Page 7 of A Song of Saints and Swans
My only comparable relationship was with Vasi—before her fated mates came along, of course. But that friendship was more of a fierce loyalty built on shared loneliness and circumstances, displayed via an almost sisterly exasperation.
Which is not howthisfeels…
Marena nodded once, her green eyes locked on my violet ones. “Very well. You’ve been summoned to the shores of the Baltic Sea, where you’ll finally learn who your father was.” She paused, as if gauging my mental state before continuing, “And as it isn’t clear who—or what—awaits you there, I simply felt more comfortable ifbothJarilo and I came along.”
I released a shaky exhale but nodded resolutely, grateful for the offer of bodyguards. “So that’s why we’re all traveling north.”
Rena’s signature mischief returned. “Yes, and no. I wasn’t being completely untruthful with Gerard.Velja Nocis tomorrow, so you’ll first be joining us to celebrate the new year alongside the few humans who still follow the old ways. Not a terrible way to start a journey, I’d say. And it’s high time you had a little fun.”
Forgotten Gods
MARENA
Slavic mythology was cyclical, with deities, traditions, and festivals based on agriculture and the changing seasons. It’s why the Nav was an underworld of lush fields for all who passed on, as opposed to the parched, burning wasteland awaiting the supposed unworthy in the West.
Why humans prefer eternal damnation over equality in death is beyond me.
Of course, more concepts were taken from pagans than the afterlife, with countless practices and beliefs being repurposed to fit the messaging of western religions.
They turned us minor gods into saints—a solution meant to ground us while maintaining us as “other.” The most revered god in our pantheon, Perun, was changed into the monotheistic God, while Veles, ruler of the underworld, became the evil Satan.
And here’s the old devil now.
“Greetings, brats,” Veles chuckled, materializing from his willow tree to tower over us. He was dressed for the occasion—resplendent in shimmering robes, with his oversized ram’s horns catching the light from his fiery gaze.
I rolled my eyes at his dramatic entrance before turning back to the bonfire being built by a group of humans in the middle of the sacred grove.
Despite my lofty claim that the ever-impressive Perun had invited Anthia,Velja Noc—translated as Great Night—was Veles’ time to shine. The old dog gladly left his reclusive lifestyle for one night every year, to mingle with the believers.
Not that there are many left nowadays.
“Oh, it feels fucking glorious to shed this silly human glamor,” Jarilo groaned, dropping his head back as two large golden horns appeared among his curls.
I couldn’t stop my gaze from appreciatively roaming over their length as my own sky-blue pair unfurled atop my head. Luckily, some celebrated this holiday as if it were modern-day Halloween, so any inhuman features we revealed would be dismissed as extremely believable costumes.
Or as the byproduct of too much vodka.
Anthia awkwardly cleared her throat behind us. “Um, since when do you two have… horns?”
With a smile twitching my lips, I turned to find her eyeing our appendages with surprise and a darker emotion that looked good on her.
Hunger.
Arching a saucy brow, I gracefully twirled, releasing just enough frost to make the air around me sparkle. The wide grin she rewarded me with made my breath catch, and it was all I could do to tamp down the way my body responded to her.
This isn’t the time, Marena.
And it won’t ever be.
My sweet little dove had already suffered much in her brief life. While I hadn’t known Anthia prior to her time at the Facility, I suspected the version I saw now was a shadow of her radiant former self.
The rare moments she allowed herself to freely experience joy, wonder, and happiness made me want to help her rediscover these gifts—so she’d never lose herself again.
More than anything, I wanted her to enjoy herself tonight.
She deserves to feel whole.
“Well, mysymbolicconsort for the night,” Jarilo teased, stroking a horn suggestively. “We normally keep theseimpressiveattributes hidden, so as not to risk a dick-measuring contest with another god.” He threw a withering glance at Veles, who purposefully kept his horns on full display at all times—and knew exactly what he was doing.
