Page 82 of My Trojan Horse Majesty

“You mustn’t use magic here,” she snaps. “You must all come home immediately.”

“Who are the horsemen?” Katerina asks.

“Yeah,” Kristiana says. “I want to know the answer to that one, too.”

“We have the magic of life.” Baba Yaga’s whispering, like even her words might wake him if they’re too loud. “We help all things to grow, strive, and thrive. But they’re the balance to our life—they bring death and destruction. Floods, fires, calamities, and plagues all come from them.”

“And when they wake?” I ask.

“All of that happens while they’re sleeping,” Baba Yaga says. “Their magic spawns it from their dreams. But when they wake. . .” She trembles. “War. Bloodshed. Destruction. They rebalance a world that’s thriving into. . .” She shivers. “Balance isn’t kind.”

That sounds horrible.

“People can’t truly appreciate life without death,” Baba Yaga says. “It’s why children flourish after war. It’s why new growth redoubles after a fire.”

“Okay, but about these links,” Katerina says. “Can you undo the connection? Because Gabe’s not from here, and if we’re going back to Russia?—”

“I can’t undo it,” Baba Yaga says. “I didn’t forge it, and it was only possible because of who he is at his core.” She frowns. “If you want to sever the link, you’ll have to forcibly separate them.”

“But they’ll both survive?” Katerina asks. “If we do that. . .”

Baba Yaga shrugs. “How should I know?” She glances back and forth. “I must go. Even my presence could wake him up if he’s not slumbering soundly.”

“But before we go, she said we’re soul matches.” I step backward, putting some space between me and Leonid. “Lechuza said she matched me with Leonid because our souls fit.”

Baba Yaga’s eyes widen, and she follows me, her eyes going out of focus, like she’s looking at something else, something I can’t see. “A soul match is a beautiful thing.”

“Is that—” I don’t want to ask with all these people listening. With Leonid listening. “Is that,” my voice drops to a whisper, “is the soul thing the reason I like him? Is it the reason I want to save him?”

Baba Yaga smiles this time, and she walks toward me. Once she reaches me, she drops one hand to the side of my face. She’s whispering, too. “You know, I’ve met only one soul match in my very long, very lonely life.” She sighs. “Rurik—he loved me, I believe. Not the same way I loved him. I have no idea whether it was from our soul bond, but we cared for each other. Still, we made choices. We were who we were. I can’t tell you what part of you loves him for that, or what part loves him for the connection, or what part of him cares about you or how much.”

“I don’t love him,” I say.

“Lying won’t do you any good.” She cackles. “At least, it never helped me.”

“Would you try to break the bond?” I ask.

“I’m not even sure you can,” she whispers. “Not without it killing you both, but if you can break it. . .and he’s your soul match.” She shakes her head. “With his magic, he’ll be the only one who can heal you from the wound it causes. Can you trust him to do that, when it causes more pain and more weakness to him?”

I don’t know what I can trust anymore, but with this thing in the way, with thissoulthing, how can I ever know whether my judgment’s impaired? How can I know whether he can be saved or whether he’s even worth saving?

“You need faith,” she says softly. “Anyone can be saved, but they have to choose to change themselves. You can only give them the chance.”

“What about Gabe and Gustav?” I ask. “They aren’t soul-bonded, right?”

She shakes her head. “No, she bonded them simply to contain Gustav.”

“So can they separate?”

Baba Yaga sighs. “I’ve never tried to bond anyone that way, because I was the one who gave them this power to begin with.” She frowns. “I think if you two can separate, their split should be much simpler. Yours would involve separation of both the soul bond she never should have forced and the separation of Leonid’s power to you, which makes it almost impossible for him to access his magic.”

If we stay bonded, but I don’t let him use his magic. . .that’s the safer bet. It would ruin my life, but it might help many, many others. But I can’t help thinking that he’s changed, and he deserves the chance to prove it to everyone. He deserves the chance at real love, and we can only have that if we show we’re free from this bond. But then, isn’t that the greatest lie women tell themselves about men? That they’ve changed them? Am I just lying to myself? What’s Leonid really like?

“I want to see his face,” I say. “Can you show it to me?”

She doesn’t bother asking what I mean—Baba Yaga must understand. If Leonid got his powers from her, she must be able to see the light and dark as well.

“I can hear your thoughts, girl,” Baba Yaga says. “I can feel your heart, and yes, I can see your face. And I’ll show you his. Once. But like our souls, the light in our faces is always changing. Seeing it once—I’m not sure it will give you what you want. But for his sake, for my child’s child’s child, I’ll do it, and then I must leave.” She presses one hand to my cheek. “A forbidden daughter.” She steps back. “And a forbidden son.” She tosses her head, and I follow her gaze.

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