by Danielle Monsch, Cate Rowan, Jennifer Lewis, Jeannie Lin, Nadia Lee, Dee Carney
Her back rested against the stones of the dream version of her room, but she cared nothing for that discomfort. The only thing that concerned her was getting him inside her.
He rested his palms on either side of her head, she heard them hit the stone.
Then she heard something else, something that wasn’t right.
He stilled above her, and she turned her head, breaking the kiss.
“You have to go,” she said frantically. She wasn’t certain what that shriek meant, but it wasn’t good, and it was coming from his reality, not hers.
“What?” He looked confused.
She took a deep breath and placed her palms on his chest. “I’m sorry. Come back to me when you can.”
It took everything she had to force herself to push, but she did. Using all her sidhe strength, she pushed his dream body hard enough to shove him back to the real world.
*
He woke to the screams of his horse. He leaped to his feet, grabbing his sword, unsheathing it in the same move. It took him a moment to understand what was happening, to shake off the dream.
Before he could process what was going on, he was already moving toward the threat. He hurdled the fire, the heat a brief flash of pain in his awareness.
The glow from the firebird lit the small clearing, illuminating the beast at Merrioc’s throat. Hunched over, the shoulders and spine were more humanoid than animal, but the long muzzle and sharp teeth clamped over Merrioc’s throat were primal beast. He didn’t recognize it, had no idea what the thing was, but he knew it was a threat. The smell of blood filled his nose and fury roared to life. Sword ready, Ivan charged the thing.
The firebird dove, its light blinding him and its talons skimming his scalp.
Ivan cursed, ducking to avoid the bird. Dodging to the side, he renewed his attack. He could barely make out the outline of the beast dragging the carcass into the woods, and he knew he was far too late to save Merrioc. Infuriated, Ivan barreled after the beast, intent on killing it.
Again, the firebird dove, this time swooping between him and the beast.
Ivan pulled his sword down to avoid slicing through the firebird as she came for his head again, hitting him in the face with a wing.
He dove to the side, rolling back to his feet and launching himself toward the break in the undergrowth where the beast had retreated. He couldn’t see, his night vision ruined by the bright glow of the firebird.
Ivan roared, startling forest animals into flight, which only added to the chaos around him. He whirled, trying to find his target in the dark, but he couldn’t separate the beast from the other sounds, couldn’t see to find the trail in the dark.
It was useless.
Ivan charged back into the clearing. If he couldn’t kill the beast, he could take the damned bird. He dropped his sword and dove across the fire, aiming to grab a leg or a wing or anything that would give him purchase.
She anticipated him, taking flight when he leaped.
His skin burned from the heat of the fire, from the sparks guttering in his skin.
He hit his saddle bags on other side, rolling to lie on his back. The firebird fluttered up, trailing light as she rose above the trees.
Ivan’s back bowed as he tipped his head back and screamed his rage to the sky.
*
Sleep was impossible. He ignored the small injuries he’d collected. The bruises would fade, the small cuts and scratches from the undergrowth and rocks would heal, the little burns that dotted his skin would fade.
Rage compelled him to move. Without a horse, he would cover less ground, take longer to do what needed doing. What would have been a two day trek by horseback had just become much longer. He had a short timer and he didn’t intend to miss his window. Losing Merrioc was a blow, but he’d be damned if he lost Vasalisa. And he’d by gods get that damned bird.
He didn’t bother with a shirt, taking time only to clean his sword and gutter the fire before setting off. He used magic to light the path through the dark of the night, allowing it to fade as dawn lifted the shadows in the wood.
Fury propelled Ivan through the day, driving him beyond exhaustion, pushing him farther than he would have gone otherwise. He ignored aching muscles and flagging energy. Instead he focused on covering ground.
He turned the events of the night over in his mind, trying to get them to settle into some sensible pattern. The beast had breached his circle, had moved faster than anything he’d ever seen. The way it was formed had elements of humanoid and beast, maybe wolf or bear, but something with teeth. Whatever it was, it was dangerous.
But the beast wasn’t the worst of it. The more he ran through the events, the more evident the intention of the Firebird became. She had deliberately distracted Ivan, deliberately driven him off the beast. The fact he’d had to dodge her, had to avoid her attacks without killing her had given the beast time to disappear, dragging Merrioc’s corpse into the forest.
The next time he used the mirror he was damned well going to tell his father the bird was more trouble than it was worth. If he just wanted to look at it, Ivan would kill it and Yddris could stuff the thing and display it on the back of his throne.
Ivan mourned the loss of the horse. He’d been a good mount, a brave and well-composed stallion worthy of respect. For him to be taken in this matter infuriated him. That he could do nothing to remedy the loss brought him to the killing edge.
He stormed through the forest, unconcerned with the possibility of a challenge. Yesterday he’d been wary, but today he welcomed the possibility of combat. Let them come. He would take their heads and burn their bodies. And he wouldn’t check his swing for that fucking bird.
None challenged him, and he continued through the night and into the day. Time was the enemy and he would use the anger to push himself to accomplish more. He would make that damned bird pay for interfering in his fight with the beast. After he captured her, he would return and destroy the beast. He would have repayment.
By late afternoon, he was beyond exhaustion. His muscles protested his hard use, and he knew if he didn’t sleep soon he would be worse than useless in a fight. His reaction times were beginning to slow and his eyesight was going blurry with fatigue. The rage settled into a burning determination in his belly. His course was set. Get to the Deathless, get the fucking firebird, free Vasalisa.
Grimly, he located a suitable spot to sleep.
He dropped saddle and bags to the ground. Ivan muttered curses and shifted them to the side. He hadn’t even looked through the bags to see what damage had been done last night. Before he could do that, though, he needed to secure the area in order to sleep and heal.
He dug a shallow trench around his chosen spot. He filled the trench with wood and dry leaf litter. He lit the debris, feeding ice magic into the fire so it would burn the fuel more slowly. He scraped open a healing scratch on his side and used the blood to draw protective runes on the inside edge of the circle. Blood carried some force, so it was better than nothing.
Ivan drew in a deep breath. His magic was a chaotic buzz just over the surface of his skin. Shadows began chewing at the edges of his consciousness. He drew the magic off, pushing it out so it began to solidify into ice. He fed the magic, using it to create a physical barrier between him and the forest. It took too much energy, energy he should have used to heal, and it provided no real protection. The best the ice would do is shatter when it was hit, giving him more warning of an attack. But he wouldn’t be able to sleep without it, knowing he was vulnerable to the beast. That made the shield necessary.
Finally, he sat heavily in the center of the circle and pulled the saddle bags to him.
The first pack contained half a dozen golden apples, clothing, and the bulk of his travel food. The food was a bit ragged, but otherwise in good shape. Ivan grabbed one of the apples.
After eating the apple, he opened a packet of dried meat and fruit and moved to the other bag.
Shoving food into his mouth, he b
egan going through the bag. Things here had not fared as well. He cursed wearily. The spelled mirror was cracked. The tip was broken off one of his knives, and the arm band his mother had given him before leaving was bent. It was worked with protective magics, and only a skilled metalsmith would be able to put it to rights. He could have used the band right now. Dammit.
He repacked the bags and ranged them behind him to cushion his head. With his sword in his hand, he closed his eyes. The sound of the crackling flames soothed him. Out of habit, he offered up a short prayer, asking for strength and the ability to accomplish the tasks before him. He dropped into sleep like a stone into water.
*
He slept for a few hours and woke healed and revived, but with a tugging sense of disappointment at the lack of dreams.
Ivan shook his head at himself as he pulled used the ice shield to put out the fire, pulling it into the ditch. Working mechanically, he covered the remains of the fire with the dirt he’d removed the day before. It didn’t take long, and he was on the path an hour before sunset.
It took the full night and into the next morning to reach the edge of the woods. By the time he sighted open territory ahead, the physical exertion had done its job. He’d worked off the majority of his anger.
Sometime during the darkest hours he’d come to terms with the loss of his horse, though it grieved him. Horses were prey, the beast had only been doing what beasts do. It was unreasonable for him to blame a beast for hunting. He reserved his anger for the firebird. Without her interference, he might have saved Merrioc.
He sighed. No, he needed to be honest. Even if the bird hadn’t distracted him, he would have been too late for the horse. He’d been too late because he had been reluctant to leave the dream with Vasalisa. Even if Merrioc hadn’t been killed immediately, he would have been gravely injured and Ivan would have had to do the job himself.
The real problem here was the loss of time. He was now nearly two days behind, even having pushed himself to the limit. He needed to rest and he needed to clear his mind enough to work on a plan for dealing with Koschei.
He would push on until he reached the polevik settlement. Yuri’s information indicated it wasn’t far from the edge of the wood. Polevik were generally placid, farming folk. They tended their land and occasionally popped through portals to the human world. Something about their magic allowed them to move freely between the two planes, unlike the sidhe or most of the fae races who had few capable of calling portals.
Ivan rolled his shoulders under the armor and glanced up at the sky between the thinning trees. It was midday now.
He returned his attention to the path and froze.
In the center of the path, just a few yards ahead, sat a huge gray wolf. It was the largest wolf he had ever seen.
This was no natural wolf. The amber eyes held intelligence and pain and something else, something that spoke of magic. His hand was already on the pommel of the sword. As he began to draw the blade, he dropped the packs onto the path behind him. He wasn’t going to waste magic on that when he might need it against the wolf.
“I owe you a debt,” the wolf said clearly.
Ivan swayed a little on his feet. The wolf spoke?
“What are you?” It was blunt, even rude, for a fae to ask flat out like that, but Ivan was exhausted and at the end of his tolerance. This was the beast that had killed Merrioc.
The wolf tipped its head to the side. “Have you no manners? It matters not. I don’t know. I know I’ve been cursed, but I don’t know how or why. I have no memory of the time before the curse.”
“You killed my horse.”
“I did. The curse turns me into something…hungry while the moon is full. For that I owe you a debt.”
Ivan let his sword fall back into the scabbard. The wolf offered no threat at this time. Angry as Ivan was, he could not kill an obviously magical creature offering to remedy a wrong. To do so violated every lesson of honor his parents had instilled in him.
“What do you offer? Merrioc was a trained and blooded battle horse. He is not easily replaced. As important to me, and more importantly to my father and the sidhe, I am on a quest with a deadline. The loss of my mount has already cost me valuable time.”
The wolf’s tongue moved over its muzzle in a gesture that seemed more thoughtful than threatening. “It seems I have wronged you more than I realized. For the horse, I offer to help you gain a replacement. For the loss of time, I offer you service until the next full moon. At that time I must needs part from you or risk doing you damage.”
Ivan blinked. His brain was slow from lack of sleep, so it took longer than it should have to turn over the possibilities.
“I accept your restitution for the loss of Merrioc. If I can gain a replacement for him, your debt for him is wiped clean. For the service, what service do you offer?”
“I have some scrying magic and battle magic. In battle I can channel and control the beast.”
Ivan’s eyebrows shot up. That might be very useful on this quest.
“I would welcome your service to clear your debt to me. However, such service will be dangerous and may cost you your life. Your life is too big a price for the debt you owe, so I am willing to put the debt of service on hold until my quest is complete.”
The wolf chuffed out a breath and ran his tongue over his muzzle again. “You are honorable to offer me this option, but I prefer to dispatch my debt immediately.”
“My quest is to obtain the firebird from the Deathless.”
The wolf dropped to the ground, covering his muzzle with his paws. His whine was pure wolf.
Ivan could sympathize. While he was confident he would succeed – he had to – the quest was his. He would not compel another to join him.
“We will say the two are separate. You may choose on the point of service after we have dealt with the horse.”
“I will need to scry for the horse. Will you camp here?”
“No. There is a polevik settlement not far from here.”
The wolf shook his head. “Not any more. Most have crossed to the human world, the rest scattered.”
“Why?”
“They no longer had protection from either the Rus or the Evenki. Without that protection they were vulnerable.”
“The Evenki were destroyed. The Rus provided no protection?”
The wolf made a noise Ivan took for disgust.
“The queen is not interested in those who do not provide her entertainment.”
Ivan hummed noncommittally. He agreed, but saying so aloud might bring attention from elements he wanted to avoid. The queen might be ineffective and weak as a ruler, but she was a gifted farseer.
“At the least we can use the hovels for shelter.”
The wolf moved his shoulders in a canine version of a shrug. “I don’t need it, but if you want to camp there, it’s just over that line of hills. I will get what I need and meet you there.”
The wolf loped back into the woods. Ivan considered calling him back, but decided against it. If the wolf took off, there was nothing Ivan could do to stop him. Better to find out now if the wolf intended to keep his bargain.
Instead, he used magic to float his belongings before turning to the road and starting for the settlement.
Wolf was right. The settlement was completely deserted. Perhaps a dozen hovels squatted together around a well, the sticks and branches poking through the outer layer of mud. It took him only a few moments to determine that they’d taken everything with them. There was not a stick of furniture or a single rag left behind. Poleviks were practical creatures.
Still, the hovels created a natural circle, and the ground had been purified and purged already. Ivan drew some water from the well, discovering it was still sweet. He drank fully and refilled his water skin.
He’d chosen one of the hovels as his shelter and stowed his gear by the time Wolf arrived carrying his supplies in a small bag.
“Where’d you get the bag?”
&
nbsp; Wolf dropped it next to the fire. “A passing traveler abandoned it.”
“Just left it?”
Wolf grinned, showing lots of sharp teeth. “He might have been encouraged to hurry along. He was setting traps.”
Ivan frowned. Traps were forbidden in the woods. It was too likely the traps would catch something besides their intended prey.
“Are there many who set traps in the woods?”
Wolf’s grin widened. “Not in my woods.”
Ivan shook his head. Clearly more was wrong with Alina’s rule than he’d previously suspected. It was up to the sidhe to rule all fae in their territory, and that included enforcing laws for safety and providing protection. The Rus were not holding up their end of the bargain. No wonder the polevik had scattered.
He sighed heavily. “What do you need to do what you need to do?”
“Fire, water, earth.”
“Then we’d better get started.”
*
Wolf used blood and bone to scry for the golden horse. Ivan pressed his lips together when Wolf retrieved bone splinters still dark with the meat which had been attached. He knew well the source of the blood and bone for this scrying.
Ivan blew out a breath. Thinking of his loss wouldn’t help now. He had agreed to Wolf’s repayment terms. If Merrioc’s blood and bone helped find the golden stallion which would give him the edge over Koschei, so be it.
Wolf went through his ritual as Ivan watched. When it was complete, Wolf shook his head to clear it of the smoke.
“What did you discover?”
“You won’t like it. I don’t like it.”
Ivan gave him a sour smile. “Standard for this quest. Nothing straightforward.”
“It isn’t a difficult journey, a hard day or an easier day and some. The stallion is with Grandmother Bony Legs.”
Ivan stared at Wolf for a moment. He ran his hand over his face wearily. “Of course it is. Everything leads me to her. I am, by the way, to call her Babushka by ones I trust to know these things. No sense in offending further than necessary.”
“You knew you would need to see her?” Somehow Wolf managed to make his canid features appear disapproving.