A Captive of Wing and Feather A Retelling of Swan Lake - Melanie Cellier Page 0,10

a mocking half-bow. “And after all, I know where to find you.”

“Indeed,” I hissed. “You’re the one keeping me here.”

He chuckled to himself again as he strolled away, and for an unthinking moment, I longed to pick up a stone from the edge of the lake and hurl it at his disappearing head. Sometimes it was as unnerving that he left me here mostly undisturbed as it was that he had trapped me in the first place. What exactly were Lord Leander’s plans for me?

At times, not knowing felt like the worst torture of all.

A soft flutter of feathers alerted me to the presence of my missing friend. I turned to glare at Eagle just as Leander disappeared into the trees at the same point he had appeared, a short distance around the lake.

“Where have you been?” I asked the bird, not expecting any answer. “I was worried.”

“I think she must have sensed you were in trouble,” said the prince, stepping out into the clearing behind the bird.

I swayed, my eyes flying to where Leander had just disappeared. So close!

“I didn’t hear everything,” Gabriel continued in a grim voice, “but I gather you have a problem this fine bird thinks I can help you solve.”

I blinked and his strung bow appeared in one hand, the other hand sliding over his shoulder and retrieving an arrow. I blinked again, and he had already taken several strides in the direction of the departed lord.

My scrambled mind grasped his intent just as he broke into a faster pace.

“What? No. No!”

The swans honked, bumping against each other as I pushed through them, racing forward and launching myself at the prince’s back. He stumbled and crashed to the ground, my weight dragging him down.

Chapter 4

For two full seconds, I lay there, stunned. And then I realized the entire length of my body was sprawled over Gabriel’s back, and I scrambled to my feet. For several more seconds I stood frozen while the prince lay unmoving on the ground.

Had he been hurt? I stepped toward him again, concern overriding my reluctance to approach him. Before I actually reached him, however, he pushed himself up with his arms, and slowly rose to his feet.

In the moonlight he looked faintly flushed, and I examined him closely for any sign of injury. When I could find none, I took another step back.

“What did you think you were doing?” I demanded, keeping my heated voice low in case Leander were somehow still in earshot.

Gabriel raised both eyebrows. “So, you can suddenly speak.” His eyes bored into me. “And you do not, in fact, wish to be rescued from that…gentleman?”

“Of course I want to be rescued,” I snapped. “But not by you, Gabriel!”

The prince looked injured, although I couldn’t tell if he meant it seriously or not.

“You wound my manly pride, Addie! I assure you, I’m an excellent rescuer.” He grinned, answering my question about the seriousness of his feelings—or lack thereof. “And I could have sworn you used to call me Gabe.”

“We were children,” I said stiffly.

“Childhood friends. Exactly my point! And of the same rank, too. I think nicknames are entirely appropriate.”

His easy smile remained, but I noticed a more serious gleam in his eye as he watched me. Perhaps he wished to see if I would repudiate his acknowledgment of my identity. I said nothing, however. What was the point out here? He clearly knew me, and my swans didn’t care who I was.

Instead, I turned my head and looked across the water. I let my eyes roam over it in the almost unnaturally bright moonlight, trying to see the clearing as he might see it. It couldn’t have looked more different from the surrounding forest. Here colorful flowers had been blooming for weeks—soaking up the sweet water of the lake and the rays of the sun that had free access to the ground around its shores.

There was no denying that even in the dark it looked like an idyllic paradise—at least in contrast to the rest of the forest. While I watched, a plump rabbit hopped up to the edge of the water to drink, clearly unafraid of any lurking predators. And it had no reason to fear. No dangerous creature had ever accosted me here—I had never so much as seen one come seeking refreshment of its own from the lake’s waters.

Gabe must have followed the direction of my gaze because his next words were quiet and awed.

“What is this place?”

“Cursed,” I said, noting the brusqueness