Page 29 of Sanctuary

“I do. Helps with the darkness.”

“Why do you do it? Why do you serve Chernobog?”

And here we go. “Usually, I quip something witty here about it being a family business or that I love the dark power. But I’m going to give you the real answer, as a professional courtesy. I do it, because someone has to, Finn. Like it or not, gods exist. Even the weakest of them have enough power to ruin lives and bring unimaginable misery to our world. We serve as intermediaries between them and the rest of humanity. We guard the boundary.”

Finn stared at him.

“It’s a shit job no matter what god you serve. People don’t seek divine intervention because their lives are going well. They come to you when they are desperate. When a child has been taken, when the crops have failed, when plague is burning through their loved ones, when nothing else has helped. They come ridden with guilt and filled with pain. And your job is to listen to their tragedies, take it all in, offer kindness and understanding, and then go to your god and beg them for salvation and mercy. Sometimes it’s granted. Sometimes you bargain for hours, and you get them from fifty righteous men to ten, and then you can’t find the damn ten righteous men, and the entire city gets destroyed, and you carry that with you for the rest of your life, but at least you tried. It takes a particular person to do this. You don’t get a thank you often. There will be times when you will try your best, and people you’ve bled and fought for will spit on you and curse your name. But it’s a job that must be done.”

Finn looked away. “What if I can’t do it?”

“Do you know why Morena wants you? Yes, it’s because of your magic and compatibility, but also because you don’t want the job. You will not abuse it. I’ve had a front row seat to what happens when a priest is seduced by the power. It’s not pretty. You won’t be one of those. I can tell. You can say no, Finn. Even though you’ve invoked, you can still renounce Morena and quit. The choice is yours.”

The house fell silent, except for the cracking of the logs in the fireplace and the soothing purr of the korgorusha watching them with glowing eyes.

“If I do this, will anyone even come to me?” Finn said quietly. “Would they even ask for my help?”

“Of course they will. Why wouldn’t they?”

“Pagans kill Morena every spring. They make an effigy out of straw, and they throw it in the river.”

Roman nodded. “True.”

“They drown her. Every year.”

“Sometimes they also burn her.”

“People hate her that much.”

He almost laughed, but held it in. Pragmatism came with age and exposure, and the boy had neither.

“Hate is a strong word here. People do fear Morena. They are cautious with her name. They don’t implore her unless shit has truly hit the fan. But that doesn’t mean they hate her or that they don’t want her blessing.”

Finn looked skeptical.

“One thing you learn when you become a priest, once the shock and awe wears off, is that most things are simpler than you imagined them to be. The traditions and rituals we perform aren’t just for the gods. They are for us, for humans. In a way, it’s fan service.”

“What?”

“The drowning ritual—the correct word for us, Slavic pagans, is obryad—takes place at the beginning of spring. The weather is nice, the skies are blue, and you don’t have to wrap a scarf over your face to keep your nose from freezing off. After being cooped up all winter, you can dress up in something that has some shape to it, get together with other people your age, decorate a dolly with branches and ribbons, and toss it into the water or set it on fire.”

Finn frowned.

Roman smiled at him. “You know who loves this holiday? Teenagers like you. They come out in droves to check each other out and flirt. Morena started out as an agrarian goddess. Not exactly the same, but similar roots as the Assyrian Ishtar and Greek Demeter. Common theme for their spring rites? Fertility.”

Finn blinked.

“See, you’ve built this whole tragedy around ‘people are murdering my goddess’ when in reality it’s all about celebrating surviving the winter by shopping for a date. I’ve asked Morena before how she felt about it.”

“You did?”

“I did. You know what she said? ‘Finally, vacation time.’” Roman drained the last of his sbiten and set the mug aside. “Now let’s take a look at that nightmare of yours.”

6

“Water is the boundary between worlds.” Roman placed a heavy glass dish onto the table. “It holds magic like nothing else. It can hide you. It can kill you. Water is your element. Why?”

“Snow and ice?” Finn guessed.

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