Academia of the Beast: A Dark Retelling of Beauty and the Beast by K.N. Lee Page A

couldn’t leave her father behind. So, she kept her pleas to herself and tensed as Lennox returned.
    His perfect white teeth gleamed as he smiled at the three fairy women. “Ladies,” he said, and handed Allyn a glass of wine.
    Drinking it down, Allyn watched the expressions on Richa and Sonali’s faces darken.
    Laxmi stood before Lennox, as if shielding the others. “Don’t speak to us,” she said and motioned to the other two. “Until you apologize to my sisters for what you did last year.”
    Lennox feigned ignorance and drank from a short glass filled half-way with what looked like whiskey.
    “I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean,” Lennox said, his brows lifted. “Why don’t you refresh my memory?”
    Richa slapped him, the sound reverberating through the entire room. Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to look at the scene. When Sonali did the same, Allyn almost burst out laughing, but covered her mouth instead.
    Whatever Lennox did, she was sure he deserved it.
    Instead of getting angry, Lennox grinned. “Oh, yes,” he said. “I remember now. I am sorry for fucking your sisters and not calling them. How’s that?” he asked Laxmi who growled in annoyance and turned to her sisters.
    “Let’s go,” she said. Her eyes shot to Allyn for a brief moment with a look of pity, and they flew away.
    Allyn wished they would have stayed and kept her company, but she couldn’t blame them for not wanting to hang around Prince Lennox.
    “I wonder when they’ll get over it,” Lennox said before taking another sip of his drink.
    “It’s appalling how little you know about human emotion.”
    Lennox shrugged. “Why should I? I’m not human.” He lowered his voice as if he was about to tell her a secret. “I’m a beast.”
    With that, he took her hand and led her into the crowd.
    Allyn inhaled and said a tiny prayer as she followed him. Let me get through this .
    There were many difficult situations in her life that she’d survived; bullying all through her school years, her mother’s death, beatings and glorified torture from the hands of the nuns, betrayal from the man she loved. What was a night pretending to be her captors date?
    She could get through this. With poise.
    When he led her to an older fairy couple, she immediately knew who they were.
    “Allyn,” Lennox said. “Meet the king and queen of Faustinia.”
    Allyn smiled at them, and gave an awkward little curtsy that made her cheeks turn rose red.
    “Lovely to meet you,” she said.
    The queen didn’t smile, but nodded without a word.
    The king, as tall as Lennox, with white hair and eyes that were gray like Laxmi’s, smiled at her. “Likewise,” he said. “What do you do back in Elastria?”
    Great. Let’s show them how much of a loser I am. What should I tell them? Waitress? Unemployed waitress? What lovely options.
    “She’s a famed novelist,” Lennox said.
    The king and queen both seemed intrigued by that reply.
    “Is that so?” the queen asked.
    Stunned by his response, she swallowed, faked a smile and nodded. “It is,” Allyn said. “I’ve always enjoyed writing.”
    That—at least—wasn’t a lie. She’d gone to college for literature, and had written several stories. She’d never been published though. But, the fact that Lennox lied for her was a bit astounding. And to lie that Allyn was exactly what she dreamed to be was even more surprising.
    “Well, that is incredible. Well done for someone so young,” the king said,
    The queen put a hand on the king’s chest. “We should start the banquet now.”
    He nodded. “Right. Lovely to meet you, Allyn. You two stay out of trouble,” he said, directing that last part to Lennox with a stern look.
    Allyn now knew why they were so angry at Lennox. He’d slept with their daughters and ran back to Elastria. Her father would have been upset too—any father for that matter.
    “You like that?” Lennox said, once the king and queen walked away.
    “Like