Forge and Fire (The Replacement Book 1)

by Ripley Proserpina

  In the center of the room was a bird, wings outstretched. The water poured off of the wings, splashing into a pool around its feet. Grisha’s wet head poked up from the pool. “It’s deep. Jump!”

  Tatiana thought Taras would put her down so she could at least take off her shoes, but he didn’t. He jumped, cannonball style, with her on his back.

  The water was cool enough to take her breath away, but it felt so good. It wasn’t like the icy river she’d fallen into earlier or even the town pool where she swam in the summer, all chlorinated and a sparkling chemical blue.

  Taras let her go as the water closed over their heads, but then he held onto her arms and kicked, rocketing them to the surface. They came up directly under the bird’s wings, and the water fell around them like they were hidden behind a waterfall.

  The scales had disappeared from Taras’ face, so she could make out the line of his jaw and the way his skin flushed along his cheekbones. Taras touched her, trailing a finger down her cheek and then held it up to show the dirty fingertip.

  “Oh my gosh,” she said, and took a breath to dunk her head under again, but he stopped her.

  “You’re beautiful,” he said in a rush, and then he kissed her.

  Tatiana hadn’t been expecting it, and her mouth had been open, but it all worked in her favor. She felt the smooth glide of his tongue over hers as he tasted her and touched his in response.

  Holding onto his shoulders, she pressed herself closer, tangling her legs with his. He pulled back, for just a second, and she opened her eyes.

  “Hold on,” he said, and brought them back under the water.

  Kissing is different underwater.

  Tatiana opened her eyes. The spring bubbled beneath them, creating a natural current that had her hair swirling around them. Taras held it back from her face, cupped her cheeks, and pulled her forward again.

  Eyes closing, she allowed herself just to feel. His lips sipped at hers before she felt the sharp pinch of his teeth as he nipped at her lower lip. It didn’t hurt, not at all, but filled her with a liquid warmth that had her grasping at his wet clothes, trying to get closer.

  She needed to breathe, but she didn’t want to stop kissing him. Taras’ hands fell from her face, wrapping around her waist, and then he kicked them to the surface. She sucked in a breath, tilted her head up to the water spilling into her face, and caught a mouthful.

  When she opened her eyes, blinking the water from her lashes, she found Taras staring at her, his face serious.

  “Are you okay?” she asked.

  He leaned away, holding onto her so she floated between his legs. He tipped his head into the water and then back up, so his hair was out of his face and nodded. “I don’t think I’ve ever been better in my entire life. You?”

  Tatiana sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, running her tongue along it as if she could pick up the taste of him. “Good,” she answered. “I’m really good.”

  33

  Tatiana

  Taras helped her out of the fountain with two hands under her butt cheeks. Her clothes weighed her down, and she sort of flop-rolled onto the floor.

  “What’s this?” Taras asked from the edge. He looked so much better after his swim. And his scales! Every time he turned she saw another color shimmer in the light.

  He held up a leather sheath and she stared at it a moment, trying to place it. “Oh! Shubin gave it to me. It’s a knife.”

  Taras handed it to her. “That’s a good gift. A smart gift. But I hope you won’t need it while we’re here.”

  “Me, too,” she answered. She tucked her legs beneath her and reached for the edges of her sweater. Pulling it over her head, she felt a million pounds lighter. Amazing how much water clothing could absorb.

  It fell onto the stone with a wet slap, and she leaned back on her hands to watch the other guys. Shubin had left his coat on the floor a short distance away, but it sat in a pool of water, like he’d dunked it and then laid it on the floor to dry.

  He and Grisha floated in the fountain, away from the bird, treading water and speaking in low voices. She couldn’t hear them over the splashing of water, but they seemed content.

  Taras suddenly disappeared under the water, and she sat up quickly. A second later, he popped up, spluttering and laughing, and Fedir appeared behind him, chuckling evilly.

  “Now you’ve asked for it,” Taras said. “You don’t challenge a vodyanyy in a water battle.”

  “Please,” Fedir said, but a second later, he was yanked beneath the water. Then Grisha and Shubin followed, and in moments, the group was splashing and wrestling. At one point, Grisha transformed into the wind, rose out of the water, and then splashed down so hard a tidal wave hit Tatiana.

  Laughing and choking, she watched them. This was the happiest she’d ever seen them, and the most at ease they’d ever been in each other’s company. It was a relief to see them get along, and a joy to see the walls Fedir had erected around himself start to crumble.

  Tatiana stood, shook the water off of her, and walked around the room. Besides the fountain in the middle of the room, there were a couple of tiled inset baths, complete with spigots, and what she suspected was a stone shower head.

  A small hall caught her attention, and she went down it, leaving the guys to their fun while she explored. In the distance, she could make out the trickling sound of running water. It must have been the river that Fedir had mentioned.

  It was.

  The room was small, made up with inlaid seating carved out of stone. Tatiana ran her hands over it and shivered. They were warm, like whatever was beneath it was heated. Maybe there was a hot spring as well. Tatiana went to the river, which was much more like a brook babbling innocently off the tiles, and studied it. The same stone seats that were carved into the walls were also carved beneath the surface of the water. And stairs.

  Fancy. But probably par for the course with castle-dwelling folks.

  “What did you find?” Grisha asked, surprising her.

  “A spa,” she replied, glancing over her shoulder at him and then facing front immediately. Gulp.

  His feet and chest were bare, glistening with beads of water, and his pants rested low on his hips. She glanced back again, hoping she could keep her gaze on his face and not on the muscles of his stomach.

  He stood, hands on his hips, with a cocky grin on his face, watching her.

  “You caught me,” she whispered when her throat refused to give her a normal volume voice.

  “I’m glad I did,” Grisha said as he approached her. He touched her arm, guiding her toward the river. “Do you want to sit with me?”

  “Sure.” He slid into the river and then held his arms out for her to slip into. Without giving it a second thought, she eased from the edge into his arms. He caught her easily and helped her to one of the carved seats.

  The river was deeper than she realized—and swifter. Grisha seemed to have braced himself against the bottom, but the water came up to his chest.

  “Does it get deeper gradually?” she asked. The current buffeted her, but she was able to stay in her seat.

  Grisha stepped back, and his head disappeared beneath the surface. He bobbed up a second later. “Yup,” he said before swimming toward her and seating himself next to her.

  Tatiana turned, bending one knee and holding onto the edge to face him. “I never said thank you, Grisha.”

  He covered her hand with his larger one. His skin was warm and rough, and he linked his fingers with hers. “You don’t have to.”

  She lifted her gaze to his, staring into his eyes. “I do. I want to. You saved my life, and I was able to give my family a second chance. Thank you.”

  He glanced at their hands, watching his thumb as it gently stroked the back of hers. “You’re welcome,” he said and let out a breath. “I want to tell you something.”

  The smile that always seemed to be hovering around his lips disappeared, and when he gazed at her, he seemed nervous.
/>   “What?” she asked.

  Slowly, watching her the whole time, he leaned closer until his lips were at her ear. His breath wafted over her skin and she felt goosebumps follow in its wake. “My name is Cherny.”

  Tatiana smiled and leaned into him to rest her cheek against hers. She only had to turn her face a little to touch his skin with her lips. She could feel the prickle of stubble against them as she kissed him gently. He startled, like he hadn’t expected it, and started to pull away, but she stopped him with her hand to his face.

  Until these guys, she’d never been one to initiate a kiss, but Grisha was safe, and as their gazes met, and she saw the way he watched her with something like surprise and amazement, she knew he wouldn’t reject her. “You’ll always be my Grisha,” she said. “But thank you for trusting me.”

  He let out a shaky breath and nodded, still watching her as she pressed her lips against his. His eyelids fluttered closed, the golden-red lashes catching the light before she closed her eyes, too.

  This kiss was pure Grisha. It was slow and careful, protective. It moved at her pace, he didn’t force anything, but seemed happy with the pace she set. Closed mouth puckers, and then a careful tease of her tongue against his lips. She traced them, and then he opened his mouth and touched his tongue tip to hers. They went on like that, hesitant, observant until Fedir called down the tunnel, “Did you find the brook?”

  Grisha sat back and looked toward the entrance to the room. “We did. It’s very nice.”

  Tatiana tucked her chin against her chest and smiled. It was very nice. And it was especially nice as a place to kiss Grisha… Cherny.

  The trust he placed in her made her bubbly with excitement.

  “You have to see where it opens up. Come on. I told Taras I’d show him.”

  Tatiana turned around and crawled onto the floor. Grisha pushed himself to stand and then helped her up. Fedir looked like them, dripping water and half clothed. But the air was warm and humid and she was perfectly comfortable, if soggy.

  Fedir waited for them, then led them down the hall and back into the fountain room toward another archway. Shubin and Taras waited for them. Shubin held his massive coat over his arm, and Taras held the leather sheath containing her knife. “Here,” he said.

  She glanced a little guiltily at Shubin. “Sorry. I’m not used to carrying a weapon.”

  Shubin glanced over at her, fiddling with something at his belt. It was a massive axe, strung through a belt he tightened around his pants. His shirt was wet, plastered to his skin, but he smiled easily. “Understandable. If I hadn’t been born with this axe, I probably would forget it.”

  “Born with it?” she asked. He held out his hand as the others passed by them and disappeared down the tunnel. She took it, and they trailed behind them.

  “Yes,” he said. “On the day I opened my eyes, it was in my hand.”

  Tatiana almost choked, but she bit her lip. She knew what he meant. And just because it came out sounding like something dirty, didn’t mean she had to snicker like a twelve year-old. She side-eyed it. “It’s huge,” and then she lost it. Shit. So much for acting like a grown-up.

  Shubin chuckled. He stopped while she snickered, hand over her mouth as she stared at him. He lifted his dark eyebrows, smiling while she got herself under control.

  “I’m sorry,” she said.

  “It is quite a tool, isn’t it?” he said, and she started all over again. His eyes suddenly glowed orange, and the smile disappeared from his face. “Fedir! Stop!” he yelled just before the earth shook beneath their feet. “Hurry.” He grabbed her arm and ran toward the others. The river Fedir had led them to splashed over its sides while dust rained from the ceiling.

  “Will it collapse?” Tatiana asked as they hurried to her.

  “No,” Shubin answered. “This place is sturdy. Built into the mountain and the mountain holds it together.”

  Taras whirled to the river and a second later, his skin was covered in scales. “Get out of here,” he ordered.

  Shubin began to drag her back, but she could see people crawling out of the river. Glistening limbs with curled fingers and sharp nails. Long wet ropes of hair and black lips drawn over sharp teeth.

  Rusalka.

  They looked nothing like the woman who’d created her, but it was clear they were the same. All of them, despite their hissing and serpentine movements, were beautiful beyond belief.

  “Run!” Taras’ eyes had gone bright blue, nearly glowing, and he spun back.

  Shubin took off, lifting her off her feet as he sprinted down the tunnel. Fedir, Grisha, and Taras thundered behind them.

  The tunnel opened up into the fountain room, and Shubin skidded to a stop.

  Kopala? Tatiana stared at the stony-faced man holding a black sword in front of him. The stairway to the upper levels was behind him, but it was impassable, crowded by feia who spilled into the room like they were making way for someone.

  Kopala was silent as a final figure ducked under the archway and straightened to his full height. The bogatyr.

  “The girl isn’t here,” she said. “I brought her to the human world like I said I would.”

  “Good,” he replied, but he wasn’t looking at her. His gaze was lasered in on Fedir. Tatiana sidestepped in front of him, earning a curious glance from the bogatyr. “But I didn’t come here for her.”

  “Maybe you should have.”

  Tatiana heard her own voice and shut her eyes. Slowly, hoping against hope even though she knew it was pointless, she opened them to see the human girl she thought was safe. Rusalka and other creatures surrounded her. Strange, wounded creatures. They must have been feia, but they weren’t whole. Arms, joints, swaths of skin—they were covered by metal.

  It must have been excruciating.

  And from the state of their bodies, it was killing them. The metal was bolted into place, soldered across shoulders and driven into bone with screws. How were they alive?

  Why would they do this to themselves?

  The bogatyr laughed, and Tatiana realized they’d found themselves in the midst of a mess they hadn’t known existed. And Kopala, the whole time he stood ready, and not once did he look at her.

  “You’ll fulfill your promise now,” the bogatyr said to Kopala, and he nodded, his gaze going to Fedir.

  Oh, no.

  “The bird is mine,” the real girl said.

  It was as if she’d uttered a battle cry. Both groups went after each other. The rusalka streamed past her, hissing and screeching at pitches Tatiana had never heard. They tore into their enemy feia, biting and ripping.

  Shubin grabbed her around the waist, his axe held in front of him as they formed a circle around Fedir. “Fly out,” he yelled over his shoulder.

  “I’ll never make it,” Fedir returned.

  There was a sudden yell and Shubin lifted his axe in defense. The black blade of Kopala’s sword swept within inches of her face before Shubin stopped it. The wind blew with the force of a runaway train, pushing Kopala away from them.

  “Traitor!” someone yelled, hurtling their form at them. The rusalka knocked Tatiana to the ground in her attack on Taras.

  Tatiana flipped onto her belly and reached for the woman’s foot. She raked her fingers down Taras’ chest just as Tatiana dragged her back. The rusalka screeched, rolling to her back to get at Tatiana, but Fedir was there. He grabbed the woman by her hair and flung her away from them.

  Shubin continued to hold off Kopala. Tatiana could tell he was struggling, even with Grisha’s help. He was a miner, not a fighter, and Kopala surged forward, stabbing his sword past Shubin’s axe. There was a horrible sound, grating and scratching like fingernails down a chalkboard, but a thousand times worse.

  Tatiana screamed, body frozen as the sword broke. Yet Shubin stood, uninjured. She didn’t have time to feel relief. Above them, the ceiling cracked, falling in huge pieces around the fountain, smashing the stone bird to pieces.

  Fedir pulled her
out of the way, but not before she saw a golden head in the rubble.

  And then another one.

  There were two Kopalas? She dismissed the mystery from her mind as she searched for Shubin. “Where are you?”

  “Here.” His voice was a rumble as he walked out of the dust cloud. With Fedir and Taras at her side, she hurried to him, ignoring the limbs of crushed feia beneath the huge stones.

  She studied him, gaze traveling wildly over his chest as she tried to pinpoint his injuries. “I’m fine,” he said. “He didn’t hurt me.”

  “He stabbed you.”

  “He tried.”

  There was a flash of silver as something whipped by her cheek, burning the skin as it made contact, but kept going. It wrapped around Kopala, jerking him away from the other Kopala.

  He hissed in pain and through the dust, Tatiana smelled burnt flesh.

  The Kopala not wrapped in silver, ran toward her, and she braced herself for injury. “Are you okay?” he asked.

  Her gaze bounced between him and the other man, searching for differences, they were nearly identical, but the one in front of her had a wide open gaze. And the sword in his hand was whole.

  “Who—?”

  “My brother,” he answered. “We have to get out of here, hurry.”

  There was a delicate cough, someone clearing their throat through the cloud of debris. The real Tatiana stepped over the stone, making her way toward them while keeping her gaze on Kopala and then the bogatyr. The rusalka who were left hissed, making their way to the human Tatiana’s side along with the ruined metal feia.

  “It’s time for you to leave,” the girl said, narrowing her eyes at the bogatyr.

  “Not until you’re dead.” He held a sword in front of him and nodded his chin toward the feia who’d come with them.

  The girl shook her head, cast a quick glance at Tatiana, and then ignored her. “Bag.”

  Confused, Tatiana looked around the room. One of the other feia handed a heavy leather pouch to the girl, and the feia around them bristled.

  “Last chance.” She opened the pouched and put her hand inside. She withdrew her closed fist, turned it sideways and let the superfine silver particles pour out of her hand back into the pouch.