A Captive of Wing and Feather A Retelling of Swan Lake - Melanie Cellier Page 0,61

expression and body were drawn in serious lines now, however, and I tried to draw confidence from him.

When Audrey popped back into view, eyes wide, and waved for us to join her, we both reacted instantly. Together the three of us dashed out into the courtyard, Audrey gesturing for us to hurry in exaggerated movements that would have earned her a teasing in normal circumstances.

As we approached Ash’s wagon, his horse swished his tail, making no other protest to our presence. But I eyed the vehicle with misgiving. I remembered seeing it around the town previously—but I could have sworn it was bigger. I glanced sideways at Gabe, but he didn’t seem in the least concerned or uncomfortable, so I pushed the thought away. We would make it work somehow.

Audrey pulled back the canvas that covered the bed of the wagon, revealing a number of boxes. Straw stuck from various cracks in the rough crates, the baked samples it protected hidden from view inside. Several blankets appeared to have been shoved haphazardly to the back to make room for the boxes.

“Get in,” Audrey hissed. “Up the back.”

Gabe leaped up into the wagon, turning to help me in behind him. I heard Ash’s voice approaching and scrambled ungracefully up, nearly landing on one of the boxes.

Wren’s voice called from further inside the shop, and Ash’s footsteps receded again. All three of us let out simultaneous breaths of relief, and then Audrey had to choke back giggles—the tension apparently starting to get to her.

Gabe dropped onto his hands and knees and crawled under the canvas covering, right to the back of the wagon. Pushing blankets out of the way, he lay down with his back against the front of the wagon bed. Beckoning for me to join him, he held out his arms. Misgivings filled me, but I hesitated only a moment before lying down and allowing his reaching arms to firmly grasp me around the waist and pull me tight against him. I curled into a ball, only my back resting against his chest.

“Quick, Audrey,” he whispered. “Cover us.”

She scrambled up into the wagon herself, crawling around the boxes to retrieve the discarded blankets. Weight and darkness settled over me, bringing with it the smell of dirt and animals and the musty remnants of ancient baked goods. I gasped and gagged.

“Breathe, Addie.” Gabe’s warm breath brushed against my ear, his arms around me tightening slightly, and I managed to even my breathing.

The wagon creaked, moving beneath us as Audrey climbed out.

“Audrey! I didn’t expect to see you,” said Ash a moment later.

His tone was welcoming, and he made no mention of her being in his wagon, so presumably she had made it off just in time.

“I thought I would come down to wish you the best and walk back with Wren,” Audrey said.

“How kind!” I could easily imagine Ash beaming at the two sisters. “I know Wren is glad to have you at home again, Audrey. As am I.”

They murmured various other pleasantries while I silently pleaded for them to hurry up. We were committed now, and I wasn’t sure I could bear much more waiting.

At long last, Ash climbed onto the bench seat at the front of the wagon and called to his horse to get moving. The slap of the reins sounded, and Gabe jerked into me, both of us sliding forward slightly before he managed to brace us.

We rolled around, whacking against each other and the walls while Ash made two tight turns. The wagon hit the main road and straightened just in time to bounce over an enormous pothole. Gabe gave a tiny grunt in my ear as both of us lifted into the air and whacked down hard against the wood. I winced silently—more practiced at verbal restraint than him. That was going to bruise.

I tried to calculate how far we might have traveled, but both time and distance had disappeared inside the stale darkness of the wagon bed. Every now and then Ash called gentle encouragement to his horse, but otherwise the only sounds were those made by the clop of hooves and the wheels of the wagon.

I tried hard not to think about the fact that I lay pressed up against Gabe, his strong arms around me, but it was a difficult situation to ignore. Thank goodness the dangerous aspect of our mission was enough to account for the speed of my heart rate. I didn’t want Gabe thinking his proximity made me uncomfortable.