Page 8 of The Rat King
Xavier however seemed nonplussed as he dug into his plate. With each bite, he plucked it from his fork with his two enlarged front teeth, then sucked it back into his mouth, closing his lips around it. The strange tick seemed to consume all his attention and it took him a few moments to notice that I hadn’t picked up my fork. His eyebrows wrinkled as he regarded me.
“If this isn’t to your liking, I can easily have something else prepared for you. I want you to be comfortable here. And I want you to know that pleasing you is my number one goal.” He gave me a soft smile like he pleased himself with the words, and I gulped down the knot in my throat.
Picking up my fork, I stabbed a few pieces of boiled potatoes, putting them into my mouth. With the amount of green herbs on them, they probably tasted delicious, but only stale sawdust played across my tongue. My stomach lurched as I swallowed. Why did he have to eat like that? Just the sound alone… I needed to get it together. I was being incredibly rude, and I knew it. It probably wasn’t his fault they were cursed. I gritted my teeth as my eyes closed, and I took a deep breath. I opened them with resolve, stabbed another bite of the potatoes, and forced myself to eat it.
Eventually, the food’s flavor returned and while it wasn’t the greatest thing I had ever eaten, it wasn’t bad. It was food that I would typically imagine in my plane as fit for a holiday dinner, but I guessed this was lunch here. As Xavier said, I could work on that. If I wanted something lighter, like greens or a chicken salad, they probably had the ingredients to make it. I just needed to tell them what I wanted.
I glanced up to find Xavier watching me. Reaching for my goblet, I took a sip of the water. “How do you find it?” he asked.
“It’s good,” I replied. “Honestly, it’s a little heavy for what I would typically eat for lunch, but the flavor is nice.” I gave him a halfhearted smile, and he seemed pleased with that, too. Something about his demeanor, the smug set of his jaw, annoyed me.
“I will have Leviticus arrange for you to meet with the cooks, and you can instruct them on what you would prefer to eat for lunch. And, of course, any other meal you prefer,” he said. “I’m not picky.”
His hand moved in the direction of mine, which gripped my discarded napkin on top of the table to the side of my plate. My breath caught. He wanted to touch me and that was the last thing I was prepared for. Just the idea of the soft pink pads of his fingertips grazing against my skin sent a revolting shiver down my spine. Releasing the napkin, I slid my hand into my lap where it clasped the other.
“I need to ask you something,” I blurted, trying to divert the attention away from his intended action and before he could bring up the wedding which he seemed to have forgotten again.
His lips pressed into a line, but he nodded. “I figured you’d have questions.”
“I hope this doesn’t come across as insensitive, but I recognize a curse whenever I see it,” I said, letting him assume I’d neither discussed it with Nighval or my attendants. “The blood of witches runs in my veins, and I spent my life around them. What has happened to you?” I tried to make my tone sympathetic, but I feared the bitter edge of my disgust shown through. How did Belle do it? I could hardly make it through our first lunch without my discomfort rearing its ugly head.
Like he was expecting it, he gave me a grim smile. “Ah, yes. Your assessment is correct. Many years ago, we were cursed, but that isn’t something I want you to worry about. I will give you time to adjust and to get to know me before we say our vows. Speaking of,” he said, and I tensed. I’d been sitting here, bracing for when he decided to bring up the wedding again. “I’ve been giving a lot of thought to our ceremony. I envisioned it to happen the full moon after your arrival, but now I’m thinking you might require a little more time to adjust.”
It felt as if someone opened a window. “Yes, that would be great. You are so kind to offer that. I…” I stammered, before collecting myself. I needed time to get used to the idea of the reality of my situation, and I couldn’t let this opportunity pass me by. “I wish to get to know you, of course, before we say our vows.” I fluttered my lashes sweetly at him, hoping he’d buy it.
He studied my face for a painfully extended moment. “Then I will look forward to each full moon when you are able to see the man that I am instead of this cursed thing. We can settle on a date later.”
Like he didn’t want the conversation to continue, he rose, helping me from my seat. “Come. Let me show you the library. Do you enjoy reading?” This time I couldn’t avoid the hand he wrapped around my wrist. His fingers were gentle as he placed my hand in the crook of his elbow waiting for my response.
“Yes, I do. That would be lovely,” I said, resisting the visceral urge to snatch my hand away. Resigned, I held on and followed him out.
As Xavier guided me through the castle, he pointed out paintings of his ancestors, historical artifacts that lined the walls, and various rooms Leviticus hadn’t gotten to show me earlier. And this was only a small portion of the sprawling complex that was Ravsted. A few hallways later, we arrived at the library, and he released me, ushering me into the room with his hand on my shoulder. Like everything else here, the lack of upkeep gave the place a dank and dismal quality.
“Where’s the librarian?” I asked, running the tip of my finger along the nearest shelf. My nose wrinkled as I wiped the thick layer of dust on my dress. Had the curse somehow caused these people to forget how to clean? I mean, becoming a cursed being was awful, but that was no excuse for the state of the castle in my mind. Someone needed to do something. Fortunately, I was never one to shy away from a little work.
“Well, I don’t know, Avery. There hasn’t been a librarian here in years.” He scanned the room as if he were trying to see what I saw.
Xavier looked like he was about to say more, but I stopped him, saying, “Actually, it’s no problem. Only curious.” Yep, that furthered my resolve. First, the library, then the sitting room. Then I’d see about the rest of this place.
My hopeful features must have been giving away my newfound mission because Xavier said, “I see this pleases you.”
Not exactly, but I had to start somewhere. “Sure.”
“Good. With that, I’ll leave you to enjoy the library until dinner.” In a swift motion, he raised my hand to his lips and brushed a kiss onto the back of my hand that had dread unfurling in my stomach. The door clicked shut behind him as Xavier departed. I slumped against the end of the nearest bookshelf and drew in a few deep breaths. What about him was causing such a strong repugnant reaction? If I was going to be married to the man, I had to figure it out because despite everything, I was determined to go through with the wedding.
A dark chuckle sounded from the end of the row like the man emanating it was once again reading my thoughts. I spun to find Nighval leaning a shoulder against the end of a perpendicular shelf, partially shrouded in shadows. He turned a burgundy leather bound volume over in his hands as he observed me. The warlock was such a contrast to Xavier. Where the king turned my stomach, something about Nighval in his rat form terrified me. It must be my base instinct reading him and considering the guarded conversation with my attendants earlier, it wasn’t far off. Then there was Leviticus’s comment. “Nighval can be… abrupt.” I got the sense that he had more to say on the topic of the exiled king, but was refraining.
I pushed off the shelf and turned toward him. “What do you find so humorous, warlock?”
“You and my brother,” he said, not missing a beat. “He seems excited about you.”
The words themselves were encouraging, but I sensed their mocking edge. “It’s none of your business.”
I kept my chin high as he stalked out of the shadows, running the tips of his claws, which appeared to be encased with pewter colored metal caps, down the row of books. Each thump between volumes made my heart jump, so when he finally passed me, my heart was in my throat. I tried to keep my expression passive as he paused, eyed me over his shoulder and said, “You won’t find the answers you’re looking for here.”
The man was a solid head taller than me, maybe more. Intimidating was an understatement. I swallowed a lump and asked, “How do you know what I’m looking for?”
A grin spread across his face, exposing the elongated sets of teeth, and I felt my skin pale. “Wild guess.” He winked before turning and sauntering toward the door.
