Page 5 of Rise of the Witch
But, as with everything, great beauty came at a great cost.
As the sun began to sink behind the trees, a strangely comforting sensation suddenly washed over me, helping to shake off my unpleasant memories. Submerging one last time, I wondered if Anthia had successfully gathered any helpful information from her occultist client. Knowing my good friend, she would be knocking on my window the instant she heard anything. Besides being equally worried about the sudden changes happening around us, Anthia loved nothing more than sharing juicy gossip. Smiling, I rose to stand, stretching my arms above my head as I arched my back to remove any lingering kinks.
“I suppose now would be a good time to mention you have an audience,” an amused male voice sounded from close behind me.
Gasping in alarm, I spun to find three men standing at the tree line. The first was casually leaning against a young birch, running his knuckle along the olive-toned skin of his chin, seemingly attempting to hide the cocky smile behind his hand. Assuming this was the stranger who spoke, I shot him a withering glare before shifting my gaze to the slightly shorter, fair-haired man beside him. While the first was handsome in an exotic sort of way, this one was one of the prettiest men I’d ever seen, with porcelain skin and blond curls that reminded me of the angels in Renaissance art. Surprisingly, he was looking everywhereexceptat me, his desperate gaze finally landing on the ground at my feet as a slight blush stained his cheeks.
A giant of a man stood apart from the other two, hairy, tree trunk arms covered in tattoos crossed over his chest, thinly-veiled disgust flashing in his dark-brown eyes. I was used to humans reacting negatively to me, so I ignored his glare. What was most disturbing at the moment was how I hadn’t sensed the presence of these men until they’d spoken to me.
How did they manage to find me?
Refusing to shamefully cover my nakedness, I boldly stared back at them, fists angrily clenched at my side. “Howdareyou watch me bathe!” I hissed, chest heaving with rage. “Do you have any idea who I am?”
The first man straightened, giving me an almost apologetic look as he replied in an odd, lilting accent that almost sounded Middle Eastern. “Well, I’m hoping you’re not Lady Artemis because I really don’t feel like being turned into a stag and hunted for sport.”
His obscure reference to a culture long dead caused me to momentarily loosen my fists and blink at him in confusion. Quickly recovering my indignation, I lifted my chin and sneered. “Clearly, an old woman like myself wouldn’t be easily mistaken for a Greek goddess.”
It was his turn to look confused as the massive man to his left snorted, scratching his thick, black beard as he continued to eye me with a disdainful expression. Even the blond one’s pale blue eyes briefly flickered to my face before respectfully lowering to the ground again.
“If you’re old, then I’m ancient,” the first man spoke again, his amused smile back in place as he dared towinkone of his hazel eyes at me.
I was so shocked by his reply that I allowed the insolent wink to stand and instead found myself stuttering, “What...what do you see me as…?”
“Oh, forfuck’ssake!” the giant man barked, throwing his hands up in annoyance. “Just ask this bitch how we can get the hell out of here already, Tan. I’m tired of walking in fucking circles.”
With a flick of my wrist, vines snaked along the forest floor to wrap themselves around his lower legs, while the slender birches on either side of him closed in like a cage. All three men froze, eyeing me warily as I exited the pool and leisurely wrapped my cloak around my naked body before approaching the one who’d insulted me. He was attractive in a primitive sort of way—long, dark hair gathered in a top knot and enormous muscles rippling beneath his clothing as he tensed at my approach, ready for a fight. Unfortunately for him, strength alone wasn’t enough to go up against something like me.
“I may be abitch,but you are the ones trespassing in sacred territory that has been entrusted to me,” I evenly spoke, allowing my stare to match every ounce of hatred emanating from his. “And I have killed men for less,” I concluded before leaning in and taking a long inhale, immediately realizing why this man rubbed me the wrong way, besides his obvious contempt and hint of a suppressed accent.
Russian.
Well, now, the feeling is mutual, Russki.
Stepping back to survey them as a group, I noted how their clothing and gear looked far too expensive and high-tech for them to be hikers who’d simply gotten lost on a day trip. However, the Russian’s frustration was genuine, which implied they had managed to stumble into my heavily warded domain and honestly couldn’t find their way out.
“You,” I turned to the only one who had sense enough to treat me with respect. “What is your name?”
The blond swallowed hard, raising his gaze to meet mine and attempting a smile, delicate cheekbones unexpectedly distracting. “Asa, ma’am,” he spoke with refined, natural politeness. “And, I’m truly sorry for disturbing you. Weallare.” He shot looks to his companions that hinted at fire simmering beneath his cool exterior before turning his clear blue eyes back to me. “But we’ve been wandering these woods for days and are completely turned around. Any assistance you could offer would be greatly appreciated.”
Nodding in approval of his delivery, I quickly glanced at the one the giant called Tan, noticing he was no longer eyeing me like a piece of meat but instead with the caution I deserved. Now that they’d stepped out of the shadows, I noticed all three men were around 30 years old and incredibly well-built. Swirling tattoos covered their muscular arms—unnervingly similar to the ghostly designs I’d glimpsed on my own skin at the sacred grove.
Which implied a connection I wasn’t prepared to consider.
Dismissing that last thought, I paused to weigh my options. Of course, I could leave them to their wandering, but I knew the forest would not release them until they had fulfilled whatever fated mission they were on—a quest which I was now involved in, whether I liked it or not. As Baba Yaga, I was not always the antagonist in these tales. Depending on the hero or heroine’s worthiness, I could be a patron or a guide, which was precisely why humans risked their lives to seek me out.
I didn’t get the feeling these men had been looking for me specifically, although all that did was cause me to wonder justwhythey were this deep in the woods at all. The timing of their appearance with the unnatural decay happening in the forest was suspicious, as was the disturbing fact that they could somehow see me—in my true form—without the ancient guise of the Yaga.
Keep your enemies close, as they say.
With another flick of my wrist, the vines and trees released the Russian, and all three men exhaled in relief as I spun on my heel, motioning for them to follow. “Come!” I commanded, briskly walking away and not bothering to see if they were obeying. “I have stew simmering and a floor you can sleep on tonight. Perhaps, if you assist me, I could be convinced to help you in return.”
Chapter 5
Nox
Something was seriously off about this woman, and I didn’t like it one fucking bit. But here we were, prancing after her like lost sheep back to whatever looney bin she’d escaped from. All because our equipment had stopped working and the sun and stars stopped making sense in the sky. And then there was the matter of whatever had just happened back there at the thermal pool. I could have sworn it felt like the forest itself was holding me captive, but that would mean this bitch controlled the greenery, and I was in no mood to humor that idea.
I’m probably just dehydrated.
