Page 4 of Savage Reign

“These are gorgeous,” I say, taking them from her. “Thank you. Let me get some water for these.” I lead her into the kitchen.

For the last four years, I’ve attended Moscow’s premier performing arts college, pouring everything I have into the contemporary dance program. This is my final week before graduation, and I’ve been laser-focused on the recital, where I’ll be performing the night’s closing solo—a piece I choreographed myself. It’s an honor to end the show, but it’s also nerve-wracking as hell.

Still, I’m more excited about what comes next. I plan to move to Berlin to launch my dance career. Not only is it one of the best cities for live performance, but it’s far from Moscow. Here, I’ll always be Roman Vasiliev’s sister-in-law, tied to the powerful Syndicate.

Moving to Berlin is my chance to make a name for myself on my own merits. I’ve avoided telling Liza my plans since I know she’ll be upset I’m relocating so far away. A wave of guilt washes over me as I imagine her reaction, but there’s no more time to wait.

“Where do you keep your vases?” Liza asks, rummaging through the cupboard.

I laugh and pull out an old spaghetti jar. “This will have to do. I don’t own anything else.”

“You don’t own a vase? Seriously? What kind of adult are you?” she teases, rinsing the jar and filling it with water.

“One who likes her independence,” I quip. “Roman and you spoil me enough. I don’t need anything else.”

“Guess I know what I’m getting you for Christmas,” she says, arranging the flowers and setting them on the table.

In the sunlight, Liza looks as stunning as ever. Her dark auburn hair, nearly identical to mine, falls in soft waves, framing her delicate face.

People always say we look alike, and they’re not wrong. We have the same full lips, high cheekbones, and tall frames. But where Liza is willowy, I’m curvier, my body strong from years of training. My hazel eyes, flecked with green, also set us apart.

“These flowers are beautiful. Thank you again,” I say, smelling the bouquet of lilies and peonies. “You really didn’t have to.”

Liza curls into a chair, tucking her feet underneath her. “Roman and I feel terrible we can’t make it to your recital. If I could move the appointment, I would.”

After everything we went through five years ago—being abducted and nearly forced into marriage—Liza has finally found her happiness. Six months after we were rescued, she and Roman married, and years later, they’re still blissfully in love. Recently, she earned a degree in finance and is working as an analyst for one of the Syndicate’s legitimate businesses.

The only cloud hanging over them is their struggle to get pregnant. For two years, they’ve tried without success. I know how much it’s weighed on them—Liza especially. After a long wait, they’ve finally secured an appointment with one of the world’s top fertility specialists in New York City. It means she’ll miss my recital, but there’s no way I’d let her cancel.

“Don’t worry about it for a second,” I say, waving off her guilt as I pour us each a cup of tea. “This appointment is way more important. The recital’s being filmed, and I’ll make sure you get a copy.”

I can’t deny a small part of me feels relieved. Liza and Roman never go anywhere without their full security detail, and the last thing I need is to draw more attention to my Syndicate ties. It’s bad enough hearing whispers from classmates who think I only got the solo because of my connection to the Belov Syndicate.

They’re wrong. I’ve worked my ass off for this, clawed my way through sleepless nights, injuries, and grueling practices to earn that solo. But even so, a part of me still feels like I have to prove myself.

I’ve spent enough time in therapy to know why. When your own parents treat you like a pawn, a bargaining chip, it leaves scars. If they couldn’t see my worth, what does that say about me?

Liza smiles softly, but guilt flickers in her eyes. “I hate that you won’t have any family at the concert.”

“It’s fine. I’ll have Daria and Alex,” I reassure her. They are my two best friends at school, and we’ve been inseparable for the past four years. “Seriously, I want this baby for you and Roman almost as much as you do. If this doctor can help, you need to go. You’re going to be an amazing mom—the polar opposite of ours.”

Liza’s mouth twists into a grimace, and I immediately regret my words. Mentioning our parents is always a delicate subject. Eight years older than me, she still carries guilt over the fact that she couldn’t protect me when our parents sold me off to Sergey to cover my father’s mounting debts. None of it was her fault, but guilt doesn’t play by logic.

She recovers quickly, her expression softening. “God, I hope so. Do you remember that summer when our parents ditched us for France? At least the au pair they left us with didn’t care what we did.”

“It was the best,” I say, my thoughts drifting back. “Don’t you remember? We camped out in the backyard, sleeping under the stars, and we lived off junk food in the pantry. I’m pretty sure I didn’t wear shoes that entire summer. It was heaven.”

“Some of my best memories,” she agrees, a soft smile touching her lips. She takes a sip of her tea before her gaze settles back on me. “So, how are you feeling about graduating? You’ll be taking the Moscow dance world by storm soon.”

I swallow hard. It’s time to tell her my plan to move. I know she pictures her future kids growing up with their “cool aunt” close by, and she imagines a big, tight-knit family with me as an important part of it. Telling her I’m leaving the country feels like ripping that dream apart, especially with everything she’s doing to have a baby. But I have to do this for myself.

“A little nervous, but good,” I say, keeping my hands busy, stirring sugar into my tea. “I need to tell you something, but first, you need to know I’m okay. I really am.”

Her eyebrows pull together. “Of course you are. You’ve come so far. Roman and I are so proud of you.”

Her words hit me harder than I’d expected, and I don’t know how to respond. “Thank you,” I say, my voice thick. “You don’t know what that means to me. I felt so ashamed for so long because of… everything.”

After Liza and I were rescued from Greece, I was like a ghost for a year, wandering Roman’s penthouse, numb and detached from the world. I didn’t return to school; instead, I took the high school equivalency test and avoided everyone from my old life. All my friends still lived in their bubble of privilege with their loving parents, and I knew I could never go back to being the person I was before my world was turned upside down.

---