The entire ballroom fell silent, and we both gasped at the sudden sight of her beauty.

No other woman I’d ever seen had ever held my gaze like she did.

“It is you two, and not I, who will wither away.” She wielded a mirror from her hip. “You’ve subjected your entire kingdom to cruelty and lewdness, and I only came to see if you were as awful as the rumors from the Whispering Woods have said.”

“You can stay the night,” I said, suddenly remorseful. “We take everything back.”

“I agree.” Charlie offered a small smile. “We shouldn’t have turned you away so easily. We’re sorry.”

“Not as sorry as you’re about to be.” She held up a mirror, and within seconds the entire ballroom froze to stone. Every guest’s expression forever immortalized, their moves stuck in time.

“Wait, please.” We begged in unison. “Let us make this up to you.”

“You don’t have anything of value to offer me.” She recited Charlie’s previous harshness verbatim, and before he could step closer and ask for one more chance at forgiveness, she casted a dark spell.

“You will remain here in the darkness for the rest of your life, and you will become the spitting image of what resides in your heart.”

Our fingers suddenly transformed into talons, our pearly white teeth stretched into yellowed fangs, and dark fur erupted from every pore of our skin.

“You will both die here, alone and ugly, for that is what you deserve, and your entire rule will soon be forgotten.” She stepped closer as we writhed under the pain. “No one will ever know your cruel kingdom existed.”

The windows of the castle shut, and the room was now so dark that we could no longer see her.

“Of course, because I am much more kind than you,” her voice suddenly softened, “I’ll leave a caveat for you. You can kill each other if you like—the one who stays alive will have his life restored, but you’ll give up your bloodline. Or, if you can find a woman who looks past your disgusting appearance and…”

She laughed mid-sentence. “No, allow me to change a few things. I want you both to suffer differently as one of you, Charlie, is far more cruel than the other. And I want your pathetic little kingdom ripped in two…”

Like You This Way

Belle

Gabriel doesn’t leave me on the next full moon.

He allows himself to transform into a beast in front of my eyes, locking the two of us in his bedroom.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he patiently answers all my questions about his past.

Even if I’ve asked them several times before.

“I wasn’t joking about still liking the way you look as a beast,” I say. “You should kiss me before the sun comes up.”

“It’ll be up in a minute.” His laughter fills the room. “I’ll have to do that to you another night.”