“Bird Catcher.”
Dmitri’s head pulled back in surprise as his face twisted with confusion. “That’s not an occupation.”
“Bird CatcherandDragon Charmer.”
“That…doesn’t make it any more real.”
Jax sighed and shook his head. “Everyone keeps saying that, and yet my family has been Bird Catching for generations.”
Dmitri cleared his throat. “Right. Next question: What are you doing in Kovskia? And before you say ‘catching birds,’ please know that I have connections with both the head of the Royal Guard and the executioner.”
“They sound like truly delightful friends to have. I happen to think everyone should have at least one acquaintance in law enforcement. They tend to really be the life of the party.”
“You’re deflecting.”
“I’mrelating.” Jax gestured back and forth between them. “This is called finding common ground and getting to know one another. It’s how friendships are formed, so the next time you interrogate a visitor, you can let them know you have connections with a Bird Catcher and Dragon Charmer.”
Dmitri gave him a flat look. “We’re not friends.”
“Yet.” He held up a pointed finger. “We’ve only just started the relating process. Now, what’s the next question?”
“What are you doing in Kovskia?”
“Right. Well, here’s the thing. I didn’t exactly plan on coming here. It just kind of…happened?” Jax held out his arms in an innocent shrug.
“Explain.” Dmitri’s voice was as flat as his face.
“Long story short, I followed the trail of a wizard up the Beanstalk, where I found a socially-averse giant, an adorable little goose, a petulant prince, and my golden egg. After retrieving my egg, I took my leave and was making my way down the Beanstalk when the aforementioned prince came barreling down with the goose and knocked me off balance. I fell, fully expecting to meet a grisly and painful end on the rocks below, but instead woke up and found myself here.” Jax made a show of looking around the room. “I have to admit, it’s a much more preferable option.”
Dmitri’s eyes narrowed. “You expect me to believe that?”
“Well, I certainly didn’t tell you because I wanted you to doubt it. Where I come from, truthful communication is preferred—though perhaps in Kovskia it’s a different matter?”
“Where you come from,” Dmitri repeated slowly. “Where exactly is that?”
Jax’s smile faltered at the question, but he quickly recovered. “The Spring Court, in the Faerie Realm. The Papagenos have called Spring their home for more generations than they’ve been Bird Catchers.”
Dmitri stared at him, blinked twice, and let out a long exhale as he shook his head. “Grab your things and come with me.” He turned on his heel and moved to the door.
Having nothing to grab, Jax simply fell into step beside him as they entered a long, wide corridor. “Does this mean I’ve passed your test?”
Dmitri looked at him from the corner of his eye as they walked. “Not exactly. It means that I’ve decided that Odessa is the one best suited to dealing with you.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because she’s the expert in strange creatures.”
Jax learnedseveral things in their long walk to the Royal Menagerie.
The first was that Dmitri was obviously Someone with A Very Impressive Title, given the deference and bows that accompanied every interaction with another person in the palace.
The second was that, despite the strange-sounding magic in Kovskia, the air was actually quite pleasant. The sun was warmon his skin as he walked, and every breath he took in was rich with the smell of trees and warm soil and the wet, green scent of the lake.
The third was that he had apparently forgotten a few key events that occurred directly after his fall. As they passed under the tall, wrought-iron gates of the Menagerie, walked past the enclosures containing a delightful myriad of creatures that he was already planning on returning later to examine, and caught sight of the lake in the distance, hazy images began piecing themselves together in his mind.
The pain of hitting the water. The panic as he reflexively gasped and sucked water into his lungs. The disorienting darkness. The weightlessness as he slowly lost grip on his consciousness.
Dmitri led him to the far end of the Menagerie where a small cottage stood back a ways from the shores of the lake. “Stay here.” He left Jax standing, looking out over the water, and walked up to the door of the cottage and knocked.
