Page 72 of Cry of the Firebird

"What happened to Katya and Izrayl?" he asked.

Anya told him about the mind link and the fight in the park with the creatures who looked like the one on the train.

"It worries me that the Darkness was already waiting for her. What the hell are these creatures? They don't sound like anything I have encountered before, even in Skazki," Yvan said.

"Whatever they are, their bodies are littering the park right now, thanks to Katya and Izrayl," Anya replied.

"The Darkness won't allow humans to find out what happened. The bodies will be removed quickly, and the wounded one would have reported back to them by now." Yvan's eyes danced over her face, his concerned expression turning uneasy before he shifted in his chair uncomfortably. "It was lucky you were with Trajan when you had the vision and could get to her in time. Should I ask what you were doing in his room so late at night?"

Anya tugged the ends of her wet hair, suddenly nervous. "Talking…and I kissed him."

"I see," Yvan said slowly, looking away from her and at a picture on the wall above her head. "So you are a couple? Together? I don't know the right word to use in this time."

"I don't know about any of that," Anya replied, feeling more awkward than he looked. "I wouldn't know what to call it at this stage."

Yvan frowned. "It sounds complicated."

"Are you angry?" Anya wondered why she felt the need to ask.

"Should I be?" Yvan asked, his frown deepening.

"No! It's just…never mind. I thought you would lecture me, warn me against it."

"I'm your friend, not your father, Anya. I don't need to tell you to be careful, and I won't try to make decisions for you, but I'll be there for you if and when you make the wrong ones," Yvan replied.

"Prince Yvan, my hero," Anya teased and was rewarded with one of his rare smiles.

"We all need rescuing sometimes, Anyanka. All I ask is you be careful with that heart of yours. You have so much you need to learn about your magic, and you don't need a broken heart on top of that." Yvan leaned back in the couch cushions. "And don'tmake me have to deal with jealous lovers when I want to spend time with you."

"I don't think Trajan is the jealous type." Anya dropped her head to his shoulder, letting the warmth of the firebird seep through her cheek. "Don't worry, my heart is big enough for both of you."

Katya wokeas the sun was rising. She had been placed back in the bed, and Izrayl was sleeping on a lounge not far from her, his chest wrapped tightly in bandages. He looked tired, and his long hair was a mass of tangles. She tried to recall what had happened the night before. She remembered fighting and Izrayl knocking her out of the way, but everything else was a blur. As if Izrayl sensed her watching him, he opened his amber eyes.

"Hey," she said.

"How long have you been awake?" he murmured.

"About five seconds. You look like crap."

"That's because I had my ass kicked, and I've been keeping an eye on you, so I haven't slept much."

"No, I mean in general," she teased.

"You're lying," Izrayl grunted. "So much for gratitude for saving your boney ass. Be careful not to move."

"Why?" Katya asked and moved. Pain shot through her, and she cursed.

"I warned you. Don't move, or you'll bust your stitches." Izrayl propped a cushion under his head. "I hope you don't mind, but Cerise put me in here to sleep. Easier to check on us both at once that way."

Katya rubbed her eyes. "How long have I been out?"

"This is the first time you've been conscious since you cut the hand off that thing in the square. I woke up when Trajan was pulling its claws out of my back."

"That sounds like great timing," Katya said, taking a sip of the water from the glass someone had put beside her bed. Someone had arranged brightly colored tablets on her nightstand. Katya took them all and hoped they were painkillers.

"Itwasgreat timing. You never told me you had tattoos," Izrayl said, his mouth kicking up into a sexy smile.

Katya had to struggle to keep herself from choking on her water. "That's because my tattoos are none of your damn business," she said once she had swallowed. Izrayl just grinned, making her even more self-conscious.

---