Page 26 of A Song of Saints and Swans
Well, this is exciting!
I didn’t particularly care about humans, butdramawould always be my cup of tea.
Especially when violence is involved.
“Was it foul play?” I asked, trying—and failing—to keep the eagerness out of my voice.
“Yes, and no.” She canted her head from side to side, infuriatingly vague. “I saw her walking along the river, inebriated and upset after leaving the bar Konstantin worked at. But then she suddenly just fell in… after clutching her chest and gasping for air.”
I frowned. “Heart attack? She’s young, but it’s not unheard of.”
My sister shook her head. “I don’t believe so. I… poked around in Konstantin’s memories for the details of her death.” She blushed again, although I loved it when my sister rebelled against her personal morals. “He firmly believes the absinthe he served her that night led to her death. Apparently, it was from a new distillery which was shut down shortly after because of illegal levels of thujone in their product. But when I witnessed Margo falling into the Volga, I smelled… electricity.”
It was my turn to freeze. I could practicallytastethe sharp, astringent smell unleashed when I stepped into the cold storage room at the Facility’s abandoned lab.
Could the Rusalka somehow have encountered the same substance?
“I bet there are records somewhere…” Rena mused, oblivious to my inner turmoil. “Not just for what happened with the distillery, but forwhoexactly ruled Margo’s death as a suicide…”
“Don’t tell me you’re going to get Rahim involved,” I sighed, desperate to sound vaguely annoyed rather thanterrified.
Rahim Amari was our family lawyer, and a rare human given immortality by the gods for reasons only the old ones knew.
While I’d employed his legal expertise occasionally to get myself out of trouble—especially as he understood the convoluted laws passed down from the Prav better than I did—if he started snooping into this, it was only a matter of time before Rena put two and two together and realized something was wrong with me.
Fate is such a bitch.
Unfortunately, I could already tell my sister intended to do exactly that, and realized it was probably in my best interest to come clean sooner than later. As I opened my mouth to test the waters, the entire forest shook,nearly knocking us both out of the tree.
My weak powers rushed to the surface—eager for war—but Rena simply laughed as she gracefully floated into the air. “It appears an old friend is on the move, and I have a feeling those chicken legs are bringing her straight to our swan.”
Turn Your Back to the Forest
ANTHIA
Iawoke alone, which momentarily confused me. Rena and I had slept in theVardo’sbed together last night—with Margo and Konstantin graciously taking the tent outside. Jarilo never joined us, which I’d assumed had something to do with whatever made him disappear yesterday.
He truly is a dramatic man.
Since I could tell Marena was worried about his absence, I didn’t push her to play. I still cuddled so she wouldn’t run off as well, or think I didn’t want a repeat performance as soon as possible.
I will get my hands on that icicle dick if it’s the last thing I do.
Of course, Rena being able to form icy appendages wasn’t the reason I found her so attractive. She’d managed to infiltrate the walls I’d built around my heart after my trauma—not through force, but by allowing me to open up to her at my own pace.
Aww… we have a friends-to-lovers arc!
Besides, if I was only interested in cock, there were plenty of men only good enough for that. Prior to this journey, I would have assumed Jarilo was one of them. However, the god of springtime had surprised me, not only with how willing he was to submit, but with how deeply he cared for his sister.
And possibly… me.
Just as I finished preparing to leave the wagon and search for both gods myself, I felt the ground shake beneath my feet. A surprised yelp sounded from outside, followed by a deeper tone, murmuring reassurances, but I knew exactly what was causing the disturbance.
“Don’t worry, Margo!” I called as I stepped out onto the dew-covered grass. “It’s just our friendly—well,grumpy—neighborhood Baba Yaga.”
“Baba Yaga!” the Rusalka shouted, not sounding relieved at all, but my attention was already on the enormous chicken-legizbaemerging from the tree line.
“‘Ello there!” Tan was out on the porch, precariously hanging over the railing and waving like a lunatic. “If it’s not my favorite badass swan shifter. Looks like the hut decided it’s been far too long since we came to call.”
