Chapter 16
The Fabergé Egg
Carrying the egg, I walked to Lisa’s quarters. Harry followed.
I knocked on Lisa’s door three times, just like she’d taught me. It opened immediately, and I saw her standing on the doorstep. She was wearing a loose pink top and matching shorts.
“Ivan,” she yelped and jumped to hug me. “You’re back.” Her eyes widened as she noticed the Fabergé egg.
“I believe this is what you wanted.” I handed it to her.
“You got it? I can’t believe you did it. This is it!”
“Yes.” I flashed Lisa a proud smile, and she burst into tears.
“Oh, Ivan, I didn’t think I’d see you again. Please, please come in. Harry, are you all right?” She turned to the horse. “Are you guys okay? Did you manage to sneak into Quinn’s room? Did he find out?”
“He figured me out,” I noted gravely, following Lisa into the living room. She took a seat on the couch, while I pulled up a chair opposite. Harry remained standing in the corner, which I’d noticed was his favorite spot.
“He did? But that’s so dangerous. How did he figure you out? Oh, Ivan! Why didn’t you call? Did you lose your phone?”
“No, no, it’s right here.” I pulled it out of my pocket. “I kind of forgot about it. And there wasn’t anything to say.” I shrugged, deciding not to tell Lisa about the trap room and the embarrassing situation with Quinn.
“What do you mean? I was so worried. When you didn’t call, I tried your number, but it went straight to voicemail. Maybe there was no reception?”
“I don’t know. But Quinn knew I wasn’t there to rent a room. I think it’s because his inn isn’t very popular. There were no other guests there, and as soon as I showed up, he pretty much knew I was there for the Fabergé egg.”
“But he must have been very angry.”
“You could say that,” I noted, looking away.
“But you came back, didn’t you? Didn’t you?” Lisa leaped to her feet and ran up to me. “Oh, Ivan, you’re amazing. You’re so wonderful. Thank you.” She gave me a kiss on the cheek, her lips brushing gently against my skin.
“Lisa—” I looked up at her, but she had already sat back down on the couch, as if she hadn’t done a thing. I touched the spot where she had kissed me, and it felt as if it were on fire.
“So, I guess this is it?”
“It’s just the beginning, Ivan.” Lisa smiled, her eyes twinkling with excitement. “Didn’t you want my help to find the Firebird? And I thought you could help me open the egg.”
“Oh, yes, of course. But you think it’ll be difficult?”
“I hope I still remember how do to it. It’s been a while.”
“And what about the ring? Will you need help with that?” I asked hopefully.
“I don’t know. Now that I’m in a better place emotionally, it might work out just fine.” Lisa shrugged. “But with the deed you retrieved for me, I can finally go back and have my own retreat center at the Seven Birches. You’re the best. You really are. I knew you were magical.”
It looked like Lisa was about to get back up, and I stared at her in anticipation of another kiss, but Harry cleared his throat.
Both Lisa and I turned to the pony.
“I also played a role in the retrieval of the egg,” Harry neighed, his tone severe. “I’d like it to be acknowledged.”
“Of course, silly me.” Lisa ran up to the horse. “Thank you. If it weren’t for you, Ivan would never have made it to the Seminole Mill.”
“And I helped him escape,” Harry noted gravely. “I also provided him with information essential to the execution of his plan.”
“He did,” I said hotly. I, too, got up and walked over to Harry, in part so I could be closer to Lisa.
“Thank you for the recognition,” Harry squeezed out, looking at Lisa, then at me. “I just didn’t want to be ignored.”
“Oh, we would never have done that, right, Ivan?” Lisa turned to me.
“Of course not.” I held her gaze. It was as if she and I were newly connected.
I was seeing a different side of her, and I wasn’t sure what to think of it. Was she interested in me, or was this just gratitude? How would I ever know for sure?
I decided that it was likely nothing. Lisa was just being polite. Now that she’d gotten back the Fabergé egg, she wouldn’t want me around. The thought cut like a knife, and I looked away, sure that if she saw my expression she’d be able to tell I was upset.
“So, I was just thinking, we should go ahead and open the egg now.”
“Sure thing,” I agreed.
“And what about capturing the Firebird?” Harry asked. Something in his tone told me he was testing Lisa. I tensed.
“We’ll definitely do that. I just wanted to wait a bit until, you know, you guys got some rest. And I was thinking maybe, Harry, you would like a good snack.
I have some fresh carrots that I prepared just for you.
” Lisa stepped into the kitchen and brought out a large bag.
She ripped it open and placed a carrot in front of Harry.
The size of this vegetable was double or even triple the carrots we had in Zorya.
It was also very even, with none of the imperfections the Zorya carrots had.
If there was one thing that Harry couldn’t resist, it was carrots, and I knew he wouldn’t refuse the treat, even if it came from Lisa.
Harry bowed in appreciation and accepted the carrot, chewing it carefully, crunching and savoring its taste, as we observed in silence.
As Harry was chewing, I noticed his droopy eyelids.
After nearly two days on the road, I knew that the pony must have been exhausted. I, too, was very tired.
“I can walk you back to the stables, Harry,” I offered, but Harry shook his head.
“No, I’d like to see what’s inside the egg first.”
“Of course,” Lisa said.
The three of us positioned ourselves around the table, with the Fabergé egg right in the middle. The diamonds in the bow shimmered in the light, making the egg look like a true treasure.
“So, how do you open it?” I touched its side with my fingers.
As I did so, Lisa, too, ran her finger down the opposite side of the egg, and our hands brushed against each other.
A current ran through my body, and I noticed Lisa’s pupils grew very large and turned a dark shade of brown, almost black, as she glanced up at me.
“This is really something special,” she said, clearing her throat and staring me right in the eyes. I was stunned into silence and didn’t react. Harry furrowed his brow but also didn’t say anything.
“Now, if I remember correctly, the trick to opening the egg is to twist the bow tie.” Lisa croaked, positioning her fingers on top of the bow tie and pushing gently. Nothing happened.
“Careful, what if you break it?” Harry cautioned.
“It’s okay, Harry, I’ve done it before,” Lisa responded, but I noticed her fingers trembling.
“But there’s really nowhere you can push,” Harry continued. He lifted his hoof and placed it on the table, near the egg, in a protective gesture.
“Harry, just let her do it,” I said. “Lisa knows what she is doing.”
“I do, I think,” Lisa muttered as she pushed again on the diamond bow tie, stronger now, then turned it counterclockwise. “That’s it!” she exclaimed. “I forgot which way to turn, but look!”
The bow tie gave way, revealing a tiny opening. Lisa pushed with her index finger while holding the egg steady with her hand, and the egg split open into two even parts. Inside, it was lined with plush velvet. In the middle lay a folded piece of paper.
“And here it is. The deed!” Lisa reached for it. She carefully pulled it out and straightened it, laying it open on her lap. Running her finger along the lines, she perused the document.
After examining it, she handed the paper to me.
“See, right there—” Lisa pointed at the document.
“This is it. I will be able to take over the Seven Birches and run my business. I just have to file it and then I get to have my own yoga center again. Do you realize what you’ve done for me, Ivan? You saved me!”
“Well, um, it’s what you’d asked me to do,” I noted simply. “And Harry helped, too.”
“This is just incredible. I never thought it would actually happen.” Lisa’s voice dropped. “Listen, I’ve been doing lots of research about the Firebird, and I have to say, are you sure you really want to capture this bird?”
“Of course I do. I have to.”
“But it’s kind of trouble, Ivan.” Lisa frowned.
“I’ve been reading these fairy tales, and nothing good happens once you find the bird.
One feather is all right, but then you just end up chasing the bird, and even if you do find it, it only leads you to wanting more and more things. And then it’s hard to hold on to it.”
“But I don’t really have a choice.” I shrugged.
I could see Harry’s face bearing a triumphant I told you so expression, but ignored it.
“It’s because of Baba Yaga. She ordered me to bring the bird back, you see.
And I even have the feather, which is a good start.
Because the Firebird always comes back for its feather. ”
“So you could never think of, maybe, staying here?”
“Staying here? Well, what would I do here? And I’ve got to go back, that’s just how things go.”
“So, under no circumstances would you want to stay here? With Harry, for example. Or maybe—” She averted her eyes.
“I don’t think that would work. I’ve got to deliver the Firebird to Baba Yaga.”
“All right. I suppose that’s settled, then. Would you look at how well-made this egg is?” Her eyes glistened, and I wondered what the matter was. “Imagine the craftsmanship. This was made over a hundred years ago.”
“Oh, yeah. And so the guy who’d ordered the egg, was he a good man? This Yusupov fellow?” I asked.
“I don’t know. But why is that important?”
“Of course it’s important. If he’s the one who’d commissioned the egg, you want to make sure he was a good person.”
“That’s an interesting point you’ve got there,” Lisa said. “So you think the first owner is important?”
“Of course. And what about the magical ring of true love?”
“Oh, that ring. I’ll look for it later. But there’s really nowhere it could be, right? In the past, I’ve examined the egg inside and out and even felt the lining. The ring isn’t there.”
“But maybe if you waited until you were with someone you truly loved, you would be able to find the ring,” I offered simply.
As I said this, Lisa started coughing. Her discomfort was palpable. She pushed her chair back.
“True love is just a marketing ploy to sell you an expensive wedding,” she said, reaching for a glass that was on the cabinet to take a sip of water. The glass rattled as she set it back.
Without looking at me, she snapped the Fabergé egg back together.
“Listen, how about you get some rest? And tomorrow we can capture that Firebird together so that you can go back to Zorya as planned,” Lisa stated coldly, and I wondered what had gotten into her.