From The Ashes Chapter 5: 5: And Miles To Go Before I Sleep, a sakura wars fanfic

Rating: PG-13, Violence, Language

"FROM THE ASHES" – And Miles To Go Before I Sleep

"I ain't sayin', I'm just sayin', is all." That made absolutely no sense, but very little of what I've seen happen today makes sense at all.

Cav is sitting next to me in a Stanley Steamer back seat, he convinced me to rent one on the way back uptown. I don't feel like shivering. I am already shivering enough.

I stare out the window in silence. The streets are quieter than usual. Not empty, never empty – not New York. Always people on the streets, all hours, all weather. The snowflakes are bigger now, which means it's probably going to stop soon. God, I hope so.

Who knew one Russian kid could cause such a stir? First, she doesn't show up at the docks this morning. That's Joseph's fault for not sending that kid to go talk to her. He knows the Kazuar's a soldier. She ain't capable of independent thought – she just follows orders. You tell her to wait somewhere for something, and she'll wait there, even if it's days. I've even caught her saluting Valentinov once or twice. He outranked her back in the army in Russia, and he still outranks her now. Though now, by a LOT more. And the penalties for insubordination in the family are a bit more severe than with the revolutionaries.

In his defense, though, Joseph probably never expected what happened to happen. Hell, I didn't, either. Even Valentinov didn't.

I didn't even bring the money this morning. When I heard word that Bianni didn't show for coffee at his usual joint, I had to run back and get a case from the boss. Can't shock the boss, though, he didn't even twitch. Even when I gave him Bianni's ring. The kid did good. Damned good.

The boss even came up with another idea, right away. Silvio.

Then, after I saw her go into the building upstairs of Luna's, Joseph went up. Developing 'rapport' or some bullshit.

But I wasn't ready for what happened at dinner. I mean… that's some serious shit right there. All with the cold and the ice and the frost on the glass and… She's just a kid. Isn't she?

Valentinov should have left her on the island. She'd be back in Moscow by now, or still holed up on the island. Either way, she wouldn't be here. I've got no idea what Valentinov's afraid she's getting too close to, but that's none of my business anyway. The best way to stay out of a body bag in the family is to keep your nose out of business that isn't yours to be concerned with.

Karpov. He's the driver now. The Kazuar got promoted to bouncer a couple of months back and now Karpov's the man. Now, by 'driver,' I don't mean someone to drive us home because if that were the case, I'd be saving my nickels right now. Drivers are reserved for… discreet and rapid retreats and departures.

If there's one thing the Kazuar's decent at, it's discretion.

"Think she can pull it off?" Cav asks me, softly.

"Huh?"

"Silvio. Think she can… you know?"

I shrug and look out the window again. "I dunno. Maybe."

Cav huffs a confident laugh, but it's faked. "I think we'll be findin' pieces a her in a coupla months."

He doesn't sound so sure. I think he's wondering exactly what I'm wondering: if she is bad enough to take down Lupo's bodyguard. If she is, great – saves any of us from having to do it.

"Hey." Cav's voice is a little softer in deference to the strange situation. "You think she really is a witch? You know… magic an' shit?"

I laugh in a way I hope is convincing. "Dinnit we stop believing in that crap two hundred years ago?"

"Yeah, I guess."

The slushy, gray, cold city out the car window captures my attention again, and silence falls for the remainder of the ride. My stop is first, and I watch the Stanley cut a pair of chill wakes in the slush on the street and trundle around a corner.

I look up at the sky. It's a gray-black, and snowflakes falling from it make it seem like I've flung myself into the stars. Geezis, Silvio… do it already, an' spare me Valentinov's orders. I don' think I'm up for it.