Night Witch

Chapter 18

"Baba Yaga." Karina repeated the name slowly. "Why does she have the word yaga in her name, though?"

"Title is important," Nyx said carefully. "It's who you are. Yagas create their own titles, which become their names. And names hold power."

"Interesting," Karina murmured. And then: "You want me to find her?"

"Yes. I want her to train you, as well, but you're going to have to earn that."

"What does she look like?"

"Depends on the day, Karina. I'm going to let you back into the Forest of the Dead soon. Do you have any more questions?"

"Who--" She pressed her lips together. "Who is Mara?"

"Mara." He paused. "Galatia, now. Interesting. But it's not my story to tell. Talk to Baba Yaga about her."

"She'll know?"

"Of course she'll know." Her stomach jerked as a feather brushed her skin. "She's the one who trained her." He pressed a feather into her hand, and she carefully placed it into her pocket. "I have a question for you now. Have you heard any odd voices in your head lately? Ones that are decidedly not yours?"

Her body stilled. "Yes," she said in a hushed whisper. "But it wasn't in that memory, and I don't--I don't know why."

"I do," Nyx said abruptly. "I will get back to you on that. Goodbye, Karina. Call on me when you need me."

And everything fell away.

Her stomach was yanked upwards, and her heart started beating at an overwhelming rate as she was thrust into free-fall. The breath was torn from her lips, and her limbs moved carelessly around her. In the distance of her mind she could hear a high-pitched scream that shook her to the core. She couldn't see, couldn't feel anything but the cold air that rushed around her.

That is, until the thorns began scratching her sides, leaving her with only one thought: It's coming. It's coming. It's coming. It's--

She slammed hard against something hard that had what felt like Moracian cloth covering it. It smelled like wood smoke, mud, and rose soap. A distinct scent that she had identified as she travelled with it, a scent that was comforting in its own way. As soon as she had regained her breath, she whispered, "Hans?"

Her response was warm fingers on her scalp, pulling through her knotty auburn hair like a comb. "Yeah, Karina," Hans responded softly after a while. "You okay?"

"No." She didn't want to sit up, but she did, until she was on her own and curled up into a fetus-like position. "I saw my mother."

"What?"

She trembled and hugged herself tighter. "Vasilisa Hedge."

Hans sat up, facing her. "How is that possible? What did you do? Where were you?"

"In the Night. With the Night. In a--a fantasy." Her voice shook.  "I wish I didn't believe what I saw."

"What did you see?" Hans sounded oddly understanding, oddly sad. Hans wrapped his arms around her. "I know that it was hard, whatever it was," Hans said comfortingly. "But you'll be okay. We can get out of the Forest of the Dead. We can find some future."

"I know," she whispered. "But I--was my mother a murderer?" The words slurred together like Olga's had whenever she was drunk. Hans nodded his head slowly.

"I knew it," she whispered, "I just wish I didn't have to believe in it."

"I'm sorry, 'Rina."

They sat there for a while, quietly, until Karina said: "Why are you different?"