Page 49 of Call of the Ride
The god of the Nav pinched the bridge of his nose and took a steadying breath before answering. “Why must you try my patience so? My bombs were created specifically for severing ties between physical objects and the realms they exist in. This, of course, works well for effectively dematerializing buildings, along with everything inside. But I simply haven’t tested them enough on living creatures to know what happens when used directly on them...”
“Well, I can tell youIended up in the darkness,” Nox grumbled. “Luckily, I was still tethered to the guys, although my bond to Vasi was temporarily damaged in the process.”
Veles was thoughtfully observing Nox as he spoke, and I could almost see the gears turning inside his horned head. The god was no doubt itching to get back to his study—or torture chamber—and experiment on some hapless subject.
Like the last Yaga…
Jarilo cleared his throat. “So, Vel, what do you say I help you blow up HQ in London? I mean, I should be able to fit it into my schedule…” Veles grinned so widely his fangs caught the light and I shuddered to think of those two plotting destruction together.
Nothing like a little father-son bonding over explosives.
“Vasilisa?” Luperca, the imposing wolf clan leader, approached with her personal guard on either side of her. I felt my power flare up in her presence, remembering how she’d accused my witch of causing The Devouring herself.
Luperca’s gaze swept over me, as if she could sense my unspoken threat, but she simply nodded respectfully before turning back to Vasi. “I owe you an apology. You have served our kind well for centuries, yet I always treated you as somethingother—as an outsider to be distrusted. I admit, this was because of your start in life as ahuman,but I’ve recently realized that not all humans are created equal, and that allies are found in surprising places.”
We all gaped at the clan leader, and I sensed she rarely admitted she was wrong. Like the queen she was, Vasi graciously accepted the apology, and Luperca agreed to lead one of the attacks before walking away, although her guards lingered behind.
One of the wolf warriors addressed us. “I also want to thank you—all of you,” his gaze flickered to where Anthia stood. “The wolf you saved in London is my sister, and I don’t know what I would have done if I’d lost her.”
Anthia focused those unusual violet eyes of hers on the wolf. “Of course, Kazimir. Us shifters must stick together, no matter if we’re the same species or not.” Although I doubted he knew the hidden meaning behind her words, the wolf beamed at her reply, earning him a sharp nudge from his fellow guard.
“Yeah, Kaz here was hoping you’d say that…” the second wolf snickered, causing the first to clear his throat uncomfortably and Jarilo to zero in on him with unnerving focus.
“Will you be joining us on the battlefield, Anthia?” Kazimir quickly added, although he was fooling no one with his redirection. “I would love to train you and see you in action.”
“Absolutely not!” Jarilo barked, familiar heat blasting outward from his skin. “Anthia will not be allowed near anything—or anyone—who poses a threat to her.”
Ooooh...
The wolf growled low in warning, but Anthia had already marched over to the god, boldly stabbing him in the chest with her finger. “Allowed?! And just what givesyouthe right to tell me what I’m allowed to do? You don’townme, you idiot.”
“Not yet, I don’t,” Jarilo smirked, impressively oblivious to the grave he kept digging for himself.
Anthia glared up at him with a look that would have turned a lesser man to stone. Instead of gracing him with a reply, she turned and addressed the wolves instead. “Kazimir, Boris, I’d like to offer my services in Luperca’s mission, and I would be honored to train with your pack.” Kazimir grinned like he’d won the lottery before politely offering his arm to the swan and leading her away without even a backward glance to the god of springtime.
Marena snorted in amusement and it was all I could do not to laugh at the pure confusion on Jarilo’s face. “Well, that didn’t go over well, now did it?” Veles smirked. “A word of advice, Jar—let the women lead. They usually come out on top anyway.”
Amen to that.
Chapter 38
Vasilisa
We spent the night back in my hut, and I had never felt so thankful to be crowded in my tiny bed atop the stove. It was only a few weeks ago that I’d glared down at these men while they slept and considered murder rather than letting them into my heart.
Although one of them occasionally still makes me consider it.
Lips twitching, I recalled Nox attempting to share his thoughts on destiny before Tan jumped in to mercilessly—but lovingly—tease. Group dynamics aside, I strongly related with my Darkest Midnight’s newfound beliefs. I’d also been accepting my fate a bit more readily these days, and agreed with his assessment that we’d arrived at Stonehenge exactly when we were supposed to.
Just as quickly, my smile vanished as I mulled over the unhelpful vision I’d received after drinking the water from Thames Head spring. Koschei’s riddle was supposed to lead the way to his buried death, not simply show the damage it had caused. I was certain we’d followed the directions to the letter, yet felt no closer to “seeing what we seek.” Even more troubling was how painfully aware I was that time was running out.
Fate is welcome to step in any time now...
Realizing I’d been lying awake for hours while my men blissfully snored around me, I carefully extracted myself from their arms and snuck down the ladder. Grabbing Tan’s jacket from where he’d thrown it over a chair, I approached the open window, deep in thought—just as I’d done when Nox was missing. As I drew closer, I froze, spotting a tiny wooden figurine placed in the center of the windowsill. My hand flew to my mouth, stopping a scream as I realized it was the innermostmatryoshkaof a set of Russian nesting dolls.
He’s here.
Calling upon the powers I’d absorbed from my men, I raised my chin and defiantly glared over the moonlit clearing before me. I saw nothing unusual, but immediately noticed the surrounding woods had gone silent, as every creature hid from the lurking threat.
