Chapter 99 - The Great And Dreadful Outside

She must've read the unhappy expression on my face, because Alexandra's smile turned reassuring. "I understand that not everyone like outings like these. There will be a lot of comforts provided by organisation committee for all participants, but if you don't want to, you don't need to go, Diana."

I shook my head, the last traces of sleepiness dissipating under the news. "I'm just shocked, that's it. When will all that happen?"

"The festival will go on twenty-third and twenty-fourth of June, which are… next Thursday and Friday. Oh, I didn't notice myself how soon it would be. Good thing I saved part of my leave days for months ago. If you come, I hope you won't have troubles with your work schedule. It's pretty inconvenient when the festivals fall on weekdays, but the dates can't be moved."

I just nodded, letting Alexandra keep on with her lecturing rambling. Mentally, I was half in the land of preparations. I could leave the store on JJ… he won't be able to come with me, anyway. But what if Christina attacked? No, I didn't think so. I would be with other witches, with hundreds of them, probably. She wasn't that kind of mad, and it would be impossible for her to sneak around.

Then, the fact that it was nature outings. What would I need? Would we be camping-camping, or will there be buildings to host us?

"Since this is your first time, Diana, I'd like to help you prepare. The festival is always hosted at the same location, and there are some conveniences, but you will need a tent and other camping items. Do you have experience with camping? Do you have them? If not, someone from our coven can probably loan you them, but if you can, I'd really recommend you to buy your own ones for the future outings."

"Thank you, Alexandra, I will need some help, that's for sure. I'm a city girl through and through, never camped before even once." I smiled at my joke.

Alexandra gasped softly. "Oh, dear, you don't know what you were losing. There's just no comparison with the feeling of freedom and unity with like-minded people you can only experience in a good company in a forest. But don't worry. I will make you a list of things you will need to have, and help you when we will be on the place, of course."

"Of course. And how will we get there?"

"We will take a train, it's only a couple of hours, and after that the meeting place is only ten kilometres away."

Ten kilometres. My head dropped into my palms. Ten kilometres with a backpack on my back. I was so not ready for this. I knew math. Ten kilometres meant at least two hours of walking, but make it three because a group always moved slower than an individual.

"Well, some people will drive cars—"

A spark of hope ignited in my chest.

"—but there's no road to the meeting place where a car can go through, so even they will have to stop near the train station. It's mostly the organising committee, since they have to bring a lot of things. It's faster to take a train for the most people."

Only to die immediately.

⠀⠀

I went to tell the good news to JJ immediately after my return. Not the news about Ivana-Kupala, though that too, but the news about what the Twilight witch had to say about Christina and her whereabouts. His eyes widened when he heard the address the Twilight witch mentioned.

"Are you sure this is the place?" he asked, but didn't wait for my answer. "This is very disconcerting. The vampire who holds this part of the city is one of the oldest and the most powerful in the country. I don't think Christina could ever take him on, no matter what the means she used. It's a simple matter of experience."

"Could've she bought it or something? Maybe just this specific place?"

JJ pursed his lips. "I doubt that as well. When one keeps hold on something for centuries, he tends to become attached to it. I don't know what Christina could offer him that he doesn't already have, either." He lowered his eyes and let out a sigh. "But as confusing the information you provided is, ma chèrie, it's more than I had found. Now I have a better direction to dig in, at least."

I rolled my shoulder, uncomfortable with JJ's worried attitude. "It's nothing. And maybe witches will see something more later. Or maybe there's a spell to track her… Though, when I asked Alexandra about advanced magic, she didn't know anything. But maybe there is someone better on Ivana-Kupala."

JJ's eyes snapped to mine again. He lifted his hand and raised it to my face. His thumb brushed over the corner of my mouth. Concern furrowed his brows. "You seem very dejected about this celebration, while strangely determined to go. Do your peers force you into attending against your will?"

I blushed under his ministrations and under the piercing stare of his green eyes. I shook my head furiously, causing JJ to take his hand away, and my skin felt missing his touch when I stopped. Without thinking, I took his hand in mine and played with his fingers as I spoke. They looked thin and long like that of a pianist, but I felt small callouses on them. JJ wasn't sitting around doing nothing before he became a vampire.

"No, JJ, it's a great opportunity to find all sorts of things. I can't miss it! I just… I never camped before. At most, I went to a river to roast meat on coals with… with Andrey." I frowned, unhappy that I had a reason to remember the asshole now, and then to think of him. What was he doing now? Did he go to live with his family again after I and JJ played our spectacle for him? Did I care?

What irony. Now we really were dating, not just pretending.

"So anyway, this was as far as I ever wanted to go. I can't imagine actually staying a night outside," I finished before the pause hanged in the air for too long.