking the east side, so I head west.

The candles in the hallway don’t offer much light, and the oversized frames on the walls don’t look anything like the other ones around the castle.

They’re all photos of a family—a man, wife, and two kids—but the faces of the children are torn so badly that I can only make out their inky black hair color.