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
“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 & AndreiNatalia“We can play whatever you want,” Andrei said, already heading toward a cabinet in the corner of the dining room. He opened the cupboard door and pulled out a stack of various brand-new-looking board games, which made my brows shoot up in surprise.“Since when do you keep boa
NataliaThe forest air was cool against my skin, a light breeze rustling through the leaves overhead. Andrei and I had been hiking in silence for some time now, but it was an unexpectedly comfortable sort of silence.The kind of silence we’d never experienced before.Last time we did this, tensions







