Page 16 of Rise of the Witch
I scoffed, thrown off by his request. “And what makes you thinkI’mthat someone?”
He warily glanced at Nox before answering. “Because since we’ve been around you, I’ve seen glimpses of the old Asa, and I haven’t seenhimin a while.” Sensing that I was still undecided, he sweetly pleaded, “Please,doll.”
There was that oddly specific term of endearment again. While I understood Tan couldn’t possibly know the effect that nickname had on me, it pulled on something deep inside—a human part of me I’d thought was long-dead. That, combined with the earnestness in his expression, successfully eroded what was left of my stony exterior.
I must be getting soft in my old age.
Nodding in agreement, I dried my hands and began walking toward the door only to have Nox’s enormous frame suddenly appear in my path. Although I was no longer experiencing the visceral fear from when he’d first advanced on me, I still felt a shiver brush down my spine at his close proximity, a sharp pang of need that had me growling in annoyance.
“Listen to me, witch,” he growled in return, the intense revulsion on his face successfully banishing any unwanted emotions from my system. “That man out there is one of the few people I give a shit about, so don’t try anything that will make me have to kill you.”
“I promise, I will only fix whatever messyou’vecreated,” I sneered up at him, ignoring his darkening expression as I shoved past his useless boulder of a body on my way to the porch.
Fueled by my irritation, I burst through the door more forcefully than I meant to, startling Asa to his feet. “Vasi!” he gasped. “Uh...I can go back inside if you need to get some things done out here.”
Cocking my head, I observed him in the light of the rising moon. Anthia had been accurate in describing Asa’s smooth complexion as “buttermilk,” and he did, in fact, have magnificent cheekbones. His dark lashes perfectly framed the clearness of his blue eyes, and the fullness of his bottom lip—the lip he kept chewing on—was incredibly distracting.
If Asa was a woman, he would be considered “the fairest in the land.”
Or whatever “they” consider the standard of beauty nowadays.
Oddly, Asa’s pretty face and golden curls only served to draw attention to howmasculinethe rest of him was. Obviously, the men all spent a fair amount of time maintaining the chiseled muscles visible even beneath their clothes, and although Asa was the smallest of the three, he still dwarfed me in size. Raw power radiated from him, even as he seemed to try to tone it down in my presence, probably to not make me uncomfortable.
How cute.
Asa had been nothing but polite since they arrived—especially compared to Tan’s boldness and Nox’s rudeness—but I knew a killer when I saw one. The falsely casual way he tracked my movements as I stepped closer only confirmed my suspicions that, if he wanted to, this man could inflict severe damage.
Remembering my assignment, I plastered on what I hoped was a friendly smile, awkwardly gesturing to the bench. “Please, sit down. I came out here to join you.”
Nodding warily, he sat and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees, chewing on that tempting lip again as I sank down next to him. After a moment, he hesitantly spoke, peering at me through those messy curls of his. “Forgive me for saying so, but you don’t strike me as someone who concerns herself with the insignificant troubles of humans.”
Although I suspected the turmoil that caused Asa to flee to the porch was far from trivial, I played along, nodding. “As Yaga, I concern myself with humans’ lives when fate demands I do, either as an antagonist, a patron, or a guide. I play the role that is most needed at that moment on their journeys. However, you are correct—I have no vested interest in a human’s success or failure. We interact. We part ways. The earth turns, and life goes on.”
“Then why did you come out here after me?” he whispered, gaze fixed on the floor as if the worn wood held particular interest.
The delightful color staining his cheeks inspired me to tease, “Well, you see...Taneer asked me to check on you, and then he called me ‘doll,’ and I just could never resist a man whispering sweet nothings in my ear.”
I was rewarded for my humor by Asa throwing his head back with a hearty laugh, blue eyes twinkling. “Oh yes, if Tan has his sights set on you, you are made well-aware.” His expression suddenly became serious again as he turned to face me. “I hope he hasn't offended you.”
“No...” I watched the moon inch over the tree line, suddenly wistful. “In fact, ‘doll’ is the nickname my mother used to call me.”
“Another witch?” he quietly asked, a hopeful smile brightening his face again.
He’s trying to get to know me!
“Myhumanmother,” I clarified, smiling tightly in return as the memory was bittersweet. “She died when I was a young girl.”
Surprise washed over Asa’s face as he absorbed the revelation I was once like him. The humans who encountered me probably never gave a second thought to justwhoI was before becoming Baba Yaga, especially when I looked as old as dirt to most. I assumed the fact these men could see my true form humanized me a bit—at least to Asa and Tan—but I was still a mysterious‘other’beyond mortal comprehension.
We sat in silence for a few minutes until Asa suddenly spoke, his voice so low I almost didn’t hear him. “My mother died as well, only it was very recently.”
Ah, so this is the pain you wear like a second skin.
I assumed this was related to “the accident,” but he didn’t elaborate, and I didn’t push. For some strange reason, Icaredabout his heartache—felt its echo in my chest—and found myself compelled to do whatever I could to ease that sorrow. It was unsettling. Hundreds of humans had crossed my path over the centuries, and I honestly had very little interest in their short lives. Yet, here I was, feelingempathyfor a man I’d known only a short while.
Taking a more appraising look at this fascinating human who’d wandered into my life, I realized that, amidst the confusing emotions he stirred up, there was a certainty I couldn’t deny. Whether it was the undeniable fact fate had put us in each other’s path or something more that I wasn’t ready to examine, in my bones, IknewAsa was an essential part of my story yet to be written.
They all are.
