Angelique slipped a foot in the stirrup and pushed off, intending to mount up. Instead, her leg gave out, and she smacked him in theside.
Pegasus turned his neck so he could peer back ather.
She patted his shoulder. “Sorry.” She tried again, and this time succeeded in boosting herself up into the saddle. “I thought the Summit would be more restful than it was. But we can’t stop now—let’s head to SwanLake.”
* * *
Angelique and Pegasus stumbled upon—orrather, almost ran over—a squadron of soldiers with carts of supplies. They were headed in the direction of Swan Lake and were led by Zina—Odette’s smuggler who had undergone the swan curse at the same time as the SwanQueen.
“Zina,” Angeliquecalled.
The smuggler waved to her, beckoning for her to come to the front of theline.
As Pegasus picked his way around the soldiers, Angelique felt the dappled heat of the sunshine that managed to wriggle past theleaves.
Wait asecond.
Angelique peered up at the sun, then squinted at Zina. “Your curse isbroken!”
Zina laughed. “Early this morning, Alexsei finally got it through Odette’s head that he lovedher!”
“It seems, then, that there are many congratulations to passaround.”
“More than you think!” Zina grinned widely. “Rothbart has been defeated! And three more wyverns wereslain!”
Angelique almost fell off Pegasus. “What?”
Zina hopped once in her glee. “Last night, he let loose four wyverns—all of them were young and clumsy; they were even less sure than the first wyvern we fought.” She peered back over her shoulder to confirm that the soldiers were following her. “That’s right, did you kill that loosewyvern?”
“Yes,” Angelique grimly said. “It took longer than I wanted, but it’s done. Though apparently I should be ashamed as a mage, seeing how you smugglers killedthree.”
Zina shook her head. “Like I said, ours were immature. They acted a bit like gangly babies, really. Moreover, we had soldiers helping, and Odile tamed the fourth wyvern, which helped us alot.”
Angelique’s mind felt rusty, and she struggled to keep up. “Odile is Rothbart’s daughter, is shenot?”
“Yes,” Zina confirmed. “She has some magic—the power to charm animals. Rothbart always said she didn’t have much power, but he must have been wrong, seeing how she’s got herself a pet wyvern.Right?”
“Yes.” Angelique considered sliding off Pegasus’ back, but when shifting in the saddle made her bruised ribs scream, she settled backdown.
I’ll put a slow healing spell on myself tonight. But if there was a battle with Rothbart, I might need to use more magic today for clean up, and I don’t fancy making myself ill with myprice.
“How was Rothbart defeated?” sheasked.
“He was wearing full plate armor and standing out on the long bridge that attached his island castle to the shore,” Zina said. “He threatened Odette, and she pushed him into the lake just before dawn. That was when Alexsei told Odette he loved her, and our curseshattered.”
I guess that solves the riddle of the redlights.
The smuggler grimaced. “There weren’t any casualties—but loads of soldiers and a few smugglers were injured. That’s why I was sent back for supplies and resources. Swan Queen was going to go poking around Rothbart’s castle, but she wasn’t sure what she’d find given the creatures he liked tokeep.”
“You think he might have made morewyverns?”
“By my tail feathers, I hope not.” Zina shook her head. “But he had hellhounds and a couple of other creatures too dangerous for Odile to gentle, and he might have set a few traps as well. Swan Queen was most concerned, though, that we secure his research on thewyverns.”
Angelique’s blood curdled in her veins.That’s right. Hemadethose wyverns! If his process gets leaked to our enemies, they’ll be able to make an army! Though if he was allied with them after all, we may be toolate.
Angelique bit her lip as she considered the direpossibilities.
“Everything all right, Lady Enchantress?” Zinaasked.
