“Will you actually do that or are you tricking me?”
“I’ll do it, but I’m not going to keep it a secret from Noah. It would be more fun to bring him into the loop.”
Jenny wasn’t thinking about fun. She was thinking about saving Noah and whether it was actually possible. “It’s going to make him angry.”
“He’ll just have to learn to deal with it.” Coyote removed his cell phone. “I’m going to tell him right now.”
This soon? “No, don’t—”
Too late. He made the call.
Afterward, he grinned. “He’s pissed, all right. Now let’s finish our dinner.”
Jenny could barely eat, but Coyote savored every morsel of his meal and topped it off with spumoni. She sat idly by while he spooned into his ice cream and chatted about inconsequential things.
They finally parted ways, and by the time her headlights shined on the narrow path that led to her house, her mind was in a tizzy. Dealing with Noah wasn’t going to be easy.
She walked toward her porch, then started.
There he sat, glaring up at her. He must have headed right to her place after Coyote called him. He was in his human form, but that didn’t make him any less menacing.
He stood up. “So you’re going to try to find a way to save me?”
She slowed her steps. “Coyote offered.”
“This is a big fucking game to him.”
“Yes, but it’s not a game to me.”
“I don’t want to be saved.”
“Maybe deep down you do. Maybe you’re more like Beast than you’re willing to admit.”
“That story is a load of crap.”
“The
sapiya
called you a beast.” She took a chance and inched closer to him. “So maybe they want me to be like Beauty.”
His glare got deeper. “Why? So we’ll fall stupidly in love? Get real, Jenny.”
His admonishment hit her like a fist, packing a big, scary wallop. “I never said that’s where this was leading.”
“Then what’s your agenda? Why save me if you’re not interested in being with me?”
“I’m just exploring the possibility of what the
sapiya
wants.”
“Why would you do that unless you thought there was a future in it?”
“All right, so it crossed my mind that maybe it’s supposed to be more than an affair. But I never consciously used the word ‘love.’ ”
“And you’d better not, either.”
The scary wallop came back. Loving him would be a disaster, especially if making him mortal
wasn’t
possible. But the fact that she was already getting attached only managed to exacerbate her fears, as well as her anger.
She snapped at him. “Don’t tell me what I’m supposed to do or how I’m allowed to feel.”
He snapped right back. “I should whisk your stubborn little ass off to a castle and show you what it’s like to be locked up with a real beast.”
“As if you would.”
“I have enough money to pull it off.”
She challenged him. “Then do it, Noah. Flaunt your wealth and show me how beastly you can be.”
“Fine. You want a goddamn fairy tale, I’ll give you one. But it’s going to be warped.” He snatched her keys and unlocked the front door.
They went inside, and he made a beeline for her computer. He started it up, got online, and searched for “Castles for rent in California.”
Was there such a thing? Jenny wondered.
Sure enough, there was. Noah found one in a wooded area that suited him, and she stood over his shoulder and read the information on the screen. With more than a hundred rooms, the three-story structure had been built for weddings, special events, and private getaways.
He checked the website and rattled off upcoming dates that were available. They chose a day that fit their schedules, and he made a reservation.
She gazed at the pictures of the enormous castle. It was magnificent, but overwhelming, too. “Just how warped is this adventure going to be?”
“Getting cold feet?”
“I was just wondering what you had in mind.”
“You’ll find out when the times comes.” He shut down her computer. “Be prepared to play Beauty’s part.” He shifted into cat form and trailed a claw along her blouse, making a deliberate cut in the sleeve. “Without the happily ever after.”
On the day of the outing, Jenny was chauffeured to the location by the same driver who’d been taking her back and forth to the club. She had no idea if Noah was already at the castle or would be arriving later, but as the town car approached the building, butterflies the size of helicopters erupted in her stomach.
Surrounded by towering redwoods, the castle was even more imposing than it had been in pictures.
The driver parked and opened Jenny’s door. She got out and stood beside him.
“What happens now?” she asked.
He removed her bags from the trunk. “I’ve been instructed to take you to your suite.”
They went inside, and the entrance with its cathedral ceilings, gilded archways, and sweeping staircase left her awestruck.
He bypassed the stairs and led her to the east wing. They stopped at a lavish door with a sign on it that read, “Beauty.”
The suite offered a sitting room, a bedroom, and a connecting bath, all of it fit for a princess.
After a moment of silence, he directed her to a gold-leafed armoire in the bedroom. Upon opening it, he said, “Each of these is in your size.”
She stared at the elaborate gowns. Jenny didn’t know much about old-style clothes, but she assumed they were similar to fashions from the eighteenth century, when “Beauty and the Beast” had first appeared in print.
“A selection of shoes and undergarments has been provided, as well,” he said.
For now, it seemed wonderfully romantic, but she suspected that was part of Noah’s “warped” plan.
The driver spoke again. “After I depart, you’re supposed to don the gown of your choice and fix your hair and makeup.” He gestured to a mirrored vanity table. “There are jeweled combs and ribbons in the drawer if you’d like to use an ornament for your coiffure.”
“What am I supposed to do after I’m ready?”
“Wander the castle and search for your host.”
She widened her eyes. “By myself?”
He nodded.
“But there are over a hundred rooms in this place.”
“I’m sorry, miss. But I can’t alter what’s been required of you.” With that, he left, closing the door behind him.
Trapped inside the demented fairy tale Noah had created, Jenny went through the armoire and chose a blue gown with a velvet-trimmed bodice. She was nervous, but strangely aroused, too, especially when she discovered that the undergarments were a corset and petticoat. Nothing had been provided to serve as panties, so she assumed that she was supposed to go bare underneath.
Before she got dressed, she sat at the vanity to do her hair. Because she wasn’t skilled in that regard, she redid it several times, trying to get it right. Finally she managed to pin it up in a softly creative way. She added a jeweled comb to one side.
Her makeup required a light touch-up, so she applied a bit of blush and the pink lipstick she’d become accustomed to wearing.
Climbing into the clothing was a chore. She wasn’t used to tiny hooks and poufy fabrics, but at least everything fastened in front.
Jenny gazed at her reflection in a full-length mirror. It had taken almost two hours to complete the look, but this was the prettiest she’d ever been. She’d never felt so ladylike.
She noticed an antique perfume bottle on the vanity and tested the fragrance. It was sweet and genteel. She sprayed a bit of it on her neck and wrists.
She exited her suite and stood in the hallway, unsure of which direction to go.
Beauty didn’t have a clue how to find Beast.
Nine
W
hat should she do first? Check the wing she was in? Head over to the other side of the castle? Or go upstairs?
She chose the stairs and took them to the second floor. Roaming the hallway, she tried every door and discovered all of the rooms were locked.
The third floor proved more complicated, as it was a maze of hallways and connecting corridors. But again, every door was locked.
What if Noah wasn’t even here? What if she was all alone in this place? No, she told herself. That wouldn’t make sense. Whatever he had in store, it involved the two of them.
Jenny returned to the lower level and came upon a door with a sign that read, “Beast.”
Her pulse pounded in her ears. This was it. She’d found him.
Anxious, she turned the doorknob and crossed the threshold, which opened into a parlor, similar to the sitting room in her suite, only bigger and with masculine furnishings.
Since the parlor and kitchenette were empty, she proceeded to the bedroom, which was also vacant of Noah’s presence. So was the adjoining bathroom.
Now what?
Befuddled, Jenny exited Beast’s suite and continued her quest, heading for yet another wing.
On and on she went, like a storybook heroine in distress. The more time that passed, the more nervous she got. Then an eerie thought crossed her mind. Was Noah watching her? Had he set up spy equipment to track her throughout the castle?
Soon she found another door, actually a set of double doors, which were labeled, “Ballroom.”
Was this her final destination?
She tried the handles, but they wouldn’t open. Damn it. How was she supposed to find him if he was one step ahead of her the entire time?
Jenny was tempted to return to her room and pout, but that would make her look weak. No way was she going to give him that kind of victory.
A few minutes later, she saw a glass door with a sign that read, “Rose Garden.” She tried the door and it opened. But since the path wasn’t lit and dusk had long since fallen, she hesitated. Surely, he didn’t expect her to go stumbling outside in the dark.
No, apparently he didn’t. Because as she stood there, gazing out at the night, a sprinkling of lights appeared. Now she knew for sure that he was watching her.
Would Beast appear among the flowers, like he did in the story when he’d caught the merchant plucking a rose for Beauty?
Cautious, Jenny ventured onto the path, looking to and fro. Color bloomed all around her, but there was no sign of Noah. At the end of the stone walkway was a greenhouse.
She approached the building, which had a sign on the door with instructions: “Wait here.”
For the heck of it, she tried the handle. It was locked. Clearly, she was meant to wait outside. She prayed the lights didn’t go off.
Luckily, they stayed on, and much to her surprise, the door opened and out walked her driver.
“Hello, miss,” he said.
She didn’t chide him for duping her. He was, after all, Noah’s loyal employee. Funny, too, because she didn’t even know his name, but now didn’t seem like the time to ask.
“Good evening.” She tried to reply the way Beauty would. “As you can see, I’m still searching for my host.”
“He requests your presence in the ballroom.”
“Are you here to escort me?”
“Sorry, no. I’m just the messenger.” He gestured for her to take the path from whence she’d come.
Picking up her skirts, she returned to the interior of the castle. She’d agreed to this twisted fairy tale. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t been forewarned.
Would the ballroom doors be unlocked this time? Or was this another wild-goose chase? She tried the handles, and thankfully, they worked.
Granting herself entrance, she marveled at the enchantment. Hundreds of white votives burned throughout the grand room, which was already glorified with a jewel-toned floor and stained-glass windows. In the center of it all, a crystal chandelier shined over a lone dining table.
The table was set for two, and on one of the chairs was a delicate red rose. Clearly that was Beauty’s seat. But where was Beast?
She lifted the flower and stroked its velvet-soft petals. Since the stem was about the right length to fit comfortably into her bodice, she tucked the rose between her breasts.
As soon as it was secure, footsteps sounded behind her, creating a ghostly sound.
She turned and saw Noah, who’d just entered the room, and her heart echoed the tap, tap, tap of his feet.
Attired in a regal suit that she assumed was from the same era as her dress, he actually looked like a prince turned beast. His tawny-streaked hair was fastened into a ponytail. Or was it called a queue in those days? Whatever the terminology, it left the angles of his face unframed, making his shapeshifter features more pronounced.
Jenny’s voice quavered. “I looked everywhere for you.”
“I’m aware of how diligently you searched.”
“I suspected that you were tracking me.”
“I would’ve sent someone to retrieve you if you’d gotten lost. I wouldn’t have allowed you to wander the halls the entire night.” He angled his head. “Although I imagine it was starting to feel like forever to you.”
Was he mocking her? Reminding her that he intended to live for an eternity, in spite of her interest in saving him?
She responded, “Forever is a long time. Too long, I think.”
He glanced at the rose between her breasts. “Not if it’s what someone has become accustomed to.”
She fought a breath of desire. “Are we sparring already?”
“So it seems.” He gestured to her place setting. “Shall we dine?”
Jenny nodded. She was famished: for food, for him, for their strange evening to progress.
He scooted in her chair, then sat across from her and said, “We’ll be having a five-course meal, prepared by a catering service that works regularly at castle events. I just need to let them know that my dinner companion has arrived.” He removed his cell phone from his jacket and punched out a text.
“They’ve been waiting in the kitchen all this time?”