Page 48 of A Witch Out of Time
I can do this.
No matter the cost.
Schooling my face into an impassive mask worthy of my Riders, I turned to Koschei and spoke the words that would once again change the trajectory of my fate. “What if you could reacquire what you’d lost in exchange for helping us?”
“Don’t youfuckingdare…!” Nox barked, and moved to stop me. So, I lifted my hand and stopped time for everyone in the room except Koschei and me.
And then, I made a deal.
Chapter 39
Nox
It was a pretty fucking weird experience, watching time pass you by while you moved in the slowest of slow motion. I could still see Vasi talking with Koschei, but their words were muffled and drawn out, like an old recording gone bad. And while I couldn’t deny the pride I felt at seeing Vasi bravely face the monster, I was mad as hell that she thought she could literally freeze the rest of us out of her plan.
I am going to spank that ass until she can’t sit for a week.
Just as we’d suspected was happening when Vasi used this power in the Facility, the longer we remained frozen, the more time began to incrementally return to normal. Unfortunately, whatever deal Vasi and Koschei worked out appeared to be completed by the time I could lunge in his direction.
That deathlesssvolochdisappeared into thin air the instant my hands closed around his neck, and I suddenly found myself facedown in the dirt outside the mouth of the cave.
Scrambling to my feet, I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw everyone else had been tossed out along with me, including Vasi. The feeling was short-lived, however, as blinding rage soon took over. I headed for my witch, deciding I might wring her pretty little neck instead for what just happened.
“Don’t think I won’t freeze you again until you calm down!” Vasi yelled, the force of her anger successfully halting me in my tracks.
Shit, she really is the one in charge here.
Seeing that I was no longer on the warpath, she puffed out a breath, shoulders slumping as the stress she’d been holding bled from her tiny frame. “I am equally displeased with having to negotiate with...him,” she growled. “However, I had to ensure we had the resources needed to save my forest. As Koschei didn’t seem interested in helping us otherwise, I struck a deal. But I have it under control, trust me.”
Quickly closing the distance between us, I cupped Vasi’s face in my hands, needing to touch her—to prove to myself she was still here. I’d been so terrified Koschei was going to take her away from us, I was more than willing to look like a fool in front of everyone. Anything to make sure she understood how I felt about the situation.
“I do trust you, Vashka,” I rasped, not even fucking caring that my hands were shaking. “But you still shouldn’t have done that. You have people who...care about you. Deeply. Who would be devastated to lose you. We need to stick together.”
“An odd choice of words for someone who won’t be leaving the Nav along with the others.” Veles’ taunting voice snapped me out of my vulnerable state, and I spun to glare at the god suddenly standing behind us. “Oh, I forgot!” he clapped his hands in delight. “You hadn’t gotten around to telling them about the deal we’d made.”
Tan and Ace looked shocked while Vasi was glaring at me so intensely, I wondered if I was about to receive that long-overdue claw punch after all.
I opened my mouth to remind the horned fucker I still didn’t have enough details to tell anyone anything when an oddly familiar voice rang out from the cave entrance. “Oh Vel. We both know the deal you made with Nox wasn’t very specific, so stop torturing the poor child when it’s really me you’re angry with!”
All eyes shot to the mouth of the cave to find Asa’s mother of all people, dressed in what looked like a costume from a Greek tragedy. “Mrs. Haworth?” I stuttered, the same moment an equally confused Tan said, “Carol?”
“Mother!” Marena cried, a shaking hand over her mouth and tears shining in her eyes.
Hold the fuck up.
“You can all see her too?” Asa gasped before he froze and whirled on Marena. “Why are you callingmymother ‘mother,’ Rena?!”
“The pretty one is your son, too?!” Veles boomed, his face turning beet red as he stalked closer to the cave.
Asa’s mother shrugged, displaying that rebellious attitude I remembered from the time I’d met her in London. “What can I say, he clearly inherited my good looks.”
So, Ace’s mother is somehow Marena’s mother…
Veles’ chest was heaving as he continued to confront her. “IsTHISwhat you’ve been doing for the past 34 and a half years?” He wildly gestured toward us while sputtering in rage. “Procreating with every human who appreciated yourgood looks?”
Her sass vanished, replaced by a fury that rivaled the god of the Nav’s. “No, Veles. I was busy creating men who could handle the Riders’ power, so Vasilisa would have what she needed to fix the destructionyoucared nothing about!”
...Mokosh...who is also the mother of…
