Page 23

Annalise

I recognize the walls around me, and yet I feel no connection to them. I’ve seen them in my memories. I know that behind the sconce with a symbol on it are the halls slaves were once permitted to roam. I know the double stairs lead to what was once Cyrus’s chambers, and I know exactly how to get to each of the ballrooms. I know this palace because I spent a considerable amount of time within it.

I spent those times fearing for my life, and fearing the king of the beasts.

It’s early morning, so most of the palace is either doing chores or still asleep. Either way, it’s the only time I can have a moment to myself outside of my bedroom—our bedroom. Cyrus believes letting me sleep in the room that we were to share would help with my memory, but all it does is make me despise the woman I was.

“Anna?” I tense, turning in the direction of my name to see the king himself standing near the large glass window that overlooks the front of the palace. My body reacts instinctively to his presence as he shifts away from the window, approaching me with an inhuman grace.

This is the first time I’ve seen him in days.

“Your Majesty,” I murmur, bowing slightly.

I hear Cyrus’s soft laughter as he stands over me, his hand reaching for mine.

“It seems you forgot your etiquette as well,” he says gently as he looks at my hand. An unnatural warmth shifts from his palm to mine but I don’t reveal my surprise.

“My apologies—”

“It’s fine… I don’t mind it,” he says.

His tone forces me to look up, and he’s watching me with an intense expression. The deep blue of his gaze swallows me as he does. My chest squeezes from the attention and I quickly pull my hand from his.

“Why are you up so early?” he asks.

I shift my attention past him to the scenery beyond the window. The sun has barely begun its ascent, its rays slipping over the mountainside in the distance to illuminate parts of his kingdom. A kingdom that he decided to make a human the queen of instead of one of his kind.

“In my mind, I’m still a girl from a small village hidden in the trees…all the attention is overwhelming,” I say softly.

Cyrus’s features shift to shock for a moment before he responds.

“I’m sorry. With everything that’s been going on, it didn’t cross my mind to lessen the beasts surrounding you,” he says.

Now it’s my turn to be shocked not only by his admission but also by his apology. Silence passes between us as neither of us is sure what to say. And Cyrus is the one to break the silence.

“I am overseeing a project on the edge of the capital today. Why don’t you join me?” he asks.

I release a breath, wracking my brain for an excuse but Cyrus notices before I can come up with one.

“It will be good for you to get out of the palace,” he says. As much as I want to reject him and hide in my room for the rest of the day, part of me knows he’s right. I miss the sun, the fresh air. And it would be nice to engage in it without the stench of death in the air, or Elias hanging over me, ready to end my life if I make a mistake.

“Okay.”

The beast kingdom is magnificent. It’s no wonder Elias grew jealous of its existence once he saw it for himself. Elias’s kingdom doesn’t compare. The streets are paved and clean, the buildings even more so. They are pristine with architecture that rings with grandeur. The beasts here are very well off, and I see why as I watch their king from a distance away.

He rules in a way that is different from Elias. He doesn’t wait for responses, nor does he lack any form of confidence. As he stands, directing his soldiers to different places on the maps, I see the arrogance Elias spoke of. This beast is a true king. He doesn’t have to prove it as it seemed Elias did. These beasts cling to his every word. He isn’t desperate for anything. He has everything he needs.

“And so she emerges.” I look up as Felix comes to stand next to me, a smirk on his lips as he takes me in. He studies me for a moment, coming to his own conclusion about my mental state before I can even voice it.

“Barely intact, it would seem,” he says with a grin.

“I never said thank you… for saving my and Ciel’s life,” I say softly.

“There’s no need to thank me. It is my duty to protect what is important to the king,” he says dismissively.

I shake my head.

“You put our safety above Dimitri’s…and he almost died because of it,” I say. But Felix doesn’t seem fazed by it.

“Dimitri is bound to the king, same as me. He understood what was at stake,” he says, reaffirming the stoic image I’ve grown to associate with him. I can’t help myself. I laugh.

“You sound like you’re trying to convince yourself more than me.” I find the courage to look at Felix for Dimitri’s sake. “I won’t claim to understand the relationship between you. But Dimitri is more than a sword to discard when he no longer has use. But I don’t need to tell you that, do I?” I say.

Felix’s gaze darkens, but he doesn’t say anything. And for once, I am grateful for Cyrus’s presence.

“Felix!” he calls out to the beast, pulling his attention away from me. And he offers me no parting words as he leaves to approach his king.

The day is spent moving about the kingdom and establishing soldiers within certain areas while inspecting others. I don’t try to understand the purpose of this, as I know Cyrus is the king. But it is nice to have fresh air and a change of scenery for myself. Cyrus is busy the whole day, rarely speaking to me, which leaves me plenty of time to enjoy my surroundings for once. And as the sun finally begins its descent, Cyrus gives me his undivided attention.

“Did you enjoy the day?” Cyrus asks as he dismisses the last group of soldiers.

I watch them silently before answering. “What was the purpose of doing all of this?” I ask.

“Just one of the many duties I must attend to as king,” he says.

I nod, turning to face the palace’s direction. Although we are miles away from it, it sits within the mountain, a waterfall painting its backdrop in the distance. It’s breathtaking from this angle. I can’t help but wonder how Elias ever thought he could attack such a magnificent palace.

“So now we must return, I suppose?” I ask. Even I can hear the defeat in my voice. It may be magnificent, but it feels like a prison no less. It is a prison they want to keep me in until they get their old Annalise back. Same as Elias.

I tense when I feel Cyrus’s hand in mine. His eyes study me in amusement as he brings my palm to his lips.

“Actually, there’s somewhere I’d like to show you.”

I know Cyrus’s tactics immediately as we travel to this new location. Instead of taking two horses, we share one. And he takes me well past the palace and into a wooded area. I’m happy the sun hasn’t set yet, so I can see my surroundings if it comes to it that I need to know where I am. But the path we take is cleared as we travel deeper into the wooded area.

When we finally arrive at our destination, the sun’s rays still peek over the land, casting a warm glow over the clearing as we enter. My eyes widen slightly as I take in the elaborate home that sits in the center of the clearing. It’s large, the first floor cast in stone while the second floor is cast in wood logs. The sconces under the archway have been lit for our arrival, and as Cyrus helps me down from the horse, beasts exit the house.

“Your Majesty, everything has been prepared for your arrival,” one of the beasts speaks bowing to Cyrus.

I tense as Cyrus takes me by the hand, leading me past the servants as he speaks.

“We won’t be needing your services tonight. You may retire,” he says barely sparing them a glance.

I remain silent as Cyrus pulls me along, entering the front of the house. The interior is as magnificent as the exterior, and as we enter the living room, a large fire in the fireplace illuminates the spacious area. I note that Cyrus watches me as I look around the room in awe, my eyes finally landing on the large portrait of a beast above the mantle.

“Before things went south between us, you wanted to know more about me,” he says. “This was my father’s hunting lodge. I rarely come here now. Even when hosting a hunt, I usually return to the palace instead of staying here.”

I tense when Cyrus holds my hand once again, pulling me around to face him.

“I know the palace, Ciel, all of it… is stifling and overwhelming. This is the best I can do for now while you try and regain your memory,” he says eyeing me carefully.

I pull my hand from his grip, taking a step back.

“I already told you. I do not want my memory,” I say.

Cyrus’s eyes darken, but he doesn’t react.

“Anna, you cannot be this stubborn forever. Eventually, you have to make some sort of effort,” he says.

“I won’t. I told you to let me go, Your Majesty. You’re clinging to someone who is no longer here,” I say.

I can see my words provoking him but I don’t care. He needs to understand that he will never see his version of me again.

Cyrus shakes his head in disbelief. “If you could hear yourself—”

”I can hear myself. And I understand what you’re doing. I am not naive. I know you brought me out of the palace to see this world and to quell my desire to leave. I know you brought me here to isolate me so that you can force me to recover what was lost. But I see the world I left behind very clearly. And I want no part of it… not even Ciel,“ I finish.

Silence fills the air. It’s suffocating. I can’t even bring myself to form a coherent thought as I wait for Cyrus to accept my resolve and his loss. He’s silent as he turns away from me, looking into the flames. I watch his form tremble slightly, my eyes widening when I notice black smoke seeping from his form.

I cry out as the seal on my ribs comes alive, the heat startling me.

Cyrus releases a deep laugh, the sound sending a chill up my spine as more smoke covers his flesh in a way much more terrifying than Elias’s did. And finally, Cyrus turns to face me, the smoke that covers his body pouring from his skin in droves as he stares at me with an emotionless gaze.

“You are right. You are not the Annalise I love.”

My eyes widen, and I take a step back, tripping over myself as he steps forward. The intensity of the smoke leaves a bone-chilling mist in the air. I stare up at Cyrus in shock as his body slowly disappears into that of a creature I cannot decipher, the black smoke consuming him as his eyes darken.

“But I will have her back. One way or another.”