The Sins on Their Bones by Laura R. Samotin

Author:Laura R. Samotin [Samotin, Laura R.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House of Canada
Published: 2024-05-07T00:00:00+00:00

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They made it out onto the street with the goat and walked barely a block before it stopped dead. Despite Mischa’s pleading and tugging on the leash, it refused to budge.

“Dima,” Annika said, crouching down to the goat’s level. “I think he wants you to carry him.”

Ladushka rolled her eyes. Mischa tried to scoop the goat up, crooning, but it danced away from them. Eventually, they gave up, shrugging. “Just do it, Dima. If Anna the Goat Whisperer thinks you need to carry the goat, just do it.”

Dimitri cringed, but hefted the goat’s furry body up under his arm. To his dismay, the goat immediately stopped bleating and raised its nose up to sniff at his chin, mouthing at the scarf wound around his face.

“See,” Annika said. “I knew what it wanted.” She ruffled the fur on its head, then paused. “My parents’ estate has goats. The kids like to be carried when they’re born. My brothers and I spent every spring with them in our arms.”

She turned on her heel and kept walking, her shoulders squared. Dimitri exchanged looks with Mischa, who bit their lip. Annika almost never spoke of her family. They had been on the wrong side of the war.

Annika showed more loyalty to him than he had any right to command.

“Where are we going?” The goat’s tiny body was warm against his, and he hated how carrying it relaxed his shoulders minutely. He pulled his hat lower over his eyes and drew his wool coat tighter across his chest.

“The park.” Ladushka tilted her head up, examining the sky. “Good, it is almost dark.”

They walked, heads down, clustered together. Ladushka led them to the park at the edge of their neighborhood. Dimitri had never been—he’d had no use for lounging or strolling among the fashionable rich of Wilnetzk. But Ladushka must have, because she wound them through the hedge-lined paths, devoid of others now that it was dark, until they came to a clearing.

“Put Piotyr down,” Ladushka said. “And let him find us a demon.”

Dimitri complied. The goat leaned against his leg and started to bleat. He stared blankly at Ladushka. “I don’t see Piotyr finding us a demon.”

“Ask him nicely.” Mischa crouched down and took the goat’s face in their hands. “Find us a demon, blessed Piotyr, so we may praise you.” Ladushka rolled her eyes, and Annika put a hand over her mouth, stifling a laugh.

“Go on, Piotyr,” Annika urged.

The goat tilted its head at them, then looked up to Dimitri. Curse it all, that the one thing that would respect his authority would be an infant goat. “Go on,” he said gruffly.

The goat bleated once and trotted off happily, its leash trailing behind it. Annika dashed forward to grab the trailing rope, and they all followed the goat, which was marching towards a crumbling fountain on the edge of the park with a suspicious amount of intent.

They came to the fountain, overhung by a large willow tree. The goat stopped moving and sniffed at the air, then bleated once and returned to Dimitri’s side.

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