Page 382 of The Life of Anna-Tenth Anniversary Edition: Act 1

What to do now? Calling Alex could put him in danger, and it likely wouldn’t do any good, even if he tried. They kept their phones off except for emergencies to keep from being traced.

His phone rang a few minutes later. Wilhelm growled at Devin’s picture on the screen. What the hell did he want? “Yes, Devin. What can I do for you?”

“Where are you?” Devin asked. “Is Anna with you?”

“No, Anna is in class. I am at my son’s house. Why do you ask?”

There was a pause. “I need to speak with you. In person.”

Wilhelm sighed. He didn’t want to deal with Devin right now. His nerves were on edge as it was. Devin’s presence would only agitate them more.

“Please, Wilhelm.”

Devin’s tone concerned him. “You are welcome to come over if you would like,” Wilhelm said in an even tone. He didn’t like Devin one iota, but Devin sounded... worried.

“I’ll be there shortly.”

Anna glanced down at her phone for the hundredth time that morning. She clung desperately to the hope that she would hear from Alex today. She needed to hear from him today. Her sanity was hanging on by a bare thread.

The class drew to a close, and the dancers gathered in the center of the room for révérence. Anna began the deliberate, slow movements designed to cool down and stretch before the break. As she gracefully turned in arabesque and faced the side of the room, movement near the door caught her attention.

She froze at the sight of Wilhelm in the doorway, his face gaunt and pale. Devin stood next to him, a peculiar expression on his face that hinted at concern. Her leg dropped and she swallowed. The entire class froze and the pianist stopped playing, the last chord lingering in the air.

Wilhelm held his hand out. “Anna . . .”

Her mind screamed, refusing to acknowledge what the solemn expression on Wilhelm’s face meant. Her legs moved forward, but they were heavy, as if she were walking through several feet of water. She shook her head in denial and Wilhelm’s arm around her shoulders offered little comfort as he led her out into the hallway.

“Anna—‍” Wilhelm began in a broken voice. “There has been... news of Alex.”

“Is he hurt?” Her voice didn’t sound like her own. It was high and squeaky. Her mind filled with images of Alex lying on the ground, bleeding and in pain.

Wilhelm swallowed and shook his head. “He is—‍” He cleared his throat. “He... is... gone, Anna. Devin received... a letter and—‍” Wilhelm pulled something out of his pocket. A small silver circle.

Anna shook her head. Wilhelm handed her Alex’s heavy wedding band.

“Some villagers found... their bodies outside St. Petersburg.” Devin pressed his lips together. “The letter arrived this morning. I am so sorry, Anna.”

Anna looked back and forth between the two men, her gaze shifting rapidly as she grappled with their words. Her mind revolted at the idea and resisted accepting what they were saying. Alex couldn’t be gone. It simply couldn’t be true. There must have been some terrible mistake, a misunderstanding that would soon be rectified.

But he would never take off his ring. He’d said the only way it would ever be removed is if he were...

Anna shook her head and backed away. “No.” Tears streamed down her cheeks. “No, no, no.” She backed away until she hit the wall behind her.

“Liebling...” Wilhelm stepped to her and pulled her close.

“No!” She pushed him away, staring into the face that was so much like her beloved husband’s. His eyes were the same shade, his cheekbones the same shape.

But it wasn’t Alex.

She shook her head, her chest contracting, her heart pounding. She grasped at the wall behind her, her fingers searching for something, anything, solid to hold on to as her world spun out of control. “He can’t. He can’t be...”

The world stopped moving and, slowly, the truth forced its way into her mind. Alex was dead. He was not coming home. Not today. Not ever.

Her legs crumpled beneath her, unable to bear the weight of the excruciating truth, and she let out a scream that had been welling deep inside her heart. The scream escaped, a manifestation of her grief that surged forth like a thunderous tsunami, obliterating everything in its path.

Anna’s scream chilled Wilhelm to the bone, its anguished reverberations echoing throughout the entire building, immobilizing him. He watched helplessly as Anna slid down the wall, wanting to grab her and tell her it had all been a terrible joke that Alex was playing on her. His own heart had crumbled at the news Devin had shared with him not an hour earlier, and he didn’t think anything would ever be right in his world ever again.

But Anna... she was so fragile. So vulnerable.

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