Page 71 of Firebird
“It was a trial for my mother to raise four daughters who were all so active and opinionated. She would send us once a week to a neighboring village, Aldava, to trade at market.”
Julian settled farther down, lowering his head to the pillow, watching me and smiling. I could become addicted to the adoring expression on his handsome face.
“There was a small creek we always had to cross. The bridge into Aldava was farther down, but we could reach the market faster by crossing a fallen log we’d found. Well, one day, I decided to make our trip more adventurous.”
“Of course you did,” he rumbled.
I refolded the scrap of cloth in my lap to busy my hands, unable to hide the grin from spreading across my face.
“I dared my sisters to dance across the log. Whoever did successfully, I’d buy them a honey roll from the baker at the market. But”—I raised a pointer finger and arched a brow—“they had to mimic a dance I created on the spot.”
“Show me.”
I paused. “What?”
“Show me the dance,” he dared me, like I’d dared my sisters that day.
With a haughty lift of my chin, I set my linen rag on the stool and stood at the foot of his bed. I laughed, clutching a handful of my tunic and lifting it slightly so that I had more movement around my legs.
“Let me remember.” I looked at the tent ceiling, unable to meet his gaze at the moment.
I swayed my hips in a sinuous line from one side to the other, then I shimmied two steps to the right, twirled once, then kicked my right leg before spinning to face away, where I repeated the soft circling of my hips, twirled, and kicked with my left, then took a giant leap on a resounding clap.
“That was as close as I can remember,” I said, laughing, finally looking at Julian.
His amused expression was part joy and part hunger, his golden gaze flicking down my body, then back up.
“Lovely,” was all he said in that dark, velvety voice.
“It was a simple dance,” I added lightly, ignoring the allure of his voice and his gaze. “But it was more difficult on the log.”
“So who was successful in getting their honey roll?” he asked.
“Lela refused to do it, of course. She was always too mature. She scolded all of us for being so foolish. But Kostanya was competitive, so she did the dance. Kizzy—” I stopped and laughed again. “She wasn’t so successful. She fell into the creek on the second twirl.”
Julian chuckled and the soft, rumbly sound warmed me from the inside out. “Was she upset?”
“Kizzy? Never.” I remembered the way Kostanya and I ran to her aid while Lela scolded us and said,I told you so. “She laughed it off, even while her stockings were wet the rest of the day. It was summer and warm enough. But I bought her a honey roll anyway. I could never refuse Kizzy anything she wanted.” A fleeting pang of loss gripped me.
“Of course you did.” His eyes drifted partly closed. “You were a good sister.”
I tucked the covers higher beneath his chin. “Yes.” A lump swelled in my throat. “I was.” I blew out the oil lamp on the side table. “Now get some rest.”
I left the tent, my memories having stirred me to full wakefulness. It was dark so no one saw me slide between the tents to the back where I could get a breath of fresh air and peer up at the moon.
I wondered if my prayers to Proserpina helped my sisters at all. I liked to think of them all together in the afterlife with Papa and Mama. And Bunica. I hoped that Lela’s and Jardani’s spirits found each other too, and that they walked in peace together.
The memory I shared stirred both joy and deep sorrow in my breast.I hadn’t thought of the good times in so long. Of the many sisterly arguments and petty grievances that turned into hugs and tears more times than I could count.
A tear slid down my cheek as I gazed up at the moonlit sky, the stars a canvas of glittering shards as far as I could see.
Bunica had said that my sisters and I would turn the tide, that we would defeat our enemy, and change the fate of our people. She’d never said the Romans, but we both knew that’s who she meant. Bunica had the sight, and she was so sure of her premonition of us.
Now, my sisters were gone.
“But I’m still here, Bunica.”
I swiped the tears from my cheeks with the back of my hand.
