“I haven’t come to any solid conclusions, but I’m certain it will be my pedigree and other various facts about Queen Ada and the Second Kingdom.”
“Are you sharing what you told me this morning?”
“Buford, you’re wandering outside of your normal duties. Your questions are bordering on familiar.”
Bowing his head, Buford apologized again and made to leave the room.
“I’m joking, Buford.”
The butler turned but remained standing where he was. His face was the perfect example of calm and inquiring. He looked as he always did.
For a few seconds, Beast welcomed the recognizable. The sight of Buford’s disdain was reassuring. It reminded him of days long ago.
“I’m only sharing what I need to,” Beast admitted.
Buford nodded. “I’ll go fix the coffee now.”
“Thank you!”
His butler’s eyes met his own, and Beast caught the surprise in them before he disappeared inside the kitchen.
“Did you say thank you?” Roz’s voice came from his left, and Beast turned to look at her.
“Why is having manners a surprise?”
Roz came into the room and stopped behind the chair at the end of the table. She didn’t think she’d ever get used to the color of his eyes. Their intense hue was unsettling and wouldn’t look away.
“You having manners surprises me. You just walked out without telling me anything of importance. Do you know how to break this curse?”
“No,” he said, “I don’t know how to break it. However, if you stay long enough, we might be able to find out together.”
Immobilized, Roz didn’t know what to say. He’d already told she had to stay until she got her memory back, and now he was asking her to stay. The beast was insinuating that they could find out the solution to the curse together.
“Is there a possibility of us finding out how to break it?”
One nod, and he waited in silence for her to respond.
“Can my door stay unlocked?” she asked.
“Since you know how to unlock it, I’m guessing there’s no reason to bolt it.” His voice was amused, and the corners of his eyes scrunched as though he was going to smile.
“You knew?”
“It’s my castle.”
“You’re just guessing, aren’t you?”
He pointed to his ears. “These babies pick up on everything. I could hear you trying to annihilate the lock. Impressive how long it took you.”
“I had a butter knife and a bobby pin! I’m shocked it actually even worked, and how come you didn’t follow me? Weren’t you worried I’d leave?”
“No. Once you saw the library, I knew you’d stick around.”
Biting her cheeks, Roz tried not to grin. She lost the battle. Her smile was wide and bright. Beast watched her eyes crinkle and her cheeks flush.
“Your library is fabulous. I’ve never seen so many books in one place.”
“Does this mean you’ll stay?” he asked.
Biting her lip, Roz swallowed and didn’t answer right away. Do I stay or not?
“Please?” he added.
Roz swallowed and took a deep breath. “For a few days, I believe I can manage it. How long will the spell you have on the town work?”
“For a few more weeks, at least. I can always reinstate it, if necessary.”
Taking a seat, she plopped onto the cushioned chair and parked her elbows on the table. The wood didn’t feel comfortable, but she dropped her chin into her palms anyway.
Buford entered with Mrs. Hausmeister behind him. They placed full cups of coffee in front of the beast and Roz. Buford made sure to pile the plates high with food from the sideboard and deposited it in front of Roz before doing the same for the beast. He bowed to them both and retreated to beside the door.
Mrs. Hausmeister arranged the tea kettle and coffee beside the food before curtseying and disappearing back inside the kitchen.
“Will there be anything else?” Buford inquired.
“No, thanks, Buford. Go have your own breakfast.”
“Thank you, sir. I already ate.”
“Buford.”
“I mean, no thank you, Ezra. I’ve already eaten.”
Sighing, Beast turned an eye in his direction and waved at him. Taking the hint, Buford lowered his head for a brief moment and disappeared.
“Ezra?” Roz questioned as she added syrup to her pancakes.
“It’s my name.” He shrugged and dug into his eggs.
Putting the glass jar down, she smiled. Even though she knew what his response would be, she asked, “Your real name is Ezra?”
“Yes. It is. King Ezra, if you must know.”
“Has anyone called you Ezra in the last century?”
“Buford. He’s loyal. Mrs. Hausmeister refers to me as King Ezra, I suppose.”
“I could tell. It’s an admirable character trait. Does anyone else call you Ezra?”
“Not for a long time. Most people like to refer to me as the beast. On account of my beastlike appearance.”
“You look more like a vampire than a beast,” she corrected him.
Chewing and swallowing, he asked, “They taught you about the difference between beasts and vampires in school?”
“I’ve seen pictures. It’s one of the books which survived the apocalypse. Of course, that’s in amongst training to kill said beasts and vampires,” she teased.
“Your aim is really bad,” he joked.
Taking a bite, she scrunched her nose and shook her head at him. They ate for a few more minutes, and Roz considered what he told her. He had a point. Her aim was bad. She didn’t understand why she kept missing when she was one of the top five in her class.
“Are you doing something to my aim?” she accused.
“Why would I do something to your aim?” he wanted to know.
“You’re throwing it off, aren’t you? You’re causing me not to hit you. Will the curse end if I kill you?”
Shaking his head, he started to choke. Gagging, he covered his mouth with a napkin. He drank some water, and Buford stuck his head out of the kitchen.
“Sir, are you all right?”
Beast nodded.
“Are you sure?” Roz asked.
He nodded again. Buford came out of the kitchen and replenished his water. Standing nearby, the butler didn’t leave until the beast waved him out of the room.
“Does this mean the answer to my question is yes?”
“No! Killing me isn’t the solution. Why would you think such a thing?”
“You haven’t told me what the resolution is, so I have to guess. Plus, my aim is usually perfect. It’s not as if your head is a small target.”
“Are you saying I have a big head?”
Roz shrugged. “It’s a big enough mark. You have to agree with me.”
“On how big my head is?”
“It must be really big when you decided to go up against a powerful kingdom in the hopes of taking their powers.”
“Touché,” he agreed. “I made a bad choice.”
“Bad choice is an understatement. I just want to know what’s wrong with my aim. Are you doing something to it?”
“No, I’m not doing anything to your aim.”
Her head tilted backward, and she rested it on the back of the chair. The ceiling was white and normal looking with a large chandelier hanging over the table. How could it be so perfect when life was awkward and strange and not right. She groaned.
“Are you all right?” the beast asked.
“No. My aim. I’m very good at throwing things. I’ve practiced a lot at it, and it was a huge part of my training.”
“And?”
“It was right up there with tossing people over my shoulder. Combat is easy for me. How come I couldn’t hit you? Even once?”
“You didn’t take into account I’m a monster with insane reflexes?”
Head tilting upright, she glared at him. “You’re
not helping. I’m supposed to be killing you. If I don’t find a way to break this curse, I’m letting everyone down. I’m right here! In the lair! I should be able to make this work!”
“You screeching at me is kind of painful,” he muttered.
He didn’t think her eyes could narrow any further, but they did. They were tiny slits with peeps of black shining through. He scratched his chin and shrugged.
“Breakfast is normally a peaceful affair in which people eat more and talk less,” he said.
“I’m not supposed to be here eating with you. This goes against my entire life training. I’ve planned to kill you since I was seven.” Her fingers became a duck’s beak and flapped around in front of her face as she spoke.
“This isn’t a conversation I feel comfortable having,” he told her.
She stuffed a bite of pancake into her mouth. Chewing, she continued to cram in bites. He watched her as he began to eat. Both continued for a few minutes without saying anything.
In that time, Roz began thinking of their conversation. She thought through every word, the tone of their voices, and how easily they conversed.
I’ve been sitting here and talking to him as if he’s normal. As if this whole situation is ordinary, and I’m not thinking about killing him. Except, maybe I’m not thinking of killing him anymore.
“Mrs. Hausmeister is great. She knows how to make a fluffy pancake. I’m not even sure when the last time it was I had one.”
“I’m sorry,” he mumbled.
“Excuse me?” Roz’s head popped up, and she wanted to know why her heart started pounded. There was a mysterious feeling in the pit of her stomach.
“I’m sorry,” he mumbled again.
“Could you be more specific? What are you apologizing for?”
He put his fork down and wiped his mouth with his napkin. Sitting back, he met Roz’s eyes and let out an exhale. Nodding, the beast crossed his arms.
“I’m sorry for everything.”
There was a strange prick in her eyes, and Roz thought she might cry. For a second, she blinked repeatedly and assessed why she was reacting this way.
Coffee deprivation, she considered.
Taking a gulp, she almost choked. Swallowing, the lump in the back of her throat allowed passage. Grateful, she set the cup back down.
“Are you okay?” the beast asked, leaning forward.
“Yes,” Roz said. Biting her lip, she added, “Thanks for asking Ezra.”
He smiled. A tiny grin that widened into all out fangs. It was disconcerting, but Roz couldn’t help but return his grin.
“Does this mean I’m forgiven?” Beast asked.
Without hesitation, “Not at all.”
“Oh,” his smile disappeared.
“You created a curse which has effected all mankind,” Roz told him.
His creepy eyes looked sad, and she relented. “I’ll take it under consideration though.”
Realizing this was all she was going to concede, he nodded. “Would you like to read this afternoon? That is to say, after we’ve considered all possibilities of how to end the curse and have analyzed the few words I remember the witch saying to me.”
“What are the words she spoke?”
“Well, from what I recall, she mentioned flowers returning.”
“Wait. There are going to be flowers? Was she smiling when she said this?”
Shaking his head, he said, “No. I’m sure she was being honest. It sounded ominous.”
“How can flowers be ominous?”
“With her tone of voice, it certainly seemed threatening.”
“Ezra, was that the only thing she talked about?”
Shrugging, he took a drink of coffee and continued to eat.
Buford came into the room and began clearing plates. He brought a fresh pot of coffee and took some of the trays from the sideboard. Mrs. Hausmeister came out next to grab a few dishes as well. They didn’t say a word, and Roz felt a little uncomfortable.
“Do you need any help?” she offered.
“Thank you, miss, but we’re fine. Can I get you anything else?”
“No, thank you.”
Roz poured herself another cup of coffee. Standing, she took the coffee to the beast. Without a word, she filled his cup, and he smiled.
“Thank you,” he said.
Nodding, she replaced the container and took her seat.
“Are you finished?” she asked a few minutes later.
“With my coffee? No. With eating all of these pancakes? Yes. I’ve never been fuller.”
“Good. I would like to propose we go to the library and examine everything the queen said to you.”
“You want to talk about flowers for the next several hours?” Ezra quirked a brow.
Roz sighed. “We can check your books to find out when flowers blossom. It may give us a good idea what month they could arrive.”
“You didn’t learn anything at your school, did you?”
Roz made a face at him and shook her head. “It was focused on teaching what has been happening in the last ninety-odd years. None of those things happened to involve flowers. Mainly because we haven’t had any, and I’m sure your aware of why.”
“You make a valid point. I think we’re going to run out of things to dissect in her flower comment.”
Rolling her eyes, Roz pushed her plate out of the way and crossed her arms. She rested them on the table. “Afterward, we can read. I’m almost finished with Persuasion.”
He smiled. “Reading sounds like a nice proposal.”
She smiled back and jumped out of her chair. “Let’s go get started.”
He nodded and stood. They walked out of the dining room together.
22
“Flowers can bloom all year long, Ezra. This could happen at any time. What will it signal? The end of the curse or the end of the world?”
“She didn’t specify. In fact, she wasn’t what you would call talkative. I think she was in a bad mood.”
“Ezra, you were going to war against her kingdom. How happy was she supposed to be?”
Hiding his smile, he felt really happy. She kept calling him Ezra. It was better than calling him the beast. He wanted to know why she was calling him by his proper name, but he didn’t want to ask.
“Are you smiling?” Roz accused him.
Sighing, he shrugged.
“You are! Why are you smiling? You haven’t been helpful at all in trying to decode this flower riddle.”
He held up his hands, and she rolled her eyes. “I was thinking it was nice to hear you call me Ezra.”
“Oh. Do you not want me to call you Ezra?”
“No, it’s agreeable.”
“Agreeable? Are you running out of synonyms for nice?”
He shrugged.
“You have to stop shrugging! It’s annoying. So, we have to wait for the flowers to bloom. Are you sure there isn’t anything else she said?”
“Nothing,” he said.
Closing the book she’d been reading on flowers, she set it to the side and picked up Persuasion. Glaring at him, she started to read her book. He sat and watched her for a few minutes.
“We’re not giving up,” she blurted out.
“I didn’t think we were.”
“This is just a well-timed break. Since you can’t be any more helpful, we’re taking a break.”
“You’ve already made the break part very clear. I encourage breaks. In fact, I’m a huge fan of breaks.”
“Ezra, you’ve been on a break for a century. Believe me when I say, I’m aware you are a fan of breaks.”
Putting his own book down, he gaped at her. “Is that what you think? Do you really think I’ve been sitting around doing nothing all this time?”
Shrugging, she put her own book down. “Ezra, you haven’t broken the curse yourself. You only recall a phrase about flowers, and we’re sitting here trying to make sense out of all of it. I’m beginning to think we’re all doomed.”
Standing, Roz shook her head. “I know you don’t know what to say, Ezra. You’ve made it clear you don’t know what to do or how to fix any of this.”
“I’m sorry, Roz.”
She took a deep breath and exhaled. “I believe you are, Ezra. It’s just I think your apologies are a little late. I’m going to go to my room.”
Beast nodded. He didn’t stop her as she left, and Roz ignored the twinge inside telling her she wished he would. Biting her lip, she went to her room.
Two hours later, Roz was finished with her book and pacing her room. She wanted to leave it, but she didn’t know where to go. This wasn’t her house, and she couldn’t wander around it.
Tapping a finger to her lips, she thought about the mirror. Granted, it was in the beast’s room, but she wanted to check on her father and brother. She hadn’t heard him come upstairs.
“I could slip in and out without him knowing,” she whispered.
Convinced, Roz cracked her door open and looked in the hall. Finding no one and hearing nothing, she hurried out of her room and across to the opposite door. Opening it up, she peeked her head inside. Since it was empty, she entered and closed the door.
“Mirror, show me my father,” she commanded.
He was in the fields working, and he looked happy. She watched him for several minutes. It was boring but comforting.
“I miss you so much,” Roz whispered. “How can you not know I’m gone? Show me Leuthar.”
He was there. Standing outside the training facility with Everett and Nina, she watched her brother smile and shook her head. They were arguing over which way to turn on a move. This wasn’t fair. She should be there with them.
“I’ve failed. I’m failing. This mission hasn’t worked out right, and now, you’re standing there smiling. Did I imagine you getting angry and talking to yourself?”
She watched him for several minutes trying to detect any signs of the sickness. Leaning forward, she stared at his face and noticed a twitch with his left eye. He was wiggling more than usual. It wasn’t a part of his explanation either.
“How can I do this? At this rate, I’ll never get home.”
The Four Tales Page 39