Page 82 of Cry of the Firebird

Izrayl dived down and retrieved her soaked sneaker and offered it to her. "Cinderella."

"Thanks," she said and tossed it from the pool. She trod water for a few moments, looking at him thoughtfully.

"Are you thinking about how you could drown me?" Izrayl asked.

"It's tempting. I'm still angry with you."

His gold eyes sparkled with mischief. "No, you're not."

"Stop laughing at me. I'm serious."

"You look it," he said before adding, "I've never seen a woman with as many scars as you."

"It comes with the job. If you don't like them, don't look at them." Katya wished she hadn't taken her shirt off to run.

"Don't be so defensive. I was only making an observation. I actually think they suit you. Your tattoos do too. What do they all mean?" he asked.

"They are protection symbols from just about every country and religion."

Izrayl frowned. "Do they help at all?"

"Sometimes. It depends on what I'm up against. I figure they can't hurt. Besides, you can't give me a hard time about my scars. You have more than me."

"And I had some weird creature's fingers stuck in my back."

"Pretty gross," Katya agreed with a grin. Her legs were getting tired from running and now treading water. Izrayl could touch the bottom of the pool, and as if reading her mind, he stretched out a hand towards her.

"Give your legs a rest. I'm not going to bite unless you ask me nicely, Katya."

She boldly took his hand so he couldn't call her bluff. The pain in her legs eased as he held her steady. She knew she should climb out of the pool, but for some reason, she didn't.

"You see?Volk kroviaren't so bad after all," Izrayl said and then frowned. "Is it true what you said about them killing your mother?"

Katya went still in shock. "I told you…"

"You may have mentioned it when you were drunk," he replied.

"And you only bother to bring it up now?" Oh god, she couldn't believe it.I hate you, Drunk Katya, she cursed herself.

Izrayl's thumb stroked over her arm where he was holding her above the water. "I didn't want to upset you. I can't imagine that it's a subject anyone would enjoy talking about."

Katya rubbed at the scar over her eye and finally asked, "You really want to know?"

"Of course I do. Give me the short version if it makes you uncomfortable."

Katya was caught by the sincerity in his eyes and was talking before she realized it.

"I was eleven at the time. I barely remember my mother, only that she looked a lot like Aleki and was a healer," she began. "One night, she was sought out by the alpha of avolk krovipack because his wife had a difficult birth and wouldn't stop bleeding. My mother did everything she could with her herbs and her magic, but she couldn't save her. About a week later, my mother went to glean in the forest and never came home. Her body washed up a day later with deep claw marks scored all over her body. I've never heard a sound so full of despair and rage than my father's cries that day."

Izrayl didn't interrupt her, just held her steady and let her talk it out.

"After that, he changed. He blamed thevolk krovi, but the pack had moved on, so he couldn't confront them about it. He killed any he could after that, blind with rage that never went away. Most of the time, he took that rage out on Aleki and me. She looked so much like my mother that he couldn't stand the sight of her."

Katya touched the scar on her brow that still throbbed whenever she talked about him. "This happened about fourweeks after my mother's death. He was drunk and went after Aleki. I stepped in the way to protect her, and he hit me with a bottle. I would've lost this eye and probably my life if Baba Zosia hadn't turned up with some of the other men and pulled him off me. After that, Aleki and I lived with her. When I was healed, I went back to training with him. He never apologized, and I never forgave him. He trained me to hate your kind, to kill and ask questions afterward. If he was still alive, he would be so horrified that I kissed you back today that he'd try and put a bullet in me too."

Izrayl's eyes glowed with anger, but he didn't push her away, even knowing that she had killed other wolves like him.

"You said that he's dead?" he growled softly, and Katya nodded. He tugged her closer and kissed her scar. "Lucky for him."

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