Page 39 of Crimson Oath (The Firebird and the Wolf #2)

She should have learned by now.

You’re not a starry-eyed child, Tanya. Grow up.

She turned and started walking back to her trailer. It was only two in the morning, but maybe her mother would be awake. Maybe Anna wouldn’t mind her call even in the middle of the night.

Her mind kept turning back to Rumi and Katrina standing in the darkness, chins lifted in defiance of the powerful vampire who was lecturing them.

Not even a terrin may address the cooks of the kamvasa in this way.

Tatyana stopped in her tracks and looked back over her shoulder toward the kitchen wagons. She should have known by Rumi’s shock and Katrina’s anger.

I will be speaking to Radu about this.

This was not normal behavior. Rumi was going to report Vano because it was abnormal.

She started walking back to her trailer again, but for the first time in months, she felt like there were eyes on her back.

Something was going on with Kezia’s brother, and Tatyana knew she needed to watch her step.

For the first time in months, she did not feel safe.

Tatyana was watching the premiere performance of The Captain’s Daughter the following night and wondering if Oleg was actually going to find her again. The kamvasa had moved after their brief and explosive meeting; she had no sense of where she was.

She’d briefly entertained the idea that she should wait in her trailer in case Oleg managed to find them, but then she banished that thought from her mind.

She was not going to wait for him. She was going to join her friends to watch the play, eat delicious food, drink some wine, and watch the stars. Then maybe if Oleg was in her trailer before dawn, she would talk to him.

But she would not wait for him.

The darigan had set out tufted sofas and luxurious pillows on the slope of the hill where the audience sat to watch the play. There was a natural amphitheater carved into the hill—or perhaps years ago an earth vampire had carved one out—and the ground was layered in rich wool rugs.

Vampires and humans tiptoed through the gathered audience to find a seat, waving at friends as children ran barefoot across the waving grass. The scent of paprika from the kitchen wagons wafted in the breeze.

Poshani, both human and vampire, greeted her by name as she sat on one side of a bright green sofa about halfway up the slope. A striped grey cat she’d seen near the kitchen wagons jumped up on the sofa, winked at her, then sat at attention on the far arm of the sofa, watching the grass.

Woodsmoke and dust. Fresh pine with a hint of wild violet. The summer night called to her, a symphony of scent and sound that filled her mind and piqued her amnis.

“Tatyana.”

She turned when she heard her name. “Darius, how are you tonight?”

“I am well.” The ancient Persian sat next to Madina. He touched the woman’s shoulder, and both of them turned to nod at her .

“Tatyana.”

“Madina.”

On the edge of the gathering, she saw Fynn, who always seemed to be alone.

That night Vano sat with Fynn, and the two had their heads together. Both were wearing frowns. She couldn’t look at Vano without seeing his hand raised to strike Katrina and his scorching insults.

She felt her lip curl instinctively.

“May I be so bold, mademoiselle?”

She turned and saw a blond vampire standing a little ways away. “Hello.”

The man had blond hair, beautiful eyes, and full lips that were made for kissing. There was a dimple in his cheek and a playful expression on his face.

“You must be Tatyana.” He took another step closer, addressing her in accented English. “Chérie, you are as stunning as Kezia reported. I am René DuPont des Trous of Tornai. It is an honor to make your acquaintance.”

Tatyana disliked him immediately.

He was too charming. Too friendly.

And she was being rude. She responded in English even though she hated her accent. It was better than her French. “Good evening, Mr. DuPont. It’s nice to meet you too. Welcome to the kamvasa.”

He looked at the nearly empty sofa she was sitting on. “May I join you?”

“Ah, I am afraid that I am saving this seat for a friend.” She plastered on a smile. “Perhaps for the encore performance tomorrow night?”

He raised an eyebrow and pointed at her. “I will hold you to your promise.”

Had she promised anything? Lovely. Oh well. He would be her traveling companion for a number of weeks, so she should at least try to be friendly .

Her instinctive aversion to the man likely had more to do with being Anna Vorona’s daughter than it did with anything he had done. She’d simply inherited her mother’s suspicion of charming men.

The lights that were scattered around the hill were one by one turned off, and the lights on the stage shone bright.

“Welcome.” The master of ceremonies swept onto the stage with a dramatic bow. “Guests of the kamvasa, brothers and sisters of the Poshani, welcome to the debut performance of The Captain’s Daughter , an enchanting and romantic tale of love and struggle. War and loyalty.”

The audience clapped, and Tatyana looked around to see where her fellow vampires were sitting.

There were Hazar hovering in the air, and the kamvasa guests were scattered around the slope.

Darius and Madina were surrounded by servers, Kezia and René drank wine in an eclectic group of glittering vampires and humans, while Fynn was at his table on the edge of the crowd.

Radu was sitting with him, drinking from a pewter goblet with his eyes on the stage.

Vano wasn’t in her line of sight.

Tatyana tried to relax. What could the vampire do? She was surrounded by Poshani vampires and humans. There were lights on the stage. Nearly everyone in the camp had gathered for the play’s premier.

The master of ceremonies continued. “Friends, Romans” —a scatter of laughter— “ Poshani .” The audience clapped wildly and a few hooted. “We present… The Captain’s Daughter !”

The lights dimmed again, and when they rose, there was snow blowing across the stage and a young man in thick clothes trudging slowly through what appeared to be a birch forest.

“Hello!” the actor called out. “Is anyone there to help me?”

In the dim shadows beside the stage, Tatyana saw a water vampire gathering fat snowflakes in her hand and blowing them across the stage with her cold breath.

Vampire-created stage snow. Tatyana couldn’t help but smile. She was going to try making snow later.

“I heard you say you were saving this seat.”

Her head whipped around when she heard him speak. Vano was standing in the darkness, his eyes fixed on Tatyana, pointing at the empty seat beside her.

How inconvenient.

“They must still be working.” She gestured to the far side of the sofa. “Please, join me.”

“I would be delighted.” Vano wasn’t wearing sunglasses that night, but he still reminded her of a Hazar with his black pants and black shirt. While most of the audience was dressed in festive clothing—Tatyana had donned a sky-blue sundress—Vano still appeared to be mimicking the guards.

“Your friends” —Vano kept his voice whisper-low— “if they are able to join you, I will move, of course.”

“No, it’s fine.” She didn’t think Rumi, Desiree, or Katrina would have time to watch the play even though they would love it. Vano’s lecture the night before might have chilled their desire to be around vampires.

Especially the one sitting next to her.

She kept her eyes fixed on the play as the forest disappeared and the birch trees transformed into an old-fashioned military fort with men marching in dull brown coats as a red-coated captain shouted orders.

Drums pounded as the men marched and sang, and Vano scooted closer to Tatyana on the sofa.

“Kezia told me you’ve been spending time with the cooks.” He smiled a little. “Are they the ones teaching you Poshani?”

She kept her voice low, knowing his keen immortal ears would hear her over the drums on stage. “They were kind enough to teach me, yes.”

Though Kezia spoke to Tatyana in Poshani, Vano addressed her in very formal Russian .

“If you would prefer a language tutor with a higher level of proficiency, it can be arranged.”

Tatyana turned to him. “Are you saying that the women who grew up speaking Poshani don’t know the language well enough to teach me?”

“I’m saying that they are uneducated cooks and they speak like it.”

“Hmm.” Tatyana lifted her chin. “I grew up on a farm, running around like a wild animal, so I think the Poshani that I’ve learned suits me. Thank you.”

His eyes glittered, and Tatyana realized she’d given too much away.

They don’t need cakes and treats all day. They should be working with their parents anyway, not playing in the forest like wild animals.

Vano hadn’t known she’d heard that exchange, but she’d just told him.

Stupid, Tanya. So stupid.

“Your friends must have told you about our discussion the other night.”

There was no way she could refute that without admitting that she’d been eavesdropping. “I believe they will be sharing that conversation with Radu and Kezia. It is not something we need to discuss.”

“Exactly.” Vano’s fangs fell behind his lips, but he allowed the edge of one to peek out at her.

A warning. Subtle but aggressive.

“Poshani business is for Poshani,” Vano said. “You would do well to enjoy our hospitality, Miss Vorona. And do not forget that you are a guest in this place.”

“I will never forget the hospitality of the Poshani,” Tatyana said. “You can be assured of that.”

Without another word, she stood and walked away. She wasn’t retreating, but her hands had a slight tremor and her amnis was roused by his threat. If she stayed sitting next to Vano any longer, she was going to rip his head off. Or at least try.

Not exactly the proper etiquette for a theater performance.

She nodded at a Hazar guard as she passed him on the edge of the crowd.

The vampire cocked his head with a slight frown. “Is everything all right, surati?”

No, your terrin just threatened me and told me to keep my mouth shut about it.

She was angry and afraid. The bastard thought he could threaten her? He thought he could threaten Rumi and Katrina?

He could.

Vano was a terrin of the Poshani people, the power behind the kamvasa.

Tatyana tried to even her expression and stop her hands from trembling. “The lights were bothering my eyes a little bit.” She touched her temple. “I’ll catch the second performance tomorrow and remember to bring glasses.”

“Of course, Miss Vorona.” He bowed and watched her walk back to her caravan. “Enjoy your solitude and rest your eyes.”

“Thank you.”

She sensed him as soon as she got close. Tatyana walked up the steps and punched in her combination with the dangling stylus before she pulled the door open and walked into her trailer.

Her hands were still shaking, and her amnis was running high.

Oleg was lounging on the sofa in front of the small table, freshly showered and wearing a navy-blue shirt open at the collar. “The play sounded delightful. Pushkin, yes?” He looked up from the book he was reading. “Why did you leave?”

She stood, staring at him as the sense of rightness swept over her.

There you are. You arrogant, infuriating, know-it-all vampire.

There you are.

Dammit .

“Tatyana?” Oleg frowned and rose to his feet. “What happened?” He lifted his nose and sniffed the air before he growled and bared his teeth. “Who frightened you?”