was a staple of Podentsky. I stirred my pelmeni dumplings and dolloped some s

once won the love of a Copper Woman, Azovka’s aunt. He had been the finest miner in the Urals as a youth – but he rejected

led like flames. Fine lines and tan skin were like lace on his face. He wore a tunic shirt that was white

butter blonde hair and overwhelming love of snow. It was true, the emerald frost dustings had

tongue. “I am n

yet another of his tales – this time, the daughter of the water serpen

f that is what you mean,” I simpered, devouring the pelmeni, smeta

e remains off my plate – he was a big old p

d’s boy, Mikhail? He is

” I sniffed. “Once

s family is wealthy, Katinka. The

I licked the plate clean after Igor had finished. I ha

lexei, father’s best friend - the Copper King. Alexei was my godfather and had blessed me with a casket made of malachite at my birth, filled with jewels, silks, and furs, as a

Browed, or Saint Paraskeva Friday, lady of spinning and needlework – or my favorite, Saint Clementi

h the Tsarina and White Palace ladies. I was not even godsmarked, meaning nowhere in my long an

of living copper while she cooked almost every dinner for me. Azovka had made us the pelmeni under Rubenya’s supervision this morni

off fireworks atop the Copper Mo

Moscow by the day, more flee here, to the Copper Kingdom. We can’t keep letting them in. But old Proktya says it

oy I will wed. Danilo!” I wante

eralds and mother of pearl inlay. “Oh, so now the daughter of the Copper Guard

our pelmeni?” I asked, eyeing Azovka’s delicious cooking. It was lik

nting in the gaslight. Alexei Popova the Copper King and dedushka traveled the Urals each season, summoning s

o become the next Captain of the Copper Guard

It is a small weight ro

untains by Saint Clementina and she blessed our family with higher employmen

wa

tain on my bare shoulders. That way, she would not have to turn into a lizard to scale it with her fragile body. I had no idea what I would do if I

nd. “Dedushka, it’s time

let your old man

I liked to meet up on the far edge of town. That was where the Emerald Forest bloomed righ

w it and won’t tell you, dear reader. Danilo’s azure eyes

cheeks. I giggled, hitching Igor

h, I

he twilight. Stars

rms, and we would laugh, and sing, and gather herbs for our cooking, and stones fo

’s good graces always, like a star held captive by dawn,

and singing old songs. And Azovka smiled from atop the roof, a lizard

the icy ceiling and waved. She tripped a bit, crie

,” she sai

lem, my

sparklers, talked of city boys, then set out

singer again?” I mused, laying on the s

phecy the daughter of Saint Clementina gave: When the Mistress of Copper Mountain turns to dust, Clementi

on to prophecies – that nonsense talk

w spoiled you are!’ The whole town hates me. Jealous of my powers and wealth. But oh, Katya, in your bosom’

Podentsky will depend upon your stony dominion someday – enchanting ore, summoning copper and jewel

f Mount Azov in the first place?” Azovka wondered, examining her green fingernails. Azovka’s skin always changed like ske

do not know… I do not

they litter the palace. We must always leave offerings of jasmine incense and rare, pure copper emeralds, like your father won from my aunt - at their al

id. Clementina was a mountain girl of Podentsky, and lived atop the peak of Azov.” I paused, chewing my bottom lip, th

band Vladimir, the first Copper King, trapped deep under the snow on a mal

always doze off in church. Pri

apped it with her chisel, and spent all day and night carving Copper King Vladimir out of the stone. Th

b with a toothache. “Katya, who do you think I will marry?” Azovka asked q

ld never know with that golden chisel of his! Just imagine his beard, parting your thighs – ‘Oh,

please no!” Azovka laughed

riend. Azovka was making the mood

s, you know, than an old man as a husband

w any men or women in your family who have? The statues in Copper Mountain are fr

d. I hate to believe it. But the whole town says so, whenever the Serpent Festival ball is held on Copper Mountain, a

s cheek. She smil

ou believe

nturies! There’s no evidence they ever do. Copper Men and Women are born, they live,

n, went missing after your father’s wedding. What if she turned to stone? Somewhere far, far away… wh

gor barked and chased a sparrowhawk out hunting a rabbit. The sled

ease her. The tears tasted like the American pennies mama had left me in

ou do not think I w

Copper Guardian, I promise that you have the heart of a fern flower, a rare and beautiful thing, an

and Igor set off again, past the Malachite Wall. Dedushka’s guard let us - feared royalty and the town vanguard’s dau

smiled. “I’ll make chicken kiev for our midnight snack

ious to me than Koschei’s firebird, and I’d do a li

ne, and a brisk wind dust

two seventeen-year-old girls. I

die someday, in Azovka’s a

couldn’t help but think of

s cabinet. I fell asleep in Azovka’s arms. Igor pulled the sleigh. It was an hour’s ride to the Copper Palace, but the leshys kept

ing my malachite casket, w

with copper snow and filings of iron, drowning my lungs in

and awoke. W

pper M