Page 103 of Emerald Malice

“Nyet, Remi!” I say desperately, all of the commands coming back to me in a rush. “Nyet! Bros ‘eto. ‘Sidet. ‘Sidet!”

He looks up at me, that pale arm dangling between his bared teeth. Reluctantly, he drops it, backs away, and sits.

I blow out a breath and rush to the man on the ground. “I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”

The man is shielding his face with his forearms raised like shields. It takes a moment before he peers at me from between them.

“I’m sorry,” I repeat. “I’m?—”

I pause mid-sentence when I realize this isn’t a man at all. He’s a child. He can’t be more than twelve or thirteen years old.

“Are you okay?”

He glances nervously over at Remi, who’s now licking at his fur like nothing whatsoever is wrong. “Will the dog attack again if I sit up?”

“I’ll make sure he won’t,” I assure him, turning to Remi and giving him one more firm “‘Sidet.” I reach over to help the boy right himself.

He flinches away from me the moment I touch him, but I ignore it and help him anyway. “I should have had him on a leash. It’s just that I thought he’d been introduced to all the staff by now and?—”

“I’m not staff,” he snaps. Remi growls and his tone softens. “I’m not staff. I’m?—"

“Misha!” Shura’s angry snarl cuts through his answer. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Remi barks, though there’s no threat in it. He and Shura have made their peace.

The boy, however, jumps to his feet and tries to limp away.

“Get your ass over here,” Shura bellows, grabbing the still-shaking boy by the scruff of his shirt and twisting him around.

“Shura!” I exclaim. “Stop.”

He ignores me altogether. “I give you trust and you betray that trust by sneaking out of your room!”

“‘Trust,’” the boy spits aggressively, matching Shura’s tone. “You call that trust?”

“You can forget about your morning walks now.” Shura wheels the boy around by his neck.

“Shura!” I explode, causing Remi to start barking behind me. “Let him go right now or I will set Remi on you.”

That gets his attention. He spins back around, but he doesn’t let go of the boy. “Natalia, this doesn’t concern you.”

My eyes narrow. “Let him go or I will give Remi the command. Thanks to you, I know it well.”

He looks at me, waiting for me to take it back. When I don’t, he sighs and drops the boy’s collar.

“Thanks. Now—” I turn to the boy. “—what was your name again?”

“Misha.” He massages the back of his neck and gives Shura a scowl.

“Well, Misha, I’d say you’re lucky you weren’t eaten, but I doubt you’d even make a filling snack for Remi. C’mon, Skin & Bones, let’s get you a good meal.”

Ignoring Shura’s incredulous expression, I grab Misha’s arm and pull him towards the manor.

36

NATALIA

“Did he hurt you?”

---