Chapter 26

On the other side of the forest, a hunter hid in the long grass. Katya brushed aside a piece of her shaggy black fringe and focused on the deer through the trees. Her eyes narrowed as she aimed and fired. The deer bucked once and fell. She lowered the bow and straightened. One-shot. One kill. That was the rule.

Come home, Yakaterina, her sister"s voice echoed through her head.

I am hunting.

We have trouble. Katya knew that tone and was suddenly fully alert, moving quickly, leaving the kill where it lay.

What have you seen?she asked, already running.

Strangers are coming. They are going to need your help. Dark forces are hunting them. Get home as quick as you can. Baba Zosia has seen them too.

I"ll be there soon, she said, quickening her pace.

It took Katya less than an hour to get back to the camp. Painted wooden caravans formed a circle hidden amongst the oak and pines. Children playing within the circle were being watched by the women at the cooking fires. The smell of smoke, red paprika, and other spices filled the air, and old men playing chess were arguing loudly.

Katya greeted everyone by name as she passed and quickly sent a few young men back for her deer. Winter was coming, and the meat needed to be dried and stored. Katya ran up the wrought-iron steps of her sister"s caravan and pushed her way through the heavy red curtains.

"Aleksandra?" she called.

Her sister stood by the small stove boiling water for tea. They both had olive skin, burgundy lips, and black hair, but Aleksandra was more beautiful. Her ebony hair reached her waist in full shining curls. Her features were softer, fuller, and more delicate. Her eyes were a vibrant blue, and they saw far into the future. Katya was shorter, thinner with jade eyes, stronger, faster, and blunter in her manners. A thin white scar cut through her left eye and was hidden by her fringe.

"What"s so important?" Katya asked.

Aleksandra frowned at Katya"s boots covered with mud that she failed to take off, a line of muck covering her clean mats.

"I had a vision. I saw a small group traveling quickly with a black cloud following them. There"s a woman with fair hair and has magic pouring from her. You need to help them. Bring them here if you have to. The woman is important somehow, but I can"t see how," she said, scooping sugar into one delicate teacup and a large metal mug. "Baba Zosia came to me because she had the same vision. She looked nervous."

"What"s hunting them? Please tell me it"s a big monster because I"m getting bored hunting animals," Katya said. "I"ve been sitting around Skazki for too long."

Aleksandra frowned, and Katya felt a lecture burning on the tip of her sister"s tongue. "There"s something evil on their trail. Just because you enjoy the fight, Yakaterina, doesn"t mean you should be craving it."

"I can if I want, little mother. What"s the point of wasting the gifts the gods have given me? You see the monsters, and I kill them. That"s how it works."

"The gifts should only be used to protect the tribe, Katya. That"s why we inherited them. If father were alive, I"m sure he would tell you the same," Aleksandra said, pouring out the steaming tea.

"If father were alive, he would still be cursing his luck that I was born a girl instead of a boy," Katya snapped. "I"m a warrior; that is my gift. I"ll use it the way I want."

The little kitchen was suddenly silent and crowded. Aleksandra sighed and handed Katya her mug.

"You don"t have much time, drink your tea, and go find them. I"m hoping Baba Zosia can help the woman control her magic before she hurts herself and others."

Katya rolled her eyes. Aleksandra"s gifts included compassion. If there were a baby bird within a hundred kilometers with a broken wing, she would find it and spend weeks tending to it until it could fly away, leaving her weeping with joy. Katya would have hit it over the head. A killer and a healer living under the same roof wasn"t always easy.

"Did you see what I"m meant to be hunting? Just so I have some kind of idea of what weapons to take," Katya asked, sipping her tea.

"I couldn"t see what it was exactly," Aleksandra said, her brows together in frustration. "But it was big, and it had great wings if that helps? They aren"t far away. You should encounter them by this afternoon."

"I"ll see you at dawn at the latest. Or if I get killed, not at all." Katya barked out a laugh when she saw her sister"s worried face.

"I don"t understand your humor some days, Katya," Aleksandra sighed.

"There"s a lot you don"t understand about me, sor?. Don"t worry so much, I"m not dead yet." Katya winked at her and disappeared out the door.

Anya drifted backinto consciousness as the light was fading in the trees. Trajan was carrying her, his profile glowing in the afternoon sun. It was the nicest sight Anya had woken up to in a long time.

"What happened? Put me down," she said groggily.

"We tried that, and you toppled over. Can you feel your toes again?" he asked. Anya tried to move and couldn"t. Hot panic rolled through her.

"I can"t… I can"t move. Trajan put me down. I"m going to be sick," she said.

Trajan set her down on the ground. She threw up green bile streaked with blood until she could throw up no more.

"Here, Anya, try and drink," Cerise said, helping to wash her face and drink from a water bottle. "Trajan, we have to get those thorns out of her and soon."

"I"m going to kill Vasilli," Anya groaned.

Once she was cleaned up, Trajan had her back up in his arms. He smiled even though his eyes were filled with worry.

"I"m sorry if I smell like vomit," she murmured as they walked. "I"m dying, aren"t I?"

"No," he said, his arms tightening.

Anya huffed out a laughed. "Liar."

"This is some trick of Vasilli"s to hinder us. When we get a little further, we"ll find a safe place to get the thorns out," he said, his jaw clenching.

"Doesn"t feel like a trick." Anya shut her eyes, trying to focus on his smell and warmth to steady her. "When I was little, I hated it when you left."

"I didn"t leave. I was sent away," Trajan replied.

"I"m sorry I forgot you."

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Anya. We have fifteen years to catch up on. I intend to make sure that we do just that," he replied, his eyes filled with determination.

Anya tried to smile, her face the only part she could still move. "You"ve gotten better looking with age."

"What lies. I"ve always been this good looking." Trajan frowned playfully. "Are you trying to flirt with me right now?"

"I need the distraction from dying. It might be the only time I have left to flirt."

Trajan laughed softly, shaking his head. "You"re not going to die. Rest now. You can try and flirt with me later."

"There will be no trying," Anya said, but curled into him and let the swaying movement ease her.

"Izrayl has found a suitable place to stop," Yvan interrupted them, his warm hand brushing over Anya"s forehead.

"Don"t look so worried, Tsarevich. You"re not getting rid of me this easily," Anya said, her voice cracking.

"You wouldn"t be you if you did anything the easy way," he replied.

Trajan set her down on soft grass near a stream. Cerise was beside her in seconds, inspecting her hand.

"Are you a doctor?" Anya asked as Cerise took her coat off.

"I"ve had some medical training as a nurse. It makes it easier to get into hospitals." Cerise looked at Anya"s hand and followed the tendrils up her arm and down her side. "This looks like your blood is poisoned, so if we can get the thorns out of you and stop the infection, your body might be strong enough to heal the rest."

"You mean cut them from her?" Yvan asked.

"It"s either that, or Anya worsens and possibly dies."

Izrayl appeared through the trees before he transformed into a naked man. If she was going to die, Anya decided it wasn"t the worst thing to look at as she did. Trajan tossed him a pair of jeans, and Izrayl pulled them on.

"I don"t know why I need to bother. I"m just going to have to take them off in a minute," he complained.

"Anya is suffering enough. She doesn"t need the additional shock of your dick swinging about," Cerise said. She pulled out a wicked-looking knife from her bag.

"Maybe Anya needs the distraction," Anya squeaked, staring at the blade.

Trajan put a hand on Izrayl"s bicep, stopping him from undoing his jeans. "Don"t even think about it."

Izrayl grinned. "Party pooper."

"You"ll have to help hold her in case the paralysis is some kind of magic, only messing with her head," Cerise said to Trajan before turning back to Anya. "Can you feel it when I touch your hand?"

Anya watched her poke the scars, but there was no sensation. "No, nothing."

"Then let"s hope you don"t feel the knife and the thorns don"t try and fight back," Cerise replied.

Trajan sat down on the other side of Anya and pulled her close. "I"m sorry for the pain this may cause," he whispered, his lips brushing her ear.

Anya shut her eyes and nodded. "I"m ready. Cut the fucking things out."