Starbird (UNDER MAJOR EDITING)

Chapter 18

Jorgen pov:

"Where are we going, Odette?" I ask after a while of flying. She doesn't answer. "Odette?"

"The castle." She whispers. "To rescue my family and to challenge King Frederic."

"WHAT?!?!" I fly in front of her, shocked at her thoughts. "Challenge King Frederic?! Are you daft?!" Odette changes back into a maiden, plunging towards the ground. She lands and turns to face me, hissing,

"I'll not let that- that vulture hurt my family! They're all I have left, except you. I can't let them suffer."

"This is insanity! Do you want to get us killed?!" I cannot believe this woman! Is she really my fiancee?! Her face is frustrated and determined, and I see the same spark in her eyes as I have seen in my sisters' when they won't back down. She transforms back into a swan in the blink of an eye, and takes off without waiting for me. I transform slowly, and fly as fast as I can to catch up with her. I am fuming inside, but I won't let Odette challenge the king alone.

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When we reach the castle, Odette plunges into the forest surrounding the castle, transforms into a maiden, and begins sneaking through. Suddenly, she vanishes right in front of my eyes. "Odette!" I call out, terrified. "ODETTE!" She reappears, her hand over my mouth, eyes flashing a warning.

"Hush, Jorgen! Do you not remember that I can manipulate light?! Shut it!" She brings her hand away and disappears again. I feel her hand snake around my wrist, guiding me. She threads her way through the undergrowth, growing closer and closer to the castle. Odette pulls me out of the undergrowth, and I feel her wing brush my wrist as she takes to the air. I follow her as she soars over the castle walls, avoiding guards like she lives here. She reaches the throne room in no time, and walks through the door, still invisible I follow her, and she walks up to the throne, barely six feet away. She lets the invisibility drop, pooling at her feet, as she stands defiantly before the King. "I have come to challenge thee, cowardly king, to a duel of the elements in the arena." He stares, his mouth agape, before replying,

"I see our little swan has returned... But I wonder, where is her human?" I try and drop my invisibility, but I feel someone else holding it up. Odette. She walks in front of the guards for a few steps, before vanishing and flying towards the arena. She lands on a huge windowsill, and beckons to the king.

"Come and get me, vulture." She flies toward the arena, and I follow her. The king's face grows red, and he proceeds out of his throne room, slowly and stupidly.