Chapter Seven
Six years later
From the deep shade of the willow tree, Zachary watched the little red-haired girl playing by the creek. He knew her name to be Zarina, even though he’d never met the redheaded child. He knew her age to be the same as his—five.
He opened his right palm and stared at the faint lines embedded there in his flesh. He also knew the little girl bore the same markings, only on her left palm.
When he felt the presence behind him, he didn’t need to turn to see who it was. “Hello, Baba Yaga.”
“Hello, Zachary.” In her matron form, she settled onto the ground beside him. “Did I not say it would be true?”
He nodded. “You did.” His earliest memories in this life were of wondering how long until he found his sweet Zaria again. Now he had, although her name was slightly different.
“Just remember, thirty-five years. Then you will get to be together. Until then, be her friend. Encourage her. Look after her. Protect her. She will love you.”
He felt so much older than his youthful body. “Does this get easier?”
She smiled. “You cannot tell people you remember past lives now, can you, little one?”
He glared at her.
She obviously didn’t care. “Now, now. Such a look you give me for one your age. And remember what your age should be. Just because you will have your memories doesn’t mean you shouldn’t embrace your current life.” She took his right hand, turned his palm face up, and traced the markings with her finger. “Live for now, Watcher. In every life. Enjoy your life. And trust that you will have more than your fair share of joy now and in the future.”
He nodded before turning to the creek again. He watched the girl lose her balance, her arms pinwheeling as she gave a little shriek and fell into the water with a splash.
Like a shot, he raced down to the edge, reaching out and grabbing her arm to safely pull her back to shore.
The little girl clung to him and sobbed as he held her, consoling her. “It’s okay, Zarina,” he soothed. “I’ve got you. I’ve always got you.”
Baba Yaga watched the two children huddled on the shore. She heard a man’s shout and several villagers ran up, praising the boy for saving the girl. Zarina was the village leader’s daughter, and the cherished little girl of a very large family of boys. When both children’s mothers soon joined the crowd, the girl’s mother embraced first the boy, then the boy’s mother.
Baba Yaga smiled. Sometimes, it would be Zachary born to privilege and wealth. Sometimes, it would be the Goddess.
She was a patient woman. These two had nearly completed her oath to her own deceased love. One day, they would finally carry out the last of the revenge. As she stood and brushed the dirt off her skirts, she watched the villagers carry the children back up the road to their houses to get them dried off.
She sighed. “Live well, my sweet Zachary.” Never again would she hold him in her arms. In some ways, it saddened her that he would never have memories of their time together, when he first came to her looking for a way to save his dragon kin from the cockatrice.
The least she could do was to give him as much joy and pleasure as she could now and in the future to make up for not being able to save his life.
She took some small comfort in that.
With the villagers gone, Baba Yaga disappeared and reappeared before a stone cairn. She dropped to her knees in her maiden form and placed her hands on the rocks that she’d laid herself. “Zachary,” she whispered. “I promised, and I shall make it so.”
As always, her tears fell, staining the rocks until she cried herself to sleep there by her deceased lover’s final resting place.
Chapter Eight
Almost now
Lina looked up as her mom called out to her from the front porch. “Where do you think you’re going, young lady?”
“There’s new people next door, Mommy!”
Her mom walked down to the curb to join her. Sure enough, a moving truck and strange car were parked next door. A frazzled-looking woman directed the movers, while a young boy about Lina’s age played around the front of the garage.
“Can we go meet them?” Lina asked.
Her mom indulgently smiled. “Sure. Why not?”
Lina raced ahead to meet the little boy. Something about him drew her. He looked special. She’d been looking for a special friend for as long as she could remember. She didn’t know why, and both Mrs. Jones, her teacher at kindergarten, and her parents scolded her for being choosy, but she couldn’t help it.
Something inside her always said she needed a special friend. One who would be with her for the rest of her life. That’s what the old lady’s voice always told her.
But she’d learned early not to mention that. It made her mom look frightened when she talked about the old woman’s voice.
The little boy looked up. He had brown eyes. She skidded to a stop in front of him with a happy smile on her face. “Hi! My name’s Lina. What’s yours?”
He smiled back. “Zack.”
“I’m five. How old are you?”
He dropped the car he’d been playing with. “I’m five, too. Can I be your special friend, Lina?”
She gasped, happy shock making her squeal with excitement. “Yes! Yes, you are my special friend!” She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly as she jumped up and down.
By the time their moms found them in Zack’s backyard ten minutes later, Lina knew for certain this was definitely her very special friend. She kicked and screamed and cried when her mom said they’d have to go back home. Fortunately, Zack’s mom welcomed Lina’s mother’s invitation for Zack to come over and play while the moving continued. Hearing that, Lina grabbed Zack’s hand. Together the kids ran to Lina’s house and upstairs to her room to play.
Zack’s mom, Martha, watched them go. “Thank you so much, Karen,” she said. “I’m sorry about the intrusion.”
“No, not a problem.” Karen shook her head. “Honestly? I’ve never seen Lina so excited to meet another kid. She’s usually really standoffish and doesn’t make friends very well. I think Zack will be good for her.”
“Zack is an old soul. I thought maybe it was because of his deadbeat dad up and leaving when he was born.” She leaned against the fence. “If he’s a bother, please, don’t hesitate to let me know.”
Karen waved her off. “It’s okay. My husband will be home in an hour. He’s great with kids. He’ll keep them busy all evening. Hey, listen. I have lasagna in the oven. More than enough. Why don’t you and Zack join us for dinner?”
“Really?”
“Really.” She smiled. “You and me can come back over here with a bottle of wine after dinner, and I’ll help you unpack while we escape all of them.”
Martha laughed and gave her a high five. “You’re on!”
Lina and Zack played upstairs in Lina’s room. When she heard her mom call them down for dinner, Lina grabbed Zack’s hands. “Are you still going to be my special friend tomorrow?”
He smiled. “Of course. In every life.”
Lina’s mind felt a little fuzzy, but she said without thinking, “In every heart.”
Together, they both said, “Forever.”
She slung her arms around him. “I love you, Zack.”