Chapter 68

Anya was sitting on her bed with her head in her hands when Yvan knocked on the door and slipped into her room.

"I hear you killed some people today," he said before crouching down in front of her. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

Tears slipped down Anya"s cheeks as she lifted her head. "I did it so easily, Yvan. Every time I let my magic take over, it lashes out and kills. What kind of magic is that?"

Yvan put his warm hands over her tightly clenched fists. "The kind that"s trying to protect you. You have to take into account the only times you let it take charge is when you"re being hurt or attacked. Magic is not evil. It"s the most neutral force in the world. It"s what"s inside of you that influences it."

"I know, Yvan, and I use it to kill people. Maybe that"s what"s inside of me!" she admitted, her worst fear exploding out of her. The firebird"s flames rose out of Yvan"s hands and curled around her arms, trying to soothe her.

"I"ve seen real evil, Anya, and trust me, you"re not it," he reassured her.

Anya looked into his eyes, fire dancing in them. "I"m scared, Yvan. It"s not just about closing the gates, it"s about what I"m becoming. I"m not chosen one material. I"m going to disappoint everyone when I can"t be that person for them."

"Fuck everyone," Yvan said, making her eyes go wide in surprise. "I"m serious, Anya. That"s their bullshit expectations that you are not responsible for. You have nothing to do with the supernatural world, you never started the fight between the Illumination and the Darkness. You aren"t responsible for cleaning it up."

Anya"s hands tightened over his. "But what if I am? What if this is my destiny?"

"Tuoni told you the firebird egg was your destiny, and here I am," Yvan replied with a teasing smile. "This is the only destiny you need to be worried about as far as I"m concerned."

"You"re right, Vanya. I blame you entirely for this mess you dragged me into." Anya laughed as he cringed.

"I hate that nickname," he muttered.

"Too bad, you"re stuck with it now," she replied. She took out Ilya"s knife to show him. "Do you think the firebird can tell me if this is magical?"

Yvan sat down beside and took the knife from her, sliding out to examine the blade. His eyes flamed bright, and he said in a voice not quite his own, "The blade is tied to the gates by the blood that"s fed the steel. The blood of your ancestors resides in it, and it"s all about blood and power in the end."

Yvan sheathed the blade again and passed it back to her. Anya"s magic purred in her veins as she touched the bear"s head on the pommel, and she quickly put it back in her bag.

"I learned something else today. Aramis knew Yanka," she said.

Yvan blew out frustrated a breath. "That makes a lot of sense."

"What do you mean?"

"I"ve been going over his sudden appearance and eagerness to win you over. The Twins said the álfr keep to themselves, so why would one turn up and do everything he could for you? It"s not just about you closing the gates and foiling the plans of the Darkness," Yvan explained and shook his head. "No. Aramis has a secret. Something that he feels he needs to atone for."

"You can"t possibly know that. He may have been friends with Yanka and wants to help out her clueless descendant."

Yvan gave her a patient look. "If that was the case, he would have said it in the beginning. He"s carrying shame for something, and once you find out what, then you"ll know why he wants to help you."

"Shit." Anya flopped backward onto the bed. "Do you think I can still trust him?"

"For the moment, while he"s helpful. I suppose he"ll prove in the long term what his motivations really are."

"Let me close the gates first, then I"ll corner him and get out of him what the hell he is hiding," Anya replied. She liked Aramis, and the thought he was using her hit her in the ribs where it hurt.

"Good idea. You need to try and sleep, Anya. Don"t worry about the gates too much. I"m sure you and your magic will know what to do when the time comes," Yvan assured her. As he gave her hand one last squeeze, the firebird dropped one of its flames to dance along her hand. Anya gasped as it melted into her skin and a small drop of its magic raced in her veins. It was like ancient wildfire and adrenaline, the freedom of skies and worlds pulsing inside of her.

"He says it"s for luck," Yvan said, eyes wide.

Anya got up in a rush and put her arms around him, pressing her face into the firebird on his chest. "Thank you. I"m honored to have some of your power with me."

Yvan"s arms tightened around her. "We"re always going to be here for you, Anya, to whatever end. Both of us."

In the heartof the forest, Vasilli crouched down and touched the burned-out husks that remained of his men. He knew without reading the feel of her magic that it was Anya"s doing.

She"s getting stronger, Vasilli mused and smiled a little.

Serge failing to retrieve her in Paris had irritated him even as the footage of her intrigued him. He had wanted to strip the magic out of her, but the ease with which she was killing made him rethink that. If he could turn her to his side, maybe she would be more useful as another soldier in his coup against Ladislav. It would all depend on how willing she was to serve him. If she wasn"t, he would take her power anyway. His phone rang, and he groaned before answering it.

"Tell me what"s happening," Ladislav demanded. "I sent you to the gates to monitor them, but I just got a separate message from Sven to say that they have been in distress all day. Explain yourself, Vasilli."

"Sven wouldn"t know what gates in distress would look like," Vasilli said, making a mental note to slit the fucker"s throat as soon as he could. "I didn"t call you because there was no need to. Anya and Yvan have arrived with the Illumination in tow, and I"ve been scouting their numbers. Unless you want to break your precious treaty, you are going to have to let me handle this my way."

"No, I"m coming to you. This is too important for you to fuck up, and I don"t trust you not to do everything you can to get me the firebird. He"s your brother after all," Ladislav snapped and hung up. Vasilli fought not to slam the phone into the nearest tree.

"Fuck," he growled out between his teeth. He had planned on letting out the magical shields smothering his power and taking Anya and Yvan while they were busy with the gates. Then flush with magic, he was going to go back to Moscow and tear Ladislav apart.

Vasilli wasn"t ready to reveal his true power to Ladislav, and now he had to keep it buried and watch as the old bastard took his prize. Vasilli wouldn"t stand for that. He would let Anya shut the gates before he allowed Ladislav to have their power. He could always get the gate keeper power to go to him when he had her.

Vasilli cursed the Sudjaye for weaving such bullshit into his destiny. Every time he got close to victory, they fucked him.

Change your destiny. Be the wolf, his mother"s voice whispered to him. Vasilli tried to clear his head and the rage from his heart. If Ladislav was no longer trusting him, he would need a shadow cloak to protect him from getting stabbed in the back as soon as he arrived.

"Be the wolf," he murmured.

Vasilli pulled his knife from his belt, cut his palm, and drew a blood circle on the forest floor. Then he sat inside of it and let his power wash out of him to gather the shadows he would need to protect him.