Page 52 of A Witch Out of Time
Her usually immaculate nails tapped against her cup and I noticed they were chipped and uneven, which incensed me further. “But you didn’t give up,” I fiercely whispered.
Anthia’s gaze snapped to mine. “No,” she whispered back, just as fiercely. “I never would have. And while I don’t remember exactly what happened to me there, I know whatever they did to me can only be repaid in excruciating anguish and death.”
I raised my eyebrows in surprise. While I never would have accused Anthia of being timid, this bloodthirsty proclamation was unexpected, although I recognized her vehemence all too well. Something had irrevocably changed in me after suffering so much at the hands of my stepfamily. A monster arose in the shadow of the carefree girl I was—a creature that gleefully basked in the glow as my tormentors burned to ash.
Even after their deaths, I was never the same. And the more misfortune I found, the more hardened I became. It was only after meeting Anthia—after she doggedly coaxed me out of my shell—that I began to feel like myself again.
My Riders had recently helped me reclaim my humanity, but after so many years of loneliness, Anthia was the first to offer me friendship. The first to show me kindness when I no longer felt worthy of it. I would forever offer my loyalty in return, but at the moment, I wondered if something else was needed.
Sometimes, a little bloodshed is just the thing...
“Would you like to join us in attacking the Facility?” I hesitantly asked, not sure how she would respond, but wanting to give her the option. Anthia was no warrior, but all shifters were trained in basic combat, and most were born with natural fighting instincts.
The bravado she’d been exhibiting vanished, replaced by a shudder of disgust. “While I’d love to watch that cursed place burn, I don’t think I’m ready to fly within fifty miles of the Facility yet, to be honest.” Anthia sighed, and my heart sank, even as I understood her healing journey had only just begun.
We sipped our tea in silence before a glimmer of everything I cherished about my dearest friend rose to the surface. “However,” she smirked, the wicked gleam in her violet eyes hinting at her lovable brazenness. “I’ll be more than happy to go piss on the rubble when you and your men are done with it.”
Chapter 42
Vasilisa
Later that night, I was crouched outside my hut, enjoying some alone time while gazing up at the waning moon. The izba had deposited us back in the same clearing where I first brought my Riders home; where we lived together for weeks before fleeing to a new location.
Nox’s concern at the time was that Matthew would somehow find us, and it appeared my Rider was justified in his suspicions. Humans had obviously invaded the clearing since we’d been gone. The boot tracks and upturned soil implied they’d been digging up my land, although what they were searching for was a mystery.
And how were they able to track our last known location?
When Anthia and I had finally emerged from her vardo, we’d discovered most of the shifter clan leaders still gathered outside, heatedly discussing the imminent battle. A few dissenters still insisted all humans were to blame and should be killed indiscriminately, but most had agreed to Asa’s terms.
As theizbahad carried us away from the swan settlement, my men filled me in on our basic plan of attack. The most skillful shifter warriors would launch a direct assault on the Facility, as a cover for those infiltrating the building to free the prisoners. Simultaneously, my men and I would sneak into Matthew’s office to collect any information we could on his powerful contacts. Once the building was clear of shifters, we would then use Veles’ homemade bombs to wipe the Facility from the face of the earth.
And hopefully, bury Matthew along with it.
“What are you doing out here?” A rumbling voice brought my thoughts back to the moonlit clearing. I peered over my shoulder to find Nox looming over me, muscular arms crossed and long hair loose, glaring down at me affectionately.
A slight breeze rustled my skirt across my bare toes, inspiring some mischief. “Oh, I’m just allowing my monthly blood to seep into the ground as an offering to the Great Mother,” I casually replied.
The look of abject horror on my Rider’s face was a gift. Although, apparently, menstruation wasn’t as taboo a topic as when I was a young woman, it appeared men still found it as frightening as I remembered.
Some things never change.
“I’m joking, Nox,” I scoffed, rolling my eyes as I rose to stand. “My womb has been barren since I lost my daughter and I’ve never heard of a Yaga having children.” Placing my hands on his chest, I smirked and added, “So, you’re safe.”
His lips twitched under his beard. “Who said I didn’t want kids?”
It was my turn to be surprised as I stuttered, “I just assumed…”
“Yeah, and a month ago you would have assumed correctly,” Nox chuckled before tilting his head and gazing down at me with an unreadable expression. “But things change.”
Well, this is not at all where I thought the conversation was going!
“However,” he continued, eyes growing hooded as he brought his hand to lightly grip the nape of my neck. “What was actually on my mind when I saw you out here was the last time you and I were alone in the woods at night. When all I wanted to do was fuck you, face down in the dirt, until you came all over my cock.”
That’s more like it.
Allowing my iron teeth to flicker to the surface, I grinned up at him. “There’s always suchbigtalk from you,Russki,and such...littleaction.”
Nox sharply inhaled, his dark brown eyes widening and nostrils flaring, causing me to shiver with delicious anticipation. “Take your goddamn clothes off,” he gritted out. “And get on the ground with your ass in the air. I’m going to fuck this attitude out of you.”
