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He’d failed them. Danger had come to their home and even though he possessed so much power, he hadn’t been prepared. But he wouldn’t be surprised again.
He let his anger seep through, shoring up the shattered places. The acute ache inside would fuel him, drive him to do whatever it took to find the answers he needed.
He didn’t know what was to come, but as he glanced over at Zoya’s grave, a resolve burned in his chest. A promise he’d make to his parents. That grave beside them would never be filled with the real Zoya.
He wouldn’t fail again.
“I swear.” His voice shook as he touched his father’s headstone and then his stepmother’s. “I swear to you I won’t let harm come to her.”
He’d do whatever it took to keep his stepsister safe.
Chapter 7
Odette
Odette huddled on the edge of the pond, watching as the moon slowly rose. She’d slept most of the day in her swan form, only finding moments to snatch a fish out of the pond’s depths before settling down on the banks. After last night, after being tortured and nearly choked to death, changing into a swan had almost felt like a welcome reprieve.
Almost.
When the moon’s reflection touched the water, she opened her wings and soared out over the pond, landing gracefully on its glassy surface. The rules of the curse dictated she had to touch the pond while the moon reflected off of it to change into a human. But when the first light of the sun lit the morning, she’d always turn back into a swan no matter where she was.
The other six swans around her also spread their wings and glided downward, causing small ripples as they landed.
It was strange. The curse made her feel the moon’s power in a way that she never had before. Once it touched her wings, the force of its light flowed through every part of her, making her tingle. When she changed, however, it was like someone was breaking her apart and fitting her back together. A moment of panic followed by the calm reassurance that she wasn’t about to be broken in a fit of excruciating pain. It was the same when she changed from human to swan.
She stood, barefooted in the simple white gown she always wore, in the pond's shallow depths. It didn’t seem to matter that when she transformed into a swan, she’d been wearing the clothes Rothbart loaned her. Now she was back to thin white dresses. Her fingers curled in the fabric, wanting to tear it from her body. Strangely enough, the necklace he had given to her was still hanging from her neck.
Lina approached, stepping on the shore next to Odette. She nervously braided and unbraided her long, auburn hair. “Did you figure out anything with Rothbart last night?”
“We still don’t know who hired us.”
Her shoulders fell.
Odette's heart twinged a little. She always felt a bit responsible for the girl. It was Odette who had found Lina, a starving girl on the streets and brought her to train with the assassins. The two of them, being close in age, had spent a lot of time together, training, competing, growing up. In a lot of ways, Odette saw her as a younger sister.
She laid a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, we will figure this out.”
Lina gave a tentative smile. Her fingers worked even faster on her hair. “Did, uh, did Rothbart say anything about Zoya?”
That was a strange question. “What is this about, Lina?”
She stepped back, looking almost startled. “Oh, um, I’m just curious to know where we stand on breaking the curse and skull pact. That’s all.”
“I told all of this to everyone last night.”
Color rose into her pale cheeks. “Yes, I… I wanted to make sure there wasn’t something you’d forgotten to tell us.”
“Odette.” Yessly, Lina’s actual sister, sloshed across the pond toward them, her dress clinging to her legs. Her eyes narrowed at Lina. “Move aside.” She, none too gently, shoved Lina out of the way. “I found the wormwood plant we were looking for! It is the last ingredient we need.” Excitement reflected in her gaze. “Come. Tonight we will cast the spell.”
Odette released a breath, a small thrill gathering inside her. They were finally going to get somewhere on breaking this damn curse. She followed Yessly into the trees, where she had a collection of different plants. The other woman dropped to her knees, and Odette knelt beside her.
Lina joined her sister, but Yessly gave her such a look of annoyance that the younger woman scurried away. Odette glanced curiously from one to the other. The relationship between the two sisters had become strained ever since the assassination attempt.
The other women crowded around.
Yessly had an eager air about her. She cut Odette a glance. “Ready to find the man of your dreams?” she teased.
A smile lifted Odette’s lips. “As long as he’s a prince, I’m all for it.”
