Page 58 of The Life of Anna-Tenth Anniversary Edition: Act 2

Vlad didn’t respond, and Peter returned a few minutes later. It looked like the phone call had not gone well.

Anna stood and looked at him. “If it’s alright with you, I think I’ll go to bed.”

Peter nodded. “I’ll walk you up.”

“No, that’s okay,” Anna said quickly. “I... I’m okay.” She spun away and fled up the stairs to the bedroom that she shared with Natalya, who was fast asleep. Anna buried her face in her pillow and cried herself to sleep.

He was looking out the window again, his hair glinting in the sunlight. The window was closed and he had his arms crossed as if he were cold.

She wondered what was so fascinating out that window. Why was he always there? Was there anything beyond this room?

“Alex?”

He turned and smiled at her. “Schatzi. Oh, my Schatzi.” He took two long steps across the small room toward her, but stopped before he could touch her. He sighed. “I want so badly to hold you.” His voice was filled with such longing, a lump formed in her throat.

“Me too.” She looked around, wondering if she could sit. She didn’t want to leave him. Not this time. “I went to the house and piled your clothes in the middle of the closet and fell asleep.” She smiled. “It smelled like you.”

“Are you living there again?”

She shook her head. “I don’t want to live there without you,” she whispered. “I miss you so much. I... Devin’s got me pregnant again. I wish you were here.” She swallowed hard, her entire body burning with grief.

He frowned and clenched his jaw. “Again?”

“He does it every year.”

He ran his hands through his hair. “Anna... I will rescue you. I will get out of here somehow and I will find you.” His face was fierce with determination.

“I wish that were true.” Her heart was heavy with the desire for his words to become a reality. “But I’m not afraid to dream about you anymore. At least in my dreams, Devin can’t control me.”

Several emotions flitted over his face, and then he smiled gently. “Dream of me. Yes, I like it when you dream of me.”

Anna smiled.

“Have you seen my father?”

She shook her head. “Devin told him he couldn’t come back after he tried to take me to Germany. He got... scary and forbade your entire family from even contacting me.”

“Scary? What do you mean?”

“He got . . . big . . . tall . . . and he could make your father do anything he wanted him to do.”

Alex looked thoughtful. “How is that possible?”

“Ian said it was because he took my power for himself.” She stumbled as the room spun around her.

“Anna? Anna, are you alright?” His voice sounded as if she were listening from underwater.

She grabbed her head and winced. “I don’t feel good.”

“Schatzi, I think you need to wake up. You’ve been here too long.”

Anna looked up and shook her head. “I don’t want to leave.” But the room was starting to fade.

“Dream of me again, Schatzi. I love you. So much.”

“I love you, too...” Her eyes closed and she couldn’t force them open again.

Anna opened her eyes to see Peter and Vlad standing over her, watching her with concerned expressions. It was still night, but the lamp on the nightstand next to the bed illuminated their faces.

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