Page 9 of Devil's Doom

The water ripples again. It seems he’s closer, and I swallow convulsively. What might he be? Not a vodnik, since they are said to be covered in scales, just like rusalkas in their true form. Who else might live in a pond and get excited to see a lonely woman?

“You’re an utopek.” I narrow my eyes at him, taking in the wide, confident grin in his ugly face. “What do you want from me?”

He cocks his head to the side, his smile shrinking a bit. “Want? Nothing. Need? A little trade. Tell you what, maiden. You came out of the forest alive, meaning you have enough magic in those bones to survive. Give me some, and I’ll tell you everything you need to know about this world.”

“No.”

I don’t have enough to share, and even if I did, I don’t trust him. Utopeks are supposed to be crafty, and the only sure way to get one to serve you is to catch him and lock in a cage for a few days so he dries completely. Only when he’s desperate for water will he do your bidding.

The creature rears back, looking wounded. “No? Just like that—no? Girly, if you don’t want to share that juice, you won’t live long here. We trade everything for magic. Look, it’s easy. Just take something that can be eaten, like those nuts you have there, and put your magic in. In the city, they use eggs, but I’m not picky.”

I consider him and finally shrug, giving up. I do need help, that’s for sure. And if he’s telling the truth, I need to learn how to imbue food with magic so I can trade.

“I don’t have enough right now. Would you be willing to wait?” I ask through gritted teeth, clutching my knife.

The utopek throws his head back and laughs, the sound loud and croaky. I huff with impatience, watching him warily. He’s close to the bank now, but only his head sticks out. I wonder how deep the pond is. It should be shallower so close to the shore, yet water still covers him up to his neck.

“You don’t have enough?” he asks, still laughing. “Girly, then you’ll be dead when the toll comes! It will be here any moment, I can tell. Hey, maybe I could lend you some magic! Just enough so you’ll survive.”

“What’s the toll?”

He pulls a slimy, gray hand out of the water and wags his finger. Delicate gray webs stretch between his digits. He seems to have more knuckles than me, his fingers long and spindly.

“No answers without payment. Hm, let's see. What can I get for helping you? Ugh, you’re so bony.”

He looks me up and down with clear distaste, and I clench my teeth.

“You know, I usually go for plumper girls.” The utopek continues his perusal of my body, unaware how much his rude words enrage me. “I like a nice pair of tits and something to hold on to, you understand? I don’t want to waste my magic on this shriveled cunt. But tell you what, you’ve got a nice mouth. Can you suck a cock?”

My nostrils flare when I breathe out with force.

“Insult me one more time and you won’t have a cock to suck,” I spit through my teeth, raising my knife so he gets my meaning.

He cackles, his red eyes glittering shrewdly. “By all means. Hop in and punish me. I’m right here, girly.”

Indeed, he isrightthere. His body still submerged, he leans both forearms on the wet grass of the shore, seeming completely relaxed. I finally understand.

“It’s a bottomless pond,” I mutter under my breath. “The kind for drowning people. I’m not going in. Goodbye.”

I take a step back. The utopek loses his smile, giving me an ugly scowl instead. The world grows quiet, the grasses around me flattening as colors bleach from the sky. I just see his grin return when agony tears through me, cutting me off at the knees. I tumble into the grass, seeing black.

Chapter four

Curse

“You look so much better from this angle,” he croons, though he sounds breathless. “Just let me get my bearing. I always feel wretched for a few minutes after the toll. And you know what? I’ll take that cunt, after all. Just give me a minute.”

I blink desperately, trying to turn. I lie face-down in the grass, my legs akimbo. I’m pretty sure he got a good look between them since I don’t have underwear on. Yet, no matter how much I grit my teeth, fighting pain with rage, I can’t move.

Gods.Is that it, then? Am I to be raped? My heart flutters weakly in my chest, and I finally manage to make my fingers twitch. Behind me, water splashes, the utopek groaning.

“Really nice. You should have told me you’re not as bony down there! I like pretty freckled thighs like that, and that cunt is nicely flushed. And natural red hair! I don’t think I’ve ever fucked a redhead like you. Just a moment, love.”

Love.That gives me a big spark of rage—enough to bring my hand up. With the utopek focused elsewhere, I count on him not seeing what I’m about to do. My hands shake, and it takes a few tries, since I’m doing my best to be careful.

But finally, I manage to unstopper the pendant at my throat. It’s not really a pendant, but rather a beautiful crystal bottle hanging from a chain. Woland enchanted it to shrink when it’s not in use, but once I remove the stopper, it grows to its normal size.

And it’s filled to the brim with blood. Magical, devilish blood. I need to keep most of it to hide from Woland, yet now, it’s more important to survive. Just a sip. It’s all I need, but it’s difficult to obey that thought. His blood is like a drug, and I’m terrified I might not be able to stop once I get a taste.

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