Page 126 of One For my Enemy

“How do you people always know where to find me?” Bryn demanded before Roman could speak. “Idohave a day job, you know.”

“Sasha Antonova,” Roman said, mumbling her name for fear it might subsequently call her forth. “She’s haunting me.”

“Sounds wild,” Bryn said, leaning back to prop his feet on the edge of his desk. “Any particular reason why?”

“I—” Roman swallowed. “I killed her.”

“No,”Bryn gasped facetiously. “You, Fedorov?Killingsomeone? That just doesn’t sound like you at all.”

“That’s—Stop it. It’s my fault she’s dead,” Roman muttered, pacing in front of Bryn’s desk. “If I hadn’t… if this hadn’t happened, my father—”

“Your father,” Bryn observed, tapping his mouth. “He’s responsible for quite a lot, isn’t he?”

Roman grimaced. “He’s… it’s not important. The point is—”

“The point is,” Bryn cut in, tucking his hands behind his head, “that Koschei the Deathless is the one who made the deal with Baba Yaga, isn’t he?”

In Roman’s bristled silence, Bryn pondered aloud, “Well, I wonder what he’s doing about your little demon problem, then.”

“He’s—” Roman flinched. “I can’t bring this to him right now.”

“And why not?”

“He’s… busy.” Roman scratched idly at his arms, suddenly itchy and uncomfortable, as if the air itself had turned stale. “You wouldn’t understand, Bridge.”

“You keep saying that,” Bryn remarked, “and yet you’re still here seeking my counsel, aren’t you?”

“Yes, but only because I just—”

Roman looked up, startled, and staggered backwards.

“There,” he said, pointing to Sasha where she stood behind Bryn, materializing hazily out of nothing. “Bridge, do you see her?”

“Hm?” Bryn asked, turning over his shoulder. “See who?”

“Roma,” Sasha whispered mournfully, “son of Koschei, who did this to me?”

“Jesus, Bridge, don’t fuck with me,” Roman spat, feeling behind him for the wall. “Do you really not see her? She’sright there—”

“Mm, yes, hello Sasha,” Bryn said, waving slightly to the right of where she was standing. “Should I fetch the three of us some tea, or—?”

“Roman,” Sasha said, her dark hair falling into her bloodshot eyes as she stepped towards him. “Help me, I can’t rest. Who did this?”

Roman forced his eyes shut. “Stop, stop,stop—”

“Roman,” Bryn said, “if you’re going to have a meltdown, I’d prefer you not do it on the carpet.”

“BRIDGE,” Roman shouted. “She’s, she’s going to kill me, she’s—”

Sasha stretched a hand out, reaching for him, and Roman gasped.

“I have to go,” he choked out, fumbling for the door handle behind him.

“Well, bye, then,” Bryn called after him. “Though, again, this really does seem like a Koschei problem, doesn’t it?”

Roman ignored him, letting the door slam in his wake as he hurried out of the office, hands shaking as he went.

V. 10

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