"Don’t Wake the Witch" by Tatyana Korsakova, summary Automatic translate

This book is a 2014 mystical detective story about a girl forced to hide from persecution and accept a magical gift in order to survive.

This novel opens the "Witch" series, which also includes the novels "The Witch Circle" and "Run, Witch."

Life in Smoky Log

Arina is hiding from justice in the small town of Dymny Log. She rents a dilapidated house on the outskirts and works as the manager of a literary salon. The establishment is owned by the powerful Evgenia Kravtsova. The local mayor’s wife claims to be a famous writer. In reality, Arina is the novelist. She gives up her manuscripts in exchange for patronage and relative safety.

The city has been shrouded in an abnormal fog for weeks. Dozens of dead birds fall from the sky. Arina’s neighbors, the lively Baba Glasha and the paramedic Irka, attribute the storm to a dying old man. Locals call him the Storyteller. People believe the hermit is a true witcher, the son of a powerful village sorceress. According to local belief, the sorcerer cannot die until he passes on his dangerous gift to someone.

Meeting with the Storyteller

Early in the morning, Arina finds the Storyteller’s dying dog, Black, in the bushes. The dog was hit by a motorcycle. The girl takes the seriously injured animal to the old man’s frightening house. The Storyteller instantly heals the pet with a special ointment. The Witcher warns Arina of the impending danger. The old man calls her Little Red Riding Hood and informs her that the Gray Wolf has already picked up the scent of his victim.

Her fears are soon confirmed. An unknown man breaks into Arina’s home, searches her belongings, and moves a jar of sugar. Later, the stalker leaves a frightening note in the guest book at work. Arina realizes the obvious: the enemy has gotten close and knows about her hidden treasure. Arina hides it in plain sight inside a fake book.

A year ago, Arina’s mentor was murdered for a rare artifact — a Gutenberg Bible. Librarian Vera Fedorovna wanted to donate the ancient tome to the university. Arina took the book to fulfill the deceased’s last wishes. Police found the girl’s fingerprints on the murder weapon and declared her wanted.

Costume Ball and Escape

Two men arrive in Dymny Log. Agent Nicholas has arrived from Moscow to negotiate a film adaptation. Igor Dementyev, a collector of antique weapons, has brought items for an exhibition. He is organizing a display of his bladed weapons collection on the grounds of a literary salon.

During a gala costume party, Arina decides to flee the city. She turns off the power in the basement. She hopes to retrieve the Bible under cover of darkness and escape on a scooter.

Near the hiding place, the fugitive is intercepted by Gray Wolf. He turns out to be a man disguised as construction worker Andrei Volkov. Arina blinds him with pepper spray, hits him over the head with a heavy crystal vase, and drives away.

On a wet road near a steep cliff, the scooter overtakes a large SUV. Arina manages to swerve before the chasm known as Witch’s Ravine. The pursuer’s car plunges down the cliff. Hiding her backpack with a book, the girl makes her way on foot through the bushes. On a forest path, she encounters Dementyev. The nephew of the murdered Vera Fyodorovna turns out to be the real killer. He inflicts severe wounds on Arina with a three-centimeter steel saber blade, demanding the return of the artifact.

Transfer of the gift

The wounded Arina reaches the Storyteller’s house. The old man offers a desperate deal. He will transfer his power to the girl, in exchange for the ability to peacefully fade into oblivion. The girl accepts the offer.

The storyteller pierces their palms with a spindle tipped with an iron spike. The old sorcerer’s blood mingles with that of his successor. The old man dies in his chair, and Arina, overcome by excruciating pain, loses consciousness right there on the wooden floor.

A girl awakens inside a strange log cabin in the middle of a peat bog. She is surrounded by Baba Glasha and her deceased sister, Lidiya Nikolaevna. Arina discovers that she has found herself in a ghostly world at the crossroads of realities, as both old women have recently died. The fatal wounds on the new witch’s body are rapidly healing. Her peace is guarded by the ghost of her faithful dog, Black. At night, the wooden cabin is besieged by eerie otherworldly creatures.

The Truth of the Gray Wolf

In the swamp, Arina meets Andrey Volkov. The man tells the truth about his appearance in the haunted forest. He didn’t die at the bottom of the ravine, but fell into a deep coma after a car accident. The storyteller deliberately caused the accident. The old man bound Volkov’s soul to the ghostly world so that he would protect the inexperienced witch.

Andrey confesses his true profession: he works as a private investigator. Dementyev hired the detective to find Arina, portraying her as a cold-blooded thief. During the investigation, Volkov began to doubt the fugitive’s guilt and decided to uncover the truth.

A terrible truth is revealed. Arina’s physical body has been kidnapped by Dementyev. The sadist holds the unconscious victim on a pool table in a country house. An electronic collar with retractable spikes is placed around the girl’s neck. The pain from the attacks of the ghostly creatures in the swamp directly mirrors physical torture in the real world.

Return to reality

Dementyev enters Volkov’s hospital room. The killer disconnects the life support system, but Andrey is saved by the alert Irka. Volkov awakens from his coma and finds Dementyev’s basement. The detective tries to stall for time by giving the killer a false location for the hidden Bible.

In the ghostly world, Arina must find her way back on her own. The dead old women say goodbye and leave the gatehouse forever. Guided by a red thread from a magic ball, Arina reaches a black lake. Overcoming her panic, she jumps into the icy water.

Consciousness returns to her exhausted body. Volkov is nearby, but a deadly collar is fastened around Arina’s neck. The mechanism is controlled by a remote radio signal. An enraged Dementyev demands the book over the phone, threatening to activate the spikes by pressing a button on the bracelet.

Denouement

A violent thunderstorm rages outside. A dark, magical force awakens within Arina. She concentrates her will and directs a glowing ball of lightning straight at a transformer substation outside. The powerful explosion and electromagnetic pulse completely jam the radio waves in the area. The collar malfunctions, flashing a red light. Volkov manages to rip the mechanism from Arina’s neck just before the long spikes fully extend.

The heroes immediately leave the country house. Volkov gives Arina the Storyteller’s Spindle, which survived the fire. Dementyev calls Andrey from the road, confident of the successful activation of the device and the death of the victim. Arina picks up the phone and promises brutal revenge. The young witch’s anger instantly materializes. On the deserted highway, her ghostly apparition appears in front of the maniac’s car. Ball lightning burns the killer’s hand, along with the remote control. The maniac survives, but loses his hand forever.

A year later

Arina begins a new life in Moscow under the name Arina Rysenko. The writer officially publishes a mystery novel under her own name. She completely severed her unholy ties with Evgenia Kravtsova thanks to the incriminating evidence collected by Volkov. A rare Gutenberg Bible is secretly given to the university rector.

During a quiet meeting with her friend Irka in a Moscow park, Arina receives a small package from a courier. Inside is an expensive fountain pen with a commemorative engraving. The sender wished to remain anonymous, but Arina knows the identity of the giver — Andrey Volkov. Her magical abilities have not faded with time. The scar on her palm triggers a throbbing pain when danger approaches or when she’s extremely anxious. Her dog, Black, is always nearby, invisible to ordinary passersby.