Lair of the Lion

occurring so regularly whispered of a conspiracy.
    Francesca closed the door behind her brother and turned to the healer. "Tell us what to do."
    The three women stripped Isabella and put her in the bath. Even the lukewarm water was painful to her, and she cried out and tried to squirm away from them as they gently rubbed life back into her limbs. The healer attended the wicked scratch, even as Sarina called for steaming water to make the bath hotter. Tears streamed down Isabella's face as her body began to warm. The shaking persisted, the remnants of horror in the depths of her eyes.
    Francesca rocked her gently, while the healer poured strong, honeyed tea down her throat.
    When Isabella was finally dressed in her warmest nightgown and tucked beneath the coverlets, Francesca sat beside her, stroking back her hair.
    She waited until the healer and Sarina had bustled out of the room, taking their supplies with them. "You frightened me, sorella mia. You can't disappear like that." She leaned close, whispering words of encouragement. "I held watch over tuo fratello for you. He is sleeping peacefully. Nicolai loves you very much. You have become his life, you know. His heart." She took Isabella's hand in hers and leaned closer still. "You're the only friend I have, the only one who can lead me back from a dark, empty place. I don't want to live there anymore, Isabella. Stay with us. Stay with mio fratello. Stay with me. We live in a world you can't hope to understand, but we need your courage."
    Isabella's fingers tightened around Francesca's just for a moment, then went slack.
    Francesca sighed and tucked Isabella's hand beneath the coverlets. Nicolai was waiting impatiently, nearly growling at his sister as he prowled into the room like the restless lion he was.
    "Let her sleep, Nicolai," Francesca advised. "What have you found out?"
    "My men are bringing the woman and the servants. We'll have our answers when they arrive." He touched Isabella's hair, a tender caress, then resumed his pacing.
    "She was attacked by the cats. There are deep scratches on her arm." Francesca inhaled at his murderous expression and tried to explain hastily. "The cats take refuge in the storehouse to keep from being eaten by the lions. They keep the rodents down. We need them, Nicolai. You can't destroy them. The poor creatures are hungry and were only protecting their territory. They have nowhere else to shelter. Everyone knows that." Her words trailed off as the import sank in. She raised her eyes to her brother's "Nicolai." She breathed his name in horror.
    Flames burned in his eyes, orange-red, a reflection of his inner turmoil. He continued to stare down at her.
    "Nicolai, you can't still persist in thinking I would want harm to come to her." There was pain in her face, in her eyes.
    "I don't know what to think, only that her life is in danger from something other than what lives within me."
    "What would I have to gain by her death? What would be my reason? I'm the one person you can trust with her life. The only person. You're mio fratello. My loyalty has always been to you." She lifted her chin. "Isabella has given me a task. I've given her my word of honor, and I intend to keep it. If you'll excuse me…" She squared her shoulders and walked toward the door.
    Nicolai raked a restless hand through his thick mane of hair. "Francesca." His voice stopped her, but she didn't turn around. "I don't even trust myself," he admitted in a low voice.
    She nodded, looking over her shoulder sadly. "Nor should you. She's in more danger from you than from any traitor living in our holding. We both know that. And she knows it, too. The difference is, Isabella is willing to take a chance on us, live with us, make a life for herself and those around her. We chose to lock ourselves away, watching life and love pass us by. Without Isabella, neither of us has much of a chance at a life."
    "And with us," he answered, "what chance does she have at living?"
    Francesca shrugged. "As with every bride before her, the beast will wait until an heir is secured. She has those years, Nicolai. Make her happy. Make her sacrifice count for something. Or decide to break the curse."

    "You sound as if I have a choice." His hands knotted into fists, and, with the intensity of his emotion, needles punctured his palms. "How?" There was rage in his voice, hopelessness. "Does anyone know how it is done?"
    Francesca shook her head. "I know only that it can be done."
    Nicolai