Part 38 (1/2)

”I think I saw him,” I said.

Odette stared at me. ”The Les.h.i.+?”

”Yes-in Red Square. He looked like Aleksandr, but his eyes were overbright like they were when the Les.h.i.+ was impersonating him. The Les.h.i.+ told me once that you can always tell one of his disguises by the eyes. I spotted him the crowd, and he ran off, so I followed him. He led me to a back room in a museum, and then he disappeared completely. But it was there in the museum that I stumbled across the icon of the Werdulac. It was because of the Les.h.i.+ that I found out the Werdulac's name. I think he was trying to warn me.”

”So he was trying to help you,” Odette said bitterly. ”Just as I am here to help you. Everyone is always trying to help you.”

”Timofei Mstislav isn't trying to help me,” I said. ”He's trying to kill me.”

”That's true enough.” Odette gave me a sidelong glance. ”Just out of curiosity, how did you get out of the woods so quickly tonight? Did the Les.h.i.+ come for you?”

I blinked at her in surprise. ”No-it wasn't the Les.h.i.+. You didn't see the horse?”

”I saw a white flash, and then you disappeared,” Odette said. ”It was a good thing, too, because Timofei ran after you as soon as he was free of the ritual. He surely would have caught you if you hadn't just vanished.”

”That white flash was a horse,” I said. ”I climbed onto its back, and it carried me home. I don't know where it came from or where it went. It was almost like I dreamed it.”

”It was a nightmare,” Odette said.

I looked at her in surprise. She had spoken the last sentence in English. ”What did you say?”

Odette looked a little self-conscious.

”Was that not right?” she asked in Russian. ”I learned the English word 'nightmare,' and I thought I would make a play on words. It was night, and you met a mare-or a horse, anyway-that seemed like a dream. I thought the word fit.”

”A nightmare,” I said in English, before switching back to Russian. ”I see what you mean. That's clever. Where did you learn those words?”

”I've been studying English on my own. I never had time for studies before,” Odette said ruefully. ”I have nothing but time now.”

”Have you ever heard anything about a horse like the one that helped me?” I asked. ”Do you know what it was?”

”It sounds like one of the creatures of the light that inhabit the Pure Woods,” Odette said. ”After all, it did come to save you. That's all I can tell you. I know more about the creatures of the dark-that's really my area of expertise.”

Unbidden, William suddenly came to mind. One of the creatures of the dark-that's what he thought he was. And he'd left me because he believed the curse could be lifted. I hoped for his sake that such a thing was truly possible-I knew it was what he wanted most in all the world.

Odette also did not seem too happy with her current status, even though, unlike William, she'd actually chosen it. I wondered if there was a way back for her too-if she wanted it.

”Odette, I heard that it was possible for a vampire to-”

I tried to choose my words carefully. ”To return to his previous state. Is that possible? Would it be possible for you?”

”There is a legend about the firebird,” Odette said wistfully. ”It is said that the firebird can heal anything-any kind of malady. I have wondered if the firebird can even heal me-there are old stories that say it can. The Firebird Festival is coming soon-that's the time when the firebird is most likely to make itself seen. It's funny about fire-it's the best way to kill us, but according to the folktales, the right kind of fire can actually purify us.”

I watched Odette's face in the candlelight, and her expression grew softer as she spoke. She looked very young-and lost.

”Creatures of the dark have to be careful of themselves, you know,” Odette said. ”I thought I would be laughing at the night and at everyone else too-I thought I would have everything I ever wanted. No wrinkles, ever! Clothes would always look good on me! And I would have powers, yes! I would be glittering and fearless and above all earthly cares. But all of this means nothing to me now-there are many dangers from my own kind, and there are even worse dangers from even darker creatures. And now I creep around, hiding myself, wis.h.i.+ng I was something other than I am.”

”Where do you live, Odette?” I asked. ”Where do you go when you hide yourself away? You could come back to this house. You could live here again. You could come back to us.”

Odette stiffened. ”It isn't possible. I can never come back. The firebird is just a myth-a pretty folktale. And I cannot come back as I am. I can never rejoin the human world. I can never feel its warmth and love again.” She paused, and her mouth twisted in a bitter smile. ”I sought to place myself above you, only to find that once again you end up with everything, and I end up with nothing.”

Odette stood up suddenly, and I jumped back in fear.

”I have just enough affection left for you to tell you to leave,” she said fiercely. ”Get out of this village before you get yourself killed.”

Odette extinguished her candle, and the room was plunged into darkness. In a panic, I stumbled across the room toward the lamp by my bed.

By the time I had the light on, Odette had gone.

Chapter 19.

After Odette left, I tried to force myself to sleep-that was all I could really do-I could hardly tell GM that a vampire had come to visit me.

So I pa.s.sed in and out of troubled dreams.

I knew that I needed to sleep-even though the horror that was Timofei Mstislav was standing outside.

I needed to have a clear head in the morning.

The situation I found myself in was getting worse by the moment, and I knew that I wouldn't be able to fight off Timofei on my own. I had only defeated Timofei's father with the help of William and the clear fire-and I didn't have either one of them anymore. And leaving Russia, as Odette had suggested, was not an option. I knew from past experience that Timofei would follow me wherever I went.

If I were to survive, I would have to have help.

William, of course, was long gone. Galina and the Les.h.i.+ had both disappeared. Odette was clearly not inclined to be cooperative. And GM was not equipped to deal with the supernatural.

I had only one option.

I would have to seek out the vampire Innokenti.

I was sure he was dangerous. But he had also told me to return to Russia for my own safety. Perhaps he could help me to ward off Timofei-or at least help me to get GM out of the country unharmed. Odette had said that GM was safe from Timofei, but I was still uneasy about her.

I didn't want anything to happen to GM because of me.

So I did the best I could to sleep, and to a certain extent, I succeeded.

When the first gray light of dawn crept into my room, I decided to give up struggling with my dreams.

I got out of bed and went to the window. I was just in time to see Timofei turn and shuffle off. It was a terrible sight-the inhuman creature looked even more horrific silhouetted against the rosy rays of the sunrise.

I watched Timofei until he disappeared, and then I stood listening. The house was quiet, and I figured that GM was still asleep. I decided to go right away to look for Innokenti. Maybe I could catch him before he settled in to sleep for the day-or whatever it was that he did. I also wanted to return the lantern I had taken from the Mstislav crypt-I just wanted to get it out of the house. And finally, I had to retrieve my bicycle from Galina's place-I might need it to get around again.

I dressed quickly and slipped out of the house with the lantern, leaving GM a note telling her that I had gone for a walk. I would, of course, be gone for more than a little while, and I had a feeling that GM would be angry when time pa.s.sed and I didn't return. But that couldn't be helped right now.

I had work to do.

The morning was cold, and the light was still low-it would be another half-hour before the sun itself peeked over the horizon.