Page 5 of The Beast of Ashwood Manor

“A new face, my lord,” Annie said, bowing her head.

The other women bowed their heads too, staying silent.

“I-I’m sorry, sir,” I said. “I didn’t know this place was occupied. I only needed to get out of the storm.”

When the man came slowly down the stairs, I tensed. He was tall, his shoulders broad. His trousers were black, and he wore a dark tattered cloak. As he drew near, his eyes bore into mine. His beard was scruffy, and his short brown hair was disheveled on the top but cut low on the sides. A scar ran across his cheek, going up into his hairline, and there was a place in the middle of his left eyebrow where the hair didn’t grow.

I took a step back. “I-I can leave,” I told him.

His eyes darted to the door, then back to me. “Where are you from?” he asked. His demeanor and attire didn’t match the flowery decor or mood of the room at all.

“Tolburg, sir,” I replied softly. “I was on my way to visit my village, and a storm came. The closest tavern was very far off, so I hoped to find shelter under the canopy of the forest. I ran into the woods and saw the building here.”

The man cocked his head. “What’s your name?”

“Cale Dawkins, sir.”

For a moment, only silence passed between us. Then he said, “You found your way here. You shall stay.”

Both relief and fear washed over me. This man was intimidating, but he was also offering me a place to stay for the night. At least, that’s what I thought. But the whole idea of it frightened me. I had no idea if I was dreaming or not, and I suddenly didn’t want to stay any longer.

I cleared my throat. “Thank you, but I think I would be better off outside. It’s not even raining anymore. I’ll just see myself out the door.” I smiled and nodded at him. “Good day.”

He frowned at me, and I turned away before he could say anything else.

“My suitcase,” I said, choking on my words. But as I looked around, it was nowhere to be seen. Rather than look for it, I backed away to the door, glancing at the three maids and their curious faces.

Fumbling with the doorknob, I finally opened it and ran out of the manor, tripping over the threshold and outside, where I found a blue sky with a blazing sun. I was no longer in the woods. The breeze blew, and I caught a whiff of something salty, like the sea, nearby. A wall of hedges circled the place in the distance, and in the middle was a gate. I marched down the stone path, glancing at a perfectly sculpted fountain and bushes cut into the shapes of animals. It was all much different from before.

When I reached the gate, I found it locked. I pulled on it, hoping it would open, but it wouldn’t budge. I looked past the bars, unable to see anything but a path that led into the woods several hundred yards away.

I backed away slowly. My heart pounded as I walked along the wall. There had to be another gate somewhere. I could have followed the wall all the way around the manor, but the perimeter was very wide. I didn’t want to risk going to the back of the house and seeing anyone.

Maybe I can climb the hedge.

With a nod, I placed my foot through the bush, and, finding a hold in the wall beneath it, I hoisted myself up. As I did, I noticed the air smelled like manure. I knew that odor. Perhaps there was a farm nearby I could run to.

“I wouldn’t do that.”

I yelped and jumped down, plastering myself against the hedge. My heart pounding, I took in the man from the manor.

He wore a hood over his head now. In the sunlight, the circles under his eyes were harsh against his pale skin. He looked as if he never ventured outside at all.

“The gate’s locked,” I got out.

“It’s kept locked for a reason,” he said.

“Right. Then how do I get out?”

“You don’t.”

My throat tightened. “You said I could pass the night. Was I not supposed to leave in the morning if I stayed?”

“I said you could stay. Not pass the night here. You found my manor. You ate from it. Now you’re bound.”

“Bound to what?” I clenched my fingers in the bushes behind me.

“The curse. You’ve left your world and entered into this realm. And now there’s no going back unless the curse is lifted.”

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