Page 6 of One For my Enemy

“I know you took care of it,” Sasha said, rolling her eyes. “You take care ofeverything,Masha, you’re worse than Mama. But was it okay? I thought you used to know one of the brothers,” she recalled, frowning. “Dima, you said?”

“Dimitri,” Marya corrected. “I knew him once, a long time ago, before Koschei and Mama had their little disagreement. We were teenagers, then. Practically children. You were still little then, too.” She grew quiet for a moment, resurrecting from her thoughts only once Luka tugged viciously at her hair. “In any case, it’s nothing to worry about, Sasha. The Fedorov brothers won’t be bothering us again.”

“But what exactly happened? I know Mama was furious—”

“It’s nothing, Sashenka, nothing. Okay?” Marya cut in, and Sasha grudgingly nodded, relenting. “But let me be the one to bring up your absence this evening,” Marya added carefully, “as I don’t think Mama will want to hear it.”

By that, Sasha understood that the meeting hadn’t gone well, and that she very firmly should not press for any details.

“Okay,” she agreed, and reached out fondly, permitting Luka’s chubby hand to close around her magically enchanted fingers.

I. 3

(Life Among the Deathless.)

“He’s alive, at least,” Roman said, glancing over Dimitri’s unconscious body where they’d placed it on a cot, crafting a makeshift bedroom within their father’s warehouse. “A coma.” He rubbed his dark brow, shaking his head. “We’re lucky. It could have been much worse.”

“There has to be more we can do,” Lev protested, frustrated. “He should be in a hospital, at least, Roma! Nothere,” he grumbled, gesturing around the warehouse, “hidden away like one of Papa’s artifacts, practically already in abox—”

“He’s safest here, Lev. Papa’s enchantments will hold better here than they would in any hospital room. If Marya Antonova or even Yaga herself comes back to finish the job—”

“Finish the job?” Lev echoed, dismayed. “Why?”

“You heard Marya. Dima was cheating them, taking their drugs and reselling them at a higher cost. Still,” Roman muttered, “this was barbaric. This wassavage,just like those Antonova bitches. I suppose we should be flattered they sent Marya herself and not one of the younger ones to do Yaga’s dirty work.”

“I still don’t understand. Did Dima need money?” Lev asked, barely listening to Roman’s bitter mockery as he stared at his oldest brother’s placidly sleeping face. “I just don’t see why he’d do this, it isn’t like him at all. Business has been slow for Papa lately, sure, butthis—”

“We’ll have to fix it,” Roman cut in firmly, dark gaze cutting sideways to Lev. “We can’t let Baba Yaga and her daughters get away with this. We have to strike back, Lev, where it hurts.”

“What, go after Marya?” Lev echoed, stunned. “But—Roma, she’s a powerful witch, and she’s constantly protected—”

“No, not their heir. We’re not monsters like them. We’ll go after theirmoney,” Roman clarified. “You said it yourself; Papa’s business has been slow. The more Yaga and her bitches add to their vaults, the more they are a threat to Papa. Tous.The more they feel they can come for our family, our territory. Levka,” Roman said gravely, resting a hand on Lev’s shoulder, “we have to do something. We have to make Yaga pay for what she’s cost us.”

“Roma,” Lev attempted uneasily. “I don’t know about this. I don’t know. More bloodshed? Are yousure—”

But there was no denying it when the shadows fell in Roman’s eyes.

“Fine,” Lev exhaled, abandoning his hesitation once he was certain that his brother would hear nothing of what he had to say. “Then let’s go talk to Papa.”

I. 4

(First Rounds.)

“Alright,” Eric said, beckoning for Sasha to sit beside him. “What are you drinking?”

“Uh,” said Sasha.

What do you mean Sasha’s going out?Sasha heard her mother’s voice echo in her head, the silver streak in Baba Yaga’s dark hair seeming to glimmer in the light as Sasha silently awaited her permission.Where is she going, Masha?

Mama, Sasha’s a grown woman,Marya had protested.If she wants to go out, she can go out. She works hard, you know.

I know that, Masha. I know my own daughter, don’t you think?

“Drink?” Eric prompted. “Beer, wine, vodka tonic with a twist of lime, what?”

“Um. Beer’s fine,” Sasha replied, though she’d probably only had one or two in her entire life. Neither Baba Yaga nor her daughters were particularly prone to intoxication. “I’ll get it, th-”

“Nah, first round’s on me,” Eric said, rising to his feet and slipping past her as Nirav sat down, John at his heels.

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