Belle’s Quest (Fairytale Bureau #3)

Chapter 19

19

With Methuselah secured, for the moment at least, I rushed to Killian’s side, falling to my knees by his prone body. His chest rose and fell, and he remained warm to the touch.

“Wake up,” I huffed, shaking him to no avail. His flesh might live, but his soul, the spark that animated Killian, remained absent. “No,” I murmured. I couldn’t believe I’d failed. I’d had one focus coming to Stonehenge. One mission—save my prince—and instead he was in a coma that he’d never wake from.

Devastated, my tears fell upon his face, and I hugged him to my chest, rocking and sobbing. What use was a victory against the alien invader when I couldn’t save my prince?

“I’m so sorry,” I whispered through a throat tight with grief. Sorry for what could have been. Sorry we’d not had more time.

I sniffled against him and wished I’d done more.

Wished I’d said three words—I love you.

Well, this was quite the dilemma. While Methuselah didn’t kill Killian, he did worse. He untethered Killian’s soul from his body, leaving him afloat and discombobulated.

An odd sensation and annoying state of being. For one, Killian found it hard to stay in one place. Every hint of a breeze pushed his ghostly aura away from the spot holding his body, whereas propelling his soul proved challenging. No feet or legs nor hands… How was he supposed to get around? Ghosts made it look easy, simply floating where they wanted.

Not Killian. He drifted away from his body, bumping into the stone arches, which, surprisingly, proved to be solid enough to keep him from leaving the area entirely. It left him a spectator to the action, although that might be a misnomer. He didn’t see as he used to, rather everything had an aura. The ground a pale brown. The sky and air around a very light blue. People shone the brightest. He guessed by what he’d last seen that the bright silver people-shapes belonged to Gerome and Hannah, whereas Belle exuded a gorgeous gold. It shouldn’t surprise Methuselah emitted a sickly green.

Identifying which colors belonged to whom meant Killian could track the spirit of the alien even when it temporarily merged with dull orange spots that, at one point, joined together to form an orange mega-blob.

It annoyed that the alien spirit so easily jumped in and out of bodies, while Killian, with a perfectly fine shape on the ground, the gold of it fading the longer he was absent, couldn’t seem to climb back into his.

While his vision might not work the same, Killian could hear. Hear as his friends and wife fought the alien-created monster. Heard when they outsmarted Methuselah and, even better, saw when the alien’s sickly glow suddenly disappeared. They’d done it. They’d won!

Only it wasn’t a true victory.

Belle sobbed over Killian’s fading body. He wished he could comfort her. Wished they’d had more time. He managed to push himself from the stone arch and drifted in her direction, drawn by her grief. He managed to hover above her glow, and while he couldn’t touch her, he merged his aura with hers, trying to show her comfort.

This wasn’t fair. His body was right there. Surely, there was a way back to it .

Despite her not speaking aloud, he heard her say, I love you.

He only wished he could tell her he loved her too.

Uh-oh.

A sudden suction had a hold of his spirit, and there was no fighting it.

Nor did he want to when he realized it sucked him back into his body.

It took a disorienting second before he could blink his eyes, and it took a moment more before he managed to rasp out, “Don’t cry, wifey poo. You’re getting your fur wet.”

“Killian?” She shrieked his name and then almost broke him with a beast-strength hug. “I thought you were gone.”

He sat up and dragged her into his lap, murmuring, “Me too.”

“We beat Methuselah,” she crowed.

“I know. Very clever feeding the stone a story meant to trap it.”

She leaned her head against him. “I didn’t think it would work.”

“But it did. You saved the world. Saved me,” he murmured.

“I hope so,” she huffed. “Although looks like it didn’t remove the curse. I’m still a beast.”

“Your fur is soft,” was his reply .

She snorted. “Not helping.”

Agatha joined them, eyes bright. “What a glorious day for everyone.”

“Only one thing could make this better,” Killian quipped.

To which everyone replied, “Food!”

Only it didn’t happen quite that quickly. First, Belle and the Knights had to make some calls to inform the Fairytale Bureau of what had transpired. That led to unmarked cars and vans arriving, spilling out agents, all of whom had questions.

The chalice holding Methuselah was regarded with caution and was taken away by a pair of people in hazmat suits, with it nestled inside a locked lead-lined case. Statements were taken, but when they would have transported them all to the nearest bureau for in-depth questioning, Killian put down his foot.

“It’s been a long day, and my wife and I are exhausted. You’ve got enough to work with for now.”

The prince had spoken, and rather than cause a diplomatic incident, appointments were scheduled for them to come in and make proper depositions, as well as answer any new questions that arose.

The group was allowed to leave, the five of them crammed in the tiny car, which puttered them to the nearest hotel, where his name alone secured them three rooms for the night .

As he and Belle entered their suite, she ducked her head. “I’ll sleep on the floor.”

“Why?”

“Because no one wants to sleep with an oversized furball.”

“I do.” He held out his hand. “Snuggle me. I’ve had a rough day.”

And thus did they spoon, not saying much, just holding each other as exhaustion took them.

Dawn was only hours away, and he wanted a bit of sleep before he finally and properly seduced his wife.