Beauty and the Beast (Demon Tales 1) by Kerrianne Coombes

travelling, Torc having chosen
to sit with the driver rather than her. He had sat next to her for
less than five minutes before he swore loudly, climbed the side of
the carriage and disappeared from her sight.
    The air was stuffy and Cally found it hard
to breathe. The tight fit of her dress didn’t help matters, either.
She looked down at the blue chiffon and sighed. Her heart clenched.
What she wouldn’t give to just live like a normal person, just to
exist with no knowledge of the royal family and their twisted ways.
What she wouldn’t give to be able to choose whom she married—whom
she would give her body to.
    Unbidden, an image of Brigg looming over her
in the library filled her mind. Her whole body pulsed hotly. She
lifted her hand to her mouth and remembered the heavy, demanding
kiss he had given to her. She had never felt wanton, or free. Never
had she felt so alive as she had in Briggs arms. He was strong and
kind, no matter his grumpiness, she knew he was kind. He never had
treated her with anything less than respect…until his brother came
along.
    Bitterness surged, and tears prickled her
eyes. She swiped at her hair with irritated fists and bit back the
sound of pain that burned in her throat. So easily she had trusted
him. So easily she had allowed him to be the first person to kiss
her. It all seemed so right. It all seemed so…mutual. But then,
Torc came along and told him that Cally was a witch, and Brigg had
thrown her away like some rubbish. Her heart suddenly felt heavy,
laden with sorrow, and no longer could she hold back the tears.
     
    * * * *
     
    Torc sat on the bench seat at the top of the
carriage. The wind battered at his face, and he tucked his hands
under his armpits to keep them from going any more numb in the
cold. The driver sat swathed in layers and layers of waterproof
clothing, and Torc was seconds away from snatching a blanket from
the smug bastard’s legs. They had been travelling for a few hours,
and the driver said they were not far from Tempath now. Torc
sighed, relief a bright flame inside his chest. He couldn’t believe
they were this close to having their curse lifted.
    Amazing.
    “Just over there, sir,” the driver drawled
and lifted a wool-covered hand to point ahead. Torc glanced up and
almost choked on a gasp when he saw the splendid castle of Tempath
fill his view. The palace was amazing, like nothing he had seen
before, and Torc had seen some nice castles in his time. The four
pointy turrets reached to the sky. Green and gold flags, attached
to the top of each turret, flapped in the wind. The walls were high
and surrounded by a deep moat. The place was wonderful, perfect—and
utterly full of evil.
    Bitterness surged through his blood, and a
new injection of hate pumped inside his mind. No wonder they had so
much splendour when the queen just took what she wanted.
    “Fucking humans!” Brigg growled. The driver
gave a nod of agreement and flapped the reigns, urging the horses
on faster.
    Torc got up and climbed down the side of the
carriage and dropped through the window. The warmth inside the
small cabin almost burned his skin, such a shock compared to the
bitter cold he’d endured for the last few hours. He dropped onto
the bench opposite Cally and lowered a glare on her. She was
looking out the window, her hair covering the side of her face,
apparently not noticing his entrance. Torc bristled.
    “We are nearly there. I can see your
ugly-ass castle on the hill now.”
    Her shoulders stiffened but she kept her
head turned away. Torc watched her wondering why his brother had
felt an attraction to her. Sure, she had long, beautiful hair and
pale peaches-and-cream skin. And sure, she had a great body.
But…she was human. Torc couldn’t get past that point, and he
wondered just how the fuck Brigg had. Brigg had hated humans more
than him at one time.
    A spark of anger simmered in his gut. He
hated that his brother had been tempted by one such as her. Tricked
and