Sighing, I tucked it into my coat against my breast. Koryak made an annoying noise in the back of his throat, signifying he thought I was no better than he.
With Koryak in the front, I returned to the hall to find Anton waiting. He had Ana standing in front of him, bound with ropes, a pistol to her head.
She had a bloody lower lip and looked ready to tear his face off with her claws.
"I knew you were here," he said with a smirk. "I just wanted to see what Koryak was made of. That maybe he might fix a problem for me. Seems he's more worm than serpent."
"So you've known all along what the Great One wanted," I said as I took Koryak's chain and hooked it on a sconce.
"Only that I was to keep you in Ice Village," he said. "The whole business with the Nenet was something the Great One dreamed up."
"But you knew it was a farce," I said.
"Basically." He shrugged with a killer's nonchalance.
I remembered the bones in the tunnels. "You took the villagers into the earth so the Great One could devour them. Why?"
"It promised me a way out of Siberia. A way back to prominence. I was a rising star before you," he said, snarling.
"So you sacrificed the people you promised to lead to satisfy your goals?" I asked.
His lips pulled back, revealing a wall of teeth. "I'd grown sick of their whining and bleating. It was a relief to give them to the Great One."
I spat on the ground. "I'd planned on letting you live."
"You won't do anything, or I'll kill Ana," he said.
"I'll leave you a smoldering husk of flesh if you dare touch her," I said.
"Then it's a stalemate," he said.
"No," I said. "If this were chess, it'd be check. I have you dead. Your only choice is to retreat. You have no way to beat me."
His gaze narrowed. He pushed the pistol harder. Ana bit her lower lip, and her eyes burned.
"I'll kill her," he said.
"Then I'll kill you. What aren't you understanding? Do you remember nothing from court? I was the one that sent you away. I was the one that ended your career," I said, hoping to provoke him.
He started shaking, pushing the pistol harder. Ana was bent over, until she was practically falling.
"I'm going to return to Moscow. I'm going to get my place back. The Great One told me so," he said, his voice cracking a little.
"You don't even know what beings control this land now. It's not the Moscow you knew. If you help them, it'll be the death of our world. Veles will make slaves of us all," I said.
"Better to be on the side of the new masters then," he said. "I will kill every last one of you to escape this icy prison!"
Ana fell to her stomach. Anton could no longer keep the pistol against her head. I threw a flash of sorcery into his face. The gun went off, leaving my ears ringing.
After two strides, I tackled him around the midsection, throwing him onto his back. Fear for my daughter and rage at his horrible deeds fuelled my charge.
I threw myself onto the pistol, hoping to wrestle it away before he regained his composure, but he was quicker than I. He punched me in the jaw, sending stars through my vision.
The pistol clicked as he set the next bullet. He brought it around towards my head.
Then an avalanche slammed into us. Suddenly men and women in crimson fur coats piled on top of Anton. The pistol was ripped from his hand. Anton fought briefly, but there were too many of the Yaran warriors.
Ben helped me to my feet. "A few of the warriors stopped me in the street, and I was letting them bring me back to the khan. We got here in time to hear everything he said."
Anton's face went slack. "No. I did not mean it. I was only saying those things to hurt her. I'm your khan. I've protected you."
Haida put a knife against his throat. "Shut your mouth, liar. We were all at the raid. We know the truth. Now we understand how and why we were deceived."
"What will you do with him?" I asked. "There's been enough killing."
The wrinkles around Haida's mouth deepened. "You're right. It wouldn't be fair to kill him. Too easy of a way out. We'll take him into the frozen wastelands to the north and let him go. If he can make it back to safety, then he earned his escape."
"No!" said Anton. "I'll freeze to death out there. It's winter, damn you."
After a nod from Haida, the guards yanked on the rope around his neck to shut him up. A few strangled coughs later, he curled into a fetal ball.
"What will you do with—?" I asked as I turned, the answer to my question irrelevant when I saw Koryak's dead body hanging on the chain. A bloody hole in his neck oozed blood.
"Anton's wild shot must have killed Koryak," said Ben.
"I had no intention that he would die, but the fates thought otherwise," I said.
Haida put a hand on my sleeve. "What are your intentions?"
After sharing a glance with Ben, who sensed the answer I was about to give and gave an approving nod, I said, "We're headed to the Aerie. We need to retrieve the spear. It was never the dragon Tugain that was the danger. It's the Great One we must take care of."
Haida closed her eyes. "Just a short time ago, I would have thought that blasphemy. But now that I know the truth..."
"That you can recognize it and change is a credit to you and your people," said Ben. "Lesser folks deny inconvenient truths so they can wallow in the reality they wish they had."
"People like that do not last long in Siberia," said Haida.
"Do you have another place to go?" I asked. "I think it would be wise to be away from here."
"No one will want to stay once they know the truth," she said. "The outpost caves will serve us well for the winter. Having the freedom to move during the daytime will make the journey and existence easier. Will you be taking the airship?"
"If that's acceptable," I said.
"We have no use for it," she said. "We have neither the skills, nor the reason to keep it. Take it if you need it to reach the spear."
"Thank you, Haida," I said, squeezing her hand.
We said our farewells, then we gathered supplies and headed to the airship. I wanted to reach the Aerie by midmorning so we could return to Ice Lake in the daylight.
Chapter Thirty-Six
With Ben working the engines, it didn't take long to get the airship aloft. We didn't have fuel for a long journey, but we had enough to reach the Aerie and return.
We kept the storm wall to our right and flew straight east. I wore extra layers to keep warm in the frigid upper atmosphere. The heat from the engines wasn't strong enough to keep my teeth from chattering.
"So this was all a trap," said Ben, standing at the steerage. Ana and Brassy were in the officers' quarters sleeping. Ben was still energized by Rowan's power, while I had too many things on my mind to rest.
"It appears that way. The wolves of shadow and the storm kept us from heading right to Moscow. Koryak was in the party that found us so we would be brought back to Ice Lake. What I don't understand is why the Midgard Serpent didn't just swallow me whole when it had the chance. Why didn't it kill me and put an end to the prophecy?"
Under normal circumstances, Ben was quite twitchy with thoughts and energy, but with Rowan's essence, he was practically bursting at the seams. I swore when I looked at him out of the corner of my eyes, I saw light slipping from the cracks in his skin.
"It ate you and spit you right out," he said. "Maybe the prophecies protected you from harm. Which might be the reason it sent you to kill Tugain. It hoped the dragon could destroy you."
"Tugain had no interest in killing me. Even when I blasted it with sorcery. The dragon knew about the prophecies, even some of those I thought previously private. It seems the Gamayun have been telling people what they told me," I said.
"Maybe that's what it is. Veles heard the prophecy and was trying to keep it from coming to fruition," he said.
"I learned from Rowan that there are other prophecies pertaining to the end of the multiverse. Ve
les may have heard his own before I stole the remainder from the Gamayun," I said.
"Did Rowan tell you?" he asked.
"No," I said, deciding not to tell him the rest.
"What are you going to do when we reach the Nenet?" he asked.
"I guess I'd better figure that out," I said.
The airship nosily slid across the sky as I stared out the front window wondering how I was going to stop the gargantuan serpent that swam through the earth. I suspected even the spear wasn't going to be enough.
As we approached the mountains, Brassy and Ana appeared, rubbing their eyes. Ana put her arm around my waist and squeezed.
"It's been good to see you, Mother," she said.
I placed my cheek against her forehead, inhaling her sweet smell. "I missed you."
"If I were young again, I might say, 'promise me you won't leave again,' but I know better," she said, a melancholy tone haunting her voice.
"Life is shaped by the choices we make, or don't make. But it's also shaped by the choices of others," I said heavily.
"Are you afraid of what's to come?" she asked.
"With every bone of my body," I said.
Arm in arm, we watched the landscape slip beneath the airship, rising and falling as the mountains approached. My gut tightened when the Aerie came into view. It looked like a speck on the mountainside, a camp rather than a village, perched on a small plateau.
We were greeted by dozens of warriors with pistols and rifles. They held their fire as we hovered over the street. The airship's captain stood at the front of the crowd. Staring down at her defiant face, I was struck by how much she looked like Haida, which reminded me that the Yaran and Nenet had once been the same tribe.
"Greetings, people of Nenet. I come in peace," I shouted down to them in their language.
The captain leaned her head back and said something to the crowd that drew hard laughter. I only heard part of it, but it was something about an elk's vagina.
"We're not afraid of you, you murderous fools," said the captain.
The crowd pumped their weapons while shouting profanities.
"Our raid was a mistake," I shouted. "We were tricked into attacking you."
"Only an idiot would believe that. Give us back the airship and we won't blow you out of the sky," she said, gesturing to the array of weapons in the crowd.
"I can't," I said. "We need it to return."
"Then why have you come?" asked the captain.
"I need something from the dragon," I said, hoping they would understand. I didn't want to resort to violence. So much had gone wrong already because of it. "Please let me retrieve it, and we'll be on our way. You'll never see us again."
The captain burst into laughter. I sensed she was about to give the signal to attack, so I waved my hands and shouted.
"Let me come down! Let me come down! I can show you," I said.
The captain calmed, waving her arms to get everyone to stop shouting. "Come down. Come down and we'll discuss helping you."
She crossed her arms.
Ana was standing behind me, out of view of the windows. "Don't do it. They'll kill you for what we did to them."
Under my breath, I said, "We need that spear. Tell Ben to go lower so I can jump. Do it."
I didn't want to turn my head and take my eyes off the captain, so I wasn't sure if Ana had left. But when the airship shimmied back and forth, trying to lose altitude, I knew she'd told him.
When the airship was twenty feet above the ground, I spoke to Ana, who had returned. "As soon as I jump, take the airship back into the sky until I give the signal to come get me."
"What if they don't let you?" she said.
"Whatever you do, don't attack them. There's been too much killing already," I said.
"The three of us against all of them?" she asked incredulously.
Without another word, I opened the gondola door and stepped out, using magic to slow my fall. I landed harder than I wanted, the impact reverberating through my heels. My teeth chattered together.
As soon as I stood erect, the crowd surged forward, weapons aloft, cries of rage on their lips. The first fist dropped me to my knees. Other punches and kicks came directly after. They pummeled me, screaming and tearing at my hair.
After an initial melee, the captain appeared. I was stretched out before her. Her smooth face was marred by angry blotches. She held a pistol in her shaking fist.
"I should kill you for what you did to my people," she said.
"I would deserve it," I said. "But there are bigger problems that will affect your tribe if you do not let me speak to Tugain."
The captain blanched. "Do you know her name?"
"Her? Well, of course, the younglings," I said, mostly to myself.
The captain brought the tip of the pistol onto the crown of my head. "Do you know her name?"
"Ow. You didn't have to do that. I've already spoken to Tugain, but I didn't understand what was going on then. I do now, which is why I'm back. I'm telling the truth. If you don't help me, then the whole world is at risk," I said.
The captain narrowed her gaze. "Who tricked you? Who made you attack us?"
"The Midgard Serpent. The Jörmungandr. It controlled the Yaran people and told them to attack you and kill Tugain," I said.
Nervous laughter erupted around me. I didn't know what to make of it.
"Jörmungandr?" asked the captain.
"You've heard of it?" I asked.
"Yes, of course. We hear stories from the peoples to the west," she said.
"Good. Then you'll help me. The Jörmungandr is a danger to the whole world," I said.
"Help you?" she laughed, a sneer hanging on her lips. "No. We will do no such thing."
The captain turned and made a severe gesture to her people. I struggled against their arms, but too many people were holding me down. I could get out of it with my magic, but I would kill many of them.
Suddenly, a cold iron collar was snapped around my neck. Hard points dug into my flesh, making me itch to get it away from my skin.
The captain leaned back into view. "This is a special collar. One for witches like you. If you use magic, it will crush your neck, sending shards of iron through your throat, killing you."
"Please, no," I said, realizing I'd made a mistake in coming down to them. "I'm telling you the truth. If you kill me, your whole tribe will die."
The captain leaned into my vision, until I could smell her fishy breath. "Why would we listen to a lying murderer like you?"
Before I could reply, I was dragged away by my arms, the iron collar jabbing my throat until I had tears in my eyes. They paraded me through the streets, until my arms felt like they would pop out of their sockets. Rocks hit my chest and legs.
Then I was unceremoniously dumped into a hut, my arms chained to the wall. Two men with pistols stood over me, glowering as if they were hoping I'd try to escape so they could kill me.
After my sobs subsided, I lay quietly, trying to get comfortable, though no comfort would come. With all of my might, I listened for the sounds of the airship, but I could only hear the wind whistling through the streets of the Aerie.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
After a few hours of lying on the stone, my wrists burning from the cold iron, the captain entered. She was as serious as a razor blade.
"Tell us why you came back?" she asked.
Shivering, I held back a cough and said, "I'm telling the truth. I need to speak to Tugain. The dragon has something I need to use against the Jörmungandr."
"What is it?" she asked sternly.
I hesitated, but realized I had no choice. "A spear. They call it Gungnir."
"Odin's spear?" asked the captain.
"That's the one," I said.
"You're lying," she said. "We sent one of our shamans to speak to the dragon and she said she had nothing you wanted. Said you were a liar."
"No, no. She's just saying that to make me go away," I said.
&
nbsp; "Who am I to believe, you or our guardian?" she asked.
"I promise you, the world rests on my retrieval of the spear. I realize it sounds ludicrous, but think about it. If I'm not a liar and you give the spear to me, I'll leave and take care of the guardian of the Yaran people. If I am a liar, I'm still going to leave, and you won't miss what I have, because you never knew it existed before."
"Or we can keep you here and execute you in the morning. Tomorrow is the winter solstice. Your death will be a fitting sacrifice," she said.
"Wait!" I said to her back as she left the hut.
I fidgeted with my collar, trying to find a way to slip it off my neck, but the guard slapped my hand. I was trapped. I was a fool to come back. Of course they wouldn't help me. I'd led the raid on their people and helped kill dozens.
Dejected, I curled into a ball, trying to keep some warmth in my body. I would have asked for a blanket, but I knew the answer. They weren't going to waste efforts on a doomed prisoner.
Surprisingly, despite the horrible conditions, I fell asleep, probably because I hadn't slept in a few days.
I woke to darkness. Someone was shaking my shoulder.
"Kat," said the voice.
"Ben?"
"Hush. Not so loud," he said.
"Where are the guards?"
"Ana took care of them," he said.
I was about to ask how when I remembered the Uthlaylaa blood. It would be trivial to take control of them.
"Can you get this thing off my neck?" I asked as he helped me to my feet.
"Not here," he said.
I tugged at the iron. I felt like it might go off at any moment, killing me instantly.
Ben led me from the hut. A few torches lit the streets. I thought we'd head towards the cave, but Ben led me up the mountainside. After a twenty-minute hike, I stopped him.
"Where are the others?" I asked.
"Ana was going to lead the guards away and then return to the airship. Brassy is keeping it parked in the highlands, since we're about out of fuel. While we're in the caves, they're going to try to find loose kindling to use. It's not the best fuel, but it's better than nothing."
Dragons of Siberia (The Dashkova Memoirs Book 7) Page 17
