Page 47 of A Witch Out of Time
“Smooth, Noxy!” Tan teased from behind us. “That sort of flattery will surely get you into her butt-lift leggings later.” His voice quieted only slightly as he addressed Asa beside him. “Just look at themajestyof that cake, ya? I wonder if our resident ass-man will share a bite with us?”
Apparently the “ass-man” was Nox, as he growled and immediately placed a possessive hand on my backside, which hindered my walking somewhat. But I allowed it.
Rena briskly led us past the metallic kingdoms to a fourth palace built into the mountain beyond. This one glittered with jagged diamonds dripping with blood; the sheer power radiating from within causing my knees to shake.
I can do this.
Picking up on my anxiety, Nox gave my ass a comforting squeeze, which made me smile. It was hard to believe the two of us were at each other’s throats only a short time ago, especially when our bond felt so solid and permanent now.
I can do this.
My Riders will be by my side.
A bone-chilling wind swept around us as we entered the palace, forcefully pushing us toward an enormous set of carved wooden doors. As they opened, I recognized the symbols as similar to what I’d seen in the restricted area of the Facility. Again, I wondered what Matthew knew of the old ways, but before I could mull it over, we were face to face withhim.
Koschei the Deathless.
I froze on the spot, and my Riders instantly surrounded me, each pulsing with their distinct energies. Rena also moved in front of me, blocking Koschei’s view, but I’d already seen enough. He looked exactly as I remembered—exactly how he appeared in my darkest, most terrifying nightmares.
At times, he appeared to be a human man, relatively handsome if nondescript, but he didn’t stay that way for long. His form was constantly shifting between solid and insubstantial—like the wind personified. Occasionally, something much harder to define rose to the surface. Something entirely inhuman.
“Vasilisa,” he crooned, and I shuddered, remembering that voice in my ear while he did unspeakable things to me. “I never thought I’d see the day whenyouwillingly walked through my door. What a marvelous surprise. Come closer. Let me gaze upon your beauty once again.”
Rena stepped aside, implying I should obey, although she gave my arm a squeeze before letting me go. I could feel the dread and fury radiating from my men, even as they sent me encouragement. Bolstered by their support, I lifted my chin and took a few steps toward where Koschei’s flickering form sat upon a throne on a low dais.
As I came to a halt, he leaned forward, sending stray tendrils of his whirlwind to glide across my skin in an unwanted caress. “Hmm,” he frowned, gaze sweeping over me appraisingly, the color of his eyes so familiar yet impossible to define. “You became Yaga past your prime, I see. What a pity. I prefer my fruit to be barely ripe when I taste it. Although, I will always make an exception for you.”
I’m going to be sick.
My Riders were practically vibrating with rage, but Koschei barely glanced at them, as if their presence was of no concern to him. Being in my rapist’s presence again was causing every muscle in my body to tense—readying for flight—but I forced myself to calm, if only to help settle my men.
“The last Yaga made a deal with you, deathless one,” Rena loudly interrupted, drawing Koschei’s attention away from me. “And now, a piece of your death is buried somewhere beneath the earth, causing the ancient forest of Mokosh and those who inhabit it to rapidly perish. We are requesting that you help us locate it.”
Koschei observed her only a moment before casually shrugging. “As long as it remains hidden, why should I care? Why should I involve myself with the troubles of forest denizens and other lesser beings? There will always be another creature to hide my death inside, always another tree to replace one that’s fallen. I simply exist, consuming the resources I need to satisfy my desires. And I will continue to exist long after the earth itself returns to dust. These petty grievances do not concern me, Marena of winter’s death.”
Rena’s fists were clenched at her side, her signature calm disintegrating. “You may not want to take responsibility for what the Yaga did with your death,” she gritted out. “But if you are keepingmy motherhere, then you are directly violating the natural order of things.”
Koschei threw his head back and laughed, the hissing sound echoing off the diamond-encrusted walls of the cavernous hall. “Oh goddess,” he smirked. “You should thank me! Isavedher for you. I snatched her in that vital moment before she would have suffered mortal death and brought her here, where she would be safe. That was oh, about four or five months ago—in human time—and she hasn’t once begged me to leave. And I do wish she would beg.”
Who are they talking about?
“The earth is dying, Koschei!” Rena shouted, an icy wind of her own blasting outward, showering us with a winter’s frost. “Mokosh was the only one able to keep The Devouringin check until balance is restored and you’ve stolen her away.”
“Like you stole Vasilisa fromME?!”Koschei roared, suddenly appearing directly in front of us, close enough that I could smell the rotting flesh hidden beneath his human facade. “Time momentarilyceased to existwhen this one was born,” he pointed a finger at me, though his eyes remained fixed on Rena. “And I had finally acquired her—to determine how to best use her to my benefit. To see what made her tick. Toplaywith her a bit...” He said the last part with a lecherous grin in my direction.
I will not allow you to frighten me any longer.
Squaring my shoulders, I met Koschei’s gaze, drawing on the strength and courage of my Riders to boldly address him. “One cannot steal what has already been stolen.Youkidnappedmefrom my husband’s bed, and Marena rescued me from your clutches. I may not be well-versed in the ways of the gods, but I would assume you can’t claim ownership over the Mother Goddess herself, the consort of Veles, god of the Nav.”
The vague amusement on Koschei’s blurry face morphed into surprise, then calculation. “Clever girl. You are correct. I cannot stake a claim on any creature of divine origin. However, as I saved Mokosh’s life while she was disguised as a human, I am entitled to hermortaldeath, for as long as I choose.”
I considered his words. While I didn’t yet understand all the “rules” of how these gods and higher beings interacted with each other, I sensed a fluidness to their dealings, an inherent creative liberty. Deals were mediums waiting to be manipulated, like one would mold clay or run a different colored thread through the warp on a loom. Every word was open to subjective interpretation, based on what the creator was hoping to accomplish.
It’s like a bunch of children playing with toy civilizations!
Unfortunately, this wasn’t a game. Mokosh was the Great Mother, and her permanent removal from the surface would have disastrous long-term effects. While The Devouring had been building for hundreds of years, Anthia and I had only started noticing the devastation right around the time Koschei supposedly “saved” the goddess from mortal death. This implied an acceleration of destruction since the goddess had been captured, which was not a good sign.
However, even if Mokosh were free, she hadn’t been able to halt the destruction, only to hold it at bay. We needed to first find the death the Yaga buried, to stop The Devouring from progressing more. Only then could I reverse the damage that was done and allow the earth to heal.
