“I give my soul to—”
Chapter forty-nine
Fate
“Woland.”
Silence falls, heavy and confused, broken only by the murmuring of wind in the oak leaves. I stare at Jaga, frowning without understanding. What did she say? Does my mind play tricks on me?
I thought she said my name, but Perun’s magic makes that impossible.
Perun watches her, too, frowning with confusion. “What did you say, mad woman?”
“I give my soul to Woland!”
This time, I understand. When something presses at my heart, eager to be let in, I open wide and receive it.
A light surges in my chest, something red and potent, magic so powerful, even the oak roots can’t keep up sucking it out. I poison them with the full force of it, and they wither and die, the poison shooting up and up the roots to the tree. More magic floods me, so much more than I can handle, and I break up mychains, though I don’t move yet. The soil around me loosens, and I can come out of my hole, but I don’t.
More poison flows to the tree underground, unbeknownst to anyone but me. I have enough to fall ten Great Oaks. A hundred of them.
“He is not here,” Perun says with a frown. “Besides, Woland is not a proper god. He can’t claim you, or he would have already. How did you think this would work? I swear, you lot are so dense, it’s insufferable. But fine. Dragons, go and seize him. He’s probably somewhere in Slawa, hiding in the gutters below the mountain like the worm he is. Burn the city to lure him out and bring him to me.”
I reach with my new power, so easy, so limitless, and crush each dragon’s heart before they take a single step. They remain standing for a moment, their eyes glazed and empty, then topple to the ground one by one.
Perun flinches. His eyes flash with fear.
“What…” He turns in a circle, looking for Woland, but Woland’s not here. Weles is, and he has Jaga’s soul at last.
“What… Where is he? Dadzbog, Swarog, find him now!”
I stay in my hole, barely able to contain the magnificent flood of magic that fills my every cell. I am like Jaga, my power bursting out of me, wanting to be a cloak, a tent, a massive city of light. I send my shadows underground to my allies, undoing their chains, healing their wounds, and replenishing their wells of power.
I have more than enough for everyone here. Even Perun with all his stolen magic is not as powerful as me now.
The King of Bees slowly stands, the burned insects coming alive as they form a robust, angry body. Chors shakes on his hands and knees, his collar gone. Nyja’s eyes burn with a lethal promise.
And then, there is Jaga. Best for last. She watches me with pain and defeat, my girl conquered, finally mine. Bloody tears stream down her cheeks, just like the first time she looked at me, back in the mortal world.
Perun shoots up into the branches after his sons, Jutrzenka following on his heels. They don’t see what happens, too busy looking for Woland. Only Strzybog stays where he is, watching me with a grim smile. I realize he must have known.
And he never told Perun.
“I will kill your father,” I tell him softly, rising out of the ground, my hand on the handle of the knife. “And you will be free.”
He nods sharply. I take a deep breath and shoot to Jaga’s side, sealing my mouth to hers. She is still bound, and she takes the air from my lips with a helpless moan. I feed her quickly, forcing magic into her soul until she brims with it, and then I kiss her. It’s fast, punishing. I cut her chains and step away.
Perun’s back. He looks at me with rage, uncomprehending and lost. Not knowing what’s going on enrages him further. I laugh, letting out my shadows until the entire Great Oak is swathed in primal darkness. I’ve never been able to darken such an enormous area before, and now, it’s as effortless as breathing.
Oh, Jaga. So much power in that mutilated soul.
“You!” Perun roars, his lightning cutting through my all-encompassing darkness. It flares white and goes out, snuffed out at once.
“Me. You never knew, but it was you who made me so. I am Weles and Woland, brother. You did it to me, weaving your own defeat without knowing.”
Another bolt of lightning cuts the dark, revealing him right in front of me, his clawed fists flying at my face. I step away, into a space without time, and reappear behind him. Perun turnswith a sharp growl. I duck, and he swings his fists at shadows, screaming from rage.
My power brims. I was never able to shadow walk so fast, scattering spells in my wake without a shred of worry about my magic running out. Perun roars, and a rain of lightning falls in the dark, dozens of sizzling, white hot bolts pummeling the earth.
