Rasputina and the Witch's Tsar

Chapter Twenty-Eight

            I go to Agapi's stall, find it empty. It's just a bare patch of street. A torn-up carpet where her scripts in Arabic and prayers in Greek and Russian were laid out. Now, there is nothing but empty squares of worn-out rug and muddied splashes of street.

"Who are you?" A figure has me by the throat, pulling me aside. I'm in a more run-down portion of St. Petersburg. People pretend they don't see the knife being held to my throat, or the figure attacking me.

So, this is how it ends. Not by the Duke's men. Not by royal guards.

I'm getting robbed on the street.

"A witch." I gasp out. My mind rushing desperately for some kind of spell. May ice freeze their blood. Bring shards into their heart.

The figure holds on tight. The spell doesn't work. Not even a flicker.

Who the hell could refuse such magic?

The figure whirls me around, pushing their hood back. I recognize the startling eyes, the soft skin and a red scarf tied around her head, covering wavy, black hair. "Rasputina?"

"Agapi." I release a shaky breath. "No wonder. I don't have much time. Guards are after me."

"Wow, so popular." A catlike grin. Usually, I encourage a bit of harmless flirtation, but now, I have no time.

"Please, Agapi, I need you to tell me what else you saw in your dreams."

"Well, if people are coming after you, they're going to be coming after me, no? I believe there's a double-fee for running from the law." She holds out her poised hand, waiting.

Grumbling, I foist out the last of my money, slapping it into her hands. She pockets it so quickly; I doubt it was ever there in the first place.

"Your closest enemies lie within St. Petersburg. It will bring you only death to return."

I shake my head, thinking on Alexandr. Alexei. My poor, sweet husband, Pareskevas and my darling little ones. "It would be death to stay away."

Agapi sighs, a blush falling over her face as she takes me in. "I very much wish you hadn't said that. They never just run. Brave fools." She cups her hand around my cheek, whispering in my ear. "Write to Montenegro. They will save you."

I close my eyes, ruminating on it. "Militsa and Anastasia? You're telling me they will vouch for me?"

Agapi shakes her head. "Salvation comes to those who suffer for it."

"Who suffers?"

Agapi turns her eyes towards the Winter Palace, where the tsarina and her family lie in wait. Where the Duke's men are all too eager to carry me away and place me in a wasteland. "They will need you again, Rasputina. Take heart in that."

Her eyes widen, and she pulls up my hood and shoves me away in. Taken off guard, I fall to the stones, scraping my knees bloody. I hardly feel the sting as boots tromp all around me. I think that, at last, they've found me, but instead, it's Agapi they're kicking. Agapi they're dragging away.

"Down, foreigner scum!" They call, ignoring Agapi's mewling pleas to stop, that she would go gladly with them. I check the uniforms. Common guards, not the Duke's or tsarina's. Just street-watchers. Patrol. Agapi's watery eyes, one quickly bruising, plead with me to stay hidden. One patrolman, the leader, walks in last, standing over Agapi and reading charges against her with relish. "Agapi Saris, you are wanted for charges of illegal selling. Conning. And finally, sexual deviancy reported with Volha Katsiaryna, wife of Maxim Katsiaryna." His mouth twists at this one. "Maxim has filed charges against you for tricking his wife."

Agapi spits at this, "trick nothing! Volha loved me."

A kick, Agapi splutters, and I want them all to suffer. "She claimed you tried to coerce her into running away with you."

"Coerce?" Agapi laughs then, bleeding from the mouth. "What a funny way you have of pronouncing that we love each other, and that bastard Maxim can rot in your hell!"

The guard rears back, ready to hit her again. It is at that moment that I shove forwards and remove my hood. Agapi manages to roll away from the blow as the guard is distracted.

"Evening gentlemen," I call, holding my hands up in the air. "You'll be interested to know that I am Matryona Grigorievna Rasputina. Currently wanted by the tsarina. Let this nice woman go. She did nothing wrong."

"Who the hell—?"

I shove a guard then, one of the ones holding Agapi, and three more take me down with them. In the commotion, Agapi manages to pick herself up and flee. Pain spikes everywhere as they pummel me into submission. But as I see the red scarf disappear beyond the horizon, I can't help but smile.

"What of the conwoman? She escaped!" The other patrolmen cry.

"Leave it. We have a witch in our presence, boys." The leader replies. "Rasputina."