29 || [Audio]

[aswanbyday]

[Ah well, she enjoyed being her human self while she could. She transformed not long after the doors unlocked and after taking one look outside, Odette scrambled back into her room and hasn't been out since. She turns the comm on and takes a deep breath. Time to stop being a coward Odette.]I'm willing to help if we decide on a plan of action. I'm

Comments

[ecopiracy]

[Phoenix can put two and two together.]

You haven't been able to transform on this ship since this whole fiasco began?

[aswanbyday]

I was on the island. Deck three is just too dangerous.

[ecopiracy]

What if you were to have someone accompany you there?

[aswanbyday]

I don't want anyone putting themselves at risk because of me. Besides, hopefully, I'm getting the spell removed.

[Oh dear. She hasn't really told Phoenix about any of this.]

[ecopiracy]

[Phoenix's eyebrows lift up.]

Removed?

[No, no she hasn't.]

[aswanbyday]

[Well long story short:]

I kissed Naveen, to remove his spell and now he is tangled up in mine. So I spoke to the Shadow Man and he's going to try to remove my spell for me. I don't know what he'll want as payment, [She tried giving him gold, man!] but if it will free Naveen, I don't care.

[ecopiracy]

[The hairs on the back of Phoenix's neck prickle with no immediately tangible reason. He forces his voice to remain calm.]

I'm sorry, but I'm a little unclear on a few details, Odette. What spell was Naveen under, how is he tangled up in yours, who is this Shadow Man, and how does he intend to remove your spell?

[aswanbyday]

The Shadow Man turned Naveen into a frog and only the kiss of a princess could break the spell. So I kissed him. But because I kissed him, it meant that he had to make the vow to me and if he made it to the wrong person, I would...die. So I've asked the Shadow Man to remove it. He's working on how to remove it as we speak.

[ecopiracy]

...

{She can't be serious. Surely she isn't serious.]

Let me see if I have this right. A man changed another man's form. You've broken this spell, but at the potential cost of your life. So now you go to bargain with the very man whose curse you just broke? And you do not think he might make this worse, or demand a price higher than you can pay?

[aswanbyday]

[Odette sighs.]

It's my fault Naveen is in this position to begin with. I have to do something to fix it. The Shadow Man is the only one who can help me.

[ecopiracy]

[Everything about this arrangement feels utterly wrong. Unfortunately, much to his frustration, he cannot think of any other possible solution.]

Is there no other way?

[A slight pause as another thought occurs.]

What if another person makes this vow to you?