«But it's the proper order!» sputtered Andrei.
«My dear boyar, we're talking about the survival of our city, not the etiquette of some royal dance!»
There were scattered ripples of laughter at that, quickly stifled. «All right," said the blunt boyar Mikhail, grizzled of hair and beard, humorless of mind. «If not Prince Vasili, who?»
«Prince Finist's first cousin, then," exclaimed the indignant Andrei. «Prince Demyan is, legally, next in the succession.»
«Prince Demyan," someone drawled, «is also regrettably weak of wits, and growing ever weaker. And his son can't be anywhere near of age yet.»
«He's not.» Mikhail's voice was sharp. «I'm sure none of us want to place a minor on the throne.»
«Then—then…» stammered Andrei, «what about Princess Marya of Astyan? She is next in line.»
«I'm afraid not," Semyon paused. «While the young woman seems to be proving a most able ruler of her, own lands, I'm afraid she also seems to be quite deficient in one royal requirement: she has no magic.» He glanced about at the dismayed faces. «Come, boyars, we're wasting time. There's only one possible alternative. Marriage.»
«To his cousin Ljuba, you mean," said Mikhail. «I thought you disliked the lady, Semyon.»
«My personal likes or dislikes have nothing to do with this," Semyon said flatly, annoyed at Mikhail's unexpected touch of malice. «I have always served the crown faithfully, and will continue to serve the crown.»
«No matter who's wearing it, eh?»
«Akh, Mikhail, what would you have me say? Ljuba is capable enough, and intelligent. And unlike Princess Marya, she does have something of the Power.» He looked sharply about the room. «Come, come, this won't be the first time we've thought her the most suitable mate for our Prince!» Forgive me, he said silently to the girl he'd never met, to Maria Danilovna, forgive me, but we haven't time to consider love, not now. «Well, boyars? What do you say?»
Andrei shrugged. «God knows someone's going to have to take over the reins of power.»
Mikhail grunted. «And better her than that—what did you call him, Semyon? — that unworldly monk. So. I'm sure the lady in question will raise no objections. Let us only pray our Prince lives long enough to wed her!»
«Let us only pray our Prince lives!» corrected Semyon, and everybody obediently bowed their heads and murmured «Amen» to that. He stood apart as the other boyars left, stood staring blindly out the window at the midnight sky, all at once remembering his wife, dead these many years, thinking of the son he'd never had, thinking of Finist… «Live!» he whispered urgently. «Oh, Finist, live!»
Chapter XL
Predators
Struggling fiercely against her captor, Maria twisted about in his arms and caught a glimpse of a wild-eyed face, tough-bearded but undeniably human. Undeniably filthy, too—his stench was enough to gag her. Frantically kicking, trying to claw and bite, Maria fought him with all her strength. But he had such a good grip on her, she couldn't get so much as an arm free.
«Let‑me—go!» Maria gasped, even though she was shouting at herself, Oh, you fool! That isn't going to sway him! But she couldn't help it: «Let—go!»
Even as she gasped those useless words, Maria loosed a savage kick that struck bone. The man gave a yelp of pain, but only tightened his grip, lips bared in a fierce, predatory smile.
«Oh no," he hissed, «no, my dear Maria.»
She froze. «How did you…» Maria's voice trailed off into silence as she stared at him there in the cold moonlight. «My God…» she said slowly. «Alexei! It is Alexei, isn't it?»
He gave her a mocking little grin. «I always did say you were a clever thing!»
«But how did you get here?»
«How do you think, my dear? I was exiled, remember? Thanks to your dear father, I was exiled — "
«Justly!» Maria snapped without thinking; but to her relief, he only laughed. Still, there was a glint in his eyes, something not quite right, not quite normal… Chilled, Maria stammered, «Never—never mind, Alexei. I'm not going to—to argue with you. Just let me go, and maybe I can help you — "
His laugh, charming, sophisticated, totally inappropriate, chilled her even more. «You, help me? Oh, no, I don't want your charity. I don't need it! No, I have someone else helping me, someone with Power, true Power.»
Oh, dear God, he's insane. «I—I see. And—ah—who is this—someone?»
«A magician, dear Maria, a woman who knows my true worth, who'll gives me riches, honor, power! Her Art saved me from the forest demons, her Art brought me right to you! And in return, she asks one thing of me, only one little thing. And that is—your life, Maria.»
«No!»
«Yes! You will be the first of your line to die, you, the daughter of damned Danilo— You, who mocked me, scorned me—God, you'll die, you and all the rest of your kin!» His eyes stared savagely into hers, hot with hate and lust. «Aie, but death's too swift! First, oh, first… Remember that day in Stargorod? I wanted you then, honorably, I would have wed you — "
«Damn you, you would have raped me!»
«Oh, yes, oh yes!» His eyes were ablaze. «You scorned me then, you tricked me! But this time, there shall be no tricks! This time I'm taking what I want! Yes, you'll die-but not at all so quickly!»
His hand shot up, closing so cruelly about a breast that Maria gasped in pain. As his lips came down bruisingly on hers, pure, mindless fury blazed through her. She bared her teeth and bit down as hard as she could, tasting blood. With a strangled yell, he jerked his head away, instinctively pushing her from him. But before she could run, he was at her again, trying to hook a leg around one of hers, trying to bring her down, and‑curse him! He was laughing at her! Ha, but her sturdily shod foot caught him sharply on the knee with an audible crack. She heard him yell again, felt him begin to lose his grip, and savagely wrenched herself free.
No—a wildly outflung hand had closed about her wrist, pulling her back so sharply she lost her balance and fell, landing with bruising force on roots and bits of rock, desperately gasping for breath, the reek of decaying vegetation and Alexei's stench in her nostrils. Alexei tried to throw himself down on her, but Maria, grimly determined, brought her hand stabbing up at his face, narrowly missing his eyes, opening long furrows on his cheek. He sat back with a curse, hand going to his bleeding face.
«Why, you—bitch!»
He threw himself at her again, but Maria, savage as any wild thing, brought her knees up to her chest and kicked with all her strength. Alexei staggered back, losing his balance, felling, rolling helplessly down the sloping earth towards the lake.
And Maria sat up, hearing the sudden cruel, delighted laughter coming from the lake, and screamed:
«Alexei, get away from there! Hurry!»
«Oh, no, bitch! I'm not listening to anything you say!»
«Alexei!»
But it was already too late. A pale hand had come snaking up out of the lake, a pale arm encircled his neck. Heart pounding, Maria heard Alexei's shout of fear as he was pulled over backwards into the lake with a mighty splash. Fighting frantically, he was dragged beneath the surface so quickly that Maria didn't even have a chance to move. Horrified, she scrambled to her feet, in time to see him struggle helplessly against the inhuman force of rusalki strength. For one desperate moment, he managed to pull his head free of the water, eyes wild and pleading and most terribly sane. For one desperate moment, Maria tried frantically to find a way to save him, even him—