The Shining Falcon

Chapter XL Predators

Struggling fiercely against her captor, Maria twisted about in his arms and caught a glimpse of a wild-eyed face, tough-bearded but undeniably human. Undeniably filthy, too—his stench was enough to gag her. Frantically kicking, trying to claw and bite, Maria fought him with all her strength. But he had such a good grip on her, she couldn't get so much as an arm free.

«Let‑me—go!» Maria gasped, even though she was shouting at herself, Oh, you fool! That isn't going to sway him! But she couldn't help it: «Let—go!»

Even as she gasped those useless words, Maria loosed a savage kick that struck bone. The man gave a yelp of pain, but only tightened his grip, lips bared in a fierce, predatory smile.

«Oh no," he hissed, «no, my dear Maria.»

She froze. «How did you…» Maria's voice trailed off into silence as she stared at him there in the cold moonlight. «My God…» she said slowly. «Alexei! It is Alexei, isn't it?»

He gave her a mocking little grin. «I always did say you were a clever thing!»

«But how did you get here?»

«How do you think, my dear? I was exiled, remember? Thanks to your dear father, I was exiled — "

«Justly!» Maria snapped without thinking; but to her relief, he only laughed. Still, there was a glint in his eyes, something not quite right, not quite normal… Chilled, Maria stammered, «Never—never mind, Alexei. I'm not going to—to argue with you. Just let me go, and maybe I can help you — "

His laugh, charming, sophisticated, totally inappropriate, chilled her even more. «You, help me? Oh, no, I don't want your charity. I don't need it! No, I have someone else helping me, someone with Power, true Power.»

Oh, dear God, he's insane. «I—I see. And—ah—who is this—someone?»

«A magician, dear Maria, a woman who knows my true worth, who'll gives me riches, honor, power! Her Art saved me from the forest demons, her Art brought me right to you! And in return, she asks one thing of me, only one little thing. And that is—your life, Maria.»

«No!»

«Yes! You will be the first of your line to die, you, the daughter of damned Danilo— You, who mocked me, scorned me—God, you'll die, you and all the rest of your kin!» His eyes stared savagely into hers, hot with hate and lust. «Aie, but death's too swift! First, oh, first… Remember that day in Stargorod? I wanted you then, honorably, I would have wed you — "

«Damn you, you would have raped me!»

«Oh, yes, oh yes!» His eyes were ablaze. «You scorned me then, you tricked me! But this time, there shall be no tricks! This time I'm taking what I want! Yes, you'll die-but not at all so quickly!»

His hand shot up, closing so cruelly about a breast that Maria gasped in pain. As his lips came down bruisingly on hers, pure, mindless fury blazed through her. She bared her teeth and bit down as hard as she could, tasting blood. With a strangled yell, he jerked his head away, instinctively pushing her from him. But before she could run, he was at her again, trying to hook a leg around one of hers, trying to bring her down, and‑curse him! He was laughing at her! Ha, but her sturdily shod foot caught him sharply on the knee with an audible crack. She heard him yell again, felt him begin to lose his grip, and savagely wrenched herself free.

No—a wildly outflung hand had closed about her wrist, pulling her back so sharply she lost her balance and fell, landing with bruising force on roots and bits of rock, desperately gasping for breath, the reek of decaying vegetation and Alexei's stench in her nostrils. Alexei tried to throw himself down on her, but Maria, grimly determined, brought her hand stabbing up at his face, narrowly missing his eyes, opening long furrows on his cheek. He sat back with a curse, hand going to his bleeding face.

«Why, you—bitch!»

He threw himself at her again, but Maria, savage as any wild thing, brought her knees up to her chest and kicked with all her strength. Alexei staggered back, losing his balance, felling, rolling helplessly down the sloping earth towards the lake.

And Maria sat up, hearing the sudden cruel, delighted laughter coming from the lake, and screamed:

«Alexei, get away from there! Hurry!»

«Oh, no, bitch! I'm not listening to anything you say!»

«Alexei!»

But it was already too late. A pale hand had come snaking up out of the lake, a pale arm encircled his neck. Heart pounding, Maria heard Alexei's shout of fear as he was pulled over backwards into the lake with a mighty splash. Fighting frantically, he was dragged beneath the surface so quickly that Maria didn't even have a chance to move. Horrified, she scrambled to her feet, in time to see him struggle helplessly against the inhuman force of rusalki strength. For one desperate moment, he managed to pull his head free of the water, eyes wild and pleading and most terribly sane. For one desperate moment, Maria tried frantically to find a way to save him, even him—

Alexei's face contorted in a scream of agony. In the next instant he was gone, and the lake was settling into innocent stillness once more. But on its surface was a dark, slowly spreading stain…

It was too much. Overwhelmed by shock, by horror, Maria turned and ran, stumbling blindly, ran till at last she could run no more and fell, sobbing for breath. Oh, God, the horror of this night! And which had been the worst of it? The inhuman cruelty—or the human? Too shaken for rational thought, Maria murmured over and over again:

«Please, please, just let this night be past'" Huddling under a low-branched old tree, pressed up against the shelter of its broad trunk, she clutched the silver necklace as though it were some mystic thing to guard her from all harm. And gradually, too drained of strength and will to hold to fear or shock or even thought, Maria lost her hold on everything, and almost gratefully slid away from consciousness.