“I reacted strangely when you kissed me and you need to know it wasn’t you-”
“Stop right there,” Anya interrupted him, “Firstly I pecked your cheek, it doesn’t count as me kissing you. Secondly I don’t need an explanation of why you pulled back. I don’t even care.”
“You do though which is why you are so angry right now.”
“It is this conversation that is making me angry because it is unnecessary.”
“It is necessary. Do you know that was the first time a mortal has kissed my cheek? Do you know that I had no idea what would happen? If I kissed you I could very well take some of your life energy before I could stop it. I just don’t know. I stepped back because I was scared I would hurt you,” Trajan said heatedly as he advanced on her. He was so tall she automatically took a step back so she could still look him in the eyes.
“You didn’t though I am fine apart from being embarrassed.”
“Why are you embarrassed? You didn’t do anything wrong,” he looked confused.
“I understand that you have not had a lot of experience with human women but for future reference if a woman kisses your cheek and you move away she will always, always think there is something wrong with her and not the other way around.” Anya turned away to continue folding her clothes and putting them in her bag.
“That’s ridiculous. The problem is with me,” Trajan argued.
“Whether it is or not has nothing to do with it.”
“Well now you know that there is absolutely nothing wrong with you.” Anya laughed before she could stop herself.
“There is so much wrong with me I wouldn’t even know where to start.”
“I can’t see very much wrong with you and maybe that is the problem.” Anya stopped folding and looked up at him. He smiled shyly. She didn’t know how to react to that.
“Give it time and you will,” she said, “Everyone always does.”
“You forget that I have known you since you were a child,” he said and folded his arms.
“You have watched out for me on and off but you don’t really know me.”
“I would like to though if you are willing to let me. You don’t let many people behind that wall of yours do you?”
“No I don’t because basically people are shit. They have let me down over and over so now I choose them very carefully.”
“You have let Yvan in,” he pointed out.
“Yvan’s different.”
“So am I. I am not even a human so I can’t even be counted in the category of ‘people.’”
“That’s right; you are not human. You won’t even let me get anywhere near you because you ‘may’ hurt me.” Anya hated falling back on sarcasm but he was provoking her and she really wasn’t in the mood.
“Are you trying to tell me that you are not going to let me get to know you because I am hesitant about touching you? Even though I could damage you? I have held you a few times but I have been very careful. If I let my guard down for a second I could feed off you without meaning to.”
“Analyse it whatever way you like Trajan but do it somewhere else because I need to sleep.” She looked at him blankly for a few moments, neither of them saying anything.
“Yes of course, I am sorry. Good night,” he said awkwardly and turned to walk out the door. Anya stared after him, What the hell was that all about?
Chapter Fourteen- Rose Thorns
In the darkness Anya dreamt she was a little girl again playing in the forest, flowers in her hand, blackberry stains on her lips. Through the trees she saw a man sitting by a stream.
“I have been expecting you,” the man said, his voice a deep thrum. “Come closer, so I can see you.” She couldn’t disobey an adult so she came to stand in front of him just out of arm’s length. The man’s face was dark from the sun. His eyes were deep and old.
“Yanka’s blood, you have grown,” he said and moved his hand and presented her with a red rose. “My gift to you, to honour your beauty.”
Little Anya took the rose and smiled at him brightly “Was that magic?”
“No my love, I simply asked the rose to appear in my hand,” the man laughed. “Some would call it magic.” He studied her a long moment and she held his gaze.
“I could teach you magic if you want,” he said suggestively. “If you take my hand I will show you the most amazing things in the world.” He stretched out his hand and Anya studied it. He was smiling at her kindly.
“I shouldn’t trust strangers,” she said and the warmth drained out of his black eyes.
“Come with me Anya and we could rule the world. This one and the next.”
“I don’t want to go,” she said stubbornly. He frowned impatiently at her.
“Leave them. You and I will have a new family. One so strong and powerful it will make the world quake,” he said convincingly. “They don’t want you, Anya…You and I belong together. If you come with me you will stay beautiful and powerful forever. I will never leave you, I will love you forever and we will crush our enemies into the dust.”
“I don’t want go with you.” Gone was the child like voice. Adult Anya had spoken through her child form.
“What chance do you think you have?” he growled through his teeth. “You and my useless brother? You don’t think I will find you? You have only gotten as far as you have because I have willed it. I could crush you right now through your dreams. You have no idea of my power child.”
“Then why are you afraid?” she asked in her sweet little girl voice.
He backhanded her across her face and she fell back onto the dirt. It felt like she had been hit with a sledgehammer. Despite the pain she started to laugh loudly. She struggled to climb to her feet.
“You are so powerful and yet you still resort to hitting me,” she managed between giggles. “I am going to destroy you.”
“You say that now,” growled Vasilli. “But when all your friends are dead and no one can help you with the power that is slowly destroying you, you will come to me. It is only a matter of time. A parting gift for you. Never forget, roses are beautiful but they have thorns.” He rotated his hand in a twisting gesture and the crushed rose in her hand trembled. Anya screamed as thorns stuck in her soft skin and started to bury deep in her flesh. She tried to scratch them from her palm as bright blood pooled in it. Vasilli started to laugh as she screamed and screamed.
“Anya! Wake up!” Trajan’s voice startled her with a jolt. She looked around the room trying to clear her head. His eyes were full of concern as they looked down on her.
“Oh no Trajan, he’s coming, he’s coming!” She pulled on the sleeve of his shirt. “Go and wake everyone we need to leave!” He didn’t question her and hurried from the room. Anya looked down at the palm of her hand. Fresh, raised pink scars had appeared on her skin where the thorns had buried themselves in. Swallowing her rising horror she got out of bed and quickly got dressed.
“What happened?” Yvan burst in as she pulled on her boots. Her feet tingled when she stood up. Anya ignored it; they had bigger things to worry about than her magic shuddering under her skin.
“Vasilli is coming, we need to go,” she said. He took her firmly by the shoulders to stop her moving.
“How do you know?”
“I met him in a dream.”
“Anya-”
“Don’t say it was just a dream Yvan! Look at this!” she held her palm up to his face. He took her hand and lightly ran his thumb over the raised bumps. He quickly dropped her hand like she had burnt him.
“There is something in there,” he said raggedly.
“I know. They are thorns. We need to get away from here. We can worry about cutting them out later.”
“You must promise to tell me if you feel ill in anyway. We don’t know what will happen with those things inside your body.”
“Go and get your things. I will be downstairs,” Anya said as she started to do up her pack. Yvan looked like he was about to argue but he relented
. Anya slid her knife down the side of her boot just as Trajan reappeared. He was wearing a knee length leather jacket, his glasses pushed up on his head.
“They are ready and waiting for you,” he said quietly. She wanted to ask how he knew to wake her from the nightmare. She went to move past him but he grabbed her, holding her tightly.
“Yvan told me about your hands; whatever it is we will fix it Anya.” For some reason his words made her want to cry. She held her tears in and tried to focus on how nice he smelt.
“I am sure it is nothing,” she lied. “We need to go.”
“Yes we do,” he said and released her. He took her pack and she let him without arguing. Yvan, Izrayl and Cerise were waiting for them outside. Cerise was in her long fur coat and despite being woken so suddenly was wearing perfectly applied makeup, smoking a cigarette and frowning at the still dark sky.
“Izrayl, I’ll carry your clothes in my pack,” Trajan said.
“Always looking out for me, little brother,” the volk krovi grinned.
“I don’t think the ladies will want to see your naked body when you change back.”
“Their loss,” Izrayl said and started to shed his clothes. Anya couldn’t look away as he started to morph. Bones began to snap and black fur burst from his brown skin. His long hair formed into a longer ridge of fur down his back. In seconds a large wolf was looking at her with big amber eyes.
“God,” Anya whispered in awe. Even though she had seen him become human the first time they met she had still only half believed he was volk krovi. The wolf sniffed the air once before he trotted off into the trees.
“Shall we?” Cerise said and followed him with a swish of her fur coat.
“Please tell me if you start to feel unwell or strange in anyway,” Trajan said to Anya. She didn’t have the heart to tell him that she always felt strange. Yvan gave her a nod and she knew he watched her too. With an inward sigh she set off after Cerise.
They kept a quick pace through the heavy birch and pines. A few times Anya slipped on pine needles and wet logs but either Yvan or Trajan was there to catch her before she went down. Her hand had started to itch terribly but she refused to scratch it in case they started to fret over her.
At sunrise they stopped for a few moments for a drink of water. Cerise and Trajan both slipped on sunglasses even though the day was overcast. Anya risked a glance at her hand. The scars were looking redder with smaller tentacles of purple spreading from them like veins. The back of her neck broke out in a cold sweat. Izrayl burst through the trees and shook his head, a low growl rolling through his body.
“Vasilli has found the house,” Trajan said slowly.
“Is Vischtan with him?” Yvan asked. Izrayl shook his big head before taking off through the trees. He had been circling their general vicinity all morning, keeping a look out for Vasilli or anything else that could hinder them.
“Are you okay honey?” Cerise asked Anya quietly, “You are looking awfully pale.”
“It’s nothing. I am more worried about you trying to make your way through the forest with those boots on,” Anya tried to joke. Cerise was wearing impossibly high heeled boots that came up past her knees. With her black leather corset firmly in place she looked like a femme fatale. Cerise raised a perfect red eyebrow.
“Don’t worry about my boots; I have had loads of practice walking in them. Just worry about yourself.” Anya pulled her hair back in a high ponytail to get it off her hot sweating neck. Her hand stung and she tried not to wince as she fastened her hair tie.
They started moving again, heading South East like the drum had instructed. Anya kept thinking about the symbols the rune stone had landed on. Bird, crosses, woman. Bird, crosses, woman. It rolled around and around her head like a mantra to distract her from the ache was spreading up her arm. The next time she fell she didn’t have anyone there to catch her and her world flooded with black.
***
In the East of the forest is a woman. She has shaggy black hair that just touches her shoulders. Her fringe is cut short and jagged to keep out of her eyes. Layered wisps of dark hair blow around her face in the wind. A thin scar curves from her right eyebrow down to her high cheekbone. She’s short and lithe and holds a bow in her hand.
Katya focussed on the huge deer through the trees. Her eyes narrowed as she aimed and fired. The deer bucked once and fell. She lowered the bow and straightened.
Come home, Yakaterina, her sister’s voice echoed through her head.
I am hunting, she replied.
We have trouble. The words were urgent and worried. Katya knew that tone and was suddenly fully alert, moving quickly, leaving the kill where it fell.
What have you seen? she asked as she ran.
Strangers are coming. They are going to need your help. Dark forces are hunting them. Get home as quick as you can. Baba Zosia has seen them too.
I will be there soon, she said and quickened her pace.
It took her less than an hour to get back to the camp. Painted wooden caravans formed a circle, hidden amongst the oak and pines. Children playing within the circle were being watched by the women at the cooking fires. The smell of smoke, red paprika and other spices filled the air. Old men playing chess were arguing. Katya greeted everyone by name as she passed and quickly sent a few young men back for her deer. Winter was coming and the meat needed to be dried and stored. Katya ran up the wrought iron steps of her sister’s caravan and pushed her way through the heavy red curtains.
“Aleksandra?” she called. Her sister stood by the small stove boiling water for tea. They were sisters but didn’t look very much alike in Katya’s opinion. They both had soft olive skin, burgundy lips and black hair, but Aleksandra was the more beautiful. Her ebony hair reached her waist in full, shining curls. Her features were softer, fuller and more delicate. Her eyes were vibrant blue and they saw far into the future. Katya was shorter, thinner with eyes the colour of pale jade, stronger, faster and blunter in her manners.
“What is so important?”
Aleksandra frowned at Katya’s boots covered with mud that she failed to take off. A line of muck covered her clean mats.
“I had a vision. I saw a small group travelling quickly with a black cloud following them. There is a woman with fair hair; she has magic pouring from her. You need to help them. Bring them here if you have to. The woman is important somehow but I cannot see,” she said as she scooped sugar into one delicate teacup and a large metal mug. “Baba Zosia came to me because she had the same vision. She looked nervous.”
“What is hunting them? Please tell me it’s a big monster because I am getting bored hunting animals,” said Katya. “I have been sitting around Skazki for too long.”
Aleksandra frowned and Katya felt a lecture burning on the tip of her sister’s tongue. “There is something evil on their trail. Just because you enjoy the fight Yakaterina doesn’t mean you should be craving it.”
“I can if I want, little mother. What is the point of wasting the gifts God has given you? You see the monsters and I kill them. That’s how it works.”
“The gifts should only be used to protect the tribe, Katya. That is why we inherited them. If father was alive I am sure he would tell you the same,” Aleksandra said as she poured out the steaming tea.
“If father was alive he would still be cursing his luck that I was born a girl instead of a boy,” snapped Katya. “I am a warrior; that is my gift. I will use it the way I want.” The little kitchen was suddenly silent and crowded. Aleksandra sighed and handed Katya her mug.
“You don’t have much time, drink your tea and go find them. I am hoping Baba Zosia can help the woman rein in some of that magic before she hurts herself and others.”
Aleksandra’s gifts included compassion. If there was a baby bird within a hundred kilometres with a broken wing she would find it and spend weeks tending to it until it could fly away, leaving her weeping with joy. The soppy side of her sister’s character frequently made Katya r
oll her eyes. A killer and a healer under the same roof was not easy.
“Did you see what I am meant to be hunting? Just so I have some kind of idea of what weapons to take,” Katya asked as she sipped her tea; black, sweet and with a twist of aniseed the way she liked it.
“I couldn’t see what it was exactly,” Aleksandra said with her brows together in frustration. “The best you can do is to take whatever is most effective. They aren’t far away. You should encounter them by this afternoon.”
“I will see you at dawn at the latest. Or if I get killed, not at all.” Katya barked out a laugh when she saw her sister’s worried face.
“I don’t understand your humour some days, Katya.”
“There is a lot you don’t understand about me, soră. Don’t worry so much, I’m not dead yet,” Katya said and disappeared out the door.
***
Vasilli had found the house and felt where Vischto met his end. He wanted to destroy it, rip it apart with his magic like he had with Anya’s farm. He couldn’t afford the massive loss of power though, not when he was gaining on his quarry. Anya had fallen for a child’s trick in the dream and now he had planted his own special way of tracking her deep in her flesh. The thorns would fester deep in her body, spreading through her, paralysing her. It would make up for lost time and damage her enough to make her compliant. Ladislav was becoming impatient so Vasilli needed to speed up collecting her.
Vasilli pulled off his heavy coat and the shirt he wore underneath. Tattooed on his abdomen was a black winged creature, similar to a griffon, with a scaly body and bat like wings. Clearing his mind Vasilli took his knife, cut his palm and smeared the blood over the tattoo.
“Rise and waken dark slave,
Break free from bonds of magic and flesh,
I call you forth, I call you out,
Slave of mine, caught by my hand,
I call you forth, I call you out,
Rise from your trappings of blood and bone,
Take form and shape,
Rise and waken,
Cry of the Firebird (The Firebird Fairytales Book 1) Page 13