Beauty In Her Madness (Winterland Tale #3) - Stacey Marie Brown Page 0,100
the orbs slinking through the darkness to me. They were ready to fight me. I could feel their emotions, their fear and determination to keep me away from my goal. I didn’t want to do this either, knowing whatever that bitch wanted released was not good.
“Alice.” I progressed closer to the mass of glowing spheres. Souls. “I have to do this for Alice.”
A few flickered brightly as if they recognized the name.
“Please.” I tried to step around, but the mass moved together, blocking my way. “She will die!”
I could feel the hesitation, but they still stood their ground.
“Dinah, come to me.” A woman’s voice slithered to me, wrapping around me. “Free me.”
Stepping forward, the orbs buzzed around me like angry bees, their protests screaming in my ear as they brushed my skin, their energy burning.
“Ahhh!” I bent over, feeling Chip tuck against my neck, his soft fur and little hand pressed into my pulse, giving me comfort and determination.
Alice. I chanted her name in my head. My sister, my entire world and heart.
Grunting, I shoved through the stagnant energy, their howls and pleads echoing in my head, bubbling emotion in my throat.
“I’m sorry. I have to!” Pitching forward, I tore from the throng, stumbling away.
“Dinah.” My name hissed through the dark landscape as I trotted down the path, the pull to the voice feeling like a leash. Unlike the other times I had been here, I was more present. I understood what was happening, but the power of the call was something I still couldn’t seem to fight, as if I were some underling.
The tree came into view. The black box was barely visible now, the tree roots wrapping so thickly around it, pulling it in, devouring it.
“Time is running out.” Mrs. Miser’s warning rang in my head. I had little doubt that if the tree consumed it, it would even be out of my reach.
“Dinah, hurry.” The woman hissed in my ear, her voice dropping me to my knees at the base.
The need to fight against it, refuse, crashed against the image of my sister’s face.
Shakily, I reached out, the tips of my fingers grazing the box. As if I were struck by lightning, my muscles jerked, a scream coming from my mouth as pictures flew through my mind.
A beautiful older woman—red-blood lips, icy blue eyes, white-blonde hair cut into a sleek bob. Images of her laughing as people and animals were beheaded, tortured, controlled. Darkness, anger, pain, and bitterness had corroded into evil. Twisting and eroding her into vindictive maliciousness.
I could foresee her power devastating the land.
It would destroy. Kill.
War would come to Winterland.
And death.
Peoples’ screams of horror, pain, and fear ricocheted in my head, hitting my own soul. If they were from the past or the future, I did not know, but their agony bent me over my knees. I yanked my hand away from the box with a sob. Tears streaked down my face. The choice rammed down on me, ransacking my heart. What should I do?
Save my sister and destroy Winterland?
Or save Winterland and lose my sister?
“The course is already set, Dinah. Winterland will fall.” Her voice was full of confidence. “Would you really let your sister die for nothing?”
My hand pressed against my ribs, feeling my heart rap against my palm from the unfathomable decision of choosing who lives and who dies.
Alice’s face entered my mind, us cuddled together on the sofa watching Christmas movies, her laughing, smiling. Times we fought, times we giggled and joked, times she held me when I cried.
An image of her and Matt, her eyes sparkling with deep love.
My heart broke.
“Alice,” I whimpered. “I’m sorry.” Alice wouldn’t want me to choose her. Grief wailed from me, grinding my soul.
My hand reached out, touching the box. The roots recoiled but loosened as my fingers stroked across them, thrusting the box back into my hands.
“Good girl.”
Power snapped and crackled around me, wrapping me in its embrace. The top cracked, letting me see the true force inside, the memories that had been blocked from me.
A scream belted from my lungs, my body falling back, my spine hitting the ground as my mind cried in agony at the onslaught. The curtain pulled away, showing me the murky shadows, the time around Alice’s incident. The sliver that had been under my skin for two years, sensing something was off.
I sucked in violently as the picture cleared in my head. I saw it from a clear mind now.
The woman with red lips and blue eyes.
I had known her.
She was the new neighbor who had been married to Matthew, had a son Timmy, came to our holiday party. Alice’s therapist, who made peppermint flavoring for us.
Jessica Winters!
Like waking up from amnesia, I saw all the lies. The smoke and mirrors. The way she cruelly deceived and played my family.
The night she stood there, an evil smirk on her face as Alice was carted off…
Oh my god.
Alice had never been crazy.
Everything she saw had been real.
“That’s right, Dinah. But how easily you all believed she was. And it wouldn’t have been long before we made them believe you were too,” Jessica mocked in my ear. “How easily we could make people believe you killed your sister in a moment of crazed insanity. People will think how sad, they were so young, had so much potential, two beauties lost in their madness. They will pity you and then quickly forget as humans do, going on with their insignificant lives. You have more, Dinah. Choose the right path.”
“Fuck you,” I snarled.
“A fool, just like your sister. She will be a dead one if you don’t get me out of here. Move now!”
Climbing to my feet, I felt Chip scramble down into my jacket pocket.
Picking up the box in one hand, I stuffed my other hand in my pocket, cupping gently around Chip’s warm, soft fur, needing his presence to ground me. I was barely holding on, but Chip and my sister kept me moving, heading me back the way I came.
I knew I chose wrong, but my fate was set. My story written.
Alice was the savior of Winterland.
I was its doom.
The harbinger of death and destruction.
They might call me a beauty.
But I was actually the beast.
TO BE CONTINUED!!
More Dinah, Frost, Blaze, Alice, Scrooge, and the gang coming!
The FINAL book in the Winterland Tales, Beast in His Madness!
About the Author
Stacey Marie Brown is a lover of hot fictional bad boys and sarcastic heroines who kick butt. She also enjoys books, travel, TV shows, hiking, writing, design, and archery. Stacey swears she is part gypsy, being lucky enough to live and travel all over the world.
She grew up in Northern California, where she ran around on her family’s farm, raising animals, riding horses, playing flashlight tag, and turning hay bales into cool forts.
When she’s not writing, she’s out hiking, spending time with friends, and traveling. She also volunteers helping animals and is eco-friendly. She feels all animals, people, and the environment should be treated kindly.
To learn more about Stacey or her books, visit her at:
Author website & Newsletter: www.staceymariebrown.com
Facebook Author page: www.facebook.com/SMBauthorpage
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Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/6938728.Stacey_Marie_Brown
Her Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/1648368945376239/
Bookbub: www.bookbub.com/authors/stacey-marie-brown
Acknowledgements
The only reason this series has continued is because of you! Dinah’s story was so fun to write. I hope you are enjoying the twist on Beauty and the Beast! Thank you again for giving this mad tale a chance!
Kiki, Colleen, & Gang at Next Step P.R. - Thank you for all your hard work! I love you ladies so much.
Mo at Siren’s Call Author Services - You have been my savior! Thank you!
Hollie “the editor”- Always wonderful, supportive, and a dream to work with.
Jay Aheer- So much beauty. I am in love with your work!
Judi Fennell at formatting4U.com- Always fast and always spot on!
To all the readers who have supported me: My gratitude is for all you do and how much you help indie authors out of the pure love of reading.
To all the indie/hybrid authors out there who inspire, challenge, support, and push me to be better: I love you!
And to anyone who has picked up an indie book and given an unknown author a chance. THANK YOU!