Page 27 of A Song of Saints and Swans
At least the hut noticed.
Vasi, Asa, and Nox waited until theizbasettled itself to the ground before joining Tan on the porch—like sane people—but the loudest Rider wasn’t done.
“And hellothere,gorgeous…”he sang, waggling his fingers at the oddly frightened Rusalka once again peering out from around her human.
To my amusement, the perpetually friendly Konstantin narrowed his eyes. “Are you seriouslyflirtingwith my girl right in front of me?”
True to form, Vasi’s Bright Dawn winked in return. “Oh, sailor, I wasn’t flirting withher.”
“Enough, suge,” Asa laughed, lovingly rolling his eyes, entirely accustomed to the ridiculousness of his boyfriend. “Not only is there no room left in our sweet witch’s bed, don’t you think this human looks a bit like… Nox?”
Tan’s handsome face twisted into such a look of disgust, I laughed out loud. “Ugh,” he huffed. “If you were aiming to deflate my enormous boner,Gueneshem,mission accomplished.”
Disaster averted, you mean.
When my gaze drifted to the grumpiest man of the bunch, I was startled to find Nox staring at Margo like she’d gravely offended him.
Which is how he looks at everyone, to be fair.
“I dunno, Vashka,” he rumbled, his dark eyes fixed on the trembling Rusalka. “Isn’t that the one who tried to eat me?”
Vasi coolly swept her gaze over the poor woman, but I caught the tiniest hint of a smile on her lips. “Hmm, yes, I believe it is. I should thank her for trying to take you off my hands. Too bad she gave you back.”Nox rolled his eyes, but simply flopped down onto the porch bench without another word.
Nicely done.
Despite the big dumb one already being put in his place, I still blew out a breath when Marena showed up in a swirl of icy mist. I relaxed further when Jarilo joined her a moment later in a burst of flame. To my surprise, he stumbled a bit upon landing, and I felt a pang of irrational jealousy as I wondered where he’d been all night.
And with whom…
Before my anxiety could get the better of me, the god snapped his attention to where I was standing, striding over and pulling me into his arms with his own relieved sigh.
“I’m… sorry I left,” he quietly murmured, adorably awkward while attempting what may have been his first ever apology. “But I’m back now—refreshed and ready to annoy you.”
He is so bad at this.
“Well, I’ve realized your annoying behavior is the equivalent of a godly mating call, so I’ll manage.” I stifled a smile that only grew when Rena joined us. “And now that your sister has stopped trying to run away, I’d like to get everything out in the open between us…”
I trailed off as Jarilogrimaced,wondering why this idiot insisted on giving me mixed signals.
Maybe he requires a spanking?
Tan zeroed in on the low-key sexual tension with an expert’s precision. “Ooh, the swan’s been busy—”
“We were traveling north,” Vasi easefully interrupted, reminding everyone who wore the pants in their polyamorous quad. “Perhaps you’re headed in the same direction, ‘Thia?”
“I am.” I nodded. “I mean,weare. Another letter arrived… inviting me to the shores of the Baltic Sea.”
Vasi cocked her head, instinctively understanding there was more to the story that I didn’t feel comfortable sharing with everyone.
Including loud-mouthed Riders.
“As myizbahas decided that we should all take the journey together, you’re welcome to join us. Never mind how much faster we could ride our horses to this”—she waved a clawed hand—“distillery we’re investigating outside of Moscow.”
Marena sharply inhaled as I furrowed my brow. Itdidseem odd that the hut would slow everyone down by throwing us all together like this.
Especially when most of us can fly…
“Why are you investigating a distillery?” Konstantin asked with a notable level of intensity. Both Marena and Jarilo had gone eerily still—as if they were awaiting Vasi’s answer as well.
