Ashes of the Firebird (The Firebird Fairytales Book 2) Read online

  “You know you really are crazy.” He tried to look at her angrily and then started laughing as well. She couldn’t remember him laughing for a long time. She had forgotten how it lit up his whole being.

  “You want a drink?” she asked and offered him the bottle from her place on the carpet.

  “I think I do.” He took a long swig before handing it back.

  “You should get drunk with me,” Anya said as she wriggled around and propped her head up on his outstretched legs.

  “Why should I get drunk with you?”

  “Because you never do! I’m always getting drunk and you are always responsible and taking care of me. Remember in that tavern on the edge of Baba Yaga’s forest?”

  “The one where you were picking a fight with some friendly villager?”

  “That’s the one. He was about to hit me, and you broke his face in. You really know how to make me feel guilty when you want to.”

  “Someone has to keep you in line,” he said as he took another drink. She took the bottle from him and had an awkward sip. “Do you want to talk about it?” His hand stroked the hair back from her forehead. That one small gesture was enough to bring tears to her eyes again.

  “What do I do now, Yvan? As if life wasn’t complicated enough, Trajan doesn’t want me and I have to go and save Yanka. Will he even come to America now? He will probably stay in Europe and all I will have is the memories of something I almost found.”

  “I don’t have any answers for you, shalosť. There is nothing I can say that can take that pain from your heart. I would spare you from it if I could.” Anya watched him drink a large mouthful.

  “Why are you so good to me? What the hell did I do to deserve it?” she asked as she gazed up at him.

  “I’m good to you because you saved me from the egg. You need a hero.”

  “I am not a damsel,” she stated firmly.

  “We don’t need to be a damsel in order to need saving occasionally. I’m well acquainted with heartache. I know that pain is better when shared.”

  “Why don’t you ever talk about Helena?”

  “I’m not comfortable speaking about my feelings to anyone.”

  “She betrayed you, didn’t she?”

  “Yes,” Yvan sighed. He took the bottle from her and drank two large mouthfuls.

  “I thought so. She was wrong to do that, Yvan. If she wasn’t already dead I would kill her.”

  “I wouldn’t wish you to mar your soul with such a killing.”

  “I don’t have much of a soul to mar.”

  “If that were true you would not be so heart broken. You carry enough burdens to have to shoulder this as well.”

  “Are you going to tell me that you were right in trying to warn me off Trajan?”

  “No, I’m not. It would add to your pain and I wish to avoid that.”

  “You really are my hero, Prince Yvan. This whole crazy business is eating my mind away.”

  “You should go to bed. You’re exhausted and very drunk.”

  “Very true. Come on then, my hero, help me up.” Yvan got to his feet and assisted her as best he could.

  “Thank you for looking after me,” Anya said as she stood on tiptoes and hugged him around the neck. He smelt like lightning and fire.

  “I will always look after you, Anyanka,” Yvan replied. Anya was crying again as she tilted forwards planting a kiss on his lips. It was only the briefest brush of lips but he pulled back.

  “You need to go to sleep,” he said as he untangled her grip on him.

  “You sound like a baby sitter,” she said and collapsed onto her bed.

  “Stop acting like a baby then.”

  “I am allowed to after this scenario. I couldn’t have fucked it up better if I tried.” Yvan helped tuck her in and then sat down next to her.

  “You could never have known. Don’t blame yourself for this. Trajan was infatuated with you.”

  “I like that, infatuated not love,” she grunted. “You don’t think he loved me?”

  “I believe he thought he did. It’s hard to say. He was infatuated though, we know that for certain, and curious about you because you’re mortal and touched by the supernatural. Perhaps he thought you could be together. He is choosing your safety above any other feeling for you. That is a noble thing to do. I’m sorry that your heart got so involved before he realised it for himself.”

  “I should have known better! God, I thought for a moment…”

  “If anyone is to blame in this whole situation it is Trajan himself!” Yvan said viciously as he ran a hand through his hair. “I warned him not to play games with you because you would end up being the one that is hurt.”

  “He couldn’t have known any of this was going to happen and neither could you.” Anya was surprised how angry Yvan was. If anyone could be calm in a crisis, it was him.

  “I tried to keep my mouth shut and keep out of the whole situation. I shouldn’t have. I should’ve forbidden him from going anywhere near you. I should’ve never taken you to his house in Skazki to begin with!”

  “You couldn’t have forbidden me from doing anything! You don’t own me.”

  “I have more of a right to you than he does! He isn’t the one that owes you his freedom. I should have done my duty and protected you.”

  “You’re jealous that I found someone and you didn’t!” It was a childish stab and Anya knew it.

  “You know that has nothing to do with it, so don’t act like it does. I have had more to worry about lately than finding someone to warm my bed. I have had to take care of you to start with because you obviously don’t know how to take care of yourself.”

  “Now I know why you don’t drink because you become a jerk!”

  “It makes me honest. If you were honest with yourself occasionally you would have realised that getting involved with Trajan could only lead to heartache.”

  “Because you are the big expert,” Anya rolled her eyes.

  “On heartache? Of course I fucking am.” Bitterness and anger radiated off him. She had purposely provoked him to the point that he swore. He swore about as much as he lost his temper and she had made him do both.

  “I’m sorry. I feel like shit and I’m trying to make someone feel as shitty as I do.” She sat up and gave him an awkward hug. He relaxed into it running his long fingers up her arm.

  “I am sorry too. I shouldn’t have said those things about Trajan. You have a right to court whoever you choose but I don’t have to like it.” Anya felt the firebird shifting under Yvan’s skin. The tips of its wing shifted out from the short sleeves of his shirt and twisted around his bicep. “It doesn’t like that you’re so upset.”

  “Really? I didn’t think the firebird liked me very much,” Anya stroked the feathers in one long curl around Yvan’s arm.

  “It loves you,” Yvan said as goose bumps ran along his skin. “It would be sharing your body now if it could. It likes to be able to touch your magic. It wants to touch Aramis but I don’t like the idea of a man stroking my chest.” Anya had to laugh and hugged him tighter.

  “Poor Yvan! The firebird will have to deal with touching only me for a while then, unless that is going to make you uncomfortable as well.” She gave his chest a pat to emphasise her point and she felt warmth build up underneath it. “You would never have to use a blanket again.”

  An emergency light in her head started to try to alert her to the fact that she was still rubbing his chest. She pulled her hand away and she realised that Yvan was looking at her, really looking at her. There was no flicker of the firebird in his eyes but there was heat.

  “I should really let you get some sleep,” he said and she let go of him before curling up under the covers. He stood up and kissed her cheek.

  “I will see you in the morning.”

  Anya nodded, not trusting herself to speak as she watched him turn off her lamp and slip out of the room.

  Chapter Seventeen- Friends, Forest Runs and French Toast

/>   “Lord save us from the drama,” Izrayl said to Hamish as they walked away from Trajan’s rooms.

  “I feel like getting drunk,” remarked Hamish, “but I’m too nervous that some other crazy shit will happen.”

  “I thought about that too, mostly I want to run. God, I hate the city sometimes.”

  “I hear ya…you wanna go?” There was a glint in Hamish’s eye.

  “Right now?”

  “Hell yeah, let’s get out of here.”

  “Should we tell someone?”

  “Nah, they’re probably sleeping and you couldn’t pay me enough to wake Belle up. She is like a raging bull on steroids.”

  “That sounds strikingly similar to Katya. All right, let’s go. We can head out to where Aleksandra came through from Skazki.”

  An hour later, they had parked, shifted and were running through Budai Tájvédelmi Körzet like two puppies let off the chain. Izrayl was doing his best to try out run the dingo and he was falling a little short of the mark. When they were padding back to the car hours later, Izrayl felt a disturbance in nature. He looked at Hamish whose fur stood on end. He had felt it too. Sticking to the shadows, they headed back into the forest. A flicker of red caught Izrayl’s attention and he moved swiftly behind a clump of trees. Hamish followed and they crouched low to catch a glimpse of it again. Seconds later, the red shimmer rose through the trees and left standing meters from them was Vasilli.

  Vasilli walked confidently through the forest and they followed him cautiously, keeping their distance to keep him from detecting their presence. They came to a road in time to see a sleek black car pull up beside the huge magician. Vasilli disappeared inside and it sped off into the night.

  By the time Izrayl and Hamish got back to the mansion, it was dawn. They discovered the place in an uproar over their disappearance.

  “You better have a good reason for going off without telling me,” Katya snarled. She and Isabelle stood in front of them like tousled angry goddesses ready to smite them to dust.

  “We went for a run,” Izrayl said as he looked at his feet.

  “We didn’t want to wake you up,” added Hamish.

  “You didn’t think to leave a note saying where you had gone?”

  “A note, Izrayl, did you hear that?” Hamish’s tone was becoming louder and nastier. “Honestly the thought didn’t cross my mind. I wonder what we could have written: To Nazi bitches, we have gone to enjoy the minute amount of freedom we have under your rule. Oh by the way, in advance, we are sorry for being late on account of getting temporarily waylaid by Vasilli. The End.”

  “Hamish, that’s enough,” Izrayl said as he tried to calm him. They were cold, tired and frustrated. “Go and have a shower.” Muttering all the way, Hamish did as he was told.

  “Go after him, Belle, he’s had a rough night.” She opened her mouth to protest as Izrayl held up his hand, “Just go.” Faced with Katya, he was remarkably nervous. After Isabelle had left the room, she flew into his chest and squeezed him tight.

  “You stupid ass,” she murmured. “You should have called me.”

  “I was a wolf; I don’t have pockets to keep a phone in. I can’t believe you were actually worried.”

  “I woke up in the middle of the night and you were gone. What was I supposed to think?”

  “You actually thought I had run out on you?”

  She didn’t answer as she walked away from him. He caught up to her as she was opening her bedroom door. He grabbed her around her waist, picking her up easily and carried her inside.

  “Put me down, you oaf!” She struggled as he lifted her up, planting a kiss on her lips.

  “You are adorable when you are angry. You also should know how crazy I’m about you and would never leave you,” he said as he drew her close.

  “You smell,” Katya replied, wrinkling her nose for emphasis.

  “I have been running and hunting all night, what do you expect?”

  “A shower?”

  “Only if you come with me. Come on, you know how good I look naked.”

  “You don’t half love yourself,” Katya rolled her eyes as he carried her off to the bathroom.

  ***

  Downstairs, Aleksandra was up and making French toast in the kitchen. She had on a pair of plain black gloves from the massive collection that Cerise had bought for her. As Aleksandra flipped the bread over, Anya saw a glimpse of embroidered roses along the top of them.

  “I have no idea how you keep them so clean while you’re cooking,” Anya commented as she poured herself some coffee and sat down on one of the stools.

  “I’m discovering the joy of kitchen utensils,” Aleksandra replied as she took another piece of bread out of its batter with her tongs. Before it reached the pan, it slipped out of the tong’s grip. Anya caught it instantly with her magic and got it into the sizzling butter. Not even a drop of batter was spilt.

  “Thank you for that,” Aleksandra said. “You’re getting better at using magic like reflexes.”

  “You can thank the Twins for that. They used to throw objects at me to use my magic to dodge it or change its path. They thought moving objects around with my magic is a good way to release it so it doesn’t build and end up exploding.”

  “Which would be incredibly disgusting,” Yvan said as he walked through the swinging door. “Something smells good.” He gave them both a relaxed smile and sat down next to Anya.

  She tried her best not to look embarrassed. She remembered most of last night in painful detail, including accidentally kissing him.

  “Coffee?” she asked and poured him a cup when he gave her a nod.

  “Thank you, I heard Hamish and Izrayl have reappeared,” he said as he took the cup from her. His warm fingers lightly brushed hers and she swallowed her shame from the night before. She doubted if she would ever be able to look him in the eye again.

  “I’m surprised I haven’t heard Katya screaming the house down. She is really good at yelling when she is angry.” Aleksandra handed them plates piled high with toast and smothered with maple syrup. “Though I think, not as good as Anya.”

  “You heard me screaming?”

  “Everyone in Budapest heard you screaming,” Aleksandra gave her a warm smile, which helped dull the edge of Anya’s embarrassment.

  “How are you feeling today?” Yvan asked.

  “Awesome,” Anya said with her mouth full.

  “You were rather drunk.”

  “You have seen me worse,” she argued. Thankfully, at that moment, Izrayl, Hamish and the girls came in.

  “You two did quite a disappearing act last night. I’m pleased that you’re still walking, Izrayl,” Aleksandra said as she quickly put more bread in the pan.

  “He is only walking because he saw Vasilli coming through the gates and into the city,” Katya said as she grabbed herself a plate of food.

  “Vasilli is here?” Yvan said nervously. The trauma that his brother had inflicted on him shone on his face. There was no trace left of that relaxed smile

  “If he comes anywhere near you I will finish the job I started on him,” Anya threatened. Seeing the pain that Yvan was in, made her want to rip Vasilli limb from limb.

  “It’s not me that he would be here for,” he said as he fixed his eyes on her.

  “Don’t worry about it, Yvan. I don’t think he would be game enough to mess with us yet. He looked like he was still recovering from his last ass kicking,” Hamish said as he high fived Anya.

  “He will get another one if he causes any trouble. I will back you up, Anya,” Izrayl piped in as he wrestled the maple syrup jug from Katya.

  “By the time he manages to find us we will be over in America saving Yanka,” Anya shrugged.

  Yvan opened his mouth to reply and stopped. Anya saw what he was looking at. Trajan had walked into the kitchen. Her stomach jolted as the room went silent.

  “Good morning, everyone, I thought I smelt coffee,” he said as he poured himself a cup. The contents
of Anya’s stomach churned threateningly as she got to her feet and walked away.

  “Is this your idea of protecting her?” Yvan asked. He and Trajan were all that was left in the kitchen. Everyone else had backed out of the room knowing a fight was inevitable.

  “Yvan, you know this is the best thing for her.”

  “Is it? I’m not so sure. I told you when I first brought her to you for protection not to play any games with her.”

  “I didn’t mean to hurt her. You of all people should understand. I’m trying to save her from her harm, even if that harm is from me. I love her, Yvan, but I won’t risk her life.”

  “And what is it that you think she will do? That she will get over you? That she will be able to see reason?” Yvan was on his feet, his fists clenched by his side. “Anya was a broken suicidal wreck of a girl when I hatched Trajan. You know this. She will revert to how she was then. You gave her hope and comfort and you have taken that from her. She was happy with you. She believed in what she felt for you and you have destroyed that.”

  “And what would have me do? I won’t risk her life again…”

  “You should have stayed away from her like I told you to.” Yvan pushed Trajan out of his way, slamming the kitchen door behind him.

  ***

  After breakfast, Isabelle took time to ring Matthias Church. It took them a while to locate and wake Mychal. He finally answered gruffly, “What?”

  “Good morning, sunshine,” Isabelle said in her crispest British accent. “This is a courtesy call to let you know that Vasilli has entered the city.”

  “Is Ladislav here?”

  “Not that we are of. Hamish and Izrayl were out last night and spotted him coming through the gates.”

  “Were they noticed?”

  “No, and I don’t think that Vasilli knows we are in Budapest. He must be here for some other purpose. He is still wounded and recovering from the fight with Anya. At least he won’t be causing too much trouble.”

  “The Nehemoth that I killed would have been sent by him so we can’t rule out anything.” Isabelle didn’t reply and Mychal didn’t continue.