Page 43 of A Witch Out of Time
Tan opened his eyes, his expression heartbreakingly open and vulnerable as he gazed at me, drinking in everything I hadn’t yet been able to say aloud. In reply to his unspoken question, I nodded earnestly. “Yes. Both of you.”
“Both of you,” Asa breathlessly echoed, groaning as he emptied himself with a deep thrust that had us following close behind. “Always.”
Our bond shimmered with pleasure, satisfaction, and an utter sense of completeness. A solid tug from elsewhere in the palace reminded me the four of us were now an unbreakable unit—stronger together than we were alone.
Nothing can come between us now.
Chapter 35
Vasilisa
Upon entering Veles’ grand dining hall, it only took a moment to realize we’d walked into the middle of a tense standoff. Nox, Marena, and the god of the underworld were seated as far away from each other as physically possible. And each was glaring so viciously, I debated taking Tan and Asa back to the bedroom, and possibly never emerging.
It would surely be more enjoyable than this.
“What exactly did you say the problem was again, Nox?” Veles murmured dismissively. He was absently toying with the egg-shaped item containing Koschei’s death that we’d extracted from Asa. “Or, do you no longer want to talk about it now that the others are in the room?”
Nox glanced sharply at me, and I was reminded he still hadn’t fully explained what his deal was with the god of the underworld. “I just want you to say what you expect me to do,” he gritted out, pointing his scowl in Veles’ direction again. “Stopfuckingwith me.”
Veles smiled, his tone dripping with condescension. “You have no one to blame but yourself for the position you’re in. Mortals shouldn’t bargain with a god if they don’t plan on delivering.”
“He was aCHILD,Vel!” Rena startled everyone—including Veles—by leaping to her feet, fists clenched at her side as she confronted the god. “And the only reason you made a deal with him at all was because ofwhoseson he is!”
Astonishment momentarily passed over Veles’ face before he expertly smoothed it away. “Yes, well, I don’t think I’m alone in disliking Matthew,” he spat out the name with scathing distaste. “Some humans think they were born to rival the gods. Usually, such delusions are easily ignored, but Matthew somehow acquired the resources needed to rise far above his station. The sheer magnitude of what he’s accomplished during his life causes me to wonder if he has more powerful connections somewhere…”
I noticed my Riders exchanging subtle glances, and I sighed in exasperation. Tan had mentioned they were often sent into civilization on unsavory missions in Matthew’s name and clearly my men knew something they had no intention of disclosing, at least in front of the gods.
It would be helpful if we all would share with the group.
“Can we discuss what we know about Matthew’s work with the Facility, Veles?” I interjected, registering Nox's annoyed expression only to dismiss it.
If we were going to have any hope of bringing down his father and the Facility, we all needed to share as much information with each other as we could. Veles may see Matthew as a temporary nuisance in his endless existence, but I suspected the human was part of a much larger threat than even my Riders were aware of. The longer we delayed or fought amongst ourselves, the more of an advantage we’d give to those seeking to destroy my forest.
And possibly, the entire earth.
Veles paused to casually pluck at his robes, and I sensed he was deciding if we were worthy of such information. He must have come to the same conclusion as I did, as he sighed and softened considerably before meeting my gaze. “Matthew has been a thorn in my side for a long time.” Rena loudly cleared her throat, but the god pointedly ignored her as he continued. “But I only took him seriously once I realized his ‘Facility’ seemed to emanate a mysterious force strong enough to block us from infiltrating.”
Frowning, I recalled how weak I’d felt while inside the Facility’s barren walls. “Yes,” I confirmed. “My connection to source was severed while we were there, and even when I refueled,” I cleared my throat as Nox smugly yanked on our bond. “I still couldn’t fully access my powers. Only when we entered the woods again did I feel…” I trailed off, suddenly remembered how ravaged the surrounding forest had appeared, with the destruction lessening the farther we ran from the Facility’s reach.
So similar to what we witnessed near Harbison’s...
“What is it, Vasi?” Marena smiled encouragingly. I realized the goddess was picking up on my thoughts but still trying to be the impartial negotiator during this precarious exchange of information.
“It looked like a wildfire had swept through the forest, outward from the Facility,” I mused. “We saw a similar pattern of devastation on the edge of Zerkalo.” Veles noticeably sat up straighter at my mention of the town on the banks of the Volga River.
“Zerkalo, you say?” The god rose from his chair and began pacing alongside the table, running his thumb under his lip, deep in thought. “Marena! Wasn’t that one location where those idiot humans who talk to the dead congregate?”
“The occultists,” Rena confirmed, slyly smiling as she waited for Veles to catch up with the puzzle she’d already solved.
“Yes, theoccultists,”Veles snarled, his fangs catching the light from the torches lining the stone walls. “I’ll never understand why mortals think it’s a good idea to reach beyond the veil before their time. It used to only be an annoyance when they called on one of my subjects, because the connection was always tenuous and temporary. However, since The Devouring began, the veil has grown so thin, some have almost been able to leave my realm through these little occultist…parties…”
“Séances,” Rena added helpfully.
“Including your predecessor,” the god spun on me, his fiery gaze accusingly aimed at me. “Yagas have always walked the line between life and death, usually with a healthy regard for both. However, your former mentor didn’t possess that level of respect. She felt she’d been wrongly imprisoned here byyouand attempted to use these séances to escape.”
I shivered, remembering how substantial she’d appeared at Harbison’s table and realizing she hadn’t simply been a ghostly vision. The last Yaga had truly been there.
Until Veles dragged her back to the Nav.
