Wicked Ugly Bad (A Kinda Fairytale) (39 page)

The
one-upmanship hadn’t faded when they reached adulthood.  It was like they
sought each other out to continue their private battle.  Avenant loomed over
her, smiling smugly and holding her trophy… and, in that second, Belle knew she
wasn’t beaten.

She
would
never
surrender to this man.

“Belle,
you
know
I won that debate.”  He goaded.  “The judge on the end was swayed by the length
of your skirt, not your arguments.”

“Well,
you
bribed
the other judge, so I figure it all evens out.”  She tried to grab the trophy
back from him, but he held it out of reach.

“Don’t
be such a sore loser.”  He taunted.  “It’s mine, fair and square.”

“You
son-of-a-bitch!  You think you can just steal my life away and I’ll…”

Avenant
cut her off.  “Oh, I don’t want the rest of this stuff.”  He waved a hand
around to indicate the fortune in lands and fixtures and objets d’art he’d just
purchased.  “Keep it all.”

Belle
blinked.  “…keep it?”

“Well,
what would I do with low quality furnishings?”  He glanced over to the
auctioneer.  “Send someone to the palace to collect your money and return the
woman’s belongings.”

“Of
course, sire.”

Avenant
looked back Belle.  “See?  I can be gracious in victory.  You should be used to
that by now.”

He
wanted to take everything from her and then just give it
back?
 
Just to prove he
could
?  Just to revel in her humiliation?  He honestly
thought she’d let him get away with that?

“You’re
going to regret this.”  She vowed softly.

Icy
blue eyes gleamed as he studied her furious face.  “I doubt it.”  He touched
her flushed cheek with the back of his fingers and chuckled when she shoved him
away.  “I got exactly what I wanted.”  He gave the debate trophy a spiteful
waggle and headed for the door.  “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m late for polo.”

Only
he could make her this angry.  Everyone was gaping at her and Belle didn’t even
notice.  She grabbed a vase from a nearby table and pegged it as his retreating
head.  “I hate you!”  She raged, not caring if she was arrested for attempted
regicide.

He
ducked to the side so the porcelain projectile sailed passed his skull and
shattered against the wall.  “I technically owned that vase.  I’d charge you
for it if you had any money to…”

She
cut him off.  “I will see you rotting in a hole somewhere if it’s the last
thing I ever do!  I swear to God, I am going to beat you so badly you’ll
never
be able to come back from it!”

His
mouth curved with all the cold authority of winter.  “Impossible.  No matter
what you do… I’ll
always
come back.”

Belle’s
eyes snapped open, her heart pounding in her chest.  She sat up on the mattress,
her eyes quickly scanning for danger.  For the moment, she was safe.  Her
bedroom was quiet and empty…  A bedroom she only owned because Avenant had
bought it back for her at that horrible auction.  She’d successfully overthrown
the Northlands and taken Avenant’s crown, but she’d never been able to sleep in
the castle.  She didn’t even want to.  In some fundamental way, that would
always be his.

And
he’d be coming back for it.

He’d
be coming back for
her
.

She’d
seen Avenant on TV when the Cinderella was carted off prison.  Charming had
stood there, with a healthy and awake Drusilla beaming by his side, and
proclaimed that everyone who’d escaped from the WUB Club was pardoned.  They
could either stay in the Westlands and be treated as honored friends, or they
could return to the Enchanted Forest with Scarlett and Marrok to help build a
new kingdom based on equality.  Either way, the future for Bad folk was
suddenly wide opened.  Nothing would be as it was before.  Everything had
changed.

Avenant
has listened to the speech… and slowly smiled.

Belle
drew her legs up to her chest and dropped her forehead to her knees.  She knew
that expression.  He wore it whenever he was about to take their rivalry to a
whole new level of Bad.  Already, she could feel him plotting in the shadows,
waiting for an opportunity to strike.  Nothing would stop him from…

The
phone beside her bed rang and Belle jolted.  Her eyes slowly traveled over to
it, dread filling her.  She didn’t recognize the number on the caller-ID, but
she knew who it was.  Insane as it was, she could
feel
him.

Reluctantly,
she picked up the receiver and said one word.  “Don’t.”

“Why
shouldn’t I?”  Avenant demanded from the other end.  “Give me one reason not to.”

Her
insides clenched at the deep sound of his voice.  “Because we both went too far
the last time and this time it’ll be even worse.”

“Worse
than me rotting in that goddamn prison?  I don’t see how that would be
possible, even for someone with your penchant for treachery.”

“It
wasn’t my fault you were sent there!”

“Bullshit!” 
His tone got even more incensed.  “You wanted to play hardball, so
fine
. 
No more half-measures.  I’m going to get my kingdom
back
, no matter what
I have to do.”

“You
could have a hundred other kingdoms.”  She tried.  “You could live in the
Westlands.  You could stay in the Enchanted Forest.  You could go to another
land and start over completely.”

“No.” 
The word was unequivocal.

“Damn
it, if you come here…”  She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to stay calm.  “Just
don’t
.”

“Give
me. a reason. not to.”  He repeated darkly, spacing the words for emphasis.

“They’ll
be more fighting.  More bloodshed.  Hasn’t there been enough?”

“Well,
that’s easily fixed.  Surrender to me.”

Her
teeth ground together.  “I’m not going to surrender and you know it.”

“Then
get ready for a war.  I’ll have what’s mine, even if I have to melt the entire Northlands
to claim it.”

“There’s
nothing here that’s yours, Avenant.”

“Well,
we’ll see about that, won’t we?”  He slammed the phone down.

Belle
winced at the sound.  She slowly replaced the receiver and sat quietly in the
dark.  There would be no reasoning with him.  Despite everything, he blamed her
for what had happened.  He had magical powers, a short fuse and he wanted
vengeance.  This would be their final competition and she had the horrible
feeling that she wasn’t going to win.

The
beast was coming for her.