Page 21 of Carnal: The Beast Who Loved Me

Rosie moved back behind the bar, feeling numb. She sank down to the floor where she wouldn’t be seen, and sat there, replaying the macabre sounds and images in her mind, not finding the motivation to get up and leave. After some time, she knew by the silence that everyone had gone, but still she was not prompted by either body or mind to move from where she sat.

She didn’t know how much time elapsed before she heard the door creak open and closed. That was followed by the heavy footfalls of someone large. Scar appeared at the other end of the bar donning one of his king-sized aprons. He stopped when he caught sight of her.

“What’s this then?” he asked gruffly.

Rosie didn’t move, not even when Scar stood over her. “Why are you sitting there like that, Human?”

Rosie turned her head so that she was looking at the worn knees of Scar’s pants.

“Well?” he said. Her eyes traveled upward to his face. Whatever he saw there caused him to soften his tone. “Were you here when Blaze was brought in?”

Her only response was a single tear that trailed down her cheek.

“Come on,” he said. “Let’s get you home.” He squatted and pulled Rosie to her feet with one arm around her waist. He didn’t give her a choice about walking, but supported her weight. He grabbed her shawl and clumsily draped it over her shoulders.

Halfway to the Extant’s house, she pushed away from him and said, “I can walk.”

Scar let go of her, but accompanied her the rest of the way. He knocked on the door twice, loudly, before opening and guiding Rosie inside. Without a word, she walked straight to the stairs and began to ascend like she was having an out of body experience.

Free met him at the door.

“The world has gone mad, Free. Our own kind makes an abomination of a fine male and a human who never met Blaze weeps for him.”

Free looked back at Rosie slowly climbing the stairs before saying, “Thank you for bringing her.”

Scar nodded before starting away. “Mad, I tell you.”

Charming jogged up to the porch, looking between Free and Scar. “Is she here?” His father nodded. “Thank mercy. Where was she? She wasn’t in the Commons.”

“She was sitting behind the bar,” Scar said, “looking like the living dead.” He walked away shaking his head.

Rosie lay on top of her bed covers in the dark, curled into a fetal position. She heard a knock, but didn’t answer. After several tries without a response, Serene cracked the door.

“Rosie, we don’t want to intrude, but we want to be sure you’re alright.” When Rosie didn’t respond, Serene opened the door wider and glided toward the bed with the almost eerie grace of the Exiled women. She sat down on the bed next to Rosie. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”

“Me, too.”

Serene looked at Free, who was standing just outside the door looking on, then back at Rosie. “Have you never seen something awful before?”

“Not like that.”

Serene nodded. “I envy you.” Rosie looked at her. “All of us have seen awful things.”

Rosie sat up. “I don’t care what you promised Kellareal. You can’t let your babies go out there and face that.”

Serene gave her a motherly smile and smoothed the hair away from her face. “You think we should just tell Kellareal that we changed our minds?”

“Yes! If you don’t want to, I’ll tell him for you.” She glanced at Free. “I’ve got an even better idea. Let’s just obliterate the animals that did this.”

Serene angled her head to the side. “How do you suggest we do that?”

Rosie realized that all creatures didn’t have her options, her choices. “I don’t know,” she lied. The truth was that she could do away with the ‘Rautt’ with a thought. And after what she’d seen, she’d feel good about it.

She heard a deep and weary sigh come from Free. “All of us who were there today will wear that image on our souls forever, like a brand. But that’s exactly what the Rautt intended. They wanted to make an impression. Carnal got the worst of it. And not just because Blaze was a brother of his heart. Because he had to snuff out a life that was precious to him. He’ll always be asking himself if heshouldhave done what he did. I’m proud of him. He did the harder thing because it was the right thing.”

“Nothing about that could be called right.”

“Come down and have something to eat with us,” Serene said.

“I’m not hungry,” Rosie answered.

After a few seconds, Serene said, “I’ll leave food out in case you change your mind.”