“When you’re ready, we can talk,” Carmen finally said.
“Anastasia.”
She turned toward the sound of Tony’s voice. His bottom lip quivered, and his eyes shone with unshed tears. Not caring who saw, she ran to him and wrapped her arms around the man who was so much like a father to her.
His arms held her tightly, her muscles aching from the contact, but she didn’t care. She looked up at him, smiling brightly. “It’s so good to see you Tony.”
“You have no idea how wonderful it is to see you.” He grinned, and Anastasia hugged him again.
“It seems you guys have been up to a lot lately,” she said as she released him.
He ran a hand through his black and silver hair. “We’ve been doing what we can.”
“Anastasia!”
She turned, surprised to hear a voice she hadn’t heard in years. “Leo?” She stared dumbfounded at him, then back at Tony, as he crossed the space between them. When he got close enough, she hugged him hard. “It’s so great to see you! What happened? Where have you been? Is Patrick okay, too?” She studied the man who’d been missing since that night four years ago when Maximus had kidnapped Brady. While he was quite a bit thinner than before, and his blonde hair was shorter, he looked roughly the same.
Leo shook his head sadly. “Argento brought me back with the rest of the people the Brutes kidnapped. Patrick died a few years ago.”
Her heart dropped. “Leo, I’m so sorry.”
He shrugged. “He went down with a fight, and that’s how he would have wanted to go.”
“I’m so happy you’re back.”
He beamed. “You too.”
Anastasia caught movement out of the corner of her eye, and turned her head. Brady scoffed at a group of villagers laughing with a couple Brutes.
“What is he up to?” Tony asked as they watched him leave through the gate. “No one is supposed to leave unaccompanied. It’s not safe.”
“Shall we find out?” Dakota asked, rising from the bench.
Tony, Dakota, Anastasia, and Leo exited the gate after Brady, heading toward the woods. A scream split through the silence, sending birds fleeing from the trees. They pushed into a run, and Anastasia winced as she tried to keep up.
She was much better than she had been, but her body still ached. Come on. She groaned and pushed forward. They burst into a clearing, ready for a fight.
Brady stood over a Brute, the blade in his hand dripping with blood.
“Brady!” A woman knelt beside the injured Brute, applying pressure to a wound in his side. “Why the hell did you do that? He hadn’t done anything wrong!”
“He was going to kill you, Noelle!” Brady screamed, his hand still gripping the blade.
“He was not!” Noelle yelled back. “We were out here together. It was consensual!” Her cheeks were flushed, and Anastasia realized she had been so caught off guard by the attack that she failed to notice the other signs. Her dress was wrinkled, one of the shoulders down on her arm.
“I confided in you, Brady!” she yelled.
“You’re an abomination,” he whispered. “He is a monster!”
“Brady, you had better shut your mouth, or I will shut it for you,” Tony warned.
“So you’re sticking up for them, too? What’s next? Half-beast babies running around? Disgusting!”
“Brady! This isn’t you,” Anastasia insisted.
He sneered at her. “Yeah, because you know me so well. You’ve been running around either chasing him”—he gestured to Dakota—“or trying not to die yourself. Some fucking protector you are.”
“Brady,” Dakota warned.
“Save it. You’ve been here for, what, a month? And everyone thinks you somehow know best. Dakota is Anastasia’s boyfriend so he must know everything,” he mocked. “You bring these beasts into our home and think you can get away with it?” He took a step toward Dakota but Tony stopped him by grabbing his shoulder.
“Brady, watch what you’re saying,” Tony warned.
“No,” he growled, quickly turning and thrusting his dagger into Tony’s side.
“Tony!” Dakota shouted, lunging for him.
Brady ran, dodging Dakota as he disappeared into the woods.
“Son of a bitch!” Tony yelled as he fell to his knees.
Anastasia ignored the pain in her body and broke into a run after Brady. Her lungs burned and the muscles in her legs ached as she moved. When she tripped, Anastasia stopped and fought to catch her breath.
“Dammit!” she screamed into the empty air.
“What the hell, Ana?” Dakota and Leo raced to her side. “You aren’t strong enough yet!”
“What is his deal?” Leo asked when he came to a stop beside her.
Anastasia’s blood iced. “Surely it’s not possible.”
“What’s not possible?” Dakota asked.
She straightened. “I don’t think he’s Brady anymore. Vincent must be controlling him somehow.” Why the hell had she not seen it before? Deep down, she’d never even considered he would be capable of mind control.
“How do you know?” Dakota asked.
“I just do. What other explanation is there? Brady would never hurt anyone, he’s not him.” She moved and the pain that sliced through her side had her wincing.
“Fuck,” Dakota cursed. “We need to get you back.”
“I’m fine. We need to get to Brady… maybe we can bring him back.”
“Ana, you can’t push yourself like this. I get that you heal fast, but dammit, you nearly died three days ago. We will find him, but let’s do it without dying ourselves.”
She stared at the tree line where Brady vanished and nodded sadly. Dakota was right; she was no use to Brady, or anyone for that matter, if she were confined to a bed. They made their way back to the village, each step another nail in Vincent’s coffin when she found him.
Elizabeth sat on the porch of the medical cottage, her face pale. Hands folded in her lap, she stared absently at the darkening sky.
“How is Tony?” Anastasia asked, taking a seat next to her.
“He lost a lot of blood.” Her voice was empty. “The blade nicked an artery. He passed out before Tilly started working on him.”
Panic surged through her, sending her stomach into a sickening flip. “Is he going to be okay?”
She nodded. “I think so. I hope so.” She buried her face in her hands. “I’m so tired of losing people I love.”
Anastasia’s eyes widened, but when she looked to Dakota he didn’t seem surprised. Was she missing something? Had something happened between Elizabeth and Tony while she’d been gone?
Elizabeth wiped her face and straightened. “Are you okay?” she asked, turning to Anastasia.
“Just tired, but I’m all right.”
“Okay. I am going to try and help with Griffith.”
“Griffith?” Anastasia asked.
Elizabeth nodded. “Yes, the Brute Brady stabbed.”
“How is he?”
“Argento got him to their healer, who was able to eliminate the poison somehow. He should be fine.”
“What are we going to do about Brady?” Leo asked in a whisper.
“We will send out a group to look for him,” Dakota answered.
“If I had to guess, he’s going to come to us,” Anastasia said softly. Unless she was wrong, and Brady was just a pissed off teenage boy with a grudge.
But she very much doubted that.
35
Two weeks later
Anastasia
“Anastasia, watch your stance.” Tony held his sword out, and she tapped hers against it.
“I remember.” She smiled lightly and got her footing. He stepped toward her and she dodged, swinging her sword and knocking his out of his hand.
“I see I don’t need to go easy on you.”
“Let’s be serious, Tony, you weren’t going easy on me.” She laughed lightly, and Tony grinned.
“It was a mino
r flesh wound,” he insisted.
“That nearly had you bleeding to death.”
He shrugged. “I’m too tough to die.”
Anastasia rolled her eyes and Tony charged her. She dodged, as she’d been doing all afternoon. This time he spun around her and knocked her weapon to the ground. “Not quick enough.” He grinned down at her.
“Maybe I’m taking it easy on you, old man.”
Tony let out a laugh and helped her to her feet.
They’d been sparring for the better part of an hour, and while her body no longer ached with every move, her stamina was down. Apparently being locked in a cold cellar for over a month had done a number on her in more ways than one.
“I feel useless,” she muttered, then drank from a canteen of water.
“You are many things, Anastasia, but useless is not one of them.”
“Hey, girl.” Anastasia smiled and pet Kaley’s soft coat as she rubbed against her. “I see you made time for me today.” Even now that Anastasia was back, Kaley spent most of her time tailing Dakota.
“Seems she does have a bit of a crush on our Dakota, doesn’t she?” Tony laughed, but when he looked at Anastasia, his smile vanished. “What is it?”
Her thoughts drifted back to the real reason she was so tired. She couldn’t seem to catch a full night of sleep, no matter what she tried.
“Nothing,” she assured him with a slight smile. “I’m still having some trouble, is all.”
“The nightmare again?”
She nodded. Tony had been the only one she confided in about the nightmares she’d been having. The horrible repetition of waking up back in the house from Vincent’s illusion. This time Brutes came and destroyed it. She had watched them kill Dakota and kidnap Annabelle every single night for a week.
She was beginning to have trouble coming out of the nightmare, even after she woke up. It was much like it had been in her illusion, where she was having difficulty distinguishing real from fake, only this time there were no images of reality to pull her out. It was a trap for her mind, and she kept falling right into it.
“Still haven’t told Dakota?” he asked, his voice stern.
She shook her head. “He knows I’m having nightmares—let’s be honest, it’s not like that’s a new development—but I haven’t told him about the actual content. We have enough to worry about. With Brady missing, and the daily searches for him, Dakota has plenty on his plate.”
“Don’t you think he deserves to know?”
“They’re just nightmares. If I tell him, he’s going to panic and think Vincent is getting to me again. I need him to stay focused so he can stay alive. And I need to get some damn sleep so I can get back in the fight.”
He patted her on the back. “Maybe talk to Elizabeth; she has some tea that might do the trick.”
“Speaking of Elizabeth.” Anastasia smiled and turned to face him. “What is going on there?”
“Nothing. Yet,” he added, laughing. “I have fallen head over heels for that woman, but she is taking her time. It’s okay, I will wait. I'm very patient.” He winked.
“I’ve noticed.” Anastasia laughed, and Tony wrapped his arm around her.
“Your father would be so proud of you, Anastasia. You have come a long way.”
“Thank you, Tony.”
“Anytime. I am going to head to town and check on my woman.” He winked again as he stood. “You know where to find me if you need me.”
“See you, Tony.” Anastasia sat on the porch of her home and stared out at the sky that was fading into night. The calm of Terrenia settled over her and she breathed in the scent of her world.
Her dying world, she thought with disgust as she caught a grouping of trees that were turning black, their leaves falling to the ground. She needed to get back to a hundred percent so she could get back into the fight, and yet here she was, out of breath after only an hour of light sparring. It was pathetic.
Damn nightmares.
“Hey.” Dakota’s voice pulled her from her thoughts.
“Hey, you.” She smiled brightly.
“I was wondering where you went off to,” he said to Kaley as he took his seat next to Anastasia.
“Any luck today?”
Dakota shook his head sadly. “No sign of him.”
She nodded absently, and continued to stare out at the trees.
“How are you?” Dakota asked.
“Good.”
“Ana, it’s me.” He lifted her face with his hand and kissed her forehead. “Please tell me the truth.”
“Dakota, I’m fine. Not perfect yet, but a whole lot closer than I was.” She took another drink from the canteen in her hand.
“You have to stop lying to me. I know something is bothering you. What you went through, it was awful. No one is expecting you to be back to normal overnight.”
“It’s not overnight, though, Dakota. It’s been two weeks. Do you see what’s happening?” She gestured to the trees. “Vincent’s darkness is spreading and it’s going to destroy everything. I have to get back into the fight.”
“You will, soon.” Thunder roared above them, and they looked to the sky as rain began to fall. It hammered down on Terrenia, and the loud roaring of it on the porch above them drowned out all other noise.
Dakota reached over and threaded his fingers through hers. She looked down at their joined hands and wished like hell things were different. That he was just another man and she were just another woman, and they weren’t face first in a giant volcano just waiting to erupt.
The rain washed away some of the dirt from the path in front of her, trailing down toward the rotting trees she’d studied only moments ago.
If only it could wash away the darkness, too.
If only the drops could cleanse her soul.
36
Anastasia
“Good morning, my loves!” Dakota greeted Anastasia and Annabelle with a smile as they came down the stairs.
“Daddy is making waffles!” Annabelle yelled in delight as she smelled the cooking food.
Anastasia took a moment to take the scene in, knowing it wouldn’t last long.
“Honey, what’s wrong?” he asked, narrowing his eyes.
“Nothing, I’m just having a bad dream, is all.” Tears streamed down her face.
“You’re awake now, Momma. It will all clear up soon.” Annabelle grinned up at her.
“I hope so.” She smiled and kissed Annabelle’s cheek. “Let’s go somewhere,” she said to them.
“Where would you like to go?” Dakota asked, amused.
“Anywhere, let’s just get out of the house,” she pleaded, hoping to hang on to the happiness for a little longer. “Now, let’s go now.”
“Well, hang on, Ana,” Dakota said on a laugh. “I just made breakfast.”
“Yeah, Momma! I love Daddy’s waffles!”
“Me too, but please, let’s just go. Please,” she begged, but the splintering of the door told her it was too late. “Dakota, move!” she screamed as the Brutes barreled through the door. She grabbed Annabelle and reached for Dakota. He turned toward her and, just as he started to move toward them, a dagger buried hilt deep in his chest.
His eyes went wide and he stared at her as he crumpled to his knees.
“Daddy!” Annabelle screamed in horror.
Anastasia gripped Annabelle to her chest. She tried to run up the stairs, but was slammed in the back with a blast of magic. The pain sent white spots swimming in her vision and she fell forward, still cradling her daughter.
Four Brutes surrounded them. Anastasia shoved Annabelle behind her.
“Mommy!” she screamed.
“No! Get away from us!” Anastasia cried. A Brute latched its large hand around her throat and lifted her from the stairs. Her lungs burned as they fought for oxygen, and she kicked out as hard as she could.
Nothing happened.
“Mommy!” Annabelle screamed again, and Anastasia watched in complete hopeless horro
r as her daughter was ripped away from her and carried from the house.
“You will die,” the Brute still holding her by the throat growled in her face. His breath was hot against her skin.
The glint of a blade caught her eye, and she thrashed as he drove it into her abdomen.
Pain seared through her body, and Anastasia crumpled to the floor.
Anastasia woke on a scream, tears streaming down her face. She gripped her pillow and screamed into it again. When she looked up, Dakota stood in her room. She took a deep breath, only briefly wondering why he was fully dressed in the middle of the night. His arms were crossed over his chest, and he watched her intently, his lips in a tight line.
“Want to tell me what’s going on now?” he asked.
“I’m sorry, it was just a nightmare.”
“Was it?”
Her gaze fell to Dakota’s chest where a dark stain spread over the front of his white shirt.
“Ana,” he whispered as he fell to the floor.
“No!” she screamed and tried to lunge for him, but it felt as though hands were pressing her back against the bed instead. “Let me go!” She thrashed, but held her down didn’t budge.
“I’m in your head, Anastasia.” Vincent’s voice flooded her mind. “And I’m never going away.”
Anastasia shot up in bed, covered in a layer of sweat. She pressed the palm of her hand against her hammering heart, and took slow, deliberate breaths to calm the panic.
It was just a nightmare. A long, grueling, horrific, nightmare.
After her heart rate started to slow, Anastasia got to her feet and made her way out to the living room. Wanting to see that he was all right, she peeked in Dakota’s room, but his bed was empty.
She clenched her fists at her sides as images of the nightmare still plagued her.
She searched the house quickly, her pulse racing, then swung the front door open. He sat on the porch, staring out at the dark sky, and she let out a breath of relief.
He was here with her, and he wasn’t going anywhere.
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