Alexsei took a step to the side, allowing Angelique a better look at the cursed woman. “Odette,” he started, “please allow me to introduce you to the Lady Enchantress Angelique. Angelique, this is Odette—leader of the Black SwanSmugglers.”
Odette swiveled her gaze from Alexsei to Angelique. She stared for a moment, then bowed slightly. “Welcome to Swan Lake, Lady Enchantress. I hope the princes explained to you what dangers arepresent?”
“They did, and I must say, Odette, you are quite brave. When this incident has ended, I hope you will be honored for the great courage and persistence you have shown,” Angelique said, truthfully. She tried to smile, but she was afraid it was perhaps a little worn after all thetraveling.
Though the calf-eyed romance might be eye-rolling worthy, all she’s done is quite impressive. It takes a certain kind of person to live in the shadow of a sorcerer and not only survive, butthrive.
Odette bowed again. “I thank you for your kind estimation, but I could not possibly hope to claim suchpraise.”
“She’s right, Odette,” Alexseiinsisted.
Odette raised an eyebrow at him—and he smiled in response—then shifted her focus back to Angelique. “I assume you are here for Rothbart. How can I helpyou?”
As Angelique looked back and forth between the couple, a tiny hint of a wry smile escaped her control. “You have guessed correctly. I am here for information about Rothbart and—first and foremost—hiswyvern.”
“You mean to take the wyvern out first?” Odetteasked.
“Yes. Do you disagree with theplan?”
Odette plucked at a dagger attached to her belt. “No. If Rothbart has some sort of means to control the wyvern, it would be dangerous to let it live and face Rothbart when he could call it back. I don’t think hecancontrol it based on our observations, but it may be that he can, and it has merely not suited him to take controlyet.”
Angelique stifled a cringe at the rather grim thought. “Excellent, I look forward to hearing more of your insight. However, that is only part of my purpose in cominghere.”
Odette stared at Angelique with wideningeyes.
“Prince Alexsei asked me to inspect your curse and see if I could help,” Angelique continued. “Though I do not have much confidence in my curse-breaking abilities, I can tell you that there are many members of the Veneno Conclave who are gifted in such magic, and they surely will be able to aid you if Icannot.”
Alexsei sidled up next to Odette and, with the subtly of a moose, curled a supportive arm around hershoulders.
Odette didn’t seem to notice, as she was too busy gaping atAngelique.
“It’s alright, Odette,” Alexsei murmured. “You’ll soon befree.”
Odette willfully raised her chin and smiled shakily. “Thank you for taking the time to see if such a thing ispossible.”
Alexsei was watching Odette with such painfully bright eyes, Angelique—as impatient as she was with romance born during chaos—ruefully decided to aid him.I may be jaded, but I’m not so totally unfeeling that I won’t help him out even alittle.
Angelique smoothly said, “Of course, it is my duty to help those in need. But it is Prince Alexsei you must thank. It was he, as I mentioned, who told me of yourplight.”
Odette seemed to blush a little, and Alexsei whispered in her ear—probably something nauseatinglyromantic.
Annnd, that’s enough. We’ve got wyverns loose and sorcerers mucking about. They can flirt when the country is safe.Angelique clapped her hands as she took in the rest of the camp. “Now then, tell me the particulars of your curse. Were all of you smugglers cursed at once or in stages? Do you know if he used the samespell?”
Odette inhaled deeply. Angelique watched the smuggler gather herself up, and when she looked up, her gaze was steady. “There are twenty-three of us, and we were all cursed over the course of twoyears…”
Odette explained the intricacies of the spell—that they turned human every night, and how Rothbart had tinkered with the spellwork placed on each smuggler before giving them all the exact samecurse.
However, the more she described the mad sorcerer, the more Angelique felt that he wasn’t allied with the enemies the continent was organizingagainst.
Whoever sent Clotilde, cursed Severin, and captured Evariste had something in common: they struck hard and fast and then disappeared. Even the war mage who attacked me in Zancara followed thatpattern.
But this Rothbart…he lingers. He has a daughter and a home here at Swan Lake. And while he’s cursed people, until he released the wyvern, he hadn’t done anything that really threatened the country. He operatesdifferently.
Does this mean he’s not working with theothers?
Angelique pressed her lips together as she mulled over the possibility. She heard Odette swallow hard, and she forcibly pulled herself from herthoughts.
I can ponder it when chasing down the wyvern—besides, if I get a look at the spellwork, it mighthelp.
