Page 74 of My Wild Horse King

“You’re very keen on talking,” she says. “But you need to learn to listen.”

Leonid’s eyes flash. He’s not happy.

“Heed my warning.” She’s middle-aged again, and she’s grown at least four or five feet in height. She towers over him. “If you attempt to force my powers under your control, you’ll harm yourself, and you’ll harm those you’re trying to force as well. You must not attempt it. The only way you may regain strength is through surrender. Do you understand? Are you listening?”

“But why?” Leonid’s pleading again. “You can’t be strong if you surrender.”

“When I gave your ancestors their powers, I broke several rules.” She sighs, shrinking back down. “I punched into my abilities and drilled them out, forcing a conduit.”

“Tell me how,” Leonid says.

She shakes her head. “When the Romanovs and the other families approached me, it wasn’t because they wanted power. The loss of the Rurikid line left a gaping hole, you see. No one could claim the throne. My mistake continued to cost all the people of the earth. I had to try and fix it. But this time, instead of carving out the power, I found a weak spot, and I teased it out. As I did it, my power split. I realized that the largest part of my problem was that I offered too much—I had thrown off the balance in the land. One human should never have had access to all that magic. Splitting the elements of my strength creates a web of balance, a net of control. But by sharing my abilities through both force and release, my power flows outward and inward. I didn’t worry at the time, as the inward flow was sealed.” She frowns. “Until you reclaimed it.”

“And now the powers are at odds?” I ask.

Her head whips around like a snake’s, both verdant green eyes intent on my face. “Who are you?”

“I’m a daughter of your second attempt,” I say. “I have the power of lightning.”

She nods. “You surrendered already to my child.”

“I—well. I guess I did.”

“Ask this girl for help,” Baba Yaga says. “Perhaps she can help you convince the others.”

“That’s why we called you,” Leonid says. “They won’t listen.”

“Then you suffer from the same affliction.” Her eyes sparkle. “I can do no more. I wish you luck in restoring balance, child.” She inclines her head, and then she simplydisappears. Where she once was, there’s nothing. No smoke, no sparkles.

Nothing at all.

I sink back on my haunches, both relieved and overwhelmed at the same time.

“She was worse than useless,” Leonid says.

“I’m not sure,” I say. “At least we understandwhyyou have to obtain the surrender.”

“Because she screwed up,” he says. “Because my ancestors were dumb and left.” He sighs. “This whole thing—” He freezes. “Why do you think she told menotto try and force the powers so many times?”

I blink. “What?”

“She said it more than once. She was really worried that I’d do that.” A slow smile creeps across his face. “I think she warned me off of it, because it’spossible.”

“Leonid, no.” I scramble to my feet. “She was so adamant?—”

“And if I was worried about someone taking over, if I had split my powers out for a reason, wouldn’t I be just as adamant in my warnings?” He’s delighted. He thinks he’s found a solution.

But I know he hasn’t. “This is a bad plan.”

“Why?” He shrugs. “I’ll gather the players. I’ll ask them again, as she told me I should, and if they still refuse?” He nods slowly. “Then I’ll do exactly what she made me promise never to do.” He grins his devilish grin. “I’lltakewhat I’m due, consequences bedamned.”

20

GUSTAV

Her face shines so brightly that it’s hard to see the road. It is, however, easy to see how guilty she feels. I may have chosen not to work with my grandfather because I dislike him, deep down, or even because I blame him. But if that’s the case, I think she loves Leonid almost as much as she hates him.

She may feel guilty about going to him before coming here, but I’m not sure she could have done any differently. She has as much family trauma as I do.

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