Page 16

Annalise

B reakfast is sent to my room with the king’s “apologies.” He has been called away to tend to much more important matters leaving me the morning and afternoon to myself. I am wholly grateful for this as I have no idea how I would be able to face him in my current state, let alone eat breakfast.

My fingers still tremble from the thought of last night. Cyrus was different than he’s ever been with me or any beast. It was as if his conscious mind wasn’t intact, and his lust was leading him. I suck in a trembling breath looking at my naked body in the mirror. The bruises are beginning to change color from the bath, more than likely. The warm water did little to soothe my aches or my nerves.

My gaze shifts to the seal on my ribs.

When Cyrus gave me his seal, something changed in him that night. Up to that point, he had been growing fond of me, yes, but when he gave me his seal, it was as if something between us snapped inside of him. The memory is vivid in my mind of the night he told me to use his name. The next day, he told me to return to him. My mind was clouded by the idea that, for once, gaining his favor benefitted me. He was kind to me, confusing me with what I should have been feeling and what I felt.

I press my palm against my stomach, remembering the days Ciel made it swell as he grew inside of me. I don’t know how Cyrus went for so long without impregnating me when I was a slave. I can only hope that now, as a noble, he won’t take his lust too far again. But if last night was any indicator of how he will be, I may need to worry in the future.

It takes the remainder of the morning to get me properly dressed for the day. The dress I wear tightens and pulls in the places Cyrus left heavy bruises, making it difficult for Joan to tighten without me hissing in pain.

“Usually, you would have an itinerary for the day, but seeing as you have been given a title through the king’s word and not through blood, you have no familial duties. So you may spend your morning doing whatever you please,” Joan says, watching me in the reflection.

I turn away from the mirror, looking at Joan in confusion.

“I haven’t been restricted from going anywhere?” I ask.

Joan once again shakes her head.

“No, Your Grace. You are free to roam the estate as you please.” Joan watches me before stepping closer to me and gently grabbing my hand.

“You must take pleasure in the small victories, Your Grace. The king is rewarding you,” she whispers with a smile.

I slowly nod my head, understanding what she means. Freedom around the estate is the kind of victory I can gain from earning my place at Cyrus’s side. Although it came at a heavy price, I must take solace in knowing that I have done well. I have somewhat quelled Cyrus’s anger.

Joan steps back, bowing once more.

“I have my own duties to tend to. Prim will be taking my place by your side for the day,” she says.

A small beast steps forward with her head lowered as she bows to me. Her hair is pale blonde and held out of her face in the usual bun that the staff wears in the beast society. Joan doesn’t wait as she leaves the both of us making her way up the hall. For the first time since my discovery, I have been left alone. There are no beasts secretly watching me, no Felix to frighten me, and no Dimitri or Danielle to make my heart swell.

I silently turn to face the open window that gives me a view of the massive courtyard. My chest aches as I think of how much Ciel would love the open spaces. Of course, I miss my son every hour we are apart, but I can no longer let it affect me openly. I have only just begun earning Cyrus’s favor. I must also earn his favor as not only a beast but as the king.

I spend the rest of the day in the library. The beast history is interesting to read, if anything. Reading the texts makes me curious about how foolish the human race was to wage war against Cyrus and his kingdom. Whoever the humans are that began this war must have done it out of their own personal pride without thinking of the consequences their people would endure for it.

The wars of the beast empire don’t compare to the human war. According to history, the beast wars destroyed lands and wiped out kingdoms. The kingdom left standing was the winner. I assume this is why Cyrus is so feared. Avalor is the oldest kingdom, meaning they’ve never lost a war. Cyrus comes from a line of terrifying and powerful leaders. It must also be why the beasts are so grateful to have a powerful beast like Cyrus leading them. He can’t lose in a war meaning their lives and livelihoods will be safe. And one day, this will be Ciel’s job.

“I didn’t know you could read.”

I jump at the sound of Cyrus’s voice, dropping the book I’m holding. Prim immediately scurries to pick it up, but I kneel with her, grabbing it before she can. Her gaze whips up to mine in horror and shifts to Cyrus. She remains on her knees with her head bowed, waiting for something. I gasp when Cyrus rips the book from my hands, tossing it back to the ground. Prim immediately reaches for it, holding it out to him, and he grabs it from her.

“Leave us,” he snaps.

I watch in shock as she leaves the room, the doors closing behind her, echoing off the walls.

“You don’t pick up things you drop. And you especially don’t debase yourself to the same level as a servant,” Cyrus says.

Irritation laces his voice as he tosses the book onto the nearest table. I mentally note that we’re in this situation because he debased himself with a slave, but I decide to keep the sly comment to myself as he sits next to me. He silently eyes me, and I immediately straighten my spine and level my breathing. He chuckles, leaning back in his seat.

“So you can be taught,” he says.

“Our culture is the way that it is for a reason: the strong rule and the weak serve. You need to understand that you are not to be caught doing anything that they would do. You are no longer a slave. You are a noble. Do not tarnish your title with something so insignificant as picking up a book,” he says.

“My apologies, Your Majesty,” I murmur.

Felix scolded me for the same thing on more than one occasion.

“Did you learn to do that when you ran away?” he asks.

It takes me a moment to realize he’s referring to me reading.

“I’ve always known how Your Majesty. My father taught me when I was young,” I say.

He chuckles softly, raising a brow at me.

“What would a human need with reading?” he asks in amusement.

“Well, it wasn’t a luxury in my village. Everyone learned.” I keep my eyes trained on him as I speak, unable to read his emotions as he glares at me.

“Well, what have you learned?” he asks, gesturing to the book.

“I learned of the wars… and what they entailed for the beasts. It must have been quite devastating to wipe out so many,” I say.

Cyrus raises a brow in confusion before laughing.

“You think the wars were what wiped out the people?” he asks.

Now, it’s my turn to be confused.

“The text says the wars destroyed lands and wiped out kingdoms. What could have if not the wars—”

I trail off as Cyrus’s laugh fills the air. I am overcome by awe from the pleasure on his face. His head tilted back to express his amusement.

“It’s no wonder you are so clueless about everything that happens around here.” He gently places his finger under my chin, warmth emitting over my body as he heals me from last night’s romp. For once, his dark gaze twinkles in the delight I saw before I ran, his guard down only slightly.

“I don’t know whether to be impressed or disappointed at your lack of knowledge when you have just given birth to one of us yourself,” he laughs.

He suddenly stands from his seat, holding his hand out to me.

“Come. I will show you what a beast truly is.”

My nerves are going to be the end of me at this rate. Cyrus takes us into the forest, far from the estate. Instead of taking two horses like I had hoped, we take one. I tense as we jump another log, my grip around his waist tightening. He doesn’t seem to mind the close proximity. If anything, he took us a more difficult route just so that I could grip him tighter with each jostle.

We finally reach our destination—a large meadow filled with flowers and grass. Cyrus doesn’t hesitate, jumping down from the horse and leading us by the reins to the nearest tree to tie off the horse.

“Did word ever reach you of how the war between beasts and humans ended?” he asks helping me down from the horse.

“No, Your Majesty.”

“Of course not. Why would the truth ever sift its way across the ocean,” he says bitterly as he turns away from me.

I watch his retreating form, deciding to carry on the conversation.

“How did it end?” I ask.

Cyrus turns to face me, a strange expression on his face as he contemplates his answer.

“I ended it,” he says simply.

My chest tightens from his answer, my throat constricting as I fight the urge to run. But Cyrus continues, gesturing to the meadow surrounding us before I can utter a word.

“What do you know of the beasts? What do you truly know?” he asks.

I shake my head.

“Nothing, Your Majesty. My father never told me anything specific. I only ever encountered one when I met you,” I say, pulling his attention.

A smile ghosts its way onto his lips. “How poetic.”

Cyrus turns away from me to walk to the center of the meadow, and I follow close behind as he speaks.

“Our origins date back long before the establishment of human civilization. We were a primal culture that roamed the earth, consuming everything in our path. That is, until we evolved, gaining the ability to take the form of those we once hunted. Through the years, the ability to access our original forms has dwindled, only available to those who sit at the top of our hierarchy—the upper class of society. And while the servants still have speed and strength, they cannot access their original forms. Their true forms. Because they are not strong enough, and that is why those in our society depend on us. Because we have that ability to protect them.”

I try and follow Cyrus’s explanation, but it doesn’t make sense. He’s speaking of shifting and accessing forms, but I have never seen anything like it other than his father, who seemed to take on a different form when he was tortured. I always pushed it to the back of my mind, though, never quite speculating on what it meant.

Cyrus stops walking, turning to face me. He places his hands gently on my shoulders, his eyes searching my face.

“Stay here. And do not move no matter what you see. Or you will cease to exist,” he says.

My eyes widen at his words, but they don’t come off as threatening. They come off as a warning.

Cyrus watches me for a moment longer before stepping away. He walks past the center of the meadow and doesn’t stop until he reaches the far edge. Once again, my nerves come alive as I watch him, waiting for whatever he plans to show me that we had to travel to the middle of nowhere to see.

Cyrus’s horse suddenly grunts, fidgeting wildly to add to my anticipation. Suddenly, the air shifts, growing cold, and Cyrus’s form begins to shift in front of me. I narrow my gaze as black smoke seems to pour from his skin. I blink a few times, trying to make sense of what I’m seeing. It’s similar to when he lost control with me that day, but this time much more intense, pouring from his skin in droves.

A shocked gasp leaves my lips when the smoke consumes his body, growing in size. Sharp, white eyes that light up form on the outside of this creature with teeth that look like daggers, ready to shred anything foolish enough to step in its way. Chills break out across my arms as the temperature continues to drop, as does the ease it takes to breathe. As the beast grows larger, the smoky essence of its form grows as well, covering the meadow.

I take a small step back, my legs trembling before giving out beneath me. The beast continues to grow, spreading further and further, and I notice that the grass and flowers near its form wither and die immediately as if it’s pulling the life out of them. My eyes widen as Cyrus’s words, spoken only seconds ago, plague me.

“Do not move. Or you will cease to exist.”

Death. He meant death. If I touch any of that, I will die. My breathing suddenly seems impossible as I think of his and Felix’s warnings about Ciel. This is what he meant. Ciel would have done this uncontrollably and killed all of us. Even me unintentionally.

The ground beneath me trembles slightly, pulling my attention back to the beast that stands over me, its jowls bared with intent. It’s massive, with black smoke licking at the plant life surrounding it. My heart beats wildly in my chest as I think of all the times Cyrus seemed to be fighting for control. Is this what he was fighting not to release?

A low growl escapes the beast before me as it takes another step, the black mist wildly shifting with its movements. This is how he ended the war. He took the life of every one of his enemies and has been able to the entire time, only holding back because of his father.

My terror can no longer be contained as my instincts overtake me, and I scream.