Page 41 of Fate Unchained

“I didn’t. She must have heard I was looking for her and come to me. She was supposed to be around here, somewhere.”

A ramp descended from the door, high up in the house. A slight figure dressed in a black robe stood at the door. She waved her hand. “I’ll take time to talk to you now.”

“Who is this?” Lilah asked.

“Baba Yaga.”

16

Baba Yaga!

Lilah stood frozen for a moment. Also known as the Forest Mother, or Forest Crone, she was featured in many stories. Sometimes she helped others, sometimes she was a problem. Lilah hadn’t thought Baba Yaga was real, though. She’d thought she was more of a representation of the forest’s whimsy. One day it helped. The next, it might kill you. Like during a snowstorm.

But Baba Yaga, and her magical house, stood in front of her.

She’d entered a story so fantastical if she hadn’t seen what was happening with her own eyes, she wouldn’t believe it.

Kyril kept his hand along her waist, and guided her forward. Was she really walking into a house in a tree? Lilah gulped and pressed closer into Kyril and his solid warmth. If he was going into Baba Yaga’s house with her, she’d be all right.

The boughs moved overhead as if they were arms reaching out for her. She squeaked and ducked into the entrance.

The inside was circular, as expected of a house built into a tree, and filled with the smell of charcoal and rosemary. Against one side was a kitchen, a table took up the middle of the room, and along the far wall, near the fireplace, stood a large cabinet filled with books. A handful of them glowed. One, in particular, shone like one of the moons, beckoning her to open it.

She clasped her hands together. It was a bad idea to rifle through someone else’s library.

Baba Yaga moved deeper inside to let them enter and stood with her back to the sink. The dried carcasses of dead animals hung above her head. Lilah’s father hung animals to skin and butcher in the shed behind their house, but Baba Yaga hadn’t hung meat to dry, she’d hung the skins. And some of the creatures Lilah didn’t recognize at all. One looked like a rabbit but with large antlers. Another resembled a porcupine but was a dull blue.

Lilah glanced at Baba Yaga again and jumped. The old woman was staring at her, her dark eyes blazing. She pointed up at the porcupine creature. “Zann caught this pukwudgie for me. Only found at the top of one of the Zuby mountains.”

Kyril turned and said something in Vulk to Zann. Zann crossed his arms and didn’t answer.

Baba Yaga laughed. “Yes, it’s not common for your other Alpha to do a favor for anyone. But he wanted information from me.”

Zann’s lip went up his eyetooth. “That’s private. And you never told me what I wanted to know.”

Baba Yaga stared at him a long moment, and Lilah swore her eyes flashed orange. “Your ears weren’t open.”

“They are now.”

Baba Yaga tilted her head. “We shall see.”

Zann growled and shook his head. “I only came because Hans told me you might know how to help me, but I’ll figure it out on my own.”

“Yes, you’re so successful on your own, aren’t you?”

Zann’s eyes flooded red. But just as quickly, they returned to ice blue, and his shoulders sagged a fraction.

Lilah wasn’t sure what was going on, but Baba Yaga studied Zann, and something in her expression changed. “To rid yourself of the hex that continues to connect you to the magicwielder, one of you will need to fall in love.”

What was Baba Yaga talking about? Lilah’s brow furrowed, and she studied Zann. Some kind of evil spell linked him to a magicwielder? That wasn’t good. Magicwielders were tricky and difficult and thought they knew best.

Zann snarled. “Oh great. The sorcerer is as friendly as that pukwudgie.” He pointed at the quilled carcass.

“Guess it must be you then,” Baba Yaga said.

Kyril chuffed. “You’re just as good at scaring people off as the magicwielder. You’ll be hexed forever.”

Zann crossed his arms. “Magic isn’t supposed to work on the vulk.”

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