Page 100 of The Life of Anna-Tenth Anniversary Edition: Act 2

“You are Anna?” a Japanese woman asked her. “I am Sakue. It is wonderful to meet you, sister.”

Anna smiled shyly. “Hi.”

The other women noticed her and introduced themselves. Raissa from Brazil, Creda from the United Kingdom, Madison from Australia, Halima from Egypt, Bisala from India, Yalda from Iran, and Irina from Russia.

Anna felt out of place amongst the confident Half-Immortals. Other women bustled around the room, aiding them in their preparations. Anna remained quiet, listening to their gossip while she readied herself. They seemed to find Anna’s demeanor intriguing, unsure how to handle her shyness. When they asked about her marriage, they seemed very surprised that she still missed Alex.

“Aren’t there other interesting men around you?” Creda asked. “Why would you want to settle for just one man, when you can have any you want?”

“I loved Alex,” Anna said softly. “My heart aches every time I think about him.”

Yalda tilted her head. “You are so different from us. Perhaps it is we who are missing out. That kind of love sounds wonderful.”

“And painful,” Halima said coolly. “Do you regret it?”

“Regret what?” Anna stepped into a white gown that a slave girl held out for her.

“Regret marrying. The hurt?”

Anna shook her head. “Alex was the most wonderful man I’ve ever met.” She sighed. “I’m fortunate to have been with him for the short time I had. Sometimes, yes, I regret it, but only because of the pain of losing him.”

“He was very handsome. I remember him.” Irina smiled. “He came with his father to visit sometimes. A very good lover.”

Anna looked away. She didn’t want to think about other women being with Alex. Yes, she knew it happened. Obviously. But she wanted to remember Alex as hers and hers alone. She didn’t want to share her memories.

The girl helping her adjusted her dress and finished her hair.

“You arrived in St. Petersburg with an American Elder, but are now with the German Elder?” Irina asked. “I didn’t think Americans shared.”

“They are both my Master,” Anna answered quietly.

“Both? How can you have two Masters?” Irina asked.

“I—‍”

“Did I hear you are a slave?” Halima asked, her gold-threaded braids catching the overhead light as she gazed disapprovingly at Anna.

“You’re not slaves?”

“Immortals are not slaves,” Halima snapped. She glanced at Madison, who watched Anna with an expression of disdain on her face. “That is an insult.”

“I highly doubt she did it on purpose, Halima,” Yalda scolded.

Anna drew her brows together in confusion. “But... you have Masters.”

“Of course,” Madison said in a haughty voice. “But we serve them willingly. By our own choice. We are not like the other girls who are mindless bodies for sex.”

“She is hardly mindless, Maddy,” Sakue said. “She has a depth of emotion we could never hope to have. I envy her.” Sakue smiled kindly at Anna.

Anna bit her lip, trying to understand why the women were so harsh, then smiled at the Japanese Elder-Mistress, thankful for a bit of kindness.

Madison rolled her eyes. “Why would you want to be subject to such human emotion?”

“Why would you not?” Sakue asked with an arched brow. “It might be nice to feel love for once instead of just watching it.”

Anna’s lips parted. “You don’t feel love?”

“There’s no need,” Irina said, shaking her head. “Why waste the energy? You certainly do not seem to have benefited from it. An excellent example of why we stay how we are.” She studied Anna carefully. “You are not like us, and yet you claim to be one of us. Why?”

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