Page 79 of Beauty's Beast

“Why not now?”

“He is in the tower, in the midst of preparing a spell, and cannot be disturbed. Please, make yourself comfortable. If there is anything you need, you have only to ring the bell.”

“Thank you,” Erik said again.

The woman inclined her head, then took her leave.

Erik watched her walk away, then, still holding Kristine’s hand in his, he stepped through the doorway on the right. Theroom, painted a soft shade of pink, was large and airy. And round. A canopied bed stood in the center of the floor. Three multicolored windows were set in the wall. Several thick furs covered the floor. A fire blazed cheerfully in the raised stone hearth. There was a small cherrywood table and two chairs on one side of the bed, a full-length mirror on the other side. A large round wooden bathtub stood beside the hearth; a delightful fragrance wafted from the water. There was also a small four-drawer chest covered with a fine linen cloth. A gown of soft mauve velvet was laid out on the foot of the bed.

“It’s lovely,” Kristine murmured.

Erik grunted softly, wondering if she meant the room or the gown. The very air reeked of magic, of power. It crawled over his skin, yet he detected no undercurrent of evil or malice.

Dropping his hand, Kristine went to test the water. It was hot, but not too hot. A froth of bubbles swirled over the top of the water, iridescent in the lamplight.

Erik crossed the room and opened the connecting door. A quick glance showed that the second room was exactly like the first, save that it was blue.

“Enjoy your bath, Kristine,” he said.

“It will be all right,” she said reassuringly. “You’ll see.”

He nodded, then went into the other room and closed the door. For a moment, he pictured her disrobing, slipping into the tub’s scented water. He wished fleetingly that he could join her in the tub, that he could take the soap from her hand and—

He jerked his thoughts away from the images that rose in his mind. Though she did not appear repulsed by his appearance, he could not bring himself to let her see him unclothed, could not endure the pity in her eyes.

He undressed and slid into the tub, noting for the first time that there was no mirror in this room, nothing to reflect his image back to him.

He washed quickly and stepped out of the tub, shaking the way a dog shakes when it emerges from water. He swore when he realized what he was doing. Reaching for a strip of toweling, he dried off, then dressed in the breeches and tunic that had been left for him. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he drew on a pair of soft leather boots that were cut to accommodate his changed feet, as well as a pair of gloves, the left one tailored to fit over his disfigured hand. There was also a mask made of fine black silk.

He picked it up and slipped it on, grateful for the mage’s thoughtfulness. He had felt vulnerable, naked, without the mask.

Crossing the floor, he knocked softly on the connecting door. “Kristine?”

“Come in.”

She glanced over her shoulder as he stepped into the room. Erik’s gaze ran over her. The mauve gown complemented her skin and eyes. Her hair framed her face like a golden nimbus. She looked beautiful, radiant with the bloom of motherhood.

She smiled at him, and then she frowned.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Nothing.”

“Tell me.”

“The mask. Where did it come from?”

“The wizard provided it.”

“It isn’t necessary, Erik. Your face does not frighten me.”

“It is not for you,” he replied quietly. “It is for me.”

She started to say something, but it was forgotten as a large covered tray appeared on the table.

“Oh, my,” she murmured. “Fires that burn without wood. Bathtubs that disappear. And now this.”

Erik glanced around the room, only now noticing that the bathtub was gone, that the fire did indeed burn without fuel of any kind. At least none that could be seen.

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