“I’m listening…”

“So, about the wilted rose with its final petals…” I let out a breath. “It doesn’t have to come down to a fight to the death if true love doesn’t break it first.”

“I am in love with Beast,” she says. “And he loves me.”

I don’t dare ask why the curse isn’t broken if that were true. Instead, I try a different approach.

“You’re a beautiful princess, Izzie, and no one will ever be able to take that away from you.” I pause. “However, for the good of the kingdom and to restore things to how they used to be, you’d have to give up your chance at ever becoming one in real life.”

“What?”

“Gabriel would more than likely be the head of the kingdoms at the end of the spell being broken. It’s um…How their parents wrote it in their will before they died, and Beast would be—”

“A nobody.”

“That’s not what I was going to say.”

“Sounds like it.” She steps back. “Sounds like you’re asking me to trade in my happiness so you can have something that you never wanted. Something that you don’t deserve.”

“You’re not interested in saving him, Izzie?”

“Of course I am.”

“Then let me explain the loophole, Izzie.” I place my hands on her shoulders, trying to keep my voice soft. “There always is in your fairytales, remember? I found one, and although you won’t be a princess, you’ll still get to be with him forever, okay?”

“Fine, Belle.” She sighs. “Just wait for me on the causeway above the moat, okay?” she asks. “I’ll send two of my servants out there to entertain you while I change into something else, okay?”

“Okay.”

I watch her walk away and lead Sola outside.

“I don’t trust her, Belle,” she whispers. “We should return to the Ninth.”

“We should at least let her hear us out.”

“She doesn’t look the slightest bit interested…She looks offended and disgusted that you’re even here.”

“She may be selfish, Sola, but she’s not my father. She’ll at least listen. After all, it affects—” I stop mid-sentence when I hear loud squawking in the distance.

The sounds are far too loud to be seagulls or a flock of drunken fairies, and they would never fly this close unless there was a war.

Looking up, I scan the skies, seeing nothing but clouds.

“That’s strange…Anyway, Sola, I think we can get through to her. It’ll just take a long conversation.”

“In that case, I don’t think we’ll live long enough to have that with her.”

“Huh?”

She squeezes my hand so hard that I yelp in pain. “Look up again, Belle.”

I oblige, spotting two gigantic shadows flying beneath the clouds. Their squawking shifts to screeching, and they slowly stretch a set of massive wings.

Are those dragons?

They suddenly cut through the white wisps—confirming my worst fears—before flying straight toward us.

What the fuck?

“Belle, move!” Sola knocks me into the moat, and I feel the heat of the dragon’s flames against my back.