Page 45 of Call of the Ride
I love this woman.
Rather than fulfilling my promise of pussy destruction, I ended the night actually cuddling with my witch, simply enjoying the feel of her bare skin on mine. I was half asleep when the guys returned to the room, but when they both snuggled up on my side of the bed, I almost started crying again. Almost.
Instead, surrounded by this family of mine—some by blood, but all with a bond stronger than that—I slept better than I had in a very long time.
Chapter 35
Vasilisa
Urgent knocking awoke me, and I quickly untangled myself from my men, smiling to find we’d surrounded Nox while he slept. Asa rolled off the far side of the bed and joined me as I walked into the sitting room to answer the door.
“Good morning! Or should I say, good evening, sleepyheads? Either way, hello, Vasi andbrothers!”Marena beamed on the threshold before skipping inside, her freckled skin glowing, radiating happiness. “I suppose we’re all one big happy family now, especially since Vel has decided toofficiallychallenge Perun for his parentage claim on me and Jarilo.”
My eyes widened in surprise. “Oh! That’s…” I trailed off, unsure if itwasgood news to learn the god of the underworld would challenge the god of thunder in what might prove a world ending battle. Marena looked so pleased, however, that I didn’t press the issue. “Well, if you’re happy about it, then so am I. You know more about the ways of the gods anyway, Rena.”
The goddess nodded, flopping into the same chair where I’d comforted Nox the night before. “Oh, these wars take time,” she waved a dismissive hand, effortlessly picking up on my concerns. “It’ll be at least a few centuries before anyone meets on the battlefield, and by then there may be some new drama to get excited about.”
Like children throwing temper tantrums over a shared toy.
“Speaking of godly drama,” Asa leaned against the bedroom doorway, glancing over his shoulder to check on the others' progress behind him. “Did you have any luck with finding a way to free mother from Koschei?”
Marena pursed her lips. “Our family lawyer, Rahim, confirmed Koschei technically has the right to ownership over herhumandeath, but then Cassandra Moonstone implied Mokosh herself may be capable of escaping that contract…”
I furrowed my brow. “Then why would she willingly remain his prisoner? She must know that I…offered myself to Koschei in exchange for her release,” I lowered my voice, although it was already too late. Tan and Nox entered the room, and my Darkest Midnight promptly narrowed his eyes at me in disapproval of my deal.
I do love it when he looks at me like that.
“Yes, but if nothing else, Mokosh has proven to be a sly fox,” Asa murmured, pacing the room as he mused aloud. “Let’s not forget that she fooledmefor my entire life. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn she has something up her sleeve with Koschei.”
Marena smiled sympathetically at my Rider. “I know Mokosh doesn’t seem particularly maternal—which is ironic, considering she’s the Great Mother of us all—but shedoescare. She stayed with you through your childhood...” Her green eyes darted warily to Nox, who simply shrugged in response. “Probably because you needed her there, perhaps as a bit of comfort in your otherwise cold and indifferent home environment?”
Asa’s eyes widened in surprise, and I realized Rena had hit upon something without even needing to access his mind. My Beautiful Sun simply returned her gaze for a moment before nodding. “Yes, if she’d left me when I was young—like she did with Nox—I wouldn’t have had anyone in my life who cared.” A determined expression erased his sadness, fiercely igniting his pale blue eyes. “But while she’s clearly unharmed and happily existing in the Great Womb, I still don’t like the idea of Koschei having control over her.”
“Or with him getting his fucking hands on Vasi after she reverses The Devouring,” Nox growled, plumes of darkness curling around his arms, mimicking the intricate tattoos decorating them.
I closed my eyes, silently cursing my deal with Koschei, and my own rashness. At the time, I’d seen no other way to convince him to help us locate his death, and had assumed I would eventually discover a loophole to negate the contract. Now I wondered if I’d been foolish to think time wouldn’t catch up with me.
Like it seems to be doing now...
“Don’t fret, Vasi,” Rena was shooting me one of her signature sly smiles. “I chatted a bit with Cassandra after you all left yesterday. The seer couldn’t tell me specifics, of course, but she seemed to believe that Koschei would fall...assuming everything happened as it should.”
Well, that’s only half reassuring.
“So what needs to happennext,Rena?” Tan asked, after shooting a concerned glance my way. “Mum mentioned time was running out, and the fairy man told us we needed to get to Stonehenge…Cass!”Everyone's attention shot to my Bright Dawn, only this time he was shouting the seer’s name with excitement, instead of murderous rage. “Cass said she met Matthew at asummer solsticecelebration at Stonehenge. I may be new to the witchy woo, but that is when the sun is at itspeak,ya? And thereafter, the days become shorter?”
“While pointing your heel at the sun at its peak.”
I grinned broadly and leaped into Tan’s arms, enjoying his usual playful caresses. “Why, I believe you’re picking up on this witchy business remarkably well, my Bright Dawn,” I praised, clutching the pendant around my neck before addressing the others. “And astomorrowis the solstice, it sounds like we have some old stones to visit!”
* * *
Marena offered to alert gods and shifters alike to our plans, disappearing into a manhole as my men and I piled into our car and began driving west, away from the city. We wanted to arrive at Stonehenge well before the solstice, although technically, the sun wouldn’t be at its peak until noon the following day.
My Riders picked up their usual chatter, laughing over adventures they’d shared in the past, but I became distracted by the decay outside my window. Again, the forest destruction appeared to be comingfromcivilization, and I realized the locations where we’d witnessed this phenomenon were all somehow tied to either the Facility or occultism.
Or both, in Matthew’s case.
While it had been troubling to witness how excited Harbison and his fellow occultists were about their newfound access to the Nav, I also realized their enthusiasm was born of ignorance. They didn’t understand that the dead instinctively pulled on the life force of the living, slowly siphoning until there was nothing left. Perhaps with more education, they would have better understood how a thinning veil was a danger, not a blessing.
