She smiled. “Remember the conversation we had about tea?”
“Yes?”
“I feel as though I have been soaking in smoke from... from the people around me, and now I am a flavor that I never intended to be.”
“You feel like tea?”
She nodded. Bolstered by his humor, she quickly finished her thought. “I am saying ‘no’ for now, but I would dearly love to say ‘yes’ later, if that is an arrangement you would be willing to make. For now, for the next few months at least, I want to stay here. To apprentice with Mistress Cedrice.”
“I think that is an excellent idea.”
“You do?”
“I can’t say that I don’t wish I could whisk you away to the palace to marry you instantly, but I think this time to yourself is important as well.”
“Thank you.” Her eyes filled with tears of happiness.
“Good. If it helps any, I already know what flavor you are, though.” He leaned in close again, noisily sniffing the top of her head.
“What flavor am I?” She looped her hands around his neck.
“You, my dearest, are kindness and gentleness and joy, with a hint of courage thrown in.” He leaned down and caught her lips in his own.
Epilogue
“Pssst. Aden,” Onric whispered through the bedroom doorway. “Are you awake?”
“I am now.” Aden pulled his blankets tighter around his head. “Your tramping through the halls would wake even a hibernating bear.”
Aden knew that his retort was more callous than it needed to be, but his new beast-like body had a magnified sense of hearing. In fact, he could hear so well that he had hardly slept in the three days since the Majis had cursed him. He heard every shuffling footstep, peal of laughter, and creaking window between his bedroom and the castle walls.
“Sorry,” Onric whispered. “We were trying to be stealthy.”
“I know.” Aden sighed. He could hear Onric slip into the room and close the door behind him. He could also hear two other sets of footsteps. He exhaled slowly, giving himself one more moment before he brought his head out from the protective blankets. It was not as though he was actually going to get much sleep anyway.
He pulled the covers from his face and sat up.
Focusing his eyes, Aden attempted to follow the hazy lightbobbing from the lantern in Onric's hand, though he could not clearly make out any of the nightly intruders. The effort caused a light pain in his upper forehead as his eyes had not received the same expanded abilities that his ears had. All he could see was blurred shapes of shadow or light. Despite his best effort, he could not bring those shapes into focus. He could, however, recognize the lighter set of footsteps by their sound alone.
“Ashlin?” he guessed.
“Yes?” Her voice was soft, light, and comforting. Aden had instantly approved of her from the moment they first met. She was an excellent complement to his older brother's blunt, direct, and oblivious nature. Though Onric had a caring heart, he was not the best at reading the subtle nuances in a room—a trait which Aden prided himself on—but Ashlin seemed to have enough perception for the both of them. Onric had been absolutely besotted by her for weeks, and it seemed that something had changed for them since the ball. Aden was glad for his brother, or he would be if he were not so busy figuring out how he was going to spend the rest of his life as a monstrous animal.
The third set of footsteps shuffled closer to his bed.
“Who else is with you?” he asked.
“Mistress Cedrice, the seamstress from town,” Ashlin responded. “She . . .”
“She may have some insight into your . . . condition.” Onric finished her sentence after Ashlin paused.
“I said no more physicians.” Aden's voice came out closer to a growl. He had spent the last three days hiding in his room while every physician within traveling distance poked and prodded and attempted to prescribe a cure. After the last one suggested that they attempt to burn the fur from his body in an attempt to recover his human form, Aden convinced his mother that a physician could not cure a curse.
“She is a seamstress,” Ashlin repeated.
“Why is she here then, I do not need new . . .” Aden stopped, realizing that he did indeed need new clothes. He had been lying in bed for three days and had not even considered the fact that his new body would not even remotely fit into his old clothes. If the size of his bed was any indication, he was at least twice as wide and over a head taller. Of course Ashlin would have thought of something that everyone else had missed. “Actually, that is brilliant. I do need new clothes. I am so glad you thought of that.”
“We did not think of that.” Ashlin whispered to Onric. Aden could hear her perfectly well, though her voice was low and quiet, using tones that were meant for Onric's ears only.
