Page 30 of The Botanist and the Beast

"He's never done that before. First his antlers and now he's lashing out," Oliver said, frowning. "The curse might be accelerating. Shall we tell him we're concerned? He told us to speak up if he ever became too dangerous."

"We knew the curse would consume him over time. But let's not assume it's a problem yet," Jacques said, looking to Theo. "Can you walk us through exactly what happened out there?"

"Well..." Theo swore he could feel the prince's tongue on his shoulder again and his cheeks went hot. "He just aggressively told me not to run. He wasn't exceptionally violent but a bit physical. I upset him and he shifts when overwhelmed. It wasmy fault. It didn't feel like I was dealing with an uncontrolled animal."

"That's not as bad, I guess," Oliver said, still looking distressed. "I understand he wants you to stay but I didn't think it was that important to him that he'd react so harshly."

"I hope you won't hold his outbursts or going to his suite with Lyle against him," Henri said with a tired smile. "Sebastian has a lot on his shoulders, so small things can tip him into an irritable state."

"Right. I'm sure I can smooth it over tomorrow." Theo watched the crackling fireplace, trying not to think of Sebastian in Lyle cuddled by the fire down the hall.

Chapter Nineteen

Theo had planned to apologize to Prince Sebastian the next day but in the morning when he went to the suite, the door was open and no one was inside. He walked up the hall to his room and found a note tacked on the door and a stack of folded clothes on the floor. The note was short and to the point.

Theo,

I will be gone for the day. Stay with Henri, Oliver, and Jacques, or in the suite. Do not venture outdoors under any circumstances.

-Prince Sebastian Adair

P.S. I apologize for how I behaved the other day. It won't happen again. I left you new clothes to replace the ones I ruined yesterday.

Theo looked around the suite and bit his cheek.Sure, Sebastian was mad yesterday, but not looking for my bow and arrow would be a waste.

He started poking around each room passively. Each time he came up empty handed. Eventually, the only space he hadn't check was Sebastian's bedroom.

Cautiously he pushed the door, open hoping the prince wasn't actually sleeping in his bed. It was so cold inside it was a shock to his system. Despite wearing the warmest clothes he had, the icy air seeped into Theo's bones. The window was wide open and harsh winds rushed inside, making Theo shiver. A small pile of snow was on the floor, and a thin layer of frost dusted all the furniture. The canopy bed's light blue curtainsfluttered in the wind and Theo peered at the bed, worried the prince had frozen to death in his sleep.

The bed was empty and the sheets were a tangled mess. Theo could see the spot the prince had curled up like a cat and slept.

Did you sleep here alone or did Lyle keep you warm?Theo brushed the blankets absentmindedly with his fingertips. Then he felt the brush of fabric that didn't match the soft bedding. He tilted his head and tugged it out.

To his surprise, it was his torn tank top from his first attempted escape.What on earth?It was wrinkled and had small tears, suggesting it had been clutched tight with clawed hands.Why is this here?Quickly he placed it back on the bed, trying to make it look as if he wasn't there.How am I even supposed to ask about that?

He searched the room, rummaging through the bureau and a large walk-in closet for any sign of his bow and arrow. It was fruitless, though. Wherever the prince hid his items, they weren't in the suite, so he left and went wandering the halls.

The castle was colder today, and Theo's breath fogged out in front of him as he searched everywhere, from the library to the music room, to a few of the guards’ bedrooms that were unlocked. Theo searched and found nothing. What he did discover was the entire castle was empty. Even the great hall and kitchen was quiet aside from a large pot of bone broth simmering on the stove.Where did everyone go? The prince didn't say they were all leaving in his note, did he?

Having searched everywhere else, Theo made his way to the forbidden east wing, and it was closed off by two large doors. He could feel the chill of the handles through his leather gloves. These doors were locked tight.

If I were hiding a bow and arrow, I'd probably leave it in the forbidden wing that no one enters unless mourning.He tilted his head and thought it over.Maybe I need to checkthe suite again for keys. But if they're in there, what's my plan? Grab them and head straight out while everyone is mysteriously gone?

Peals of laughter up the hall startled him and he quickly dropped that idea since the guards sounded somewhere nearby. Not wanting to be caught trying to break into their mourning room, Theo followed the joyful noise until he stumbled upon a large lounge with every member of the castle tucked inside.

A large fireplace roared in the center of one of the walls, warming the whole room. Some people were chatting on furniture, some were playing cards, and some were looking rather intimate, cuddling in chairs under knitted blankets. Marcel and Collette served large mugs of broth for people to sip on.

"Theo!" Jacques called from the large windows in the back of the room. He waved for him to come over.

As Theo crossed the room, he felt eyes on him but did his best to ignore it. "Why are you all in here?" he asked. "I was certain there was some emergency that took you all away."

"There's a blizzard today." Oliver nodded to the window. "On days like this we try to all stay in one place. It's easier to warm a room over the whole castle."

"I thought that it was colder than usual," Theo said, walking closer to peer outside. The view made his stomach drop. This room was on the back half of the castle, and it gave Theo a view of the rocky rolling mountains and cliffs that seemed to stretch on forever. The angry snow clouds were almost black and churned menacingly as they dumped heavy snowfall over the lands. The winds wailed and shook the windows in their frame. Theo stared in horrified wonder. "This type of weather definitely didn't exist in Quinlan."

"Blizzards can be pretty brutal," Henri said with a sigh. "When it's over we'll see if any damage is done to the castle andcity. Until then, we're just going to stay warm and make it a cozy experience."

"We went looking for you but you weren't in Sebastian's suite, so we assumed you two were somewhere together making up," Jacques said with disappointment.

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