Page 49 of A Song of Saints and Swans
I racked my brain for any nuggets of wisdom to help in my current situation, but quickly realized talismans and riddles would do me little good. Right now, I just needed to get the fuck out of this forest alive.
My brain grew foggy with what I assumed was dehydration and exhaustion, and I vaguely wondered if I’d gotten turned around somehow. The surrounding forest was eerily quiet, and the lack of moonlight made it difficult to see, butsomethingwas standing in the shadows up ahead, blocking my path. Something was waiting for me—calling to me.
A woman.
Corpse Reviver No. 2
KONSTANTIN - 5 YEARS EARLIER
She was the most beautiful thing I ever saw. Working at an infamous absinthe bar only accessible through a Chinese takeout restaurant meant that not much impressed me, but from the moment she arrived, I couldn’t take my eyes off of her.
The rest of her group comprised the typical party girls who always got past the doorman—all short skirts and cosmetically enhanced faces—but she had an almost wholesome look that made me wonder why the hell she was even in a place like this.
“What can I get you,lisichka?”I smiled as she approached the bar, the nickname for “little fox” slipping past my tongue before I could stop it.
She blushed, her cheeks turning almost as red as her hair. “Oh! Um, well, I don’t really know. I’ve never tried absinthe before…” Nibbling her bottom lip, her gaze swept over the various bottles behind me before drifting to where her friends had already taken over a couch. She was clearly out of her element, both in setting and company.
I hummed thoughtfully. If I had to guess, she’d been dragged along on a work outing with people she barely knew who thought drinking absinthe made them adventurous. To me, it was just another ingredient for a delicious cocktail, and I decided to make it my personal mission to show this woman she could not only handle it, but that maybe she needed to find some more interesting friends.
And give me her number while she’s at it.
“All right,” I replied, resting my elbows on the bar and bringing her attention back to me. “Tell me your name and what you normally drink. I’ll take care of you tonight.”
The woman laughed, and I immediately knew I needed to hear that sound again. “Is giving the bartender my name part of the recipe?” She already looked more at ease as she slid onto the bar stool in front of me, her floral summer dress sliding up her thighs distractingly. “I’m Margo, and I usually order margaritas, to be honest.”
Margo likes margaritas. Perfect.
“Well then, the Corpse Reviver No. 2 will be right up your alley.” It was my turn to laugh as her adorable nose wrinkled in disgust. “Trust me, Margo. It’s a strong one, but extremely tasty,” I purred, grabbing the gin and getting to work.
Flirting with customers was part of the bartender gig, but right now, I felt like a giddy teenager with how fired up I was. Margo was the epitome of a fresh-faced natural beauty. That gorgeous red hair of hers was practically glowing in the dimly lit bar, drawing me in like a moth to the flame. She smelled fresh and floral, and my brain actually felt like it was short-circuiting as I simultaneously imagined opening the car door for herandspreading her legs so I could bury my face between her thighs.
Shit, I need to get a hold of myself.
“I’m Konstantin,” I smiled at her again, realizing I’d been staring like an idiot. “And I’ve been working here long enough to recognize when a fish out of water walks into my bar.” I canted my head toward the obnoxious gaggle of girls on the couch who hadn’t even noticed her absence. “So, what’s the story there?”
Margo blinked in surprise, apparently unfamiliar with the fact that bartenders were also part-time psychics and therapists. “It’s that obvious, huh?” I nodded, and she sighed. “Lana’s an old friend from college in town on a girl’s weekend. When she asked if I could show her and her friends around, I agreed, but… it’s been a long day.” She paused to warily watch me shake the ingredients before adding, “We’re just not the same people we were back then, you know?”
Straining her drink into a glass, I added an orange wedge before sliding it across the bar. I wanted to ask if she’d been more of a party girl in college or ifLanaused to be more like her. Actually, I wanted to know everything about Margo, but swallowed down my invasive questions in favor of watching her reaction to the cocktail. I was rewarded for my restraint when she took a sip and released a moan of enjoyment that was downright sinful.
Ok, I’ve changed my mind.
THAT is the sound I want to hear again.
Lullaby
RUSALKA
Sensing a human male nearby, I began to sing, allowing the wordless melody to build in my throat and tumble out from between my jagged teeth. The wind carried the mesmerizing notes like an accomplice, coiling around my victim, cinching tighter as I lured him in.
I heard the snap of a twig underfoot as he came to a stop, obediently waiting to be collected. Despite my enhanced eyesight, the moonless night offered little light, cloaking the man before me in shadow. Something about him gave me pause, but as he was already under my thrall, he posed no threat to me.
All that matters is how he tastes.
Still singing, I turned on my heel and started leading the dazed man toward my pond. I was already fantasizing about how I’d toy with him once we arrived—how satiated I would be by the time I was done. Rusalka may be predators, but we were women first. The instinctual desire I had for the opposite sex—especially those of a certain build, with facial hair—was deeply rooted in me for reasons I couldn’t explain. In the end, the men I chose were willing victims, and were always given the choice of a swift death or a night of sinful depravity before their demise.
And the latter usually won out.
We reached the edge of the pond and I surveyed the surrounding mossy beds, deciding where I would thoroughly enjoy my catch before drowning him in the depths. My concentration was broken as I realized the man was standing too close behind me—his hand lightly caressing my hair as he invaded my space.
