Page 105 of Cry of the Firebird

into cold dark earth.

Free Brother Fire from

Cruel cold grasp.

Let his anger flow out

onto those that bind me!"

Flames hot and blinding burst from Anya's hands before spreading down her body. The iron manacles melted like plastic and dripped onto the ground. Anya was aware of Völundr shouting but she couldn't make out the noise over the roaring in her ears. He ran for the door, but Anya held out a hand, and it swung shut and locked.

"You should have let him go when I asked," Anya said, her voice calm.

The guard bashed against the door beside Völundr, trying to find a way out.

Völundr had begun working spells against her, but they were bee stings against her skin. The fire poured out of her, setting the room ablaze. Her hands stretched out towards the two struggling men, who started screaming as they began to burn inside. With Vischto, it had been instantaneous, but Anya wanted them to suffer.

She stepped over them as they writhed and opened the door. The walls caught fire where she walked. She kicked open the doors until she found where the Ovinnik was being held.

"Yanka's blood." Its eyes were wide in its gaunt face. Anya gripped his chains, and they melted beneath her hands. She touched his face and smiled. The Ovinnik smiled back, its body turning into something crossed between a cat and a man as it lit up with her fire.

"Go through the house and do your work," Anya told it. "If you find others, set them free."

It ran from the room, screaming and laughing, leaving trails of fire wherever it went. Anya went to Trajan and punched a wall through the invisible force holding him. Völundr's circle shattered beneath her touch. The flames along her skin were fading now, but she could still feel the power riding her.

Trajan was curled tight in a ball, covered in golden ichor from his wounds. Anya carefully rolled him over. "Trajan?"

"Don't look at me, Anya. I am too weak to shield myself." He turned his silver face from her.

"Take what you need, Trajan, so you can heal, and we can get out of here. I can't move you on my own," she begged. "There is more Darkness in the city, and we need to get out of here."

"No! I will kill you."

"You won't. I trust you. It's freely given, so take it." The silvery smoke-like substance was already seeping out of her skin and rushing into him. Anya sagged against him as the roaring, angry power in her veins slowly retreated again. Trajan's skin was just starting to change back to human when she lost consciousness.

Trajan let Anya go,horrified at what he had done, the taste of her golden life force still lingering on his tongue. The house was burning around him, blocking them inside.

"Trajan!" Hamish appeared through the flaming door. "I found him!"

Cerise came through the door after him, her face turning from fear to fury.

"Trajan, what have you done?" she screamed, pulling Anya from his arms and lifting her up.

Hamish's heavy coat dropped over Trajan's naked body, and he was hauled to his feet. Völundr's body twisted in the corner, and Trajan could still feel the life in him fighting. He leaned over and placed a hand on the terrified face.

"I'm going to send you somewhere very special for what you have done," Trajan said, and Völundr's ruined mouth screamed as his soul was torn from his body.

"No time!" Hamish shouted and tossed Trajan over his shoulder. Hamish carried him through the burning house and outside.

Izrayl and Yvan were helping to put Anya in the back seat of Cerise's car. Yvan climbed in after and held Anya tightly to him.

Trajan looked back at the burning house, feeling all the souls that had died in there. Spreading his arms out, he pulled all of them to him.

"Trajan," Cerise begged. "Trajan, don't take them. Don't put the souls of those evil assholes inside of you for even a moment." He ignored her, sucking the souls to him until there was nothing left.

"I have no intention of keeping them. I don't want them left to wander this plane," he snarled.

For the first time since Ilya had saved him, Trajan opened the unseen door separating reality from the spirit world. It was where it had always been, in the corner of his eye at the edge of perception.

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