The creature grins at me, which is disconcerting since it has the face of a black jaguar. I resist the urge to shudder. Instead, I sink to the ground a few feet away from him and lean back against the wall. “What should I call you?” I ask.
He considers my question for a moment. “Acubens,” he finally says just as I’m about to press him further.
“And you are male, right?” I gesture towards him. He sounds male to me, but what do I know about fairytale creature anatomy.
He chuckles the sound vibrating through the earth. “I am, would you like to see?”
I grimace. “I’ll take your word for it.”
Acubens flares his wings and beats them gently before laying them out to rest in the sun. He rests his head on his paws. “Any other questions?”
“Besides the overarching one of what I’m doing here?” I sigh. “So many.”
“Since I’m nice,” he yawns. “I’ll answer three of your questions as well as I can.”
“Very generous.” I smile sarcastically. “How long do I have to stay here?”
“It really depends on you,” he says slyly.
I wait for more, but he starts licking at his paws. “That’s it?” I gape. “It depends on me? Well, if that’s the case then I think I’ll head home right now.”
“Not quite what I mean.” He sighs.
“Then what do you mean?” I push, feeling irritation sparking in my chest.
“Is that your second question?” He retorts.
Damn. “No.” I don’t want to waste my questions.
Acubens waves a paw, as if encouraging me to go on. Maybe he’s as much of a bastard as Altair is. “Anytime. I have eternity, but human lives aren’t quite as long,” he drawls.
I scowl at him. “Why did Altair tell you to abduct me?” Perhaps if Altair won’t tell me, Acubens will.
“Mmm,” he muses. “How should I explain it? Should I say he took a fancy to you? That your beauty and intelligence caught his eye? Women like those pretty lies. Or should I say that he had no real reason at all? He did it simply because he wanted to. But that’s not quite right either. You’ll find that no one here will answer your question, at least not as well as I have. How does it make you feel that everyone but you knows the answer to your most earnest question?”
I stare stoically at the blades of grass near my feet. I refuse to cry in front of Acubens, and certainly not because of his spiteful answer. Answer three questions? Please. I can feel his hazel eyes on me, studying my reaction.
“At least I can rule out two theories,” I say, forcing myself to speak.
Acubens eyes me appraisingly. “Very good. Now, last one. And might I suggest something more light-hearted? You’re far too serious.”
“Will you meet with me again?” I ask. Even if he’s guarded around me now, hopefully over time I can earn his trust. And then manipulate him into helping me escape. Or maybe I’ve read too many romance novels.
“I don’t think so,” he says blandly, as if he couldn’t be bothered to care.
I scoff. “Why not?”
“Oh, no more questions.” He turns his head away but stares at me from the corners of his eyes. “Too bad.”
I rise, dusting grass and dirt off of my trousers. “Too bad.”
As I stride away from him back towards the palace, I hear him purr, “Enjoy your evening, Verity.”
I glance over my shoulder at him in time to see him roll onto his side and close his eyes. He looks just like a cat basking in the sun. I resist the urge to smile. He’s no cat. He’s an overgrown feral alley cat with chicken wings. The sun hovers just above the horizon now, and I can feel my belly aching with hunger.
Navi jogs down the steps towards me, her eyes glancing between me and the copse of trees where Acubens is hidden. She stops in front of me, green eyes raking over me. “You’ll need something more appropriate for dinner.”
Chapter 7
Altair
Silence fills the dimly lit dining hall. Typically, I don’t mind silence, but somehow with Verity it stretches out between us like a taut cord ready to snap. And when it does, it will be both of us in pain. I purse my lips, slipping another bit of quail into my mouth.
Across the table, partially hidden by the vase of leaves and over-sized flowers, Verity picks at her food. “Are you enjoying the quail?” I ask, trying to sound gentle and sincere.
She lifts and drops a shoulder in a casual gesture that immediately sends a wave of frustration coursing through me. Verity doesn’t even look up to meet my eyes. I growl, dropping my fork with a clatter. This is nothing new. It’s been a week since I brought Verity into my realm, a week since we put all of our hopes in her. And she hasn’t bothered to speak to me since the first night I met her in my human form.
Of course, she speaks to Acubens. I scowl. Acubens is the name I gave myself as the beast Maaz cursed me to be. My first inclination to tease her and use her clever plan to manipulate me against Acubens has clearly failed. If anything, I’m jealous that she feels more comfortable speaking to Acubens than to me directly. Somehow it feels like a betrayal.
I grind my teeth, watching her sip her wine. Her neglect of me doesn’t appear forced whatsoever. “This can’t go on forever, Verity,” I murmur. “When will you tire of this?”
She finally lifts her blue eyes to meet mine. “I don’t have anything to say to you unless you plan to explain your motives here.”
I run my tongue over my bottom lip frustrated and catch her eyes tracking the movement. “I don’t.”
Maaz has prevented me from speaking of the curse to the woman who would be the key to breaking it. If I allude to it, or if anyone in my kingdom does, the curse
