Angelique forced a smile. “Yes, I’m fine, thank you. I’m going to write a few missives. There’s a Lord Enchanter I need to alert to what has happened, and I’d like to send a message to a friend of mine to request her presence. She might be able to help with thosehellhounds.”
“That would be wonderful,” Zina said. “Odette has a hard time saying no to Odile—we all do—and it would crush her to have them putdown.”
“I’ll have to write the letters and send them off, so I’m going to dismount and see to that, but with Pegasus, I’ll catch up with you again before you reach Swan Lake,” Angeliqueconcluded.
“Thank you—for everything you have done, Lady Enchantress,” Zinasaid.
Angelique forced a tired smile to her lips. “I am glad I can help. We’ll see youshortly.”
“Right!”
* * *
Angelique wroteher letters in such haste, she wondered if they were actually legible. First, she sent off the letter to Gemma and Stil requesting their presence in Kozlovka. She folded the message in an intricate butterfly pattern after spelling the paper against water and damage. Next, she sent off a letter to Clovicus detailing all she had learned about Rothbart and the wyverns. Finally, after a few minutes of consideration, Angelique sent off one last letter to Sybilla…aboutOdile.
As she had promised, Angelique easily caught up with Zina and the troops and joined their march to SwanLake.
The shore closest to Rothbart’s castle was a mess. There were gouges in the ground from wyvern claws and tails, and puddles of acidic spit littered the beachyspace.
But what was perhaps most surprising was thewyvern.
It was parked—sitting similar to a roosted chicken—on the shore just by the bridge that spanned the lake and connected to Rothbart’s crumbling castle. It was markedly smaller than the one Angelique had just killed, but it had the same red eyes. Its leathery skin was more of a muted yellow color, and it watched the soldiers swirl around it with a cockedhead.
The soldiers warily eyed it but carried on with their duties, caring for the wounded and restoring order to thelake.
Angelique stared at the creature as it used the crest of its wing to clumsily scratch its face. “That’s Odile’s tamedwyvern?”
“Yes,” Zinaconfirmed.
Angelique moved—intending to slip off the saddle—when Pegasus walked forward, picking his way around a deadwyvern.
“Lady Enchantress Angelique?” A soldier trotted at Pegasus’ side. “May I announce your presence to Prince Yakov, Prince Alexsei, andOdette?”
“Please do,” Angeliquesaid.
The soldier bowed, then jogged down the lengthybridge.
“Thank you!” Angelique called after him, just as Pegasus stopped in front of the roostedwyvern.
The constellation stared down at the creature. Though he stood still, fire blazed at his hooves, and the flames of his mane hissed andpopped.
“Pegasus,” Angelique murmured. “Whatare wedoing?”
Pegasus trumpeted so loudly, the pealing tone echoed off Rothbart’s castle. He abruptly reared, pawing at the air, then slammed down his hooves with an impossible amount of force, making the groundvibrate.
The wyvern curled its long neck and dropped its head until its chin rested on the shore. It peered up at Pegasus and flattened its half-folded wings against itsback.
Pegasus snorted and tossed his head. Then he calmly turned around and trod back to the edge of the shore—where scrubby trees met the pebble-strewn beach—andhalted.
Angelique—puzzled and slow thinking—sat atop his back, until Pegasus tucked his chin to his shoulder and nibbled on herfoot.
“Sorry!” She slid off the saddle but gripped the stirrup leather for support when she landed heavily. “Was that your stamp ofapproval?”
Pegasus flicked hisears.
She tried again. “Do you think he’ll turn onus?”
Pegasus snorted, then snapped his teeth ather.
