A Waltz to Remember

All I wanted was to turn into a monster in peace.

I should have known better. The party guests are running wild, Odile’s looking for any excuse to torment me, and Rothbart claims I owe him a dance. Dodging them all is getting exhausting, and the night hasn’t even begun. Armed solely with my dagger, only one thing is certain…

Tonight will be a waltz to remember.

I swear the sun was fucking with me.

It had remained in place for the last thirty minutes, both obstructing my view of the lake and refusing to move or change color despite my venomous glare. Gods. I hadn’t looked at a clock in a long while, but surely it was time. Gripping the rail of the balcony so hard my knuckles turned as white as my hair, I pleaded once more.

“Set. Set us both free.”

I didn’t allow myself to dwell on the ridiculousness of my wish, and gulped another mouthful of wine. I’d be the farthest thing from free the moment the sun went down; I’d be a dragon, trapped in the body and mind of a monster. At least I’d be far away from here.

That was all I cared about.

Behind me, what sounded like a pig snorted, followed by a shrill cackle. “Talking to yourself again, Odette?”
Just when I thought this party couldn’t get any fucking worse.

Odile lifted her chin as I turned, a smirk playing on her lips as if she’d already come away victorious. Some dazed, drunken fool clung to her arm, but I hardly noticed nor cared if it was the same one she’d bedded this morning; all of Odile’s conquests looked identical after a while. Her hair was blonde, but in the sunlight looked almost as white as mine, and she wore a pink-feathered gown that, coupled with everything else, made her look like a demented flamingo.

“Not to myself,” I corrected, clutching my wineglass too tightly. “To the dragon.”

Fear flickered in Odile’s eyes, but only for a moment. I could threaten her all I liked, but she knew as well as I did, I could never truly hurt her—not if I wanted to keep my extremities.

It wasn’t fair.

Odile flashed me a dark grin before speaking in a tone dripping with sarcasm. “Was it the ‘dragon’ who told you you’d be safe out here? It’s no secret this is where you flee to watch the sunset.”

She was right, but only because I had nowhere else to go despite an entire castle at my disposal. With Rothbart insistent on throwing these ridiculous parties every week, the inquisitive guests had eventually discovered and infiltrated every nook and cranny; not even my chambers were safe. The balcony had become my only sanctuary, a refuge while I waited for the dragon to claim me come nightfall. Despite Odile’s bluff, I was rarely disturbed while here. Anyone with half an ounce of sense knew to stay far away from the beast that owned me.

Odile wasn’t one of them.