Chapter Four

 

 

I bathed in the most luxurious bathroom I'd ever been in. I'd say it was the most luxurious room period, but my bedroom surpassed it. The tub was gold, set upon a stone dais, and buckets of steaming water floated in through the open window to fill it. I had soaked for awhile and washed my hair, another bucket of clean water coming in just when I needed to rinse. This invisible servant thing was pretty amazing.

When I finally emerged from the bathroom, I found the armoire open and a canary-yellow dress hung over one door. I scowled at the thing.

“Yellow?” I asked the empty room. “Not with my skin tone.”

The armoire shivered in affront, and a mass of silk came shooting out at me. I caught it and held it out for an inspection. It was pale pink, so pale that it was nearly white–just a blush of color. I smiled and put it on. It swooped a little low in front for my taste, but it was beautiful, with full skirts and a pearl-encrusted bodice.

“Much better,” I said. “Thank you.”

The armoire seemed satisfied.

As I combed my hair, I went to the bedroom window. It was a bay window with a padded seat filling its outward curve. I knelt on the cushion and peered out of the glass. One of the brother beasts was in the garden, taking a stroll as he read a book. I lifted my brows at that. Where there was one book, there were usually more.

Before I could turn away to search the castle for this book stash, a rabbit scampered across the path before the beast. He noticed the Prince's presence too late and made a mad dash back into the bushes. But the rabbit had run blindly and got himself tangled in the underbrush. The Prince put his book down and crouched before the bushes. I could see him speaking to the terrified bunny, but I was too far away to hear his words. He freed the rabbit and then gently let it go. The bunny ran off without a backward glance.

The Beast Prince sighed and stood, looking after the rabbit forlornly. I saw then that it was Blaise, the beast with the palest fur. He walked off, forgetting his book in the grass.

“You left your book!” I called down to him.

He just kept walking.

“Your loss,” I huffed and hopped off the bench.

I had a new mission, to get to that book. A book in the hand was worth two rabbits in the bush, or something like that. Either way, I wanted to save that book from the elements. It had nothing to do with any curiosity I may have had over what Blaise had been reading.

I slipped out of the bedroom and hurried downstairs. No one was in sight as I opened the main doors of the castle and ran down the steps to the garden. I looked around for Blaise, but I didn't see him, so I headed down the winding garden path toward where I had seen him leave the book.

It didn't take me long to find it. I lifted the leather-bound book triumphantly and then sighed over the expensive binding. I flipped to the title and blinked in surprise. It was a collection of poetry. Poetry; the beast liked poems. I thumbed through the pages in fascination, stopping now and then to read the beautiful words.

“I believe that is mine,” Blaise purred.

“Is it?” I asked as I looked up from the book. “I found it discarded on the path. I believe that makes it mine.”

“Finding something doesn't make it yours.” He stepped closer, his eyes catching the sunlight.

They were a pale, sky-blue, and I realized that each of the beasts had eyes of a different shade of blue. Lancelot's were dark blue and Audric's had a touch of gray.

“Then what does?” I asked him. “How do you make something yours?”

“Several ways.” Blaise eased even closer. “You can claim it, as one would a piece of land. You can steal it and be labeled a thief. Or you can be honorable, and pay for it.”

“And what would this book cost me?”

Blaise leaned in toward me, his eyes holding mine hostage as his warmth became my own. I felt my lips part, my skin going sensitive to the feel of his fur–just grazing my hand as he reached for me. I began to lean closer, my gaze dropping to his mouth, his perfectly human lips. Then he snatched the book from my hand and jerked back.

I stared at him in shock.

“How about a stroll through the gardens?” Blaise held his arm out to me.

“A stroll?”

“In exchange for the book,” he said with a twinkle in his eye. “But it's only a loan. This is one of my favorites, and I don't think I could bear to part with it.”

“Alright,” I agreed. “I think that's a price I'm willing to pay.”

But deep inside, I knew better. There was a lot more that I would have given Blaise, and even more that I wanted in return.