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Simpletons. I am surrounded by simpletons. Pinching my nose, I demand, “Well, then wheredoeshe reside?“ I’m going to wear a hole in my favorite shoes with all the impatient tapping I’m doing today.
After several minutes, the mirror responds, “He was in Granton, my queen, but now sails for the Forbidden Isles.”
My body stiffens. No one goes to the Forbidden Isles. A group of gods-forsaken islands, they are desolate and inhospitable. There’s only one reason anyone would be idiotic enough to go there.
My screech rings through the palace. “Bring me Alaric the huntsman!”
Throwing back the tapestries, I lean out the window, bracing my hands against the stone sill. Dawn breaks, weak tendrils of light reaching up from the horizon to tear back the darkness. Already steady shouts come from outside the castle’s gates as villagers with pitchforks and torches vie for my attention.
“Give us food. Stop taxing us to death. Where are our children?” I mock under my breath. I am tired of their demands. Their petty little grievances mean nothing to me. A month ago, they were there in their hundreds, but as my magic slowly seeps into the land, its insidious claws working through the soil, their numbers have dwindled. Now a mere fifty or so remain, the others having either perished or succumbed to my control.
Stepping away, I ring for my maid to ready me for the day. After she leaves, I turn toward the bed, my mouth curling into a smirk. Silas lays propped against the headboard, pillows cushioning his back. His black eyes stare at nothing while a line of drool steadily spills from the corner of his mouth.
It took far longer than I could have imagined, but now that Elspeth has been dead all these years, and I removed Snow White from his sight, he has finally become the puppet I so needed him to be.
There’s nothing left of the man. He’s a shell for me to use and fill, then discard until I have use for him. The people have been clamoring to see their king, and I’ve heard the whispers they think to keep from me. They speculate that he is dead, perhaps by my hand, or some foul poison. Or that he has perhaps been imprisoned, kept from his people.
Today, I find myself thirsting for amusement. The people want to see their king? I will give them their king. And a show they won’t soon forget.
Chapter 10
Cassian
Wavescrashagainstthesides of the ship, the spray a welcome relief from the intense heat of the sun. Breathing deeply of the brine-scented air, I stand at the bow of the ship, looking out over the seemingly endless ocean before me. The mermaid figurehead, with her generous breasts and mane of red hair, keeps vigil over the rolling white-capped waves, protecting us from storms on our voyage.
After Beast finished filling me in on all the secrets my father had kept from me, he spent the next few months training me on all things shifter. My first shift was painful and terrifying, but breathtaking and thrilling. I learned how to fight in this new form of mine, how to hunt, and even how to fly.
I’ve shot up several inches, and am broader and even more muscular than before. All hints of boyishness have been eradicated, and a part of me grieves for the lost innocence of youth.
When Beast declares I have learned all I can from him, he once again takes me into the west wing. He withdraws a large golden bowl from a shelf and sits it on the mahogany table next to me. It has an unusual design; while the base and sides appear to be like any other bowl, the edge is flattened and has runes carved into it. Pulling a flask out of a drawer, Beast carefully fills the bowl, then waves a hand over the top.
“Ask it to show you your heart’s desire,” Beast commands.
Leaning forward—and feeling particularly ridiculous—I do as he asks. When the liquid in the bowl lights up, I jerk back in surprise, then lean forward when a picture emerges. An emaciated girl with short, butchered hair curls into a corner, her mouth open in a scream as she weakly fights off disembodied hands that reach toward her. It takes me a moment to realize it’s Snow White, and my eyes immediately fill with tears as my heart wrenches painfully in my chest.
I could easily pass her in the street and not recognize her. Staring at her image, I document the abuse she’s suffered. Someone will pay for what they have done to her.
Gritting my teeth, I leap to my feet, glaring at the Beast. “All this time you have had a way for me to see her, and you denied me?”
Beast comes to his feet, knocks his chair over, and leans his fists against the table as he glares back. “And what would you have done if I had shown you when you first arrived? Hmm? Gone running back to her? You would have been killed, and she would be left with no hope, or dead alongside you.”
“I could have—“ I start angrily, then stumble back a step when Beast growls.
“You could have what? You barely knew how to fight. Your education was laughable. What would you have done the first time you shifted without any guidance?”
I lower my head, shame filling me. The Beast provided me with so much, had stuck with me through painful shifts, and had patiently taught me everything I know. I wouldn’t get far without the help he’s provided me, and I know it.
Beast moves around the table and places a hand on my shoulder. “Your feelings for the girl are clear. I’ve taught you everything I can, but there’s one more thing you must do before going to her.”
My fists clench on hearing this. She needs me. She must think I’ve abandoned her, forgotten about her and my promise. She needs to know I’m coming back for her. “What else?” I ask wearily.
“A message arrived yesterday. The Oracle has requested your presence. I have arranged a ship to transport you to the Forbidden Isles.”
My eyes fly wide. “It will take months to get there! I’ve already been gone far too long.”
Beast’s nostrils flare. “Do you wish to know what my spies have informed me? Valderán is dying. The sorceress calling herself a queen is slowly poisoning the land and the people. Once she has fully conquered the kingdom, she will move on to the next until the whole continent falls before her. Think you can defeat her on your own? Or do you just plan on rescuing the princess and hiding her away? What will you do when Morana has destroyed everything?”
I study my feet, my cheeks turning red under his questions. I need to stop thinking like a love-sick child. “Apologies, my lord.”
