“I know, but—”
“Daniel,” she cut me off, letting me go. “It’s easy for people to get swept up in change, but that’s not always the right thing. I don’t want to see you forget the person you used to be before Lord Channing’s and your prophecy and being chosen as a hero. You need to remember that kid—remember the pain, sorrow, and loss that defined him. How could you turn your back on him just because you’ve connected with a few classmates in the privileged upper-class?”
She put her hand against my cheek affectionately for a moment, then walked across the room with her regal cascade of dark feathers flowing behind her. “You look like you need a minute to think. I’ll meet you downstairs.” She opened the door, stepped out, and shut it behind her.
I looked in the mirror for a final time—not for vanity, but reflection. Kai was right about needing time to think, but I didn’t know about the rest of what she’d said. I’d followed Kai’s lead my entire life, leaning on her when I didn’t feel like I could stand on my own. Now that I could, did I need to keep following her? Was that my only path?
I looked at one of the paintings on the wall. It was a closeup of a dandelion weed’s white, round head. It made me think of when Knight and I were in Dreamland, clutching the patio-umbrella-sized seed of a giant dandelion as we floated across a sunset-soaked sky.
“How can you be positive she is your one-and-only forever person?” Knight asked me in reference to Kai as we stood pressed against each other, holding onto the seed. She hadn’t asked to be nosy or intrusive; it was an honest question. And I’d given an honest answer. I had told her that I couldn’t imagine my life without Kai. I said that no version of my life or myself seemed right if she wasn’t there, and that I felt like I was at my best when I was with her. But recently . . . I wasn’t so sure that last part was still true.
Kai had been with me through so much hardship. Her family took me in when I had no family left of my own. She held my hand when I dug through the rubble of my life and tried to make sense of the cruelest thing to ever befall me. I loved and appreciated her so much for that. She knew my past, completely and intimately, like no one else could.
But did that mean she knew what my future should be?
My childhood didn’t own me. My history shouldn’t define me. I didn’t want to bury my past, but I also didn’t want it to control me. Speaking factually, I was not the same person I was a year ago, and I didn’t want to be. However, when I tried to express these feelings to Kai and act like the better man I thought I was becoming, or let in change at all, she seemed so resistant to it. Maybe that was the real reason she didn’t like my friends—she thought they were influencing me to be different and she wanted to preserve my character in a glass box.
I’d observed at school that I hadn’t realized I was broken until I wanted to change. Kai very clearly didn’t want me to change.
Did that mean a part of her wanted me to stay broken?
“When our mission is over we will come back to Camelot and figure out Melior’s riddle,” I asserted to Clarissa and the others. “I mean that.”
I’d given the lake guardian’s message to the Swan Men and Swan Maidens in full after speaking with Melior, but also told them about our Midnight Law deadline. The Swan Men said they understood and were grateful to know Odette was alive and that there was hope for breaking the curse. The girls, on the other hand, clearly weren’t happy I was leaving and didn’t seem to believe my promise to return to help, even now as I reassured them.
“Farewell, Daniel. We only have a couple hours left before we turn back to swans; our time is precious, so you’ll pardon us,” Clarissa replied airily. “Hopefully we do see you again. Someday.” The girls gave their cloaks a swish as they strutted back inside the castle. Seeing the distress on my face, Kai supportively touched my arm for a moment.
“You’ll have to excuse them,” Brinkley said, gesturing with his swan wing. “Aside from us, men have done nothing but hold them back or let them down.”
“Is that really a good excuse to harbor hate against an entire gender, or be angry with me because I’m part of it? I mean, they don’t even know me.”
Brinkley shrugged. “Is history a good reason to hate anyone? No one knows it personally, but people carry around the wrongs of the past like arrows in a quiver, ready to take shots at the those they blame for it.”
Anderton nodded. “Resentment is a weed that grows over time and the Swan Maidens’ has led them to blame all men for their situation. They don’t think the gender can be redeemed. Odette’s prince tried, and he only made her fate worse. You came along and are leaving them to pursue your own agenda.”
“But I’ll come back.”
“They’ll believe that when they see it.”
I sighed and looked at my watch. It was almost half past four. I couldn’t spend another moment here trying to convince these girls not to hate all men. That wasn’t my job, right?
“You ready to find our third flame?” I asked my team.
“Very ready,” SJ said.
One by one, each girl popped the hood of her cloak. When she did, a cyclone of sparkling light enveloped her and a moment later, she was a bird. SJ turned into a white swan, Mauvrey a gray swan, and Kai a black swan. I nodded to the seven Swan Men and buttoned the top button of the shirt under my jacket. The second I did, a swirl of magic consumed me and then I was a bird too.
I’m not sure what I expected being a swan to feel like, but my eyesight sharpened tremendously, my center of gravity shifted completely, and flying came as easily as breathing—like it was a part of me, not something that needed an instruction manual or even practice.
“Hey, FYI,” Caleb added. “You can communicate telepathically in your swan forms with other swan people, but you have to really focus.”
I turned my neck in the direction of my swan friends and concentrated. “Testing, testing, can you girls hear me?”
“Yep.”
“Yes.”
“Loud and clear.”
I glanced back at the Swan Men and honked. I was trying to express some sort of thank you and goodbye sentiment. They seemed to get the gist.
“Come on. After the trail,” I told my group telepathically.
Our foursome flapped our wings and flew over the lake in pursuit of the green light. We moved astoundingly fast. The lake was behind us in a second and the forest whizzed by below.
“First a hot air balloon, then a Bixie and Tianlu, now turning into swans,” Mauvrey thought. “Do your quests typically involve so much flying?”
“No,” SJ thought. “And given I only overcame my fear of flying last semester, I consider that a rather good thing.”
We flew on, eyes locked on the trail of light. Soon the Crystal Mountain and Von Rothbart’s castle came into focus. The compound gave off an intimidating, dark aura.
I felt bad that Odette and her prince were trapped in there. Fate had been cruel to both of them. Odette had been dealt a terrible hand being a caged swan for years. As for the prince, I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to forget about the people you loved. To have your memory robbed of them was like having your soul scrubbed of some of its character. I believed what I had said to Kai. I’d become a better version of myself thanks to the people in my life. I was grateful to so many for that—SJ, Jason, Blue, and Knight in particular. To forget them would be to lose the person I’d become entirely.
“There’s light in the forest,” Kai thought loudly.
I glanced down. Our magic green trail dipped into the trees ahead. A glow moved through the forest toward our destination. Based on the speed and swaying movement, I guessed lanterns on a horse-drawn carriage were the source.
“It could be Von Rothbart,” I communicated to the others. “It’s going to be a close call so stay vigilant. Dive. Now.”
We tucked our wings and dove through the trees to follow where the trail ducked below. Leaves and branches obscured my sight before I plowed into the dirt.
CRUD!
Flying may have come easily, but landing didn’t. I had not expected to stop so quickly. The girls had similar crashing problems.
I flapped my wings, fumbled to my feet, and stretched my neck. We’d landed in a clearing. A river ran to the side, curving through the woods and out of sight. As I turned to check on the others, waving away the loose feathers floating around me, I saw the massive green flame hovering a dozen feet above. This was the first time we’d reached a flame before anyone else claimed it; in its original form the flame was three times my swan size.
I didn’t marvel at it long. Across from us, a carriage led by a black stallion was about to trot into the clearing. The others and I waddled back hurriedly to hide behind a tree and observe. At the helm of the carriage rode a man with a black cape and riding gloves. Coppery hair bristled from underneath his black fur trapper hat. He had a matching mustache and bushy beard. It was definitely Von Rothbart; he looked exactly as he had in the vision Melior had shown me.
“Whoa.” The man pulled on the reins and came to a stop a mere ten feet from the flame. I had to move now.
I looked to my fellow swans. “I’m changing back, but you three shouldn’t.”
“We can help,” SJ responded.
“I know, but I’m not sure you need to. It’s just one guy. All I need is a minute.”
The man bounded off his driver’s perch and landed confidently in the soil. He swaggered toward the flame.
Oh I don’t think so.
I braced my swan legs and leapt into the air, flapping my wings once and throwing myself into a flip. One bright flash later, I was human again. I landed in the clearing in a crouched position, a hand touching the ground. Then I stood.
“Von Rothbart.” I drew my sword and strode toward him—and the flame.
“Aye, and you would be?” the man replied.
“No one important,” I said. “But this flame is mine. Turn around and go back to where you came from.” I raised my sword to punctuate the sentence.
Von Rothbart drew his own sword from the sheath at his belt. We squared off with the flame floating above the space between us, its light illuminating our bodies in an eerie green glow.
“Any magical items that pass through this part of the kingdom are my business,” Von Rothbart said. “I have read about flames like these in ancient texts. This is a Midnight Law flame, isn’t it? If I retrieve it first, you are as good as my servant. I could always use another hero for a servant.” He smiled subtly, dark eyes dancing.
“Then take your best shot,” I said.
“Gladly.”
He charged. I raced forward as if to meet him halfway, then skidded to my knees sliding beneath his swing. I leapt back to my feet and took a strike at his shoulders. He pivoted and countered with a slice at my ribs. I blocked the blow and rammed my elbow sideways into his face. He stumbled back. I spun my blade around and rushed in.
Power surged up my arm. This sword I’d found on Avalon had a way of increasing my strength when I used it. Instead of growing tired from the exertion, I became fiercer. It was as if the blade was laced with aggression and confidence. I slashed and spun and drove toward Von Rothbart, who barely blocked and dodged. Finally, I kicked the warlock and he slammed hard against a tree. He lay there unmoving, temporarily dazed. This was my chance.
I re-buttoned my shirt and transformed into a swan. A bird again, I flew for the flame. The instant I made contact with it, green energy swirled around me and radiated from my body like I was on fire. The display would’ve put a phoenix to shame. I flipped in midair and became human again as Von Rothbart staggered to his feet. Residue wafts of green energy emanated off me and dripped from my pocket. I reached inside for my watch to check what “relationship aspect” I’d absorbed, but no sooner did I retrieve the watch did Von Rothbart come at me again. I hastily shoved the watch back in my pocket and deflected his overhead blow.
He struck again and I parried. He attempted to stab me; I rudely surprised him with a blow from the pommel of my sword. Again and again our swords clashed, the ring of steel on steel filling the clearing. The familiarity was almost comforting. This was a quest I could handle.
I had another opening and kicked him. Von Rothbart stumbled to the ground and rolled toward the river, coming to a stop at the edge of the bank. I dashed in for the kill and—
HONK!
I turned to see a cobalt wolf, oozing blue-gray fog, pinning Swan Mauvrey to the ground. This had to be one of Von Rothbart’s potion-enhanced, mutated wolves the Swan Men had warned us about. Four other wolves surrounded Kai and SJ, who honked and flapped their wings fearfully, not having enough room to flip and turn human.
“Seems my spirit hunters have found some birds that don’t belong.”
I turned back around, but a moment too late. In my distraction Von Rothbart had gotten to his feet. He shoved his sword through my side and ripped it out so rapidly that my brain barely registered it as more than a hot punch. For a second the shock and adrenaline kept me from feeling pain; there was only the feeling of warm wetness against my stomach where the blood began to run out. The only thought that went through my mind as I stared at the wound and processed what I saw was: Dang. I’ve been stabbed.
Then Von Rothbart grabbed me by the neck and threw me to the ground. Pain became very real after that and it sank into me as I rolled to a stop just past the riverbank. My sword escaped my grip as my right side splashed into the water. My head turned toward the clearing.
HONK! HONK! HONK!
Wolves pounced on Swan SJ. Swan Kai tried to leap and do a flip, but another wolf knocked her from the air and pinned her wings, snarling. There was nothing I could do. Deep, throbbing burning had set in. It built in intensity by the second. I felt sharp twinges like needles in some parts of my body, rough pounding in others, and pulsating ache that kept me from moving and thinking clearly.
A shadow loomed over me. Von Rothbart bent down to rummage through my pockets. I struggled weakly, but he planted a boot on my chest. “Nice shirt,” he said.
His foot may as well have been an anvil. I was already having trouble breathing. My body wouldn’t take in enough air and every attempted inhale was added suffering.
Von Rothbart withdrew the shining watch from my pocket and held it up to his face, its glow illuminating his wrinkled features. “I’m not sure what good a Midnight Law flame is if the hero pursuing the quest is dead, but I guess I’ll find out. As for your swans . . .”
He pushed off my chest and walked toward my friends. “If this hero is wearing a swan shirt, then I guess you are likely ladies in disguise. I may not be able to curse you in this form, but I’ll make you change back one way or another. Then I’ll enjoy giving you the same medicine as the other Swan Maidens you’ve clearly crossed paths with. You must be very brave to accompany this hero on a quest.” He spat to the side. “All the more deserving of my special punishment for such annoyingly strong women.”
I watched helplessly, feeling my strength ebb with my blood. Every breath got shorter and shorter. All my strength, training, and natural will to fight didn’t matter. The only thing I could do was lie there and watch as Von Rothbart approached SJ and Kai.
Suddenly, one of the wolves howled in anguish.
My eyes shifted to Swan Mauvrey, who had sunk the surprisingly menacing teeth of her swan beak into the neck of a mutant wolf. She bit the wolf twice more, causing the creature to leap off her, whining and shaking its head.
“No, you fool!” Von Rothbart shouted, but Swan Mauvrey had already leapt into the air and flipped. She landed crouched on the ground—human again.
The wolf she’d bitten recovered to pounce. Mauvrey clapped her hands and extended her arms as the wolf launched itself. It tackled her, throwing them both to the ground, but Mauvrey had intercepted the creature by the neck with her sparking gloves. The charge seared her and the wolf together for a second as the creature’s paws touched her. Then Mauvrey shoved it away�
��holding the animal at arm’s length—and the remaining power in her gloves solely electrocoated it. The wolf seized, howled, then surprisingly disintegrated into blue-gray smoke.
Von Rothbart grabbed Swan SJ and Swan Kai by their necks, unperturbed by their frantic wings as he squeezed. He glanced at Mauvrey as she scampered to her feet. “Two new Swan Maidens will do just fine. Get her.”
The remaining wolves charged Mauvrey. Panicked, and with no time or room to take on all four at once, she bolted into the forest.
My vision started to fade. What little breath I could sustain was doing me more harm than good now. The slightest movement of my chest attempting to gather oxygen was only a fresh, vicious dosage of hurt.
Von Rothbart dragged Kai and SJ by their necks toward his carriage, their wings still flapping frenziedly. I thought I saw flashes of electricity light up the woods in the direction that Mauvrey had run. And then I thought something glowed in the river behind me . . .
Too many dark spots consumed my vision and my ragged breathing slowed to no breathing. The world went black as my mind spiraled. My last thought was of all the people I was letting down if I died. Kai, SJ, Crisa . . . Who knew what horrible fates they would suffer because I couldn’t be there for them. It was like my family all over again.
hy do you always have to do this?” I asked.
“Do what?” Knight replied.
“Make things difficult. How am I—how are we supposed to turn our backs on you, knowing you could get hurt or captured or lost in this place?”
“Faith, Daniel. We’ll find our way back to each other. We always do. And if for some reason things go wrong and I can’t avoid Arian and Tara . . . I guess the tables will have turned and you’ll have to save me. I trust you to do that. I honestly do.”
Midnight Law Page 51