Disclaimer: The Characters are the property of the brilliant Sergey Lukyanenko. No copyright infringement is intended, no money is being made.
Spoilers: Night Watch (the book), especially the last story
Summary: Three Great Others - thoughts, worries, schemes, hopes, envy and talks

Patches of Grey
by Kadira

I.

Olga's nose is still buried in the blonde hair, breathing in Svetlana's unique scent, unable to cut the connection just now. "I need to go," she then says, after a long agonizing moment, not feeling at all like acting on her words. Her hand lies on the other woman's chest, right over the heart, feeling its steady beat. She closes her eyes, allows herself to let Svetlana's power wash over her. So strong and so vivid. So much potential.

"Do you really need to go, Olya?" Svetlana asks sleepily, eyes half closed, still that blissful smile on her face when Olga, with a last kiss, forces herself to get up. And seeing Svetlana lying there, body not even partly hidden under the cover and still glowing, Olga is seriously tempted to ignore Boris' request and to just stay here for a few more hours, until night falls at the very least. Or maybe they should just take the night off. They both would certainly deserve it after the last few days.

But as tempting as the thought is, she can't do it. They have plans to make and Boris sounded urgent enough that she can't just ignore him. So she nods. "Geser wants me."

Svetlana gives a sound that could mean everything and nothing, but her expression tells Olga everything she needs to know. She frowns inwardly. It's dangerous. Svetlana is still so very young, but she is a Great Sorceress, very soon beyond classification, and she should put her own feelings after the greater good, no matter how difficult, how unfair it seems.

Olga knows everything about the unfairness of life and fate. After all, it's the reason she lost so much of her life and was robbed of most of her powers. A part of her still resents fate for what happened to her, but she also envies Svetlana for being able to express her opinion so openly. And she envies the other woman because her future as a Light One is still unlimited and untainted. She will be able to do anything, whereas Olga has lost due to her own failure. And even if she is slowly regaining everything, nothing will be able to wipe out her mistake, or to give her back the stolen years.

She just hopes that Sveta will never experience the same all-consuming pain, never the overwhelming failure and hopelessness. No, she doesn't just hope, but she pushes her, carefully, so that the other woman won't stray away from the path the Light has laid out in front of her. Because while having no choice might be unfair, failing is even worse.

"Will I see you later?" Olga asks then, shaking off these thoughts for the moment.

"I'm not sure. I should probably call Anton. Make sure that he is all right," Sveta says, but there's hesitation in her voice. Not surprising, after what happened in the summerhouse.

Olga nods. She understands completely, because despite what fate has in store for them, there are things that seem more important, at least for the moment. Her heart breaks some more, for Svetlana, but also for herself, because she knows that feeling and she knows that unlike her and Boris, Svetlana won't be so lucky. Anton and Svetlana are not meant to be together. He is just a temporary station in the life of someone with unimaginable power.

Olga puts on her shirt and tries to ignore the elation she feels at the thought that she will still be part of Svetlana's life when Anton won't be any more than a faint memory, which Sveta will cherish in the rare quieter times ahead of her. It's wrong to feel this way, not because of the Light, but because Olga likes Anton as well and does wish him the best. But this here between them is theirs and neither Anton nor Geser have a right to interfere with it. It's bad enough that the Light does it.

"But maybe we can meet later? For dinner?" Sveta suggests.

Olga smiles. She leans forward and kisses Svetlana once more, with lips and tongue, memorizes her taste. She lets her hand wander over Sveta's still-warm back as if she wants to make sure that she won't forget the feeling of the other woman during the hours they will be separated.

II.

"Can you do it? I know the two of you are close," Geser says, "but can you hold her? We can't afford to lose her." Losing Svetlana wouldn't just mean stagnation but a real setback, something they can't afford, not after all the work they put into the plan.

He can't really feel Olga's thoughts, but it is pretty clear that she thinks about Svetlana, about what they have. She knows that he knows it, even if they've never really talked about it. It's an open secret that they are very close and sometimes he thinks that it is comparable to what he feels for Anton. When he asked her some time ago, she said that she could see herself in the young sorceress.

He understands this better than she probably thinks, even when it is different for him. He feels close to Anton because Anton is everything he never was. Not because he never had a chance, but because he didn't want it. He had embraced the Light and everything that came with it fully and had never looked back. He had never questioned or doubted, certainly not to the extent Anton does. He isn't sure either if he should envy Anton or not. Life is much easier when one can focus on one thing, especially in their job.

"Of course I can do it," Olga just says then and Geser feels once more the wall between them. It's not that they don't love each other anymore, but if one partner is forced to spend 50 years as an owl, it does tend to put some distance in a relationship.

There's a lot he could say, but won't, because the situation isn't right. Maybe once this is over and his plan has succeeded, they'll have time to talk. Or maybe just to enjoy each other's presence.

"Good. It's imperative if we want to use the chalk of fate. She's the only one who can do it. We can't afford another failure."

There's only the most fleeting expression on her face, but it is enough to show him just how much his statement hit home. Yes, she has failed. But it won't happen again. Svetlana wouldn't go anywhere. She would do just as Olga asks of her. Everything for her, for them, and, of course, for the Light. Olya was a Great Sorceress, once, more than a lifetime ago. She knows what has to be done, no matter the price.

Geser is sure that these are the thoughts that cross her mind at this very moment and he doesn't doubt that she'll give everything for the cause of the Light, even her own life.

He ignores the regret he feels, the guilt at having reminded her so clearly of what happened. Olga's eyes gleam for a moment in anger, then, "She will do it. She is ready," she says, defensively. "But what about Anton?"

Geser frowns. "What about him? He is not important. It can't last between them. He knows it. He won't interfere." No, not Anton, not after everything he learned from him. Losing Svetlana might push Anton, maybe break his heart, but he would never go against the Light. He would understand and accompany Svetlana for as long as he could, before letting her soar high into the sky.

Olga doesn't seem to share his conviction, which worries him a bit. "Maybe. But shouldn't you be concerned about him as well?"

"No," Geser says and shakes his head. "He is a Light One and nothing will change that. He is trying to figure things out, trying to find his way, but we are in no danger of losing him. Don't forget, I found him. I'm the one he comes to when something bothers him," he says, voice firm, ignoring the little gnawing doubt he has had for some time already.

"What is it?" he asks when Olga still looks at him doubtfully. He sounds just as tired as he feels. The last days of planning took a toll on him. "Olga?" he asks when she doesn't continue right away.

"There are rumors, Boris," she finally says.

"What kind of rumors?" he asks, his eyes piercing into hers, willing her to tell him everything.

"In the Day Watch. I'm not sure how valid it is in the end, but I've been working with Anton for quite some time now and I can feel his struggles..." she breaks off, not really helpless, but there are just things that are too difficult to say, especially for their kind.

"What kind of rumors?" Geser's voice has taken on a sharp tone.

"About him and Zavulon. Obviously Zavulon has taken interest in him." She straightens up and leans against his shoulder. "It's probably nothing. Zavulon always plays his games. We know that. What worries me is that it has spread to our Watch. Even Tiger Cub and Semyon were talking about it before I left. They worry about him. He's at the edge and I'm not sure if we will be able to hold him."

Geser nods. He would like to say that he is surprised, but he can't even lie to himself. He has felt Anton drifting away, slowly, bit by bit, starting with the night on the roof, when the witch Alisa Donnikova had forced him to say the truth.

They know that Anton has the potential to become much stronger, even if they'd never tell him that. But if they know it, Zavulon will, too. Unfortunately. "He sounded like a Dark One when I talked to him last and I'm afraid that we will lose him. You know how persuasive Zavulon can be," Olga says, and he can hear the unease in her voice.

For a moment they sit in strained silence, both of them lost in their own thoughts. Then he kisses her on the forehead and stands up. "Zavulon won't stand a chance, Olya. Let him play his games. Anton knows where he belongs," he says, yet his conviction seems to have suffered a bit.

"Maybe you should go to him," Olga suggests. "Just to make sure that he won't waver. You and Sveta are probably the only ones he will listen to and believe. You know him better than anybody else."

Not that this makes it any easier. Knowing and closeness goes both ways, even for them to some extent, and while Anton might be willing to listen to him, it doesn't mean that he'll still trust his mentor. But not yet, Geser hopes. They are still close enough. Maybe. They can't afford to lose Anton and not just because it would certainly mean that they would lose Svetlana as well, because doomed or not, she does love him.

He finally nods. "I should probably do that. But take care of Svetlana. Maybe we should make sure that they won't get a chance to worry together at least..."

"Don't worry about Svetlana. She is ready and she wants to do that. She knows what she is and what it means."

"I hope you are right." Even though hope is the last thing they need at the moment. Certainty on the other hand would be very nice. "But there's something more we need to talk about. I need you to do something. Not just for the Light, but for us," he says, embracing her and putting Anton out of his mind for the time being.

III.

"Good afternoon, boss," he hears Anton call. Zavulon has already felt him long before he entered the apartment, of course. Anton isn't strong enough to hide his presence from him. Not yet in any case, most likely never.

Zavulon smiles inwardly but manages to look surprised. "Good afternoon, Anton. You know, I'd be very glad to be your boss." Which isn't even half a lie, but mostly the truth. As much truth as he would ever admit. Anton would make a nice asset to the Day Watch, even now that he allows most of his powers to lie dormant. Zavulon would only too gladly help him to bring them out, to push the young mage to his limits until they would fully awake.

He has to admit that it is somehow a pity that Anton doesn't appear even remotely startled by his presence. But maybe he shouldn't, because he can feel the turmoil in Anton. Betrayal, pain, but also determination. It is an intriguing mix. Intriguing and dangerous, because it causes Anton to act carelessly. Instead of being afraid of the big bad dark magician, he almost seems indifferent to Zavulon's intrusion. Not exactly an unpleasant development, but certainly surprising.

"And you don't need to worry about any observation devices. Either your own, or the ones that the Inquisition installs. I took the liberty of, shall we say, putting them to sleep. Everything we say to each other will remain just between the two of us forever," he says, keeping up an aura of indifference, and comes to his feet.

"Believe half of what a human says, a quarter of what a Light One says, and not a word of what a Dark One says," Anton says, sounding tired.

Anton observes him cautiously as Zavulon crosses the short distance, then comes to a hold right in front of Anton. For a moment, Zavulon just looks at him and Anton holds his gaze, his eyes burning with raw power and emotions that are too tangled for Zavulon as that he could just read them.

"Take your amulet," he tells Anton after a moment, voice soft. After all, it wouldn't do if Anton would worry too much and so be distracted. "It's in the desk somewhere, I can sense it. "

It takes Anton just a moment to fetch it. "Zavulon, you no longer have any power over me."

Zavulon smiles. "Good. I don't want you to have any doubts about your own safety."

"What do you want? You shouldn't be here! I can report you--"

"Yes, you could. I know all that. I'm in the wrong. This is stupid. I'm exposing myself to reprisals and exposing the Day Watch too. But I haven't come to you as an enemy. I'm here to ask for your help and as a Light One," Zavulon smiles brightly, "you are obliged to help everyone, even me."

There's wariness in Anton's eyes when Zavulon crosses the short distance between them once more and stops right in front of him again. For a moment, Zavulon only takes in and feels. Anton hasn't guarded himself very well, certainly not considered who his visitor is. Zavulon bathes for a moment in Anton's power, then smiles, knowing that he has Anton right where he wants him. Anton's light might be tainted by bits and pieces of grey, but the need to help is still deeply ingrained within him, in his bones, his blood, and, most importantly, in his soul.

Zavulon smiles.

"What do you want, Zavulon?" Anton asks, voice just a tiny bit unsteady.

"Actually, there are a lot of things I want," Zavulon says, voice low, his lips hovering over Anton's. Then, ever so carefully, almost fleetingly, he kisses the young mage, whose eyes close almost instantly. The contact lasts merely long enough for Anton to become pliant under the unexpected caress, then Zavulon withdraws. Not completely, because the closeness is intoxicating and Zavulon can feel how Anton's tainted light calls to the darkness within himself. It takes a lot of willpower for Zavulon to resist the call. It's too early. Much too early. If he acts on it now, he would certainly lose everything before he even gained it and that is a risk he cannot take, not with everything that is at stake.

In the back of his mind, like from far away, Zavulon can hear Geser's anger, voiceless to anyone but himself: "Don't you dare, Zavulon! He is mine!"

Zavulon's smile brightens, becomes almost predator-like. "Obviously you aren't that sure about your claim. Why else the worry, oh great Lord Geser?" he answers, just as silently.

When Anton opens his eyes again and pushes him back, there's surprise in his gaze, maybe with a trace of confusion, but no hint of disgust and Zavulon knows everything he needs to know, and this everything is very promising. It's a good start, he thinks, the first step. And he has time. A whole eternity.

"What do you want, Zavulon?" Anton demands, voice just a little bit unsteady.

"Ah, my dear Anton," Zavulon says then, retreating with a last caress of the other's cheek, the mere ghost of a touch. He turns around and sits down on the small couch. It's enough for the beginning and much more than he could have hoped for when he'd arrived here. Now it's time for business. "You and I have a problem, Anton. The same one. And today it reached critical proportions."

-.-.-.-.-.-