Beastly Desires

Chapter Twenty

Colette sat in a chair beside her fathers bed. She had a book open in her lap but her mind was elsewhere. She couldn't shake the cold feeling that death lingered nearby. Her father seemed to be doing better. Color had returned to his cheeks and his fever had gone down. She changed his linen wrappings earlier and his wound seemed to be healing. Beatrice came in with a small basin of warm water and a sponge. She helped Colette wash away the dirt and grime that still clung to her father and managed to put him in a clean shirt before tucking him back under the covers. That had been some time ago and now the sun was making its way past the tree line.
Her stomach growled with hunger and wondered when dinner would be served.

She took one look at her sleeping father and slipped quietly out of the room.

The hall beyond was wide and tall. The sconces flames flickered across the stone walls by some invisible breeze. Light splashed across areas on the wall where a darker shadow of what could have been paintings once hung.

Colette had wondered why there wasn't any form of history or evidence of past families that filled the castles every wall and columns. Why was the castle empty and void of life other than the few people and beast that resided here.

This is my castle. Sébastien had told her. Maybe it belonged to someone else before he arrived. Maybe he slaughtered the previous lord and all his servants and the ones he kept he commanded them not to speak a word about what had happened. Not to speak at all. Or. He cut out their tongues with his knife sharp claws.

A disturbing shiver went through her body at the thought.

She hurried down the hall and descended the grand staircase before padding out into the center of the great hall. She knew to her left was the way to the servants quarters and beyond that the cells, so she turned right and went down the hall until she started to smell stewed meat.

Down the hall and to the left she stood at the stair entryway that led down into a large kitchen. The kitchen was laid with brick and mortar from floor to ceiling and a large hearth took up one side of the wall while a long work table sat horizontal across the wide space. Shelves were fitted into the wall behind it along with another narrow table that stood beneath them. Various pots and pans, silver platters and serving ware lined the shelves. Cooking utensils dangled beneath them. A cluster of wooden bowls sat on the narrow table and beside them more cooking utensils and tools. On the other wall a tall cabinet sat in the corner hosting an array of porcelain plates, bowls, mugs and cups and other dishes. At the center table a few vegetables were laid out and beside them a bundle of dried herbs. A large knife had been plunged into the table and stood on its sheathed point.

Colette's eyes flicked towards the other entryway that separated the kitchen from another room. From the size of it she assumed it was where they stored the grain and other foods.

The kitchen was terribly warm as the fire roiled in the hearth. A large pot was bubbling away inside of it. Colette stepped down into the space, stalking towards the table to grab a piece of what looked to be a carrot.

"Better to take the knife," a heavy, accented male voice trailed from the other room.

Colette dropped the carrot and it bounced off the table top and skittered across the floor.

A short, dark skinned man emerged from the room and made his way over to the table. He grabbed the knife's handle and plucked it from the surface. His hair was dark and unruly but kept short and away from his eyes. He looked to be at least ten years older than her. He didn't smile at her as he held the knife up to his face to examine the edge.

Colette swallowed the lump in her throat. "Why is that?" She asked carefully, eyeing the long, pink scars that ran across his neck and up the side of his cheek.