„Are you angry with me?“ She suddenly looked like a hurt

child. „Did I truly eat more than my share?“ She jumped to her

feet. „Stay here. I’ll get you some more raspberries. Why

didn’t you tell me you were hungry?“

„Silver…“ His frown vanished and he began to laugh. „I’m

not hungry and I’m not angry with you. I was joking before.“

She gazed at him uncertainly. „You’re sure?“

„I’m sure,“ he said a trifle impatiently. „For God’s sake,

can’t you tell the difference?“

„No,“, she said simply. „Not always. I suppose I don’t

really have a very good sense of humor. No one has really

joked with me much.“

Poignant tenderness caused his throat to tighten helplessly.

Her answer caught him off guard and touched him with

unbearable intensity. Christ, why did she have to say things

like that? Wild child, lost child, fighting for acceptance with

every ounce of her being and nothing left over for laughter. „I

was joking,“ he repeated. „Now, sit down and finish your

berries.“

She dropped to the ground, her gaze fixed thoughtfully on

the fire. „Of course, my cousin Patrick sometimes joked with

me. Patrick laughs a lot, but it’s never unkind.“

„And was some of the laughter unkind?“

„At times.“-She lifted her gaze from the flames. „I am a

half-breed.“

The simple words hurt. He couldn’t stand it. He

deliberately shuttered his emotions and smiled carelessly. „So

am I. Serf and boyar.“ He continued lightly. „I never

understood why a pure strain was considered more prestigious

than a mixed. More is surely better.“

„Valentin told me your mother was not of the nobility.“

His lips twisted. „Much to her dismay.“ He shrugged.

„When I was a small child I tried to comfort her by telling her

about the firebird, but she dismissed it as foolishness.“

„The firebird? You called me that once.“

„Did I? I don’t remember. I recall thinking you reminded

me of a firebird the first time I saw you.“ His gaze gravely met

hers. „The firehbird is a half-breed too, Silver. Half diety of

the sun and half mortal bird.“

She smiled tentatively. „A fairy story?“

He nodded. „A fable. There are many stories about the

firebird in Russia.“ He turned away. „Lie down and try to

sleep. This moss won’t make too poor a bed.“

She lay down, curling up and laying her cheek on her arm.

„Tell me about the firebird.“

He gazed into the flames. „I told you, there are many

stories.“

„Tell me your favorite.“

He laughed softly. „My firebird isn’t a god but a goddess.“

„It would be,“ Silver said dryly.

„She was a creature so magnificent, no words could

describe her. Her wings were like flames and her eyes pure

crystal. She ate only golden apples and just one of her feathers

could bring light to midnight darkness and banish the fears of

the night.“

„Beautiful,“ Silver murmured dreamily. „She must have

been beautiful….“

„Yes, she was beautiful, but she was more. She was

magical.“ Silver’s eyes were shining in the firelight like the

shimmering crystal of the firebird, and for a moment he lost

track of what he was saying. Then he pulled his gaze away and

fastened it once again on the flames. „There was a mighty

Cossack warrior who lived in a desolate, barren land. He was

very ambitious and wanted to become a great leader. Then one

day the firebird appeared before him and he climbed on her

back and they soared away in a flare of flaming brilliance,

locked together in a secret world of radiance. The warrior had

never known such excitement and happiness, but in time he

yearned for the victories and glories of the mortal world. So

the firebird returned the warrior to his own land. She told the

warrior she loved him but would not hold him with her magic.

Instead, she gave him her magical blessing that insured he

would receive all he desired, and she flew off toward the sun.“

„Sad,“ Silver murmured sleepily.

„The warrior became a great leader and won riches and

fame. Many maidens wished to mate with him as the years

passed, but he found he couldn’t bring himself to marry. He

continued to prosper but gradually realized a great loneliness

was devouring his soul. Fame and riches meant nothing if he

couldn’t have his firebird. He offered his palace and all his

riches to any man who could lure the firebird back to earth and

capture her. Many men tried to win the prize and capture the

firebird, but to no avail. Finally, in great despair, the warrior

left his fine palace and journeyed back to the canyon where he

had last seen the firebird.“

„Was she there?“

„No, but he found one shining feather that had dropped

from her wing as she flew away from the earth toward the sun.

He picked it up and felt it throb as if it were alive beneath his

fingers. Then he heard the surging of her great wings and the

clouds parted and she landed beside him. She had felt his need

of her when he had grasped the feather and been summoned

back to him.“

„And they flew away together and lived happily ever after,“

Silver finished.

„Perhaps.“

„What do you mean, perhaps?“ Silver covered her lips with

her hand as she yawned. „How else could it end?“

„This is a Russian fable.“ Nicholas’s eyes twinkled.

„Which makes it more complex. There are two endings. In

one, the warrior mounted the back of the firebird and became

her mate forever. In the other ending, the firebird had been so

crazed by her grief that her heart now held only bitterness for

the warrior and she rent him to death with her talons.“

She scowled. „In this country we would never permit such

an ending. I’m convinced Russians must be a very peculiar

people.“ She closed her eyes and her voice, though drowsy,

was very firm. „The first ending is correct. I’m sure of it.“

„Then who am I to disagree?“ He settled down a few yards

from where she lay, his eyes dark with secrets as they

narrowed on her face. He didn’t speak for several minutes, and

when he did, his voice was almost a whisper. „And who

should know better… Firebird?“

Silver didn’t answer, and Nicholas saw that she was asleep.

7

The monster rushed toward her, its dark scales shining, its red

eyes staring at her with hungry malevolence. He opened his

giant mouth and she could see his pointed yellow teeth and

smell the foulness of his breath –

„No!“ Silver sat bolt upright, her heart pounding wildly.

Nicholas was beside her, his arms enfolding her. Solid

strength, the scent of tobacco and musk… She clung to him

with desperation. „Nicholas, it was a monster with big yellow

teeth.“

„It was only a nightmare.“ His palm cupped the back of her

head as he rocked her back and forth. „It wasn’t real.“

„I don’t have nightmares,“ she said indignantly.

He laughed but made no rebuttal as he continued to rock

her.

She should move away, she thought, but it was very

pleasant being held like this with her cheek pressed against the

warm bare smoothness of Nicholas’s chest. „Elspeth used to

have terrible dreams when she was ill.“

„Did she? Then you know there’s no shame in having

them.“

„I didn’t say I was ashamed. I just never have them. I sleep

very soundly.“

Like a child, Nicholas thought tenderly, remembering those

moments when he had watched her sleep that first night she

had been brought to him.