Chapter 70

Anna still lay on the cold floor in pain. The blood had dried and stuck to her skin. When the nerve juice had worn off, she’d slept fitfully, but the pain in her joints made it difficult. She couldn’t turn onto her side; she couldn’t call for help. Would she die? Would she finally get her wish? Maybe she would be reunited with Alex in death. The thought warmed her and she let the darkness take her again.

He looked up as she appeared in the room, a big book in his hands.

He smiled, his white teeth peeking out from beneath his thick golden beard. Did she remember what he looked like without his beard?

“Anna...” he said softly, closing the book and putting it on the bookshelf. He walked to her and sat on the bed next to her.

She didn’t speak, but just looked at him. She didn’t know if she could speak. Her body was so mangled.

“What’s wrong, Schatzi ?” he asked softly.

“I got angry,” she said, not knowing why or where the words were coming from. “I got angry and frightened Devin. And he punished me.”

His eyes widened in surprise. “You frightened Devin?”

She spoke as if she were in a trance, staring into his eyes. She didn’t know if what she was saying was true, but she spoke the words anyway. “I was carrying your father’s child and Devin took it. He told me he had killed my parents.” She closed her eyes. “I got angry. I became inhuman. I attacked Ian. He couldn’t hold me and I almost got away.” She opened her eyes and gave him a faint smile. “I was so strong I broke the bedposts of my bed. Three men had to hold me down.” She shuddered. “They chained me to the wall and Devin punished me. I fought him, but he punished me. And won.” She fell to the floor on her knees. “There is no hope. I cannot fight him again. He won. My body lies in the dungeon, broken and bleeding.”

She looked up, her heart warmed by a thought. “Am I dead with you?”

Alex looked into her eyes with such sadness it brought tears to her eyes. He slid off the bed and went to his knees in front of her. “You are with me,” he whispered. He brushed her cheek with his hand and gasped when she didn’t disappear.

He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers, kissing her with abandon. His hands tangled in her hair, and he held her close to him. His heart pounded in his chest and she could feel it. She could feel his arms around her and she wept with joy.

“Alex,” she sobbed. “Oh, Alex . . .”

Alex held Anna tightly against him, hardly believing it was possible she was in his arms. How could it be? After years of the slightest touch making her vanish, he could hold her, kiss her... .

“Alex,” she cried. “Oh, Alex . . .”

He slid his hands into her hair so he could turn her head and kiss her soundly. “My Schatzi ...”

Touching her... kissing her... It was a dream come true. His chest felt like it would explode, his heart was beating so fast. As sure as he could feel the floor beneath his knees, he could feel her against him, feel her lips against his. And it was heaven.

And then, suddenly, she let out a strangled cry and was gone.

He fell forward, his hands on the floor where she had just been. The warmth from her presence dissipated and he gasped for breath. “No...” It was more of a moan than an actual word. He leaned back on his heels and looked at the ceiling, as if begging the wooden beams would bring her back. “No!”

His shoulders slumped, he hung his head, squeezing his eyes shut, desperate to cling to the memory of her touch, her scent, her very essence. But it was gone.

He sat there for another minute, chest heaving, then jumped to his feet, ran down the stairs of the tower and straight to Vlad’s office. He slammed open the door. “What happened to Anna?” he demanded in Russian.

Vlad looked up from his computer, eyes wide with surprise. “What are you talking about?”

“Anna. She was just here. I was holding her, and then she cried out and disappeared.”

“You were holding her?” Vlad stared at him and slowly stood. “You could touch her?”

Alex nodded. His chest tightened as he stared at the new Russian Elder. Maybe he shouldn’t have told him what had happened, but Vlad only furrowed his brows and looked at him sympathetically.

“You shouldn’t be able to touch her.”

“I know.”

Vlad walked around to the front of his desk and leaned against the edge. He motioned to the chair in front of him, but Alex shook his head and began pacing the width of the room. He laced his fingers in his hair and paused at the window before turning around and looking at Vlad, who watched him carefully.

“Alex, I need you to keep your promise that you won’t try to escape.”

Alex chewed his lip and then gave a curt nod. He had promised. And Vlad had kept the promises he’d made, including releasing the restrictions Vitaly had put into place about staying in the tower. “I need to know she’s okay. She told me—?” His voice cracked and he shook his head. “Terrible things.” A wry smile touched his lips. “And wonderful things.” He glanced at Vlad. “She fought back. She was strong.”

Vlad’s brows twitched. “What do you mean?”

Alex recounted what Anna had told him, but Vlad’s face turned more concerned that he would have expected. “What’s wrong?” Alex asked when he finished his story.

“He’s pushed her too far.” Vlad crossed his arms, frowning. “She could have killed him.”

“That’s a bad thing?”

“Turning on her Master could be deadly, both for him and her.” He shook his head again. “But he’d have done it to himself.” He gave a wry half-smile.

Alex collapsed in the chair near the window. “So, the only way for her to be free is to kill him and, in the process, kill herself?”

Vlad looked out the window for several minutes, then turned back to Alex. “Please trust me, Alex. It will be okay.”

Alex’s brows shot up and looked around. “Okay? I’m stuck here while Anna’s been... pushed beyond her limits, and you just told me she has to kill herself in order to be free?”

Vlad shook his head. “I can’t say any more, but—?” He sighed. “You’re not the only one who cares about her and what’s going on.” He gave Alex a pleading look. “Please. Trust me.”

Alex seemed to get the grasp of what Vlad was trying to imply, and gave a curt nod. “How long?”

“It depends.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“It’s the only one I have at the moment.”

Alex leaned back in the chair. “Can you at least... find out if she’s okay right now?” Her cry before she vanished still echoed in his ears.

Vlad nodded. “I will ask around. It may take a few days.”

Alex stood. “Thank you.” He hurried back to the tower to tell Seth and the others what he had learned.