Page 30 of Cry of the Firebird

"Wow, this is beautiful," she said. She loved books and rarely had the time to read them in the past months as she ran the farm.

"Ah, but the real treasure is above the fireplace," Trajan said and pointed at a picture.

Anya walked towards the fire to get a closer look. Hanging in a frame was a crayon drawing obviously done by a very young child. The figure on the left had messy brown hair and held hands with the figure on the right with yellow hair and green eyes.

"Did your kid draw this?" Anya asked. She hadn't picked him as the father type, but she had been wrong before.

Trajan shook his head, a slow half-smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You drew it for me one day when I came to visit. This is proof that we have met."

"And that's why I've been dreaming about you. After Tuoni zapped me, I swear I dreamed of you every single night," Anya replied and then looked back at the picture, trying to find the lost memory of drawing it. "I was quite a terrible artist, wasn't I? I'm surprised you still have it."

"When a fearless mortal girl draws you a picture, you don't throw it out."

"Fearless? Hardly. I was always afraid when I was a child."

Trajan folded his arms. "Not of me. It was quite a surprise to have a little girl want to be my best friend after I first met her and refuse to let my hand go."

Anya cringed in mortification. "I did? That doesn't sound like me. I was afraid of the things in the darkness more than people, so why would I be afraid of you?"

Trajan hesitated for a few moments, weighing up his reply. "Because Iamthe thing in the darkness. Every mortal fears my kind. It's deeply ingrained in them, except for you. You held my hand that day, not knowing you were touching a monster."

Anya stared at the man sitting in front of her, looking like he belonged in a GQ shoot and not in a house in Skazki. "So what kind of monster are you then? I mean, I've met a death deity, an immortal witch, a firebird prince. Even I'm meant to have some kind of hidden magic, so we can all be monsters together."

"You aren't a monster, Anya. If you were, Yvan would have left you to Vasilli."

"Why don't you stop dodging the question and just tell me?"

"Because he is a demon," said a deep voice from the doorway.

Anya turned in surprise as a giant wolf stalked into the room. It had shiny black fur, smelled like rain…and had just spoken.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Anya's stomach clenched at the sickening sounds of cracking and snapping as the wolf started to change. When his skin started to melt, Anya had to look away before she threw up her dinner.

"Couldn't you have done that outside, Izrayl?" Trajan complained.

"And miss the look on her face?" Izrayl chuckled, stretching his back with a final crack.

Anya looked back to see a massive man standing by the fire. He had dark brown skin and black hair that fell to his waist in a braid. He watched her with deep amber wolf eyes and stood proudly naked like it was completely normal to meet people in such a manner. Anya had to admit, recently, it had been.She did her best to keep her eyes above his waist, but damn, was he built.

"Cover yourself, beast. Anya has had enough surprises this week without seeing your junk hanging out everywhere," Trajan said, tossing him a blanket off one of the couches.

"Yes, big brother," Izrayl mocked and wrapped it around his waist before holding his hands up to the fire. "I've been trying to get here for a few days to tell you about this one walking aroundloose in Skazki." He jerked his thumb towards Anya. "Her trail is bright red with magic. Anyone could follow her."

"Hello, I have a name. Why were you following me?" Anya demanded. She and Yvan had been keeping lookouts, and there had been no sign of a black wolf.

"This time it was pure accident. I thought my nose was playing tricks on me. I have followed you on and off before in Russia, so I knew the scent," Izrayl replied, stretching out in front of the fire. "I was coming to see Trajan and then boom! Right there in my path was a nose full of Venäläinen magic. I've been trailing you for a day, making sure nothing follows you and Yvan."

"So what are you, some kind of werewolf?" Anya guessed.

Trajan bit back a laugh at Izrayl's horrified face.

"No. I'mvolk krovi. I could eat a werewolf for breakfast."

"No way. I thought you guys were made up," Anya said.Volk krovi,the wolf blood people were pure myth. Eikki had told her that they were shapeshifters and warriors.

"I'm the realest thing you're ever going to meet, sweetheart. What are you doing wandering about Skazki? And why weren't you watching over her like you're supposed to, Trajan?" Izrayl demanded.

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