Night Witch

Chapter 40

"Drink this."

A clay cup was shoved into her hands, surprisingly cool for the steam rising from it. It smelled bitter and sweet and dark. She dared a glance inside the cup. The water was cloudy and looked more like a shadow had been mixed in it than anything else, but a red flower and a white flower had both floated to the top in their limp forms.

She glanced over to the monster. He didn't have a cup, but his hands were fluttering by his sides, and his eyes held intent as they tracked Baba Yaga around the room.

"What's in it? What does it do?"

Baba Yaga turned to her. Had the crone's eyes always been that bright? They looked dangerous, glinting like daggers. "The flowers you sorted are in it. Nothing else that would make sense to you."

"But what does it do?"

"The flowers--"

"The potion."

"The flowers all come from the different fountains and water that flows in the tree. One color is pure water, one color is Darkness water, and the last is Lightness water. Now drink, girl."

It fell to the floor and shattered. A slick pleasure coated Karina's insides. Baba Yaga's eyes were sharp as they turned to her yet again.

"I can force it down your throat. I can make you bleed this potion. You will drink this, or you will die choking on it."

Karina laughed. How strange, to not feel terror at such a threat. Strange and wonderful. If power was a liquid, it was running through her veins now.

"I won't drink any trick potions you give me. Not unless you tell me what they're for."

"Don't be a fool, girl. I'm trying to save your hide."

"I don't know that."

"Then trust me. You can't just rely on yourself. Especially a young one like you."

"That's exactly what someone who wasn't trustworthy would say."

Baba Yaga said nothing, instead scooping potion into a new cup. "This is to prepare you for war, Karina. The battle is tonight."

"War?" The word felt foreign on her lips. "You want to turn me into a warrior."

"No." Her voice was quiet. "I want to keep you from that fate. Nyx is a fool; he thinks that training every yaga he finds will lead to glory and the dominance of Dark over Light. But there's a reason that we teach you both. Or try to." She passed the cup to Karina. "Drink up."

And she did, the icy coldness of it refreshing her throat.

The second she drained the cup, her body tingled and she felt lightheaded. Wrong.

She glanced back at the beast. Had he had anything to do with it? Had the entire world conspired against her?

She couldn't, wouldn't lose Lilith. She couldn't lose herself.

"What. Is. It. What are you doing to me? I feel...something."

"Then it's working, girl."

She looked around for a weapon. "Tell me what's going on."

"In a few hours you will find out."

She lunged, toppling into the woman and felling her like a tree, just as Hans shouted "Karina!"

The woman shoved her off with surprisingly strong arms, and Karina rolled into a stable position. Her limbs were still tingling, but now with the presence of new bruises as well.