“I heard you have an egg,” Baba Yaga said.
Ainsley’s mouth dropped open. “W- What? I don’t know what y-you’re talking ab—”
“Save it,” Baba Yaga said and waved her hand. “I just want the egg.”
“What are you going to do with the egg?” I asked, my eyes narrowing slightly. This being loved eating humans. I could only imagine what she wanted with a harpy egg.
“To eat it, of course!” Baba Yaga said.
“You are not eating my egg!” Ainsley yelled. Her hands slapped over her mouth once the shout escaped.
Luckily, no one else was around.
“It is unfertilized, correct?” Baba Yaga asked.
Ainsley’s feathers ruffled. “Duh.”
“Then there is no reason you can’t give it to me. You don’t need it. It will just spoil and stink up the whole school,” Baba Yaga said.
“I don’t know,” Ainsley whispered and looked at us.
I gave my best expression-less face. I was not going to help her decide the answer to this.
“Do you want your room to smell like farts? Just let me have it, and I’ll even give you one boon,” Baba Yaga said.
Frances grabbed Ainsley and pulled her away from Baba Yaga.
I followed them over.
“A boon with Baba Yaga is worth a lot. Like, more than you could ever hope for. She could make most of your wildest dreams come true,” Frances whispered.
They both looked at me, and I held up my hands. “I’m not getting involved.”
Ainsley cooed and looked up at the ceiling. “That is true.”
I loved her cute little nervous coo. It reminded me of chickens Frances used to keep as pets.
Ainsley turned and held her hand out to Baba Yaga. “You may take my egg to do with it as you please in exchange for one boon that I may use at a later date of my choosing.”
Baba Yaga smiled wide and shook Ainsley’s outstretched hand. “Bargain agreed upon. Our shake confirms it and binds me by magic to uphold my end of the deal. Just call upon me when you want to use your boon.”
A burst of blue magic knocked Frances and I onto our butts and a tiny blue lightning bolt symbol appeared on both Ainsley and Baba Yaga’s wrists.
Baba Yaga rubbed her hands together and licked her lips. “Now, take me to your egg.”
“We’re going to head out,” I snapped too quickly as I stood.
Everyone looked at me, but Ainsley just nodded.
I grabbed Frances’s arm and dragged her down the hallway and out of the building.
Our escape was immediately cut short by Bogden stepping in front of me. “Hey.”
All thoughts stopped, and I blinked at him.
“Can I steal you for a minute?” he asked, grabbed my hand, and dragged me away.
I looked back at Frances, my eyes wide and my silent plea obvious, but the traitor just smiled and waved.
Bogden led me to his house, and I tried to slow him down, but he was much stronger than me.
“W-wait, where are you taking me?” I asked, a lump of fear clawing it’s way up my throat.
He pushed open the door and yelled, “Mom! I brought someone to meet you.”
Before I could turn to escape, the door slammed closed behind me on its own.
“Mom!” Bogden yelled again.
“Sh-she’s with Ainsley,” I whispered. “Why did you bring me here?”
I didn’t want to die. I didn’t want Baba Yaga to curse me or something.
Baba Yaga stepped out of the back room, wiping her hands on her apron. “Why are you yelling?” She asked him, but froze when she saw his hand holding mine. “Oy!” she yelled.
A second Baba Yaga stepped out of the room she had just come from, wiping her hands on her apron. “Yes?”
My mouth dropped. “Th-there’s t-t-two?”
The door opened behind me and a third Baba Yaga stepped inside carrying a large white egg. “Sisters, I’ve brought dinner!”
I looked between the three and my heartbeat spiked. Three. There were three Baba Yagas.
“Mom, this is Loralie. Loralie, these are my mom,” he said.
Why was he referring to them in singular?
“You’re introducing a girl to us?” The second Baba Yaga asked, her eyes bright and her mouth a wide smile.
“I don’t like her,” the first one said.
“Death’s daughter? That’s who you want to date?” The third one, standing behind us still with Ainsley’s egg, asked.
“You’ll have to excuse them. They are the same person, but split into thirds by a nasty spell. They are one person, but not. It’s confusing, I know, but you get used to it,” Bogden whispered to me. He stepped back so that he stood behind me and set his hands on my shoulders. “Her name is Loralie. Be nice.”
The three Baba Yagas gathered together, whispering while occasionally looking at me. Their glowers giving away that they weren't discussing anything nice about me.
Bogden pressed close against my back, his heat seeping into me.
This was the closest we had been...ever. It calmed and excited me at the same time and now my heart raced for a completely different reason.
The three women turned to face us. “We are agreeable to letting you date her. You are young and we realize the odds are externally stacked in our favor of you not staying together.”
I bristled, not liking that they were only letting us date because they assumed we would fail.
But then I also wasn’t sure how I felt about them letting us date when Bogden hadn’t even asked me.
“I, um, I—”
Bogden rushed forward and hugged each of them. “You’re the best mom ever.”
“Are you staying for dinner?” the Baba Yaga with the egg asked.
“Yes,” Bogden answered before I could.
“Set the table,” the grumpy one ordered me before going back in the other room.
What had just happened?
Nineteen
TSUKIKO
Twenty chupacabras, ten wolfmen, and four hellhounds walked through the front gates of the school.
I stood beside Grandfather to greet them.
Loralie stood behind me, practically vibrating with excitement.
I sighed and looked up at Grandfather. “How long are you going to make her wait?”
His lip twitched in what looked like a snarl, but I knew was him trying not to smile. “Until I’ve greeted all of them properly.”
Glancing over my shoulder, I gave Loralie a stern look.
She folded her arms across her chest and looked up at the moon like she was bored.
Frances stood beside her, smiling and trying really hard not to laugh.
Hundreds of students lined the buildings’ balconies behind us, eager to see the new creatures sent to guard us.
The thirty-four creatures came to a halt ten feet away, and as one, bowed.
“You were summoned here to protect these grounds and the students within these grounds. Humans infiltrated once already. I expect that won’t happen with you all here,” Grandfather said and growled deeply.
The creatures barked their agreement.
“Takumi is in charge of you all. Takumi, if you need anything, contact me,” Grandfather said, looking at a rather handsome and young wolfman. He had blonde hair and fur that was spiked out like he put gel in it and had three golden earrings in his left ear. He was the youngest wolfman to graduate from the academy and become a guard. He also loved to torment me whenever he was nearby. I wanted to tell Grandfather to send him away, but—and I would never admit this out loud to anyone—Takumi made me feel safe just by being here.