“Odette and her companions—could you examine their curse and see if you could break it?” Alexsei asked. “Odette has told me Rothbart is likely the only one who could break the spell—and that even his death would not remove it—but if youcould…”
Guilt prodded Angelique, and she felt a little bad for her inner sarcasm. Inspecting a curse was easily done compared to finding a wyvern and watching a sorcerer. It wasn’t just the ease of the task, but rather the reminder that she should have thought toofferto look at the curse that ate at her.I can’t let myself get overwhelmed now, or I won’t be able to handleanything.
“I can certainly inspect it,” she said. “Though I will be the first to say I am not well-learned in countering curses. I have no knowledge of how to directly break or undo them, but I have grown better at modifying them thanks to the unusual events of the past few years. Unfortunately, I can promise nothing,” she saidhonestly.
“I see,” Alexsei’s voice was heavy withdisappointment.
Oh, jeez. Yes, he’s certainly in love with one of the cursed smugglers.Feeling she owed him a bit of hope—for her less-than-perfect skills didn’t mean it couldn’t be done at all—she added, “No need to be sad, though. There is no such thing as an unbreakable curse. If I cannot modify it, I can promise someone else from the Veneno Conclave can. Even if we are successful and slay Rothbart, Odette needn’t be a swan forlife.”
Alexsei was all smiles again and seemed unable to stand still. “Thank you, Lady Enchantress—I beg your pardon—Angelique. It would mean so much—thankyou!”
“It is my pleasure, my honor, and myduty.”
Empress Sonya poked her head back inside the salon. “Angelique?”
Ah, yes,food!
“Coming.” Angelique inclined her head to Alexsei. “If you will excuseme.”
Alexsei’s smile hadn’t faded. “Of course. Enjoy therefreshments.”
Angelique couldn’t help her wry smile as she followed after Sonya.My father always told me it was the duty of the strong to protect the weak, but it seems lately most actions I see have been done on behalf of love. Perhaps this is a note for the history books: Princes—when properly encouraged with the chance of love—are prone to all sorts of heroicacts.
* * *
When the skywas soaked with the colors of sunset and fluffy clouds that were turning purple with the night, Angelique—with Pegasus—joined Prince Yakov, Prince Alexsei, and their childhood friend Benno in riding to SwanLake.
By the time they reached the lake, night had fallen, though the moon and stars played on the lake’s surface, making the area brighter than the dark of thewoods.
“Odette commands a rather large group of smugglers.” Benno gripped her skirts in her hands as she picked her way along the rocky lakeshore. “But she has two who serve as her seconds-in-command of sorts: Nadia andMisha.”
When she climbed over a fallen trunk, Benno released her skirts, which draped around her with a silken sigh, and combed a hand through her sandy brownhair.
Alexsei cleared his throat and adjusted his stride so he was shoulder-to-shoulder with Angelique. “Nadia is the better warrior of the two, and Misha helps more with strategies and the intricacies of theiroperation.”
“I see,” Angeliquesaid.
Yakov ignored their conversation and made a beeline up the shore, marching toward a beautiful young woman with blonde hair who was—interestingly—wearing a white shirt and black pants, unlike the rest of her femalecompatriots.
“Swan Queen!” Prince Yakov called in a booming voice that Angelique could hear, though she was nowhere nearhim.
“That’s Odette, I take it?” Angelique picked her way up the shoreline withBenno.
“Yes.” Benno glanced at Alexsei, who didn’t run like his brother, but walked markedly faster than Angelique and Benno. “This is the Black Swan Smugglers’ camp, but if you look across the lake, you should be able to see Sorcerer Rothbart’s castle, even in this dimmoonlight.”
Angelique squinted as she tried to gaze across the large lake, making out the silhouette of the crumbling castle. “He lives there with hisdaughter?”
“Odile, yes,” Benno confirmed. “She lives in the tower with her menagerie of animals she has saved from her father.” Benno glanced at Angelique, her forehead wrinkling with worry. “She is both brave and kind. She does not take after Rothbart at all—nor does he seem to like her. Alexsei has said he is cruel toher.”
“He is.” Alexsei twisted awkwardly around to add his confirmation, then hurried the last few steps to the smuggler leader. “Odette?”
“Alexsei.” Odette’s voice was soft, but she frowned slightly. “You shouldn’t havecome.”
“I missed you,” the younger prince said in a voice that was nauseatinglysmitten.
Angelique barely stopped herself from rolling her eyes.Please, strike me dead. The emerging romance between a besotted couple is unfailingly awkward. And they have no sense ofprivacy!
Odette cleared her throat. “I missed you as well—though you could have left your brother behind. Is there a reason he is irritatingly cheerful tonight?” She glanced at Angelique and Benno as they stopped just behind theprinces.
