Page 27 of A Witch Out of Time
As instinctively as I’d reacted with my fiery blast, I imagined myself closing off access to my mind, like a vault door slamming shut with a resounding boom. Apparently, I accomplished something, as Marena suddenly flinched and snapped her attention to my face, green eyes trailing over me appraisingly.
Oblivious to the card he’d just shown me, Veles continued his monologue. “What we have determined is this destruction has only been occurring for the past few hundred years. This is a mere drop in the bucket of existence and therefore, a manageable chunk of time to play with.
Tan scoffed, taking the words right out of my mouth in his reply. “Listen, we obviously want to help save Vasi’s forest, but as far as I know, her sweet pussy isn’t magical enough to control time.”
Instead of her usual reactions to Tan’s obsession with her magic pussy, Vasi shared a thoughtful glance with Nox. Something heavy passed between them and I felt jealousy flare up in me at how much I’d missed in the past few days. “Actually, Idobelieve I have some power over time,” she spoke hesitantly. “But I’m starting to suspect it’s only because of you three.”
Chapter 22
Vasilisa
We returned to Veles’ palace so Asa could clean up while the rest of us regrouped. Nox, Tan, and I were gathered around the large sphere of lapis lazuli Marena used for scrying, although none of us could see anything within its depths.
“Do you rememberhowyou stopped time when my father…?” Nox scowled as he trailed off, no doubt replaying the events of our escape in his mind.
I grimaced. “It was pure instinct, to be honest. All I could think of at that moment was how desperate I was tostopthe bullet from hitting you, and I suppose that desire translated into me stopping time.”
Tan hummed and rubbed my arm, mostly exuding comfort, although there was also a spark of lustful interest, as usual. “Ya, that’s how it was for me when everything went wrong during our ambush on the convoy. My only thought was how I needed to protect the three of you and then…” He concluded with a vague gesture, almost as if he were pushing the air outward in front of him.
Nox furrowed his brow as he absorbed the information. I wondered if he knew he conjured the choking darkness in the hallways of the Facility. Or how consciously he’d summoned it. In contrast to my and Tan’s reactiveness, Asa had paused before attacking Veles by the river, as if he were channeling his power intentionally before lashing out.
Which means we should all be able to do that…
My thoughts were interrupted by another question from Nox. “What do you think triggered The Devouring to start a few hundred years ago, Vashka?” Seeing my face fall, he quickly added, “And for the record, I don’t believe it was anythingyoudid.”
Smiling gratefully, I exhaled slowly. “Perhaps not directly, but something shifted when I wrested power from my mentor and somehow returned from the Nav.” I frowned, realizing Rena hadn’t specified exactly how I returned the second time. The goddess had mentioned my “rebirth” after my rescue from Koschei, but it didn’t sound as if she’d played a part in my triumphant return as Yaga.
Tan suddenly muttered under his breath, “Ace sure is taking a while.” Glancing up at me hopefully, he haltingly asked, “Do you think you could check on him, doll? I would, but…”
I wished he would simply approach Asa himself, if only to start the healing process for both of them. But I was sympathetic to his hesitancy, and so nodded in agreement and left Tan and Nox to their discussion while I headed toward the baths.
Veles’ foreboding palace was a far cry from the brightly colored interior design I’d experienced at the Tsar’s. Black was the primary color on almost every surface—from the floors to furniture—which paired nicely with the dark wood tones on the ornately carved latticework. Spots of red caught my eye in the tufted velvet cushions and drawn curtains, reminding me of blood spilled and spattered.
A witch could get used to this.
As I traveled through the winding hallways, my concern for Asa increased with every step. My Rider had been disoriented when we discovered him by the riverbank, and I worried that lasting damage had been done. Even though it had been centuries since I was a prisoner of Koschei, I could still remember the terror he inflicted, along with the physical abuse. If he’d done the same to Asa…
Then I will kill the deathless one myself.
My fists were clenched in barely-contained rage as I found my Rider still clothed and staring down at the sunken tub with a lost expression on his face. My heart sank as I realized his time in Koschei’s lair was simply the most recent ordeal he was forced to endure. One drop of hurt in an ocean of pain. While I knew there was no way I could take away his trauma completely, perhaps I could relieve it slightly, although I still questioned how comforting anyone found me.
“Can I offer you some assistance?” I ventured. “I could use a wash myself, although Tan would probably argue otherwise.”
“Tan likes what he likes, that’s for sure.” A smile curled Asa’s lips, although when he turned to look at me, I sensed the sadness of their unresolved conflict. “I admire that about him, his unwavering confidence in who he is.
I moved closer and began helping him out of his soiled clothes as best I could. “Hmm, yes, he is unapologeticallyTan.However, you should know, he has seemed a bitincompletesince you two had your misunderstanding.”
Asa pulled off the last of his clothing before assisting me with mine. “I know, and I am determined to fix things. It’s just never the right time, what with our constantly harrowing circumstances. And moments like this where all I can think about is touching you.”
Sternly pursing my lips, I led Asa down the black marble steps into the pleasantly warm waters of the bath. Authoritatively pointing to a submerged bench, I waited for him to sit before perching beside him. I grabbed a loofah and sandalwood soap and began scrubbing the filth off of him, pausing every so often to bat one of his wandering hands away.
“I’m not sure that would be such a good idea,” I teased, gaze flickering from his hardening cock to the concerning lump under the skin of his chest. “I don’t want to risk hurting you in the state you’re in.”
His expression was desperation incarnate as he pulled me onto his lap. “Sweetness, I fear I will perish if Idon’tget inside you, so I may as well die a happy man.”
Well, who could say no to that?
Setting the loofah aside, I straddled my Rider and lowered myself down his full length, echoing his sigh of satisfaction as I got settled. Although our separation had only been for a couple of days, the complete absence of our bond had been agonizing.
