“We have to go back! Warn them!” Tony yelled, his own eyes filling with tears.
“We can’t. Vincent has blocked me. He blocked all connection in and out of Terrenia. There is no way back.”
“So we are supposed to just sit here and do nothing?” Tony’s voice boomed throughout the apartment, and Elizabeth wrapped her arm around him. “We have to be able to do something!” he yelled.
“Tony.” Elizabeth’s soft voice sounded, but to Anastasia she was a million miles away.
“No, Elizabeth. These are my people. I should be there with them.”
“Then you would be a sitting duck as well. We will save them, Tony. We only have to figure out how. There will be another way, you have to believe that. The second you give up is the second we lose. We have to keep fighting.”
“Exactly, we will find another way,” Dakota said, rubbing his hand on Anastasia’s back.
“I’m so sorry I failed,” Anastasia cried.
“Oh, Anastasia.” Tony knelt, and Dakota stood to move back with his mother. “You didn’t fail. This isn’t your fault.” He wrapped his arms around her, and she held him. “This is Vincent. Don’t let him tear you down. I’m sorry I yelled.” He petted her hair as a father would do for his heartbroken daughter.
“They are correct, Anastasia. We will find another way, and we will save them. You said we had time, so let’s make the most of it.” Tony kissed her forehead and then stood.
“Does Vincent still believe we may take the truce?”
“I’m not sure. He mentioned that I had better take it or we would be sitting ducks as well, but I never said either way.”
Tony nodded, contemplating something. “Find him tomorrow and tell him we will take it. I believe that’s our best option at this point.” Tony winked at her, and she knew he was only humoring Vincent if he were listening. “We all need sleep tonight, so tomorrow we will begin trying to find a way to reach him.”
“Come on, Anastasia,” Dakota urged, reaching his hand down for her. “Let’s get some sleep.”
She nodded and stood, the lump in her throat still threatening to cause more tears.
“How are you doing?” Dakota asked as he and Anastasia were in bed later that night.
“Better,” she lied. She looked down at their interlaced fingers and felt more tears threaten.
“Ana, I know you’re not, don’t lie to me.”
She turned into his body and rested her head on his chest. She could hear his heart beating beneath his warm skin, and it was soothing to her. She couldn’t get the images Vincent had shown her out of her head.
The stench of death still stung her lungs, and she knew she would carry it with her always.
She reached with her senses to ensure they were alone. “I have to kill him, Dakota.”
“I know.” He stared at the ceiling, trying to push back the fear in his chest. He believed in Anastasia, but the worry that Vincent might prevail was too much for him to handle.
“We have to figure out a way to save them. Maybe I should try and reach Carmen again.”
“Absolutely not.”
Anastasia sat up and looked at him. “Why not?”
“What if Vincent intercepts you this time?”
“I will be expecting him.”
“Anastasia, you can’t take him on alone, and you wouldn’t be able to harm him in there. Besides, that would let him know that we aren’t taking his deal. That would put us on an even tighter timeline than we are already on.”
“I have to do something, Dakota.”
“I agree. But the next meeting has to be on our terms. Don’t you agree?”
She nodded into the darkness. “You need some sleep.” Anastasia sat and pulled on Dakota’s shirt.
“Where are you going?”
“Just need some air.” She smiled lightly at him. “I promise I’m not going anywhere, Dakota. Get some sleep.”
“All right,” he said cautiously. “Wake me up if you need me, Ana.”
“Will do.” She kissed him lightly and slipped out onto the balcony.
“Can’t sleep either?” She looked over and saw Tony standing on Elizabeth’s balcony. The apartments were across the hall from each other, and the balconies only separated by a small space, since they were located on the side of the apartment and not the back.
“I can’t get the images out of my head.” She sniffled and pulled the shirt closer. “Tony, it was horrible, Andrew’s wife was dead and he was lying there next to her. He told me it was my fault. It’s how I knew it was an illusion.”
“What do you mean?”
“I believed it was all real at first, as if I was really there, standing among all of that death. It wasn’t until he told me I should have taken the truce that I saw it for what it was.” She ground her teeth together. “Just Vincent fucking with my head again.”
Tony laughed lightly. “I can’t remember ever hearing you use such foul language before. It’s amusing.”
Anastasia smiled. “I can’t figure out how we are going to save them. I’ve been racking my brain, but I’m at a loss.”
Tony looked out to the stars. “We will find a way.”
A warning sound went off in her brain, and she tried to make sense of it.
“We have to—” Tony started to say, and then she realized what it was she was sensing.
“Pick a place for the wedding,” Anastasia interrupted.
“What?” At Tony’s perplexed look, she continued, “That’s what I came out here to talk to you about. Dakota and I are going to get married.” She nodded her head behind her in an effort to clue him in that Vincent was listening.
“Oh, that’s fantastic, Anastasia!” Tony plastered a smile all over his face and reached over the railing to give her a hug. “We will start looking tomorrow. How soon?”
“As soon as possible,” she said with a smile. “We want to move forward with our lives. I am going to try and meet with Vincent tomorrow to let him know that we are accepting the truce.” As soon as she felt his presence leave, she sighed. “He’s gone.”
“How did you know?”
“I felt him, like an alarm going off in my head.”
“So are you two really—”
“Yes, that part is true.” She smiled.
“Anastasia, that is truly fantastic. With everything going on right now, it is good to have a piece of good news as well.”
“You aren’t angry?”
“Why would I be angry?”
“Because I told you this way, at this time.”
“Anastasia, I would have been happy with this news no matter the circumstances. Dakota is an amazing man, and I would be proud to have you marry him.”
“Would you give me away?” she asked softly.
Tony’s eyes filled with tears, and he gripped her hand. “Anastasia, nothing would make me happier. It would be an honor.”
“Thank you, Tony.” She kissed his cheek and turned to head back into the apartment. “We are going to win,” she said firmly.
“How could we not?”
“Never thought I would ever be grocery shopping again,” Anastasia said happily. It was such a simple task, and one she had never done with Monica. The only time she had ever gone anywhere was with Elizabeth.
Dakota laughed. “Anything in particular you’ve been missing?”
Anastasia’s eyes lit up. “Nutter Butters.”
“Already got them.” He held up the red container, and Anastasia smiled widely.
“You know me so well.” She kissed him loudly.
“That I do.”
“Dakota?” A woman’s voice sounded from behind them, and they turned around.
A blonde woman stood just behind them, a small basket in her hand. She was dressed in a long white coat and black leggings, with heels that seemed to make her ten feet tall. She was beautiful, and from the look in her eyes, knew Dakota extremely well.
“Martha, nice to see you,” he said as he caut
iously eyed Anastasia.
“Can you believe everything that has been happening? Oh my, those beasts. They had me.” Her lip quivered, and Anastasia very nearly rolled her eyes. If there were ever a contest for dramatics, surely this woman would take the gold.
“I’m glad to see you are all right.”
“Thanks to Vincent.” She said his name as if it were a prayer, and Anastasia felt her breakfast threaten to return.
“Yeah, that sure was great of him to put everything back.”
“I’m so glad you are okay,” she said, taking a step towards him. She hadn’t even glanced at Anastasia.
“Yeah, we made it out just in time.” Dakota put his arm around Anastasia’s shoulders and the woman finally looked at her.
“Isn’t that wonderful,” she said, baring her perfectly straight teeth in a forced smile.
“It certainly is.” Anastasia looked up to Dakota and batted her eyes softly.
“Listen, Dakota.” Martha took another step towards him and put her hand on his bicep. “If you want to get together and grab a drink, you have my number.” She looked up at him through her clearly fake lashes and then walked away with an extra swing in her step.
Dakota cleared his throat, and it took everything in Anastasia not to start laughing wildly.
“So, I uh, dated her a while back.”
“You don’t say?”
“Sorry.”
“For what? Dating her? I’m not the one who had to put up with all that.” Anastasia moved her hand up and down in reference to Martha, who still stood in the aisle ahead of them.
“You’re not mad?” Dakota looked at her, surprised.
“Why would I be mad? I was gone for ten years where you believed I was dead. I don’t care about your past, Dakota. Although I do think you did much better with me.” She batted her eyes again at him and blew him a flirty kiss.
“Much, much better.” Dakota laughed, and they continued walking down the aisle.
Anastasia stopped when everyone in the grocery store froze. She looked around and saw that Dakota and her were the only ones who weren’t stuck.
“What is going on?” Dakota asked her, looking at a little girl who had been throwing a cookie box, which was not frozen in thin air, into the shopping cart of her clearly annoyed mother.
“Vincent,” Anastasia said softly. She felt Dakota stiffen next to her, and put her hand on his arm to keep him calm. This meeting had to go perfectly; they had to make Vincent believe that they did intend to take his truce after all. She knew the reason he left Dakota unfrozen was to get a read off him as well. He was not able to hold his temper as easily as she was.
“Hello, Anastasia, Dakota.” Vincent took form in front of their cart.
“Vincent,” they both said.
“It is wonderful seeing you two together.” He smiled at them and bent to lift the Nutter Butters out of the cart. “Good choice, I’ve grown to love these.” He tossed them back in the cart. “So I hear you two are getting married. Don’t suppose I’ll be getting an invitation.” He winked at them, and Anastasia nearly vomited.
“It’s going to be a small wedding,” Dakota said through a smile.
“I see.” Vincent folded his arms behind his back. “So, will we be ceasing fire?” he asked as he watched Dakota’s face.
“We think that’s the best option,” Anastasia answered.
“Good call.” Vincent reached his hand towards Dakota, and Dakota surprised Anastasia by taking it.
“Thank you for giving us this option. It was a hard call to make, but Anastasia has been fighting too long. It is time we move forward.”
Vincent smiled widely. “Anything for family.”
Anastasia felt her blood begin to boil.
“I love the Nutter Butters.” Vincent winked and disappeared. Time began to move again, and Anastasia took the cookies out of the cart and placed them back on the shelf.
“No longer have a sweet tooth,” Anastasia explained at Dakota’s sideways look.
“Ha!” Anastasia laughed as she dodged Tony’s fist again.
“You have a magical advantage,” he explained.
They had been training together every chance they got that Vincent wasn’t spying on them, which surprisingly was quite often. It seemed as if Vincent had believed that they had truly called the truce.
Dakota had gone back to work at the precinct. Since he had been put on leave after he had found his partner murdered, it hadn’t been strange that he had been gone to them. Elizabeth’s absence had been a bit more difficult to explain, but they had let her come back after they received a call from Vincent telling them to do so. It sickened Anastasia the amount of power he seemed to hold over everyone.
“True, but that only counts if I am using it.” She grinned and swung her fist towards him again.
“Why aren’t you using it?”
“I don’t want to attract Vincent on the off chance he is tracking my magic.”
“Good idea.” He kicked her feet out from under her and she landed hard on her butt.
“We haven’t talked about our plan yet,” she said breathlessly as she stood and grabbed her bottle of water off the counter.
“I’m not sure what we can do until he is no longer blocking our world.”
“We need to get to him somehow.”
“But how?” The man is guarded incredibly well. The Brutes he has working for him have been out of sight, but the Trepidos are everywhere, and he now has armed human guards from this world as well.”
Anastasia nodded. “I need to be able to freeze them, then we could get to him.”
“Could you freeze him as well?” Tony asked, hopeful.
She shook her head. “That power won’t work on him, since he is able to use it as well. It’s why he can’t freeze me.”
“So it could come down to only being the two of you,” Tony replied, frustrated.
“It was always going to end with him and me, Tony. It has to be me that ends him, you know that.”
“Yes, I suppose I do.” Tony ran his hand through his graying hair. “I just don’t have to like it.”
“I know you don’t.” Anastasia smiled and squeezed his hand lightly.
“I love you, kid.”
“Love you too, old man.”
Anastasia felt the alarm begin to ring in her head. “I haven’t been able to find a single dress that fits right,” she said to alert Tony that they were being watched.
“You will find it. We can go again later if you would like. Elizabeth won’t be back from work until later this evening, and then we are going to go to dinner together. She is going to introduce me to spaghetti.” He grinned, and then time froze.
“Vincent,” Anastasia said as she took another drink of her water.
“How are you settling, Anastasia?” he asked as he took form in the living room.
“Just fine, thanks. What do you want?”
“Just checking in on you.”
“Well, I’m doing great. See you next time.”
“How did you know it was me?” he wondered as he walked through the living room inspecting everything.
“You are the only person I know who can freeze time,” she said simply, crossing her arms over her chest. “I put two and two together.”
“Interesting.” He continued to pace.
“What’s interesting?” she asked, trying to hide the panic in her voice.
“Why have you not gotten a job?”
“In case you don’t remember, I was missing for ten years. People aren’t inclined to hire someone who not only doesn’t have a high school diploma, but who also has absolutely no job or credit history.”
“I can fix that for you.”
“No, thanks. I think I’ll just stay home.”
“Why?” The look on his face was one of confusion, and Anastasia very nearly snorted even though she was nervous as to why he was asking so many questions.
“Why are you here, Vincent? Don’t you h
ave world-conquering business to attend to?”
“I’ve told you why I am here, I wanted to check on you. To see how you are acclimating.”
“I’m acclimating just fine. Tony and I were just talking about wedding plans.” She smiled, trying to hide the fear.
“I know you have been sparring, Anastasia. I’m no fool.”
“It’s important to stay in shape. That’s all we are doing, Vincent.”
“It had better be,” he growled before he disappeared.
“So, have you ever had spaghetti?” Tony asked as he unfroze. “What?” he asked when he noted the anger on her face. “Did I say something wrong?”
“No, Tony. I’m sorry, just started getting a headache,” she lied. She could still feel Vincent watching them.
“Do you need to lie down?”
“I think that would be a good idea.” Vincent would be pretty bored watching her if she was asleep, or at least pretending to be.
“He was here?” Tony asked angrily as she helped him choose an outfit for his date with Elizabeth.
“Yes. Claimed he was just checking up on me, to see how I was acclimating.”
“Because he cares so incredibly much,” Tony said gruffly. “Why can’t he just leave us the hell alone?”
“That would be nice, wouldn’t it?” She handed him a light gray tie to pair with his black suit. “I wish I could help you with this, but I’m afraid I never learned how to tie one.”
Tony held the silky fabric in his hand. “What is this?”
“I believe I can help with that.” Elizabeth smiled from the doorway.
“You are so beautiful,” Tony said as their eyes met.
“Oh, stop it, you silly man,” she said with a laugh, “I’m still in my scrubs.”
“You are always beautiful.”
Suddenly feeling very out of place, Anastasia began walking towards the door.
“You don’t have to leave, Anastasia,” Elizabeth offered after planting a quick kiss on Tony’s cheek. “I have to get dressed.”
“Dakota should be home soon anyways,” Anastasia said lightly. “I want to be there when he gets in.”
The Fighter (Prophecy Series Book 2) Page 14
