Page 10 of The Botanist and the Beast

It was louder now and reminded Theo of rolling thunder.

Quietly, he crept out of bed, holding a tangle of sheets to his chest to block out its light. The heavy chain attached to the bed scrape lightly on the floor as he walked.

When he got to the door and peered through the keyhole, his heart leapt into his throat.

The dark outline of an animal he'd never seen before was making its way up the hall. It walked on all fours and was long and tall. Its whole body was covered in thick, spotted fur and it had five tails that moved like ribbons in water at its back. It stalked up the hall with a leisureliness only reserved for predators. On its head were two large, lopsided opal antlers that looked like thick, sharp branches with a tangled bramble of thorny grey stems wrapped around them. Blood dripped off them, confirming that whatever this thing was, it had killed recently.

The prowling creature went still mid stride as if it felt Theo's gaze through the door. After what felt like an eternity, it chuffed and stalked lazily up the hall out of sight.

Theo sank to the floor.Is that beast the prince's version of a guard dog? Are there more?With his heart pounding in his chest, he let out a shaky breath.

He took a step back and the floor let out a loud creak and an instant later, a growl cut through the night. The door shook in its frame and Theo let out a startled scream as he stumbled back. The sheets wrapped around his ankles and sent him crashing to the floor.

This only spurred the beast on more. It clawed wildly down the door, sending splinters of wood clattering. The scent of dried blood grew stronger. The hinges rattled, ready to pop off and let the beast into Theo's cage.

He scrambled backwards on the floor until he was pressed up against the wall under the window.

The door cracked as the creature rammed the door with a snarl.

"Sebastian?" a voice called.

Abruptly, at its master's name, the creature abruptly stopped. The heavy paws faded into the dark as it continued its journey up the hall.

Theo's whole body trembled and as he sat wide awake, he kept his eyes trained on the door, worried the beast would come back.

Chapter Nine

His eyes burned with exhaustion, but he was too scared to move or take his eyes off the door. The beast had done so much damage, it wouldn’t hold if it came back. Just when he debated crawling back in bed, he heard the familiar chaos of the veil. With aching wrists, he awkwardly stood and looked out the window across the winter wasteland. Compared to the world outside the gates, this place was dreary. The snow continuously fell from the thick blanket of pale clouds that swallowed up the sky.How did such an alluring prince come from such a desolate place?

The roar grew louder and then a wall of fog rushed over the castle and rolled across the kingdom like a lone tidal wave of white. Snow swirled, and trees shook wildly as it disappeared into the distance.How curious to see the veils connection to our world is being pulled away from the inside.Adora, I hope you're back in our world and racing home.

He peered down and guessed he was maybe four stories up. Drumming his fingers on the windowsill, he thought over his escape options.Even if I could get the door open, there's an animal roaming the hall so that's not an option. Maybe I climb out the window? If I catch a branch on the way down, it'd hurt but I wouldn't die. But then what?He scanned the grounds and in the distance, he saw the city.If I went straight to the city, the guards would find me as quick as they found me and Adora the other night. So how am I getting to the gate?

"Sebastian should have killed him," a gruff voice said below. "What is he thinking having a human on a leash? What a waste of resources."

Theo spotted a trio of guards walking together. The first thing he noticed was they were all covered in splotches of grey stone on their face and hands, and dry dead, plants poked out of their collars and hair.

Whatever these people are, they seem to be made partially of rock. Maybe they craft and worship the statues in town?

The one doing most of the talking had thick black hair and a strong physique. Theo turned his back to the window so that his glow wouldn't travel out onto the landscape and kept eavesdropping.

"I shouldn't have been surprised," the leader of the group went on. "Sebastian's been making questionable decision for a while now. Perhaps he's slipping."

"Will you discuss it with him?" the lanky blond on his side asked. "He may listen to you if it's approached tactfully."

"Perhaps, but I want to know how stable he is these days. I could provoke him and see if he kills the human himself."

"You don't think that's bit harsh?" the third, a quiet man with light brown hair, asked. He looked stiff with discomfort. "I don't want to keep the human alive either, but I don't want Sebastian under more distress."

"It ends the need for debate, and would give us information about Sebastian's state," the leader said with a shrug. "If that doesn't work, I can tactfully ask him to reconsider the punishment."

Apparently, I need to leave before the prince kills me. Great.Once the trio made their way out of earshot, Theo went back to planning his escape route with the little he knew about this place. He settled on a plan to avoid the city, get to the woods, and navigate his way to the gate at nightfall. Theo turned hisattention to the chain he was attached to.What good is a plan if I'm stuck?He tugged it and groaned.What kind of man has prisoners so much that he has hooks on the end of his beds?

After some poking around the desk, bathroom, and under the bed, he discovered there was absolutely nothing useful in this little room. He huffed and rattled the chain again in frustration.

He kicked the wooden bed leg.I'd need to break it off or—Wait!He awkwardly patted his hip with both hands. To his excitement, he felt his sheathed knife in his back pocket. Awkwardly, he pulled it out and sat down. With sore hands he whacked the leg, and some of the wood chipped away in little flakes. He did it again and again and though it was progress, it was painfully slow.

He hacked away as the morning passed, and by afternoon he was damp with sweat. Coralie and Luna need me. I can do this.

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