Wickedly Ever After: A Baba Yaga Novella (4 page)

Barbara’s heart swelled so much it felt as though it would burst out of her chest. She’d never expected any of this strange and unfamiliar familial joy and the thought of losing it, too few years down the line, gave her an unaccustomed feeling of panic.

“So that’s the story,” she said. “We thought that maybe you might be able to help us with the first task, since you’re so in tune with the ocean.” Hope threatened to swamp her like one of the waves farther down the beach.

Beka looked thoughtful, pushing her waist-length straight blonde hair out of the way as the wind blew it into her face. Her long tanned legs stuck out in front of her, toned by hours of surfing and swimming. “Catch the song of the ocean in a bottle,” she repeated. “I don’t know how to do that.”

Barbara’s breakfast turned to stone in her stomach. “Oh. Well, it was worth a try.”

“No, no,” Beka said. “It’s okay. I’m pretty sure I know someone who will, and he owes me. But we’ll have to wait until dusk to ask him.”

“Really?” Liam said. “You know someone who can do that? Who?”

***

The King of the Selkies walked out of the waves as the sun was sinking below the horizon. Four tall Selkie men followed him, an honor guard more than an actual one, although they looked fit and alert enough to take on anything that came. All the Selkies had straight dark hair and brown eyes and smooth, pale skin that gleamed like the inside of an abalone. The King wore muted browns and grays like his men but his bearing and piercing glance would have made his rank clear, even if the scepter he carried did not.

The two Baba Yagas and their dragon-dogs walked down to meet the Selkies; Liam had stayed at the bus with Beka’s new husband, Marcus, and Babs, who had nodded off over her dinner after a day spent playing in the water, despite her eagerness to meet the King. The women bowed slightly to the King, who tilted his head in return. The Baba Yagas had always been held in great esteem by the sea peoples, the Selkies and the Mer, but after Beka had saved their underwater home from destruction and cured the folks who had been poisoned by the same source that had contaminated their refuge deep under the sea, the King treated her almost as an equal.

“Baba Yaga,” he said to her in his resonant voice. “You sent a message that you needed me and so I have come. We owe you a great debt and if there is anything at all I can do to repay it, such a thing is yours to command.”

“I would not command,” Beka said, a quiet dignity changing her from the hippy surfer chick she normally seemed to be into the powerful witch she actually was. “But I do ask most humbly if perhaps you can somehow help my friends. You promised me a boon, once, if I ever needed one. Their need is great, and if you can do the thing they require, it would repay
the debt between us in full.”

The King looked thoughtful. Those of the Otherworld, even the few paranormal races who had been forced to stay behind when all the others retreated to the greater safety of the place far from Humans, truly disliked owing favors to anyone. Even those they liked and respected.

“If it is within my power, Baba Yaga, you may consider your wish granted. What is this boon you need for your sister Baba?”

Barbara took a step forward. “The High Queen has given me three impossible tasks to fulfill if I am to be allowed to wed my mate, Liam, in the eyes of the court and share with him the Water of Life and Death, which Beka once used to save your people.”

The King, a wise and long-lived creature who had ruled his people for many, many years, gave Beka a keen-eyed look. “This would affect you and your mate as well, would it not? Since he, too, is Human, I assume that your need for the Water would be the same.”

Beka nodded, a trifle grimly. “Indeed, we suspect that the success or failure of Barbara’s mission may well decide Marcus’s fate as well—although the Queen has not given me the same ultimatum, so we can’t know for sure.”

“Ah,” he said. “So we might be able to give you a gift almost as great as the one you gave to my people. That would be a right and fitting thing. What is it you need, exactly?”

Barbara took a deep breath. “The first task is this: to catch the song of the ocean in a bottle. Is such a thing even possible?”

To Beka’s and Barbara’s surprise, the King threw back his head and laughed, a sound a bit like the barking of a seal. They exchanged glances.

“This is amusing to you, Your Highness?” Beka asked.

“I beg your pardon, Babas,” the King said, amusement still coloring his face. “I do not mean to make light of your request; I am aware of its importance. But I must tell you, this boon you ask, it is too small. It cannot even begin to pay off our debt to you, although of course I am happy to be able to grant it.”

Barbara leaned forward eagerly. “You can do this? Really? I didn’t even realize the ocean had a song, nonetheless that you could actually catch it somehow.”

The King gestured at one of his guards; the two spoke briefly in low tones, and then the man dove cleanly into the water, vanishing beneath the waves. When Beka started to ask a question, the King just held up one hand.
Wait.

They stood on the beach in silence for about a half hour, watching the moon rise to glisten off the water. Finally, a dark head surfaced with a splash and the Selkie waded back ashore, something clutched in one pale hand.

He handed it to the King, who in turn handed it to Beka. She held it up so Barbara could see too. It was a large beautiful shell, its peach and pink interior peeking out from a creamy exterior. In the bright moonlight it seemed to shimmer with an opalescent gleam.

“It’s lovely,” Beka said. “But how is this the song of the ocean?”

The King chuckled. “Among the Humans, they have a myth that if you put your ear to certain shells, you can hear the sound of the waves inside. It was shells like this one from which that story sprang. In our kingdom under the sea, our wizards capture the singing of the whales and the melody of the waves and all the other myriad sounds that make up the background harmony of our world, and they attach it to these shells. Every once in a while one of them would wash up upon the shore and be found. Here, listen.”

Beka put the shell up to her ear and a look of pure delight crossed her face, her eyes closing and a dreamy smile lingering on her lips. “That’s amazing,” she whispered.

Barbara was dubious. She, like most other people, had tried once or twice to listen to a shell, but all she ever heard was a faint whooshing sound. So when Beka handed over the gleaming, slightly pointed object, she didn’t have very high expectations.

“Go on,” Beka urged. “It’s like nothing else you’ve ever experienced.”

Barbara raised one eyebrow at her enthusiastic young friend but did as she was told. What she heard took her breath away. It was indescribable; like the sweetest harmony in the world, with undertones of solemn bass that sang a mournful counterpoint. She felt as though every emotion she’d ever known was reflected back to her in the song in perfect balance and unearthly charm.

“That’s incredible,” she said, feeling a single warm tear slide down her face. “A true gift indeed.”

The King beamed at them, pleased with the reception his present had received. “There you are then. All you have to do is find a large enough bottle to fit it in; I’m sure that Beka has some lovely decorative ones she’s picked up on the beach over the years. Use your magic to transport the shell inside the bottle and you will have what you needed—the song of the ocean.”

“I am very grateful, Your Highness,” Barbara said.

“As am I,” Beka added.

“It is little enough after all you did for me and my people,” the King said. “It is my honor and my pleasure to grant your request. I wish you luck with the rest of your tasks, Baba Yaga.”

With that, he turned and walked back into the ocean with his men. In a moment, they had vanished into the sea, and a moment after that, five sleek seals could be seen bobbing on the water as they headed for home.

“Wow,” Beka said. And then looked thoughtful. “Do you think the Queen knew the first task would be so easy?”

“Wow indeed,” agreed Barbara. She shrugged. “Maybe. Or maybe not. It depends on her actual intentions when she came up with the three impossible tasks, and I’ve learned never to assume I have any idea
what
Her Majesty is thinking. Either way, it’s one down, two to go.”

***

Back at the bus, Beka dug out a lovely cobalt blue bottle she’d plucked from the sea a few years before and Barbara snapped
her fingers, moving the shell inside with a simple twist of magic.

“That’s great,” Barbara said, tucking the bottle safely away in the bottom of a patchwork tote bag as they sat outside eating s’mores around a small fire pit. “But that’s it for my brilliant plan, I’m afraid. I don’t have any idea where to look for a living representative of a dead species. I don’t even think there is such a thing.” She rested her chin on her hand, feeling vaguely depressed.

“Actually,” Liam said, startling her, “there is. And I think I know where to find one.”

“What?” Beka and Barbara said together. Marcus, his muscular arm draped over Beka’s shoulder, just looked intrigued.

“I have an old roommate from college who went on to work in the biotech industry,” Liam explained.

“You roomed with a science nerd?” Marcus said. “That must have been an interesting combination.”

“Yeah, I was studying criminal justice and he was doing a master’s in biology with a specialty in biotech at Adelphi University. I think he was the youngest guy to ever complete a master’s there, he was that smart—but not terribly socially adept, as you might imagine. They used to call us the Brain and the Brawn.”

“Gee,” Barbara said, “let me guess which one you were.”

Liam grinned. “I kept him from getting picked on by the frat guys and he kept me from flunking my bio class. Phil was a great guy, despite his unfortunate tendency to quote
Star Trek
on double dates. We kept in touch, so I know he’s working for a biotech company that’s involved with bringing back extinct animals.”

Barbara perked up. “Wait, extinct animals, as in ‘dead species’?”

“The very same,” Liam said. “I didn’t want to say anything back home until I did a little research and talked to Phil, but the company he works for, Phoenix Technologies, is located in Montana. I texted him while you guys were on the beach and he said he might be able to help us. He’s expecting us as soon as we can get there.”

“That’s great,” Beka said. “You’ll have to keep in touch and tell me if it pans out.” She grinned at Barbara. “Isn’t Bella fighting wildfires in Montana right now? Maybe you can stop by and see her while you’re there. You know, after you fulfill your second impossible task.”

“Well, let’s not get our hopes up too high,” Liam said. “Phil said that all the stuff they’re working on is very cutting-edge and kept securely locked away. I doubt his bosses are going to just loan us a sample of their newest project.”

“Of course, it probably doesn’t help that you can’t explain why on earth you’d need to borrow a once-extinct critter,” Marcus suggested. “It’s not exactly something a small-county sheriff usually needs.”

“No kidding,” Liam said. “I basically stalled and told him I’d give him more details when we got there. So we have tonight to think of something clever enough to fool the smartest guy I know.”

“Oh good,” Barbara said. “No pressure then. Excellent.”

***

“This is weird,” Liam said to Barbara, watching the landscape change from trees to mountains and back again as they sat
in the front seat of the silver truck that both was and wasn’t a part of the Airstream. “Is it always like this?” He looked dubiously at the speedometer, which indicated they were going more than two thousand miles per hour, even though the view out the windshield seemed normal except for its extreme changeability.

Barbara shrugged, turning around to hand an apple back to Babs, who was strapped into a car seat that Barbara swore was unnecessary (since the Airstream would never let anything happen to them) and which Liam insisted upon anyway.

“Not exactly,” she said. “But I told it we were in a hurry, so I’m not surprised.” One corner of her mouth turned up as she watched Liam watch the steering wheel steer itself. “You should have seen it when it was a hut on chicken legs. Sometimes when I was a kid I’d go to sleep in Russia and wake up in Poland.” She thought about that statement for a moment. “Of course, the border moved around a lot, so occasionally that was politics, not magic.”

“Gah,” Liam said succinctly.

“I know, I hate politics too,” Barbara agreed.

“This is the strangest family vacation ever,” Liam said.

Barbara handed him an apple and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek.

“Maybe,” she said. “I wouldn’t know, since it is the first one I’ve ever taken, our honeymoon aside. But I’m kind of enjoying it so far.”

“Me too,” Babs said from the backseat, crunching contently.

Liam just looked at them both and shook his head. “It’s no Disneyland,” he said. “But the company is good.”

***

They met up with Liam’s friend Phil in the employee parking lot at Phoenix Technologies, sliding the Airstream in next to a slightly battered Toyota Corolla with a sticker on the back window that read B
EAM ME UP,
S
COTTY.
T
HERE
’S NO INTELLIGENT LI
FE DOWN HERE
.

At a little after nine at night, the rest of the lot was largely deserted, with only a few other vehicles scattered here and there belonging to dedicated folks working long shifts. As they pulled up, a lanky form straightened up from where it had been leaning on the smaller car. In the truck’s headlights, Barbara could see a man with short brown hair above square black glasses, dressed in tan pants, a white shirt, and a navy blue windbreaker. An ID card hung on a lanyard around his neck. A huge smile lit up his plain but pleasant face.

Liam hopped out of the passenger side and they clasped hands, then banged each other on the back with that half-hug thing Barbara had seen men do before. She helped a sleepy Babs out of her car seat in the rear and walked around to join the others. Chudo-Yudo was inside the Airstream itself, since there was no way he would leave their first prize unguarded when they went inside.