Page 127 of Down from the Tower

I sigh. We all know the rumors. Problem is, there’s no merit to them. King Leonardo and his wife Queen Florence are some of the kindest people I’ve ever met. There’s no way they would let something nefarious take place in their kingdom.

The bird flies closer to the clearing where it appears to finally spot us. It opens its mouth, revealing sharp, shiny teeth as it dives. It’s definitely moving to strike.

Zarev could shoot shadows at it while I’m aiming, avoiding something fatal. But when the creature roars and reveals a second set of wings that rises from the first, I let the arrow fly.

This thing is a monstrosity, and the monsters of the world deserve nothing but Death.

I should know. Death has already claimed me.

The bird plummets quickly and as it nears the treetops, the thick, black feathered body begins to change. As it disappears behind the treetops, I see blonde hair fly up and away from the body.

My eyes meet Zarev’s, and we appear to have the same idea. Shifting into the shadows, he chases me this time as I look for the felled bird. It must be a trick of the light. Nothing else makes sense. But the hair is too pale to be Rapunzel’s, more white-blonde than gold, and we need to know why that is.

Had it consumed a human and spit out its last bit of lunch when I shot it?

Finding the creature takes several moments since we’re looking for the bulbous body of a frightening black bird. When I see a head of white-blonde hair lying in the woods, I think my eyes are deceiving me.

Stepping closer, I know they aren’t.

A woman lies on the ground, her fluffy hair fanned out as blood leaks from the wound I shot into her arm. Her breathing is heavy and the long billowy sleeves of her dress are soaking up the blood from her wound. Gasping, her eyes move slowly towards me when she finally takes notice of us.

The dress is quite unusual. The bodice is all white feathers, and the top part of her skirt is made of black feathers. A flowy white skirt bursts from beneath, and the once-white sleeves are sheer from the elbow down.

I know this girl. I’ve seen her many times, but something is terribly wrong with her face. She should have two eyes but there is only one - a green orb staring up at me, wild and frightened. The other, the one I know to be gold, is missing, leaving a bloody hole staring back at me. Her skin is slick like this injury only just happened.

But the woman is unmistakable. As Zarev steps in behind me, I know he recognizes her, too. I bite my lip, staring down at her in shock. “Princess Odette.”

Her one panicked eye dances between us, her fingers twitching on her good arm. Her breathing picks up as panic sets in and I approach her, holding my hands up so she can see I mean her no harm.

Shooting her out of the sky was definitely a bad idea.

“R - reapers,” she gasps, looking between us. Her voice is raspy, like she hasn’t used it in a while. “Reapers. Help! I - I need help. A demon shot me from the sky.”