by Gaja J. Kos
He brushed a rogue strand of hair away from his face and returned his attention to Rose. His eyes became softer as they traced her features, and his voice matched the expression. “It isn't my power that lives inside those gold filaments...”
He stepped closer, tracing her cheek with his fingers. “It's yours.”
Chapter 28
“Not all of it,” Sebastian growled under his breath, his blue eyes fixed on Veles and overflowing with more hatred than Rose had thought possible to be contained in one's gaze.
Veles shot him a chilling look then turned back to the quiet werewolf. The annoyed expression on his face showed just how thin a line the Kresnik was walking. Yet his words came out slightly softer, and Rose understood that he was holding back only on her behalf.
“I wanted to ease you in, but the protector clearly thinks you should be bombarded with all possible knowledge, even if it isn't all that vital for you. Not at this point, at least.”
Rose found Sebastian's still hostile gaze, sending him a pleading look. She had sensed the arrogant undertone in Veles's voice and understood how it must have upset Sebastian even further. But the god was also right. They needed to start with the basics, and if what she had experienced was, in fact, her power, everything else could wait. She couldn't put together a comprehensive image if they remained hung up on the details from the very start.
Sebastian grunted, but took a seat at the far end of the table, his hands crossed firmly across his broad chest. The Kresnik kept his eyes focused on Rose, almost as if he couldn't guarantee to keep his remarks to himself if the god crossed into his line of vision. Rose mouthed a soft thank you, hoping things would remain calm at least until she got some desperately needed answers.
“Okay.” Rose shifted her attention to Veles. “I'm a mortal. How is it possible for the power to be mine?”
She chanced taking a sip of coffee, hoping the god wouldn't shock her into choking on it with the first word that left his mouth.
Veles placed his elbows on the table, leaning slightly forward. “It has always been yours, Rosalind. Only dormant.”
The god held up a hand and saved her from choking on the coffee when she tried to blurt out more questions. She held the mug firmly to her lips, her eyes never leaving Veles's olive gaze as he resumed his explanation.
“Contrary to popular belief, you can't gain power if there isn't any inside you to begin with. You can, however, feed that power, augment it to almost unlimited proportions.”
A displeased snort escaped Sebastian. Rose shot him a look, but the Kresnik showed no further intention of breaking the silent promise he had given her. Lowering his gaze to the table, his chest began to rise and fall in the rhythm of steady, deep breaths.
Rose placed the mug carefully on the table. “I guess you can't tell me why I had the power in the first place, can you?”
Veles shook his head, the dark strands brushing against his shoulders. “Even being a descendant of Mokoš doesn't grant you power. The werewolves that come from her share her bloodline, but not her godliness, although there is an element of...not exactly immortality, but more like upper mortality, in the flesh of all her children. However, it doesn't fill you with any ethereal power. It merely makes you better, stronger werewolves than the rest of your kin. I have known many, many weres with the goddess's blood running through their veins, but they were all werewolves, nothing more. I can say without a doubt that you can't be the only exception. I know power, and it couldn't have come from your Mokoš lineage, as much as it would be easy and logical to assume so.”
He sighed, angling his head slightly toward Sebastian. “But I can tell you why your protector over there keeps making those displeased faces.”
“You think Veles acted as a switch that brought this power to life?” Rose turned to Sebastian as she asked, but the Kresnik kept his gaze firmly on the table. She clicked her tongue. “Fine, sulk if you want. But don't you dare pretend you want to fucking help me if your hatred for Veles keeps you from participating in a fucking conversation.”
She stressed the last word, making it drill into Sebastian's consciousness. He didn't lift his gaze, but he began to speak in a muffled voice. “He touched you with his energy when he showed you that small part of the underworld. Fuck, Rose, he had to pour his power into you. Don't you get it? It was more than enough to cause a spark and jump-start your own.”
“And you don't think the bond of The Dark Ones could have caused it?”
Sebastian shook his head, the sun-kissed blond strands swaying with the motion.
“You seem very sure of yourself,” Veles hissed in a chilling tone that made Rose shoot him a warning glance. He relaxed slightly, but she could still feel the arrogance pooling under the surface. The god was dangerously close to reaching the boiling point of his patience, but he let the cool distance wash over him instead of allowing his anger to flare up.
“The Dark Ones' bond is a power, different from mine, yes, but a power nonetheless. And as such, it carries the ability to awaken Rose's own strength.”
“Explain, then, why the olive flames?” Sebastian lifted his head, a piercing gaze directed towards Veles.
The god laughed but kept the mocking undertone well hidden. “I never said I didn't feed Rose's power with my own. I merely disagree with your claim that it was entirely my fault. The bond of The Dark Ones began to stir the moment the Gamayun threw that severed head onto their table. It could be that the strength of The Dark Ones combined with my own caused Rose's power to surge, but don't you dare point fingers when you do not understand even the basics of the situation.”
Sebastian stood, nearly tossing the chair to the ground with the abrupt movement. His hands were clenched in tight fists, but he kept them securely at his side, fighting the impulse to lurch at Veles.
He took a deep breath, bringing his gaze away from the god onto Rose, his expression softer. “I need to leave. I will watch over you as I always have. But when your power flares up, you're on your own. I'm not of much use if I can't see you, Rose.”
Sebastian walked out of the room before Rose had time to stop him. She slumped back into her chair, tried to focus on the scent of coffee, but failed. She kept seeing the hint of helplessness lingering on Sebastian's face. This new surge of power threatened his position as her protector. It threatened the reason for his very existence. She understood his pain, and worse, she knew there was nothing she could do to ease his suffering.
“I'm sorry, Rosalind.”
She took Veles's extended hand without a word and followed him outside to a small, cozy patio. They sat down on a bench overlooking the forest, and she curled close to the god's warm body, drinking in the comfort it offered.
“Sebastian was right, though, wasn't he? The olive embers?”
Veles tightened his grip around her shoulders, releasing a long breath. “Yes, those come from my particular blend of power.”
She sighed, trailing her gaze over the serene image of the thick trees that grew only a short distance away, her senses filling with the smell of undisturbed woods. “How was I able to bring them over?”
Veles placed a gentle kiss on her temple, murmuring the words into her skin. “I don't know, srček.”
“But you saw what happened to them, yes?”
“After you sent them over, yes, I could reach their memories.”
Even without the words, the grim tone of his voice let her know the god had seen the same images, and had felt the same sensation that still sent shivers down her spine.
“Any closer to figuring out who's behind it?”
He laughed at the question, and it was a warm, rumbling sound, the allure of it wrapping around her skin. “Sebastian is jumping hoops because of your newly awakened abilities. You have managed to locate lost souls and bring them to the underworld...yet your mind is still set on the task of The Dark Ones.”
She leaned into his chest, managing a smile. “I'd like to know what the fuck is happening to me, but
I get the feeling the whole situation isn't all that straightforward. I'd much rather focus on sinking my claws into a raging murderer.”
He chuckled and hugged her. She allowed herself to forget everything for a brief moment and merely enjoy the warmth of the familiar body pressed so tightly against hers.
“She's not answering,” Nathaniel said, a freshly gloved hand wrapped around his cell phone.
A long sigh came across the line, and he knew Tim wasn't pleased with Rose's unavailability any more than he was. “I'll contact Sebastian.”
They ended the conversation without saying goodbye. Nathaniel sat down in his swivel chair, his gaze trailing to the corpse on the examination table. He needed to get in touch with Rose, needed her to at least convey his discoveries to Veles, if a face-to-face discussion wasn't possible.
His gaze hovered over the discreet puncture mark. It had been strange to see the presence of the toxin, but not the toxin itself. He had expected to find the green liquid on the edges of the wound, but despite the undeniable presence of the venom, there were no visible traces of it on the body.
It was as if the toxin had melded with its carrier.
Chapter 29
Rose's hair hung wet across her shoulders as she got out of the shower. She needed those few moments under the almost scalding hot water to clear her mind of everything that had happened, to regain the desperately needed focus that would lead her closer to sinking her claws into the shadow figure behind the werewolf vetalas.
Veles lounged on the bed when she stepped outside the bathroom. He’d ridded himself of the black T-shirt while she was away, which in effect offered her a view of his immaculately slender, yet finely built upper body. The trousers barely came up to his hips, filling her mind with distracting images that sent a rush of heat through her core, hotter than the shower she had just stepped out of. She tightened the belt around her robe, painfully forcing herself to ignore the half naked aspect of the god lying across the bed.
She slid next to him as a sly smile curling the corners of his lips and couldn't resist tracing her fingernails down his arm. He turned his body towards her, but Rose stopped him with a playful shove before he succeeded in pulling her into a kiss.
She angled her head to whisper in Veles's ear. “I need to see the rest of the souls.”
He leaned back while she struggled to keep her laugh from erupting. She understood she was asking for more immortal knowledge, and even though she had been the one to locate the souls and bring them to the underworld, it somehow didn't feel right to mouth a straightforward demand. The souls were his wards, and she respected that; not to mention she knew that a touch of humor usually put the god in a much more generous mood.
He raised an eyebrow at her, subtly flashing a hint of fang. “And risk Sebastian choking me with his bare hands?”
“You're immortal. You'll live.” Rose rolled her eyes, throwing her head down on the pillow, never breaking eye contact with the god.
He lowered his body over her, placing a gentle kiss on the top of her head. “Sometimes I forget you are not a part of my world.”
She understood the remark didn't have anything to do with his personal world, but that didn't make her like it any better. Not being part of the immortal circle meant being ignorant of many, many facts the elite beings took for granted. And by the look on his perfectly cut features, she was missing a key piece of information.
She perched herself on her elbows, staring directly into his dark-rimmed olive eyes. “Tell me.”
The god knitted his fingers in her damp strands, longingly gazing at her lips as he spoke. “Our immortality lasts as long as we don't encounter a violent death.”
Something close to sadness passed over his face. Rose hadn't forgotten about the Banniks; they belonged to the immortal races as much as Veles did. But still, she never considered it possible for a god to die.
She pressed a gentle kiss on his subtly plump lips, feeling his breath caress her skin for a lingering moment before she leaned back to capture his eyes. The god sighed, shifting his weight on one arm as he turned to lie on his side.
“Almost at the very beginning of your race, a demonic creature, tempted by the aroma of living flesh, decided to venture outside his land. Nobody believed he could gather enough strength to leave Mračaj. He had always dwelled in darkness, feeding on the corpses his subordinates had brought him.”
“You're talking about Psoglav?”
She knew of the cannibalistic creature from myth, and despite knowing how quickly legends turned into reality, there was nothing that concrete about the demonic-human chimera with the head of a dog and iron teeth to make it even remotely believable.
Veles nodded. “Psoglav did exist, but time has turned him into nothing more than a legend. You must remember, it was still only the dawn of the human race when he roamed the earth, and many tales had lost their factual basis in the time it took for humankind to evolve, to reach the documenting society you have become.”
There were various versions of the Psoglav myth circling through different cultures, but one fact remained the same throughout—the creature hunted human flesh.
“Why did he leave Mračaj?” she finally asked, knowing any tale she had heard must have had many, many missing pieces of information if it hadn't, in fact, substituted reality with a more appealing storyline entirely.
Veles traced the outlines of her body with the tips of his fingers, but the distant look in his eyes revealed his mind was wandering elsewhere.
“At first, Psoglav was content with feeding on the bodies of the deceased. In a way, he represented for the flesh what I represent for the soul. As morbid as it may sound, he was the final resting place for the corporeal form. Except that in the underworld, the souls find their new home, somewhere to exist for eternity, while, with Psoglav, the bodies ended up in his stomach.”
The god sneered. “Not very poetic, I admit. But there is a logic behind it.”
“Behind ending up in someone's stomach?” Rose dared to smile, now that she saw him ease a bit himself.
“The deeper meaning of being part of someone's digestive system, yes.” The god laughed, gently touching the side of her face. “As the souls are meant to be eternal, the corporeal form is meant to disintegrate. Psoglav acted as the one who made sure the flesh would cease to exist after it had been separated from the spirit. And from the surge of vetalas that you have witnessed with your own eyes, destruction is the only way to give peace to the corporeal form, to keep it from re-emerging.”
“That does make sense in its own twisted way.” Rose nodded, perching herself on the pillows. “A much more macabre way of cremation.”
“Exactly. Only Psoglav grew tired of only tasting the flesh that had already begun to decay. Humankind had grown in numbers, and the smell of the still living bodies appealed to his demonic side. He began to glut on power wherever he could pull it from, but mostly from feeding on the living representatives of the supernatural community his lackeys were able to bring him. Once he accumulated enough energy, he was able to escape the land of Mračaj.”
Veles turned so he could lay on his back next to her. His hand found hers, their fingers entwining. “You know from the legends what followed...”
Carnage. Complete carnage. At first Psoglav ate every human being he came across; the feeding supposedly lasted for days, his appetite almost incessant. But even the demon-god couldn't glut forever. However, the fullness didn't stop him, only made him more aware of just how much of one person he could eat if he wished to keep himself from never being overly sated. And as much as the initial part of the killing spree was horrible to think of, it was without a doubt only then that the true carnage began.
“The myth never says how Psoglav was stopped...”
“No, it doesn't. Because we made sure that part wouldn't be passed on to future generations.”
Rose knew that by “we,” he meant the immortal world, probably even The Keepers, if they had been around back
then. She remained silent, waiting for him to continue at his own pace.
“My father was the ruler of the underworld when Psoglav existed. Before the chimera's escape from Mračaj, they had an agreement that brought balance to the deaths of mortals. Yet my father never truly trusted the demon-god. He had long suspected the creature enjoyed the cannibalism more than was appropriate for someone who was supposedly acting as a guardian between two realms.” Veles’s gaze turned upward towards the ceiling. “My father knew what had happened the instant the first soul of Psoglav's victims crossed over... He understood the gravity of the situation, knew the streak of souls would continue until the creature’s deceased prey overran the underworld. However, he couldn't go after Psoglav straight away, couldn't abandon his realm, not with so many spirits crossing over.”
His olive embers found her gaze and held it, speaking of a hidden pain lurking behind the words.
“As you might have observed, I don't need to be present in the underworld to take care of those who arrive. It is only in extreme, dire situations that I must retreat from your world and exist fully, wholly inside my realm. You can imagine the extent of the situation if it forced my father to part from the land where Psoglav was devouring humans... Especially since he understood that he–of all immortals–had the best chance to stop the creature. They were, as badly as it sounds after all that had happened, two sides of the same coin.”
He fell silent, reaching for her lips and taking them gently in his own. A soft trickle of energy passed between them, his olive green embers and her filaments of gold now vibrating with the pulse of warmer power. The god smiled, cupping the side of her face in his palm. With the smile still lingering on the curve of his lips, he laid down his head on her shoulder as she wrapped her arm around his body, cradling him to her side.