Page 51 of Cry of the Firebird

"He took them so you hurt no one else," she spat.

"What are you talking about? I never hurt anyone!"

Baba Zosia slammed her hand down on the table. "You almost drown boy! Bah!" She broke off in an angry conversation with Aleksandra, who grew paler with every word.

"Tell me!" Anya demanded.

"She said that you had been playing down at a lake while Eikki was gleaning in the forest. A group of boys came down and started to tease you. You summoned the water and wrapped it around the boys and held them down with it. You were pushingthe water into their mouths, and Eikki only just managed to stop you from drowning them. He had to change their memories, made it so that they had been tangled in the weeds, and he had saved them," Aleksandra explained.

"I-I did that?" Anya shook her head. "I wouldn't have."

"You did," Baba Zosia said and stood up. "You want past back, yah? Even hurtful past?"

Anya nodded decisively. If she had her magic, she could use it to defend herself. If it hadn't been taken from her, Vasilli would never have been able to trick her in the dreams. She would've been able to defend her friends against the dragon. She was tired of feeling powerless. "Yes, I want it all back right now. Tuoni's magic is taking too long to undo it."

"Fine! Come." Baba Zosia gestured at her, and Anya moved to stand beside her. She held a hand out over Anya's head, and her magic tingled over her scalp. Baba Zosia clucked her tongue irritably. "Stupid men. Only half do job. Tuoni knows better than to get involved."

"Well, he did. Now I want the memories back for good," Anya insisted.

"You will regret this."

"Better than not knowing."

Baba Zosia shook her head. "No, it not." She flicked Anya hard in her third eye, sending a bolt of power streaking through her, and Anya hit the floor. Heat and magic and memory bombarded her, and all she could do was lie still until it stopped.

"It's going to be okay, Anya," Aleksandra whispered kindly.

Anya couldn't form a word of reply as the magic pulled her further and further down, tearing down walls in her mind so quickly, she couldn't make sense of what she was seeing. Tears poured down her face, and she shut her eyes and surrendered to the darkness.

CHAPTER THIRTY

"Ican't believe you killed her already," Katya said, nudging Anya softly with the toe of her boot.

"We haven't killed her. She asked Baba Zosia to undo a memory spell, and she couldn't handle it," Aleksandra argued. "She'll be all right soon enough."

"You don't think you pushed her too hard? She almost died yesterday."

"We know that better than anyone," Aleksandra snapped.

Baba Zosia added something in their language, and Katya sighed, loud and sarcastic.

"I'm Anyanka," Anya whispered and opened her eyes slowly. She saw Katya looking at her, a teasing look on her face.

"I thought Yakaterina was a mouthful. May I call you Anya still? I think if I start calling you Yanka, it might cause a riot," she joked. "Anya suits you better anyway."

Anya rubbed at her eyes, trying to clear away the tears and the flashes of memories and emotions. Magic was dancing under her skin, warming her fingertips, waiting for her to reach for it.

"So many memories, my magic, all pushed down and taken from me," Anya whispered.

Katya smiled crookedly down at her. "Aw, did they take the magic but leave the fun?"

Anya scowled at the hunter. "Fuck you and yourFrozenjokes."

Katya burst out in a big belly laugh. "She's going to be fine."

"My skin won't stop tingling." Anya flexed her hands to try to relieve it.

"It's your magic. That's why you have to learn to control it, so it doesn't try to get out at unexpected times," Aleksandra explained.

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