Page 25 of Rise of the Witch
“No, I’m fine,” I smiled reassuringly, burying my concerns deep within me in case he could somehow see them with that piercing gaze. “But I realize my mortar and pestle is not ideal for a daytime journey. I’ll need to ride with one of you.”
“I’ll take you,” Nox immediately replied, surprising me with the offer. Registering the shock on all our faces, he rolled his eyes. “My horse is the biggest, and so am I. It just makes sense to throw her on here with me.”
Well, this is an unexpected development!
Walking over to the massive pair, I gasped as Nox’s large hands suddenly gripped my waist, his skin so warm I feared it would scald me through my layers of clothing. Nox must have felt something as well, as he unhanded me the instant he’d hoisted me up, sliding his palms down his clothing as if to wipe away any lingering contact. Pulling himself up behind me, he reached around to grab the reins, essentially walling me in between his massive biceps. Much to my dismay, I could already feel my body responding to his close proximity and to the distinct scent I now noticed he exuded—pine and the sea after a storm.
This is going to be a very, very long ride.
Clicking my tongue, I signaled my horses to embark, and they immediately took off, as if already knowing where they needed to go. Nox’s arms tensed on either side of me, and I could hear the exclamation of surprise from the other men, but I knew none of us were in danger of falling off, despite the sudden, supernatural speed. These horses were created for these men; to carry them to their destiny as much as mine.
As Anthia had predicted, the journey to Zerkalo took a couple of hours, plenty of time for me to mull over my inevitable discussion with the men. I was only wrested from my anxious thoughts by Tan abruptly cursing, “What the fuck happened here?!”
Quickly returning to the present, I realized the horses had ceased their breakneck speed and now waited patiently on a forested slope overlooking the surprisingly cultivated skyline of Zerkalo. Following Tan’s gaze downhill, I flinched upon seeing what had caused his outburst.
The final 300 meters of forest were utterly decimated. Uprooted, ancient firs were almost completely decomposed, but instead of the newly-fed forest floor exhibiting signs of growth, the ground was blackened and lifeless—a swampy wasteland of decay. This was the same destruction I’d been witnessing for months, except instead of random patches, what I saw before us was an unending swath creeping ever closer.
Almost as if it’s comingfromthe direction of civilization…
But that didn’t make any sense. While I’d initially suspected the environmental destruction was caused by the mysterious Facility, I’d since realized the culprit had to be a supernatural force of some kind. Humans could never exhibit this level of power, no matter how much funding or resources backed up their efforts. Yet, right here was evidence of a connection between our worlds—a union resulting in my forest, my home, being slowly devoured.
Wrestling my way free from Nox’s wall of muscle, I slid to the ground, nodding at the men to also dismount. “The horses cannot leave the forest, so we’ll travel the rest of the way on foot,” I curtly explained, turning and leaving the shelter of ancient firs behind as I led us through the unnatural rot and toward the town below.
Zerkalo was one of those provincial Russian towns built to look quaint but actually bustling with culture and money. After a quick descent through undeveloped hills and ravines, we soon found ourselves walking cobbled streets bustling with humans, some strolling aimlessly and others sitting outside cafes or disappearing into the storefronts crowded on either side. Most buildings were painted in earthy, pastel tones, invoking an airy, casual feel that was undoubtedly created to attract the holiday crowd.
The majority of humans wandering the streets dismissed my elderly appearance—especially those dressed in modern clothes who reeked of big city wealth—but the peasant class recognized me right away. “Yaga!” and worse were hissed and whispered in my direction, with some crossing themselves and most scuttling away in fear. A glance at the men told me they were processing the intense interactions in their own ways. Asa looked ready to fight every human who glanced our way, Nox’s dark brown eyes were scrutinizing me as if he were trying to solve a puzzle, and Tan looked...amused.
“Oh, let’s give this rabble something to talk about,” he finally grinned, snatching me into his arms and delivering a sensuous kiss, wetly plundering my mouth with his tongue until I was gasping and dizzy. The whispers turned into piercing shrieks as any loitering villagers who remained fled in abject horror at the sight. Asa burst into hysterics, that genuine light shining from his beautiful face again as he doubled over with full-bellied laughter. Nox was still eyeing me warily, but a smile seemed to be twitching his lips from somewhere within his thick beard.
Well, that’s one way to thin the crowds!
Shoving Tan away with a chuckle, I reached into my pack to retrieve the gilded invitation, pulling power from the sentinel firs on the surrounding hillsides to guide us to the address embossed on the card.
We were led to a ritzy, paved avenue heading down toward the Volga River, merchant houses now turned into modern mansions interspersed with more approachable homes. It was to one of these that my intuition pulled us—a two-story, chalet-style structure built to strategically peer over the grander houses closer to the river. After pausing to confirm the address, I exhaled evenly, steadying my nerves before starting to ascend the stone stairs toward the oddly mirrored door.
A large hand halted me on the first step. Turning, I found Asa smiling down at me, his voice gentle, “Allow us to handle this for you. Just stay between Tan and Nox until we can determine what Harbison’s intentions are.”
They...they want to protect me?
Momentarily speechless, I allowed Asa to pass me as he headed for the door, his usually serene expression hardening into something unrecognizable. Nox closed in at my back while Tan took a position in front of me, giving my shoulder a reassuring squeeze before casually placing his hand near where I knew he concealed a handgun beneath his jacket.
Asa knocked loudly before adopting a friendly, casual stance echoed by the other two. Anyone who saw us from the street would assume three handsome tourists were simply accompanying their grandmother to her hostel, but I could sense the alertness rippling through their bodies, like predators poised to strike.
Almost immediately, the door opened, revealing a portly man wearing a finely cut suit, every article of clothing black save for a blood-red handkerchief peeking out of his breast pocket. His equally dark hair was slicked back with oil, reflecting the light of the crystal chandelier tinkling far above in the impressively domed entryway. Chubby hands adorned in jeweled rings motioned for us to enter as he gracefully stepped aside to let us pass.
His expression remained neutral until the door slammed shut behind us, a lock automatically sliding into place. All eyes snapped to the man as he finally spoke, his jowls spreading to reveal a sinister grin. “Welcome, Yaga,” he chuckled low, beady eyes flashing dangerously. “I do hope you’re prepared to stay awhile.”
Chapter 21
Taneer
It was a fucking trap. The minute that man locked us in and spoke to Vasi we knew. The three of us drew our guns as a single unit and instantly wiped that sneaky smile off his smug little face.
Nobody threatens what’s mine.
“On your knees! Hands where I can fucking see them!” Nox shouted, having smoothly shoved Vasi behind him while he loomed in the entryway like a beast of nightmares.
The man—Harbison, I assumed—turned to cowardly jelly before our eyes. “P...p...please,” he sputtered, shaking hands raised above his head as he sank to his knees, shuddering in fear. “I mean you no harm!”
