“That is amazing,” Anya said her eyes wide.
“That is magic,” Katya replied. “Come on, she wants to see you before you leave.”
Baba Zosia stood with Aleksandra supporting her by the arm. Whatever she had just done had clearly taken it out of her.
“Thank you for all of your help Baba Zosia I hope one day I can repay you for it,” Anya said politely. The old woman pinched her chin.
“You pay me by not dying. Be smart,” she tapped Anya hard on the forehead, “You learn from dis. You…” Baba Zosia said something to Aleksandra who continued, “You guard your dreams and guard your heart.”
“I will, I promise you.” Anya thanked Aleksandra who hugged her and they said farewell to the rest of the group before Baba Zosia was helped into her caravan and they made their way after the rest of the tribe.
***
A kilometre from where they had left Anya, Aleksandra stopped the caravan next to a large birch tree. She pulled out the small vial containing the thorns that were still in Anya’s blood and buried it between its roots. With any luck it would throw Vasilli off just enough to give Katya a head start.
***
Katya felt jittery as they moved through the forest in the opposite direction. She hadn’t spoken to Izrayl all day and wondered if ignoring him like this would eventually make the situation worse.
I wouldn’t worry about it now, Anya touched her mind before opening her mouth. “I’m sorry about that, I’ve been tuning into you all day and you were broadcasting.”
“It’s fine Anya. I would rather you be the one reading my thoughts than the others if you know what I mean.”
“Don’t worry I will keep out.”
“You girls do realise I can hear everything you are saying?” said Cerise as she walked up beside them. Katya couldn’t believe she managed to walk so far in those impossible boots. Whatever Cerise was she certainly had a superhuman tolerance to pain.
“You aren’t the one I am worried about,” said Katya. “It’s the wolf boy, wherever he has gone.”
“Trajan and Izrayl decided to do a quick scout ahead. I doubt we will be ambushed though.”
“I wouldn’t count on it with Vasilli,” Yvan said from behind them. “He is the slyest, slipperiest, most cunning man ever created.”
“Always cheery and optimistic aren’t you?”
“Unlike you lovely ladies, I know my brother. I know what he is capable of. If you think he will show any kind of mercy, he won’t. If he is quiet be even more worried. It means he is organising something worse.” Quite the speech for Yvan who usually sat quietly and listened to everyone else talk.
“We seem to be clear,” Izrayl emerged from the trees in a pair of dirty jeans and covered in mud. “You make a terrible lot of noise. It must be a woman thing.” Yvan coughed meaningfully but Izrayl ignored him.
“There is a gate not far ahead,” Trajan appeared at Anya’s side and Katya saw him very subtly take her hand. Anya looked surprised by it but didn’t let his hand go. “Watch your step, the ground is very uneven.”
After a few more minutes of climbing over fallen logs and negotiating slippery loose rocks they spotted the soft lights of Aurora Borealis glimmering through the trees.
“There it is,” whispered Anya. “I can feel it more intensely than last time.” Yvan moved to the left side of her and took her other hand.
“Let’s hope you don’t have to scream at it again for it to let you through.”
“Let’s just hope one of Vasilli’s minions isn’t getting ready to attack us again.”
“Izrayl and I checked, Anya. Vasilli is nowhere near us and neither are any of his followers. Besides Izrayl can smell trouble from far away even in his human form,” Trajan assured her.
“That’s why I have to keep away from Katya,” Izrayl joked.
“Keep it up and I will buy you a flea collar,” Katya retorted as she shifted her bow from one hand to the other.
“Another dog joke; how original.” Katya opened her mouth with a scathing retort but Cerise cut her off.
“Come on, I have had enough of this procrastination. I am in desperate need of a shower and a martini and I don’t want to be lingering here any longer than we need to,” she interrupted. As a group they all lined up and moved as one through the glimmering wall of light and back into the real world.
***
Not for the first time in the last few days Vasilli found himself ready to burn the forest to the ground in order to find Anya. He knew magic was at work but he couldn’t find the source of it. The usual revealing incantations weren’t producing any results. This was old magic, much older than himself which was very old indeed.
He could sense Anya was close; the thorns were still giving off the same magical signature he had been tracking for days. The previous night he had felt a shudder roll through the forest. Whatever had been blocking his passage was suddenly removed. Without wasting a moment Vasilli had packed his camp and homed in on the location of his thorns.
Rain was now falling hard and heavy, making his progress slow. By midday the following day he found the glade where the signal was coming from. He pulled out a knife as long as his forearm. The magical pulse was coming from behind a large birch tree not even a hundred metres from him. He looked about for Yvan’s tall frame but he couldn’t see him anywhere. Perhaps his fool brother had been cast aside by the growing Shamanitsa. Yvan had no problem attracting women but keeping them had never been his strong point.
Clearing his mind of all distraction Vasilli moved quickly, his knife lashing out around behind the tree. It met with bark and nothing else. There was no one there. The ground amongst the roots had recently been disturbed. Falling to his knees Vasilli dug in the mud like a dog until his fingers brushed a small glass object. Rubbing the mud off it onto his filthy cloak he saw his thorns still in half an inch of blood. He gripped the vial so hard that it shattered in his hand. As he opened his mouth to scream he felt some invisible force slam hard into him. He clutched his head, smearing blood in his hair.
Vasilli, you have failed again. Come to Moscow. They have already crossed over. Ladislav, the current leader of the Darkness, had forced himself into Vasilli’s mind. Vasilli tried to grit his teeth against the pain burning behind his eyes.
When did they cross?
Last night. I had our people posted at the crossings through Russia. They are tracking them. Come to Moscow. Do not go after them. That is an order. You will be held accountable for your recent failings. Without waiting for a reply Ladislav pulled the connection apart leaving Vasilli on the muddy ground still clutching his temples. Blood was dripping from his eyes, nose and ears but he didn’t bother to wipe it off. When he could finally stand he cursed Anya, Yvan and Ladislav until he was breathless. He had six hours to find the closest gates and get to Moscow. Ladislav was not a creature to be kept waiting.
Chapter Eighteen- Uninvited Travelling Companions
Katya was trying to sleep in a cramped train carriage which smelled of boiled cabbage and painted a dull grey to match the grey curtains, grey bed sheets and dirty grey carpet. They had been travelling for days and she thought longingly of a hot bath and a clean bed.
They had travelled on foot until they got to a village not far from Baia Mare in Romania. From there they hitched an uncomfortable ride in the back of a truck to the closest train station. The places they had passed through since then had been a blur. They were heading to Paris and that was all she cared about. She was too focussed on possible attacks and Anya’s talent of being able to read her mind if she wasn’t careful. Katya tried not to dwell on it. Scaring Anya more wouldn’t help any of them.
She was finally drifting off to sleep when the door to her train carriage opened and a tall person slipped in. Katya gripped the knife under her pillow and was ready to use it. Warm hands pinned her arms down when she started to move. She took a deep breath getting ready to scream but hot, moist lips smothered her cry instantly.
“Please don’t try to use that knife on me, Katya,” growled Izrayl. “It will ruin the mood.” His hands loosened their grip on her arms as his lips found hers again. His hands slid down and rested on the side of her small rib cage. She buried her hands into his thick hair as he kissed her again. Katya’s breath caught in her throat as his hand slid under her shirt and started to stroke her warm stomach, achingly slow. His exploring hands started to go south just as Katya fell out of bed onto the hard carriage floor. “Fuck,” she mumbled as her eyes snapped open and the dream ended.
Sunlight was shining through the dirty curtains. Katya groaned in frustration and embarrassment. The door slid open loudly and Izrayl stuck his head in.
“Are you awake yet? What are you doing on the floor?”
“I fell out of bed,” she said, her cheeks start to burn.
“Was it a bad dream or sex dream?” he grinned at her. Katya fought the urge to bury her head under the blanket. “Sex dream. I can tell by look of horror on your face.” He started to laugh loudly as she struggled to get up, her legs and arms twisted up in the sheets.
“You are delusional.”
“Here let me help.” He picked her up and plonked her on the bed. “At least you could get enough sleep to dream. I hate trains, they make me itch.” Katya adjusted the blanket to cover her bare legs. She only ever slept in a t-shirt and underwear and wasn’t normally shy until now.
“Are the others awake?”
“No, I was bored so I thought to see if you were awake,” Izrayl sat down on the carriage floor and rested his back against the door.
“What time is it?”
“About 6.30 a.m.”
“I should kill you for waking me up,” Katya said and buried herself deeper in her blankets.
“You were awake already. I didn’t wake you,” he said and grinned mischievously, “Or did I?”
“Don’t flatter yourself.”
“It would explain the look of humiliation on your face when I walked in.” Katya kept her mouth firmly shut. “It couldn’t have been all bad,” Izrayl mumbled after a while. “I’m sorry I teased you. We’ve all had an intense couple of days. It’s natural to dream about the people we see all the time.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“I told you, you’re curious—” Izrayl suddenly tensed and let out a low growl. Katya sat up gripping her knife.
“What is it?” Izrayl’s hair was standing on end; his shoulders bunched up and tense. He held a finger over his mouth and she shut up. Izrayl quickly pulled her off the bed and onto the floor. A dark shadow passed over the window.
“Be very still,” he whispered in her ear. “We have company.”
“Vasilli?”
“No something else.” Katya reached for her bag and rummaged around in it.
“What are you doing?”
She found the sleek weight of the revolver she always carried with her, even into Skazki. “My good luck charm.”
“Get dressed and let’s go find the others. They are after Anya already,” said Izrayl and helped her to her feet. She quickly dragged on her jeans, weapon holsters, jacket and boots. She slung her bag over her shoulder and met Izrayl in the corridor.
“I thought it would take Vasilli a lot longer to send his cronies,” muttered Izrayl. “You can bet he has gone straight to Ladislav.”
“Let’s just pray that Ladislav himself doesn’t come after us.”
“I am praying. He is still pissed at Trajan and me for that night in Moscow when we killed his people. I hope Trajan is awake because we are about to have a fight on our hands.” As the neared Trajan’s sleeper he emerged dishevelled and tense.
“Can you feel it?” he asked Izrayl and the volk krovi nodded. “Wake Yvan and Cerise; I will get Anya.” He hurried a couple of doors down and knocked politely before entering. He came out carrying her bag as she shrugged on her heavy fur lined coat.
“What’s going on?” Yvan stumbled out sleepily from his room further up the aisle. “The firebird is panicking.”
“Trouble,” said Katya. “Get your gear.” Yvan went back into his room just as Cerise appeared moving through the carriages. Her hair was wild and she had blood coming from her nose.
“What happened?” Izrayl asked.
“Some bastard jumped me when I was sneaking a cigarette,” she said angrily. “Don’t worry; I managed to throw the prick from the train. We have to get off right now. There are at least six of them.”
“We are going to have to jump,” said Katya matter of factly. She re-adjusted her weapons so nothing would hurt her when she rolled.
“Hold onto me,” Trajan said to Anya, “I will heal faster if we land wrong. We wouldn’t want any more damage being inflicted on you.”
“No, we wouldn’t,” said Yvan bluntly. He was shedding his coat and shirt. The firebird was moving on his chest, its long, fiery wings stretching down his arms. Anya watched it for a moment then blushed as she looked away. Sweet, innocent thing that she was. Katya had a good look and wasn’t embarrassed in the least. Yvan rolled his shoulders and feathers started to push through his skin like silken spikes.
“Yvan…”Anya’s voice was tight with concern.
“I am fine Anya,” he replied, his dark eyes flashing gold and red. “Hold close to Trajan.”
“Are you going to be okay by yourself little hunter or would you like a strapping man to hang on to as well?” Izrayl asked.
“If you can find me one I wouldn’t mind hanging onto him. I think I will make do on my own. I wouldn’t have suggested jumping if I didn’t think I could do it easily.”
“You had better go before I push you out,” he retorted.
“Please Trajan, be a dear and get the door,” said Cerise over the top of their bickering. Trajan slid the doors open and as he turned for Anya something swung itself through it, claws outstretched reaching for them. Three shots from Katya’s revolver rang out and the creature collapsed on the carriage floor. Black blood oozed from the bullet holes. Katya squeezed a fourth bullet into its head.
“What the hell is that?” Anya asked as she gripped tight to Trajan.
“I am not sure. It doesn’t like silver though,” Katya looked down at it thoughtfully. It was like a man but was completely hairless. Its skin was a pale grey and instead of hands it had claws like a bird and a mouthful of sharp long fanged teeth. “Its body is the Darkness’s problem now,” she continued finally. “We have to go before its companions arrive.” Without waiting for them she strode purposely to the door and jumped. She hit the ground harder than she expected, rolling three times before the long grass stopped her completely.
She looked up just in time to see Yvan glide through the air for a moment and land. The golden feathers were melting back into his skin like they were never there to begin with. Anya was giggling not far away as she tried to untangle herself from Trajan’s coat, the first time Katya had seen the Thanatos smile. Izrayl’s cursing brought her attention to a blackberry bush. She tried not to laugh as he ripped himself free, his shoulder hanging at an odd angle.
“Is it broken?” she asked as she straightened her holsters.
“It’s dislocated,” he said gruffly.
“I can put it-” she began.
“Stay back.” He looked nervous as he backed away. He didn’t realise Cerise was moving behind him.
“I have done it before. Are you afraid or something?” Katya provoked to keep him from turning. Cerise reached for his shoulder quickly.
“I am afraid of no wo—FUCK!” he shouted. Cerise jumped out of the way as he swung.
“Good as new sweetie,” she said with a mischievous laugh.
“Both of you stay away from me,” he said as he slowly rotated his shoulder.
“Don’t be such a baby,” Cerise replied as idly brushed the leaves from her hair.
“We have to keep moving,” said Trajan as he slipped on his sunglasses, “It won’t take them long to find their dead companion
and I want to be far from here.”
***
They arrived in Paris a week later. After the incident on the train they had walked for nearly two days before they had managed to catch a bus. Anya had never been to Paris before so she was impressed when Trajan fluently directed the cab driver to his town house in Neuilly-sur-Seine.
“You speak French?” Anya asked as she sat beside him.
“When you are immortal you need to find things to occupy your mind,” he said, looking tired. They all were dirty and exhausted. Anya hadn’t had much of a chance to talk to him privately since the gypsy camp but was growing more comfortable around him, perhaps a little too comfortable. She sometimes risked touching his hand briefly. Although she had no objections from him she didn’t want to push her luck either.
Cerise had cheered up since arriving. The thought of a hot shower, clean clothes and other luxuries had brightened her disposition toward the world. She had already bought a carton of thin, white cigarettes and was now smoking them one after the other with a nonchalant vengeance. A good thing Cerise was immortal, Anya decided, because with the amount she smoked she would have surely died of cancer long ago. Anya looked out of the window of the car and admired all of the warmly lit cafes and restaurants.
“I will show you everything I promise,” said Cerise. “I am going to take you shopping. That is the first thing on my list.”
“She isn’t a doll for your amusement,” Trajan pointed out defensively.
“Bah! I know that. But it will give me joy and look at her Trajan! She needs a woman’s touch.” Anya sunk herself down into Eikki’s oversized coat and hoped in the darkness they couldn’t see her red face. A warm hand found hers.
Cry of the Firebird (The Firebird Fairytales Book 1) Page 18