As soon as the alarm on my phone sounded, Claudia appeared in my room. It was as if she had been standing guard outside the window all night.
"Rise and shine, sonny," she said softly. "The sun's already high in the sky. You'll sleep your whole life away if you don't get moving."
"What sun?" I replied, glancing out the window. Outside, the sky was a dull, gray autumn morning. No hint of sunlight anywhere.
"Oh, it'll appear," Claudia assured me. "And what a day today is!
Not just any day, but a holiday! It's Wednesday!"
"I know it's Wednesday. I have a calendar," I interrupted. Sitting up in bed, I wrapped myself in the blanket and let out a long yawn. "Just don't bother me first thing in the morning, or I'll get cranky. We agreed that I'd help you after class."
"I just wanted to remind you," Claudia said anxiously. "I see you remember, so I'll be on my way... Until the classes are over, that is..."
With that, Claudia left, and I looked out the window again. The sky remained a leaden gray, heavy and oppressive. Where did she see the sun?
Hopefully, it wouldn't start raining. Swimming in the lake would resemble a storm in the open sea otherwise.
Not that I had a choice...
"Come on, Max. Time to get up..."
True to her word, Claudia didn't show her face again, which surprised me quite a bit. I had expected she'd linger nearby despite her promise.
"We still on for today?" I asked Alexey over breakfast, watching as the prince lazily poked at his scrambled eggs with bacon.
"Uh-huh." He nodded in reply.
"Why so gloomy?"
"I didn't sleep well," he admitted with a sigh. "Just thinking about having to trek out to the lake after class in this weather... Ugh..."
"Not to mention diving in this cold... By the way, what's the scoop on the wetsuits and gear? You mentioned last night that they were supposed to be delivered today."
"They've brought everything, don't worry," he assured me.
"Wetsuits, fins, masks, flashlights — all in perfect order. You owe me a quarter if anything goes missing."
"Uh-huh." I nodded, placing a slice of cheese on a piece of bread smothered with butter. "Will they keep us warm?"
"I honestly don't know," Alexey said with a shrug. "It's not like I'm into underwater diving. And it's fall, too. But we agreed — you're the one going down there. I'm just there for emotional support."
"Sure." I took a hearty bite of my sandwich and chased it down with a sip of steaming tea. "And don't worry about it. I promise we'll be done before curfew. Nobody's going to notice we're missing."
"I sincerely hope you're right." Alexey sighed wistfully, pushing back his chair and rising from the table. "Anyway, I'll call you after class."
I nodded and turned my attention back to the final touches of breakfast — buttered bread with tea, the perfect morning treat. The trick was to hold the bread over the steaming cup long enough for the butter to melt just right, turning it into something truly finger-licking delicious. You could easily wolf down five slices without even noticing.
I was one of the last to leave the cafeteria, in no hurry to get to class, especially with History up next. Such a dull subject... The teacher's droning voice could lull even a caffeinated squirrel to sleep. Staying awake felt like a battle I was doomed to lose.
Just as I was slipping into a light doze, salvation or possibly trouble arrived in the form of Nika Lvovna, the headmaster's ever-stern secretary.
Without a word of explanation, she came to fetch me and escorted me straight to his office.
As I stepped out of the classroom, I caught the sneers and hushed whispers of my classmates: "Temnikov's being called to the principal's office again."
I wasn't surprised by the hostility. I hadn't built any real friendships in class. I exchanged the occasional word with a few people, but those interactions were fleeting at best. Most of the others simply ignored me, and honestly, that suited me just fine.
I followed behind Nika, whose heels clicked sharply on the polished parquet floor, and I kept spinning various scenarios in my mind, but could find no concrete explanation for my visit to the headmaster.
When I stepped into Orlov's office, the secretary closed the door behind me, and I immediately noticed I wasn't alone. On the sofa, with one leg casually crossed over the other, sat a man I didn't recognize, dressed in a gray suit. Beside him stood a black cane topped with a gleaming metal handle.
"Hello," I greeted politely, standing where I was.
"Hello, Maxim." the headmaster nodded at me with a slight smile and gestured toward the sofa where the stranger was seated. "Come in, have a seat."
I took a seat next to the man, who was observing me with keen interest. His eyes were strikingly dark and intense. And the ornament on his cane was quite impressive too, fashioned in the shape of a dragon's head.
"Let me introduce you. This is Prince Luka Yurievich Golitsyn."
"Maxim Temnikov," I introduced myself, feeling a bit cautious.
"I'll leave you to it then, gentlemen," Orlov said as he rose from his chair. Without another word, he stepped out and closed the door softly behind him.
A quiet settled over the office.
Luka smiled slowly and deliberately. The expression never quite reached his eyes.
"Do you know what they call me?" he asked.
"No," I said cautiously.
"Dragon."
"Because of the dragon's head on your cane?" I gestured toward the silver ornament.
"That's part of it," he said, his voice dropping slightly. "But mainly because I serve as the head of the Secret Chancellery." He let that hang in the air for a moment. "Ever heard of it?"
"Uh-huh," I answered, leaning slightly back just to be safe. "But I haven't done anything to deserve that kind of attention..."
"Don't worry." He chuckled. "If I had come to arrest you, you'd have to have committed something so extraordinary that it'd be the talk of the entire Russian Empire. I just came here to get acquainted with you."
"Oh, I see..." I relaxed a little once I realized there was no immediate threat of arrest. That was a relief.
"Do you like it here?" he asked.
"It's alright. The food's good. Though it's a bit strict. There are so many rules. Everything's forbidden. It's no fun."
"Well this isn't a kindergarten," he said with a shrug. "Most of the young men are practically adults now, with passports and everything.
Except you, of course. By the way, are they bothering you?"
"Not really."
"Not really?"
"There's been a couple of... incidents," I said, scratching the tip of my nose, which suddenly itched unbearably. "But I know how to stand up for myself, if I need to."
"So I've heard," Luka said with a sly grin. "That's good. You're doing the right thing by not letting anyone push you around. You should always stand up for yourself."
"Uh-huh."
"Teachers have been praising you, I've heard... Do you enjoy your studies?"
"Not all subjects, of course, but overall... It's quite alright."
"And which ones do you find uninteresting?"
"All the dull ones."
"Such as?"
"Well... History isn't very engaging... And then there's Math..."
"Kitezh's level of math is pretty high, that's true," Luka said with a nod. "It's a tedious subject, but incredibly important. You just can't do without it. I've heard you're managing quite well, especially considering your age."
At that, I let out a quiet, slightly weary sigh. The word "managing" didn't quite capture how hard it really was at times. There were quite a few nights when I lost sleep just trying to keep up.
"Well done," he said without waiting for a response. "And you've got a good friend too."
I nearly jumped off the sofa. Which friend was he talking about?
Had they somehow sensed Dorian's presence inside me? Could they have learned something about him? This man was the head of the Secret Chancellery, after all. Maybe they had ways of uncovering secrets about "imaginary" friends... Or was it something else entirely? Perhaps it had to do with ghosts.
"What's got you so tense, boy? Or do you have more than one friend here besides Prince Naryshkin?"
Ah. So he meant Alexey. Phew. I almost got worried.
"No, there's no one else besides him. Well... There's this girl... But we're not really friends."
"Really?" Luka raised an eyebrow with curiosity.
"We only went for a walk in the park once..."
"And who's this lovely lady?"
"Alisa Tsvetkova."
"Tsvetkova... Tsvetkova..." Luka murmured thoughtfully, as if trying to recall something long forgotten. "Ah, yes. A noble family from the Rostov Principality..."
"How do you know that?"
"That's my line of work, Maxim," he said with a chuckle, spreading his arms. "It's my job to know everything worth knowing."
"Quite dull, I imagine..."
"On the contrary. Sometimes it can be quite entertaining. You get so caught up in it, it's almost addictive."
"You're not just making fun of me, are you?"
Luka paused, his mouth agape for a moment, and then he shook his head with a slight smile.
"Orlov was right. You are quite a fascinating young man," he remarked. I said nothing, unsure what exactly he meant. "Anyway, I've come to you on a small matter."
Of course. I knew there'd be something...
"Has anyone besides Prince Naryshkin approached you with a proposal of friendship?"
That was unexpected. What was he trying to find out?
"No, no one," I replied. "Why do you ask?"
"I'd like to ask a favor of you. If anyone tries to add you as a friend or shows interest in you, let me know."
"Why would anyone try to befriend me?" I asked, a bit puzzled.
"There's nothing interesting about me. And even if they did, why would that be weird? People make friends all the time. It's the most normal thing in the world."
"Nothing interesting about you, you say..." Luka chuckled. "You say you don't like maths. How about history and politics?"
"They make me fall asleep."
"I guessed as much. You're still far too young for those things. Still, you should know the basics."
"Such as?"
"Who's the current emperor?"
"That's easy! Alexander Nikolaevich Romanov."
"Well done." Luka nodded. "And what principality was he born in?"
"Same as me. Moscow."
"Right again. I assume you're good at geography?"
"Decent enough."
"Then you know our vast empire is divided into many smaller principalities. And some of them have started to feel a bit cramped in their corner of the world. The waters are getting muddy."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning there's a chance someone might invite you to their lands after you graduate from Kitezh."
"Why?"
"Politics, Maxim. I'll explain it to you later. For now, promise that you'll let me know if someone... unusual tries to befriend you."
"You mean, if I'm approached by someone insistent on being my friend?" I asked, just to clarify.
"You learn quickly, Max." Luka smiled. "Do the same if any adult starts a similar conversation, alright? Here's my business card."
I turned the black paper rectangle in my hand. It had nothing on it except Luka's phone number.
"I doubt I'll call," I said, pocketing the card. "Like I said, no one really talks to me."
"Better safe than sorry, yes?" he replied. "Well, I won't keep you any longer, Maxim. You have classes to attend to."
"Ugh, I don't really feel like listening to History..."
Chuckling, Luka extended his hand to me.
"Good luck with your studies, young man."
"Thank you," I said, shaking his hand. "Good luck to you too, Luka Golitsyn, head of the Secret Chancellery."
With that, I left him standing there, mildly puzzled, a faint smirk playing on his lips as he watched me walk away.
I supposed I ought to have been grateful. At the very least, he had spared me the beginning of Introduction to the History of Magic.
*** "Did you hear that His Highness, Prince Golitsyn, came to Kitezh today?" Alexey asked as we rode in a taxi along the road toward Belozersk.
"I wonder what he was after..."
"He wanted to talk to me," I said, glancing at Claudia as she shifted slightly, as if trying to get more comfortable in the seat beside my friend.
"With you?" Alexey's eyes bulged in surprise. "What about?"
"Stuff." I shrugged. "He told me to study hard and get good grades."
"That's all?" Alexey asked, reasonably skeptical.
"Well, yeah. Not gonna lie, I was worried at first. I thought he was about to arrest me right then and there. He gave me his phone number so I could call him if anything happened."
"He gave you his phone number?" Alexey asked, looking stunned.
"He's kind of strange," I said.
"There's definitely something wrong with you if they sent Golitsyn to have a word with you."
"I think we've already established that I stick out."
"Like a sore thumb," he added, giving me a strange look. "Let's just hope you're not completely off your rocker."
"Here we are, boys!" Claudia suddenly shouted.
"We're here," I echoed, glancing at White Lake as it came into view through the distant trees. A wide, open field stretched ahead, bordering the vast expanse of our local "small sea."
Even though I'd already seen it during our previous adventure to Petka's stash, the view still looked magnificent. Last time, we'd been on the far-off shore. Getting around it wasn't exactly easy thanks to the forests, swamps, Distortions, and the strange things they tended to cause.
We asked the driver to pull over and let us out. He looked genuinely surprised but didn't say anything. I supposed the locals had long since accepted that anyone connected to Kitezh probably had a few screws loose, so they didn't bother asking questions.
He watched in silence as we grabbed our bags with wetsuits and headed across the open field toward the lake, probably wondering what on earth we needed them for and quietly convinced there was nothing even remotely interesting out here.
We made our way across the field, our feet constantly sinking into the thick, sticky mud. Only Claudia seemed to be in a good mood. She was running ahead of us, glancing back anxiously, as if trying to figure out where we had vanished to. Yet, she kept her silence and didn't utter a word, afraid that we might lose our temper and turn back.
After half an hour, dirty like pigs, we arrived at the overgrown, reed-fringed shoreline. Nearby stood a dilapidated shed, its walls leaning and weathered by time. Inside, an old wooden boat lay abandoned, long since dried out, its wood cracked and nearly falling apart from age.
In one corner of the shed, fishing gear was heaped in a disorderly pile.
"Is this the spot?" I asked Claudia once we'd finished inspecting the shed.
"Yes. My Ignat was taken out into the lake on that very boat," she said quietly. "I saw it with my own eyes."
"Alright... Give me a minute to see if I can handle this with my Gift," I told Alexey. "Since I'm not exactly eager to take a swim, I'll try raising the skeleton first. I doubt it'll work, but maybe I can coax him into climbing out on his own."
I stepped up to the water's edge and focused, scanning for Ignat.
With Claudia pointing the way, it didn't take me long to locate him. I sent a pulse of energy down and gave him a few chances to pull himself up, but nothing worked. A heavy stone was bound to his leg, and there was no way he could move, let alone reach the surface. From the shore, I couldn't do much to help.
Still, Dorian offered a word of praise, which usually meant I had done well.
I turned to Alexey.
"As I thought, I can't get him out. Let's get changed."
"Gotcha." Alexey shook out the wetsuits from the bag. "As we agreed, you and the old lady go. I'll wait here in case something goes wrong."
"Nothing will go wrong," I reassured him.
"You sure you won't drown?" he asked as he got one foot into the suit.
"I'll be fine," I replied, flipping the suit over in my hands and trying to figure out how to get into it. Then I started pulling the snug rubber over myself.
Getting into the unfamiliar suits took longer than expected. Fifteen minutes slipped by as we wrestled with the tight fabric. It was a fiddly, painstaking process, and by the time I was fully zipped up, I was already drenched in sweat.
"Give me the potion."
"Here."
"Actually," I said as I drank, "I think I'm going to need help. I doubt I'll be able to pull him out on my own."
"I figured as much." Alexey nodded and adjusted his mask. "Ready when you are."
With that, we headed down to the water, where Claudia was already waiting.
Suddenly, Alexey burst out laughing.
"What's so funny?" I asked.
"If someone had told me a month ago that I'd be doing this sort of nonsense, I'd have punched them straight in the face."
"You can't deny that you're having fun, though..."
"More fun than I ever expected," he replied, still chuckling.
Keeping a careful eye on Claudia, I swam after her, checking her guidance against my own sense of direction. About twenty feet ahead, I could tell the bottom was already out of reach as the lake deepened quickly.
A little farther on, maybe forty feet away, she called out that we were close, and we dove in.
Visibility underwater was painfully poor. At first, it was somewhat manageable, but as we sank further, it became a different story altogether.
The water was a murky, greenish-brown mess. Even our flashlights offered little help.
All around, there was no shortage of disgusting seaweed and tangled weeds. They clung to our arms and legs, hampering our movements and driving us mad with irritation. It felt as if some creatures were grabbing at our legs, trying to pull us down into the abyss.
Thankfully, the potion worked, and that sense of air flowing in brought a measure of calm and strength.
We continued descending deeper and deeper until at last, we spotted a decayed skeleton sprawled on the muddy bottom. Nearly entirely wrapped in coils of brown-green seaweed, Ignat looked like some ancient relic lost to the depths.
A hefty chain was fastened to the skeleton's leg. A serpent's head jutted menacingly out of the right eye socket.
With a sullen flick of its tail, it swam away, and I let out a sigh of relief. An eel. Not a snake.
Still, yuck.
Where was the cross? Did Ignat have it?
Ah, there it was, glinting over yonder.
Alexey swam closer and began to rummage around the skeleton. All of a sudden, the head detached and rolled aside. From its torso, one after another, more eels started to emerge.
While I tried not to jump out of my skin at the sight of their slimy bodies, Alexey grabbed the chain, gave it a firm tug, and began swimming toward the surface. I followed close behind, eager to get away from the muck and the eels.
Once we reached the shore, we collapsed onto the grass near the bank, breathing heavily, and exchanged weary glances. What an adventure...
After catching our breath, Alexey handed me the cross, and I showed it to Claudia, who stood over us like a Saturday morning cartoon villain, rubbing her hands and grinning wildly.
"Is this the cross?"
"That's it! You must give it to the current heir!"
"First, the artifact, just as we agreed."
"Yes, yes, of course," she replied with a satisfied smile. "But first, you'd better prepare your little swords."
"What swords? What are you talking about?"
"Max, what's she saying? What swords?" Alexey asked nervously.
"Silly boys. I'm sure you'll manage just fine. I doubt it'll give up the artifact without a fight."
"Max, what's she saying?"
"There's a guardian protecting the artifact she promised us. She says we'll have to fight it."
"Oh, for heaven's sake, I knew it!" Alexey exclaimed, throwing up his hands. "Never again!"
"Why didn't you tell us earlier?" I asked her.
"Didn't I? Oh, dear me. I must've forgotten... It's dreadful what your mind turns into at this age... I'd forget my own head if it weren't screwed on." She sighed. "Well, it can't be helped. The cross is already in your hands."
We wouldn't be making it before curfew, would we?