Page 2 of Beneath Swan Lake (Deadly Endings #2)

Tonight.

Staring out at the edges of Sherwood, it’s hard to pick apart anything that sticks out in the layers of green fading to black. All the trees blend together as night sinks in. I’m still looking for the darkness to bend, the signs of a reaper reappearing to tell me their mission was a success. He promised to be back by nightfall.

I’ll take any Reaper at this point. I want my Reaper back, but I’ll settle for Raymundo if he comes bearing good news. Zarev only convinced me to stay behind because it was supposed to be a short trip, just to check on my parents' fallen kingdom. I’ve seen the ruins of Tressa and I’m not eager to return.

Oh, and he and Raymundo came up with a plan to cut off my father’s hand. That would be reason number two why I wanted no part in this adventure. According to the two of them it’ll help to keep the power from falling into the wrong hands, but I still don’t particularly want to see my tyrannical father cut up. I don’t even remember what happened to his, or Dorah’s, bodies. I preferred to not think about it.

It’s reasonable, and I know I should trust that Zarev has the best intentions, but cutting up my father’s hand is a bit bleak for my tastes. Everything that transpired in Tressa when I went back is a painful blur, and without my Reaper to distract me I find myself trapped in my thoughts.

“I know the dead princess,” Theo said quietly, his eyes remaining on me. “The one Midas traded and the Queen tossed away.”

There’s a slim chance that the baby who was once my sister took a horrible trip around Mystica when she was barely born. Theo, one of the guards who made my life miserable in Tressa, claims he knew her. And more importantly, what happened to her.

With nothing else to distract myself with all day, I’ve tried to use the seeing stones the Reapers carry to reach Lucius in Thornton Palace. He doesn’t know me, and I don’t know him. But Zarev claims if I use his stone and try to tell Lucius my story, that he might listen and share what he knows, if anything.

I take a deep breath, briefly closing my eyes. My life spiraled into something brand new the moment I saw Zarev. Once I made the decision to leave my tower I could never go back to the way things were. Now instead of the suffocating silence, I’m living in the woods at a tavern in Sherwood of all places. Not long ago, I thought a sea divided Tressa from the land of Mystica, when it was merely a wall and my own ignorance.

“Those boys will be back soon,” Dahlia says, drawing my attention as my eyes pop open. As the owner of the Missing Shoe Tavern, she’s able to do pretty much whatever she wants. So even though the tavern is lively tonight as twilight settles over the land, she can detach and come out here to speak with me instead of tending to patrons. It doesn’t seem to make much of a difference though. A lot of people wave at her even now as we stand together.

I study her carefully. Raymundo’s mother is kind, but she’s a secret keeper too. She had a whole log written by a woman once wronged by my father, and she kept the manifest until I happened across these lands. She had no way of knowing I would ever cross through Sherwood, yet she kept them anyway.

Unlike me, Dahlia is a wanderer. I know very little of her tale, just that her husband died years before and she opened the tavern to support seventeen children. Her eldest, Raymundo, is off right now with Zarev handling the task, and I can’t help worrying something will happen to them. None of Raymundo’s siblings seem terribly concerned that he’s gone, and from what I gathered the last time I was here he doesn’t tend to be around all that much. I suppose reaping involves a bit of a nomadic lifestyle to get around to enough areas.

“You’re sure,” I say, unsure if it’s a question or not. Dahlia’s dealt with a Reaper disappearing off for his work more often than I have. My time with Zarev so far has been a whirlwind.

“Aye. Ray is a good lad, and Zarev’s far too keen on you to bother getting into too much trouble. They want to come home. Perhaps the ruins of your palace have more mysteries than you thought. ”

I wouldn’t be surprised, but the jab still burns. Until my father, King Midas, perished, the golden walls around Tressa were practically impenetrable. Now the gold seems to be missing since his passing, or so the rumor goes. I haven’t gone back to confirm anything myself.

Tapping my foot incessantly, I shake my head. “They could be hurt. One of them could be at least. Why else would those two be late?”

Dahlia gives me a knowing smile. “Fate has a way about it, my dear. They will only be late if something happens across their path.”

“As if I didn’t think of that,” I mutter beneath my breath.

“Hush now. Come in and get something to warm the soul while you wait. They will be back soon enough. The more you worry, the longer it will take.”

Blowing out a breath, I allow Dahlia to grip my elbow and steer me back inside. I hadn’t realized the chill in the night air until I walked back into the tavern, the heat of too many bodies and a healthy fire instantly making my skin slick and uncomfortable. I want to turn and walk right back outside.

With my hair plaited as short as possible, it’s hard to distinguish me as Midas’ daughter. Part of hiding at The Missing Shoe is blending in, and that only works if I’m believable. My hair was chopped out of necessity, and it works to make me a little less obvious. Swapping my clothes to some of the wares that Dahlia’s provided so far helps me blend in, and the shoes one of her daughters Genevieve found for me fit better than those painful things I used to wear whenever my father had an audience.

There are plenty of rumors afoot since the wall fell around Tressa, and I’ve heard everything from I died in the destruction to I caused it. The people who survived are few and far between. No one is ratting me out here, though Dahlia’s children are all aware that I’m the Golden Princess. Enough frequent flyers through the tavern know it too, and things aren’t as discrete as I would like. At least there aren’t many people who have walked up and outright asked me to use my gift. Having Zarev around most of the time helps.

Getting lost in my thoughts keeps me distracted as we walk. I vaguely zone back in as we pass patrons in the tavern, and something catches my attention but I miss a good part of it before catching the end.

“...beast in the sky,” a man says, drawing my attention as we pass. “I swear someone already tried to shoot it dead. The thing was missing an eye.”

“Swans aren’t that hard to kill,” another man says. “Those nasty Flowerborne on the other hand are getting more resilient. Wonderland is up to something. Wonder if the bird ate one and got cursed.”

Frowning, I try to piece together the different conversations. Didn’t some sort of bizarre swan-looking thing cross us in Sherwood? That was during our travels to the Barrens though, where Sherwood ends. There’s no way it could be the same beast if that one was already wounded.

Didn’t Zarev call the bird Odette?

Just earlier today, Genevieve tried to distract me when the Reapers left. She told me about the princess of Swan Lake, who was supposedly bitten by a beast and has avoided crowds since. I can’t help wondering if there’s a connection there, and how many other people possibly put those ideas together.

It’s all rumors, just like the ones that used to circulate about me. I try to only listen to them and believe so much, but when it comes to this Swan Princess I’ve heard everything from being cursed as a teenager to an adult, of being turned by a wizard, a familial curse, and even from a bite by a cursed animal. No one knows exactly what happened to the Swan Princess, it’s all based on rumors. I can kind of relate to her that way.

“I bet you it came from beneath Swan Lake,” a third hisses, and I’ve basically stopped moving at this point. “We’ve all heard about the wizard. He made a deal across the lands and uses dark magic in his spells to control the creatures he tortures.”

I turn, but none of them are paying any attention to me. The disguise works almost too well when no one is looking for me.

“If there is a wizard,” the first says, “he’s as mad as the Red Queen. No one needs to be torturing beasts when Wonderland keeps churning out monsters.”

“Na,” the third says again. “The Flowerborne are cursed because of Wonderland. The beasts that eat them are cursed by default. Stop the Queen, stop the curse. That wizard is piggybacking on the Queen’s cruelty.”

The second lifts his gaze as he’s going to respond, and I’m staring. He clears his throat, narrowing his eyes at me. “Move along, girl.”

He has no idea that I’m not that young. He’s probably on the cusp of forty, and I’m not far behind him. My magic keeps me unnaturally young, and being assumed to be younger than I am has its perks. All the rumors of Rapunzel, the Golden Princes of Tressa, would mention a woman older than I look.

Wetting my lips, I wonder if I can spin the conversation back without seeming too eager. I’m still discovering Mystica, but I don’t know if wizards are an anomaly or not. Zarev and all the Reapers have magic, so why can’t anyone else?

“Zelle!” I glance over at Dahlia, who’s looking between me and the mysterious men. “Come along, Tom could use some help.”

She’s not going to call out my full name with the tavern this busy. I glance her way before nodding. My interest got the best of me, and gaping isn’t exactly lying low.

Moving away, the men don’t talk again until I’m too far to hear. It’s a shame. Spending time in the tavern taught me the same thing that sitting quietly for Midas’ guests did; when people pretend you aren’t there, they forget that you really are. And they spill too many secrets for their own good.

Tom, one of Dahlia’s many sons, smiles and gives me some swift instructions on how to help. I don’t usually do anything for the tavern since it takes too much time during a rush explaining certain things, but Tom is kind and patient. And helping him will pass the time. I’m not a great barkeep, so he mostly gives me jobs running between the bar and back of house for more stock. I prefer that, because it keeps me from having to talk to everyone.

It’s a little chilly tonight as the sun disappears, and I spot a cat hanging outside one of the back doors when I go for more rags to clean. It makes me think of Cheshie - well, Cyrus I mean. My friendly palace cat turned out to be a shifter. I haven’t seen him since Tressa fell, and I don’t even know where to start looking for someone like him. Or if I even want to. The cat doesn’t come any closer, and I watch for a moment until he disappears back into the trees again with his tail twitching. It’s too far off to really know if that tail is ringed in shades of pink and purple.

Briefly, my hand climbs up to play with the chain around my neck. The timepiece that Theo demanded I take from Tressa feels heavy at my throat. I don’t want to leave it somewhere, because his ghost asked me to take it so it must be important. I just haven’t figured out how. I don’t even know what time it’s supposed to be tracking, but it’s never accurate to the time of day.

I’m back behind the bar and just getting into the swing of things when a dark haze crosses through the door. It shifts around people, and I pause what I’m doing to stare. It’s the kind of dark only people who can see death would notice .

Shadow magic.

When Zarev appears in front of me, he maintains the air of shadows around him. If he’s still hiding in the veil of death, no one will notice him except for me. I seem to be an anomaly among the living, the embodiment of life with my gift. Once upon a time, I was also touched by Death. “Don’t talk. Just listen. You’ll look looney if you start talking to the air, and I don’t want Dahlia or the others knowing I’m back yet.”

That’s not good. Setting down the cloth I’m holding, I eye my Reaper. His dark hair is a little disheveled, and there’s a cut on his cheek. He told me before that aside from the cursed gold that Midas struck him with, there’s usually not anything that can hurt a Reaper. So that mark should be all but healed.

His red-orange eyes meet mine, and he’s holding the large scythe that he wields instead of keeping it across his back like normal or tucked into the shadows. The spades carved into the back of his hands, and slashed through the middle, look especially violent with the shadows licking at his skin.

“There’s a problem,” he continues, narrowing his gaze. “We accidentally shot a princess. And you’re going to come with me so we can heal her. It’s the only way we’re going to find out what’s going on with Swan Lake.”

~~ ~

I only gained access to a proper map recently, so I don’t have that great of an understanding of how far apart the kingdoms truly are. Camelot is on my mind occasionally, mostly because of Arthur and Modred but it isn’t a place I can visualize size-wise. But when Zarev shadow hops me back across the forest, moving quicker than I have ever seen, I know something is seriously wrong.

How does one accidentally shoot a princess?

When we step back into Tressa my breath catches. Seeing the ruins of my home is soul shattering, and if Zarev didn't still have a grip on me I think I'd collapse. I saw everything when the wall fell the day my parents died, but I haven’t returned since.

I've done a good job compartmentalizing my sorrows. My parents were bad people, and they both allied with and fought worse people. It's still strange seeing everything in my life destroyed by the release of Midas’ magic all because I came home for answers.

And the Mad Queen. I still don't know what to think of her. Terrifying? Beyond that, but she’s corruptly brilliant too. And that makes her twice as dangerous. I don’t really know what we’re supposed to do about an adversary across the land, or how she plays into our lives now that Tressa is gone. The Mad Queen seems to mostly focus on larger places for her tyrannical rule.

For a moment, my eyes dart around and I half expect to see Modred. I last saw him in the Barrens, and Zarev is certain his soul splintered and twisted. I don’t know what exactly that means or how a splintered spirit is different from a regular soul, as I haven’t seen anyone in that state yet. I kind of hope Modred ran into another Reaper and left this world.

“This way,” Zarev says, gripping my hand to drag me along as I shove away all my distracting thoughts. There’s no reason to shadow hop now that we’re here, and even healed I know bringing a ride along takes significantly more effort in the shadows than traveling solo. I’m sure Zarev could keep us hidden, but there’s little point if Raymundo already expects us. We move quickly and in no time at all I see shadows ahead, rolling across the fading sky like a dark cloak. Raymundo is using his shadow magic right now, and it makes my heart clench with panic.

“Is he being attacked?” I yell, fear surging through me. Fighting with Dorah and Midas was a pain-fueled rage. I don't actually know how to stand against an enemy and truly fight when I’m not being controlled by my emotions. The determination I had the last time I was here is gone now, and who knows if I can be the fearless fighter again.

“Kind of,” Zarev shouts back, and we move through the rubble closer to the trees beyond what’s left of the castle. Since leaving Tressa I’ve learned that the trees are part of Sherwood. Midas’ golden wall cut through the forest, but it's whole again now that Tressa has fallen.

We get near the strange foundation my father used to poison and control the citizens here, and I stumble when I eye the scene .

I've not seen Raymundo fight before. I assumed it would be like Zarev, fluidly through the shadows and utilizing his weapon as required. But Raymundo must have archery down to his bones. He's creating shadowy arrows that notch to his bow, and is unleashing them on a girl across the field.

Her long blonde hair is lighter in mine, both in shade and buoyancy. The waves bounce with every move she makes, and in place of arms two sets of long wings expand from her shoulders. There’s one set that’s white and feathery, extending from where I imagine her arms should be. A second, sleeker set rises above that and almost floats with deep black feathers.

I blink. What am I looking at?

“Why is she half shifted?” Zarev yells, and Raymundo doesn't glance at us as he leaps up, the shadows carrying his legs from the ground as he unleashes another shadowy arrow. It zips through the air towards the girl, and she lets out an ear shattering screech before deflecting the weapon with her wing, baring unnatural teeth at us. Those feathers are strong like swords.

“She's angry!” Raymundo screams back. There's a gash in his forehead that leaks black blood, just like Zarev does when he's injured. Each Reaper seems to follow the same mechanics: undead, but not quite alive. The black blood reminds me of the shadows.

“Well what did you do to make her mad?” Zarev calls back .

I snap my gaze between the three of them, shouting before Raymundo can respond as I put the pieces together. “That’s Odette!?”

Zarev spins on me, placing a finger to his lips. “Let’s not shout that into the twilight. The trees have eyes.”

I frown, looking around. I don’t sense anything out there in the trees, but what do I know? I can’t say I’m great at picking up on things outside of my tower. I’m still adjusting to how to pick up on noises and people tracking me. Not that I ever go anywhere without Zarev where someone would find me. We’ve been connected since I accidentally killed Modred.

“Would you just help me catch her?” Raymundo snaps, spinning on us. “She needs to be healed.”

Odette screeches again, and I do a double take when I catch her eye. There should be two. But there’s only one, gold and glowing like Midas’ curse, and a gaping hole where the other should be. This half-shifted girl reminds me of the lumbering beast of a swan that blasted past us in Sherwood on our way to visit Legs. When her hair moves the gaping hole in her face is easier to see and it makes me fall back a step in surprise.

Zarev shoves me when Odette leaps forward, those strange wings making her impossibly fast. She shoots across the clearing, right at Raymundo, and Zarev grabs my arm and shifts us to the shadows again when Ray dodges her attack and the princess spins on us .

Her one eye narrows, and I realize she can’t see us like this. So she can’t be dying, because the dead can see through the shadows to greet Death.

When she can’t see us, she turns back to Raymundo again. He tossed the bow back across his shoulders, holding up his hands. “Odette-”

She twitches, her head snapping to the side unnaturally when she spins on him. It’s almost like someone being pulled by strings, and her body moves slower than her head. “You need to go, Reaper.”

I glance at Zarev, but he’s wholly focused on the fight. I can’t talk to him like this, which leaves us at a disadvantage.

“Odette,” Ray says, keeping his focus on the girl. “You’re hurt, and there’s someone here who will help you. She has magic-”

Just like that, Odette slams her one eye shut, stumbling back a step. “I don’t see you.”

My gaze cuts to Zarev, who looks equally confused. Strange.

Raymundo shakes his head, smartly keeping his eyes on the shifted princes. “Odette-”

She screeches again, like a sound between a human cry and a bird cawing. Then she lunges at him, throwing herself across the clearing, and I expect Zarev to lunge forward and help. Instead he grips my arm, keeping me from charging into the fray with them.

And Raymundo, instead of shooting off those shadowy arrows, stands patiently, letting Odette tackle him into the ground.