LOGIN“Do you remember what he looked like?”“It’s all a blur. Sorry.”I nodded slowly, looking around again. I spotted Max on the other side of the yard, returning to his work with a group of other males.“What’s the labor for?” I asked. “Are we building something?”“We think it’s for an army. The stone
Natalia’s POVBy the end of the first hour, my shoulders were burning and my palms had gone from sore to numb. The rock I’d been assigned to break with a heavy pickaxe was dense and black, and I was expected to break it into small pieces, then place them on a large wagon. One of those awful gray thi
A pair of figures crossed our path as we walked across the roadway. We fell into step behind them naturally, matching their pace. Neither of them looked back.The water trough was near the center of the settlement. I spotted a short line of people standing in front of it. It wasn’t running water, bu
Natalia’s POVI jerked awake with a gasp.The red sky was the same as it always was. Max was curled on his side a few feet away, still asleep, his chest rising and falling slowly. Nothing had moved. Nothing had changed.I pressed my hand flat against the ground and steadied my breathing.The vision
Natalia’s POVThe report came back the following morning. I’d hardly slept that night, which was strange for me; usually, sleep came quickly and efficiently, serving purely as a means to regain my energy for another day of hard work.But last night, I kept tossing and turning. That pull in my chest
“It’s no use!” I heard her voice call after me. “He’s already gone, you stupid bitch! He’s not who you think he is anymore! You’ll all die here!”Her words struck me somewhere deep and painful, but I kept running. We didn’t stop until the hovel was well out of sight. Only then, once we were certain
NATALIABy the time Damon and I got back to my room, I was shivering—less from the chill in the air, more from everything that had unraveled over the past twenty-four hours. I sat down on the edge of the bed, towel still looped around my shoulders, and tried to process it all.The confrontation. The
“I’m sorry you came all this way,” I said. “For nothing.”I crossed my arms over my chest.“Your ex-wife is likely dead, Andrei. And I’m sorry for it. I always liked her.”He winced, but he didn’t make a move to leave.I sighed. Fine, then, if he wanted to play it this way.He wouldn’t find her.Not
Natalia & AndreiNataliaI was about to leave, but couldn’t get far before Andrei’s hand shot out and wrapped around my wrist. He pulled me back toward him, and I gasped, stumbling against his chest.“What are you doing?” I hissed, my cheeks flushing as he wrapped his arm around my waist and held m
Natalia“What happened?” I asked as Grace led me through the front door. “He was fine this morning.”“It came on really suddenly. Damon was playing with the twins in the living room after you left, and Max just started complaining that he felt hot. By the time I took his temperature, it was already







