Rise of the Firebird (51 page)

“You could’ve asked.”

He kissed her cheek, “Kill them all, little cousin.” He walked from the hotel lobby and vanished.

Upstairs, Anya picked up the phone and rang room service for food and Finlandia vodka before kicking off her boots. She wanted a bath and silence after the tumultuous time in the Otherworld. For one afternoon, she didn’t want to know about it.

Aramis sat in the bar of the hotel drinking coffee, reading the newspaper and enjoying the calm routine of it. The rest of the group had disappeared in their own desire to be alone, which left him with a blissfully free afternoon. He’d tried to reach Ruthann and Søren, but neither had responded to the magical or mundane means of communication.

“Is this seat taken?” A voice asked behind him. Aramis put his cup down too quickly, spilling coffee over the white tablecloth.

“Brother, what are you doing here?” Aramis got up and embraced Søren who looked tired but comfortable in his casual black jeans and dress shirt. His aura was flared with anger, grief and worry. “What has happened?”

“I’ve much to tell you but I’m going to need something stronger than coffee and so are you,” Søren replied. Half an hour and three straight vodkas later, Søren had relayed to him the slaughter of the Álfr at Svetilo.

“I couldn’t go back to Ruthann and not want to kill him,” Søren admitted. “He ignored all the signs, pushed my warnings aside, and now Svetilo is destroyed. Vasilli drained the magic from as many as he could. Who knows what the monster will be capable of now.”

“We need to tell Anya,” Aramis replied, his fingers subtly brushing away the tears from his cheeks.

Søren stretched out in his chair and his magic heaved. “There, I told her I’m here. How was your trip to Karelia? You seem to be brimming with something a little…extra.”

“Extra magic isn’t all that we brought back,” he admitted. He’d barely reached Eldon’s sudden appearance when Anya entered the bar dressed in clean jeans, a cream sweater and boots. She was flushed from a bath and her hair was still damp on the ends. When she saw Søren, her face lit up with a massive smile.

“I haven’t had someone look so happy to see me in a very long time,” he said as she wrapped her arms around him, kissing his cheeks.

“How are you even here right now? I’ve been so worried about you. I’m happy to see you in one piece,” she said earnestly. “Please tell me that I am wrong. Tell me that you weren’t in a battle and it was only a stupid dream.”

“It wasn’t a dream. It’s the reason I am here.” The more Søren talked, the more Anya’s aura changed until they were mirroring each other’s. Aramis had never considered how much they were alike, seemingly unemotional, quiet and stubborn. He had recently seen Anya’s streak of angry violence that had him concerned.

“Søren, you’ll be quite impressed to hear that Anya broke a prisoner out of Louhi’s jail and killed her
hiisi
trolls with magic,” Aramis interrupted them during the next round of drinks.

“You did battle magic? I am impressed,
Elenya
, I should’ve bought Lif with me.”

“Who is Lif?”

“One of my warriors and the best user of battle magic I have seen since Aramis.”

“Aramis! You never told me…”

“He wouldn’t have. He has too many morals these days,” Søren said airily.

“I don’t believe that magic should be used to kill. It isn’t gentlemanly.” Anya and Søren broke into identical, cynical laughter.

“We aren’t fighting gentleman. We are fighting pieces of shit like Vasilli and Yanka. I don’t agree with using magic to kill, but I’m going to use it against them in any way that sees them dead and buried. It’s gone too far for any kind of redemption. There is only one way this is going to end. I’m going to kill them all,” Anya said lifting her glass in a mock toast at him. “Enough is enough.”

“You know I couldn’t argue with you even if I didn’t think you were right. I know you are, I still don’t have to like it. You can fill Søren in on the adventures of Karelia. I need to walk.”

“You look different,” Søren said after a few more drinks. “Karelia has changed you. The vulnerability has gone, or was it killing Veruschka?”

“Both, I don’t miss it and I don’t regret killing her. I’m trying not to let my anger consume me. If I give into it completely, it will make me no better than them,” Anya swirled the ice around in her glass.

“Yvan will keep you grounded. I’m pleased that you have taken the time to recognise your feelings for what they are. It’s a shame that it took Tuoni to point them out to you.” Søren’s lips twisted in a strange half smile.

“Tuoni and his daughter were exceptional at stabbing their bitter blades in wherever they could.”

“You’ll never be able to confirm what they said about the Thanatos. Whether you were attracted to him because you wanted to die, or if he was working within the parameters of Ilya’s spell is irrelevant compared to what your heart tells you.”

“It is
all
irrelevant,” murmured Anya. “He’s dead and I’ll avenge him. I will avenge all the ones Yanka has killed. I’m happy you are here because I am going to need your help.”

“To do what?”

“To teach me. I can absorb power. I could absorb your skills if I wanted to but I want you to teach me to fight with magic and with a blade.”

“Mychal would be a better teacher. He is far more skilled.”

“Not with magic he isn’t. Aramis is my
hjarta bróđr
and because you are twins, it means I have my own bond with you. I trust Mychal, but not in the same way that I trust you. Train me, Søren. If Aramis was willing to teach it to me, he would’ve done so already. You should have seen how horrified he was when I unmade the
hiisi
.”

“I can imagine,” Søren said, his brows coming together in a frown. “Killing can become seductive,
Elenya.
Killing with magic even more so. There’s a darkness that comes in and you must not let it consume you.”

“You will teach me not to let it,” Anya put her hand over his. “Søren, I
know
what you have been through in a way that no one else does. I saw it, I
felt
what you felt when Yanka killed Väliä. You’ve endured so much and still you are strong enough not to let the darkness take you. There’s no one that can teach me like you.”

Søren drained his vodka, his green eyes burning. “I hate how you are able just to convince people to do something against their better judgement.”

“Stop pretending you don’t like me, Søren. I know you’ll train me because you know that you are the best. You won’t risk my life and others with defective training.” Anya smiled brightly as he grimaced.

“Fine, but do me a favour and get Yvan’s blessing first. He loves you and he has waited a long time for you to recognise that you love him back. He’s the last person I would wish to offend.”

“I will talk to him about it, though you could train him too with all the firebird power in him,” she yawned and put down her empty glass. “I’m going to bed. Don’t disappear in the night. We need you. Aramis needs you. You should try to rest. You haven’t slept since the battle.”

Søren waved the bartender over and ordered another drink. “Don’t mother me, Anyanka. I’ve been taking care of myself for over a thousand years now.” The bartender stood looking at them uneasily.

“You are Anyanka?” he asked quietly. “As in
the
Anyanka?”

“Argh…I guess? You might have me confused with someone else.”

“I had heard that you travelled with one of the Álfr and I thought…” Søren got slowly to his feet and the bartender took a step backwards. “Please, I don’t mean any offence. I am on your side.”

“Side? What side?” Anya questioned.

“If I could…” The bartender slipped a hand inside of his pocket and pulled out a folded up piece of paper. Søren took it before Anya could and unfolded it.

“Well, that’s unexpected,” he said as he passed it over. A stylised firebird had been printed onto it. Anya looked up at the bartender.

“The neutrals …meaning people like me, we are on your side to bring down the Darkness and the Illumination.”

“I don’t understand how this could have happened. I am no leader, I’m nobody,” she shook her head in confusion.

“You’re going to help us shake off the oppressors. Rumours of you are spreading through the world. You aren’t alone in this fight,” the bar tender bowed. “It is an honour to meet you. My name is Antru. If there is anything you need, I’m at your disposal.”

Kullervo walked the streets of Helsinki with no purpose other than to absorb all around him. He’d cast a few spells already to help understand real world complexities like traffic lights, the Euro, and mobile phones. Now he was learning about fashion that had certainly changed for the more daring and exotic. He could barely contain his enthusiasm for a girl with purple hair and piercings and had followed her to a clothing store. A large man doll in the window was dressed in black leather pants with a silky red button up shirt. Kullervo snapped his fingers and his mud stained attire had swapped with the dolls including a new pair of black boots, silver necklaces and leather wrist cuffs. He straightened his shirt before continuing on his walk.

Night fell and he followed the siren song of thumping drums. With another quick spell to confuse the security guards, Kullervo discovered his greatest find; heavy metal music. His uproarious laughter was lost in the sea of noise and the swaying bodies of tattooed leather clad beauties. Oh yes, he was going to enjoy the new world.

Aramis quickly bypassed the bar when he arrived back at the Hilton late that night. He liked that Søren and Anya were friendly with each other but his brother reminded him of his grief. He had bought a new laptop, which he set up quickly. He needed to find out what was happening in the world and there was only one information source he trusted. An hour later, he was calling Silvian on Skype. He didn’t know what the time difference would be but he was sure that Silvian would be awake.

“Who the devil are…Aramis!” Silvian’s face distorted on the screen in front of him as he adjusted his web cam. “Where are you?”

“Helsinki. We got in a few hours ago. Søren is here,” he replied.

“That’s surprising. You look like hell, what happened? Is Anya okay?”

“We are all alive and uninjured. There’s much to talk about but first I want to hear what has happened since I left.”

“That might take a while. To give you a short version, Lya died, as you know, and Harley is moving in leaps and bounds with her newfound power. The Conseil Neutres is still causing chaos here in New Orleans. Their idiocy knows no bounds, Aramis,” Silvian shook his head. “The city is full of hunters, some friends of Isabelle and Hamish but mostly ones trying to protect one of the only neutral cities in the world. Harley and Isabelle are organising them but it wont be long now before the Conseil retaliates more violently. Also, we had a hunter turn up from England and she bought with her some interesting news from Europe. A following of neutrals is building up behind Anya and Yvan’s cause.”

“What? How can this be?”

“What did you expect? Someone is brave enough to try to fight the Illumination and the Darkness. She has an army rallying and they are flying the symbol of the firebird as their banner.”

“I saw graffiti today on the streets. Flyers and such. I thought it was for a rock band or something like that that the humans get involved with,” Aramis shook his head. “I had no idea. How are we supposed to keep an eye on this army?”

“I’m sure that they’ll find you if they haven’t already.”

“I’m not sure if that is an encouraging thought. We found the sword, Silvian. Anya, Yvan, and I, have been able to link power.”

“How did it feel?”

“Like I was three people at once. As if everything I am fell away until we were one entity,” Aramis said as he shuddered at the memory. “We are going to try it again in a few days.”

“Be careful, Aramis. You know how seductive forgetting oneself can be.”

“It isn’t that,” Aramis admitted. “I didn’t think it would be possible. To link three people is unheard of. Also until now, there had been some measure of doubt that it wouldn’t work and there would be no way to stop Yanka. Now I know we really do have the power.”

“For the love of all that is holy, please tell me you aren’t still in love with Yanka, Aramis,” groaned Silvian.

“Gods no. When I thought she was dead, I never felt that I was truly free of her. I’ve been haunted by her and my own failure. It’s why I had to rescue her even though there was the possibility she would be as destructive as ever. I owed it to her. Now that obligation is gone and if we kill her, it will finally be over. I’ll finally be free of her.”

“I hope so, old friend, for your sake and for Anya. Some things you can’t save. Of your other adventures, I’m sure there is many but it can wait. You look like hell. When was the last time you had a decent night’s sleep?”

“Tapiola.”

Silvian pulled a face. “Go to sleep.
Now
. Before I ask. I’ll send you a zeitgeist email and catch you up.”

“Thank you, Silvian. I don’t suppose I could convince you to come to Helsinki?”

“Tempting, but I am needed here with the wayward children. Also, I don’t know how strong Søren’s urge to kill me still is.”

“Not nearly as strong as it was two hundred years ago I imagine.”

“Ha! Keep imagining!
Noapte bună
, Aramis.”

“Good night, Silvian. Give my regards to the wayward children.”

Mikhaʼel
, a voice reached Mychal far into his dreams, drawing him out of them. Aleksandra’s breathing was deep and calm beside him. He got up slowly as not to disturb her and picked up Ukko’s sword. It was the sword’s voice that he heard in the dream, like he had heard the shout of joy when he unsheathed it for the first time.

Mikhaʼel, long I have waited my return to you, Master
.

You are mistaken
, Mychal replied uneasily.

I was made for your hand. I am not mistaken. Why do you not recognise me? I have suffered in the hands of the vengeful and reckless Kullervo; long I lay trapped in the darkness.