Page 8 of Beneath Swan Lake (Deadly Endings #2)
We don’t get far from the tavern before walking becomes obsolete. I shift from holding Odette’s bicep to wrapping an arm around her and she digs her nails in, nearly shredding my skin. I spin, bending down to get in her face as she glares up at me.
“We’re going to hop through the shadows,” I say, and she huffs at my response. “We’ll reach Swan Lake faster.”
Odette shoves me back a step, raising her brows. “My wings are faster than your magic.”
“That’s not how flying works.”
“Oh?” She tilts her head, mischievous eyes rolling over me. It’s odd to see this side of her after the struggles of the past day. “I’ll remind you I have double wings. I can do more than the average bird.”
“Like eat them?” I taunt.
She rolls her eyes. “I’m not going through the shadows again. I don’t like how it feels.”
“So separating seems like the better option to you?” I question.
“Can you see me when you hop?” she asks. When I nod, she pushes ahead, and I’m almost positive she knew the answer. “Then follow in the shadows. You hop and I’ll set the pace. My wings will tire at some point.”
“And this is easier than just using the shadows because…”
I let my voice trail, and she blows out a breath. Her hand is still fisted around the timepiece from my mother, and I can’t help wondering why mum sat on that nugget of information until now. Maybe she knows more than she lets on, which wouldn’t be all that surprising.
Odette clears her throat before she answers me. “I don’t want to depend on you. I can get home by myself. And if my parents believe that you need to be with me to make this journey then I suppose this is how it has to be.”
She’s got an awful lot of hate inside her as she glares, like I’m personally damning her. I might be a Hell Brother, but I wouldn’t say I’m the worst person in her life right now.
When the silence between us hangs too long she sighs. “Look, once I’m back home my parents will want me to avoid shifting except when I must. My swan form is different and it draws too much attention. This is the only time I can choose to be free.”
Well, damn. When she puts it like that I just sound like a dick for denying her. I hold out my hand for the timepiece before pointing upward. “Fine, go. I’ll follow. Give me that thing so it doesn’t break while we travel. Do you think you can hear me if I call for you all the way up there?”
I hold out my hand for the trinket and Odette’s eyes widened. I don’t have to guess what startled her: the shamrocks on my palms are a bit shocking the first time someone gets a good look. “ Stare all you want, Birdie. They aren’t going anywhere.”
She keeps staring, but there’s something in her eyes that I can’t quite read. Her fingers itch towards her leg and drop again, and I think maybe she’s comparing wounds. I don’t know that it’s worthwhile to do that, but I let her stare all she likes until she finally clears her throat and looks away. “Satisfied now, Birdie?”
Odette nods, rubbing the back of her head before she shifts us back to what we’re supposed to be talking about. “Yes, but I don’t think you’ll be able to understand me when I’m the swan if I try to respond. I haven’t met anyone who can talk to me in the swan form, except other creatures.”
That’s fascinating. The wolf shifters can communicate with each other in any form, and I know there are others who can manage the same. But I’ve never considered them talking to an actual animal, one who doesn’t shift at all. I can’t help wondering how that might go.
Shaking off the curiosity, I take the timepiece and she watches me slide it into a pocket inside my cloak. I sensed a little hesitation as she handed the watch over and I wonder what it was about. My fingers bump something else, and I’d nearly forgotten about the book I picked up in Tressa yesterday.
Not that it matters now. I can do some reading another time.
With a wink that’s almost flirty, she pivots on her heel and starts running ahead. We’re on a fairly wide path right now, and she only takes maybe a handful of steps before it happens. One moment it’s a pretty princess running ahead of me, hair fanning out behind her, and the next a gigantic white swan peppered with black feathers and double wings soars into the sky.
I’m not impressed per se, because I’ve watched plenty of shifters change before. But there is something beautiful about her when she isn’t trying to eat anyone. Rocking on my heels, I watch her climb into the sky for a moment.
If she hadn’t woken up when she did in my room, I would’ve kept climbing my fingers up her leg to see what other marks there are. Scarred princesses aren’t the norm as far as I know, and she’s definitely hiding something.
I push the thoughts away, letting the shadows rise before I feel the rush of power. It always lingers around me when I am standing around, the magic having nowhere else to go. But here behind the veil I bask in the energy, letting the dark curls of shadow embrace me as I peer up again. She won’t be able to see me like this, so she either doesn’t care if I come along or she’s certain that I will.
Hopping into the first shadow, I smirk and jump to the next. It’s a little like a race, keeping my eyes up as I hop from one shadowy spot to another. Odette’s wingspan has to be double her true height, making the swan truly massive. It’s easy enough to follow along, and that’s exactly the problem. Anyone looking up could follow her too. She’s far too large to be a regular swan, which could draw hunters and predators. Or a curious traveler who wants to know what makes a bird look like that.
It doesn’t take very long to reach the tip of the lake itself in Swan Lake, maybe an hour or two tops. The sun climbs high in the sky before Odette touches down. I stopped moving when I saw her descend, lingering in the shadows until she was in view.
Now she settles into the water, Swan Lake spanning out farther than the eye can see. It’s a massive body of water, really the only one in Mystica that’s worth noting. There are smaller bodies of water, but nothing that holds the life that this lake does.
She ruffles her feathers as I step out of the shadows to observe her. She truly acts like a bird in this form, picking up the mannerisms of a swan as her beak nudges at the feathers, the black ones closer to her stomach and feet than her back and head. Slowly the bird raises her eyes, and I smirk.
“Still can’t talk to me like that?”
She makes a honking noise at me that makes me chuckle. No, I don’t think words are going to come out of her. I look away, surveying the area.
The lake curves here, and if we head south we can follow the arch of the lake through Ravens Wood and into the kingdom of Swan Lake. Between the lake itself and the kingdom where Odette lives is Swanling, a village of sorts where people reside. I usually have to visit Swanling more often than the capital as there are usually more deaths out here .
So far as I know, Swanling didn’t exist for a long time and only recently took on the name. Most maps don’t even notate it. It’s really only important to the residents of the kingdom, since there are villagers and farmers out this way. It’s further away from Ravens Wood, so they rarely see ogres crossing the border or other beasts that hang out in the dreaded woods south of Swan Lake. The worst thing plaguing Swanling is simply disease, and that’s easily spread when people have little to support themselves. It’s like this everywhere, but the village is too far inland from the lake to spot anyone right now.
The original Swanling is supposed to be a lake hidden beneath Swan Lake itself, like a lake within a lake. It’s all pure rumor, no evidence out there supporting the idea. Even if there is a lake beneath the lake, it’s nothing special.
Odette continues to float around, her large form creating a daunting shadow in the water. It doesn’t appear that she’s going to eat anything as the bird, but since she won’t do me a favor and transform back so we can chat I can’t exactly ask her.
“Are we just sitting here then?” I call out to her, and the bird looks my way again. Even as the swan, there’s only one eye to contend with. But it’s less of a gaping hole in her face in this form. It’s patchy skin that’s almost sealed over, like it healed that way. Her eye is green now, not gold, and while I’ve noticed the change I can’t determine what causes it.
Another honk from the swan, and I groan. We’re getting nowhere like this. I let myself fall back, the shadows cushioning my descent until I’m floating a few inches above the rocky beach, watching her bob about.
It’s like there’s nothing that could bother her right now. It’s kind of irritating, but I get the feeling if I try and leave she won’t be tempted to follow. She’s too stubborn for that. Looks like we’re either going at her pace or not at all.
Sighing, I feel for the book from Tressa I have hidden in my cloak; I have yet to actually get a proper look at the thing. There are very few things I brought along for the trip as it should be a short adventure to Swan Lake on my part.
Dragging it out, I eye the title. Into the Looking Glass. It was among the rubble in Tressa’s former palace, the entire structure desecrated by Midas’ death. The book itself looks like it’s been through hell, even possibly before the kingdom fell.
The spine is broken and the front cover is in danger of tearing free. Popping it open, I stare at the contents page again, finding it as confusing as before:
Fountain of Youth
Swanling Lake
Pool of Truth
Lake Wonderland
It’s not as though Wonderland lets you into the borders, so there’s no way to check out what Lake Wonderland is without risking life or limb. The other two names are just as curious: Fountain of Youth and Pool of Truth. I’ve never seen either of those on a map, although Zarev did mention Midas’ ramblings of the fountain in Tressa.
But Swanling Lake…
That plays into the rumors I’ve heard in the past about the double lake. I don’t buy it, and I wish the villagers between the lake and the kingdom picked something else to name their domain. People have all sorts of rumors about the lake, but most of it is just gibberish made up over time. For the most part any legends or myths about Swanling Lake fell out of memory. It can’t possibly be the Swan Lake that anyone can visit on the border of Swan Lake Kingdom. That wouldn’t make much sense. But the details of what it might be are a mess. I haven’t met anyone in ages who could summarize a complete story that made any sense of what the supposed lake could be. Swanling Lake is supposed to exist, possibly even beneath the lake that citizens love, but no one seems to remember the real story anymore. It makes it that much harder to tell fact from fiction. It just complicates things, and even now as I stare at the book I’m not certain how much of this I should believe.
I leaf through the pages, letting them fan out as I stare at the brittle, yellowing parchment. The binding on this is subpar, and some of the pages are already tearing out. Some of the text is written in languages I can read, but others look like nonsense.
I find the content for Swanling Lake, please it’s actually something I can read .
Swanling is said to be a small pool of the bluest water, trapped beneath the caves. It is said that like all the other bodies of water, one can travel great distances simply by stepping into its depths. But Swanling works like a mirror too, and if you stare at the reflection it might stare back at you.
When the Bugaboo wanted to seek wealth beyond its means, it sought the blood of six who came before. With the life of those who were given in spite, the Bugaboo could conjure great and terrible things, including the lake. Swanling is another damnation many should stay away from.
On second thought, this doesn’t make much sense either. What even is a Bugaboo? That name means nothing to me. And why six? That’s such an odd choice—what’s the significance behind it? Shaking my head, I return to the words.
With Swanling set, the four points will be complete. Only the fifth and final must be in place for the Bugaboo to return. And if the wraith is to rise, the darkness must die.
Grand. It’s a book of riddles. I slam it shut, stuffing the book back into my cloak. I’ve had enough meaningless riddles come up in my life. I don’t need another. Whatever the Bugaboo is, it sounds like something that’s long gone.
A wraith on the other hand is a completely different issue. Wraiths aren’t to be trifled with, and although I’ve only crossed one since becoming a Reaper, that was a special type of hell. We’re supposed to guide the dead into the next life, and wraiths like to keep the spirit to suck them dry. I had no idea that existed until I died, crushed beneath some stones after running from the Mad Queen.
I haven’t seen a wraith in years and I’d like to keep it that way. One was more than enough for me. We do our best as Reapers to keep those from forming.
When I eye Odette she’s deeper in the water, and it only makes my irritation spike a little bit. We’re wasting time the longer we stay here at the lake, but as a swan birdie doesn’t seem to be in any rush.
The book makes me want to throw it, but perhaps someone else back at the tavern could puzzle that out. I have no idea what to make of it, and if the little cliffnote about Swanling is any indication of the rest of the book I don’t think I’ll be reading it.
Odette the bird continues to ignore me, and I take the opportunity to dig around in my pocket. I almost pulled out the timepiece to study, but I’ve had enough puzzles for now. It’s a hot day and without my hood up, the sun warms my cheeks. This is exactly the weather I like when I want a leisurely smoke.
By the time Odette notices what I’m doing, I’ve already lit up the cigar. She makes another honking noise, scrambling across the water, and I just shrug at her. Maybe she should’ve kept me in mind when she decided to stay as a bird and go for a little swim. It’s not like I can read her mind .
I take a hit as she clambers onto the rough beach, expecting the bird to continue honking at me. Animals don’t tend to like smoke, and I purposefully take another drag as she stands there flapping those double wings. Now that she’s not descending from the sky with my arrow in her arm I take another look.
Two sets of wings, black and white. There’s a mix of the two colors of feathers all over her, and I’m not sure why a swan has dark feathers to begin with. She’s honked enough times that I know there are no razor sharp teeth in her mouth, so I don’t know what makes those appear.
When I hit the cigar a third time, she launches herself at me. I’m prepared to slam the bird away with my shadows so something tragic doesn’t happen, like setting a wing on fire, but she surprises me midair. Faster than I can blink, the bird shifts back to the slender form of the princess.
She lands directly on top of me, shocking me so the shadows disperse and I fall against the rough rocks below. The cigar falls from my fingers and I groan at the pain. Nothing is sharp enough to impale, but it sure does hurt.
Odette stares down at me through a web of her fluffy hair. “Don’t smoke here.”
“Oh,” I say, fighting to catch my breath between her and the rocks. Luckily my shadows don’t particularly care if I can breathe or not, and snapping one long wave of shadows around her waist pins her to me with a grunt. “So you can talk to me.”
She bares her teeth. “When I’m human. ”
“Well, since you don’t transform nude,” I say, eyeing the feathery dress once more, “perhaps shift back into a human at our next stop instead of leaving me in the dark.”
“I like you in the dark,” she snaps. “You stay out of my business that way.”
“Princess, my business is the dark.” I tighten the hold around her with the shadows. It doesn’t seem to frighten her one bit, and only works to make her glare harder at me. “Don’t jump on me unless you plan on showing me what’s beneath the skirt.”
I’m thinking about the scarring, but Odette’s eyes darken at the same time her cheeks flame. I grin, because I wouldn’t mind taking a peek at all of her either.
I wrap another wisp of shadow around one of her legs, keeping her in place. Her hands flatten against my chest, pushing me a little more into the rocks, but a little bit of adjustment has the shadows in place again so my back isn’t screaming. She pouts, dragging her fingers across the soft wool of my shirt, her eye remaining on my chest.
Then she ruins it by sending ice through my veins. “I’ve never had someone beneath my skirt who I actually wanted there.”
It’s jarring, enough so that I loosen the shadows pinning her to me. Pretty as she is, she’s the kind of girl that’s trouble. I don’t like the way her words echo back in my head, but I’m certain those scars on her skin weren’t put there by choice.
Instead of climbing off, Odette grabs my chin. “If we don’t die in Ravens Wood before nightfall, I might just let you be the first to touch me that I actually want.” If she’s trying to fuck with my head, she’s doing a stellar job. She wiggles until she can plant her bare feet firmly on the sharp rocks, standing up like the pressure doesn’t bother her. The dress is still in place, like it never really moves away from her skin. “Let’s get moving then.”
Blinking, I watch her walk several paces away before sprinting. Like before, she transforms midair and becomes the bird again. I just stare, unable to get my thoughts back in order.
I’m supposed to leave Swan Lake once the princess is delivered home safe. I could return to the tavern by morning if I’m careful and we rush. But if Odette wants to drop hints like that, maybe I’ll take my sweet time getting us there.
~~~
We make it to what looks like the border of Ravens Wood before she transforms back, landing beside me on her feet. It was a little slower heading this way once the wind picked up, making the shadows dance and forcing Odette to fly against it. Her skin is covered in goosebumps when she drops down beside me.
Unlike earlier when she threw my world sideways, she’s biting her lips apprehensively. “This is Ravens Wood.”
I already knew that, even if there’s no distinguishing sign. The air here compared to Sherwood is… different somehow. Raven’s Wood ha s no kingdoms or large areas, no rulers or humans in specific. It’s a bit lawless, and the thick oak trees grow close together making the path tighter than before. Unlike the diverse trees in Sherwood, Swan Lake is mostly Evergreens.
“Finally want to shadow hop?” I ask her, rolling my shoulders. I’m not at my limits, but dragging another person will sap my energy faster. We might get through Ravens Wood and past Swanling before I have to rest, but at that point with the sun heading south I don’t know if we’ll make it to the palace tonight. Traveling in the dark will make the shadows that much faster.
She’s looking into the forest, something akin to fear entering her gaze the longer she stares ahead of us. Her one eye is wide open, hands clenching and unclenching at her sides like she’s nervous.
It makes no sense. Sure, Ravens Wood and Swan Lake Kingdom share a border, but I’ve never heard of issues between the two lands.
She shifts on her feet, standing a tiny bit closer to me, and now I’m weirded out. “I don’t like these woods.”
“Yeah,” I reply carefully. “I’ve heard great beasts live here.”
She doesn’t look at me, only nodding. “You can shadow hop us quickly through here?”
“Something wrong, Princess?”
Blinking, she finally looks up at me and repeats herself. “I don’t like these woods. Let’s get through here as fast as possible.”
I don’t ask anymore questions, deciding it’s easier to just be quiet and get us into the borders of Swan Lake Kingdom and not just the lake. She can have whatever holdups she wants at that point. When I drag her to me, she nearly clings to my chest. I can’t get a read on what’s going on with this princess.
It’s unnerving.
Ravens Wood is easy to hop through. There’s so many shadowy places I barely have to hop instead of running, letting the magic within carry us. It’s not a huge stretch of land and I believe we’re nearing the other border when I start seeing white dots.
Ghosts. They always appear as dots if I’m moving too fast. I slow my steps, keeping us in the shadows but I don’t move as fast. It gives me time to study them.
There’s five ghosts, three of whom cling to each other. I’m guessing they are friends or were killed together. Either way, I keep my gaze on them, feeling Odette press closer still.
I don’t have to drop the shadows to open the passage, but Odette is holding so tight she’s making it difficult. I try to glare down at her, but she’s purposefully ignoring me, clinging to my torso.
It’s awkward reaching one of the arrows on my back, but not impossible. Odette isn’t looking up, and I have half a mind to push her off me and let her tumble out of the shadows for a moment. I could reap these souls and go back to holding her in only a few seconds.
And I almost do, if not for the sudden haze of blue ahead of us. It’s not enough to make Odette look up, and perhaps her eye is closed again. The light is further ahead in the trees, so I can’t make out what exactly is happening.
Looking at the spirits, I make a slash in space and let the doorway open up. These five don’t seem to be in limbo, just lost or newly dead. I watch for a moment as they pass soundlessly, no final goodbyes or confused looks, just absolute acceptance that Death is here.
Sometimes it's easy like that, but very rarely. I can’t think of the last time I helped a spirit pass on without saying a single word. These five seem more than ready to be done with this place.
As they step through, I half-expect Odette to look up. I’ve shown Tom and Genevieve, my two eldest siblings, and they were always fascinated when I brought them into the shadows. She won’t even open her eye and look.
What a strange, strange princess. When the blue light ahead persists and the last spirit is gone, I twirl the arrow back into its spot and hop through the shadows. Odette continues to cling to me as we move.
It’s only a single hop, but it puts us close enough to see the light. I almost expect to see Dima again since this magic was his trademark yesterday, but there’s no sign of the boastful wizard when I peer through the trees.
I do think it’s his magic though.
Giving Odette a shake, I hope she will look up and observe but, just like before, she keeps her head down and one eye shut. Even when I try to pull her hands away she keeps it tightly closed, and I give up in lieu of focusing on what’s happening.
The lake is to our right and probably a mile away, so this water can’t be more than a little pond or puddle. But the blue light radiates from the pool, and there’s a rabbit drinking it.
Beside that, there’s what looks like the remains of one of the dreaded Flowerborne, and another rabbit that’s got wickedly blue eyes and a tinge of blue to the fur. I half expect the bunny to mutate into something horrendous after seeing the bird following Dima around, but it doesn’t change as I watch.
When the other rabbit looks up, it’s got bizarre blue eyes too.
“Must… stop…”
Surprised, I take a step back and it startles Odette. For one moment her eye blinks open before she slams it shut again, completely missing what’s going on.
When I look back, it’s the Flowerborne talking. The magically conjured creature has limbs the same shade of green as a flower’s stem, overly long for its body, with chunks missing in spots. Grotesque is the only word to describe it. This flower lacks any distinct shape, as if it has been excessively gnawed on in the Red Woods. Its bulbous head is partially missing.
Looking like that I don’t think the creature could talk even if it tried, but I wonder what took it down. Typically nature ignores the Flowerborne because they are unnatural. Creatures like those rabbits aren’t interested in hunting, and predators don’t want to eat flowers.
I wait for another moment to see if anything else interesting happens, but it’s just the two rabbits and the dying Flowerborne. Those creatures don’t have souls, so I won’t be seeing it again. Once it dies, the body returns to the earth like any other plant.
Odette fidgets, and I follow the shadows again to leave the scene behind. Whatever is happening out here, it’s more than a pool of glowing water.