by K. M. Shea
“You think he’s going to release the wyverns?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said grimly. “It’s the last card up his sleeve—I think. What will your family do?”
“Yakov is preparing to ride with the army. When he arrives, we’ll march on Rothbart’s castle.”
The horse slipped into a smooth trot that threatened to spill Odette from its back, so she tightened her grip on Alexsei. “You won’t try to alert Angelique?”
“We haven’t the time. Our best hope is to strike before he is prepared.”
It’s a good point. The more time Rothbart has to prepare, the more lethal his attack.
“Will you help us?” Alexsei asked.
For a moment, indecision ripped Odette’s heart apart. She owed it to her people to get them to safety, and they had to remove the ètonse philtre. If the shipment didn’t reach their clients, far more than the Black Swan Smugglers’ reputation would suffer. The effects, in fact, would ripple across the continent. But I could help Alexsei—and they need every advantage they can get against Rothbart!
“Odette?”
She scrunched her eyes shut. She had a duty to protect—but whom? Her crew of four years, or the compassionate prince who managed to coax more from her in the short time she had known him than anyone else since she had been spelled?
No matter what I choose, I will fail someone. But I can’t let my affection for Alexsei override me. My crew must always come before my personal desires, and if the philtre shipment gets smashed…
She wanted to tell Alexsei the truth, but he couldn’t learn about the philtre clients. That would be different if they were more than just friends, but as much as she wished it, it would never happen. Odette inhaled and relied on years of spinning falsities and half-truths as she spat words that tasted like gritty mud. “No. My crew and I have a job to finish.”
Alexsei glanced over his shoulder at her and then guided his horse farther down the narrow forest trail. “I understand you don’t want to risk your people, but you wish to complete a job?”
“I’m a smuggler, Your Highness. If Rothbart ruins our goods, our business will be destroyed.” She was proud her words sounded natural—not at all wooden, like she felt.
Alexsei snorted. “Lies. You won’t be a smuggler much longer, and your nature is far more caring than cutthroat.”
Odette—safely hidden behind him—winced. Always so astute. “Unfortunately, you seem to have drawn an incorrect conclusion, Your Highness. I’ve been very open about my selfish ways.”
“Odette, you are better than this!” A surprising amount of heat colored his voice.
“Enough.” She was proud she had managed to keep the shake out of her voice. “I don’t need a lecture.”
“Please, Odette. Tell me why—the real reason this time.” Alexsei said.
The genuine affection in his voice was almost her undoing. I have to get away from him, or I’m going to spill everything. She let go of Alexsei’s waist and slid from the horse, almost falling on her face.
He wheeled his horse around. “Odette?”
“Good luck.” She deviated from the path and darted through the trees.
“Odette!” Alexsei sounded like his heart was breaking.
She grabbed a tree for support and glanced over her shoulder. Alexsei had slipped off his horse and had ventured to the edge of the path. He held out his hand to her. Her eyes teared up, but she pushed her sadness aside. I can’t. Steeling herself, she forcibly turned herself towards Swan Lake and ignored the pain twisting her heart.
Chapter 11
To Arms
Horses snorted—straining against their bridles as soldiers loaded their quivers. Alexsei and the Kozlovkan forces were mustered at the forest edge, readying to rush the shoreline that stretched in front of Rothbart’s castle. Their only possible course to the castle was a long, side-less bridge. Crossing it would be the most dangerous part of the charge. However, if they could get inside before Rothbart set loose whatever creatures he intended to attack them with—wyvern or hellhound—their victory would be assured. All they waited for was the rearguard to finish organizing and for the team leaders to finish studying the map of the castle Odile had drawn in the sand for them. The quiet girl had stated with fierceness that she wanted to help them, and she was currently tucked in the middle of the forces.
When those two tasks were finished, Yakov could give the signal.
Alexsei stared across the lake as Yakov checked his weapon for the third time. The last torch from the Black Swan Smugglers had disappeared minutes ago as the smugglers piled into boats and started ferrying their way down river. Alexsei hadn’t spoken to Odette since she leaped from his horse, but he saw her and her people from across the lake—loading goods into the boats.
There must be more to her reasoning. This isn’t like her.
“You’re worried,” Yakov said.
Alexsei tore his eyes from the abandoned smugglers’ camp. “Of course. We are about to ride into battle.”
“No,” Yakov said. “You’re worried about Odette.”
Alexsei was quiet.
“Why didn’t you tell me you liked her when I asked you?”
“I didn’t think it would matter,” Alexsei said.
Yakov snorted. “Of course it would! You’re my brother. I would never chase a woman who had your heart.”
Alexsei stared at his horse’s black mane. “I didn’t think it would ever be possible that someone would see me, would love me.”
“Odette does, doesn’t she?” Yakov asked.
“I don’t know if she loves me, but she sees me when others don’t.”
Yakov lowered his crossbow until it rested on his saddle. “Unlike me.” He sighed. “I feel like a fool. I’m sorry, Alexsei.”
Alexsei twisted in the saddle and watched the soldiers move into their ranks. “When did you realize my feelings for her?”
“I thought about it while riding over. You knew Odile wasn’t Odette. It would be easy to chalk it up to you being more perceptive, but the way you looked at her when she was facing down Rothbart, I’ve never seen you look at anyone that way before.” Yakov glanced sidelong at him. “She’s the person you think she is, Lexsei. You’re astute about people—it’s something I’ve always envied you for. You’re not wrong about Odette.”
Alexsei shifted, and the leather saddle creaked as his gelding pawed the ground. “I know she’s a good person—far better than she would have anyone believe—but her choice to leave with her people surprised me. I thought she might send them on and remain herself.”
“She’s their queen, brother. Our parents have had to make decisions I’ll never understand—and I’ve known them all my life. You can never get a true measure of a person—you can never fully understand yourself, even—because life is always throwing new things at us. But if you have faith in her, I don’t think you’ll come to regret it.”
Yakov looked him in the eye, and the flickering torchlight made his hair glimmer like gold. “You chose her, and you’re the best person I know. She’s worthy of your regard, and she’ll prove herself true, one way or another.”
Alexsei stared at his brother, unable to speak. “Thank you,” he said finally.
Yakov nodded. He cleared his throat, glanced away, and then put a grin on his face. “Of course. If you marry workhorse-Odette, maybe Mother will stop trying to settle me down.”
Alexsei chuckled. He smiled fondly at his brother, thankful for him. “Are you ready?”
Yakov inhaled and nodded.
It wasn’t their first battle. On numerous occasions they had worked with squads of soldiers to dispatch mountain hags, trolls, and the like. But Rothbart was undoubtedly their most dangerous opponent yet.
“Be safe,” Alexsei said.
“You, too.” Yakov held out his arm. Alexsei clasped it. “If something happens,” Yakov said. “I want you to know that I’m proud of you, little brother… and I think you’re incredible. Kozlovka wou
ld be lucky to call you its emperor.”
“It would be even better, for the country, if I could walk by your side as you rule. We’ll survive this,” Alexsei said.
Yakov nodded. “Keep an eye on Odile, would you?”
The brothers broke their contact, and Alexsei raised his eyebrows.
Yakov continued. “Odette and Benno would be furious if we let something happen to her.”
“I see,” Alexsei said.
The Imperial Prince nudged his horse forward, and he rode up the beach. “Archers, ready! Infantry, on my mark. Charge!”
Soldiers raced across the beach, charging for the long, rail-less bridge that connected Rothbart’s castle to the lakeshore. Yakov rode at the front, his crossbow raised.
Alexsei stayed with the second wave—the archers, who would try to bring down the wyverns.
When Yakov and the soldiers were halfway across the pier, horrible screeching echoed from the castle.
Wide-eyed, Odile rushed to Alexsei’s side. “It’s the wyverns!”
“Archers, fire at will!” Alexsei shouted. “Aim for their eyes and wings.”
Four wyverns launched into the air from the castle keep. They madly pumped their wings but moved clumsily—as if they barely had control over their own limbs. For a moment, they hovered over the castle—screaming and hissing—then they turned, as if to fly away.
The first arrows hit their wings—some punching through the leathery membranes. Angered, the beasts turned awkwardly, setting their sights on Alexsei and the archers as Yakov and the charge of soldiers nearly reached the doors.
The biggest wyvern dove at the archers, but he wasn’t as proficient as the wyvern Alexsei and Odette had faced, and he crashed into the beach, almost smashing a man.
The other three wyverns landed as well, making the ground shake. They growled and snapped. One smashed its tail into the ground—shattering a head-sized rock.
“To arms!” Yakov shouted to his men.
“Keep shooting!” Alexsei ordered his archers.
They were barely audible over the creatures’ roaring and sputtering hisses.
Odette clung to the stern of the wide and unfortunately tippy boat when it smacked sidelong into a rock, jostling the other two smugglers situated in the boat with her, as well as the casks of philtre that were tied down and secured. They were the last in the Black Swan Smugglers’ flotilla of white boats stocked with kegs, casks, and other small goods they had yet to transport.
The screeching hiss of a wyvern sliced through the forest—amplified by the lake they had left behind several minutes ago.
She twisted around. Alexsei. He would be alright. He had to be. He and Yakov were seasoned fighters. But four wyverns? Can four of those things be taken down without the extensive use of magic? Worry made her forehead pucker, but it did no good. She couldn’t leave her people, no matter how badly she wanted to help.
“Odette.”
She swung around—careful not to rock the boat—so she could face Misha—who was in the boat just ahead of hers. “What?”
“Why didn’t we stay and help them?”
Although she knew who he was referring to, she played dumb. “Who?” She tilted her head and let the wrinkle return to her forehead.
“You know who,” Misha said.
Odette smoothed her expression into something more serene. “The risk is too great, and we have a responsibility to make this delivery.”
“It doesn’t take all of us to make this delivery,” Misha said.
“It doesn’t matter.” She twisted around when she heard the wyverns hiss—moving before she could stifle her concern.
“I don’t understand,” Zina said. She shifted from her position in the front of Odette’s boat, making the boat rock. “Rothbart’s plan puts civilians and citizens in more danger than ever. You’ve always—”
“I have always been careful to balance the interests of our group with the interests of the country,” Odette said. “In this case, it is better for you to remain uninvolved. This battle is not yours.” It’s just another choice that I have to live with.
“Maybe not,” Nadia said. “But it doesn’t matter, because you want to help Prince Alexsei.”
Odette stared at her second-in-command.
Nadia set her oar aside. “You care for Prince Alexsei, but you’re denying it because you’re afraid of what might happen to us.”
Odette mulishly tucked her head. “The delivery—”
“Can wait another day,” Nadia said.
Odette sighed, tired and defeated. “You’re right.” She couldn’t speak the words. She couldn’t say how badly she wanted to be at Alexsei’s side—the desire was too painful to think of, and after speaking lies that went against her heart for so long, saying the truth almost hurt. “But it doesn’t matter. I have a responsibility to you all. I’m not going to put you in harm’s way.”
“Do you know why we follow you, Odette?” Gleb asked. He was in a boat near the front of his caravan, but he spoke like a lecturer and was easy to hear.
“Because I’ll make certain we survive,” Odette said.
“No. It is quite the contrary.” Gleb rested a hand on the lip of his boat. “It is because you care the most. You stand strong with a stubborn iron-resolve, but since the day I met you, I have seen the truth behind your actions. You are not egotistical; you are, in fact, dangerously selfless.”
Odette responded with shocked silence.
“You do not come up with ideas that make us fit for survival, but plans that help us flourish as we help others. You might have the princes bamboozled with the black reputation of smugglers, but you will not fool us, my girl. We know our clients; we have seen their relief. With the exception of the Verglas Assassins’ Guild—and goodness knows we could never refuse them—you smuggle only for those who are as hopeless and helpless as we.”
Odette sighed and let her shoulders slump. “You don’t know what you’re offering.”
“But we do,” Gala said. The flighty fifteen-year-old’s chin was set. “You’ve done the most, Odette, and we could never thank you enough. But we’ve lived on this lake under your protection for years. We’ve seen what you’ve seen.”
Odette gave the teenager a half-smile. “But I’m your leader. It’s my job to protect you.”
“And you’re our queen. It is our duty to serve you,” Anna piped in.
Odette wanted to cry. She always thought they hadn’t known, or hadn’t cared. She was touched by their words and wanted so badly to give in! But I can’t. I cannot abandon leadership just because I desire someone. She shook her head to clear it. “I could never ask you to make such a sacrifice.”
Nadia leveled her spear in Odette’s direction and smiled darkly. “Then I dare you to try and stop us.”
“For once, think about what you want, Odette,” Misha said. “We’re your friends. We’ll fight for you, too.”
Odette stared at the river, daring to hope. Could I…? We’re a trained unit. Together, we might be able to take out a wyvern.
A wyvern roared, and the river water rippled.
She gazed up. Misha nodded at her, and Nadia’s expression softened to a smile. “We’ll follow you, Swan Queen. Wherever you go,” she said.
Odette drew a dagger from her belt and glanced over her shoulder, in the direction of Swan Lake. Alexsei… One of the smugglers pulled a sword from a scabbard, banishing her indecision. The smugglers were important to her, but so was Alexsei. She inhaled, drew herself upright, and smiled. “Listen up, smugglers. We have a new mission.”
Alexsei ducked, plastering himself to the shore. A wyvern tail narrowly missed him as it whisked over the top of his body, passing so close it almost brushed his clothes.
An archer wasn’t so lucky, and the force with which the wyvern whipped its tail sent him flying.
Up and down the shore, the archers shot arrows at the wyverns and scrambled to avoid them. But, landed as they were, the wyverns had their wings folde
d, so their eyes—miniscule targets—were the only weak points available.
An archer had successfully wounded one beast, and it writhed and thrashed—more dangerous, as it nearly crushed men.
Alexsei grimaced. We were prepared for an air battle—not a ground skirmish! “Fallback to the woods,” he called. “Get back in formation!” With the woods to shield them, the wyverns wouldn’t be able to scatter them.
The archers scrambled for safety, but the wyverns gave chase. One of the creatures had realized it could spit acid, and it terrorized the troops as it veered after them.
Alexsei whistled at it and then shot it with an arrow. The arrow bounced harmlessly off it, but the wyvern turned in his direction, distracted long enough for its prey to escape to the woods.
It snorted and spat acid at Alexsei, then it thundered after the archers. Alexsei leaped aside, but the acidic spit spattered when it landed. Some of it sprayed his boots—burning a hole through them.
A wing knocked him in the back of his head, throwing him to the rocky ground.
“Your Highness!” Several archers rushed to his side and helped him stand.
“I’m fine,” Alexsei said. He dabbed a cut on his cheek, opened by a sharp rock, and nodded at the woods. “Let’s go.” They ran across the beach, catching the attention of a wyvern.
It tried to snag one of the men with its wing, but Alexsei and two of the archers whirled around and shot arrows at the open wing membrane, making the creature take a staggering step backwards.
They reached the forest and pushed farther in. A little ways down the forest line, one of the wyverns was playing a twisted version of cat and mouse with Odile and a band of archers. It would stick its triangular head in the forest, lunge for one of them, then try to crush them with its tail.
Alexsei sagged against a tree. If we don’t get some kind of relief, we’re going to lose all the archers. Then, the wyverns will fall on the infantry and kill them, too.
Evidently Yakov thought the same thing, for he and his men abandoned their attempt to batter down the castle doors. “Fall in formation,” Yakov shouted. “To the archers!”