Beneath Swan Lake (Deadly Endings Book 2), page 12
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I take to the skies again, too afraid to let Raymundo poke and prod at me after this morning. I won’t apologize for enjoying his body, but that doesn’t mean he gets to make comments on mine. The scarring is old, but the pain is still fresh in my mind. It’s not something I’m going to get into with a man who will be gone by tonight.
There’s no reason he should stay around longer than that. He’s got Reaper business to take care of, I’m sure, and the ins and outs of Swan Lake won’t be enough to tether someone as powerful as one of the four here.
I can’t get his words out of my head though as I scrambled away from him, pushing my feathery dress back into place. I might not be any more to you than a body to use, Birdie, but I like knowing my partners aren’t turning back to someone else to be hurt. Just give me a name and Death can take care of the problem for you.
The weaker, fearful half of me wanted to tell him it’s Dima’s fault, but not for the reasons he likely suspects. Ray will be gone soon enough, and then my problems will be my own once more.
Besides, the possessive flair from him when he had his shadows all around me makes my head dizzy. We were just having a bit of fun. Letting him into my dark past is like opening an old wound, and I don’t need the Reaper poking around into what happened to me.
Ray stays below me in the shadows, and I can’t quite track where he is. He muttered something before we abandoned camp about spirits, so maybe he’s collecting souls as we get closer to my home.
That’s perfectly fine. It will keep him distracted, and I’ll have to deal with my parents ire once we arrive as is. I missed the dinner Dima was complaining about back in Sherwood, and now I’ll have to contend with whatever my parents put up with in my absence. I’m sure it’s another failed marriage proposal, because Dima is hungry for the throne.
Marrying into the royal family and becoming the King of Swan Lake is about more than title alone. I sincerely doubt anymore that it has anything to do with me. Dima wants to ascend the throne so he can discover secrets of Swan Lake that only the rulers know.
My parents have secrets they’ve kept from me. Why, I’m not certain, but I’m not on track to take over the lands yet. Dima will make no more progress with my father than he has in the past, but for appearances sake and the peace of the land, he’ll continue to let Dima waste his breath pining for the crown.
As the castle comes into view over the hills, my heart tightens instead of growing lighter. I almost wish Raymundo was visible down below. It would make me feel less alone about my return. This close to the kingdom there are only a handful of swans to begin with.
Swan Lake itself is where most of the swans tend to flock, loitering on the southern and eastern edges of the lake. Swan Lake is the largest body of water in Mystica, and the western edges get close to the saltwater sea and the north is too chilly for most of the wildlife to gather. Icicle Pass is relatively close to the lake, leading up to the bitter Frostlands, and most creatures tend to stay away from that deadly pass. Unless the animals have wings or can cross the chasm another way, the vast majority of wildlife lingers in Swan Lake and Sherwood. The Frostlands are similar to a wasteland for a reason.
But there’s a magnificent fountain in the courtyard of the palace, and since I occasionally sit in the water as a swan, other birds are drawn there. My parents don’t complain, because it keeps me from flying free when I should be keeping the swan hidden.
I touch down before we reach the limits of the town and the castle beyond. We’re past Swanling where the farms are, and there’s a low-built stone wall that circles the greater kingdom near the castle itself. I could fly straight into the palace, but I want to avoid drawing any attention. Flying through Swan Lake is one thing, but the citizens might recognize my oversized form, and my parents won’t want rumors floating around when I’ve been missing.
Looking around, I don’t see Raymundo climbing out of the shadows. My chest tightens, and for a moment I wonder if he turned back once he realized I could fly straight onward to home.
“Why are we out here?” he asks, startling me when he speaks from behind. I jump, raising my arms in defense, and glare at him.
“Don’t do that,” I hiss.
He studies me for a moment, and slowly I drop my arms. It was just a reflex, but it’s going to make the Reaper curious again. “Will the townspeople ignore you walking through the village center?” His eyes sweep over me. “Dressed like that?”
I’ll admit, the feather dress isn’t exactly discreet, but to shift it’s necessary. “No, they won’t. But they will notice if I fly over the town towards home. I… I was hoping we could use the shadows for this last bit.”
I hate that his magic is something I need to rely on. But I want to keep the questions minimal, and the people of Swan Lake are almost evenly divided: they either think my curse is magnificent and it’s a gift that I can soar through the sky, or they see it as damnation and think there’s something tragically wrong with me for having to bear such a cruelty.
Either way, it’ll get the crowds talking.
He blows out a breath, shaking his head. “I knew you were going to use me.”
I don’t know if that’s supposed to be said in jest, but he wraps an arm around me and drags me in before I can comment. My palms flatten against him, and I realize this has become a familiar feeling. He slips into the shadows and I realize my time to question him is over; I can’t speak to him as we hop.
At least the town looks more or less the same, the same traders and makers walking through the cobblestone streets. I start to point to help guide Ray through the winding paths, until he shoots me a look. I suddenly realize he’s journeyed here plenty of times on his own and doesn’t need my assistance.
I wait until we’ve crossed through the entrance of the castle, pushing on his chest and pointing before his next hop. Thankfully he decides to listen, landing in a shady alcove where we won’t draw attention before stepping out of the shadows.
Immediately, I start to straighten and adjust my hair. The first thing that needs to happen is my eye needs to be covered. Ray watches me do so, his green eyes narrowing a hair. “Your parents aren’t fans of the one-eye look?”
“I’m not a fan of the one-eye look,” I mutter, straightening my shoulders. I truly wish my lady-in-waiting, Cindy, were here to help, but she's likely somewhere in the castle, worrying about my disappearance. No one disguises my missing eye better than she does. “Come on, I’ll find a guard to help locate my parents.”
I step from the alcove, shoulders back and head high like I’ve been trained to. All my schooling comes back to me in a matter of steps, and I’m walking lightly across the polished floor barefoot as I make my way back towards the main entrance. I turn back to see if Raymundo is following and I find him treading silently in my wake.
His hood is drawn again reminding me of how mysterious the Reapers are when you haven’t had the opportunity to get to know one of them. With the bow and stone arrows at his back he’s a little foreboding, and I imagine it helps to deter people from approaching him when he isn’t hidden by the shadows. It’s odd to see him walking through the palace when he usually keeps to the shadows. Before these past few days, I hadn't spent this much time with Raymundo, nor had I thought now about how it might appear for the two of us to be seen wandering the castle together.
It doesn’t take long to find someone. Not every hall is guarded past the front entrance, but circling back to the entrance has every head turning in my direction. The captain starts forward, raising a hand as he signals the men. “Princess Odette has returned!”
I keep my chin tilted up even as the captain shifts his gaze, eyes widening. “And… Reaper Raymundo.”
Ew, that’s an ugly formality. I haven’t even heard my parents address him that way, but the captain is trying to collect himself after seeing the two of us appear together. “Reginald-”
I cut myself off, Dahlia’s words from the tavern coming back to me. He was a palace guard, Theo. I believe he was friends with someone who works for the King, Odette. They were friends. Theo and… I think the other was Reginald. The man who left to work in Swan Lake.
My eyes widen, staring at the captain of the guard like I’m seeing him for the first time. Surely Reginald wouldn’t be tangled up in all the nonsense that drips down from Wonderland.
I hesitate for too long, and Ray clears his throat. “Captain Fischer, a pleasure.”
Reginald’s eyebrows lift, looking between the two of us before he nods a return greeting. I forget how formal Raymundo sounds when he addresses people, and I suppose a Reaper should be using people’s proper titles. But Reginald has held the same position in my father’s army since before I was born, often guarding me at the King’s request. He’s been like an uncle to me, and I don’t think I’ve ever formally called him Captain Fischer.
It would make sense if Ray didn’t make the connection when his mom was speaking with us in the tavern, but I should have considered that the Reginald she was referring to could be this Reginald.
Before I can say anything, the captain clears his throat and bows his head. “Princess, the King and Queen were deeply concerned about you. They informed us that you would be arriving with the Reaper, but we expected the two of you yesterday.”
“I understand, but The Missing Shoe Tavern isn’t that close to Swan Lake. We arrived as fast as possible without sapping Raymundo’s energy, so he could protect me if we ran into any adversaries along the way.”
I almost gag on the words, and I can feel Ray’s curious eyes burning a hole into the side of my head. I’m lying through my teeth.
Reginald regards the two of us, his bushy grey-and-white eyebrows furrowing as his eyes hop between us like he isn’t sure what to think. But a Princess and a Reaper should have unquestioned standing among anyone in the court, save my father. Reginald is outranked right now, and he’s smart enough to not dig for answers that the King can easily find out on his own.
“Of course, Princess,” he says after a moment, bowing again. Reginald has always been loyal, and that’s one of the things I like most about him. “The King and Queen have just bid farewell to Lady Ysanna and her son, Lord Dima.”
A shiver works its way up my spine despite everything. They have a home in town, so there’s no reason Dima and his mother needed to spend the night after something as trivial as a dinner. “I see.”
“Lord Dima expressed his disappointment that you were not in attendance,” Reginald goes on, peering between us.
Ray stays quiet, and that’s the only blessing. “I assure you, we hurried back as quickly as we could. Now I really should speak with my parents.”
Reginald nods, sweeping a hand out as he turns. We fall into step just behind him. “Of course, Your Royal Highness. Your father is finishing up speaking with the court and your mother retired to her rooms. I will let them know the Swan Princess has returned.”
Chapter 11 Odette
“You must be quite tired from your journey,” Cindy says, bustling around the room. Reginald got things moving once he realized that Raymundo and I wouldn’t be sharing any details, and he sent for the King and Queen. My father was trapped with someone who was extremely unhappy in the throne room, and I didn’t ask the details.
My mother though, she’s up in arms about my return, sitting at my vanity as Cindy helps me dress. The feathered outfit I prefer is dirty from traveling around, and Mother insists that I wear one of the formal, cream dresses that she adores. It’s got capped feather sleeves and matching gloves, and I put on the slim turquoise choker to appease her fashionable sensibilities. It makes her smile, so I smile right back.
And while the two of them dote on me, I find myself missing Raymundo.
“I’m so happy you’re home, my dear,” Mother says, moving forward again to wrap me in a hug. She’s especially emotional today, clinging to me more than she has since I was first cursed. “We were so afraid someone got to you again.”
I wince. The last time I disappeared for more than a day, Dima had pulled my eye from my head and dragged me back to his cave of horrors. When asked what happened, I couldn’t bring myself to tell my parents the truth.
Dima’s haunted my mind since. Tell the truth little swan, and I’ll crush your eye for all to see. It’s cursed now, just like you. Stabbing through the eye is like stabbing you. It’s a part of you, and injuring it could injure you too.
I can’t say I’ve ever challenged the idea, so maybe Dima is stretching the truth about what would happen to me if he squished or stabbed the eye. It’s already removed from my head, so it might give him access to what I’m seeing but I’m not certain he can hurt me that way. Still, the idea makes my stomach twist with fear, and I’ve been hurt enough by Dima to not risk any more pain.
My parents may be royalty, but they do not possess magic like Dima. If he wanted to seize the throne through force he could, and my father would be the biggest casualty. I love my parents, and I don’t want to risk an attack and anyone’s sudden death. For now, Dima is still willing to play the political game.
Cindy comes back into my main room from the bath, carrying my favorite dress over one arm. I know she’s going to just go wash it, but that dress is like a lifeline to me. “Be careful, Cindy, dear. I don’t want the feathers ruffled.”
She offers me a grin, her dimples popping out as she bows. “Of course, Miss. I’ll be careful as always.”
I watch her go, wishing for a moment that my mother took a little longer sweeping into my room. I adore Cindy, and I’m forever glad she found her way here from the wretched life she knew in Tressa. That was so long ago, I’m not sure Rapunzel would have any idea what I was talking about if I mentioned it. I don’t think her parents were all that forthcoming with information. And who knows when or if I’ll ever see the Golden Princess again.
“You’re distracted,” Mother says, nodding her head to me as Cindy closes the door. My lady in waiting is a delicate girl with dirty blonde hair and a history she would rather not share. We aren’t exactly close, but she seems nice enough when she shows up to help me. “You’re certain your travels were safe?”
“Yes,” I say, fixing my mother with a glare. We have the same green eyes, though hers never change like mine do. “Raymundo was kind on the journey.”
Mother nods again. She’s never had anything against the Reaper, and I think she likes him even more now that he’s returned me home. “Tell me again, love, why you were so far from home?”
I fight the urge to wince. When Dima uses the eye and gets in my head, my actions aren’t always my own. He wants a weapon like the Reapers wield, but for what purpose I have no idea. I don’t believe anyone but Death can actually use the weapons to open the doors into the afterlife. Even if Dima got his hands on one, it would be all but useless to him. “As I mentioned, Mother, I got lost while in my swan form. I need to be more careful. Sometimes the swan mind just takes over. I fell in with a flock of swans and followed them out of Swan Lake and across Mystica. Then the Reaper spotted me when we touched down, and I recognized him enough that it jogged my memory and helped me shift back.”
She gives me a skeptical look. The lie slides off my tongue so easily I almost believe it myself. My parents, just like anyone else who doesn’t have shifter abilities, don't have an understanding of what it’s like when I’m in my shifted form. I’m not mindless, I have all my thoughts and wits about me. Blaming my swan form on being a simple follower isn’t fair, but it’s an excuse my parents can buy. It’s the only thing I’ve come up with that explains the absences Dima sometimes causes when he sends me off on a bizarre mission.
I’d like to believe that Dima doesn’t control me, but I don’t think that’s true. So long as he has my eye he owns a part of me, and I’ll do everything in my power to get it back.
If I ever stop being such a coward, it’s something I should ask Raymundo about. His power might be enough to stand and even win against Dima. If I have my eye back, even if it’s still severed, he no longer controls me.
“Odette?”
I blink, turning back to my mother. “I’m sorry Mother, what were you saying?”
“I was just saying we’re happy you’re home safe,” she continues, patting my hand. “I’m glad someone as powerful as a Reaper had the time to bring you all the way across Mystica.”
I try to ignore the implication in her tone, and force a smile. “It was very kind of him.”
She nods again, bobbing her head twice as fast. “And as a Reaper, he doesn’t happen to know anything about curses, does he?”
Oh no, this again. “I don’t think Raymundo would have any insight into what happened to me. He deals with Death, mother, not curses.”
She pouts. I know exactly what my mom is thinking. She assumes because Raymundo is supernatural and has otherworldly power, maybe he has a solution for what caused me to turn into a bird.
I never mentioned what happened the night Seraphe died. I feigned memory loss, and the days after when I was missing were a blur. Thinking back, I’m surprised they didn’t try to dig deeper for the truth.
“The princess! The princess is here!”
Delirious, I stare straight ahead and try to make sense of the approaching figures. They look surprised to see me, relieved, but I can’t focus on much aside from the blistering pain.
“Oh, something got to her! Look at the wounds!”
The townspeople crowd me as I collapse into the ground, and I try to remember how I got here. Dima kicked me free, and I don’t remember if I flew here, if he threw me here, or if I’ve just been wandering around for so long that I stumbled my way home.
“The King! We have to tell the King!”
“Where are the guards? Get someone to bring her to the castle!”
All the voices blur together, and someone throws something across my body. A blanket maybe, or a tarp. Something that covers the fact that I’m bleeding.
“I don’t have any more control over my swan side than it has over me,” I tell my mom, patting her hand. The Queen sniffles and straightens her crown, avoiding my gaze as she blushes. I know exactly what she’s thinking, and I hate that she carries guilt over something that isn’t her fault.
