A Captive of Wing and Feather A Retelling of Swan Lake - Melanie Cellier Page 0,19
or something. Maybe he even intended to turn you into a swan.”
“Now you’re getting a bit carried away,” I said, unable to resist a small smile despite myself.
He grinned back. “Well, maybe not that. But who knows his plans? The good news is that, if I’m right, we have a plan, at least.”
“We do?”
“We need to find those godmother objects and destroy them—that should break the enchantment. Which means you were right. We need Leander, so that he can lead us to them.”
“And how are you planning to get him to do that?” I asked.
A dimple appeared in one of his cheeks. “I suppose it’s more the beginning of a plan than a full plan—but that’s enough for me.”
“I’ll bet it is,” I mumbled to myself.
When I looked up, he was giving me a questioning look, but I didn’t repeat myself.
“It’s getting late,” I said instead. “We need a full plan, but I’m tired. I suppose you’ll have to stay here for the rest of the night—you’ll never find your way back in the dark. But in the morning, you need to go back to the town. Come up with some excuse for the innkeeper about where you were all night—we don’t want word getting to Leander that you were in the forest all night.”
“And then what?” he asked.
“I’ve been here for two years. There’s no big hurry now. Tomorrow night we can talk again.” I gave him a stern look. “And see if we can come up with a proper plan.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” he said gravely, but his eyes twinkled at me.
“There’s a thick patch of grass on that side of the lake.” I pointed across the water. “It will make a nice enough bed.”
I expected him to protest at not being invited to join me in my shelter, but he stood up meekly enough and bid me goodnight. I watched him with narrow eyes as he made his way around the edge of the water, glancing back in my direction every so often.
When it became clear he was following my directions, I curled on my pallet, my back pressed against Sweetie’s warm bulk. I closed my eyes, but sleep didn’t come.
The lake was always still at night, and I could hear faint sounds as he settled himself across the water. His presence felt incongruous with this place—a jarring note that I had never experienced in my many nights here. It kept me awake and alert, every little sound setting me on edge.
It was true that I was tired, but that had only been an excuse to give me space from Gabe. I needed time to think. Clearly I wasn’t getting rid of him, but I wasn’t sure how to incorporate him into my plans. Because everything I had told Gabe was the truth—but it wasn’t the whole truth. I wasn’t ready to trust him with that.
I woke before the first lightening of dawn reached the lake, just as I did every morning. But this was the first morning when it actually mattered that I had a final few waking moments in possession of my voice.
I crossed to the edge of the lake to refresh myself, and Gabe stood immediately, coming to join me. I didn’t know if he was usually an early riser or if he had slept lightly given the circumstances. He certainly looked awake and alert in the remaining moonlight and the first gray hint of dawn. I couldn’t predict the exact moment day would reach us, so I spoke quickly.
“I assume you can find your own way back to Brylee?”
Gabe regarded me with curiosity in his eyes.
“If I said no, would you guide me?”
“No. Any moment now I’ll have the language of the swans again, and I’ll ask one of them to accompany you and give you warning if you veer in the wrong direction.”
“So they really do understand you? Like a person would?” He looked awed.
I glanced to the side where several of the swans lay pressed together, still asleep. “Not exactly like a person—sometimes the complexities escape them. But certainly far more like one than I can imagine is natural for a group of wild swans. I suspect they’ve been trapped and transformed by the curse just as I have, even if Leander didn’t intend it.”
Gabe looked at them consideringly before turning back to me.
“You really don’t mean to accompany me? I thought you spent your days in the town?”
“I spend some of my day there,” I said shortly. “And I have no