Once Upon a Fairy tale: A Collection of 11 Fairy Tale Inspired Romances

by Danielle Monsch, Cate Rowan, Jennifer Lewis, Jeannie Lin, Nadia Lee, Dee Carney

  “She can’t use her own abilities if she does that.” Vasalisa hid a sudden flare of hope. If he’d sent the bitsytsia after the harpies, then she might not be in the castle. If she wasn’t in the castle, then Koschei was missing his strongest protection. He’d pulled her through a portal from the demon-plane and bound her to him with blood and ritual. The creature was deadly, her speed and strength combining with incredible healing to make her extremely difficult to kill. On the other hand, she hated Koschei, hated being enslaved.

  “Precisely.”

  She’d distracted him from his purpose. He’d intended to impede Ivan, but he wasn’t doing that right now. Every moment she kept him occupied was a moment less preparation and a better chance for Ivan.

  “So she can’t see where the harpies have gone, and she doesn’t know they left because of the bisytsia.”

  “Exactly.” Koschei smiled at her like she was a particularly bright pupil. “She has hobbled herself and done no damage to me. It’s delicious.”

  Vasalisa controlled her disgust. Her aunt was beyond stupid. The woman had ruined the court, handed Vasalisa over to a monster, and had condemned them all with her selfishness and idiocy. She’d always thought Alina silly, but she now saw that her aunt was dangerously stupid. It astonished her that Alina had been raised in the same household as her father.

  “She won’t even see you coming,” Vasalisa said softly.

  “No. She’ll expect it, of course, once the tribute is missed. She’ll expect me to kill you and then come for her. But that’s not what I’m going to do.”

  He reached out, running a single fingertip along her jaw. Vasalisa fought her body’s reaction, holding still under his touch.

  “You won’t?” She managed to infuse hope into her voice. She knew better than to hope Koschei would let her live or would leave her court unmolested.

  “Oh, no.” He leaned in, his lips only a breath from hers. “I’m saving you. It will be so much more fun if I can take my time with you, Princess. We’ve had such a good time so far. I’m looking forward to doing everything I imagine with you. You’ll last so long.”

  She couldn’t stop her reaction this time. Her eyes widened and she sucked in a breath. She wasn’t acting. The idea of being at his mercy while he enjoyed himself on her body with no limits was a nightmare. Vasalisa knew that the torture she’d endured to this point was nothing more than an appetizer.

  If Ivan failed, she would find herself the main course at a banquet of pain and terror.

  Koschei tilted his head and ran his lips along her cheekbone, as if her fear had a flavor he could savor. Maybe for him it did.

  “But first we must deal with the visitors,” he said, straightening. “Come along, dear.”

  She had no choice but to follow, trapped by his magic.

  *

  Nothing. There was nothing in the corridors.

  It made Ivan twitchy. There should be guards, traps, something. There should have been some attempt to stop them. But there wasn’t, and it made him very nervous.

  “Too easy,” Wolf growled.

  Ivan nodded. That was exactly it. This was far too easy, and he didn’t trust it.

  They’d made their way from the entrance on the south side of the castle into the interior, across the castle and into the southwest tower, where Vasalisa had been held. The room still smelled of her. The gold cage that had held the firebird stood empty, the door to the room open. The scorching on the stone around the window in the tower told him who had been lobbing those fireballs into the ditch to help them. Which meant that even an hour ago, she’d been in this room.

  Wolf growled. He wasn’t pleased that his mate was missing.

  According to the diagram Baba Yaga had drawn him, they had skirted the throne room, the heart of the keep, and there had been no sign of Koschei or any other castle inhabitant. Could they have all left? Were he and Wolf on a fool’s errand storming an empty castle?

  Abruptly Wolf stopped short, lifting his muzzle and narrowing his eyes. “Stinks.”

  “What do you smell?”

  “Burning eggs.”

  “I don’t smell it. Where is it coming from?”

  Wolf waved down the corridor stairs. “That way. Can’t tell.”

  “Was it there when we came up?”

  “No. New smell.”

  Ivan leaned out the tower room door. He still didn’t smell anything. “We have to go down.”

  Wolf chuffed his agreement, stepping through the door behind Ivan.

  They made their way down the stairs warily, but nothing had changed from when they went up. When they reached the intersecting corridor of the main keep, Ivan caught his first whiff of the smell Wolf described.

  There was a definite sulfur note, along with ozone, and something similar to wet ashes. He couldn’t say why the smell filled him with dread. Perhaps because he’d never smelled anything like it. Whatever it was shouldn’t be here.

  Wolf shook his head. “Nose full.”

  Ivan took that to mean that the smell had made it impossible for Wolf to differentiate anymore. His sense of smell was useless.

  “We’ll follow it. I would wager much that whatever that smell is, Deathless is not far from it.”

  “Yes,” Wolf rumbled.

  They backtracked through the castle. The stench grew stronger, more intense. Ivan could taste it, feel it coating his throat. He could only imagine how bad it must be for Wolf.

  Ivan stopped suddenly. What a fool he was. If they could recover some bone from the creatures they’d slain, Wolf could scry for the Princess and they could stop this fruitless wandering. If he’d thought of it before, they could have saved themselves a lot of wasted effort. If he could have done so, he’d have given himself a good kick in the ass.

  “Wolf. We should return to where we entered and scry for the Princess.”

  Wolf spun, pinning him with a gaze that had become instantly feral. Ivan remembered that look from their first encounter. The beast had the upper hand now. “No. We go here.”

  He pointed with one sharp claw toward the throne room.

  Ivan narrowed his eyes, but Wolf was already barreling toward the throne room doors. Ivan could either follow or not. It wasn’t even a question.

  Wolf hit the doors full speed. They flew open, slamming into the walls with an echoing crash. Ivan was behind him, sword already drawn, but had to check his run when Wolf slid to a stop on the marble floor.

  He barely avoided running into Wolf’s back, dodging slightly to the side to come to a halt at Wolf’s elbow as the power snapped closed around them, trapping them inside a ward.

  It took him a moment to process what his eyes were seeing. It just didn’t make sense. The being in front of them was perhaps half again as tall as Ivan, but stooped and bent so she was on level with them. She was definitely female, but not like any fae or human female he’d ever seen. This female’s brick red skin stretched taut over her winged frame. She was skeletally thin, with limbs all out of proportion. Her legs were abnormally short, with a distinctive bowing and wide, clawed feet. Her arms, though, were much longer than they should be, ending in long, thin hands with spindly, bony fingers tipped in claws.

  Her face was totally alien, with a long, pointed chin, a lipless mouth filled with sharp teeth, and a pair of nose slits. Her eyes were huge and completely black. No white, no color, nothing but a black so complete it seemed liquid.

  The muscles in her legs bunched, and she launched herself, only to slam into the circle of power and bounce off the wards back into the center of the room. She shook her head, her lipless mouth working, and did it again. And again.

  “What in Odin’s name are you?”

  “Good question, fae lord,” answered a silky voice from behind the thing. “She’s a bisytsia, from the demon realm. I ported her over and bound her to me.”

  Ivan took two steps to the side and studied the man standing outside the circle on the raised dais that held the Evenki throne. He wa
s tall and thin, with even features and good bone structure that hinted at djinn ancestry. The pale gold skin and dark, curling hair reinforced the impression, though his startlingly pale eyes were likely from his Evenki mother.

  “Who are you?” Ivan inquired with polite curiosity. Given what Vasalisa had told him about the sorcerer, it would prick his ego. Anything that kept him off-balance seemed like a good idea to Ivan.

  “I am Koschei the Deathless.”

  He said it in ringing tones clearly meant to impress.

  Ivan looked at Wolf and shrugged negligently before turning his attention back to Koschei. “Huh.”

  “I am a great sorcerer. The greatest living sorcerer. I cannot be killed and you will not defeat me.”

  Ivan raised his eyebrows. Given the strident tone, his indifference had really hit a nerve. He’d keep playing that. Spun up adversaries made more mistakes, and Ivan had an ace up his sleeve.

  He gave the chest a psychic tug, just to make sure it was still there. It was.

  Ivan gave a negligent shrug. “If you say so. I haven’t met anything yet I couldn’t kill if I wanted to. Why would I want to kill you?”

  Koschei frowned. “You haven’t come to kill me?”

  Oh, he had. Yes, indeed, he had come to kill the Deathless. Which meant he couldn’t say he hadn’t, since that would be a lie. And he couldn’t say of course he had, because that wouldn’t be playing the game. The bisytsia flung herself against the wards again, then crashed to the floor. It shook the castle.

  “Is there some reason I should kill you? My father sent me for the bird. I see no reason we can’t bargain for her.”

  True but not his intent. Wolf growled next to him, and Ivan could only hope that Wolf would understand the game he was playing.

  Koschei’s eyes slid over to Wolf.

  “Ah…I remember you, wolfin. You don’t like it that the fae lord wants your bird. How interesting.”

  Ivan sighed loudly. “Are you willing to bargain for the bird or not?”

  “Perhaps. What do you have to offer?”

  “Gold, of course.”

  “Why would I need gold?”

  “Why wouldn’t you?”

  Koschei waved his hand, indicating the castle. “I take what I want.”

  “That makes bargaining difficult. Perhaps you could suggest something?”

  “I really can’t think of anything you could offer that would make me give up something of mine.”

  “No?”

  “No. If you have something I want, I will simply take it from you.”

  “So you aren’t interested in learning how I got this far? How I got into your castle?”

  Koschei tilted his head to one side. “You’re interesting, fae lord. Perhaps you could be entertaining. But, to answer your question, I know how you got here.”

  “Do you?”

  “Magical steed, the princess throwing fireballs, and…hm. Come to think of it, I’m not sure how you got through the thorn creeper.”

  “How about the guards we took out when we entered the castle?”

  “Yes, I’d like to know about that, too. Neither of you was infected by the guvloi.”

  Ivan lifted his hands, palms up. “There you go. I’ll tell you how we got into your castle, and in return you free the firebird.”

  “Free her?” Koschei chortled. “Yes, I suppose I could free her, but why would I when I can simply take you and make you tell me?”

  Ivan smiled slowly, gratified when alarm flared in Koschei’s eyes. “You won’t take the information from me by force, sorcerer. I would not have gotten this far if I weren’t a bigger challenge than those who came before me.”

  “Enough of this talk. You’re beginning to bore me.”

  “Do we have a bargain, sorcerer? I will tell you how we got past the thorn creeper and your guards and you will free the firebird?”

  Koschei tapped a finger against his lips. “Are you sure there’s not a bigger bargain to make, fae lord?”

  He’d hoped that Koschei wouldn’t be able to resist dangling Vasalisa in front of him. It looked like he had been on target.

  “What do you mean, sorcerer?”

  “I have a fae princess. Perhaps that would be more to your liking than the firebird?”

  Ivan shrugged. It cost him more than he wanted to admit to appear casual, unaffected.

  “Not my princess. Why should I care?”

  “She’s beautiful. And there would be a handsome reward for returning her to her people.”

  “To paraphrase someone I just met, why would I need a reward?”

  Koschei laughed, a sound full of joy that raised Wolf’s hackles and sent a shiver down Ivan’s spine. It was just creepy that someone that stank of evil the way Koschei did would be so happy.

  “Don’t turn her down before seeing her. Behold, the Princess Vasalisa of the Rus.”

  With a dramatic flick of his wrist, Koschei revealed Vasalisa. She was floating in Koschei’s power. She blinked slowly, her gaze focusing on him. Her mouth formed his name, but Koschei didn’t see because he was busy looking at Ivan.

  The rage threatened to swallow him whole, but he forced it down. It was the hardest thing he’d ever done, but he kept his face completely blank.

  Slowly, he shook his head. “Sorcerer, I told you my father sent me for the bird. What use have I for an ensorcelled princess?”

  “Oh, she’s not ensorcelled,” Koschei assured him. “She’s quite sensible.”

  “I’m surprised at you, leaving her sensible when you could have killed her.”

  Vasalisa lifted her hands behind Koschei. She pointed down toward the warded circle with the bisytsia.

  Ivan inclined his head, acknowledging her signal. He wasn’t certain what she was trying to tell him, but clearly the circle was important.

  Koschei laughed again, and Wolf shuddered. Ivan locked his muscles against the urge to leap on the sorcerer.

  “I can’t kill her. At least, not yet. That will change soon, though.”

  “Can you give her to me? If we were to strike a bargain?”

  A sly smile spread across Koschei’s face. “Do you want her?”

  How could he answer that without lying or giving too much away?

  Ivan shrugged. “You said she was worth much. I’d be a fool not to at least investigate the option.”

  Koschei leaned back on the throne, steepling his fingers under his chin. “You are interesting, fae lord. You say your father sent you?”

  “For the firebird,” Ivan reminded him. “I see a princess, but I don’t see the firebird. Did you lose her?”

  Koschei erupted to his feet. “You dare?”

  Ivan raised his eyebrows, remaining silent. Let him rage.

  Vasalisa sketched a circle behind Koschei, then rubbed it out. She wanted him to break the ward.

  Ivan let out a sigh. It was on his list. “Why should I bargain with you if you don’t have the bird?”

  Koschei’s mouth worked for a moment before he tipped his head back and screamed.

  It was a sound of pure, unadulterated madness. The Deathless was insane. Not just warped, but truly mad.

  “Bisytsia, kill the wolfin and capture the fae lord. I want to play with him.”

  The bisytsia reared up on her legs, wings spread. Her back bowed and her mouth opened in a soundless scream as she fought the compulsion. Ivan watched as the compulsion subjugated her will.

  The bisytsia blew out a coughing breath and lunged clumsily for Wolf.

  Ivan’s head quieted. The diplomacy, the intellectual dance, everything dropped away.

  He twirled his sword as Wolf dodged the first charge.

  Ivan slid around to the other side so they flanked the bisytsia. In a distant part of his brain, it amused Ivan that he and Wolf worked so well together after so little time.

  Ivan charged up his magic, pulling it up along his skin. He formed it into a ball and hurled it at the bisytsia. The magic hit her in the abdomen, just a
bove her pelvis. It expanded rapidly, spreading cold over her skin and chilling her muscles, slowing her down.

  Wolf dived in, hitting her full force in the legs. The hit carried through, and they smashed into the ward. The ward shuddered under the hit, but held.

  The bisytsia screamed. She tried to stab her claws into Wolf’s back, but the shielding prevented it. The shield pulsed faintly, then faded. Wolf had exhausted the magical protection.

  Ivan watched dispassionately as the bisytsia flared, burning off the ice he’d flung into her. She had fire magic, so while the ice slowed her, she could rid herself of it. Her fire magic countered his ice, but it took time and energy for her to do so. That gave them an opening.

  Vasalisa screamed from behind Koschei. Ivan heard her, but the words slid away.

  The bisytsia stood, holding Wolf in her claws. She flung him away from her, and he slammed into the ward. He slid down the ward, landing in a low crouch.

  Ivan swung, scoring the tip of his blade down the bisytsia’s side. He needed to give Wolf time to pull himself together.

  The bisytsia swung around to face Ivan, her dark eyes desperate. The wound along her side closed up as Ivan watched. She didn’t move to attack.

  It clicked in Ivan’s head. She’d been ordered to capture him, but she didn’t want to. She didn’t want to kill Wolf. Now he understood why Vasalisa wanted him to break the ward. Something about the ward powered Koschei’s control of the bisytsia. Without it, she wouldn’t be a threat.

  Wolf dove between Ivan and the bisytsia, snagging the ice chain at Ivan’s neck as he landed.

  “No!” Ivan yelled.

  It was too late. Wolf had hurled the spell at the bisytsia. Ivan felt the magic gather for the explosion. Time telescoped, and Ivan launched himself. He reached out and batted the spell box behind him, putting as much force as he could into it. Continuing his dive, he barreled into Wolf, knocking him into the bisytsia and carrying all three of them into the ward opposite the explosion spell.

  Ivan snapped a frost shield around them as they fell, using his body to shield Wolf.

  They hit the marble and wedged into the ward just as the spell activated.

  Ivan’s spine jerked straight, then arched, the cost of the spell burning through him. Wolf writhed under him. A breath later, the explosion ripped through the circle, the sound roaring over them.