The expression twisted his heart even further, and all Jax wanted to do in that moment was to change it, to find some way to bring the hope back to her eyes.
She doesn’t deserve this. No one does.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered back, reaching for her hands and squeezing them gently. “But I’ll do everything I can to help you.”
Odessa’s attention was drawn for a moment to their hands, and when she looked back up at him, she pulled hers free and clasped them behind her back. Her smile turned forced. “It’s alright. I just thought it was worth asking. Thank you for the offer, though.” She started walking again.
“Odessa, wait.” Jax reached for her arm. “I’m serious. All curses can be broken. We just have to figure out how.”
“That part isn’t the problem—Boris kindly told me the counter to this one. I already know how the curse can be broken.”
“How?”
She released a brittle laugh as she turned and squared her shoulders to him, causing his hand to fall. “It is, and I quote, ‘A male who has never loved before must pledge his undying devotion.’”
Jax was silent for a moment as he mulled it over.
It’s not uncommon to use True Love as a counter-curse, but the wording does seem specific. Still, it shouldn’t be too hard to find someone. She’s kind, hard-working, and has a sense of humor. She’s gorgeous, too. Granted, I’ve only known her for a few hours, so there might be something monstrous hidden in her character, but so far, the only slightly concerning trait is the way she carries on conversations with animals as if they can understand her, and even that could be considered endearingly quirky.
“That’s not so bad,” he said finally. “We just need to find someone to fall in love with you.”
Odessa rested her hands on her hips. “You say, as if it’s such a simple thing when I’m a swan all day. Any man who falls in love with a bird is not the kind I would like to spend the rest of my life with, thank you very much, and most men with good character aren’t going to be prowling around the Menagerie after dark looking for romantic prospects.”
“First of all.” Jax held up a finger. “Birds are very loveable. Second, who said anything about prowling? I’m here after dark, aren’t I?”
She looked at him pointedly. “Are you pledging your undying devotion to me, Jax?”
Every coherent thought in his brain whirred to a grinding halt. He stared at her, opening and closing his mouth like a baby bird reaching for food.
We’re from different realms. It would never work. At the end of this, I’m taking my dragon and going home.
Even in his own head, his voice sounded weak and hollow, but he wasn’t given the opportunity to dissect them any further. Odessa, misreading his hesitations, pressed her lips into a grim smile. “It’s fine, Jax. I wasn’t being serious. Of course I’m not going to ask you to do that.”
“It’s not that,” he argued, finally having recovered his voice. “It’s just that?—”
“You don’t have to explain.” She waved his words away. “I’m not offended. In fact, I should probably take it as confirmation of your good sense that you didn’t rush into things. I’m just pointing out that it’s not quite as simple a solution as you think.”
“Maybe not, but I meant what I said before. I’ll do everything I can to help you.”
“And like I said before: I appreciate the offer.” She exhaled heavily. “Though right now I have more than enough work to do without worrying about finding love.”
Jax held out his hands as he shrugged. “So let me help. It’s in my job description.”
Odessa quirked an eyebrow. “Bird Catcher?”
“Bird Catcher, Dragon Charmer,andAssistant to the Assistant Keeper.” He rocked back on his heels. “So what am I assisting with next?”
A slow, genuine smile spread across her face, and Jax found himself wishing he could find a way to capture the expression and keep it forever. “Tell me, Mr. Bird Catcher—have you ever seen an emu?”
Chapter Ten
ODESSA
“I’m just saying—you could put saddles on those birds and ride them into war.” Jax’s excitement was palpable as he held open the door to the glass-domed structure where they housed a family of monkeys. “Even if you sent them in as foot soldiers, I think the outcome would be nothing but favorable.”
Odessa shook her head and chuckled as she locked the door behind them. “I will admit the emus can be intimidating, but don’t you think elephants might be more effective?”
Jax shook his head stoutly. “They’re large, yes, but too docile. Emus are the future of warfare.”
