Flailing my arm above my head, my fingers grazed a larger piece of glass and I grabbed on as a stream of wet blood from my hand threatened to make it slip. The beast reached back, his razor claws steadying for the death blow and I closed my eyes, poised to strike even if I didn't survive.
"Please,” I begged as tears flooded my face. "Don't do this."
The beast growled. My muscles tensed, the makeshift glass dagger cutting deeper into my flesh.
“Ezra. Stop that right now!"
The voice of an angel pierced through the terror. Light appeared in the doorway along with the swish of satin.
"He's your son. You love him. Ezra. Just stay with me."
The weight on my legs lifted and I gulped a fresh breath laced with the salt of my own fear. My mother rushed past my body on the floor. The beast staggered backward as if a sniper's arrow had pierced the window and sent him reeling. He raced back to the corner I had first found him, the savage beast transforming into a quivering pup before my eyes. She followed after him, the gold thread of her gown twinkling against his matted fur, her fingers gently stroking the back of his head as her lips whispered a calming hush.
"It's going to be alright, my king. I'm here."
I paced between my dresser and my bed, my head dizzy from the short laps or maybe still hazy from trying to process my near-death. The heat of his breath on me. The sharp claws swiping just past my face. I'd been warned to stay away, but I hadn't thought how bad it really could be. How dangerous. Was this really how it was the first time? What did that mean for me?
I kept pacing, but a short flash of my reflection in the mirror stopped my feet, and I grabbed my head to keep from falling over from the abrupt halt. A face, worn and older stared back at me. I blinked. The face disappeared and my heart slowed again. I inched closer and pulled at the skin around my eyes. Just the same as always. Odd. I must've hit my head when I fell. Or now I was just seeing things.
A low knock wrapped on the door and my mother crept in the room, her usual sunny smile trying to force its way through for me, even though her broken heart painted its hurt across her face. She gathered her hands in front of her and concentrated on his fingertips as they rolled against each other.
"How's your hand?"
I held out my gauzed palm, small splatters of red had already started to show through the layers of stark cotton. She cradled it in her fingers, gentle and easy as she turned my wrist from side to side to inspect the injury.
"If it keeps bleeding make sure to replace the gauze and keep it clean. It'll heal faster."
I nodded. She stared at the gauze, unable or simply choosing not to make eye contact.
"How are you?" I asked, tugging my hand away and denying her the distraction.
She turned her head toward the wall and glided over to the bed then flopped down so her skirt puffed out beside her across the plum duvet. She held her hand to the middle of her forehead and bowed for a moment as she took a slow deliberate breath. For the first time, a trident of wrinkles spread out from around her eyes, the enormity of this situation, or maybe years of dealing with my father that they'd kept from me, etching its anguish into her skin like an unwanted trophy for a sport no one wanted to play.
"I'll be okay. Once we figure out what's caused this, we'll fix it and everything will be normal again. "
"Was it like this the last time? When he, you know, turned?"
"No. He had a temper, but he was still more man than anything. A sad, lonely man, but still human." She stood and grabbed the bedpost swinging herself around. "This...this thing he's becoming is something different. Something new. Besides, your father is a good man now. A strong and kind leader that the people of Aboria look up to for guidance. He's not the same person he was before the curse. And they wouldn't understand. When the curse broke the kingdom magically forgot about the king's curse and it was better that way. I'd hate to see what happens if they start to remember. It would be anarchy."
She stopped trying to keep a positive tone for my sake, and instead fussed with the row of swords and daggers I had in cases near the door. My collection from around the world. Keepsakes from the many trips I'd taken with my father. Trips I didn't know if I would ever get to take again.
"He would've killed me if you hadn't shown up, wouldn't he?"
She stopped, her thumb resting on the blade of a particularly expensive stingray skinned short sword, her eyes closed tight.
"I don't know for sure. But yes, it's possible. Promise me you won't go back up there until I tell you it's safe, okay?"
I walked over and took her hands, the cuts in my palm burning from the pressure of her skin against mine. "I promise. But you need to be honest with me when things like this happen. I need to know the truth."
She glanced up to the ceiling and paused, a cloud cast a shadow over her face as bad memories attacked her. "Of course."
"But I think we have another problem."
I pulled back the velvet drapes and sunlight beamed through the window. Down below a line of villagers stood outside the castle gates. Cameras flashed. People peeked through the bars and tried to maneuver around
