Page 35 of A Witch Out of Time
Nox leaned down to rumble in amusement, “You clean up good, witch.” I scowled, only to realize he was most likely trying to ease my self-consciousness by invoking my wrath.
How romantic.
The guests quietly filed out of the room as the ceremony ended, leaving the new bride and groom alone. The Tsar tentatively reached for her—formy—hand and together they walked through an arched doorway toward the Fourth Chamber. My Riders began to follow, and I grabbed the closest one, which happened to be Tan, digging my claws in deep.
“What are you doing,” I hissed, although we were in no danger of anyone overhearing. “They’re going to...consummatethe marriage.”
Tan’s hazel eyes lit up with interest. “Oha! There’s no fucking way we’re missing that!” He deftly wiggled out of my grasp to race through the doorway, quickly followed by a snickering Nox.
“I apologize on their behalf.” Asa’s smooth voice was in my ear, although he sounded more amused than offended. “We are a pack of filthy beasts.”
Sighing, I allowed him to escort me after them. “How did a nice young man like you end up associating with such rabble?”
He laughed quietly. “Fate, I suppose. Although don’t be fooled. I just happen to know how to hide my depravity behind good manners.”
Oh, I will show you depraved, the next chance we get.
We found the others inside the Tsar’s bedroom—an emerald-green jewel box of a space with rich mauve upholstery and rugs leading to a narrow canopy bed. Moonlight slanted through the stained glass, illuminating the couple awkwardly fumbling beneath the blankets. Tan and Nox were hovering over the bed, so close they were almost part of the action, crassly commenting to each other like announcers at a sporting match.
“No, that’s her belly button! Lower, mate, lower!” Tan barked orders as Nox cackled beside him. Both men straightened as I joined them, with Tan pulling me in so I could get a closer look at the moment I lost my virginity, regardless of whether I wanted to bear witness.
The new Tsarina cried out in pain, and all three Riders growled reactively. “He could have done a little prep work first, good lord,” Asa grumbled, pulling me away from Tan and petting me as if I were still physically hurting centuries later.
Nox smirked. “Maybe he was having trouble finding his way in all that wilderness.”
I bristled, having had quite enough of their commentary on what should have been one of the most important moments of my human life. “Yes, I am well aware that men nowadays prefer a woman to be plucked bare.”
“Who the fuck said that?” Tan scoffed.
Crossing my arms, I stared them down the best I could from far below. “I saw your little magazines at the Facility when I was packing your bags.”
Nox froze while Asa blushed as deeply as the first time we’d met. “Now, I can assure you, sweetness, those werenotmine…” he stuttered.
True to form, Tan was unapologetic. “Oh, my sweet,sweetwitch!” he howled in delight. “Firstly, I will gladly brave your wilderness. I will dress myself in a jaunty safari outfit and use myhugemachete to bushwhack a trail through your jungle any day.”
“Sweet Jesus, Tan,” Asa choked out.
Seeing that I was cringingin embarrassment, my Bright Dawn leaned in close to kiss me sweetly. “Secondly, doll, I love everything about you, including that magical nest of va ju-ju voodoo you keep between your luscious thighs. All that hair really locks in the flavor, ya?”
Did Tan just confess his love for me while talking about my pubic hair?
Not to be outdone, Nox roughly grabbed me so he could chuckle in my ear. “Real men respect the bush, Vashka. And yes, we all like you just the way you are, even with that attitude of yours. Especially with the attitude, I should say.”
The feeling is mutual, Russki.
Our conversation was cut short by younger Vasi shakily rising from the bed, expression pained as she pulled on her clothes and limped out of the room. My Riders and I silently followed as she returned to her separate bedroom on the third floor. As we opened the door, however, we were not met with the sight of a young bride, but a battered and bloody woman sweating in bed with a stricken midwife hovering over her.
“I am sorry, Vasilisa, but the baby could not be saved.”
I shuddered as the memory of those words cut through me with the same sharpness as the day they were uttered. Closing my eyes, I clamped my hands over my ears to block out the anguished cries of my former self, allowing my men to press closer around me as I relived the moment everything changed, when one thread of fate was cut in favor of a darker path.
“You should go.” The midwife’s heavily accented voice snapped me back to the present and I was startled to find her standing before me. “You and your Riders don’t belong here.”
I was so shocked by her ability to see us, I could only nod as she placed a small bundle in my arms. Looking down, I immediately recognized the baby blanket I’d woven to prepare for my baby’s arrival. It was the same cloth I’d buried her in, and I realized what I held was my daughter’s lifeless body.
“You need to hurry, child,” the midwife muttered as she turned to walk back toward the wailing figure on the bed. “Sometimes the past must be buried, and sometimes, it must be unearthed.”
And with those words, I realized what I needed to find. The seemingly minor detail missing from these last two vision quests, despite being present originally. It was the “blessing” I had lost that would save my Rider and our shared legacy.
