Valek’s eyes narrowed. “And who was your liege?”
“My what?”
“The one who created you? Who made you this way?”
“I don’t have a
liege
,” Nikolai said sarcastically. “I don't know who made me this way. I’ve always had some ability. I just didn’t have a place to belong. My parents had no idea. And then we were all attacked.” Nikolai’s voice dropped on the last word, as if it was supposed to hold some significance for Valek.
Ears shrieked high above them. Valek’s eyes widened. Charlotte suspected it was upon seeing something of importance within Nikolai’s mind, finally.
“You woke in the Regime?” he asked. “How did a newly formed Fledgling end up in such a place as that?” Valek’s eyes slanted, almost moving back and forth as though he were studying the vision before him. Searching. “That’s odd, though. I’m not seeing anyone I was hoping to see.”
Nikolai crossed his arms over his chest. “Who were you hoping to see?” His voice carried that heavily sarcastic tone again.
“We think he killed who you were hoping to see,” Mr. Třínožka butted in.
Valek fell utterly still as he continued to study the boy’s face. “Do I know you?”
Nikolai shrugged and looked past Valek. “I don’t think so. I don’t see how you could, being that I thought I was
human
before all of this. Being whatever I am comes with some interesting perks, though. Having insight into everyone’s mind. You get to learn a lot.”
So he
could
read minds, Charlotte deduced.
“What I
do
know is that I am famished, and at the risk of snacking on your girlfriend, or whatever she is to you, I’m wondering if there’s any food inside that hut. Any food. I’m not picky.”
Charlotte lifted her eyebrow at this. As a matter of fact, so did Valek.
Valek cleared his throat. “Yes. Yes, of course. But I caution against using much magic in these woods. There are eyes and ears everywhere, and I imagine they are sniffing the place out for beings like us.”
The falcon cawed eerily again and it made Charlotte’s stomach lurch. The more noise it made, the less and less she liked the thing.
“You’re coming with me, now.” Valek hoisted her into his arms and began weaving back through the dense alley of trees from where he’d come. “I’m not letting you out of my sight again.”
She didn’t answer. She merely proceeded to study him. He looked as magnificent as in every single one of her nightmares. The sun did something to the unnatural fairness of his skin, and the electric color of his eyes, somehow magnifying the effect they had. She could see every crack of every scar from his battles at the Regime. They were normally cleverly hidden in the shadows. Thinking he was handsome was not enough of an accurate description. God, or the devil—or whoever was truly responsible for Valek’s existence—had no idea what they’d created. The world’s most threatening thing. The most dangerous predator. And he belonged to her.
Valek gazed down at her, a small, somber smile playing in his eyes as he regarded her, though his mouth remained in a serious, straight line.
“How can you think of me in such a way?” He spoke quietly as he ambled through the afternoon, the reaching tree branches casting wicked shadows, like veins, over his face. “After everything I have done to you. After everything I have put you through, you still adore me?” The expression on his face was distorted, almost sickened even. “You should
hate
me.”
Charlotte averted her gaze. Of course she could never hate him. No matter what happened, that would be impossible. But she was still very angry and wanted to change the subject. She didn’t need to cease her anger in order to adore him. It was automatic. Involuntary.
“You should hate me, Lottie.” He returned to the argument. “Do you even comprehend what I’ve caused? I’ve broken every promise I’ve ever made to you.”
“It’s not exactly your fault,” she offered quietly, still not looking at him. Even though she agreed, she wanted to keep the peace for now. “You assumed you were doing the right thing.”
“It is!” Charlotte could have sworn she saw him blink back a wash of red in his eyes. “You’ll never realize it, Charlotte. You’re far too forgiving. You’re naïve.”
“Only when it comes to you.”
“That’s the problem.
I’m the one you should be the least forgiving with!
” His tone was beginning to build, get angrier.
“What do you want me to say? That it’s because of what you did I will never be the same? That I can never forgive you, and I never want to see your face again? Can we please change the subject? How did you know I was coming? How did Mr. Třínožka and Edwin know where to go?”
“Baba Yaga told me to go outside and wait at the start of her clearing. I suspect Mr. Třínožka’s knowing where to take you was her doing as well. She’s very powerful. She said my constant whining was driving her mad, so she sent me out. I didn’t mind. I couldn’t remain in her stuffy little hut any longer.”
Charlotte grimaced. “Who?”
Valek laughed slightly, though the sound was hollow. “Someone you’re going to meet. She’s an ally.” He thought for a minute. “For the most part.”
Charlotte wondered what that meant.
“Sarah is there, waiting for us as well. They are devising a plan.”
“For what?”
“To find the Dark City. Abelim. I need to find Francis. We believe he will know someone who will know how to fix you.”
Charlotte clenched her teeth. That never failed to make her blood boil. “You don’t need to fix me,” she muttered.
Valek sighed, but fell silent. She guessed he didn’t want to argue anymore. He carried her gracefully, though at a human pace, through the dense forest. Upon emerging through the winding maze of trees, Charlotte saw that they had ended up on a steep hillside that plunged down into a narrow valley of large chunks of the blue-stoned mountain that surfaced from the white sea of snow. Gray moss hung from the low-growing branches, like cobwebs on the trunks of the impossibly tall, thin trees that stretched up to the afternoon sun. The hut was just a few moments up ahead. She wondered what time it was.
“Nine,” Valek answered warmly, glancing down at her with a fleeting though devastating smile that made her pulse flutter.
Her teeth chattered. She wound her fingers around material of his coat, burying her nose in it. Valek stopped walking.
“Cold?” he asked, though he didn’t wait for her to answer.
Swiftly, he set her down, her bare feet sinking into the deep, wet snow. She hugged her arms tightly to herself, though she was more focused on the surrounding beauty than her own condition.
Quickly, he shrugged his coat off his shoulders and wrapped it around her before sweeping her back up in his arms again. “We’ll be at the Witch’s house in moments. I’ll run.”
“No!” she blurted out, and he looked at her expectantly. “No, it’s okay. I haven’t been outside in weeks, and I’m sort of enjoying it. Thanks for your coat.” Charlotte’s eyes instantly welled up with the thought of the past days, though she aggressively swallowed her tears down into the pit of her stomach.
It’s time to fight now
, she reminded herself.
Valek’s brow furrowed as he hugged her tighter. He kissed her forehead and kept walking forward at the same pace he had been keeping. Charlotte swore that maybe he even slowed his walking further.
She glanced up at the forest canopy. The dead, gray tree branches looked like streams of veins under the surface of the sky’s pale complexion. The clouds were heavy with the waiting snowfall. Massive rock faces lined the forests to their left and right, towering several yards to the sky. The only sound was the slight wind causing the remaining snow to sprinkle down from the higher branches. It was so odd how linked the human world was to her. She thought of poor Nikolai, behind them, swept into all the chaos and danger against his will. Mortal and magic. Funny that she didn’t empathize much with him. If anyone on the outside ever asked her if she was human, her initial response would be ‘no’. It was a mere reflex, because for her entire life, she’d never felt that way.
“That’s why I will always love you, Lottie,” Valek whispered.
“Why? Because I belong everywhere and nowhere? Because I am the world’s outcast?” She huffed.
“Because you are different from anyone else who exists on this planet. Because you belong with me and only with me.” He pressed his nose to the top of her head and inhaled deeply.
Bitterness bubbled up within her, and she swallowed the acid that filled her mouth, hoping he hadn’t heard that reaction in her mind. She couldn’t help it. Once again, everything changed, and even the feeling of being carried in his arms made her queasy. She tried to focus on the forest, until eventually they started up the footpath that wound up a grassy knoll. It was edged off by various lanterns. The morning light twinkled off the frosted glass. “Chicken legs?” she asked Valek, noticing the home’s foundation again.
“Baba Yaga is the oldest enchantress in the world, and one of the most famous legends. She sees everything. She knows a lot. She is very powerful.” His voice grew quieter with every step they drew nearer to the front door. “She is the wood hag who eats mortal children for their youth, to keep herself alive. Her house moves at her whim. No one can trace her. No one gets close.”
The door swung open, as if she’d caught the very last syllable of Valek’s final word. The band of magical misfits entered into the dank and gloomy cottage. Charlotte’s eyes barely had time to adjust as Sarah ran up to her.
“Charlotte! Are you all right? I’ve been so worried! Valek, the Madame and I were just coming to discuss her idea when you all arrived. She has a plan. I think we will see the gates of Abelim sooner than you think,” she said before flitting off into the far room, where Charlotte could see there was a fire going. From behind them, she could hear Ears cawing violently outside the hut.
“Wh-what’s the matter with him?” Edwin asked Nikolai.
“I don’t know,” Nikolai said quietly.
Valek set Charlotte feet-first on the floor. His hand remained at the small of her back. “Are you all right to walk?”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “I think I’ll be fine,” she said bitterly. She’d been fine enough during the time he’d left her.
“Come in, mortal.” What she assumed was the hag’s twisted voice beckoned to her. “I wish to see you.
Charlotte led the group into the room with the roaring fire. She saw the Witch in the corner sipping tea. She sat in the tallest chair, made from vines and tree branches. Even in all of her ancient lines and cavernous wrinkles she was lovely in a way—put together, from the jet piece in her silver hair to the turquoise and moonstone bangles at her wrist.
“Come here, dear. Sit here,” she instructed. “Wait while I pull up your chair.” This was quite literal. As she made a lifting gesture with one of her bony hands, a new chair seemed to grow from the floorboards, larger leaves collecting at the bottom to cushion the seat.
Charlotte turned to look at Valek, who nodded that it was all right. She walked forward a few paces and sat down.
Baba Yaga eyed her sympathetically, her sweeping eyelashes batting as she grabbed one of Charlotte’s hands in both of hers. She patted the top of it. “How are you, darling?”
Charlotte frowned. “I’m fine.” She attempted to take her hand back, but the Witch refused to release it. There was a sudden, sharp prick at her index finger, which caused her to cry out. At last, Baba Yaga released her, revealing a tiny pin and a vial she was concealing in the other hand.
“You should be more wary of clever magicians, mortal. It seems you get yourself ensnared in the trap far too often.” She wagged her finger and dripped the droplets of stolen blood into a nearby beaker of water. She watched Charlotte’s blood steep as the others gathered around as well. “For those of you wondering,” she announced to the room in her rustic voice, “a blood reading will give me a faster and more accurate knowledge of her true fate. While a tea leaf reading is good,” she glanced toward Sarah, “it is not always the most accurate, and it is easy to misinterpret.”
Sarah
harrumphed
and put her hands on her hips.
Charlotte glanced at Nikolai to gauge his reaction to the fresh smell of her blood hitting the air. She noticed Valek’s eyes were already black, but could tell it was just a natural reaction and not anything that actually bothered him. Instead of thirsting for the dripping mortality at her fingertip, she found Nikolai chomping into a big one of Baba Yaga’s crumpets. She’d left a plate of them cooling on the coffee table. He wasn’t joking when he’d said he was hungry. She guessed he really was still mostly human.
“Charlotte,” Valek murmured, his eyebrows lifting, “do you need anything? Do you have any truffles with you?”
“It was just a finger prick, Valek. I’m fine,” Charlotte mumbled.
“We have to wait for her blood to dye the water completely.” she said, sitting back in her seat. “Sarah and I were just discussing your options, Valek. One of which you already know. You can change her and be done with it. Your problems will virtually cease. However, her soul will be as damned as your own.”
“No,” Valek responded automatically. Charlotte sank further into her chair.
“Or we can perform a trade. What you seek and what I seek are the same.”
“What’s that, Madame Yaga?” Sarah leaned in eagerly.
“Here we go,” Mr. Třínožka grumbled.
“What Charlotte needs is a tangible object that lives in the bowels of the capital city. It holds more power than I can describe, and he who possesses it upholds the power of plenty. Centuries ago, it belonged to one hierarchy—the Parliament. That was when this world existed with balance. Peace is a myth. But balance was something that was once real. This item was constructed by ancient darkness; the frame carved of gold and the metals of scarab’s wings, the glass made from the waters of the Nile in Egypt, frozen in the harshest winters of Arctica. Crusted with enchanted jet and onyx by the oldest sorcerers and spells. It was made to give the dark forces a choice they never had—to return to mortality. To become human again. It was built to undamn the soul.”