In my mind, Jaga scoffs.
“I’m manipulating her,”I explain while Mokosz studies me with suspicion.“Don’t you know? You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.”
“Since when are you so wise?”
I bite back a smile, knowing what she means. Oh, I should have poured all my honey and charm on Jaga when we first met until she drowned in it. She wouldn’t have been able to resist me.
“I guess it’s easier to make smart decisions when I don’t care for the woman I try to charm. Don’t distract me now.”
“You’ve never openly acted against Weles,” Mokosz says, shaking her head. “You avoid those bigger than you. Why now? Do you really care about the girl so much?”
She seems bitter and unhappy, and I realize Mokosz is truly jealous of Jaga. I laugh deep from my gut, shaking my head in indulgent mirth.
“Care? Please, don’t you know me? She was just a distraction. No, what I care about is Weles taking what’s not his. He could have taken any of my toys, and I would have been just as offended.”
Jaga is silent. I hope she knows this is all deception.
Mokosz nods at last, looking partly convinced. “But why are you trying to piss off Perun?”
“Because you’re right, of course,” I say, spreading my arms wide in a gesture of complete honesty. “Weles is too big for me, and I can’t fight him myself. Perun can, only he doesn’t seem too eager. I heard Weles is hunting for allies. I’d like Perun to get them first.”
She clicks her tongue, shaking her head with pity. I see boredom glazing her eyes—the conversation hasn’t revolved around her for the past few minutes, and I’m losing her.
“You haven’t told me what he did after the bies fled from her grave. Whatever it was, it must have been horribly unfair. It wasn’t your fault.”
She sneers, her beautiful face twisting in a look of loathing so deep, my spine tingles with pleasure. It seems Perun punished her harshly.
She moves so fast, I don’t have time to consider stopping her. Mokosz grabs the front of her dress, yellow like honey, and tears it in half. I press my hand to my mouth to hide my expression, and choke on suppressed glee.
Perun has mutilated his wife horribly. Her breasts are perfectly even globes with no sign of nipples, and she is smooth between her legs, no hair, no cleft, no cunt, no clit. Nothing. Her body is completely deprived of the organs most commonly used for fucking.
“Gods,”Jaga whispers in my mind, aghast.
“Fuck’s sake, I can’t help it, I’ll laugh in her face. Please, tell me something desperately unfunny and help me control myself.”
“Me and Foss are fucking right now. I have the tip of his tail in my mouth. Delicious.”
The laughter dies in my throat. I blink at Mokosz, unseeing, because I’m racing down the mental link between Jaga and me, and now I’m there, looking out through her eyes, and she…
She’s drinking wine. On my throne. Fully dressed. With no Foss in sight.
“Oh, you fucking, little…”
“Unfunny enough for you? Deal with Mokosz.”
Oh. I see.
I go back, reeling from the spike of hate and fury that’s still riding my blood. I want to rip something apart, preferably a silver-scaled dragon. Jaga is such a vicious cunt.
She’s perfect.
Mokosz fixes her dress and glowers at me, her arms folded on her chest. My lack of reaction angers her, but I don’t fucking knowhowto react to that. It’s a small blessing that my urge to laugh has thoroughly passed.
“How do you piss?” I ask, incredulous. “No. Forgive me. That just… Fuck.”
“I don’t,” she spits with hate. “I stopped drinking and eating. I’m miserable.”
“Of course you are,” I murmur. This would be the perfect moment to embrace and comfort her, but fuck, I gave my word. “Oh, sweetheart. I won’t touch you. Forgive me. I wouldn’t like to rouse your appetites when you can’t get relief.”
