"Sorry to disappoint. I was hungry, so I went exploring," Yvan replied and then shifted on his feet. "I also went back to the house to see if I could spot Vasilli."
"The animals?" Anya croaked.
Yvan shook his head. "I'm sorry, Anya. He really left nothing but ashes, and there was no sign of him. He could be hiding out in the village and waiting for tonight to check the house ruins for our bodies."
Anya sat on the porch steps of the cabin, the wind knocked out of her. Yvan went inside, coming out again with his fish on a frying pan, and set about making a fire under the trees.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, not looking up from what he was doing.
"The animals were the only things I cared about in the world," Anya said, brushing a tear off her cheek where he wouldn't see it. "It might sound dumb to you, but they were the only things that got me out of bed some days. They were my friends, even before Eikki died."
"I understand that. I always found animals easier than people too," Yvan replied with an understanding smile. "Except for the firebird. It was always an asshole."
Anya let out a soft laugh and sniffed. "Yeah, I can imagine. Do you think the firebird could tell if Tuoni left some kind of magic on me? He said I had been made to forget things, andit was time I woke up. Since then, it's like I keep having these memories appear, and I get a weird taste in my mouth."
"What memories?" Yvan asked as he got a fire going.
"Last night, I dreamed about a dog I brought back to life after it got hit by a car," Anya said, feeling stupid for forgetting the incident. "There was another one about a boy teasing me, and I gave him a rash. I know it sounds weird, but both things felt too real to be a dream."
She didn't mention the man who smelled like autumn, whose smile filled her chest with warmth. This time, in her dreams, he hadn't been arguing with Eikki but talking with her. How could she forget someone like him?
Yvan set the fish in the frying pan over the fire, washed his hands in a bucket of water, and walked over to her. "Let me see the hand Tuoni touched."
His eyes were glowing again, and Anya figured the firebird was in a helpful mood. She gave Yvan her right hand, and he rested his large palm on the back of it as he turned it over.
"The firebird says he can feel Tuoni's power still living here," Yvan said, his voice changing with a metallic timbre. He rested fingertips on her forehead. "And here. He also says there's another shaman's magic locking up your mind. Maybe Eikki really took some of your memories away."
"I don't understand why, though. We were always so close," Anya said softly, looking down at her palm. "At least, I thought we were."
"Maybe he didn't want you to know about this world because he knew how dangerous it was," Yvan replied. He got the fish out of the pan and onto plates. "As soon as the sun goes down, we run, so eat up."
Anya took the plate from him. "Has anyone ever told you that you're incredibly bossy?"
"Yes." Yvan sat back down in front of the fire, and Anya rolled her eyes when he couldn't see. When she was finished with her fish, he took her plate and set it aside. "Good, now I have something to show you—a sauna and washhouse. Do you remember them?"
Anya did, but the images were fuzzy. "Maybe a little? Eikki came here by himself more than me. Why? Do you feel like a sauna?"
"I do, actually, but it's not going to be possible. I'll show you why."
Anya followed Yvan through the trees. A small log shack came into view through the trees, and Anya smiled, remembering Eikki showing her how to makevastaout of birch branches.
"The shamans of my people often usedbanyasto perform their magic," Yvan said as they looked around the building. "And Norsemen used saunas to invoke visions."
"That was probably because of dehydration. As you can see, there is no evidence of magic," Anya said and pulled open the sauna door with a flourish.
Yvan cleared his throat. "You were saying?"
The old benches had been removed and replaced with a small stool and a table. Dried herbs hung from the roof, and paintings and symbols covered the blackened walls. Blood rushed to Anya's head as the smell of the herbs hit her. The signs on the walls pulsed, and her vision swam. The blood and ash taste hit her mouth again, and she gagged.
Eikki really had been a shaman. A part of Anya hadn't believed it entirely. Now, there was evidence of her grandfather's secret life right before her.
Yvan put his hand under her elbow to steady her as she bent over, trying to get air back in her body.
"Oh god, Yvan. He lied to me so goddamn much," she said, spitting the tears from her mouth.
"I'm sure he had his reasons. I haven't gone through his things, but there could be things in there that could help us in Skazki," he said gently, helping her straighten. Anya sat down on the small stool, feeling out of place and confused as she stared at the walls and objects around her. She was mad at Eikki, and her heart ached for him simultaneously.
Yvan walked around the room, examining the paintings and curious objects. Anya looked down at the table and started toying with some smooth stones she found in a clay bowl. She picked one up and dropped it. A ripple passed through the tabletop and rustled the leaves outside the sauna door.