I walked back to the car, where GM was examining the damaged tire.
GM looked up at my approach. "It's pretty badly torn up."
She went around to the back of the car and looked in the trunk. "Also, we don't have a spare."
GM went to her purse and got out her cell phone. After a few minutes she put it away in resignation. "It appears that I have no service out here."
I looked around. The day was wearing away, and we were on a lonely country road. That blue car was the only car we had seen in a long time, which was one of the reasons I had noticed it in the first place.
GM looked up and down the road and sighed. "Well, Solnyshko, we may be here for some time. I don't think it's a good idea for us to go walking around looking for assistance. It will be dark soon, and as you can see, there are no lights on these country roads. It would be too easy for us to get lost. It will be much safer to stay with the car until morning. I am glad now that I bought the extra things that I did back at the mall."
We stood watching the road in both directions, hoping for a sign of movement, but all was still.
As GM had prophesied, darkness was soon upon us. "I have a feeling we won't be seeing anyone pass this way tonight," she said. "I think it's best that we get in the car."
GM got the blankets, travel pillows, and flashlights out of the trunk.
Then she settled into the front seat, and I settled into the back.
"I am not suggesting that you go to sleep right away, Solnyshko," GM said as she passed over two blankets and a pillow. "But you should make yourself comfortable. There are many hours between now and dawn."
I wasn't particularly tired, but as neither GM nor I was inclined to be talkative at the moment, I lay down on the seat, and despite myself, began to drift off.
I was awakened abruptly when I heard a car door slam nearby. It was quickly followed by the slamming of a second door.
I sat up and turned to look out the rear window. The bright glare from a car's headlights streamed in and dazzled my eyes, forcing me to hold up my hand to shade them.
Footsteps approached the driver's side, and I heard GM's window rolling down. I looked out my own window, and blinking and squinting, I could just make out the silhouette of a man and a woman standing next to our car.
GM drew in her breath sharply. "Aleksandr? Is that you?"
I heard a man's voice. "Indeed it is I."
"Aleksandr? The one who was in our kitchen?" I asked GM.
"The very same," she replied.
GM got out of the car, and I quickly followed her.
Sure enough, the young man with the cinnamon hair whom I had glimpsed for just a moment in our kitchen was standing before us now. Despite the lack of proper lighting, I could see that his expression was relaxed and amused expression as he looked at GM. His eyes shifted to me, and I felt the same feeling of strangeness I had felt when our eyes had met as I'd peered around the banister at him. Up close, his eyes were the same odd color as his hair, which increased the feeling of strangeness. I quickly looked to his companion.
Standing at Aleksandr's side was a young woman of about twenty-one. She was very beautiful with red-gold hair and a face that was familiar.
"Odette!" I cried. I lunged forward and threw my arms around her. Though it had been eleven years since I had last seen her, I would recognize my cousin anywhere.
The young woman stepped away from me and gave me a quizzical look. "Who are you?"
Aleksandr smiled at her. "Odette, you don't recognize them? This is Anna Rost and Ekaterina – Katie Wickliff." Aleksandr turned to GM and me. "Ladies, may I present to you, after an absense of many years, Odette Wickliff."
GM drew in her breath sharply and brought a hand to her mouth. "Can it be so?"
Odette turned to GM in surprise. "Annushka, is it really you?"
"Yes, my dear girl," GM replied. "I haven't seen you since you were ten years old. How lovely you have become."
"Oh, Annushka, I have missed you," Odette said. She gave GM a hug.
Aleksandr turned suddenly and looked off into the night. He looked back at us and a faint wariness had crept into his eyes. "Forgive me for breaking up this fond reunion, but I think we should all be going. What are the two of you doing out here in the dark anyway?"
Odette laughed. "Yes, don't you know there are vampires in these parts?" Her tone was teasing, and she looked up at Aleksandr.
I shivered and looked around, but I couldn't see anything beyond the beams of light from the car. Aleksandr had also mentioned vampires back in Elspeth's Grove. I was about to ask him if he really believed there could be vampires around us when Aleksandr answered Odette.
"The vampires are nothing to laugh about," Aleksandr chided her gently. "And there are darker things than vampires in the night. We should get out of here."
He turned to GM. "Is something wrong with your car?"
"Yes," GM replied. "We have a flat tire and no spare."
"In that case," Aleksandr said, "may we offer you a ride?"
"Thank you, Aleksandr," GM said. "That would be most helpful."
"Where are you headed?" Aleksandr asked.
"We were actually headed to see you and your mother," GM replied. "It is a marvelous coincidence."
"Yes, isn't it," Aleksandr said.
"No, Annushka, I insist," Odette said. "You must come to stay with me. I have more space."
"All right then," GM said. "We will be delighted to stay with you, Odette."
"It's settled, then," Odette said, smiling.
"Do you have luggage with you?" Aleksandr asked.
"Yes."
"Then, please allow me to assist you with it," Aleksandr said.
Aleksandr, GM, and I transferred our things to Aleksandr's car. Then Aleksandr and GM got in the front, and Odette and I sat in the back. We were soon back on the road, and I was grateful to be out of our stranded car.
"Thank you, Aleksandr," I said to him. "I'm really glad you came along."
"It was my pleasure," he said.
"You seem more amused by our arrival than surprised, Aleksandr," GM said. "You knew we would come? Even after that scene in our kitchen?"
"I didn't know, but I did hope for it."
"Oh, yes," Odette said. "Our little princess is home at last. You know, Katie, with your spun-gold hair you actually look the part."
I was surprised by Odette's tone, and I didn't quite know what to say.
Odette must have noticed the look on my face, as she touched me on the arm and laughed. "I only meant that Aleksandr's mother will be very excited that you are here. She has been talking about you for years. You must not mind my sense of humor."
"So what happened?" Aleksandr asked GM quietly in the front seat. "What brought you back to us so suddenly?"
I leaned forward. I wondered how GM would handle this.
"There were disappearances," GM said slowly.
Aleksandr glanced at her, and I could see his profile in the dim light. "And anything else?" He looked back at the road.
GM shifted in her seat uncomfortably. "Our house was attacked. We may have seen him."
"Him?" Aleksandr asked.
GM sighed heavily and shook her head. "You know the man I mean. The idea is just too ridiculous. I saw his funeral after all."
"You mean Gleb Mstislav?" Aleksandr said.
"Yes," GM replied. Though it was only one syllable, it was clear she uttered it with reluctance.
"What did he look like?" Aleksandr asked.
"Horrible," GM said.
"So seeing has made a believer out of you?" Aleksandr said.
"Not necessarily," GM said stiffly. "I don't know what to think."
Odette laughed. "Annushka, you think you have seen one of Aleksandr's dark creatures? A dead man walking? And here I thought maybe you had come to visit me because you missed me."
I hadn't meant to say anything, but the memory of that terrible, white-faced creature moving toward William rose in my min
d, and a question burst out of me. "How do you stop a dead man walking?"
"That's a question for Baba," Odette said slyly.
"Baba?" I asked.
"Odette means Galina," Aleksandr said. "Some of the locals refer to her rather unkindly as Baba Yaga."
The name stirred a memory. There was a movement in Pictures at an Exhibition titled The Hut on Hen's Legs about Baba Yaga and her fanciful home.
A feeling of panic welled up within me. "But Baba Yaga's a witch. Are you saying that Galina is a—"
Aleksandr broke in. "No, Galina isn't a witch." His tone was amused. "That's just the term some people use because they don't understand her. To answer your earlier question – how do you stop a dead man walking? As Odette said, that's one for Galina."
Chapter 13.
After about an hour, we reached Krov, and we drove through the town's tiny streets. Eventually, Aleksandr pulled to a stop before a good-sized house. The street was not well lit, but the house still looked familiar to me.
I got out of the car quickly and stood staring up at the house I had seen many times in my memories. The rose bushes were bare, but they were just where they were supposed to be, and I didn't need to see it to know that there was an apple tree in the back yard.
I turned as GM got out of the car. "It's our house," I said excitedly.
GM came to stand beside me, and a soft light came into her eyes.
"Actually, it's my house now," Odette said, slamming her door shut.
Aleksandr was last out of the car. "I'll see about getting your car rescued from the side of the road in the morning," he said to GM. "And my mother and I will be back to see you in the morning, too."
"Thank you, Aleksandr," GM said.
We retrieved our things from the car and went into the house with Odette. Aleksandr drove off.
"Would you like to stay in your old room, Annushka?" Odette asked, heading for the stairs.
"Yes, that would be lovely, dear," GM replied, following her.
I paused in the foyer and looked around me. I'd never dreamed that I would return to this house someday. I had lived here with my parents and GM, and Odette had come to us when I turned four. I had nothing but happy memories associated with this place. I wondered if I could sleep in my old room, too.
I hurried up the stairs and found Odette waiting for me on the landing.
"Annushka is already settled in her room," she said. "Would you like to stay in your old room also? Of course you were so young when you and Annushka left, I don't know if you remember your old room."
"I remember it," I said.
"Well, here you are," Odette said, opening a door for me and switching on the light. "Have a good night, Katie. I'm not one hundred percent certain that I'll see you and Annushka in the morning, but Galina and Aleksandr should be by early tomorrow to see you. You should make yourself at home."
"Thanks, Odette," I said.
She turned to go.
"Odette, I'm really glad to see you."
She turned back and smiled at me. "I'm glad to see you, too. I really mean that."
She disappeared down the dark hall, and I went into my room.
I set my stuff down and walked around the room. I even opened the closet and looked into it, remembering how I had once locked myself inside it. The closet had a strange old-fashioned latch, and it could only be opened from the outside – there was no proper knob or handle on the inside. I had wanted to see what the closet looked like when the door was closed – to find out if it magically turned into a domain for monsters or if it remained an ordinary closet. I had shut the door by curling my fingers under the bottom and pulling until I heard the latch catch. I hadn't realized until too late that if there was no knob I could use to close the door that there would be no knob with which I could open it. On finding myself in the dark, I panicked. I scrambled frantically at the door, but I couldn't find any way to open it. I began to scream, and my mother soon came to let me out. She giggled a little when I tearfully explained what I had been doing. But then she sobered and told me I had proved that there were no monsters in the house. At least that was one thing I could be sure of – I was safe in this house. There were no monsters here.
I closed the closet door and turned back to the room. It was funny how little it had changed. My clothes, toys, and books were long gone, of course, as was the sunburst lamp that was in my room back in Elspeth's Grove. But my blue rug with the rocking horse that my mother had made was still on the floor, and my butterfly coverlet was still on the bed. The picture of the yellow bird that I had adored was still on the wall, and as I examined the wall next to the door, I found that the spot close to the floor where I had scrawled 'EKATERINA' in pen had not been painted over. I smiled – I still owned the room – after all, my name was on it.
I sat down on the bed. I couldn't tell if I was tired or not – my internal clock was really off after all the traveling. I figured I should get settled and try to sleep so I could get myself on local time. I sat still, though, my thoughts drawn to William. The anxiety I felt for him was always with me, and whenever I had time to think, it became so strong that it nearly overwhelmed me. And all I could do was hope for him.
I forced myself to get ready for bed.
I drifted in and out of sleep. At one point, I started awake, and sat up in bed. I was tense, listening. The house was eerily quiet, and I was reminded unpleasantly of the night not long ago, when the kost attacked our house in Elspeth's Grove.
It was still dark, so I figured it was the middle of the night. I continued to listen, and the house remained silent – I didn't hear anyone skittering over the roof or rattling at the door.
At the same time I had a strong feeling that someone was stirring in the house. I tiptoed downstairs to investigate.
I found my cousin Odette in the kitchen. She was stirring something in a bowl, and she smiled when she saw me.
"Good morning, Katie," she said. "Still not on local time, I see."
"What time is it?" I asked.
"It's just past two in the morning." She gave me an apologetic look. "I didn't wake you, did I? I was making blueberry muffins for you and Annushka for breakfast. I've never made them before, but I heard that Americans like them. You do like them, don't you?"
"Oh, um, yes," I said. "Thank you. That's very thoughtful. But I feel bad – you shouldn't have stayed up all night to make them. Don't you have to go to work or school or something in the morning?"
Odette laughed and went back to her mixing. "My parents were clever investors – they left me a lot of money that the authorities never found out about. That has allowed me to indulge my inner night owl. I sleep very late in the morning, and I get up whenever I want and do whatever I want. There's no need for me to go to a university or to go to work."
Odette caught sight of my expression, and she tilted her head a little to the side. "You look puzzled. Why?"
I suddenly felt very unsure of myself. GM had hinted that there had been some trouble involving Odette's parents – she'd said that there was a reason why I didn't remember them, and Odette had just mentioned "authorities" in reference to them. I wanted to ask Odette what had happened, but I didn't want to bring up memories that were painful for her. I decided ultimately that it was kinder to ask.
"What happened?" I began. "To your parents, I mean."
Odette looked at me sharply, and I could see anger flash in her eyes.
"I'm sorry," I said. "Maybe I shouldn't have asked. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
Odette set her bowl on the table with a clatter.
"What? Are you saying that they didn't even tell you? Do I matter so little that they couldn't even inform their precious little princess what had happened? Did they fear to hurt your delicate sensibilities? Not one of them cared enough – not Annushka – not Galina—"
Odette broke off, breathing hard. She turned her face away from me.
I stood staring at the angry, flame-haired beauty w
ho stood in front of me. I searched her face, looking for a trace of the laughing little girl I had once loved so much. She seemed to have disappeared.
Odette made an effort to compose herself. Then she gave me a wan smile. "But then, you were so young. Perhaps they thought you wouldn't understand."
Fire flickered in her eyes again. "But what about you? Did you never wonder? Did you never ask?"
"Of course I wondered about you, Odette," I said. "I missed you. I thought you were wonderful. I asked GM about you all the time—"
Odette interrupted me. "GM?" She said the letters in English as I had done.
"It's what I call my grandmother – your Annushka. It's sort of an acronym. In English the letters stand for 'Grand Mother.' It's something I came up with after I moved to the U.S., and it just kind of stuck with me."
"Very cute," Odette said. "So, what did your GM say when you asked her about me?"
"GM refused to answer me," I said. "She never liked talking about the past. She said it was full of darkness and superstition."
"And what of Galina?" Odette demanded. "Did she tell you nothing?"
"I've had no contact with her," I said. "In fact, when she showed up at my house a little over a week ago, that was the first time I had ever seen her in my life – she had no opportunity to tell me anything."
"And so all this time Galina has been fretting and worrying about you, and you didn't even know she existed." Odette said the words more to herself than to me.
She went on in the same tone. "And Annushka saw you day after day, year after year, and never saw fit to mention me."
"It was hard for her to go into the past," I said. "She had lost a lot."
Odette was silent for a long moment, and then she nodded. "I supposed it is left to me to explain."
She turned and put her bowl of muffin batter in the refrigerator. Then she gave me a smile. "I am sorry for my outburst. How would you like some alosa tea? I know your mother used to like it. In fact, I have the very same kind she used to buy – from the very same shop. Won't you sit and have tea with me? And I will tell you about my parents."
Pure (Book 1, Pure Series) Page 16
