Part 49 (1/2)

I was relieved. I'd thought for a moment that she knew I was planning to disappear from the festival.

”No, thanks, GM,” I said. ”I don't want it.” I really didn't. I needed my head to be clear.

GM smiled approvingly. ”It is true what I always say-you are a good girl. Let's find a place to set these down. I am sure that on a night like this, no one will mind a few extra drinks sitting around. I think I see a spot on that table over there.”

GM steered me through the crowd, and just as we were setting our plastic cups down, I spotted a tall, silver-haired man moving toward us.

It was Maksim Neverov. I was both elated and dismayed to see him. I was happy because I had a feeling he would provide the distraction I needed to get away from GM. But at the same time I was worried-Innokenti's hints about Maksim and my own half-formed suspicions suddenly hit me again. GM's seeing him during the day was one thing. Would it be safe for me to leave her with him on a night like this?

An even more disturbing question popped into my mind.

What if Maksim was in on the attack tonight?

Maksim saw the two of us and lifted a hand in greeting. GM saw him, too, and her face was instantly suffused with the same light that always seemed to appear whenever he was around.

GM looked happy to see him-truly happy. GM was usually very sharp-except where matters of the supernatural were involved. I wondered-could it be that she was deceived in him?

Perhaps GM couldn't see what she didn't want to see.

”Good evening, Anna. Good evening, Katie,” Maksim said warmly. He bowed over each of our gloved hands in turn. Then his eyes lingered on GM. ”I am truly lucky to find myself out and about on such a fine evening and in the company of two such beautiful ladies.”

”Oh, Maksim,” GM said, delighted, ”you knew we would be here. There was no luck involved at all.”

”Forgive me for reminding you, Anna, but you have disappeared on me before. I repeat that I am lucky.”

”Oh, Maksim,” GM said again.

Maksim and GM continued to talk, and it was clear to me that they only had eyes for each other. While their conversation went on, I glanced at my watch several times. All too soon, my hour was up, and Maksim and GM were still engrossed in one another. It was about time for me to slip away.

I had to hope that Maksim had nothing to do with what was planned for tonight-or if he was, that what I was about to do would be enough to distract him from his part in it.

Someone on the far edge of the crowd set off a few firecrackers, and Maksim and GM turned, laughing, toward the sound. They were so absorbed in each other that I figured it would be a little while before they noticed I was missing. And once they did notice, they wouldn't be too alarmed-at first.

I decided now was the time to disappear.

I ducked into the crowd and made my way toward the Mstislav mansion, which sat at the far end of the square. Once I was free of the crowd, I could see the mansion itself, looming pale and ghostly at the end of its dark, tree-lined drive.

I glanced back toward the crowd and saw four young men carrying a large flame-colored figure of a Firebird on a litter. Behind them trailed a line of girls in traditional Russian dress, carrying baskets and scattering handfuls of rose petals. The petals looked like feathers that had fallen from the great bird.

A cheer went up from the crowd as the Firebird came into view.

I hurried on.

Soon I had pa.s.sed beyond the Mstislav mansion, and the warmth and safety of the festival were growing more and more distant every moment.

There had been no further snow since the early morning, but the day had been cold and none of the snow had melted. A thin coverlet layer of snow still blanketed the ground as I walked on toward the Wasteland.

I realized suddenly that I no longer had a flashlight-I had lost it somewhere in Zamochit Village. Even with the snow and the starlight, the Wasteland would be hard to cross in the dark. Not only that, but I didn't even know where the castle keep was that I was supposed to go to. I wondered with a sinking feeling how I was going to lead Anton on a chase if I couldn't see where I was going and didn't know where to go.

I glanced at my watch. It was five minutes past eleven.

Innokenti had said that Anton would find me, but I waited, and Anton did not appear. I looked around-I was at the edge of the Wasteland, and as far as I could see, I was completely alone. I found myself in the uncomfortable position of both hoping to see Anton and hoping he wouldn't find me.

Minutes pa.s.sed, and I began to feel the cold more keenly. Suddenly, I felt something brush against my hair, and I turned around quickly.

No one was there.

I turned back and was startled to see Anton standing before me, grinning.

”h.e.l.lo, Suns.h.i.+ne,” he said.

I stumbled backward away from him in a panic.

”Relax,” Anton said. ”I'm on the side of the angels this time-however dark those angels might be.”

I took another step back. I hadn't seen Anton since he had shown up at my house back in Elspeth's Grove. He had seemed threatening then, and here in the dark, in the cold, his eyes glittering, he was even more so. My heart was beating wildly, and I couldn't seem to find my voice.

Agreeing to put on a sham chase with Anton no longer seemed to be a good plan-or even a plan I could go through with.

”Tongue-tied?” Anton said with an unpleasant smile. ”Like I always say, I have that effect on a lot of women.”

I suddenly felt a strong desire to run, and I stifled a hysterical laugh-running was exactly what I was here to do.

Anton continued. ”Since you're not in a very talkative mood this evening, I suppose it will up to me to sustain the conversation. I must confess, however, that I am disappointed that you have come back here. I had hoped you would take my advice and stay home. Since you have come here, I've been forced to keep an eye on you again, and it's been exhausting. There have been even more attempts on you in Krov than there were in Elspeth's Grove.”

”You've been-been-”

”I've been looking out for you, yes,” Anton said. ”You know, this village is a dangerous place at this particular time. And you seem to have a knack for getting yourself right into the thick of all the trouble. Our meeting here is a good example of that.”

I drew in a ragged breath and tried to force myself to be calm.

”You're here for real, aren't you?” I said when I was at last able to speak a complete sentence.

A look of genuine confusion flickered across Anton's face.

”I'm sorry?” he said. ”I'm not imaginary if that's what you mean. I'm definitely very solid.”

”I mean this isn't a trap, is it?” I asked. ”A circ.u.mstance that sprang up that you'll take advantage of?”

”I still don't know what you're talking about,” Anton said.

”You're not going to kidnap me and turn me over to the Werdulac, are you?”

”Oh, so that's what you're getting at.” Anton seemed amused. ”No, of course not. And if I were going to do such a thing I would hardly stand around talking with you. I would have carried you off already. You would never even have seen me coming.”

”That's rea.s.suring,” I said.

”I told you,” Anton said. ”I'm with the good guys-such as they are.” He gave me a sardonic smile. ”Sorry-I'm afraid I'm always going to have to add a qualifier whenever I try to cast our little community of vampires as the heroes.”

We stood for a moment in silence, and Anton glanced around.