by Amy Sumida
For all it seemed like forever, the chase didn't last long. Lesya stopped abruptly, staring around in confusion and disappointment. As soon as she paused, Kirill caught up to her and snatched her up as he scanned the forest warily and breathed deeply.
“I smell volf,” Kirill growled.
“I do too.” I circled him, hands out at the ready and all of my senses on high alert.
The trees creaked, wind rustled leaves, but that was all. Then two men came crashing into the woods.
Kirill and I turned as one, snarls on our lips. Jarilo and Perun pulled up short, both of them holding up their hands in the universal signal of don't-hurt-me. Kirill and I went back to scouring the forest.
“Anything?” Kirill asked me.
“No.” I breathed deeply. “It wasn't a normal wolf. It traced away.”
“It was Uncle Trevor,” Lesya insisted.
“Nyet,” Kirill said crisply. “Smell air, Lesya.”
Lesya sniffed deeply and frowned.
“Remember what Uncle Trevor smells like in his wolf shape,” I said gently. “Can you smell the difference?”
Lesya closed her eyes and tried again. Even new to tracking, she was still a lion, and Trevor was family; she'd be able to recognize his scent. Or not recognize it, in this case.
“It wasn't him!” Lesya declared.
“No, it wasn't,” I said grimly as I looked at the other men. “Either of you know who that was?”
“I didn't see anyone,” Jarilo said.
“Nor I,” Perun added.
“You guys got werewolves... here... ?” I trailed off as I realized that they did indeed have werewolves in Latvia, and I happened to know them. I let out an annoyed huff and looked at Kirill. “I know why she thought it was Trevor.”
“Vilkacis,” Kirill said in epiphany. “Vhy run?”
“I don't know. Maybe we should pay Veja a visit sooner than we'd planned. Something might be wrong.”
Kirill nodded.
“Veja?” Perun asked.
“You know Vilkacis?” Jarilo asked at the same time.
“They're extended family of ours,” I said then waved them back toward the lake. “Sorry, guys, this had nothing to do with you. I think that may have simply been an invitation.”
Perun cast a strange look at Jarilo, who turned and tromped back toward the shore. I assumed it was the mention of family that had done it. I glanced at Kirill, and he shrugged before setting after the men.
“Are we going to see Uncle UnnúlfR?” Lesya asked eagerly as we stepped past the tree line.
“That's right. We—” I broke off as I caught a scent. Her scent. “I've got her!” I exclaimed as I rushed toward the lake.
The men chased after me, Lesya still held in Kirill's arms. I pulled up short at the water's edge, and they stumbled to a stop behind me. Sniffing, I followed the ribbon back inland then stopped again. Mokosh had come out of the water, walked a few feet inland, and traced away. I tried to follow her but the trail was too old. Aether trails last three days max.
I growled in frustration.
“You lost her?” Jarilo asked softly.
“Mokosh traced from here.” I pointed at the spot. “The trail is too old for me to follow. Perhaps if I had the goggles.” I grimaced at Kirill.
Kirill's jaw clenched.
“What goggles?” Jarilo's stare went back and forth between Kirill and me.
“Zey are a god tool your sister stole,” Kirill said grimly.
“Marena stole something from you?” Perun asked in shock.
“She did,” I confirmed. “And she did it in a very vicious way; hurting a friend of mine in the process.”
“I'm so sorry,” Perun said sincerely.
“Make her give zem back,” Jarilo growled at Perun. “You vant to help find Mother? Ve need googles. Marena should understand. She should vant to help.”
“I'll try to contact her,” Perun murmured.
“You'll try to... vhat are you talking about?” Jarilo huffed. “Vhere is she?”
“I don't know,” Perun admitted. “I haven't seen her for awhile.”
“Doesn't she live vith you?” Jarilo asked.
“Da, but she said she had business vith friends. I haven't seen her since.”
Jarilo said some choice words in Russian. I didn't understand them, but Kirill winced.
I caught Kirill's gaze, and he sighed deeply before nodding.
“Um.” I cleared my throat. “I know where she is. Or, rather, why you haven't heard from her.”
Father and son looked over at me in shock.
“I have some bad news.”
They cocked their heads in precisely the same manner. Nature over nurture, I suppose. Whatever it was, it was unnerving.
“Marzana... I mean Marena, took the goggles to help raise the city of Dvaraka,” I started.
“Excuse me?” Jarilo asked in horror.
“She almost succeeded,” I went on. “But, in the end, Krishna sacrificed himself and destroyed the city. Very few of the gods who helped to raise it escaped its destruction.”
“Vhat are you saying, Godhunter?” Perun asked in a deadly calm voice.
“I believe your daughter may have been one of those who didn't make it,” I said gently. “I believe she's dead.”
“And vhy do you believe zis?” Perun growled.
Kirill snarled back. Lightning cracked across the sky as Perun lowered his face and shoulders, ready to charge. Kirill put Lesya down and stepped forward, more than eager to meet him.
“Enough!” Jarilo shouted and stood between the men. He turned to face his father. “You and I both know zat vhatever happened, Marena vas likely on wrong side of it. If she died, it's on her, not zese people who are trying to help us.”
Perun's jaw clenched. He swallowed roughly and nodded. “I'm sorry. But... she's my daughter. Are you sure she's dead?”
“It's likely,” I said gently. “I'm sorry.”
Perun nodded stiffly and traced away without another word.
“I'm sorry too, Vervain,” Jarilo said. “My father can be foolish ven it comes to Marena.”
“Still, I'm sorry for his and your loss,” I said. “And for not telling you sooner. We intended to but...”
“It vasn't your responsibility to tell me.” He shook his head. “And even zough you didn't find my mother, you confirmed zat she isn't vith Vodyanoys. Zat's huge help, Vervain. I vould have vasted time trying to catch one of zem but now, I can focus elsewhere. Zank you.” He shook my hand. “It vas nice to meet you and your family.”
“Hold on.” I caught his arm before he traced away. “We're not done yet.”
“But you lost trail.”
“Zere is more zan one vay to hunt,” Kirill said cryptically.
“And more hunters than you know,” I added. “We're going to visit the Vilkacis. Perhaps they've seen or smelled something.”
“I appreciate zat.” Jarilo clasped my hand again. “Zank you. You have helped me more zan anyone in my pantheon.”
“No one wanted to help you?” Lesya asked in a small sad voice.
“It vasn't zat zey didn't vant to. It's just zat zey didn't believe zere is problem,” Jarilo explained. “Zey are busy gods. Zey don't vant to vaste time on searching ven zere is no evidence zat my mother vas hurt or taken.”
“But when your family needs you, you have to help them,” Lesya said adamantly.
Jarilo smiled sadly at her and glanced at me before answering. “I vish all people believed zat.”
Lesya looked up at me as if a basic principle of her life was falling apart.
“Not everyone loves each other like we do, honey.” I stroked her hair tenderly. “What we have is special.”
“Don't worry, Uncle Jarilo, we'll be your family. We'll help you.” Lesya held her arms out to him.
After a brief moment of surprise, Jarilo crouched and hugged her. “Zank you, sweet girl.”
“You're welcome,” Lesya said brightl
y as she stood back. She gave him a big smile as she took her daddy's hand. “See you tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” Jarilo asked as he straightened.
“Maybe day after,” Kirill amended with a fond look at our daughter.
“How can we reach you?” I asked Jarilo.
He pulled a cellphone out of his pocket and grinned. “I assume you have one of zese too?”
“I do.” I grinned back. “Give me your digits, Veggie God.”
Chapter Twenty
We went to visit the Vilkacis later that afternoon. Both Kirill and I had been to their sanctuary in the Latvian wilderness before so we were able to trace directly there. Vejasmate's wards allowed us past so we didn't have to stand outside her invisible gates and shout for attention either. We were, however, immediately “greeted” by several wolves who came growling out of the shadows of her massive home—a compound, really, of several wooden buildings clustered together.
Vejasmate emerged from the main building, through a door large enough for Fenrir to use in his werewolf form, and gracefully descended the steps like a queen, UnnúlfR at her side, playing the part of consort and bodyguard. Veja spoke to the wolves in Latvian as she walked, and they backed away from us.
“Vervain. Kirill,” Vejasmate said brightly. “It's good to see you.” She cocked her head to address Lesya, who Kirill was holding, “And you too, Lesya. How is your brother?”
“All of my brothers are good. Thank you,” Lesya said politely.
“What's wrong? Is it Trevor? My father?” UnnúlfR demanded. “Why are you here, Vervain?”
“Trevor didn't warn you that we might be stopping by?” I asked dryly.
“No, he didn't,” UnnúlfR growled.
“Wait. You didn't know we were here?” I asked.
“I just said as much, Vervain,” UnnúlfR huffed.
“But if you didn't know we were here, who was that wolf we saw this morning?”
“You saw volf in Alūksne?” Veja asked. She frowned. “I don't zink it vas one of mine, but I'll check.”
“Are there any other werewolves in Latvia?” I asked. “Because this wolf was definitely a god; he or she traced away.”
“I'm the only other werewolf here,” UnnúlfR said in a low, dangerous tone then looked at Veja. “That we know of.”
“Hi, Uncle Unn,” Lesya interrupted us, flapping her little hand at him.
“Hey, sweetheart,” UnnúlfR softened his tone immediately and bent forward to kiss her cheek. “How are you?”
“I'm good,” she answered. “We're on a family vacation.”
“You're on vacation?” UnnúlfR finally relaxed. “In Latvia? Why?”
“My mother was from Alūksne,” Kirill explained.
“Really?” Vejasmate asked as she subtly elbowed UnnúlfR. “How lovely. Vhy don't you come inside for some tea? Ve can get varmed up by fire.”
“Thank you,” I accepted for all of us.
“Everything's all right with Trevor and Vero?” UnnúlfR asked under his breath as we headed inside the luxuriously rustic home.
“Yes, they're fine,” I reassured him. “Your family misses you, though. You should visit Fenrir.”
UnnúlfR grimaced. “I know. It's just a little...”
“Awkward since you started dating his ex-wife?” I offered.
“Yeah. That,” he grumbled but his icy blue eyes warmed when he glanced at Veja.
UnnúlfR is the only one out of Fenrir's first three sons—his favorite sons—who didn't inherit his father's dark looks. Ty, Veja's son with Fenrir, got her eyes but the rest of him is Fenrir—at least the rest of his face—and Trevor is nearly a replica of his father. Just as Vero is a replica of Trevor. Strong genes, I suppose. UnnúlfR, however, has pale blond hair, not quite platinum but close, and those icy eyes that remind me of a husky.
“Hey, if there's anyone who understands your situation, it's me,” I offered gently.
UnnúlfR blinked, stared at me a moment in dawning comprehension, then nodded.
“Things are good with you?” I asked him to move us along from that strange moment of affinity.
A smile hovered around his lips then finally decided to land. “Yeah, everything's good. We're good.”
“I'm happy for you.”
Veja led us into a room off the main hall where several of her children were gathered. They nodded to us as we passed, and Veja paused to ask one of them to get us some hot drinks. The woman ran off as we continued into the sitting room. I remembered it from my last visit; the rustic feel of a log cabin combined with the warm, coziness of a family home. A fireplace of roughhewn stone dominated the room with boughs of fragrant evergreens on the mantle and a fire crackling away in the hearth. Dark chocolate leather couches gathered before the fire with handwoven rugs softening the pine plank floors beneath them. Around the outskirts, more robust furniture stood at attention against the walls; heavy things of carved wood. But amid all this, dainty collectibles posed in careful arrangements on delicate tables. It was as if Grandma and the Wolf had gotten together to try their hand—or paw—at decorating.
The floor lamps weren't on, enough light came from the open windows to make them unnecessary. It gave the space a lighter feel than the last time we'd been there. It had been Winter then and a bit colder but other than the temperature and the light, it was the same. I breathed in the scents of pine and woodsmoke—they were the same too—and smiled as I settled back on the cushy couch.
“So, vhere are you staying?” Vejasmate asked us.
“In a little cabin in Alūksne's woods,” I said. “It's nice; Kirill did good.” I grinned at him.
“We made a fire outside, Aunty Veja,” Lesya told her. “And there's a room just for getting warm.”
“A sauna?” Veja asked with a grin.
“Yes! Do you have one?”
“Ve do; a very large one.”
The woman came in with a huge tray of tea, coffee, and a cup of hot chocolate for Lesya. Veja thanked her then poured cups for everyone as I handed Lesya's hers and cautioned her to blow on it. I had hoped that UnnúlfR might go for one of the dainty teacups—I would have loved to have seen that—but he grabbed a mug and filled it with coffee from the carafe.
“Kirill?” UnnúlfR held the mug out to him.
“Nyet, zank you. I'll have tea.”
“More for me.” UnnúlfR set the mug down and added sugar and cream.
Kirill has the sort of confidence that makes everything he does seem natural. So, when Veja handed him a teacup, I didn't expect to be amused as I would have been by UnnúlfR. And I wasn't. Kirill took the delicate china as if he'd handled such cups all of his life and when he sipped at it, he looked refined instead of awkward. Probably more refined than I did. I'm the clumsiest person in my family and even the grace of three beasts haven't cured that.
“You're always velcome to stay here,” Veja offered. “In fact, you should leave Lesya vith us for a few nights so you two can have some time to yourselves. One of my daughters has a little girl about Lesya's age. I'm sure she'd love to make a new friend.”
I glanced at Kirill, and he lifted a brow at me.
“Can I?” Lesya looked back and forth between us.
“You want to stay the night with Aunty Veja and Uncle Unn?” I asked her.
She nodded.
“Vhy don't I take you to meet Karina?” Veja offered.
Lesya put her cup down eagerly and looked up at Kirill. Kirill nodded, and she jumped up and took Veja's hand.
“I'll check on zat volf too,” Veja said and led our daughter away.
As soon as they were gone, UnnúlfR leaned forward and asked, “Are you really on vacation?”
“We're really on vacation.” I laughed. Then I saw Kirill's expression and sobered. “But we've run into a situation.”