Page 11 of Devil's Doom

Nawie is where Wiosna is. Where Nyja is. AndWeles.I don’t trust him or the Mother of Nawkas, because she’s Woland’s ally, but I’d give anything to see my old mentor. Wiosna helped me survive when Woland sent monsters after me. She could help me now.

The utopek’s eyes narrow with shrewd hatred. “No one can get into Nawie, but someone as powerful as you might. If you want to go there, the river is the only way. You might get lucky.”

I scoff. As if that would provoke me.

“Nice try. Next question: you said I’m new here. What does it mean? Do new people often come to Slawa?”

He grunts, trying to grip the force restraining his neck. His fear seems to have eased a bit, and he glares at me with jagged enmity.

“Yes. In the mortal world, when a mortal becomes a bies, they have to stay there and suffer a sentence for their crimes. The gods who curse them decide how long. After that sentence is over and the bies is still alive, they can come here and live among us. What are you, then? A hag? A weird, ugly kind of wila? A werewolf?”

I grin, showing him all my teeth. “I’m the one asking questions here. Or should I carve out something fun on your balls? You wanted to play, didn’t you?”

His hand flies down to cover his junk, and he gives me an outraged look.

“Just a few more questions,” I assure him. “Why does it seem like everyone lives in the city? There is so much land, and the forest is huge, yet almost no one lives there.”

He huffs, his face twisting with anger, but this time, he looks at the sky, not at me.

“Oh, that’s because Perun hasgenerouslydivided the land into places where the toll is smaller and those where it’s bigger. Everyone who lives in the forest pays the most, and Perun’s guards leave it alone in exchange. The King of Bees offers protection to all creatures powerful enough to withstand the high toll, but it’s survival of the strongest in there. Meanwhile, the entire mountain the city is built on pays the smallest toll.”

I look at the city in thought. Smoke curls above the houses, some of the roofs gleaming in the afternoon sunlight. I’m still not close enough to see the people bustling in the streets, but I know it must be busy.

Don’t they get sick? If you crowd animals together like this, they will catch sickness from each other. And what about food? Where do they grow vegetables and keep animals?

“So… Perun wants to keep everyone in the city, enticing them with the low toll?” I ask slowly. “But why?”

The utopek scoffs, his face twisting with scorn. “Oh, he wants thebestfor his people. Though a heretic might say that he likes to keep everyone in one place to have more control over the people. I’m not a heretic, so I won’t say that. I admire Perun’s generosity. He even sent so many of his loyal dragons to Slawa to helpguardthe city against heresy.”

I tap my chin, remembering Woland’s story about how the mortals were created. He said the official version was that Perun gave mortals the breath of life, and the unofficial one, which was branded as heresy, was that it was actually Perun’s evil brother, Weles.

Woland cautioned me against ever speaking about the unofficial version in Slawa, because I could be tried for heresy. Through the utopek’s thinly veiled words, I understand finally that it’s most likely unlawful to say anything against Perun. And there are dragon guards everywhere in the city, bent on punishing dissent.

My prisoner groans, closing his eyes in exhaustion. His voice has grown hoarse and quiet, and I realize I’ll have to let him go soon. But I need to know one more thing.

“Do you know Woland? Where does he usually stay?”

The utopek’s eyes fly open, brimming with fear and shock. “Don’t say his name!” he shrieks, his hands shaking. “It’s a curse!”

Chapter five

Milk

I smile without humor. Woland has quite a reputation. “So you do know him. Does he stay in the city?”

He gapes at me, his red eyes filled with utter terror. “Who are you?” he asks shakily. “Why do you say his name like it’s nothing? Please, don’t kill me! I’ll do anything you want, answer all your questions, but please, let me live!”

I roll my eyes. Woland isn’tthatscary, and saying his name only cost me a dozen or so wounds to my tongue before I got immune to its curse.

“Well, then answer my questions!” I say to cut through the utopek’s panicked blabbering. “Who is he and where does he stay?”

He grows silent, eying me warily. When he finally speaks, his voice is barely a whisper, and I have to lean closer to hear him.

“He is the leader of the rebellion. Perun’s guards and warriors hunt him day and night. No one knows where he stays, but it isn’t in Slawa. The devil only appears to lead attacks on the fence and then disappears. He has no place to call his own. Perun razed all his temples to the ground so not even ruins remain.”

“Why are you so afraid of him?” I ask. “Isn’t he doing a good thing? Don’t you want the fence to fall?”

The utopek breathes harshly, slimy sweat pouring down his forehead.

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