Page 30 of A Song of Saints and Swans
“I’m sorry to interrupt, but Asa mentioned you’ll be making a detour into Moscow?” When the Baba Yaga nodded, Marena continued, “There’s a lawyer there, recently relocated from London, who may be useful to your investigation. He works for the gods and is therefore familiar with the laws of our world…”
I lost track of the conversation, mostly because Vasi’s revelation was still settling into my bones. The implications of theskazkishe’d shared were obvious, but more than anything, learning of the Sea Tsar’s daughters felt…familiar—like a half-remembered memory.
Like fate whispering in my ear.
Partly to give the two women some privacy—but mostly to clear my head—I slipped past Rena and exited the room, quietly closing the door behind me.
There was nothing quiet about the scene waiting for me in the common area.The men were seated around Vasi’s kitchen table, engaged in a heated card game that appeared to be more about posturing than playing. Nox was loudly swearing in his native tongue—seemingly regardless of victory or defeat—while Konstantin volleyed back with wildly imaginative insults of his own.
Since nobody can throw shade like a couple of Russians.
“Chtob tebe deti v’sup srali!”
“Chtob u tebya hui vo lbu vyros!”
Despite all the curses about children shitting in soup or dicks growing on foreheads, Margo calmly existed amidst the chaos—nestled against her human’s side as she smiled serenely at the action.
It probably helps that Nox dropped his personal vendetta.
Catching my eye, the Rusalka covertly tilted her chin toward the far wall. Following her gaze, I found Jarilo seated in what would have been the icon corner—had Vasi believed in anything but the old gods. His eyes closed as if he were resting, which struck me as odd, since Marena had explained they didn’t really need to sleep or eat. Either way, I sensed he was perfectly aware of his surroundings.
Like a predator laying in wait.
Knowing I had little hope of sneaking up, I grabbed a handful of berries from a bowl as I passed the table, tossing them at the god as I approached and smirking as a large one bounced off his forehead.
Jar’s lips twisted in a smile, his eyelids opening a crack. “Are youfinallyflirting with me, swan?”
“Maybe.” I grinned in return, stopping directly in front of him. “I thought I’d try communicating in a language you understand, and as I don’t speak Neanderthal…”
My words ended on a shriek as his arms shot out faster than I could react, wrapping around my waist and yanking me into his lap.
“Oh,Anhel,”he growled, nipping my earlobe. “If words ever fail us, I will gladly tell you all my secrets with my face buried between your thighs again.”
My breath caught as I recalled the feel of his wicked tongue.“Allyour secrets?” I whispered.
He stiffened, and I knew I’d hit upon a boundary of some sort. While I assumed Rena respectfully stayed out of her brother’s head, I’d caught enough of her concerned glances lately to become slightly worried myself.
What could stress out a god?
“Jarilo,” I cautiously began, deciding to steer the conversation to something that might cheer him up. “I’ve been wondering what I need to do—what’s required of me—if I were to become your consort. For both you and Rena…”
If he’d shut down before, the open expression of pure shock on his handsome face now was almost laughable. All at once, I realized his haughty insistence that I would inevitably be his was covering up a deep-rooted fear of rejection.
Godly men and earthly men aren’t so different after all.
“You…” he finally rasped, adorably lost for words. “You’d honor me—honorus—by becoming our consort?”
It was my turn to stammer, feeling a horrifying blush heat my cheeks. “Well, I don’t know how much of anhonorit is.You know, since I’m not a god, like you two—”
Jarilo gripped my chin, cutting off my words and forcing me to look at him. “It makes no difference if you’re a god,” he fiercely hissed. “I didn’t care before and I don’t care now. You could be ahuman,and it wouldn’t stop me from wanting to claim every inch of you asmine.”
I like the sound of that…
Because I want to belong to him.
I swallowed hard, unable to tear my gaze away from the glowing brilliance of his. The ruckus from the card game faded to a distant hum as I lost all sense of my surroundings—of anything that wasn’thim.
… and Marena.
