“She’s a swan. I can hear it.”
“Huh,” he spoke softly to himself. “I suppose I should have guessed that he would perceive magic the same way, since we’re from the same realm and all. Interesting.”
Odessa let out a sigh of relief, thankful that the dragon was finally out of the tree and seemed to have forgotten his previous complaint.
I guess I should have given him more credit in terms of the dragon charming. He does seem to know his stuff. But still…
“Essa? Really?”
Jax tucked away his panpipes and held up his hands. “Still trying things out.”
“I thought you said nicknames aren’t limited to name shortening.” She raised her eyebrows pointedly.
He grinned mischievously. “You’re right, Swania. With as fascinating and multi-faceted and lovely as you are, there are still hundreds of potential names.”
This man.
“Jack.” She gave him a flat glare. “Your nickname can be Jack.”
“How is that a nickname?”
“I left off the ‘s.’”
His peal of delighted laughter brought her far too much pleasure, and the butterflies that danced in her stomach at the way his grin lit up her face distracted her from the fact that he wasn’t being nearly quiet enough.
A familiar excited squeal cut through the air, mingling with his laughter. Bean honked in excitement, and before Odessa could do more than step out of the way, Sonya came barreling out of her shelter. She stomped and danced around Jax, throwing her head like a pony. Bean joined in, and the next thing Odessa knew the three of them were chasing and wrestling one another around the tree.
She shook her head and made her way back to the shelter, where Katrin was standing in the doorway. The doe looked at her reproachfully. Odessa winced.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake her up. Maybe she’ll sleep better after she’s worn out?”
They both knew it wasn’t true, but Katrin seemed content to let the matter go. Odessa stood beside her, leaning her head against the deer’s as they both watched the play unfold. After a moment, she ventured carefully, “Dimi’s coming around later. He wants to talk about one of the games for his guests. And…” She had been avoiding this particular aspect of the festivities long enough, but it was time to rip the bandage off. “He wants me to help him select a suitable wife from amongst them.”
Katrin stiffened, and Odessa could almost hear her pulse quicken. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “If I knew how to change things, I would. I could try to tell him that none of them are worth his time. He would probably listen, but I don’t think his mother would.”
She sighed as her eyes strayed once again to Jax, who was bowing dramatically and kneeling in front of Sonya. “I wish I knew what the best step forward is.”
“Your Highness, I present myself as your most loyal servant.” Jax’s theatrical voice carried across the distance. “What are your commands, princess?”
Odessa squeaked in surprise as a swirl of bright light appeared next to her, and Katrin’s form began shifting and shrinking. Jax’s exclamation was nearly identical as the boar in front of him went through a similar transformation. Odessa stepped back, allowing space as the deer became a young woman in a simple white dress, not more than a year younger than herself, with long waves of black hair and a pale, creamy complexion. Her big brown eyes still reminded Odessa of thedoe she had once been, with long, thick eyelashes that fluttered as she blinked rapidly, taking everything in.
A peal of giggles drew Odessa’s attention from Katrin to where Sonya, a round-faced child of seven with dark blue eyes that matched the night sky and bouncy black curls, had thrown her arms around Jax’s waist.
“Swandrea,” he said, remarkably calm for having just witnessed a wild boar turn into a giggling child. “Your animal friends just turned into people friends. What kind of Menagerie is your dear old father running, exactly? Should I be concerned about the emus?”
Bean nudged Sonya’s leg with his snout, eliciting another round of giggles.“I like them better this way.”
Katrin laid a hand on Odessa’s arm and cleared her throat. Her voice was hoarse and scratchy from disuse. “You want to know the best step forward?” she asked quietly, her eyes flicking pointedly to Jax. “Marry that man.”
Chapter Fifteen
ODESSA
“I did wonder why you were so intent on keeping a consistent bedtime routine for your boar,” Jax noted as Odessa approached him, Katrin at her side. As soon as they were close, Sonya abandoned him for Katrin, grabbing her wrist with both hands and bouncing excitedly on her toes. “I assumed it was just a difference in the standard of care between four-legged creatures and birds.”
“No, just the difference between birds and children.” Odessa gave him a weary smile. As thankful as she was to finally see her friends in their natural form, she wasn’t unaware that her father was going to be very, very angry.
Katrin joined them as Sonya skipped away with a hand on Bean’s shoulder. Jax bowed gallantly. “Lady Katrin, a pleasure as always. I must say, you’re even more lovely in person. I don’t think a deer could have pulled off that dress quite so well.”
