“You must summon a cherti to defend yourself.  These are dangerous times.”  Baba Yaga finished chalking a summoning circle onto the floor of her hut.  “They are tricksy creatures.  Worse than the Devil himself.  Your will must be iron.  It is much like fishing: you cast your will out into Hell like a lure, and the cherti are drawn to your witch fire.  Then you reel your will in and catch them in your own skin as a net.  Can you do that, little bird?”

Anya nodded.  She sat cross-legged in the middle of the pentagram Baba Yaga had chalked on the floor, her hair fishtail-braided over one shoulder.  “I...