Pure: Ignis Part 49

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, Sunshine," 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.

"You many not know this," Anton said, "but the hybrids are on the move now. Their lead bloodhound Timofei Mstislav is already on the scent. We had better get this show started."

He paused. "Are you waiting for me to lunge at you, or what?"

The thought of Anton lunging for me sent a flash of panic through me that I had to fight off.

"Innokenti said we should go to the old keep in the Pure Woods," I said with as much calm as I could summon. "I don't know where the keep is."

"I should have thought that was obvious," Anton said. "You said yourself it was in the Pure Woods."

"I don't know where in the woods it is," I replied, irritated.

It was strange to be afraid of Anton and angry with him at the same time.

"I knew what you meant," Anton said. "I'm exasperating, aren't I?"

I stifled an angry reply-this was not the time to get distracted by an argument.

"I also can't see very well in the dark," I said, "and I forgot to bring a flashlight."

"This is your lucky night," Anton said, grinning. "I happened to antic.i.p.ate your very human difficulties, and I brought something that will help."

He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out something small and glowing.

"Take off your gloves and hold out your hands," he said.

Quickly, I did as he asked.

"Now cover this as soon as it touches your skin," Anton said. "You don't want to let this get away just yet."

He placed the glowing object into my outstretched hands, and I swiftly cupped one hand over the other. Golden light streamed out from between my fingers, and something fluttered softly against my hands-it felt like I was holding a b.u.t.terfly.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I believe you would call it a 'will-o'-the wisp,'" Anton said, p.r.o.nouncing the last word in English. "Also known as ignis fatuus, or 'foolish fire.' The greatest pleasure of this delightful little creature is to lead people astray. This one is a friend of mine. He's agreed to help us out."

"Ignis," I murmured. "There's that word again. Sacer ignis exitus mundi. The world will end in holy fire."

Anton looked at me in surprise. "Where did you hear that?"

"From Innokenti," I replied.

"There are many interpretations of that saying," Anton said, his tone unexpectedly serious as he echoed Innokenti's sentiments on the topic. "Some people think it means either a famous sword, or simple fire itself, can defeat even the most dangerous of enemies. Others take a more metaphorical approach and think that 'holy fire' refers to the fire of a courageous heart. I think something different-I think the saying can be interpreted literally. The world will end-for us anyway, for vampires-not for humans. Ultimately we will all burn and die. There is no magic, no fire of any kind that will defeat our enemies. There will come a day when all of us cease to exist."

"That's horrible," I said.

Amus.e.m.e.nt glimmered in Anton's eyes. "You think so? I imagine that most humans, if they knew about us, would be glad to be rid of us."

Anton glanced around and then went on with some urgency. "You know, we'd really better get moving. As I said this particular will-o'-the-wisp is a friend of mine. He'll lead you to the old keep."

"You're sure about that?" I asked. "He won't lead me astray?"

"No, he won't," Anton said with a smirk. "This one owes me a favor-a big favor. He'll lead you to the keep safely, and he's also agreed to use his power to give you a little more speed. That's why it was necessary for you to hold him in your bare hands-that allows the transfer of power. The effect will only be temporary, however."

"So what do I do?" I asked.

"Just let him go," Anton said, "and then follow him." He gave me a wolfish grin. "I promise I'll make the chase look good."

I wasn't sure I liked the sound of that.

I opened my hands, and a golden, luminous sphere leapt up into the air. I thought I saw a tiny figure hovering in the center of the glow, but before I could get a good look at it, the sphere bounced off, and hung in the air a few yards away.

Anton held out a hand. "After you."

The will-o'-the-wisp was not terribly far away, so I simply walked toward it. I was just close enough to reach out and touch it, when it suddenly darted away.

I ran after it.

The will-o'-the-wisp moved with dizzying speed, and somehow, startlingly, I found myself able to stay just behind it. I could feel energy running through me that surely must have been transmitted by the will-o'-the-wisp.

All around me was dark, despite the snow, and the golden glow ahead of me was the only real source of light I had. The will-o'-the-wisp bounced and danced and gamboled in the night, and I was overcome with a strong desire to possess it. I had the feeling that the light was the key to a great treasure-if I could catch the will-o'-the-wisp, it would lead me to a horde of gold and riches that glowed as brightly as the little creature did. I forced myself to shake the feeling off.

I knew I couldn't afford to get lost in the fantasy the will-o'-the-wisp was spinning.

I chased the dancing light across the Wasteland, and it seemed as if there was nothing and no one left in the world but me and the will-o'-the-wisp. I glanced behind me, looking for Anton, but all I could see was darkness. I panicked-what if the will-o'-the-wisp had led me the wrong way? What if we had shaken off Anton and were no longer headed toward the keep?

What if the will-o'-the-wisp could not be trusted?

Suddenly, there was a snarl in my ear, and I glimpsed a flash of glittering eye and sharp teeth.

I cried out, and mocking laughter echoed around me.

I realized that I hadn't lost Anton, and even though that was technically a good thing, I couldn't help running even faster.

The will-o'-the-wisp danced on, always tantalizingly just out of reach, and Anton continued to make his presence known from time to time in the most disconcerting manner possible.

Eventually, I spied the ghostly pallor of the Pure Woods looming in the distance up ahead of the bouncing will-o'-the-wisp.

Soon we plunged into the trees.

The will-o'-the-wisp led me on a dangerous chase, darting close to the petrified tree trunks that loomed suddenly out of the dark and veering away at the last possible moment. Incredibly, I found myself able to follow the will-o'-the-wisp's treacherous, tortuous path, and I slipped through the trees without so much as a scratch from an outstretched branch.

We ran at breakneck speed deeper and deeper into the woods. Before long, we had crossed into territory that I did not recognize-the woods were far larger than I had realized.

I followed the golden sphere of light into an expansive clearing, and by the light of the luminous trees, I could see a dark shape on the top of a hill. A round, stone cylinder of a building reached up to the sky-it was a solitary tower.

I realized we had reached our destination-the tower before me must be the keep.