Page 91 of Cry of the Firebird

"What? What are you smiling at?" he asked as he continued to dry her hair with the corner of a towel.

"You."

"I don't understand," he said, frowning in confusion, and that just made her smile more.

"Don't let it worry you. Thank you for your help."

Trajan found the fresh scar in her hair and slipped on his glasses for a better look. "I didn't know the firebird could heal like that." He studied it for a moment before he leaned closer, pressing his nose softly in behind her ear. "I love the way your hair smells."

Goosebumps rose up her arms as he kissed the new scar.

"For someone who claims he had limited experience with women, you are rather good with them," Anya said softly.

"I read," Trajan replied, and she felt him smile against her skin. "Voraciously." Anya fought the spicy images that were suddenly bombarding her.

"How promising, but I need to go and apologize to the Twins, and I can't do that if you're determined to distract me," Anya argued, keeping the blush from her face.

Trajan smiled and kissed her forehead. "Try to remember to have fun. You loved your magic once and you never feared it."

Anya only wished she remembered that and not all the horrible feelings she had that she was going to be the one to kill them all.

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

Anya changed her clothes and grabbed her drum, runes, and Eikki's journals. She didn't know if the Twins could make any sense of Eikki's notes, but it wouldn't hurt for her to ask. She took three deep breaths and tried to calm the nerves rushing through her.

The Twins had traveled across the world to help her; that made her grateful and wary. She was learning that the supernatural world ran off personal favors and debts, and she couldn't help but wonder what the Twins would get out of helping her.

"Go and find out," she chastised herself and hurried out of her rooms before she stopped herself again. She found the Twins settling into some guest rooms and tapped politely on the open door.

"Hey, I apologize for shocking you with my magic before," Anya said awkwardly to Honaw.

"Lucky, you're so pretty. Otherwise, I would've had to blast you right back," Honaw joked.

"It's hardly the first time someone wanted to throw him across a room either," Chayton added, gesturing for her to come in.

"Now you can see why I need your help. I barely control the magic at all, and it likes to come at unexpected times, like when I'm asleep."

"You have a lot of magic, Anya. You'll have to be patient if we are going to teach you," Chayton said.

Honaw folded his big arms. "Actually, extra patient, because we aren't shamans of your people. We can only try and find some common ground that we can use to guide you."

Anya nodded. "I have patience when I need to. I also bought some things you might be able to give me a little insight into."

"All in good time. The first thing I need you to do is remove your shoes and sit with us," Chayton instructed as he sat on the thick cream carpet.

Honaw finished pushing the couches out of the way. "We need some space to spread out if we are going to do some dream walking," he explained, sitting down next to his brother.

Anya unzipped her boots and joined them in the small circle, placing Eikki's journals and her other gear in front of her.

"Katya tells me you dream traveled back in time," Honaw said with a smile.

"By accident. I talked to my dead matriarch grandmother."

"Yanka," Chayton said reverently.

"I see Katya has filled you in."

"A little. Yanka was an amazing, terrifying Power."

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