Chapter 2

The next morning, their little band set off from Baghra's hut and back into the treacherous woods, searching for the center where the first item they needed to break the curse was supposed to be located. Zoya kept one eye on her path and the other on Nikolai, who was a fox again. After what happened yesterday with the attacking plants, she worried about him getting snared in something. If only they could travel at night. She felt more confident as a tiger in a place like this.

But navigating the pitch black miasma would be deadly—a fact reinforced by Tolya abruptly stepping into a soggy bog. The twins shared a look, then carefully tested the mossy ground in order to find safe stepping places through the marsh. Zoya scooped Nikolai up into her arms to carry him so he wouldn't accidentally fall in. They made it across the bog safely, not that the other side felt much safer. Zoya hadn't thought it possible for the forest to feel even more foreboding. In addition to the darkness, there was an old, musty musk in the air. Gnarled trees were draped in muted foliage and a nexus of thick cobwebs that fluttered like the tattered scraps of graveyard shrouds.

Something prickled the hairs on the back of Zoya's neck: the feeling of being watched. Nikolai squirmed in her arms as he looked back and forth frantically, as though he sensed it too. His ears flattened back and his bushy tail curled up and around Zoya's arm. She slowed her pace.

"Tolya, Tamar…" she said in a hushed voice.

The twins paused and glanced back, then simultaneously drew their weapons in response.

Zoya scanned the surrounding forest. Everything was too quiet…not that there had ever been much life in these woods. Then a pair of amber eyes slid through the shadows, gaze fixed on their position. Zoya went ramrod straight.

"Over there," she said quietly.

"Over here too," Tamar replied, axes held at the ready as she stared at some bushes in the opposite direction.

Tolya sidestepped toward Zoya, who didn't have a weapon. Her arms tightened around Nikolai, but in the next instant, one of the creatures launched itself from the darkness, and the fox leaped from her grip to the ground. Tolya surged forward to meet the large, unnatural looking wolf with his blade, while Tamar brandished her axes at the second. But there were more, and Zoya dove for a nearby branch to wield in self-defense. She caught a third wolf across the jaw with the thick branch, and it went sliding sideways with a snarl. Another yelped as steel cut through fur and flesh, but these beasts were nearly the size of Tolya and weren't daunted by such weapons.

An urgent yipping had Zoya whirling around in search of Nikolai, terrified a wolf had gotten to him. But she spotted him unharmed near a large outcropping of rocks. Catching her gaze, he turned toward a crevice and hopped up and down urgently.

"This way!" Zoya yelled, trusting him, and she bolted for his location. Once there, he dove into the gap, which was narrow, but she easily managed to slide through into an alcove below ground.

Tamar followed a moment later, but when Tolya tried, he struggled with his broad shoulders. He pulled back and they lost sight of him as he was forced to turn his attention back to fighting the wolves.

Tamar scrambled back up out of the cranny. "Go!" she shouted. "I'll hold them off."

Tolya tried to wedge himself through the gap again. Zoya grabbed his arm and pulled with all her might. Even Nikolai bounded up the side of the rocks to snatch at Tolya's vest with his teeth and yank. The gnashing of fangs and exerted grunts sounded above, but Zoya couldn't see how Tamar was faring.

Tolya finally got through, falling in a heap on the ground.

"Tamar!" Zoya screamed.

To her relief, Tamar came diving through the crevice. The wolves tore and clawed at the gap but were too large to fit. Nikolai darted up and bit a thrashing paw. The wolf growled and yanked its leg back, and Nikolai barely let go in time before he was pulled back out. Zoya scrabbled over and scooped him up before he got too daring.

The wolves continued to stuff their maws into the gap and snap their jaws, but the twins stabbed them in the mouths until they retreated for good. Silence fell save for their own heavy breathing and the blood roaring in Zoya's ears.

"Can't go back out there for a while," Tolya said breathlessly.

"We might not have to," Tamar replied. "Look."

Zoya turned to survey what she'd thought was an enclosed alcove but in fact appeared to be a cave with a tunnel extending further back. Scraggly roots hung from the ceiling and protruded from the walls.

She set Nikolai down again and scanned the ground for something they could use for a makeshift torch. A lot of the roots looked like dead husks, but they found a long, solid piece, and Tamar used her flint to strike a flame onto it.

Tolya poked a finger through the teeth marks in his vest and released a sigh.

Nikolai folded his ears back sheepishly.

"It's all right," Tolya told him. "Thanks for the assist."

They set off down the passage and eventually entered a large cavern framed in a perfect circle of sculpted dead trees. Upon closer look, however, they weren't quite made of stone, but looked more like bone. Even the dirt had a pale, papery thin texture to it, as did shriveled vines and more exposed roots. If anything looked like a graveyard of tree bones, this was it. And in the very center was a statue holding a crystal in cupped palms.

"That must be it," Zoya said.

She was struck by the expression on the statue's face—it was a woman, her granite eyes sad and looking skyward. Dark moss had grown over much of her, the only hint of color in this otherwise dead chamber.

"She looks almost…real," Tolya remarked. "I wonder what tale lies behind this place."

They had no way of knowing, of course, nor were they here for that. Zoya took a breath and reached out to take the crystal. As she lifted it up, she caught sight of her reflection in one of the faceted sides—and in the perpendicular one was a flash of the white tiger.

Suddenly the ground rumbled and the statue instantly crumbled into dust. Everything around them, including the petrified trees, began to disintegrate as well.

"Run!" Tamar shouted.

They scrambled back the way they'd come as silt and dust rained down on their heads and the tunnel collapsed behind them, sealing off the ancient tomb. They barely made it back to the alcove near the surface without being buried themselves. Zoya handed Tolya the crystal to keep safely in one of their packs.

"Think the wolves are gone by now?" Tamar asked tensely.

Zoya and Tolya shared a nervous look. But before either of them could respond, Nikolai went bounding up out of the cranny.

"Nikolai!" Zoya hissed and threw herself at the gap, trying to see out, but the angle was too narrow. She held her breath as she waited for snarls or growls or a pained yelp. But none came.

A few moments later, the fox reappeared, mouth open and tongue lolling out in a signal of safety. Zoya sagged in relief, then cautiously climbed out. Tamar followed, and it was a struggle to get Tolya out, but in all the commotion, the wolves didn't return.

They were a bit turned around now, though, so Zoya reached into Tolya's pack to pull out Nikolai's lucky compass. Next stop was the Spinning Wheel in the northern mountains.

With the needle pointing out the direction, they set off again. They paused briefly to get a new branch for a torch to light the way, plus hopefully fire would deter the wolf pack as well. It was so dark, Zoya couldn't tell how far off night was.

"Maybe one of us should climb a tree, see if we can't breach the canopy and find out what time it is," she suggested.

"We should keep moving," Tamar replied, but her expression pinched in understanding; the transformation needed to be accounted for.

A blood-curdling howl made the decision for them, and they burst into a quickened pace. Another howl followed, closer than the first. The wolves must have caught their scent again.

They surged into an all-out run, hampered by the uneven terrain and ever-shifting shadows. Baghra would probably not be coming to their rescue this time.

Zoya abruptly lurched to a stop as she felt the magic inside her quicken—the sun had set. She frantically yanked her coat off, but her blouse and trousers weren't so lucky as the tiger burst forth, tearing the too-small garments into pieces. She landed on four paws and caught sight of Nikolai as he went rolling naked through the leaves. Then the wolves were upon them.

Zoya turned to meet them head-on, now armed with fangs and claws of her own. The preternatural wolves were the same size as the tiger, and she was outnumbered, but the twins wielded their blades, making it an even fight. Zoya slashed her claws at one wolf, making it twist away with a yelp and snarl. She spun around and tackled another wolf to the ground as it tried to circle around to get at Nikolai. The two animals rolled in a tangle of gnashing teeth and flying fur. Hot blood spurted into Zoya's mouth. The tiger got its jaws around the beast's jugular and bit down hard, then jerked with a twist. A resounding crack preceded the wolf falling limp. Zoya dropped her kill and launched herself at another one, slashing and tearing into flesh. At last, the pack fled.

Zoya's body thrummed with the exhilaration of victory, and in the ensuing silence, everyone turned to look each other over. Tolya quickly grabbed Nikolai's clothes for him while Tamar scanned the trees guardedly. But Zoya could tell the wolves were gone. She turned back to her kill and sat down to eat. Her tiger form required much more sustenance than she did as a human.

Nikolai emerged from some bushes, pulling the last strap of his suspenders up over one shoulder. "Should we keep moving?" he asked.

Tamar glanced at Zoya. "We might be okay for now."

Zoya made a gurgling sound of agreement. She paused in her gorging to tear off one of the wolf's hindquarters and chucked it toward her friends.

Nikolai arched a brow. "The tiger queen has spoken."

She growled low in her throat at the moniker.

The humans prepared a camp and started a fire to cook the meat over. No one spoke. Only once Zoya had finished eating and began to clean her fur did Nikolai come over and crouch down tentatively.

"Will you let me look?"

Her ears flicked back, but then she consented. The tiger bristled as he gently ran his fingers through her fur, cataloguing her wounds. They were just scratches, though, nothing too serious. They would probably hurt more when she changed back in the morning.

"How much water do we have?" Nikolai asked the twins.

Tolya grimaced. "Half our stock."

Nikolai nodded and looked back at Zoya regretfully. "I'll let you tend your wounds for tonight, and tomorrow we'll see about doing more."

She chuffed in response and resumed licking herself clean.

Nikolai gathered up the remnants of her clothes and sat down with them. He gave the blouse and pants a rueful look. "You can use my clothes during the day since I won't be needing them," he told her.

Zoya grumbled at that; she hated having to replace clothing because of transformation mishaps. But she'd rather the clothes be torn up than her friends and the man she loved.

After everyone had eaten their fill, they set off again. Zoya took the lead, her night vision enhanced in tiger form. She went slowly, on guard for any manner of danger. Once they left the Shadow Forest, they could stop and rest, even if they had to take a day to recuperate.

But they had retrieved the first object. There was hope they could actually do this.

Kirigan turned the page of the tome he was reading when Prince Vasily stormed in, banging the doors so hard that the reverberation of air fluttered the papers on the desk. Kirigan sighed; the prince was in a tiff. Again.

"What can I do for you, moi tsarevich?" he asked mildly.

"My spies have just informed me that my brother and his friends went into the Shadow Forest."

Kirigan frowned at that.

"They were said to be looking for the Black Witch," Vasily went on. "There's only one reason to seek her out—to break the curse. Is that possible? Because I will not stand for my bastard brother to outmaneuver me!"

Kirigan closed his book with a loud thunk and stood. "No caster can undo the curse but me."

Vasily huffed and crossed his arms like the spoiled child he was. "Fine, but it will ruin my plans if the Black Witch kills them."

Kirigan rolled his eyes. "I will look into it."

He grabbed his cloak and headed out, not bothering to wait for a dismissal. The Little Palace had its own small stable, and Kirigan ordered his horse readied for him. Then he rode out.

It had been years since he'd looked in on Baghra in her exile. He'd gotten tired of her disapproving disdain. As if he hadn't learned all his black magic at her knee.

He rode through the forest, undaunted by the dark things that dwelled under its canopy. His steed, accustomed to its master's own dark aura, did not balk on the journey.

Kirigan arrived at the hut where the old woman was watering some herbs.

She straightened. "Aleksander," she greeted tonelessly.

"Mother," he replied with equal aloofness.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"Do not play coy with me," he said tartly, eyes roving over the tiger tracks in front of her hut. "I know you had visitors."

"Yes," she replied. "That was rather impressive work by you. I'm curious, who chose the cursed forms?"

"It doesn't matter. Where did they go?"

"Perhaps they didn't. Perhaps the Black Witch chopped them into pieces for her stew."

Kirigan narrowed a dark glower at her. "I warned you not to play games with me, Mother. I can tell they left unharmed."

Baghra shrugged. "They came, they left, end of story."

Shadows squirmed up from the grass at his feet. "That is not the end of the story," he said darkly.

"You know as well as I that I could not break your curse, so why does it matter?" she pressed insouciantly.

He sneered. "I know your tricks, Mother. Now tell me what you said to them and where they went."

"Why do you assume I told them anything," she challenged.

Kirigan unleashed his shadows, sending a massive burst of them toward the old hag. But Baghra responded in kind, and the colliding forces cracked and sparked like black lightning and thunder. Kirigan gritted his teeth and pushed back with all his might. The clearing pulsated with churning shadows.

A sizzling lash cut across Kirigan's face, and he snarled in fury. Another whipped toward him and he dodged, simultaneously sending out a retaliation that knocked Baghra's feet out from under her. She cried out as her old bones hit the ground. Kirigan crooked his fingers, and his shadows swirled around her, capturing her throat in a stranglehold. She struggled to strike out again, and he bound her wrists with a twisting grip that crackled joints.

"Do not make me do this," he warned.

"Get it over with," she spat out.

"Not until you tell me what I want to know." He rotated his hands, curving the shadows into scythes and slicing them across her frail flesh over and over until blood had splattered the grass in a macabre painting.

Baghra continued to glare at him defiantly.

"Fine," he ground out in frustration and summoned merzost to mix with his shadows.

Her eyes widened in the first glimmer of horror. "Aleksander…"

Kirigan didn't let her finish her plea and plunged his shadows into her eyes. Her head snapped backward from the force and a choking gasp escaped her throat. Kirigan closed his own eyes and followed the path of his magic as the shadows tore the memories from his mother's mind. He watched them play out through her vision—the nugatory quartet arriving at Baghra's hut, her inviting them inside and giving them shelter…explaining how to break the curse.

He broke off with a ragged inhalation, his shadows instantly dissipating and dropping his mother's mangled body to the ground. "How long have you known the Sun Summoner is here?" he demanded.

She just glared up at him, her body trembling with weakness but her stubbornness unquenched. "It seems I still have a few tricks you don't know about," she said.

He reined in his temper. "Tell me where it is."

She let out a garbled chuckle. "I don't know. Torture me all you want, but you saw for yourself: I can't give you knowledge I don't possess."

"That may be," he said icily. "But you told the spare prince and his cohort how to find it, so I just need to find them."

He raised his hands and summoned shadow once more, and with one last Cut, left his mother's sundered body to rot in this Saints-forsaken forest.

The Sun Summoner was the thing Kirigan had been waiting for these hundreds of years, the key to securing his step up from royal advisor to crowned king. He ruled most of the country now anyway while Prince Vasily was more interested in drinking and carousing with gamblers and miscreants. Not that Vasily didn't think he was in charge—he did poison his own father in order to take control while the king languished away on his sick bed. And while Kirigan's own power was not a trifle, the addition of the Sun Summoner would elevate him from "the Darkling" to Sainthood; with it he would rule not only Ravka, but all the lands to the north and south as well. Maybe beyond.

But he was going to need help obtaining it. And so he would report back to Vasily, use the prince's resources to track down the little Sobachka and his friends and put an end to this childish game.