Wickedly Dangerous (8 page)

Mikhail went on, recapping what Baba had just spent twenty minutes telling them in one brutal sentence. “You're saying we have three children who have mysteriously disappeared with no explanation, a disturbance in the balance of the natural world that may or may not be related to Human gas drilling, and some woman wearing a glamour who you
think
may have used magic to disrupt a town meeting.”

He gestured at the pictures of the children on the screen in front of him with one manicured finger. “I can see why you called us in. This is a mess.” The accent that sometimes sounded harsh coming from the other two turned to music when it came from his well-formed mouth, but didn't make his words any less painful.

Baba breathed in and out through her long nose, striving for an equanimity she didn't feel. She always had a hard time maintaining her emotional distance—part of a Baba's job description—when children were involved.

She tapped the photo of Mary Elizabeth Shields, clearly visible in the article posted by the local newspaper. Sometimes Baba thought the Internet was more amazing than magic; or at least more mystifying. As much as she disliked and distrusted modern technology, computers had proven to be more enticement than she could resist. The ability to do research wherever she was had won her over, although the rest of the time the laptop lived in a cabinet with some old books and Chudo-Yudo's spare water bowl.

“This child is the one we are specifically looking for. Her grandmother is from the Old Country and knew enough to call me in. And her mother asked nicely and agreed to my terms; the bargain is made with her. But if you see any of the other missing children in your travels, I want to know immediately.” Her full lips drew together in a thin line.

Gregori shrugged. “I suspect that if we find them at all, it will be together. It would be too much of a coincidence for three children to disappear at the same time. Unless the first one gave someone else ideas, I suppose.”

“Yes, but that person may have split the kids up and sent them elsewhere,” Alexei disagreed, his voice a low rumble that made the windows rattle. “Or disposed of their bodies, I suppose.”

Under her hand, Chudo-Yudo stiffened, and Baba patted his head with tense fingers. “That is, of course, a possibility. But for now, I am assuming they are still alive and in need of rescue. I want you three to go out into the local area—and as far afield as you think reasonable—and look for them.”

“If the children are anywhere to be found, we will find them,” Gregori said with finality. “This Maya woman is using enchantments of some kind; are you assuming she is somehow connected to the Otherworld? Or could she just be a local witch who is using them for dark rituals? Such people do exist, after all.”

Baba's stomach clenched, the stone that had taken up residence within growing larger by the minute. “I'm going to have a little talk with her,” she said through gritted teeth. “We'll see what she has to say about all of this. But the magic felt like ours, not something Human, as much as I could tell across the room. And she felt like . . . more, somehow.”

“If she's using them to fuel evil, the process might change them beyond recognition, if they even survive at all,” Alexei added, his gray eyes fixed meaningfully on Baba. He'd been around when she was growing up; he'd watched the old Baba raise her, and seen her move further and further from her human roots as the magic she learned changed and twisted her body and spirit in ways that were no less powerful for being invisible.

Baba shook herself like Chudo-Yudo after a bath, throwing off the gathering gloom that threatened to cloak her in despair. “Well, we can only do what we can do. You boys go have a look and see if you can spot anything the sheriff missed. I'll tackle pretty Miss Maya tomorrow. Check in if you find anything.”

“I might keep an eye on our mysterious lady myself,” Gregori said, quiet menace emanating from his slender form. “See if I can spot her doing something incriminating.”

Baba nodded, but said, “Keep out of sight, Gregori. You were all seen with me at the tavern, unfortunately, so she'll know who you are. And keep away from the locals—I've already had people down at the local diner ask me if I was related to the Ivanovs, because we all have Russian accents.” She frowned at this, since she'd been certain hers was so faint as to be nearly undetectable. Apparently not. “The last thing we need is a bunch of people wondering why the place has suddenly been overrun with foreigners.”

He blinked at her, unspoken reproach in the tiny movement.

“Right, sorry. What was I thinking?” She grinned. “If you don't want her to see you, she won't.”

“And I have no desire to mingle with the peasants,” Gregori said. “We leave such things to you, dearest Baba.”

“About that sheriff,” Mikhail winked at her as he got up from the table. “You know he likes you, right?”

She would have said she didn't remember how to blush. She would have been wrong. Heat flooded her checks as she shook her head. “Don't be absurd. I'm his biggest suspect.”

Laughter rumbled its way out of Alexei's huge chest. “Doesn't mean he doesn't like you, Baba.” He chucked her under the chin like he used to when she was only as tall as his knees. “You grew up to be a beautiful woman. Men are attracted to you all the time; you just don't notice.”

“She noticed this time,” Mikhail teased, and Chudo-Yudo let out a barking laugh.

“Oh, get out of here,” Baba said with asperity. “Go do your jobs and stop trying to provoke me. Just because you're immortal doesn't mean I can't turn you into toads and lock you in a golden cage for a decade or two.”

“You only did that once,” Gregori pointed out. “And the guy
was
trying to kill you at the time.”

“So maybe I need more practice,” Baba snapped. “Who wants to go first?”

The three Riders all left in a hurry, the sound of their engines lingering in the air like a symphony of metal, magic, and mayhem waiting to happen.

BABA CHANGED INTO
a short red silk chemise and settled into a tapestry-covered chair, trying to calm her frazzled nerves with a good book and a glass of merlot from a winery in the Napa Valley whose vineyards she'd saved from a pixy infestation. The owners, a pair of old hippies whose years of acid use allowed them to see things most people didn't, gratefully sent her a few of their best bottles every year.

She sipped it from an old silver chalice, a gift from another grateful client, enjoying the velvet texture and hints of rich oak backed by notes of plum and cherry. With her bare feet resting on Chudo-Yudo's broad back and the mellow buzz of the wine floating through her veins, she finally began to relax for the first time that day.

Naturally, someone chose that moment to knock on the door.

“Gah,” she said, sliding her feet to the floor with a thump. “You have
got
to be kidding me.” Chudo-Yudo snorted a laugh as she got up and stomped over to the front door. “If that's some local yokel wanting a cure for his warts, I swear I'll kill him and bury him in the backyard!”

“You only did that once,” Chudo-Yudo said, his muzzle gaping open in a doggy grin. “And that guy was trying to kill you too.”

“Oh, shut up,” Baba muttered. Nobody gave her enough credit for being bloodthirsty. She yanked open the door and said in an unwelcoming tone, “What?” But the space in front of the Airstream was empty.

“Huh,” she said, and closed the door. “That's odd.”

She went back over and sat down again, but as soon as she picked up her goblet, the sound of rapping echoed through the trailer. Baba scowled and got up again, bare feet padding across the antique Oriental carpet. She'd reached her hand out to turn the knob, when Chudo-Yudo said, “Uh, Baba? Wrong door.”

She looked at him. “You could have told me that the first time.”

He wandered over to stand in front of the closet that led to the Otherworld. “What fun would that have been?”

Baba rolled her eyes, nudging him with her toe to get him to move out of her way. Irritation made sparks fly into the night air when she rattled the tricky handle and yanked the door open. But her bad mood fled like a startled rabbit when she saw who was on the other side.

“I don't believe it!” she exclaimed, and threw her arms around the last person she expected to see—and the one she needed the most, right at that very minute.

*   *   *

KOSHEI HUGGED HER
back, grinning from ear to ear and looking as devilishly handsome as always. His short, dark hair curled endearingly over his forehead, accenting his light blue eyes and high cheekbones. The close-cropped, neatly trimmed beard and mustache gave him the look of a Roman Centurion who'd wandered out of a storybook into a time not his own; fitting, of course, for the long-lived dragon, who had undoubtedly meandered in and out of many a legend before winding up in the middle of hers.

“My darling Baba,” he said, nibbling lightly on her neck before releasing her and standing back to have a good look at her. “I've missed you too.” Mischief flashed in his dark irises as he took in her attire.

Baba rolled her eyes, moving away to a marginally safer distance. Not that any distance was safe when Koshei was around. She thought it was unlikely that he'd actually missed her—or noticed how long it had been since they'd seen each other, for that matter. But it was nice of him to say so.

Koshei had been the companion of the Baba before her; for all she knew, he'd been the companion of all the Babas in their line back down through history. After all, dragons could live for a very long time, even without magical assistance. Humans might think the arrangement was strange, but the Babas existed in a different world that went by very different rules. And in that world, which was often a harsh and unforgiving place, you took your pleasure where you could find it.

Koshei glanced around the Airstream, taking in the empty beer bottles and grease-stained pizza boxes the Riders had left behind. “I'm hurt,” he said, without any evidence to demonstrate his claim. “You had a party and didn't invite me.” Chudo-Yudo snorted with amusement and strolled over to open the fridge with his large teeth, miraculously fetching their visitor a beer without breaking it into sharp-edged shards.

“Good dog,” Koshei said with a straight face, giving Chudo-Yudo the treat he'd had tucked in the pocket of his tailored charcoal-hued pants. “Nice to see you, old friend.”

“Oh, don't encourage him,” Baba scolded. “You know perfectly well he can only pull that off about a third of the time. The rest of the time I'm left cleaning up a big mess.”

Koshei wrapped one muscular arm around her and smiled cheerfully. “What are you complaining about? You can use magic to clear the place up in a split second. Besides, it's not like I'm trusting him to carry the Water of Life and Death.” He looked at her meaningfully.

“Fine,” she said, sliding out of his embrace long enough to find two miniscule glasses and get the Water of Life and Death out of the fridge. At Chudo-Yudo's indignant
whoof
, she added a small bowl to her treasure trove and returned to sit on the couch next to Koshei. “Just a tiny bit for each of us—the queen doesn't hand this stuff out like a party favor, you know.”

Golden fire shimmered in effervescent droplets as she poured a precious measure of the liquid from its enchanted flask into each of their cups. The aroma of a perfect spring day filled the trailer, smelling like meadows and seashores and youthful ardor. Baba let one heavenly sip lie on her tongue; it tasted of sunshine and flowers, with a slight aftertaste of dust and decay. Her eyes closed as the power of it overwhelmed her senses for one long, timeless moment, suspending her between the worlds of forever and perhaps.

Koshei made a sound like a boulder crashing down a hillside. “Gods, that's good.” He leaned his head back, pale cheeks flushed with the aftermath of drinking an elixir that both extended life and aroused it. When he looked at Baba again, myriad gold flecks were mirrored in his eyes. A playful smile tugged at sensual lips in a way that made Baba remember all over again why she had been so glad to see him walking through the wardrobe door.

“So, do you want to tell me what is going on that required you to call in the Riders?” he asked, flicking an empty cardboard box with one long finger. “Is there anything I can help with?” He moved his hand to slide up over her thigh, playing with the edge of the silk that lay there. “Things have been way too quiet lately. I'm bored.”

Baba touched her tongue to her lower lip, trying to catch one last hint of sublime sweetness before returning to harsh reality. The eternal energy of the Water pulsed hotly in her veins, distracting her from the current crisis and making her think of dark caves and passionate lovemaking in the long nights of the Otherworld.

She took a deep breath to try to focus and explained the situation with the missing children to Koshei as succinctly as she could while still listening to infinity echoing at the back of her mind.

“If you want to help,” she said finally, gazing up at him and finding the expression she expected—patient, listening, and a little bit amused at her concern for the mayfly lives of humans, “you could have a look around the Otherworld when you go back. See if you can find out who my mysterious woman might be. I'm guessing she's a local witch with unusual power, but she had a touch of the Otherworld about her, so maybe someone from the other side has had some dealings with her.”

One broad shoulder lifted in a shrug as calloused fingers moved to cup her bottom and lift her onto his lap. “I'm happy to do it,” he said, scorching her with his glance. “But it is going to be a little difficult to track her down if you've never seen her without her glamour. For all you know, she isn't even a she.” He muffled a short laugh into the skin over her collarbone, licking a line of fire across her body.

Baba's breath caught on a sigh. From under closed lids, she teased him by saying, “So, you don't think you can find out who she is? Pity. I should have asked one of the Riders to find out.”

Koshei snorted, lifting his mouth from her tender skin just in time to keep the flames from singeing her. “Foolish girl. Of course I will find her. In the morning. For now, I have better things to do.” He smiled his devilish smile and caught her mouth in a deep, passionate kiss that made her want to dance naked under the moonlight on a distant shore, while drums beat and torches flared.

And then, for some inexplicable reason, Liam's face rose up in her mind, like water thrown on a bonfire; cool and dousing, reminding her that she was supposed to be doing a job. She pulled back from the kiss abruptly, blinking as if drawn back from a dim cavern into bright daylight.

Koshei roared with laughter at the confusion on her face. “You've met someone,” he said, an unholy glee lighting up his already bright eyes. “Someone who has taken root in that impenetrable heart of yours. It's about time.”

Baba shook her head, trying to settle her thoughts back into their comfortable patterns. “No. Well, maybe. He's a Human.”

The dragon tilted her chin with one gentle hand. “You're Human too, darling Baba, for all that you try to deny it. If you like him, have a fling. That's what the Humans call it, right?” His lips curved in an almost-wistful smile. “Spend a little time with him. Enjoy him while you can. That's what Babas do, when they find a man who attracts them. There is no need to make it so complicated. “

Baba sighed. “He's not the type to have a fling, Koshei. And I'm everything he can't stand; chaos to his lawfulness, lies instead of truth. I don't stay in one place, and he never leaves this one. And I'm not sure his heart isn't already given elsewhere.” She snuggled against Koshei's reassuring warmth, enjoying the familiar feeling of his rock-hard chest beneath her cheek. “Besides, he knows I'm hiding something. He's the sheriff investigating the children's disappearances, and I'm pretty sure he thinks I'm involved.”

A puff of sulfur-scented breath moved her hair restlessly. “Well, that's inconvenient, isn't it?” She could feel his lips move in a sympathetic smile on the top of her head before he tipped her face back so she could see the affection in his deep, pale eyes.

“I do not know this man,” Koshei said, his voice a quiet rumble in her ears. “But if he cannot see your value, then he does not deserve to have you.” He pulled her into a hug and slid his lips gently across hers. “I, on the other hand, appreciate you very, very much. I shall miss our nights together.” He laughed as he released her and headed back toward the closet door.

Baba opened her mouth to protest and then closed it again with a snap. Damn that sheriff. Even when he wasn't around, he was causing her trouble.

*   *   *

BABA LURKED IN
the gnarled shadow of an old oak outside the stately blue-and-gray Victorian that housed the East Shoreham Oil and Gas Company's regional office. She'd seen Peter Callahan leave half an hour ago, dapper and well pressed even at the end of a hot summer's day. He'd gotten into a buttercup-yellow Jaguar and driven away, leaving behind him the lingering taint of exhaust fumes and dirty money.

The lights finally switched off behind the louvered windows of the only room that still showed any signs of occupation, and a few minutes later the
tap
,
tap
,
tap
of stiletto heels and the snick of a lock heralded the arrival of the woman Baba had been hoping to see. She waited for Maya to put one hand on the door of her sedate rental car before popping up out of the background like a spring-loaded trap.

“My goodness!” the blond woman said, clutching her chest in apparent alarm. “You startled me.” Piercing gray eyes hid behind fluttering mascara-laden lashes.

Baba snorted. “Don't be ridiculous. You probably knew I was here as soon as I hit the street.” Amber dueled with gray; the result—a draw. For now.

“Well, you're not exactly subtle, are you?” the woman calling herself Maya said, pert button nose wrinkled in distaste. “I've met ogres who were less obvious. You really need to rein in your power a little bit more. Even these idiotic mortals will figure out there is something odd about you sooner or later. And then where will the rest of us be?”

“I don't know about anyone else,” Baba said, “but you're going to be gone from this place, so it won't make a bit of difference to you what the locals figure out.”

She was five inches taller than the other woman, even with the stiltlike heels Maya had on, but the seemingly delicate form didn't appear to be at all intimidated. Of course, behind her glamour, she could have been a ten-foot-tall, cyclops with fangs, for all Baba could tell.

Maya pouted prettily. “I don't know why you have to be so difficult. I was here first, after all. And I'm not doing anything to you. Why don't you just leave me be and go about your business?”

“Because you're stealing Human children,” Baba said. “I have a problem with that. Which means you have a problem with me.”

“That's a pity,” Maya said, dropping the sweetness from her voice and letting the venom slide through. At their feet, the weeds poking through the sidewalk withered and died; nearby grass turned brown in sympathy. “You see, I have things in motion here that are too big to stop, and I have no intention of leaving until I have everything I came for.” She glared at Baba. “Why don't you just run off and fix those horrible wildfires in Wyoming. Surely they need a Baba Yaga there more than this tiny, insignificant town does.”

Baba shrugged. “One of my sisters is already dealing with that. I think I'll just stay here and fix you instead.” Her steady look made it clear that she had a permanent solution in mind, if that was what turned out to be necessary. Suppressed power crackled at her fingertips, and even the brash Maya paled briefly as the trees around them swayed.