It was the wrong time. The wrong place to confess such sweet words, and yet she had been longing for someone to say them to her just the same.

"I love you too," she whispered shyly.

"Now, quickly to the stables." He planted a gentle kiss on her forehead with his long muzzle and without waiting for a reply dashed back into the castle.

"Be careful!' she hollered to his broad furred back.

Isabelle watched him till she could no longer see the dark shadow of his outline as he slipped back into the castle's doors.

A window shattered on the second story as flames licked out hungrily creeping up the wood trim to the shingles roof. Though the tiles were clay the fire ate away at the wood bracing underneath.

Isabelle's body trembled with exhaustion, and nervous her as she trotted to the barn. Trying to convince herself that Rosie and Adam would be alright.

When she arrived the stable was cold and empty. The stalls opened and the lamps snuffed out. Someone had got to them first.

"Isabelle!" She turned at John's voice, he ran to her pulling her in a big hug.

"Looks like someone let those beasts out. Damn, thought we had them there, those blood suckers just won't die. Just glad you're okay. Anna told me you went to grab some belongings."

Isabelle bit her lip at the comment. She may have saved lives but she knew she had just damned more with her actions. With the beasts still in power the cycle would continue. The only thing left to do was run, which would explain all the people making for the wall, with satchels.

"I went to get Rosie. Gaston took her though and Adam just ran back inside to find her." She said instead. "Do you know where Anna is?"

John looked confused for a second.

"Anna is with Rosie by the cart, getting ready to head out. We were going to head down to the wall and meet you there."

"What? She has Rosie...How? Where is Anna?" No wait, do you know where Phillipe, Adam's horse is?" So many questions spun in her mind.

"We have him by the cart. Feisty boy, but Anna said you would be needing him."

"Adam's still in the castle! He's looking for Rosie." She took a step forward only to falter, her legs giving way as her knees hit the stone floor of the stables.

"Isabelle? Are you alright? I'm sure that beast will be fine" The way John addressed him made her skin prickle.

"I'm fine." She pushed his hand away trying to rise to her feet herself only to falter. Exhaustion finally seeping into her body as the worry she'd been holding seemed to melt with the strength in her limbs.

"You look like death warmed over. I'm taking you to Anna." John scooped her up into his arms, carrying her out of the barn and over to where Anna was, watching the fire grow from her safe distance about a quarter furlong away.

Phillipe was hitched to the open faced cart piled high with goods and a brown cow, the one she'd milked many times, tied to the back.

John placed Isabelle on the back of the cart on one of the wooden crates. "Isabelle!" Her eyes widened slightly. "I see the glamour didn't last."

A ramble of squeaks came from behind her as Rosie, her friend and companion scurried from the front of the cart hoping over crates and dried produce up onto Isabelle's shoulder.

"Oh hush, she's fine isn't she?" Anna snapped.

"I didn't say anything." And that's when Isabelle realized Anna was talking to the mouse, not her. And in that same moment she realized she could no longer hear her friend Rosie speak. The magic had worn off, but somehow, Anna could. Rosie placed a small paw on her cheek, squeaking furiously.

"She says she's happy you are alive and well."

"Rosie, I missed you." Isabelle gently scooped the small mouse into her hands. The mouse squeaked out again, rising on her hind legs. She turned to Anna "You can still hear her?"

"I drank some of the potion."

"What's she saying and where did you find her? I thought Gaston had her?"

Anna and the mouse seemed to exchange a knowing glance, before Rosie squeaked out again louder this time.

"Alright, fine!" Anna barked back at the mouse, a little harsher than Isabelle would have liked and she cuddled the creature close to her chest.

"I switched Rosie out with a normal old field mouse about a week ago, when we were completing the final preparations."

"You..? What?"

"Foolish king, didn't even notice the difference. Just thought the mouse had stopped talking to him." Anna cackled a laugh.

"So you knew Rosie wasn't in that ballroom, why didn't you tell me?" She tried to summon the strength to sound upset, but she was far too exhausted.

"I did. And for that I'm sorry child. You have such a kind heart. I figured if you were so determined to break the curse and warn Adam it wouldn't hurt to give it a final try.

But I see the king is as stupid and stubborn as ever."

"You used me?"

"Yes."

Rosie squeaked furiously from Isabelle's palm at Anna. "What? You want to stay like that forever? It was worth a try!"

"Stay like... What's wrong with Rosie?" Isabelle looked down and the mouse went silent, turning away from her.

"Now's not the best time for an explanation." Anna looked back at the castle in flames.

"I think I am owed this much." Isabelle held her gaze. She deserved to know.

With a sigh Anna pushed back soot stained strands from her face, streaking her grey hair black. "Rosie is my sister. She's cursed and-"

Another loud crack interrupted them as part of the roof collapsed, the rubble drowning out the screams and some cheers.

"We need to move!" Anna yelled over the noise. Phillipe reared, whining, and rocking the cart. Crates and bottles knocked over. Some shattering and spilling onto the floor of the back. Isabelle gripped the edge rail of the cart, hanging on with one hand and Rosie with the other.

"Easy boy!" John grabbed hold of the reins trying to calm down the large steed.

John led Phillipe further away from the burning rubble at a trotting pace and Isabelle bounced along on the back as they moved a safer distance from the castle.

"Wait! Wait, Adam's still in there!" But Isabelle's cries fell on deaf ears as the cart moved further away.

She placed Rosie on a crate hopping off the back of the cart and rolling onto the cold dirt. Pulling herself up Isabelle hobbled back to the castle, her legs screaming with exhaustion, alone driving one leg in front of the other. Heat licked at her face as she drew closer, the castle crackled and groaned out, like a flaming monster, as the fire continued to eat it from the inside out.

A mass of black fur stumbled out of the palace door falling on his front paws. Isabelle's face broke into a relieved smile.

"Adam!" She waved her arms trying to grab his attention as his head swiveled around taking in the swarms of people and beasts making for the wall as they shouted out to one another over the crackling of flames.

"Adam over here!" His ears swiveled, sharp hearing picking up Isabelle's voice over the crowd and started heading her way.

"Charles! Charles!" A woman shrieked pushing past Isabelle, her white bonnet slipping from her head and floating through the air landing softly on the dirt only to be trampled by muddy boots headed in the opposite direction. Isabelle recognized that bonnet and blue dressed woman who wore it as she ran for the castle. It was Tilly. One of the laundry ladies that had first guided her when she arrived.

Isabelle followed the woman's terrified gaze.

A little boy stood crying and rubbing his eyes, blackening them with soot. He was standing a few cart lengths from the castle.

There was a loud crack as a piece of timber from the spired tower bent and groaned, cracking as it tipped toward the ground.

"Tilly look out!" Isabelle shouted. Holding out her hand, a passing beast knocked her to her knees as it ran.

Isabelle watched as time seemed to slow.

The beam coming loose from the castle.

Its slow descent to the ground where the boy sat.

Tilly's screams as she ran toward her child.

A black mass came into view, and the boy suddenly flew to the right landing in the dirt.

A cloud of smoke plumed where the beam fell with a shaking thud. The sound blocking out any other nose and leaving only the pounding of her own heartbeat in her ear drums.

Isabelle looked up, struggling to her feet. The air was thick with smoke and dirt from the falling debris.

"Adam!"

She saw the outline of someone and from the smoke. Tilly appeared carrying her child.

Cries erupted from behind and Isabelle tuned to see the golden sparks of magic dissipate into the air, hanging over crowds of people in ill-fitting clothes that hung from their chests. They surveyed their own hands and limbs, inspecting and patting their bodies with open mouthed awe. A low murmur rumbling through the crowd.

"It can't be the new moon?"

"It's not even night."

"Does this mean then...?"

Cheers and cries of joy broke out, a few wailed for the loss of their tooth and claw. And many huddled together in a pack. Wary of what the other humans would do.

"The curse is lifted!"

"It's broken!"

"We're free!"

"But how?"

The murmur ran through the crowd. A loud crack drew eyes back to the front of the burning castle, as another piece of wood and some shingles fell to the ground near the larger beam that had fallen, almost crushing the child.

Isabelle squinted, something black was sticking out from underneath.

"No!" Isabelle screamed, her fears rising as she ran closer. Red seeped from beneath the beam. Black tuffs of human hair sticking out.

A cry tore through Isabelle's lips as her heart shattered. She fell to her knees trying desperately to move the beam.

"Get away from there, it's dangerous!" Someone yelled but she was too busy trying to push the beam off to hear them. She had to know, had to be sure.

"Help me! Over here!" Isabelle screamed through the smoke, coughing as she inhaled a bit. "Please someone! Help!"

A few men, whom she did not recognize, came over. Together with heavy grunting they were able to roll the beam over and off the broken body.

It was him.

"Captain," one of them breathed out.

"No. No. No." Isabelle broke into hysterical cries.

"Let's get him out of here." One of the men stepped forward picking up his body.

"No, where are you taking him. No! Let go!" She shrieked wildly, grabbing onto the man's very loose fitting tunic. This wasn't real. It was just another nightmare.

"We have to get away from here!" The man shouted, refusing to let go.

She watched as his limp head hung bobbing in their grasp as they moved him by his limbs away from the collapsing castle.

"Adam! Adam!" Isabelle followed the men wobbling on her legs and blinking past the tears to see where they were taking him.

They placed him on the grass just off the path, under a tree.

Cheers continue to lift in the air above the chaos, celebrating their re-found humanity and the rest celebrating the burning of their symbol of oppression as the palace blazed like a beacon in the night. It called to the sun as the first vestiges of golden light peaked over the horizon bathing the castle in a haloed glow.

The humans had their victory, and the monsters had their human faces.

For the first time in ten years bright yellow rays stretched out over the city. Illuminating homes, cobbled streets and faces that had been lost to darkness. The cheers fell, and the crowd hushed to silence as they all watched the sun's light peak over the horizon, the beginning of the dawn of a new life.

Save for one. A girl who sat in the dirt, fingers smeared in blood as she cradled the head of a dead man, with wracking sobs.