– Yuri! Yurek! – staying half a step behind, Nushka quickly followed the dazed Jurek and tugged at his shirt and hands, trying to bring him out of the familiar-looking trance.
Vila jumped nimbly from the intertwined branches of birches and began to draw sophisticated figures with fluid movements of her body. Her hips swayed sensually from side to side with each step, and her hands parted the hair covering her naked breasts as if by chance. She was laughing and her eyes were softly closed, which didn’t stop her from landing gracefully from the boldest of jumps. In strange contrast to this inviting sight, the chaotic twittering of birds still reverberated all around, which would have terrified even the most seasoned nature connoisseur. Yurek, however, had little to say at that moment. His wide-open eyes watered, because not wanting to take his eyes off the dancing beauty, he did not blink them at all. His steps were firm, if clumsy, for he was oblivious to anything that stood in his way.
Nushka understood that her attempts would not achieve anything and that there was only one way to get out of this situation. She knew what awaited Yurek if she did nothing. She rushed straight towards Vila, and being a few steps away from her, she shouted with all her might “Stop!”. Vila, pulled out of her trance, lost her balance slightly. She immediately opened her big green eyes and found Nushka with her gaze, and after a while rushed towards her and pinned her to the tree with one jerk. Her beautiful face contorted into a ghostly grimace, and suddenly a deafening scream escaped from her throat. Her face hung motionless an inch from Nushka’s face, Vila watched her victim carefully, looking from one eye to the other. She suddenly jumped back with a confused expression on her face. At that time, Yurek managed to reach her. Still in his trance, he clung to Vila and laid his hands on her body. She was clearly annoyed and without much effort pushed him away from her so hard that the boy staggered a few meters away and fell.
– What are you… creature? – heard Nushka from Vila, who seemed to be disgusted with her interlocutor.
Nushka was silent. Vila began to analyze the appearance of the stranger. Her brows furrowed, she looked her up and down, then again. She stretched her neck, checking how Nushka looks sideways. She grabbed a strand of her hair, rubbed it between her fingers, inhaled its scent.
– You look like a human female, but you don’t smell like them.
Nushka felt satisfaction from Vila’s consternation. She tilted her head, laughed softly and replied:
– Keep guessing, you’re doing well
Vila didn’t seem to belong to patient creatures, she grabbed Nushka by the throat and pinned her again to the tree again and said through her teeth:
– Don’t mess with me
Gently but firmly, Nushka grabbed the hand holding her with both hands and, at first, with difficulty, extracted a soft melody:
If the boy had in front of him
The body lively and ruddy
You wouldn’t need it, sister
To lure him with beautiful singing.
As Vila’s grip on Nushka’s throat loosened, smiles appeared on both of their faces: Vila expressed disbelief. she hummed:
If only the Creator had been kinder
And he did not spare you beauty
You wouldn’t need a boy
Take to death in the water
Vila jumped up and laughed happily. She pointed her finger at Yurek scrambling on the grass:
– It’s yours?
– Yes, and now we’re moving on, kindly take the spell off him.
Vila clapped her hands:
– Let me play with him a bit! I won’t take all his strenght away – she jumped neatly to Yurek and grabbed his chin, looking at his face, he was sweating – he’s pretty – she chirped
As soon as she was within his reach, Yurek began greedily grabbing every part of her body. She fell into his arms, coquettishly giggling:
– Look how thirsty he is
– Enough, you’ll tire him out! – angry Nushka ran to the couple – take off this spell!
– Take it off yourself if you want – Vila replied without interrupting her fun
– I cannot!
Vila stopped Jurek’s hands and stared at Nushka:
– Are you the one who ran away and renounced her powers?
Silence fell.
– They talk about you – Vila pushed Yurek slightly and got up – if you are looking for shelter, you can come with me – she added reluctantly.
– I’m going my way. – replied Nushka, getting ready to leave – disenchant him… please.
Vila ostentatiously stuck out her tongue trying to emphasize her reluctance to the last word
– You even touched me with your begging, here you go – with a smile, she slapped Yurek’s face with her open hand.
Jurek woke up to the sight of Vila leaning over him with a disturbing smile. He jumped in place and made an inarticulate sound. He was sweaty, jittery and terrified. He looked so pitiful that Nushka wanted nothing more than to speak to him so that he could hear any familiar voice. She ran to Jurek and tapped him by the shoulder:
– It’s me, Yurko, Nushka, I’m here
Yurek grabbed Nushka first by the arm, then by the neck and cheek, as if making sure that she was real, then he fell calmly on the grass and breathed heavily for some time with his eyes closed. When he opened them, Vila was standing nearby. Yurek’s undisturbed by charm eyes were not able to see the same beauty in her that a moment earlier would have led him to death. In fact, her body was translucent in places, and her entrails showed through the skin, and only the skin that cast silver reflections indicated the existence of a piece of flesh around them. Jurek’s face spoke for itself.
– Phew! I don’t like him anymore – Vila fumed, then turned on her heel and left.
