Page 12 of The Botanist and the Beast

With a muted thud, Theo crashed into a pile of snow. He grit his teeth to stifle a cry as twigs, icicles, and snow fell on his head. The shock of the cold and pain radiated through him as he lay there squeezing his eyes shut. His sleeveless shirt and pants were damp and if he didn't get to warmth soon, he was sure he'd freeze to death.

Get up. I need to get up.Awkwardly he got to his feet and stumbled forward, shivering and limping as he went.

"You see anything yet, Lyle?" a voice called.

In a panic, Theo dove into a patch of bushes covered in dead leaves and lay on the ground, pressing his glowing chest as close to it as possible to snuff out its light. The cold snow on his skin stung, but he didn't dare move. He watched as Lyle, who turnedout to be the man who suggested they get the prince to kill him, strolled to the spot under his window.

"Interesting." He kicked one of the fallen branches with a boot and chuckled. "Human, I see signs of you tonight and I won't hesitate to hunt you like one of the other roaming animals, understand? Be gone my morning."

"Lyle?" the voice called again.

"It was nothing but a rodent," he called back. "Let's check the other side of the yard."

Grateful to only be called a rodent and not recaptured, Theo let the insult roll off and darted for the gate.

The relentless wind, his ragged breathing, and the crunch of snow under his quick feet were the only sounds as he fixated on his escape. The winter cold seeped further into his bones, making him shiver. Finally, he made it to the forest of tightly packed, bare trees.

He weaved through them, looking for any sign of the metal gate. Even if it wasn't the exit, he could follow along it until he found a place to squeeze through the bars. Through the wind he heard the faint call of the veil's heartbeat beckoning him back to the flowers. But no matter how far he ran, nothing but identical trees came into view. This went on for so long he figured he must have somehow gotten turned around in the dark.

Exhaustion and frustration took over and he slowed down to regroup.Left or right? Did I pass that toppled tree already?The snap of a twig made him stop in his tracks.

Did the guards find me already? Maybe Lyle sent them after me after all.A gruff growl came from the shadows and his heart slammed in his chest.

Frantically, he unsheathed his knife and clutched it in his bound hands. There was the steady sound of branches cracking, announcing something's approach.

Then out of the forest, knocking down one of the brittle trees, a bear with black fur covered in snow lumbered out. Like everything else here, it was infected by the veil. Its body was that of a bear, but its face was skeletal around his eyes. Its ferocious teeth were bared at him. Its eyes glowed a bright green that shined in the night. It let out a deafening roar and then Theo was flying.

Only when he smacked against the thick trunk of a tree did he register that the bear swiped at him and sent him tumbling like a rag doll.

The heat of blood spread down his arm, promptly followed by a sharp sting of pain. Deep scratches ran down his arm and, due to his bound hands, he couldn't put pressure on the deep wounds or crawl away with any grace. He heard the bear charging and knew outrunning it was useless. Instead, he pulled his arms up, covered his head, closed his eyes, and curled into a ball. He braced for sharp teeth but instead a pained screech rang out into the night.

To his shock, Prince Sebastian was standing over him. He had a spear gripped tight in his hands, the end of it plunged deep into the bear’s chest. The bear reared back, making the spear come loose. It roared at Sebastian as if challenging him to a fight.

"Take this and run," Sebastian said, tossing Theo a silver key on a dark blue ribbon before lifting his spear again and readying for another attack.

Theo fumbled the little key with his numb hands as he ran as fast as he could. He crouched at the base of a tree and after some fiddling, the shackles fell into the powdery snow. He let out a sigh of relief and rubbed his sore wrist.I should run. The gate can't be too far.Despite telling himself, this he couldn't help himself. He peeked around the tree to watch the prince battle the bear.

Prince Sebastian was dodging swipes of the bear and stabbing into its fur again and again, spilling blood onto the snow. It didn't do much but anger the bear.

With another swift swipe, the bear snapped the spear in half with its claws.

The prince crouched down to the ground and Theo's heart raced. What is he doing? Don't be stupid! Run!

Then, as if his spine was being pinched and pulled towards the stars, the prince’s body bowed upward. His limbs bent, stretched, and rapidly grew. Fur sprouted from his skin, and he let out a cry that devolved into a loud, animalistic growl.

He burst through his clothes, leaving them in shreds on the snow. Where the prince once stood, there was now a large leopard as otherworldly as the bear.

Its fur was pale white, and its rosettes were a smoky grey. Five tails fanned out behind it like a peacock. It had two large lopsided antlers made of glittering opal that matched its one opal eye. The stone shined in the dark as if a rainbow flame lived within them. Grey, thorny stems were tangled around his antlers like vines.

What is he?Theo's mind struggled to comprehend what he was looking at. If he didn't see the transformation for himself, he wouldn't have believed the hissing creature in front of him was the prince.

A battle of claws, teeth, and growls played out in front of him. The bear pinned Prince Sebastian on his back and raked claws over his belly.

The shriek he let out pierced Theo's heart. He snatched his shackles from the snow and ran toward him before he could think.

He came up behind the bear, swung the chain, and lassoed its neck. The wooden leg of the bed pressed tight on its throat. Tugging hard, he forced the bear to rear back and choke. As soonas there was an opportunity, Sebastian pounced. His powerful jaws snapped down on the bear's neck, chain and all. With a sickening snap, it collapsed dead in the snow.

"Well done!" Theo dropped the chain and as the adrenaline wore off struggled to catch his breath. He looked at the prince and saw blood dripping onto the frost. "Let me help you with your wounds. They look pretty bad."

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