Sarwat Chadda - Dark Goddess

“And the others?” Billi asked. The werewolves had attacked dozens of people on the train, infecting them all with lycanthropy.

Rowland cleared his throat. “Elaine and I have been to Crow Street Hospital, where the injured were taken. We’ve been able to use our contacts there to make sure they’re being treated with Elaine’s poultices. They’ll recover.”

“But we’ve no time to rest up and lick our wounds,” said Arthur. “The Polenitsy have the girl.”

Elaine butted in. “We’ve got to get her back. Soon.”

Billi felt flushed and red, like they were all looking at her. She’d lost Vasilisa.

“The last time Vasilisa was with us she spoke of Fimbulwinter, something she believed Baba Yaga would bring about.” Arthur twisted his wedding ring, constantly winding it around his finger. “Once Baba Yaga performs the Ritual of Devouring, she will be powerful enough to create a global winter that could last for many years.”

“The ritual can only be carried out on the night of the full moon. Saturday,” said Elaine.

“Bloody hell,” said Billi. It was early Wednesday already. “That’s four days from now. How on earth are we going to find her in four days? We’ve no idea where she is.”

“Oh, Vasilisa’s in Russia,” replied Elaine. “The Polenitsy will take her straight to Baba Yaga, and the old witch is Mother Russia. She’ll be nowhere else.”

“Great. That’s going to make it so much easier.” Russia was gigantic. Billi could see that everyone was thinking the same. It would be like searching for a snowflake in the Arctic.

Gwaine snorted scornfully. “And how exactly are we going to find her?” He spread out his arms. “Look at us. We’ve just had our arses whipped by a bunch of hairy freaks, and that’s with the home advantage. We go into their territory and we’re just so much dog food. It’ll be suicide.”

“This time we’ll have help,” said Arthur. “We’ll go to the Bogatyrs. Romanov is a good man; once he knows what’s at stake he’ll want to help. Then there’s Vasilisa’s grandmother, a white witch by all accounts. She could have valuable information for us. Plus, there are many wolf packs in the area; the Polenitsy may have come from one.” He stood up and walked slowly around the circle of chairs. “Two teams, one to Vasilisa’s birthplace in Karelia, the other to Moscow, where we’ll meet the Bogatyrs. We’ll stop Baba Yaga.”

“By any means necessary, right?” asked Gwaine. Billi’s eyes narrowed.

“We’ll rescue Vasilisa if we can.” Arthur looked slowly around, but stopped at Billi. “But that may not be possible.”

Achill crept up Billi’s heart.

“Then?” she asked. She knew the answer, but needed someone to say it out loud.

“If we can’t save her, we’ll have to kill her,” replied her father in his plain, matter-of-fact tone. “Baba Yaga must not carry out the ritual. That’s all that matters.”

“There has to be another way,” said Billi, sickened. “We can’t just kill her.”

Arthur frowned. “I’m not happy about this either, Billi. But what’s the life of one against the entire population of the planet? With Vasilisa in Baba Yaga’s hands, that’s the choice we face.”

“But can’t we-”

“Enough,” Arthur snapped. “You will do as you are ordered, squire.”

Billi glared at him, but Arthur’s cold blue eyes were empty. He’d made his decision.

“I will go to Moscow. I have friends there,” said Lance.

“Agreed,” said Arthur. “Gwaine will lead the Moscow team and contact the Bogatyrs. I will lead the Karelia team.”

“Who goes with you?” asked Billi.

Arthur frowned. “I take Gareth and Mordred.”

No.

Arthur pointed at Billi. “You go with Elaine, Lance…and Gwaine.”

“I’m not going with Gwaine,” said Billi the moment she and Arthur left the Temple Church. They couldn’t go home-the place was crawling with police-so they crossed the courtyard to Chaplain’s House.

“What’s wrong with him?”

“Oh, nothing. Except he’s a narrow-minded, bigoted, religious fundamentalist.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

Oh, he was trying to be funny. That’s just what she needed. A funny parent.

“Anyway, you’ll have Elaine.”

“Gwaine hates Elaine more than anyone. Why don’t I swap with Mordred?”

“He’s too inexperienced. He sticks with me. One squire per team and you’re in Gwaine’s.” Arthur tapped his watch. “It’s late, Billi. Get some sleep. The flight’s at seven.”

“Not until we’ve finished discussing this.” She stood in the hallway, glowering.

Arthur’s eyes narrowed. “Fine.” He twisted his wedding ring. “You’re even more stubborn than Jamila.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

“Billi, why are you trying to pick a fight with me? Is this really all about Gwaine?”

Billi shook her head and scowled. “It’s not right. We’re meant to protect innocent people like Vasilisa. I can’t believe her sacrifice is even an option.”

Wearily, Arthur took off his coat, and Billi saw the slowness in his movements. He’d taken a beating down in the tube and was as bruised and busted as the rest of them. It shocked her to see her dad’s moments of frailty. “Billi, the world’s not black and white. The bad guys come bright and beautiful, and the good guys might look like monsters. You of all people know that.”

Michael. The commander of the Shining Host. The archangel had tried to kill every firstborn child in London. He’d been beautiful right up to the moment she’d destroyed him.

“You know it’s not the answer, Dad. If we kill Vasilisa, we stop Baba Yaga. This time. But what about the next Spring Child she goes after? We kill that one too? And the one after that? What we really need to do is kill Baba Yaga.”

“I don’t disagree. That’s why I’m going to Karelia. Maybe Vasilisa’s grandmother can help us. But it’s a long shot. Baba Yaga’s very old and very powerful. If she could be destroyed easily, someone would have done it a long time ago.”

“Maybe the right people have never tried.”

Arthur laughed. “You stick with that attitude.” Then he sat down next to her. “Billi, this is important. If you have to choose between saving one life or saving millions, you can’t have any doubts. I have to trust you on this. If the time comes, you must kill Vasilisa.”

Billi sat in the hallway well before dawn with her bag packed and ready. Her dad had gone to sort out the last-minute flights and visas for Russia.

She hadn’t slept a wink. How could she? The clock in the hall ticked away every second, and the noise reminded her of what was at stake. Billi stared at Kay’s photo on her mobile, tracing the outline of his face with her fingernail.

Once, a long time ago, she’d believed being a Templar was cool, noble, even. No matter how hard it had gotten in school, the secret that she belonged to something old, important, and powerful had kept her going. Her training, her loneliness, her bruises all meant something. She’d hung on to that after Kay’s death. The Templars fought the Unholy. They fought the ghosts and the ghuls and all the supernatural evil that preyed on mankind. They protected the innocent.

Billi searched Kay’s face, trying to find the answer. He had known his death was coming and had prepared for it. But that hadn’t made it any easier for her to be the one left behind.

Billi had killed Kay, and it had almost destroyed her. Now her job was to cross half the world and do the same to a nine-year-old. Billi remembered her last dream. Had Kay been trying to tell her that Vasilisa had to die?

It was hopeless to think otherwise. Baba Yaga would destroy everything if she had Vasilisa. How could the life of one child compare to that?