Page 192 of Emerald Malice

I’m sorry for leaving this way. I wish I could’ve hugged you all and told you how much you mean to me. Know that I will be thinking of all of you every single day.

But it’s better this way.

Olaf, Leonty, Leif, Shura—thank you for protecting me. Thank you for risking your lives for me even though you didn’t have to.

Yelena—thank you for taking care of me. For showing me kindness and for giving me the benefit of your wisdom and your advice.

Mila and Katya—I couldn’t ask for better friends. Look after each other for me. And live for me, too.

Aunt Annie—you’re the best aunt I could have ever hoped for. Thank you for sacrificing your life to raise me. I love you to the moon and back.

Misha—I’m entrusting Remi to you, my boy. I didn’t get as much time with either of you as I wanted, but you will always be in my heart. You taught me how to be a mother. I couldn’t be prouder of you.

And finally, Andrey?—

Again, I have to stop. I purposely saved him for last because I knew it would be the hardest goodbye to make. Even on paper, it’s destroying me.

A blur of movement catches my eye. I look up to see Yelena coming down the path. Panicking, I turn my attention back to the paper.

Look after all of them for me. And I will look after your—after a small internal debate, I finally write down—child.

It’s going to be bad enough losing one baby. I don’t want to give him the added burden of knowing he lost two.

Please know that I did this not to hurt you, but to protect our family. I hope you know how much you mean to me.

All my love,

Natalia

Folding up the note, I stash it in the drawer of the writing cabinet and join Yelena outside on the patio.

“I’ve arranged it,” she says bluntly. “It’s all fixed.”

I know I should be asking more questions. Fixed with who? How did you arrange this so fast? Where do I go? How will I live?

But I settle on the question that seems the most urgent.

“When?”

Her answer is immediate. “Right now.”

70

NATALIA

“We have to be quick and quiet,” Yelena explains, dragging me towards the back of the house. “I’m going to need to take you through the servants’ entry. Then I can sneak you through the side gate.”

“But there are cameras everywhere. What about?—”

“I’ve disabled them,” she interrupts. “They won’t know until it’s too late.”

Too late. Too late to say goodbye. Too late to undo the deaths I’ve caused.

I don’t realize I’m slowing down until Yelena snatches up my hand in both of hers and squeezes hard enough to frighten me. “Listen to me, child. You don’t have time. No time for questions, no time to get your things, no time to say goodbyes. We need to go.” Her eyes are wide. “Now or never.”

She doesn’t wait for me to answer. Keeping a vise grip on my forearm, she starts to drag me into the manor.

“Yelena,” I whisper as we slip inside, “why are you doing this? Why are you helping me?”

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