With this last soul-searing statement, she held out her hand to her consort and they swept out of the cavern, their retinue trailing behind them, twittering like a tree full of sparrows at dusk.
Beka stood stock-still, watching them go, feeling as stunned as if she had been hit by a ten-ton truck. She couldn’t be certain, but she was pretty sure that she’d just been told that her failure to fix these two crucial issues would mean the end of her days as a Baba Yaga. Until a moment ago, she would have guessed that her reaction to such an edict would have been more relief than sorrow—what a time to find out that assumption would have been wrong.
It turned out that she wanted more than anything to succeed, and remain a Baba Yaga. Too bad it looked like that was going to be completely impossible to pull off.
NINETEEN
BEKA WALKED OVER to Boudicca, Gwrtheyrn, and the young man with them. They looked only slightly less shell-shocked than she did, although Beka caught the Mer Queen and Selkie King exchanging furtive glances before she reached them. She had the feeling again that they knew something about these renegades that they weren’t admitting to. Of course, with their populace in the midst of such upheaval, perhaps they were simply feeling overwhelmed, and the guilty looks were all in her imagination. Brenna had always accused her of being too quick to jump to conclusions.
Apparently Brenna had criticized her for that and more to the Queen of the Otherworld. Wasn’t that terrific. As if Beka didn’t feel insecure enough already. She was beginning to wonder why Brenna hadn’t simply decided she’d made a mistake in taking in Beka in the first place, and started all over with a new apprentice Baba. She wondered if that was what would happen if the Queen took away her role as Baba and gave it back to Brenna.
“Your Majesties,” Beka said. “I am so sorry to hear that the children are even sicker.” She felt just awful about that; Baba Yagas tended to be particularly protective of children, ancient tales notwithstanding. In truth, the stories of Baba Yagas “eating” children were mostly a metaphor for their removing defenseless youngsters from abusive or neglectful homes.
“It is most upsetting, Baba,” Boudicca said. “My own grandchild, a girl not yet a year old, is sick nigh on to death. I fear greatly for her. Have you truly no idea at all what has poisoned our waters?”
Beka hung her head. “I’m sorry,” she said, barely louder than a whisper. “I’m sure that Brenna would have solved this long ago. Perhaps the Queen was right to consider bringing her back.” What was the point of having all this power if she couldn’t help the very people who depended on her?
To her surprise, Gwrtheyrn came to her defense. “You are too hard on yourself, Baba Yaga. After all, our own shamans and wise men could not discover the source of the toxins either, and our very best healers have been able to do nothing more than merely ease the symptoms in those affected. And they had considerably longer to work on the problem than you have. We have no complaints about your efforts on our behalf.”
She stood up a little straighter, gratified and relieved at the same time. And even more determined to find the answer, so that Gwrtheyrn and Boudicca’s faith in her would not be proven to be misplaced.
“Ah,” Gwrtheyrn said. “I do not believe that you have met my son and heir, Tyrus.”
Tyrus bowed over her hand, almost as handsome and charming as his brother, but with more warmth in his gray eyes and a cheerful, almost eager demeanor, despite the dire circumstances. “I am most honored to meet you, Baba Yaga. I look forward to working together for many years to come.” He glanced at his father and grinned. “Not that I will be ascending to the throne any time in the near future; thankfully, my father is still most healthy and hale.”
“I’m pleased to meet you too,” Beka said. “Although I wish it were under better circumstances.” She turned back to the King. “I’m surprised that Kesh didn’t tell me your people were still getting sicker. I guess because he didn’t mention it, I just assumed that they’d begun to improve once you removed them from the affected areas.”
Gwrtheyrn stiffened and Tyrus gave him a darting look out of the corner of his eyes, keeping his face expressionless with what seemed like a conscious effort.
“You have been speaking with my son Kesh, Baba Yaga? How did this come about?”
Beka felt like she was missing something, a feeling to which she was becoming all too accustomed. She didn’t much like it. “He hasn’t mentioned spending time with me, Your Majesty?” Was Kesh ashamed of her?