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
And I would make sure he would never, ever suspect the truth.…NataliaThree weeks had passed since the amusement park, and Andrei had visited every single day since. He always brought something—books, toys, candy, art supplies. Yesterday it had been a remote-control car for Max and a set of waterc
NataliaJane was sitting up in the hospital bed, thank the Goddess. I couldn’t stop looking at her. I wanted to study every line of her face until I could draw it with my eyes closed.“Mommy, when is Daddy coming back?”“Uncle Damon is—”“No, I mean the man who saved me,” she clarified. “My daddy. W
“Just like strawberries for you,” I smiled. “And for Max…” I looked at the boy thoughtfully. “Probably… chocolate chip cookies?”Despite himself, Max’s expression brightened.“Where would we go to eat them?” Jane asked.“Just over there, by the lake. It’s very peaceful, and we can watch the moon’s r
NataliaI froze, eyes widening as I looked at my children standing between us, arms outstretched, faces streaked with tears.What had we done?I never wanted to fight in front of them. Never wanted to make them feel afraid or uncertain in their own house. By now, a small crowd of onlookers had gathe







