Cry of the Firebird (The Firebird Fairytales Book 1)

by Amy Kuivalainen

  “Um, Chay? I think I better go,” she stammered. “Text me your flight details and I will be there.” Izrayl was slowly moving up along her body until he loomed over her.

  “Yep. Yep. Okay. Bye!” Katya snapped the phone shut and stared wide-eyed at the huge body crouching over her. “And what do you think you are doing?”

  Izrayl moved his right hand down the side of her body and lifted her up to meet him. He shocked her by kissing her long and hard. His goatee was rough against her skin but she didn’t stop him. He growled again and her whole body vibrated.

  “That is what I am doing,” he said as he climbed off the sun bed and walked back inside.

  “Seriously?” Katya shouted after him.

  Chapter Twenty-Two- Unexpected Hunt

  Anya and Cerise found Katya downstairs in the gym running a quick pace on the treadmill with a look of pure fury on her face.

  “So this is where you are hiding,” Cerise said as she leant casually against the tower of hand weights.

  “You shouldn’t push yourself so hard when you are still recovering from injuries,” Anya frowned. She had a lot of dreams about Katya covered in blood and wasn’t keen to experience it again.

  “Our little fire starter is right. I certainly don’t want to be stitching you up again.”

  “The wounds have already closed and the stitches are coming out,” Katya argued and didn’t slow her pace, “It’s one of the perks of being born and bred in Skazki. Healing is not as fast as a supernatural’s but fast enough. I will be fine.”

  “Has that mongrel Izrayl been giving you a hard time? I noticed he has been one step off pissing and scratching about you,” Cerise flashed a smile. Katya didn’t respond straight away but quickened her pace.

  “Yes, and this is precisely why I don’t get involved with men. Human, supe or otherwise. Waste of time and space the lot of them,” she muttered.

  “But they sure can be fun when they are compliant,” Cerise said as she lit a cigarette.

  “The Twins are coming,” Katya changed the subject. “Chayton saw you in a vision, Anya and they are going to help you with your magic if they can. They are very old, very powerful Shamans of their people.”

  “The more help I can get the better. Cerise and I were going to steal a bottle of Trajan’s finest red if you’re interested.” Anya was trying to distract her and get her off the treadmill.

  “I still have another ten kilometres to go,” said Katya flatly.

  “Well the offer is open if you change your mind,” Cerise said and signalled Anya to go. They were walking up the stairs when Cerise whispered darkly, “I am going to neuter that mutt.”

  After the ten kilometres was done Katya didn’t stop running. She peeled off her sweat soaked shirt and ripped off the itching patches. Her wounds had closed neatly, the stitches that hadn’t fallen out or dissolved she picked out with her fingernail. She adjusted her sports bra and kept on running. One moment she was alone and the next Izrayl was sitting on a weights bench watching her.

  “What do you want?” she asked abruptly. She tried not to appear flustered and hoped she didn’t trip up on her feet. He walked over to the machine and took a long look at her back.

  “Your stitches are almost healed.”

  “Yes, they have so I have no fear of busting them when I do this,” Katya cracked him in the jaw with her fist. Izrayl stumbled backward in surprise. Katya stopped running, glided back with the momentum of the machine and jumped neatly off the back.

  “What the hell was that for?” he asked as he rubbed his jaw.

  “You know what it’s for,” Katya growled, her body flexing for the fight.

  “You just have to fight with me about everything don’t you.”

  “Damn straight I do. You have been a thorn in my side since day one and that little stunt you pulled before was completely out of line.”

  “I think if you were honest with yourself you would realise you enjoyed it. It unnerved you and that is why you are fighting me.”

  “Don’t flatter yourself, you arrogant bastard.”

  “It always comes back to us fighting. Mostly you fighting against me.” Izrayl moved carefully towards her. “Just give it up, Katya.”

  She reacted before he could get closer, kicking his legs out from underneath him. He fell onto his back with a curse. She stepped smugly over him and made for the stairs. Izrayl leapt up and tackled her fast. They flew through the air and landed in the pool with a crushing splash. Izrayl broke the surface laughing loudly. Katya popped up quickly and pushed the hair from her face.

  “You dick!” she shouted. “I think I have lost my shoe.” Izrayl dived down and retrieved her soaked sneaker and offered it to her.

  “Cinderella.”

  “Thanks,” she said as she took it and tossed it from the pool. She trod water for a few moments, looking at him thoughtfully.

  “Are you thinking about how you could drown me?” he asked as he pushed his wet hair from his face.

  “It’s tempting. I am still angry with you.”

  “No you’re not.” His gold eyes sparkled with mischief.

  “Stop laughing at me. I’m serious.”

  “You look it,” he said. “I’ve never seen a woman with as many scars as you.”

  “It comes with the job. If you don’t like them, don’t look at them.” Katya wished she hadn’t taken her shirt off.

  “Don’t be so defensive. I was just making an observation. I actually think they suit you. Your tattoos do too. What do they all mean?”

  “They are protection symbols from just about every nation and religion.”

  “Do they help at all?”

  “Sometimes. Depends what I am up against. I figure they can’t hurt. Besides you cant give me a hard time about my scars; you have more than me.”

  “And I had some weird creature’s fingers stuck in my back.”

  “Pretty gross,” Katya admitted. Her legs were getting tired from running and now treading water. Izrayl could touch the bottom of the pool and as if reading her mind he stretched out a hand towards her.

  “Give your legs a rest,” he said. “I’m not going to bite Katya. You don’t need to be so afraid of me all the time.”

  “I am afraid of nothing,” she replied and boldly took his hand so he couldn’t call her bluff. The pain in her legs ceased as he held her steady. She knew she could’ve climbed from the pool and relieved her legs but for some reason she didn’t.

  “Are you really afraid of nothing?”

  “Only intimacy.” She could never maintain a relationship longer than a one night stand. Sometimes they didn’t even last the night.

  “I think ninety-five percent of people in both worlds could say that.”

  “And I suppose you are in the five percent?”

  “God no, I am terrified of it.”

  “Then why did you kiss me today?”

  “I wanted to and I like to unnerve you. It’s fun. It seems to me you haven’t been allowed to have a terrible lot of fun.”

  “I haven’t. Too much to do. I was training by the time I could walk. I have had some fun though, once I could get away from the tribe.”

  “But no fun lately?”

  “Not exactly.”

  “Would you like to have some?” The twinkle was back in his eyes and Katya didn’t know if he was joking.

  “Depends what you class as fun,” she answered cautiously.

  “I’m going to let that be a surprise,” he winked before he went thoughtful again. “Why were you trained from the time you could walk?”

  “After I was born my mother couldn’t have anymore children. My family has always been the protectors and seers of the tribe. I had no brothers so I became the warrior, Aleki was a seer from the moment she opened her three eyes. If you want to see the true talent in the family, look to her.”

  “I don’t need to. I am looking at some pretty great talent right now.”

  “You really are an incorrigib
le flirt aren’t you?”

  “Guilty as charged. Is it working yet?”

  “Maybe,” Katya admitted with a grin, “but you are going to have to wait to find out. As for me I am going to have a hot shower.”

  “Can I come?”

  “You wish,” she said as she pulled herself out of the pool. Katya pulled out her hair tie and pressed the water out of her hair. As she made for the stairs she heard him call out to her, “Let me know when you change your mind. I am an excellent back washer.”

  Katya was shivering by the time she got into her bathroom. She turned the gold taps in the shower on hot and let the steam fill the room. After peeling off her wet clothes she stepped in and let the boiling water cascade over her, stretching out her muscles out so they wouldn’t cramp from running. Katya’s phone went off on the basin and she knew it would be the Twins texting her with their flight details. It would be good having them around. They would know the answers to Anya’s dream problems and hopefully be able to stop her from lighting herself on fire.

  She stepped out of the shower and dried herself with one of the thick luscious towels. She had to hand it to Trajan, the man had good taste. Slipping on a thick towelling bathrobe she picked up her phone and opened her message. K.ON A HUNT IN PARIS.CALL ME.BEL.

  “Shit,” breathed Katya.

  Isabelle Blackwood had been a friend of the family for years. Katya had never heard the full story but rumours abounded that Isabelle was half vampire, a demon, a supernatural of some sort. All were wrong. She actually was one of the greatest hunters in the world. Katya could believe the half supernatural rumour. Isabelle had never aged the whole time Katya had known her.

  Isabelle looked about twenty-five with long wavy blonde hair and violet eyes. Her obvious femininity was just another deception though because she could out-fight, out-shoot and out-hunt any of her male counterparts. She had shown Katya many tricks of the trade and had often sent her jobs or they simply caught up whenever they could. Isabelle had known her family for a long time so Katya treated her with much more respect than she ever had another hunter. Trouble had a tendency to follow Isabelle wherever she went, which was all over the world. There were ways to contact her if you needed a problem of the supernatural persuasion handled. Only in rare circumstances did she charge a fee. She lived for the hunt.

  Katya had worked with Isabelle a handful of times. The first time Katya had seen her in action she had almost gotten herself killed by standing there watching Isabelle slice, dice and shoot. She was magic with a blade and damn frightening to behold.

  Katya stepped out of her bathroom and was about to shrug off her robe when a voice said from the darkness, “Why do you have such a worried look on your face?” Izrayl reclined lazily on one of her window seats, his gold eyes bright with amusement.

  “None of your business. What are you doing here?” She tried to sound snappish but was more nervous than angry.

  “Rumour has it that you were up here naked and I had to come and investigate.” His eyes slid slowly from her bare feet to her shaggy wet hair making heat rise up in her chest.

  “I have to go out,” Katya said bluntly to prevent anymore suggestive conversation.

  “You are not going anywhere,” Izrayl said threateningly.

  “I will go wherever I like. It’s none of your business.”

  Izrayl was on his feet in the blink of an eye. “I won’t be coming after you if you get yourself cornered again.”

  “Come with me then,” Katya said exasperated. Izrayl’s whole demeanour changed instantly.

  “Where are we going?”

  “To find some fun. I have a hunter friend called Isabelle. She wants my help tonight with a job.”

  “You have only just healed,” Izrayl said softly. He brushed a piece of wet hair back from her face. He sounded genuinely concerned which surprised her. “Did you tell her that?”

  “No, and she doesn’t need to know. I can’t let her down. It is an honour to fight with her and she would never have contacted me if she didn’t really need my help.”

  “I don’t like it but I’m in. I can’t let you go out by yourself again.”

  “Oh, my hero!” Katya said sarcastically.

  “Be careful what you say miss. You are only in a robe right now and I am rather eager to see you naked so don’t push your luck.”

  “Get out so I can get dressed then,” Katya shoved him toward the door. “Go and get ready so I can do the same.”

  “Come and get me when you want to leave.”

  Katya breathed a sigh of relief and quickly locked the door. He had a way of turning up unexpectedly and making her wary.

  Katya dressed in tight fitting black jeans and a long sleeved grey shirt. She pulled her gun holsters over her shoulders, fastened another set over her hips and strapped two long knives to her thighs. She dialled Isabelle’s number and waited.

  “Katya,” Isabelle answered quickly. “I want to hit this place tonight if you can.”

  “I’m ready and I have a friend coming to help.”

  “Good, the more the merrier. I will text you the address. We ambush them in an hour.”

  “See you then.” Katya shut her phone with a snap.

  Izrayl was waiting for her as she stepped out her door. He was wearing a three quarter length black pea coat with a dark green shirt, black jeans and boots. He had tied his hair back in a long braid and looked positively menacing. His gold eyes glowed soft and feral.

  “Are you armed?” she asked. He smiled slyly and opened his coat up to reveal an arsenal almost as impressive as hers.

  “I might do this in human form so I don’t have your friend try to hunt me too. You got that sword with you? You look pretty hot when you use it.”

  “Mind on the job, and of course I have my sword.” Katya’s ring tone jingled and she opened the message from Isabelle.

  “Do you know where this is?” she asked as she held up the phone for him to the address in the 18th arrondissement of the city.

  “I should be able to find it,” Izrayl confirmed. “We’ll take my car.” They stepped into the small elevator together. Katya turned around, put her arms around his neck and kissed him. His large hands rested on her hips and lifted her up so they were at the same level. The elevator bell rang and the doors slid open.

  “Time to go,” Katya said breaking out of his embrace.

  “What did I do to deserve that?” he asked as he opened his car and slipped into the driver’s seat. Katya placed her sword in the back before climbing in next to him.

  “Just trying to make you feel as unnerved as you did to me today.”

  “You need to try harder.” If she wasn’t going on a job with Isabelle she probably would have. You didn’t keep people like her waiting though.

  “So this Isabelle, does she call you up out of the blue like this a lot?” Izrayl asked as they pulled out into the streets.

  “Not often but when she does it is always last minute. She didn’t say what we are up against tonight. I hope I don’t get you killed.”

  “I hope so too. I think of the two of us I have more of a chance of walking out alive. I told Cerise we are going out so they will know when to start worrying. She wasn’t exactly happy about it.”

  “She and Trajan went on their little night out so we should be able to as well. Besides, it’s Anya they actually need to worry about.”

  “They are worrying, that I can guarantee. Especially Trajan.”

  “Am I the only one who thinks it’s strange that a Thanatos is in love with a mortal?” Having a moon-eyed death spirit around was definitely a first for her.

  “No, you are not the only one,” Izrayl frowned as he shifted up a gear, “But I know Trajan and never in a million years would he hurt her. He is the perfect bodyguard, there is very little that could harm a Thanatos; even less that would get the better of it in a fight. The only thing that could bind it is magic.”

  “Or the love of a good woman.”

 
; “So it would seem.” They drove in silence for a few moments before Katya’s phone pinged. MEET ME ON THE ROOF. B.

  Katya and Izrayl left the car a few blocks from their destination and continued on foot. It was a quiet night and Katya could smell the water of the Canal de l’Ourcq in the air. Izrayl followed next to her, watching her back. It felt oddly comforting to have him close by. Her confidence had taken a hard hit with the incident in the park. She should have been able to handle that situation with ease. Maybe she was getting old and losing her touch.

  They had scaled the building next door before very cautiously making their way across to the roof of their destination. Katya didn’t know who they were about to ambush but the dilapidated building didn’t appear to have a lot of security.

  Katya nearly crashed into Isabelle before she spotted her. She still looked as young as she always did. Her honey hair fell to her waist and glowed softly in scant light. Katya caught the glimmer of weapons strapped to her legs in holsters similar to her own. She wore the hunting gear that Katya had seen her in most often. Tight dark trousers, high lace up boots, a dark blue shirt and a many buttoned governess waistcoat. She had a three quarter length jacket over the top which held, if possible, more weapons than Katya had.

  “Thank you for coming,” Isabelle said, her English accent crisp. Katya shook the soft leather of Isabelle’s half gloves.

  “It’s good to see you. This is Izrayl,” Katya replied with a head nod in his direction. Isabelle gave him a sharp appraising once over before she offered her hand. He shook with a smile.

  “Nice to have you along. Katya and I will try not to get you killed.”

  “She said the same thing,” Izrayl grinned. “You don’t have to worry.”

  “Oh I am not worried. If you die it’s your own fault. Let’s go, it’s getting late.”

  “Belle, info. What are we up against?” Isabelle turned on her heel. She had a look in her eye that Katya had never seen before.

  “I don’t know. I believe it’s the Darkness but I can’t be sure. All I know is that something very evil is going on here. It’s pulsing with it. Why do you think the surrounding buildings are empty? In a place like this these mansions should be filled with indulgent rich people. Where are they? This place has scared them off. They can feel the evil,” Isabelle said fiercely, “It sets my nerves on edge. Enough info?”