The savage and the swan

“Yes,” she said, and a bead of water slid down her cheek as though she was remembering those times too. The times when my father would pretend I wasn’t what I was, but my mother would scoop me up by my webbed feet, hang me upside down, and deliver me to my rooms where she’d read me stories until I’d settled enough to change back. “Just like then, we need to do this together.”

I blinked. We couldn’t do a thing together. Not only because I was in here and she was out there, but because we were now enemies.

She’d sought to kill my mate all the while knowing how it would kill me—for that same pain was clearly still far too fresh for her.

“Together,” she whispered. “Don’t be afraid.”

I wasn’t afraid of the orb. I was afraid of what she’d do to my husband once we were freed. And so I shook my head.

Dade huffed, nostrils wider than my head flaring as he curled into me and stared me down.

I glared. No.

Yes.

You know what they’ll do.

He inclined his head as though it wasn’t a big deal, eyes narrowing with impatience.

“Opal,” my mother said. “Opal, look at me.”

I did, reluctantly, and she smiled, silent tears dripping down her face. “I promise. He will be free to leave.”

I stiffened, knowing she spoke true but still wary.

Dade’s wing lifted as though he believed her, telling me I should too.

I stared at her, and she stared back with glistening eyes. Mine did the same when she said, “I’m sorry.” Swiping beneath her nose, she whispered, “I didn’t want to believe it. That you two had…” She shook her head, finally saying, “That you had bonded. If I didn’t know, if I didn’t believe it, then I could go through with what my aching soul hungers for.” I waited as she peered at the king. “Vengeance.”

I knew without looking that he held her gaze, for when she looked back at me, her eyes were no longer wet but determined, her jaw gritted. “But I can’t do it. I thought I could, but I ca

I edged forward, and she placed her hand upon the orb, warmth sizzling from underneath it.

Her teeth clenched. Her hair began to rise. But I knew before she gestured with her free hand what I had to do.

I pressed the tip of my wing upon the orb, right over her palm, and I nodded. A crack echoed, slicing into my skull, my bones, as I flickered between forms. “I’m sorry,” she said again, terror in her voice now. “Return to me, please.”

It felt like pushing from the deepest depths of the ocean, crawling back into myself. My heart thrashed, and my sight dimmed and blackened. The orb cracked again. Dade’s heat became firmer at my back as though he’d changed back already. Emboldened, I unraveled, each breath stuck and uncatchable until…

I panted on my knees. “Okay.”

The ball fractured under our touch, rivers of gold striking through the clear orb in fast succession. We all gazed up, and Dade gathered me to his chest right as it exploded. As clear and sharp as glass, fragments rained over us, cutting and clinking as they hit the cobblestone.

When it ended, I twisted to inspect Dade, noting a cut at his mouth and eye, my hands patting down his stiff arms…

Then the screaming registered, my mother already on her feet as the war bell chimed from the castle.

A collection of howls, ferocious and haunting, was the only warning we had before beasts, some winged, all wolven, split through every alleyway.

The cavalry had arrived, and with it, another fracture large enough to slice me in two.

Only this time, it was not an orb but my heart.

Dade grabbed for me, a dagger in his hand he hadn’t used earlier, and pushed me behind his back. “I’ll call them off.”

He’d… but they were already shedding blood. With claws and teeth and strength and numbers that were no match for our own, they attacked.

My mother stood frozen beside me, her wide eyes drinking it all in, then Elhn approached, barking orders for us to move, and she turned to grab my hand. “Inside the bakery.”

I followed, floating upon the shock that seared its way through me, laying waste to every hushed word and bruising memory.

He’d lied.

He’d lied, he’d lied, he’d lied.

He’d looked me dead in the eye and lied through his razor-sharp teeth when he’d promised that he would come alone, when he’d promised that he would behave and that my people would be safe. When he’d promised the bloodshed would end.

I’d believed him. I’d believed in him. I’d believed that he’d changed, and that he’d finally begun to learn—to understand.

I’d been a fool to believe a wolf would ever be anything but a wolf.

When we reached the bakery, Elhn ushered us inside, and I slipped past him as he pulled the door closed. He reached for me, but I was already gone. A sword laid beside a fallen soldier, her eyes staring up at the sky as she bled from her mouth and a wound in her stomach.

I bent down, holding my hands over her stomach, warmth flooding and flowing through me, closing it but not fast enough. The female’s red-brown eyes slid from the sky to mine, her mouth forming words I couldn’t hear over the roaring and screaming and terror that had been unleashed upon my city. “Stop him.”

Stop him. Don’t save her. Stop him.

She was right. He’d said he’d call them off, but I’d made the mistake in believing he’d protect my heart once.

I refused to be so stupid ever again.

Gritting my teeth, I forced more of my energy inside that wound, and then I gathered her hands and pushed them over it. “Keep them there and don’t move.” She blinked, and I raised my brows. “That’s an order.”

I took her sword and slunk around two crimson and gold males, a battle axe meeting a broadsword and nearly cutting the steel in half by my head.

I didn’t look to see if I recognized them. I couldn’t. I kept moving, dodging ru

“Opal.”

I stopped at the sound of his voice and looked up.

There, atop the rooftop nearest me, landed the king of wolves, the blood king, the murderous thief of my heart. He eyed my stolen sword, then said, “Duck,” as a boulder sailed over my head, flying through the shop window behind me.

Glass crashed and tinkled, and then two males stumbled to the ground, weapons gone, fists and teeth bared. “Enough,” Dade thundered.

The male halted, holding the gold soldier at bay as he swung blindly up at him from the ground.

Dade’s gaze fell upon me, heavy and searching. I gave him nothing but ire in return. He stiffened.

He knew exactly what he’d done. But rather than waste time and piss me off more, he thrust his fingers between his lips, whistling four times. “Lower your weapons and retract your claws.” He then hollered through cupped hands, “Fall in line to return home.”

Elhn was marching up the street, heading straight for us. Confusion crumpled his features, and blood leaked from his nose as he gazed upon our soldiers. Some continued to lunge and strike at the crimson legions, while others stepped back, baffled and glancing around while the warriors slowly fell into two long, even lines.

Elhn ordered our soldiers who would not relent to cease fighting, barking their names as though he’d personally kill them himself if they disobeyed.

Dropping the sword, I fell back against the door as Dade landed before me and stalked forward. “Swan, you must understand—”