The Life of Anna, Part 4: Ensnared (24 page)

“You’ve been dead for three and a half
years, Alex. We were only married for three months. Why can’t I let
you go?”

“Don’t give up, Anna. I will come for
you.”

“Why do you say that?” she exclaimed.
“You are dead. You can’t come for me!” She shouted in frustration.
“No!” she screamed.

“No!”

Anna sat up in bed. Peter awoke and his arms
swiftly wrapped around her and pulled her close. “You were dreaming
of Alex, weren’t you?”

She nodded. “How did you know?”

“You were talking in your sleep.”

“He always tells me he will come for me. To
not give up hope.” She buried her face in the soft hair on his
chest. “Promises of dead men,” she said softly.

Peter didn’t say anything, but lay back down,
bringing Anna with him. He stroked her hair and kissed her
head.

“Why can’t I let him go?” she whispered.

“‘The heart has reasons that reason knows
not,’” Peter quoted softly. “Maybe you’re not supposed to.”

Anna sniffed. “He’s dead.”

Peter hugged her to himself. “Go to sleep.
You have a busy day tomorrow.”

The next week was busy with performances. The
newspapers wrote rave reviews of the performances and the shows
sold out quickly. Isaak was thrilled and so proud of Anna.

“Your parents would be so proud Anna,” Isaak
said after class Sunday morning. The show closed that night after
nine days of performances.

“Thank you, Isaak,” Anna said softly. She
glanced at Peter, who stood at the side of the stage frowning at
his phone.

Devin appeared suddenly on the other side of
the stage and walked towards Peter. His face was inscrutable,
though when he glanced at Peter, he frowned slightly. Peter looked
up with sad eyes and saw Devin. There was a moment of unspoken
communication between them then Peter nodded and followed Devin
towards Anna.

Anna looked between the two men. Why was
Devin here? He never came to rehearsals.

“What’s wrong?” she asked Peter softly. Her
heart pounded as she waited for one of them to speak.

Peter glanced at Devin who nodded. “Anna, my
grandfather is dead. He died this morning.” He looked at her sadly.
“I have to return to St. Petersburg,” he added softly.

“Now?” she asked, trying not to let her voice
tremble.

He shook his head. “I’ll fly out in the
morning. I won’t leave until we’re done here.” Peter looked at his
phone. “I just need to book a flight.”

“We’re taking a flight that leaves at
eight-thirty tomorrow and gets in a little before two. If you’d
like, I can have Ian book you on the same flight.”

Peter looked at Devin in surprise. “Yes, that
would be fine. Thank you.”

“You’re going too?” Anna asked Devin softly.
She would be alone?

“As are you, Anna. This is....” Devin glanced
at Isaak. “A funeral of an important man. And Vitaly was a friend.
I don’t travel without you, you know that.”

Isaak looked at Peter. “I’m so sorry for your
loss, Peter.”

“Thank you, Isaak. I trust you know what this
means?”

Isaak nodded and smiled sadly. “I’m glad you
got to dance Giselle with Anna. I couldn’t imagine a more perfect
pairing. You will be missed.” They shook hands and then Isaak
left.

Devin looked pointedly at Anna, and then
Peter. “We will pick you up at six tomorrow morning.” He glanced at
Anna. “We will discuss your living arrangements later.”

“Yes, Devin,” she said softly.

Devin nodded curtly at Peter and then turned
and walked away.

Anna looked up at Peter. “I’m so sorry he’s
gone, Peter.”

“
Dedushka
and I were not close, but
I will miss him. I regret having to leave you, Anna. I will miss
you terribly.” He pulled her close. “At least we can travel
together. We don't have to say goodbye yet.”

Anna danced her very best for Peter. Her
death scene and the second act were even more emotional than they
had been before. She was saying goodbye with her dance. Her small
comfort was that she at least got to say goodbye to Peter and that
there would be closure.

“My mom will come up and pack the rest of my
stuff,” Peter said as they were packing for the trip to St.
Petersburg. “You are welcome to stay here until the lease is up.”
They’d just signed another year lease a few weeks ago.

Anna swallowed nervously. “I don’t know what
Devin will want me to do. Thank you, though.” She didn’t know if
she wanted to stay, but it wasn’t up to her. It was up to
Devin.

Anna finished packing her things and sat on
the bed, watching Peter.

He looked up at her and gave her a sad smile.
“Wilhelm will be there,” he said softly. “And most likely Kurt as
well.”

Anna’s eyes lit up. “They will? Why?”

“It’s an Elder funeral. Same reason we were
at Alex’s, though this is a bigger deal.”

“Wilhelm,” she breathed. It had been so long.
Over a year. “Will I be allowed to speak to him?”

“It would be unwise for Devin to prevent you
from speaking to your second Master in front of everyone.”

Anna’s spirits lifted as she thought about
being able to see Wilhelm again. And Kurt. Oh, her heart longed to
see them both.

Ian knocked on their door at exactly six a.m.
the next morning. They were ready to go, as directed; Peter didn’t
want Anna getting in trouble and Anna herself didn’t want to get in
trouble. Ian was especially nice to her as he carried her suitcases
downstairs to the waiting limo. Devin and Tyler were waiting for
them. Peter knew how Tyler treated Anna and kept his arm around her
in the car. Devin watched, but didn’t say anything.

The flight to St. Petersburg was long. There
was a stop in Chicago, where Elder Marcus and his son Joel joined
them. Joel eyed Anna while they were waiting for their flight, but
Peter kept her close to him.

“I will keep you safe for as long as I can,
Anna,” he whispered as they were getting on the plane.

It was an overnight flight to Frankfurt and
then a three-hour flight on to St. Petersburg.

They arrived early afternoon and Vlad met
them at the airport, more for Peter’s sake than the Elders’. Peter
and Vlad greeted one another affectionately, and then Vlad greeted
each of the other travelers. He searched Anna’s eyes when he
greeted her and gave her a warm smile, which confused her. He’d
never been warm to her before.

“I’ve arranged for a car to take you to your
hotel,” Vlad said as their luggage was gathered. “Most of the
Elders are staying at the Grand Hotel and there will be a dinner in
the ballroom tonight so everyone can greet one another. Tomorrow
morning is the church funeral and the next evening we will go to
the
pomest'ye
.”

“Have many arrived?” Devin asked.

“Yes, most of the Europeans and Asians have
already. I expect the rest this afternoon.” He smiled sadly. “It
can be a long flight.”

“Yes.” Devin gave Vlad a look. “I trust that
everything has been taken care of?”

“Of course, Devin,” he answered with a touch
of defensiveness. “I’m not an idiot.”

“I would never accuse you of that,” Devin
said formally. He turned to Anna. “Say good-bye, Anna. We need to
go to the hotel and Peter needs to go spend time with his
family.”

Peter’s wife
. Yes, Peter was no
longer Anna’s...not that he ever was. She turned to look up into
his warm brown eyes. The eyes she had gazed into almost every day
for the last year.

He cupped her cheek. “I love you,” he
whispered. “I will do whatever I can to help you.” He leaned down
and kissed her deeply. Anna clung to his arms and kissed him with
all the love she had for him.

“I love you, too,” she said as quietly as she
could, and smiled bravely at him.

“I’ll see you soon.”

Anna nodded. Yes, they would see each other
over the next few days, but it wouldn’t be the same. She would be
back in Devin’s complete possession and control.

Peter gave her one last loving look and then
turned and walked away with his uncle.

Devin put his hand on her back and guided her
into the limo waiting to take them to the hotel. “I hope that you
have become stable enough that you will not become useless to me
while we are here or when we return home,” Devin said softly in her
ear as the limo pulled away into the traffic.

“Yes, Master.” Her chest ached, knowing she
was now separated from Peter, but if she became an emotional mess,
Devin would not be happy and she didn’t want to anger him.

“Good.” He stroked her neck with his
fingertip and then kissed it. He took her hand and placed it on his
hardening cock. “We have a long drive.”

Anna looked up and he raised his brow. She
took that to mean he wanted a blowjob and set to work unfastening
his pants. When his cock sprang free, she took it into her mouth
and Devin groaned softly and settled back in his seat with his hand
on the back of her head.

She heard the men talking as she worked
Devin’s cock. They spoke about Vitaly and speculated as to the type
of leader Vlad would be.

“He is softer than Vitaly,” Devin remarked.
“We’ll have to keep an eye on him.”

Devin’s breathing shallowed and he pushed
Anna’s head down as he came right into her throat. She didn’t dare
move for fear he would choke her or extend his spikes. When he had
finished he pulled her up by her hair and fixed his pants. They
were almost to the hotel.

~Hope~

Wilhelm paced in the hotel lobby. He knew
Anna would be here soon; Vlad had texted him to let him know they
were on their way. He also knew he couldn’t approach her, and it
broke his heart to be so close to her and unable to make contact.
But at least he would be able to see that she was all right.

Kurt sat nearby with his fingers tented and
tapping on his lips. He stared at the hotel doors with an intensity
Wilhelm had come to see often in his younger son’s eyes. Kurt had
done well stepping into Alex’s shoes. He had changed from the
immature, happy-go-lucky boy into a serious young man whom Wilhelm
was confident would lead the country well after his death. Now all
he needed was a wife. Unfortunately, Kurt had lost his heart to
Anna and no one else would satisfy him. Not that Wilhelm could
blame him. He would likely feel the same way in his son’s
shoes.

Every person that walked through the doors
caught the attention of both Wilhelm and Kurt. They had waited in
agony for Vlad’s text and then had been waiting for an hour
downstairs in the lobby.

“Why are you pacing, Wilhelm?” came a
question in German. Wilhelm turned around to see his friend, Edwin
Reisig, Elder of Bavaria, standing behind him with an amused look
on his face. “You are never anxious.”

“Anna is on her way.”

A look of understanding spread across Edwin’s
face. “Ah.” He glanced down at Kurt. “You are both on pins and
needles waiting?”

“It’s been over a year and the reports I’ve
received are not good.”

“Perhaps you should bring it up to the other
Elders. She is yours as much as she is that bastard’s. You have a
right to see her.”

Edwin was right, but Wilhelm didn’t want to
turn the funeral into a political meeting. Though, he had to admit,
it might be the only chance he had to get Anna back. With the other
Elders backing him, he might be able to pressure Devin into
removing his banishment. The only way it would work is if he had
the majority behind him, and even then, with Devin’s powers...it
still might not be enough.

“Do you think the others would back me?”

“Devin has not been making friends these last
few years. Everyone saw how distraught she was at the funeral,
which they all found disturbing. Elder-Mistresses aren’t supposed
to be capable of such emotion. If it is obvious that there has been
mistreatment, there is a high likelihood that they will back you.
If she’s better off....” Edwin trailed off. “You might be on your
own.”

“So I am to hope she looks terrible?” Wilhelm
understood what Edwin was saying, and he was torn between wanting
to see that Anna was all right and his desire to have her back in
his life.

“It would go a long way in gaining traction
for your complaint. Devin’s actions haven’t gone unnoticed, but
they have a right to do as they see fit in their country, as long
as it doesn’t affect anyone else.”

“How can it not? Their economic mess is
affecting the entire world.”

“Yes, but America has been losing power for
many years. It’s not as big a deal as it would have been twenty
years ago. Some might say Devin’s strong hand is the only hope they
have.”

“Americans are too independent for what he
wants.”

“Yes, but they are influenced by the media.
They paint things very differently than the reality. Things work
over here that I doubt would work over there.”

“Vati,” Kurt exclaimed, leaping to his feet
and looking at the door.

A group of men had walked into the hotel with
a woman.
Anna
. Wilhelm’s heart leapt when he saw her. Her
shiny, thick sable-brown hair hung down her back. It had grown
longer since he’d seen her last. She wore a black skirt and jacket
with heels that showed off her sexy legs. He didn’t see a necklace,
which concerned Wilhelm. Here, of all places, she should have her
Mistress necklace on. Otherwise, she might be mistaken for a common
Dirne.

She was calm and walked gracefully next to
Devin. But Wilhelm could see the difference in her. She was almost
a shadow of what she had been even the last time he saw her. It
wasn’t that she was pale or thin, though she was. It was her
spirit; the Immortal part of her was severely diminished. And when
he looked at Devin he understood why.