by MJ Haag
“Do you eat?” I asked.
He’d pulled the mist around himself again, but not so fully that I couldn’t see the outline of him.
“Of course,” he answered.
“No need to sound so offended. Nothing else here seems normal, and you never eat with me, so I wasn’t sure.” I took several more bites. “What shall I do today?” I asked.
“Whatever you wish,” he answered.
Finishing my meal, I found my way to the kitchen and wandered out the door. Every time I’d left the kitchen, I’d gone straight toward the estate’s gates. This time, I turned left, hopefully toward the side of the manor with the library.
The dainty slippers did little to protect my feet as I tromped along, and my soles grew tender as I walked. Still, I pressed on until I walked the length of the front of the manor. Stopping, I looked up at one spot and counted four stories. Somehow, I’d missed seeing a staircase on the second story.
Rounding the corner, a patch of thick briars forced me away from the manor and into the woods. I felt a snag on my dress a moment before I heard the material rip. A good portion of my thigh was now exposed.
“I don’t care for my dress either,” I said over my shoulder in response to the beast’s earlier comment.
He said nothing as he followed me.
By the time I circled around the briars, I sported several snags and tears in the dress and truly appreciated the pieces of curtain I’d tucked inside of it. I bled from a few small scrapes, but it was nothing that slowed me down.
Finally, I came to the place where I’d spotted the nymphs, but neither remained. Disappointed, I looked toward the window. It would have been a much shorter journey to have climbed out from there. Shaking my head, I continued in the same direction and eventually found the door the beast had used to reach the nymphs the day I’d read to him.
With relief, I limped back to the library and sat on the sofa to tug off my slippers. This wouldn’t have happened if he had let me keep my boots. The cuts were starting to sting.
“I need better clothes,” I said. “Sturdy ones that will stand up to briars and stones.”
“No. If I cannot touch you, I will at least look at you.”
“That’s why I have to wear this? Fine.” I flopped back onto the sofa and put my feet up. “Touch my hair then give me boots, sturdy trousers, and a man’s shirt.”
A slight choked noise came from behind me, and I closed my eyes, not believing I’d let my temper escape.
“My apologies,” he said. “Allow me to heal your injuries.” It came as a demand rather than a request.
“I’d rather have trousers.”
“Allow me to heal your injuries, and you will have your trousers when you journey outside.”
“Fine,” I said, knowing he’d neither offered boots nor a shirt. Trousers were a start, though.
His tongue lapped at my ankle, startling me from my thoughts. He moved higher, not needing to move the dress to soothe the cut on my knee. Warmth flooded me after his tongue found the light scrape on my thigh.
When he moved to the slight tear in the material on my stomach, I trembled, no longer certain of our deal. He ran his tongue over the tiny wound several times before moving upward. Then, he paused. His massive head hovered just above my breasts, the heat of his breath warming them.
Before I could think to panic, he continued upward toward my chin, and I recalled a branch that had snapped back at my face. The touch of his tongue so close to my mouth sent a shiver chasing through me. He licked me from just below my chin to my bottom lip.
“Touch me,” he said.
My eyelids popped open, and I found myself staring into his eyes. Large, wide set in his shaggy head and deep blue, they held me in place with no mist separating us. I raised a hand and gently placed it against his neck, the soft fur warming my fingers. Underneath, I felt him shudder, and I wondered how often he felt anyone’s touch. Probably never. The creatures here seemed to fear him as much as the townspeople.
“Tell me true, did I miss any?” he whispered.
Reluctantly, I nodded and rolled to my stomach, breaking our contact.
He laved the scrapes on the backs of my legs and arms and then the bottoms of my feet, which made me twitch and giggle involuntarily. When he finished, he moved away from me, retreating into the mist.
For the rest of the day, I contented myself with books and tried to forget his presence.
* * * *
No trousers waited in the wardrobe the next day, just a selection of translucent gowns. Smiling at the selection, I picked the most modest dress from them and tucked another ripped panel from the curtains, which hadn’t disappeared.
The beast waited in the hallway with less mist than the day before.
“I don’t like the dress,” he said again.
“Me neither,” I said agreeably. “I thought I would be able to wear trousers today.”
“If you would like to go out again today, you can change in the servant’s quarters in the kitchen. Your trousers are there and are only meant for outside. Inside, I want you wearing the dresses you find within your wardrobe.”
Nodding, I walked hurriedly toward the kitchen. True to his word, trousers waited on one of the beds as did boots and a cream shirt. I quickly closed the door and changed. The trousers were a bit snugger than I was used to, as was the shirt, but the boots fit well.
Eagerly, I stepped from the room and held out my arms to do a slow turn for the beast.
“Well?” I prompted with a smile on my face.
“Lovely,” he said.
Happy with the clothes, I led the way out the door. As I slowly explored the area in front of the manor, the beast paced behind me. Near lunch, I sensed his growing impatience and knew my time outside would soon come to an end. It didn’t upset me. It had been an enjoyable outing.
“Go change,” he said. “Do not wear these clothes inside unless you want to lose them.”
I went back into the servant’s quarters and closed myself in to change. Immediately, I saw what he’d done. The dress remained where I’d set it, but my scraps of curtain were missing. I sat heavily on the mattress, its material too thick to tear without the help of a knife. There was nothing else to shield myself from his gaze. If I stayed in the trousers or tried to use the shirt in some way, I had no doubt they would be gone in the morning, and I would not see them again.
Defeated for the moment, I put on the dress and marched out the door. The table in the kitchen was laden with food.
“I’m not hungry,” I said and turned to leave.
“Stop. Turn and show me your dress as you did when you changed this morning.”
Teeth clenched to keep from telling him what I thought of him, I slowly turned a circle, keeping my arms at my side.
“If you’re finished demeaning me, I’d like to go to my room.”
He growled low and long.
“Sit. Eat. Or I will feed you.”
Glaring at the swirling mist near the door of the kitchen, I marched to the table, spotted a bowl filled with meat and gravy, and stuck my hand in it. Pulling a fist full of dripping meat from it, I proceeded to shove it in my mouth in the most grotesque, unladylike fashion I could imagine.
His roar shook the windows, but I ignored him, swallowed the lump of meat, and reached for the roasted baby potatoes. With my hand. I crammed one in my mouth and chewed noisily.
“I said sit.”
I sat heavily on the chair, not bothering to face the table. Never taking my eyes from him, I reached to the side and grabbed the next item. Stewed plums. Though a disgusting dish I usually avoided, I didn’t blink as I shoved some in my mouth and dribbled juice down the front of my dress. The plums gagged me when I swallowed, and I lost the remaining threads of my temper.
Without standing, I grabbed the dish and threw it with all my might at the beast, whose form briefly appeared in the mist. The bowl hit him squarely, broke apart, and drenched him in the sugared plum s
auce.
The mist disappeared, and I saw the rage in his eyes.
“Run,” he whispered.
A shiver ran through me, and I bolted from my chair, my skirt floating around my legs as I ran for my room. I wouldn’t make it unless he chose to let me.
Behind me, I heard a mighty crash and another roar.
He didn’t sound like he was in the mood to let me escape.
My slippered feet slid on the wood floor as I changed direction to turn down the first hall I found. I kept running and turning until I was in the library. Shoving the window wide, I leapt out and landed on my feet, startling the nymphs who were back at it.
“Run,” I whispered to them.
Inside, the beast roared. The male ran, but the female hesitated.
“Go!” I urged her as I turned toward the back of the manor. The female hooked my arm and turned me toward the east, giving me a little shove. I ran.
The beast’s cries faded as I put distance between us. A stitch in my side grew to a cramp when I finally burst through the trees and fell face first into a familiar pool. I rolled onto my back and came up sputtering in knee-deep water.
After wiping my eyes, I tried to silence the harsh gasp of my breaths so I might listen for the beast. In the distance, I heard him calling my name.
“Child,” a voice grated nearby.
I turned to look at the old tree, the face already formed.
“He will learn. Do not give up. Do not run.”
The tree untwisted, closing its mouth and eyes just before the beast burst upon the clearing. My eyes widened at the sight of him as he stood at the pond’s edge, breathing harshly and fully visible on all fours. His raised hackles and bared teeth sent a shiver of fear though me, as did the low crackling growl emanating from him. The tree wanted me to stay. I desperately wanted to run.
Trembling with fear and cold, I did what the tree suggested and stood my ground.
“Will you hurt me now?” The words barely escaped my tight throat. Yet, I knew he heard them for his growl deepened. Despite his anger, he remained on the bank.
I gripped my heavy skirts and exhaled slowly. Then, with my shoulders back, I bravely walked toward him. My heart thrummed in my chest. Certainly he could hear it; I could hear little else.
As I approached, his growl softened while the fur on his neck continued to stand up harshly. He glared at me as I stood before him. I cautiously reached out and smoothed his fur down.
He didn’t move away. Instead, I felt the flesh under my palm quiver. The beast’s gaze met mine, and I saw the storm there. The undeniable rage was still present, but I also saw sadness and frustration. My heart went out to the tortured creature, and I cautiously embraced him.
When I leaned my head against his neck, all noise stopped. Not just his growl, but the animated chirping of the birds, the rustling of the leaves, everything.
Plum sauce matted his hair.
“The plums were too disgusting to throw at you,” I whispered. “I should have thrown the potatoes, instead.”
I watched his hackles slowly relax.
“Why did you not want to eat?” he finally asked.
I snorted.
“It wasn’t the food that bothered me. It’s the clothes. I don’t like pink, and I don’t like dresses. When you run, they trip you; and I like to run. And I don’t like being treated like a whore.”
His teeth ground together.
“I do not treat you like a whore.”
“How is making me wear these dresses so you can see all my personal parts not treating me like a whore?” I asked, keeping my head resting against his neck.
His hackles started to rise again, so I reached up and smoothed them down. He grunted in response and seemed to calm. I didn’t touch him more than necessary, cautious of the sisters’ lesson.
“Come,” he said instead of answering me. “You will catch a chill if we stay here longer.”
I moved away from him so he could lead. I didn’t miss the long look he gave my wet, clinging dress. Biting my tongue to keep from whispering the word whore, I patted the tree as I passed, thankful for its advice.
* * * *
In my room, another bath waited along with a tray of food and a note that simply said No plums.
Smiling, I ate the food then peeled myself out of the clingy, damp dress. The plum juices had stained it, ruining the material. I felt no remorse as I dropped it to the floor.
Chapter 2
On the fifth day, the wardrobe remained empty. I scowled at it and whispered a single word. “Beast.” And I meant his nature, not his name.
After the fight in the kitchen, I had thought he’d understood and would relent. Still he had insisted on the sheer clothes. Yesterday when I had woken, the curtains had vanished; and I’d torn a patch from my bedding to cover myself.
Now, I tugged a whole blanket from my bed to wrap around my shoulders before stomping to the hallway. Today was the day I was supposed to go see my father. I’d gone to bed early, so I could rise before first light, not wanting to waste any of the time I could spend with my family.
In the hall, the beast waited as usual.
“Why do I have no clothes?” I asked.
“Are you visiting your father today?” he asked much too calmly.
“Yes, I wanted to.” His calm just upset me more.
“Then the dresses you have wouldn’t suit. You can wear your trousers, which are in the kitchen.”
The annoyance left me. Of course I couldn’t wear the clothes he chose to town. I had assumed he wouldn’t think of that on his own.
“Thank you,” I said, turning to race to the kitchen.
He snagged the blanket, stopping my departure.
“Leave this here.”
Normally, once I found a way to cover myself, he didn’t order it away. Surprised, I glanced back at him.
“Now.”
I averted my gaze and let the blanket fall to the floor. When I started to walk away from him, I wondered if he found the view of my backside as mesmerizing as Ila’s had been that first time I’d seen it. The thought of Ila made me smile. I couldn’t wait to see my friends again and wondered what Father had told them about my absence. I hurried my pace until I ran, eager to start my journey.
In the kitchen, I closed myself in the servant’s quarters to change. As soon as I opened the door of the servant’s quarters, the beast gave me a warning.
“We bargained one day a week. I grant that you may leave the gates after the sun rises and must return to them before the sun sets. Do not be late or I will fetch your father in recompense.”
Nodding jerkily, I left him in the kitchen and raced toward the gate as the sky lightened. From the corner of my eye, I spotted one of the nymphs but it solidified before I could see which.
The gates swung open for me as the beast called my name. I stopped just inside the iron barrier.
The beast appeared beside me, his breath as heavy as mine.
“Will you return?” he asked gruffly.
In that question, I glimpsed his uncertainty of me. I didn’t understand why he wanted me to stay. But, I understood that whatever his reasons, I mattered to him; and he worried that the fear for my father’s safety wasn’t enough to bring me back. Feeling a small measure of pity for him, I nodded again before walking out the gate.
Freedom flavored the air with a sweetness that I inhaled deeply as I alternated between walking and jogging. When I came in sight of the bridge, a crow that was roosted on one of the bridge supports shook the spray from his feathers and took flight, spiraling high over the Water. I didn’t stop to see if it flew toward the estate.
With a light step, I walked through the market district, smiling at the early merchants as I made my way toward my father’s house. At the Sisters’ house, I caught a glimpse of someone and paused to wave up at the windows. Then, I continued on. When I stood before Father’s small home, I paused for a moment and wistfully watched the smoke curling from the c
himney. I had missed them all so much.
Without knocking, I pushed the door open, a smile on my lips. As I suspected, Bryn stood at the stove cooking something. She looked up at me, her eyes wide with surprise.
“Benella,” she said, clearly surprised by my arrival. Her gaze touched my face then my clothes before clouding with disapproval. “You look fit and well fed. I hope you’re not expecting to eat; there’s not enough.”
Her attitude did nothing to curb my joy in seeing her. I stepped in and closed the door behind me.
“How are you, Bryn? What happened after I last saw you?” I really wanted to know about the possibility of her being pregnant.
“We left the estate and walked to Konrall. Father still hoped to sell a book. He warned us not to speak of you or the estate.” She turned away from me and poked at the meat sizzling in the pan. “He asked me if I would be happy in a forced marriage with Tennen. I said I would not; and we haven’t spoken of anything, except you, since then.”
“Me?” How could Father not ask questions of the baby? Obviously he’d deduced that Tennen had fathered it, but didn’t he want to know how long ago? And, there were other questions that needed answers. How much time remained until the baby arrived? Did Bryn have other prospects? Had she felt the babe move yet?
“Of course, you. The beast took you. We all worried, thinking you wouldn’t return to us. We should have known better,” she said bitterly. Before I could respond, she continued. “Did you bring anything back with you? Things are not much better than they were those few days ago.”
“I’m sorry. I did not.” I hadn’t thought of anything other than seeing them again. The next visit I would be better prepared.
The door burst open just then, and Father rushed in. He spun me about and caught me up in a tight hug. Finally, the welcome I’d hoped for. I wrapped my arms around him in return, smelling the faint tang of the sisters’ incense.
“Father,” Bryn said in surprise. “What are you doing home?”