A Captive of Wing and Feather A Retelling of Swan Lake - Melanie Cellier Page 0,97

again, feeling around for him. Instead of Gabe, my reaching fingers grasped fistfuls of fabric, and I realized what had happened.

Somehow the swans had freed themselves of my sheet sling, and Gabe had become entangled in it. Gabe’s head emerged, but he managed only a single breath before sinking down again. I went with him, both of us fumbling around, our movements slowed by the resistance of the water as we struggled to unwrap the material.

But neither of us could kick now, and my feeble arms did little to help. The dark water stretched in every direction and in a moment of utter panic, I could no longer be sure which way was up. Perhaps I thrashed and struggled merely to drive us deeper into the depths.

Gabe went still beside me, and I grasped onto him and screamed into the silent lake. This wasn’t how it was supposed to end.

And then arms broke the surface, thrashing and bubbles and shouting surrounding us. Someone gripped me, tearing me from Gabe, and I struggled, but too feebly to be of any use. Someone dragged me through the water, and I felt the moment their feet found solid ground, arms cradling around me and carrying me the rest of the way.

The arms placed me gently on the ground, and for a moment everything spun around me. Then my vision steadied, latching onto my rescuer’s face.

“Dominic?!”

I tried to sit up, but my brother held me down. I struggled and fought, desperate to see what had happened to Gabe.

“Gently, gently,” he said, but I strained against him still.

“Gabe,” I managed to gasp out. “Gabe.”

Dominic finally understood, lifting me so I could see where Gabe lay, a short way along the shore line. Two men appeared to have just finished dragging him out of the lake, and he wasn’t breathing.

“No,” I cried, my voice ragged. “No.”

I tried to crawl to him, but Dominic restrained me, his gently cradling arms helping me to my feet. One of the men who had pulled Gabe from the water looked at his pale, still face and dropped to his knees beside him.

“What is he doing?” I cried as he pressed hard against Gabe’s chest.

Dominic didn’t reply, continuing to hold me back, and a second later a fountain of water erupted from Gabe’s mouth. He began to cough violently.

The men rolled him onto his side, and from there he rolled himself onto his hands and knees, his head drooping as he struggled to regain his breath. As soon as it evened, his head shot up, his eyes searching until they latched onto mine.

“Addie,” he breathed.

I hurried toward him, sinking down at his side and letting him wrap me in a dripping embrace.

“You reckless fool,” I said, my tears joining the lake water that already soaked him. “You nearly died for nothing. It’s too late for me, I’m already dying.”

“Are you?” asked a new voice in calm inquiry.

I froze before turning slowly to lock eyes with my godmother. She stood at the back of the scene, calmly observing, although she hadn’t been there before. Taking stock of my body, I noticed that I no longer felt so weak, and my head had stopped spinning.

“Well…I was.” I said.

“Fortunately for you,” she said briskly, “there is something more powerful than any curse, more powerful than even true love’s kiss. True love’s sacrifice. Your prince was willing to die for you—and, in fact, did so, if only briefly. Leander explained that the curse was tied to you, and to your love, but he failed to mention it was also tied to him. If your love betrayed you, you would die, but if your love sacrificed himself for you, Leander would be the one to die. Why do you think he was so reluctant to activate this particular binding? And with his death, the curse is dissolved.”

“I’m free?” I asked, struggling to comprehend the words. “Truly free?”

“Yes, indeed,” she replied.

“And my swans?” I turned quickly toward the lake.

Already I could see the strength returning to them as well, their heads lifting again, their necks curving gracefully. I let out a relieved sigh, that turned slowly to sadness. And now I would lose them, the one bitter pill in what should have been unalleviated happiness.

“We are no longer bound together,” I murmured. “I’ll lose them now, after they saved me. Saved us all, really.”

“Well, that is to be seen,” the godmother said. “Animals are tricky creatures, and these ladies have been enchanted for a long time now.