She left the room as quietly as she had entered. Outside the door, she stopped. Opening it up again, she opened the drawer to the table once more. Pulling out the picture inside, she tucked it in her hand and reclosed the door.
Sleep sounded so good right now, and she hoped to get a couple of hours before Mrs. Hausmeister came to wake her. She’d need all of her energy to play nice with the beast.
The girl was talented. She was out of her room and moving along the corridor much quicker than he’d anticipated. His ears had picked up on her movement. She’d been attempting to unlock the door for several minutes.
“If I was easily impressed, I’d have to compliment her on her ability to find a way out of that room for the second time. Definitely lack of points for the length of time it took. Show me the hallway,” he directed the mirror.
Since she’d woke up, he had refrained from seeking her out inside her room. He knew it would be wrong to do so. However, this was still his home, and he wanted to know what she was doing.
“She’s not escaping. In fact, I think she has finding a solution to the curse on her mind. After her interrogation this afternoon, I’m fairly sure she just wants to put an end to me,” he contemplated.
He watched her every step. The very first find she came across was in the table by the door. She held a picture of his family in her hands.
After his mother’s death, he’d hidden all the pictures of her. His father hadn’t stopped him. When his father had died, he’d taken all of the ones left in his father’s study and room and hid them as well.
“No use keeping those old things out,” he mused. “I’m not the same little boy I once was.”
She continued her search through the drawers of the dresser, his desk, and finally tackled the bookcases. He observed her thorough exploration with a small smile.
“I have to hand it to you, Roz, you aren’t a quitter.”
Roz left the study, and he made sure she returned to her room.
“She didn’t escape,” he whispered. “Roz went back to her room. She’s planning something. My death most likely.”
A searing heat hit him in the chest, and for a second, it felt just as it had when the witch queen had turned him into the beast. Rubbing his chest, he staggered to his feet. Gasping, he walked to the cord and pulled.
Sucking in breath after breath, his chest burned. It started to pulse through his whole body. Agonizing blazes scorched his veins. Whimpering, the beast fell to his knees.
“Sir?” Buford’s voice sounded far away. “Sir?”
Beast tried to talk but couldn’t speak a word. They stopped in his throat and choked him. He started to shake, and he could no longer hear the words coming from Buford’s lips as the butler bent over him.
Jerking back and forth, the heat became unbearable. In another minute, it was gone, and he was in his room alone.
“Buford?” he called.
Standing, he searched the room for his servant. “Buford?” he called again.
A flicker on his right had him spinning around.
“You,” Beast growled.
“It’s nice to see you remember me,” the woman told him.
“How could I forget the witch who created me,” he roared.
Her shrug was fluid as she glided toward him. Queen Ada’s hair was longer and blonder with the same curls. She hadn’t aged a day.
“Don’t you have any other dresses?”
“Black is versatile,” she told him. “Besides, I didn’t come here for fashion advice.”
Grunting, the beast circled. “Why are you here? Decades you left me to rot and my people to die. What more do you want?”
Shaking her head, she gave him a sad, closed-lips smile. “Oh, Ezra. You still haven’t figured it out, have you?”
“Figured out what? I don’t recall half of what you said to me that day! Do you want to know what I remember? I recollect the burning, searing, agonizing pain you inflicted. Sort of like what you just did to me a few minutes ago.”
“Reminders are always painful,” she stated.
Queen Ada drew near and placed a hand on his cheek. He wanted to walk away, but he couldn’t pull back. She held his gaze. It was a replica of his own. Blood-red, gold rimmed, and even scarier than when he saw them in his mirror.
“You keep asking me what I want. It isn’t about what I want, King Ezra. It’s about you.”
Shaking his head, he couldn’t move his body. All he could do stand there and listen. His body shaking, and her eyes daring him to do something, but he didn’t know what.
“How is this about me?” he asked.
“You have something to learn, and you aren’t learning anything. Do you want to stay a beast forever?”
Swallowing, he couldn’t get the words out of his mouth. So, he shook his head.
“I hear your question,” she whispered. “The flowers are coming. If you don’t always want to be a slave to your power, you need to do the right thing.”
“What is the right thing? I don’t know! What is it?” his voice cracked.
“Ezra, you do know. You’re just too scared to do it.”
“Tell me what to do!”
“I already have. You know what it is. You’ve thought about it. You have to gain an understanding of love beyond power.”
The words echoed throughout the room and in his mind. He had heard them before. Beast knew what he had to do, and she was right. He was scared.
“The flowers are coming,” she whispered, before disappearing.
“Queen Ada?” he cried out. “Queen Ada?”
Flames ripped through him, and he screamed. Falling to the floor once more, he bellowed until the torment ended.
“Sir, are you all right? What can I do?” Buford’s voice was above him.
Inhaling, the beast steadied his erratic heartbeat. Eyes popping open, he stared into his butler’s face and sighed.
“How long was I out?” he asked.
“Ten minutes, sir. You thundered for a few minutes before you passed out, and you started to scream when you awoke. Are you okay?”
“Fine. I’m fine, Buford.”
“Pardon me, sir, but you don’t look fine.”
“I take it I still resemble the beast?” he joked as he came to a knee.
Buford helped him to stand. Shaky, he leaned on Buford as he was helped to a chair. The soft leather creaked comfortably as he took a seat.
“Yes, you do, sir. What happened? I haven’t seen you like that since you first met with Queen Ada.”
“She came.”
“Sir?”
“Ezra, Buford. Queen Ada made another rare appearance. She came to tell me I know how to end all of this. I know how to break the curse.”
“Do you know what she means, sir? Can you break it?”
“I think I do, and I think I can. It wouldn’t be my first option though.”
“What do you mean, sir?”
Sitting back, Beast wondered if he should tell Buford the answer. Swallowing, he glanced at the mirror. It was no longer black, and it no longer focused on any one room. Instead, he stared back at himself.
A face he didn’t recognize. Fangs partially showing as his mouth hung ajar. Pale blue skin and eyes of death.
“Sacrifice, Buford. It’s always come down to sacrifice.”
“Sir, what do you mean? Do you have to die?” Buford’s hands fisted at his sides.
Nodding, Beast continued to scowl at his reflection. “Yes, Buford. I’m afraid that’s just what it means.”
“How?”
“I don’t know. Her reappearance leads me to believe one thing, though, Buford.”
“What’s that?”
His eyes met Buford’s in the mirror, and the beast saw the panic he felt shining in his butler’s gaze.
“I’m running out of time. We all are.”
21
The knife was held to his throat with a steady hand. Roz glared at him and tilted her head to the right. Buford an
d Mrs. Hausmeister were nowhere to be seen.
“I see you’re awake,” Beast said.
“Awake and with the need for some answers. Whether you want to give them or not. Come in here.” She directed him into her room and shut the door behind them.
Beast allowed her to escort him inside. It’d take him two seconds to get the butter knife out of her hands and knock her out, but he didn’t want to hurt Roz. So, he followed beside her and did what she said.
“You want answers?”
“Yes. I think it’s time for you to finally be honest.”
“Are you feeling well?”
“I spent all night coming to the realization that you have all the answers, and I have none of them.”
“So, you plan on cutting me or killing me?”
“Threatening you seemed like a brilliant idea, but I won’t rule out the eventuality of having to take you out.”
Blinking, he worked on not smiling. “You have a very high opinion of your abilities.”
She gripped his arm tighter, and the knife was a smidge closer. “I’m top of my class. I’m very good at defense, and my offense isn’t bad either.”
He didn’t respond to that, but said, “Can you give me some breathing room?”
Roz hesitated. Should she trust him? “Are you going to leave?”
“No. I promise I’ll stay.”
“Good. Now, are you going to tell me how to end the curse?”
Beast wandered around the room and took a seat at the table. He waved to the other end and waited for Roz to join him. They sat for a few seconds waiting for the other to begin.
“Would you like me to have Buford serve tea?” Beast offered.
Glaring, Roz shook her head. “No, thank you.”
“You have great manners. I’m pleased to hear it come out in such a tone. What do you call it? Growling?”
“No,” she gritted out.
Shrugging, the beast didn’t dare smile. “I’ll take your word for it. Are you sure you don’t want anything to eat or drink? Coffee?”
“Are you going to get started? I’ve had enough sitting around here trying to figure out how you’re here and over a century old. It’s also irritating not to know what the curse is or how to end it. I have family to get back to so start talking.”
“Did you remember what happened?”
Roz slammed her hand on the table and raised the other still holding the knife. “I’m finished with this back and forth. Start talking. I heard you screaming this morning. What was that about?”
Sighing, the beast rolled his shoulders back. “To begin, I had an episode this morning. I can’t go into it right now. However, it reminded me of the day the curse began.”
“Which was when?”
“They didn’t teach you anything at your school, did they?”
“Stop evading the questions!” Roz demanded.
The beast folded his hands on the table and faced her. Shifting, Roz couldn’t look at his eyes. Instead, she looked at the tablecloth and traced the flowers on it.
“Close to a century ago, I had the brilliant idea to storm the Second Kingdom’s gates. I wanted their powers. It was imperative we strike first.”
“I’m assuming the plan didn’t go well.”
“I’d say that’s a fair estimation of the events,” he stated. “Queen Ada found out about my secret attack, and she came to end the scheme. We had a disagreement, and she felt the need to create this fine specimen you see before you.”
Raising her eyes, Roz could tell that underneath his joking demeanor, he wasn’t happy. If anything, he looked sad. The shape of his eyes and the downcast turn of his mouth reminded her of the picture she found last night.
If she looked very closely, she could see the little boy etched into the monster. The corpse beast wasn’t so scary up close. In fact, she felt a small twinge inside of her, and it resembled sadness.
Clearing her throat, she shook her head. “What made you think you could go up against the infamous Second Kingdom?”
“Pride,” he said. “It can be a motivating factor in any decision.”
“So, the rumors of the Second Kingdom turning you into a beast weren’t exaggerated?”
Sitting up straight, he waved his hands over his body. “As you can see, the rumors don’t lie.”
Almost laughing, Roz put her hand over her mouth and sniffed. “Why didn’t Queen Ada just give you a warning?”
“I may have told her I’d never stop attacking until I had what I wanted.”
“You didn’t think that would be a bad idea? If she’s as powerful as you’re saying, didn’t you fear retribution?”
“At the time, I was only thinking about what I wanted and how to get it. I wasn’t afraid of her or what she could do. I’m sure, now, it was a horrible thing to say.”
“Would you do it differently?”
“Making strategies to take down a very well-fortified, heavily super-powered kingdom?”
Roz nodded because she assumed she was supposed to do so. She didn’t think he was asking a rhetorical question.
“Yes. I would most definitely do things differently.”
“I’m glad to hear it. However, you haven’t gotten to the part where we end this curse. Did Queen Ada tell you what to do to end it?”
Beast made a decision. Taking a deep breath, he told her, “No. When I changed, I don’t remember most of what she said.”
Roz’s shoulders slumped.
“She mentioned flowers. Perhaps she means they’re coming back and when they do, the curse will be at an end?” he added.
Nodding, Roz bit her lip and contemplated what he said. “You mean, the flowers are going to come back? How can it be possible? The soil is turning to sludge.”
“Sludge?”
“Yes. Sludge. How do you not know that?”
He shrugged.
“You’re a terrible ruler.”
“I’m quite sure that fact has already been established.”
“What are we going to do? Is there any way you can find out how to end it? Will the flowers signal an end to the curse or our world?”
“I don’t know, Roz.” He stood up.
Jumping out of her chair, knife raised, she asked, “Where are you going? We’re not finished! You have to know more than you’re saying.”
It was as if she could see into his mind. Worried, he avoided her gaze and inched toward the door. The knife kept raising higher, and he waited for her to let it loose.
“If I remember anything, I’ll let you know. We’ll keep an eye out for the flowers. Have you had breakfast?”
“I’m not hungry. You haven’t told me anything. Beast, this is serious. People are sick and dying!”
“I know. I’m going to go see about breakfast, and we can continue talking at the dining room table.”
“Don’t walk out!”
Beast stopped at the door but didn’t turn around. He looked at the wooden door and tried to formulate another response.
“I’ll meet you downstairs,” he added.
The knife lodged in the door frame to the left of his head and quivered in the wood.
“Those knives are a lot sharper than I suspected,” he murmured before walking out the door.
The crash transpired as he made his way down the hall, and he suspected it was one of the statues from her dresser. He continued on his way and wondered how he’d avoid telling her the truth.
“Stupid beast!” she shouted after him.
The statue had collided with the floor after she’d hurled it at the door. Thankfully, it hadn’t broken, or she would have felt bad. She did wish for a second it had been his head.
“I’m going to have to work on my aim. His head is smaller than I thought it might be.”
She picked up the statue and looked into its beady black eye. “I’m sorry I threw you, again. You have a lovely mane. I’ve never seen a horse because we don’t have any, but I’d like to think you’re a beautiful represen
tation.”
After replacing it on the dresser, she ran a finger along the red-brown wood. “Just as I supposed, it’s clean. Where’s all the dust I saw when I snuck in here two nights ago with my team?”
Knowing she already knew the answer to her question, Roz froze. Whipping her head around, her eyes found the door again.
“He didn’t lock the door. He didn’t lock the door!”
Running to the door, she opened it. No one was in the hallway. Yanking on the knife, it took a few extra pulls as well as boot leverage to get it out.
“Time to get answers.” She headed to the dining room.
“Buford, we’ll need coffee and tea. What’s Mrs. Hausmeister making this morning?” Beast asked as he poured his own cup and sat at the table.
“Do you want me to get you anything, sir?”
“Stop with the ‘sir’, and yes, could you make some more coffee? I think I’m going to need a lot.”
“Why? Did something occur?”
“Roz wants answers. If I’m to talk to her about this, I’m going to need a gallon of coffee. Now, what’s Mrs. Hausmesiter making?”
“King Ezra, what exactly are you telling Miss Roz?”
“I appreciate your nonuse of ‘sir’, but if you’re graduating to ‘king’, we’re going to have to discuss your penchant for synonyms. Also, if you’d be so kind as to inform me what Mrs. Hausmeister is preparing, I’d be grateful.”
Rolling his eyes, Buford said, “She’s making pancakes this morning with eggs and sausage. Is there something you wanted to request?”
“Did you just roll your eyes at me? Buford! I’ve never seen you roll your eyes at me!”
“I’m so sorry, sir. I mean, King Ezra. I’m sorry.”
Holding up a hand, Beast said, “I never thought I’d say this, but it’s completely fine. It’s actually nice.”
“I’ll pretend I understand what you’re saying, sir. Now, was there anything else you wanted to request?”
“No, pancakes sound delicious.”
“Are you going to tell me what you plan on sharing with Miss Roz?”
The Four Tales Page 38