A Captive of Wing and Feather
Page 26
Perhaps my mother had hoped to bear more sons, who might have been better suited than me to surviving in battle. But she got Clementine, the sweetest—and weakest—of us all.
I had never actually had the courage to ask, though, so perhaps that had not been it at all.
“Did any of them drop anything?” The words were out of my mouth before I realized they were hovering on my tongue.
“Who?” Father looked confused.
“The mages, you mean?” Clementine tipped her head to one side, regarding me quizzically. “Why?”
“Oh, them.” Father returned to packing up the herbs.
“Not that I saw,” said Mother. “Although from the careless way of them, it wouldn’t surprise me one bit. Why do you ask? Did you stop by the store and find something?”
I shook my head. “Not me. But young Joseph—Isadora’s little boy—found something it seems.” I hadn’t meant to tell them what happened, but I couldn’t keep it to myself—not with the way it weighed on me. The story wanted to escape.
Plus Samuel had been there. I didn’t trust him to keep his mouth shut, and once he started talking, it was hard to know how others would react. I just hoped he hadn’t recognized Joseph or seen which house I went into to return him. Thankfully he wasn’t the sort to pay attention to details.
“Something valuable?” asked Clementine. “Do you think they’ll miss it? The mages, I mean.”
“I certainly hope not.” I sat up, drawing in a breath. I hadn’t even thought of that. “It was words. Some sort of printed dispatch or something.”
All movement in the room stilled.
“And young Joseph found it, you say,” said Father, after a breath.
I nodded. “Samuel and Alice found him down by the river. We burned it. But…” I took a deep breath and finished in a rush. “He was trying to copy it. In the dirt before I arrived, apparently. They only just stopped him in time.”
“Trying to copy the…the letters?” Clementine stumbled over the words, her face white.
“If he’d managed a whole word…” Even my father looked afraid.
I swallowed and nodded. “But he didn’t. That’s what I keep reminding myself. He didn’t. And he’s only a child, too. Perhaps…perhaps the power wouldn’t have grown strong enough in him to do much damage.”
No one responded to my hopeful suggestion. Because we all knew the power of words. Words had the power of life—and the power of death. Written words shaped the power, released it from inside us out into the world. But only the mage families could control that power.
Certainly not people like us. Or young Joseph. If any of the commonborn wrote so much as a word, the power would come rushing out in an uncontrolled explosion of destruction. Just like in that poor village up north. In one instant gone forever, wiped off the map. How many letters had it taken? And who had written them? We would never know.
I might hate the system that trampled us into the dirt, but I understood it. There was a reason none of us could ever be permitted the wonders of reading and writing. Without the bloodline that would enable us to control the power once we accessed it, it was just too dangerous. One slip up, and…
The door banged open, and we all jumped.
Thomas, the young boy who sometimes helped in the store now that Jasper had left, leaned against the doorframe, panting.
“What is it, Tom?” asked Father.
“Trouble,” he panted out. “Trouble at the store. Something about those mages.”
Acknowledgments
I’ve had a break from fairy tales with my recent fantasy series, and coming back to them only reminds me of what I enjoy about the genre. It has once again been a delight to weave an old tale into something new, even if the writing process itself was sometimes a challenge. This book didn’t immediately want to fall into line, and I’m so grateful to all of those who stuck with me as I fought through to find the characters and story. (First Gabe wanted to be the point-of-view character, and then Adelaide kept reminding me she was no longer the sweet thirteen-year-old girl all the other characters had been remembering for the last four books. But working out her journey back to wholeness brought the whole book together.)
As always, the first thank you belongs to my husband, Marc. My books are a team project even if he never writes or edits a single sentence because without him my life would fall over—I wouldn’t write a word while I had to deal with more pressing issues like feeding myself and remembering what day of the week it is.
My beautiful children keep me sane and grounded, and I’m so grateful for them, as well as the rest of my family—both by blood and law. Having a support network is so important, and I truly enjoy the company of all my family.
But of course my support network isn’t only made up of family, and I’m so thankful for my amazing friends and beta readers, Rachel, Greg, Priya, and Ber. It is a joy to be able to discuss my books with each of you, and to feel your ongoing support at my back.
And for a virtual shoulder to cry on and laugh to be shared (insert laughing gif of choice here), I can’t imagine better friends than my fellow authors. Kitty, Kenley, Shari, Aya, Brittany, and Diana—thanks for everything!
And, of course, my professional team are equally valuable—thanks to Mary, Dad, and Deborah for looking at everything from story and character to my constant incorrect grammar and bizarre typos.
A thank you to my cover designer, Karri. I’ve already had comments from some people that this might be their favorite of my covers.
And of course all of this is done for you—the reader—so I’m incredibly grateful to you too. As I am to God, who is far more patient with me than I deserve.
About the Author
Melanie Cellier grew up on a staple diet of books, books and more books. And although she got older, she never stopped loving children’s and young adult novels.
She always wanted to write one herself, but it took three careers and three different continents before she actually managed it.
She now feels incredibly fortunate to spend her time writing from her home in Adelaide, Australia where she keeps an eye out for koalas in her backyard. Her staple diet hasn’t changed much, although she’s added choc mint Rooibos tea and Chicken Crimpies to the list.
She writes young adult fantasy including her Spoken Mage series, and her Four Kingdoms and Beyond the Four Kingdoms series which are made up of linked stand-alone stories that retell classic fairy tales.
Also by Melanie Cellier
The Four Kingdoms
The Princess Companion: A Retelling of The Princess and the Pea (Book One)
The Princess Fugitive: A Reimagining of Little Red Riding Hood (Book Two)
Happily Every Afters: A Reimagining of Snow White and Rose Red (Novella)
The Princess Pact: A Twist on Rumpelstiltskin (Book Three)
A Midwinter's Wedding: A Retelling of The Frog Prince (Novella)
The Princess Game: A Reimagining of Sleeping Beauty (Book Four)
The Princess Search: A Retelling of The Ugly Duckling (Book Five)
Beyond the Four Kingdoms
A Dance of Silver and Shadow: A Retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses (Book One)
A Tale of Beauty and Beast: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast (Book Two)
A Crown of Snow and Ice: A Retelling of The Snow Queen (Book Three)
A Dream of Ebony and White: A Retelling of Snow White (Book Four)
A Captive of Wing and Feather: A Retelling of Swan Lake (Book Five)
A Princess of Wind and Wave: A Retelling of The Little Mermaid (Book Six) Coming in 2019
The Spoken Mage
Voice of Power (Book One)
Voice of Command (Book Two)
Voice of Dominion (Book Three)
Voice of Life (Book Four)
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