Oleg sat at the table, the smetannik cooling in the antiquated refrigerator and a homemade cake on the table. Anna boiled water for tea, and Dymka, ever watchful, sat in the doorway of the kitchen, staring longingly at his mistress.
There was a curled up cat on the sofa, but the animal only opened one eye, blinked at him, then went back to sleep.
“When did you get the dog?” he asked. “You only arrived a few weeks ago, and he’s quite well trained.”
“A neighbor of mine keeps sheep.” Anna glanced over her shoulder. “He’d already trained him for the animals, but as he got bigger, he wasn’t getting along with the other dogs so much. When I told my neighbor I was looking for a farm dog, he gave me Dymka.” Anne shrugged. “He’s good company. Keeps the foxes away from the birds.”
Tatyana had once told him that her mother liked her birds more than most people, so protecting them was probably as much a priority as keeping vampires away.
“I have someone watching the farm,” Oleg said. “He shouldn’t bother you, but if you ever feel threatened, then call me and I’ll send more.” He lifted the serving knife and cut a piece of cake for Anna and himself as she brought the teapot over to the cozy kitchen table.
She poured two cups, first for Oleg, then for herself.
“Spasibo,” he murmured.
“You’re welcome.” She pulled the teapot back. “Well, I don’t know if you’re actually welcome, but you’re welcome to tea.”
Oleg nodded. “Fair enough.”
He’d been in the old farmhouse before, the first time he’d had to explain the immortal world to Tatyana and her mother. Not much had changed, but the house was a little less worn. A little more secure. There were a few new windows and he suspected that she’d had insulation added, because the interior was warm, even though the night was cold.
“She sends you money?”
“She sent me plenty.” Anna glanced at him as she sat. “I don’t need her money. The farm is good now, and I’m renting out our apartment in town.”
Anna Asanova was so obviously Tatyana’s mother, that Oleg found it difficult not to stare at her. She wasn’t old—in her late forties at most—but her eyes were tired, and her life had been harder than her daughter’s. Still, the resemblance was enough that Oleg searched her face, looking for traces of the woman who had become his obsession.
“You left the country for a while.”
“Yes.” Anne blew on her tea.
“But you came back.”
“Yes.”
“Did Tatyana arrange it?”
“Did she?” Anna narrowed her eyes. “I’m not sure.”
He’d been impressed by how thoroughly the woman had disappeared. Whoever Tatyana was working with—likely the same hacker or hackers that had helped her find all the money his thieving daughter had stolen—they were very, very good.
If they were willing to work with vampires, he might hire them for himself.
“Do you really want to ask me about Tatyana moving me?” Anna looked up. “Or are you worried about her, like you said?”
“I am worried about her.” And he wanted to know how she’d done it, but that was secondary.
“Why are you worried?”
“The people she went to…” Oleg shrugged. “I don’t trust them.”
Tatyana had fled his territory and ended up in the court of Arosh, the ancient fire vampire who ruled quietly in the Caucasus Mountains. While Oleg’s allies ruled the cities of the Eastern Black Sea, in the mountains they bowed to the Fire King, and no one trespassed save for those Arosh allowed.
“You may not trust them,” Anna said. “But she does.”
“So she is still there?”
Anna turned cool eyes on Oleg. “Are you asking me to snitch on my own daughter?”
“I am asking you to think about her safety.”
Anna pursed her lips. “She seems safe to me.”
“So you’ve seen her?”
She rolled her eyes. “What do you think, Mr. Vampire?”
“I don’t want to presume. You could be communicating via carrier pigeon.”
He would never underestimate these women again.
Anna smirked. “Did you like that? That was my plan, you know.”
“I thought as much.” Tatyana had managed to slip under his nose and send her mother into hiding with nothing more than a few birds.
“You think I’ve seen her when you haven’t?” Anna asked. “I have a phone now, don’t I? She has a computer. I may not know about computers like my daughter does, but I know how to video chat. She’s fine.”
So she was somewhere with internet access. But these days, that could be anywhere. Even the Fire King might have entered the twenty-first century by now.
Or Tatyana could be heading into the nearest city to call her mother. Oleg would tell his operatives in coastal Georgia to watch the Internet cafes and libraries for any sign of her.
He was grasping at straws.
“Tell me,” she took a bite of cake, “why do you care about my daughter? She got you your money, didn’t she?”
“Yes.” He followed Anna’s lead and took a bite of cake. Vampires didn’t need to eat human food, but it had been a day or so since he’d eaten anything, and his stomach was empty. If he went too long without eating anything, it would cause discomfort.
The cake was too sweet, like most human food save meat. But he could tell it was baked well. “You’re a good baker,” he said. “Did you plant the garden too?”
“What are your intentions toward my daughter, Mister Vampire?”
Oleg froze. “My… intentions?”
“Yes.” Anna stared at him. “You come to my farm—which she wasn’t happy about, I’ll have you know. When I told her I was moving back, it started a very big fight. And now you’re asking about her, when she doesn’t work for you anymore. Are you in love with her?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Oleg waved a hand. “Your daughter is my responsibility.”
“Are you the one who made her like this?”
Thank God, no. “Of course not.”
Anna shrugged again. “So you are not responsible for her. I am her mother. I am responsible for her. That Zara, the one who hurt my Tatyana, you are responsible for her, yes?”
“Zara is dead now. She won’t be bothering you.”
Anna blinked. “Huh. I thought that, but Tatyana wouldn’t tell me.”
Tatyana probably didn’t want to scare her mother, but Oleg thought all the Vorona women could use a little more fear in the back of their mind. They were remarkably fearless, and it would very likely get them killed.
“Did you kill her?” Anna asked. “Or did Tatyana?”
So Anna thought her own daughter was capable of killing someone. Interesting.
“She’s dead,” Oleg said. “That’s all you need to know. But someone was helping her.” He glanced over his shoulder. “So don’t let Dymka get too friendly.” He took the too sweet cake and tossed a good chunk over toward the dog, who quickly gulped it down. “Except for me. He can be friends with me.”
Anna muttered under her breath. “Maybe you two deserve each other for breaking my brain.”
“Will you give her a message?”
“No.” Anna snorted. “You want me to pass messages for you like you are schoolchildren?”
“What? No.” Oleg blinked. “Not school children, but there are things—”
“I am not your messenger girl,” Anna said. “If you want to kill me, you’ll kill me, yes? I don’t get involved in my daughter’s love life. I’m not that kind of mother.”
“It’s not about her love life.” Oleg felt his skin heat.
“Well, it seems to me that you are very interested in Tatyana, and since she’s not working for you anymore, I don’t know what other reason—”
“There are people who want to kill her.” Oleg didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t believe in raising his voice. He believed in others quieting down so they would listen.
Anna got quiet. “Who wants to kill her?”
“My enemies.”
“Why?”
Because they know I care about her. Somehow, they know.
He wasn’t going to tell Anna that. “She’s young,” he said quietly. “Zara bragged to the immortal world about her clever human bookkeeper, and now that bookkeeper is a vampire, and she’s a vampire with connections so good that she was able to make her mother disappear.”
“Why is that anyone’s business but hers?”
“More than one of my kind is worried that if Tatyana could steal money from Zara, and get away with it, she could steal money from them too.”
Anna’s eyes went wide. “But she wouldn’t. Tatyana is an honest person.”
“Do you think so? She stole from me.”
“I don’t believe you.” Anna’s cheeks were red with indignation. “My daughter is not a thief.”
Oleg shrugged. “I didn’t want to believe it about my own daughter either.” He had always known Zara was a thief. “But sometimes our children make unwise choices.”
The wheels were turning in Anna’s head. That was all he needed. He just needed Anna Asanova to reach out to her daughter, then he could track Tatyana down.
Oleg finished his tea and stood. “I am trying to help your daughter. I’m trying to keep her from making more mistakes. Drawing more attention to herself.”
Anna stood, but she said nothing.
Oleg walked toward the door, patting Dymka’s head as he walked out. “The next time you speak to her, tell her that I’m looking for her, and so are others. Tell her that whatever mountain cave she’s hiding in, she’s going to have to leave eventually.”
Anna lifted her chin. “And you’ll be waiting?”
“Yes.” Oleg nodded. “I’m immortal, Miss Vorona. I can wait a very long time.”
Copyright 2025, Elizabeth Hunter
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