Ostankino Palace was one of the most beautiful places outside the Kremlin Walls. Many stone mansions were made of white marbles and plaster-covered woods. It belonged to a count named Sheremetev back in the day. His servants performed plays for his wealthy friends in his beautiful Theater Hall. Obviously, the count was into classical music and dances. And that was what I was here for.
After we stepped out of the car, I looked around the frozen manicured garden. Everywhere I turned was covered in deep white snow. The whiteness almost blinded me. Turning to a royal guard, I requested for a pair of sunglasses.
"Are you well?" Estella asked as I adjusted the shade on the bridge of my nose. Claire looked on with concerns but I just waved them off.
"You shouldn't let yourself weaken so much,
My eardrums almost burst from the sound of an explosion that echoed like a clap of thunders. A strong force hurled me against the wall along with various unidentified objects in the room.I collapsed onto the floor again with a thud. The stage was suddenly engulfed in flames. The chaos erupted. A few patches of flames scattered around the theater. Pieces of broken furniture laid everywhere.I painstakingly picked myself up off the floor as plumes of dark smoke thickened the hall. In the midst of havoc, I heard swift movements coming from the backroom.At the same time, a troop of royal guards burst into the theater through the front entrance. They started shouting out orders and immediately surrounding the damaged room. Then all I heard was shooting.
I woke up stiffly in the corner as the running truck came to a halt. The engine noise that had damned me throughout the restless night suddenly stopped.I bit my lips to minimize the flaring pain and forced myself to sit up. Then the heavy metal doors screeched open dryly.A burst of white light poked my hazy eyes. I winced and averted my face. My wounds had finally closed up, but the raw anguish still roamed my body like biting bugs.My silk shirt was ruined by sticky blood and now clung to my flesh. My injuries would take a few more hours in order to heal back to normal, yet I doubted that the Hunters would let me live to see another day.I heard them barking orders at each other for a few seconds before I realized what was happenin
VALERINAThose eyes.Those deep sad golden eyes were going to haunt me forever.The moment she grabbed me and kissed me, she had me deep down to my soul. Although I refused to admit that I had been claimed by this beautiful princess, I knew it was just my own denial, and I wish I could, for the life of me, escape from those eyes.But I knew it was too late.I was the moth and she was my deadly flame.Our hunters arrived at the main entrance at last. I slid down the back of my horse. Malena swung her legs over hers and jumped off gracefully. Then the stable boys came and t
AlexandraI was blindfolded and being led by Avery's gentle hand into the dining room."No peeking," she warned, sounding excited for some reason. I smiled blindly as I followed her."What are you hiding?" I asked, laughing at the amusing behavior of my lover. Then the delicious smell invaded my nose. Avery lowered me into a chair and started to remove my blindfold."Can I open my eyes now?" I said after she moved away."Yes, you may open your eyes now," Avery said with a giggle and I did.I realized then that setting before me was an elegant banque
The feeling of warmth and contentment I had from last night still enveloped me. Stretching myself on the bed, I blindly grabbed the familiar angelic form under the blanket. A smile curved itself on my lips when my eyes opened and gazed down Avery's smooth naked back. She lay on my chest with one of her hands placed nicely on my left breast."You're awake now, Alex?" her soft melodious voice said to my surprise.Her legs shifted around, brushing gently against mine as they got intertwined. I ran my fingers over her smooth silken skin. Avery slowly lifted her face to look at me with a smile. Her bright violet eyes pierced through the early dawn. I gave a sleepy smile back. She pecked me on my lips and butterfly kisses all over my face and my exposed chest. I gathered her back into me and tightened my hold around her body.
AnastasiaIt was a brisk quiet afternoon of the following day when I opened my heavy eyelids again. The light of the winter sun peered over the snow-covered horizon.The hunters had escorted me to a heavily guarded wing of the castle the night before. I was allowed to stay in a dark chamber with one arched window overlooking a large common square at the east.The chamber smelled like dead autumn leaves when I first stepped in, but it had a cozy atmosphere. I could see from the window a cluster of small stone houses below, stretching out into the dark green wilderness.The mist had cleared outside the frosted glass, but the chill hadn't ceased from the
Half of the castle was carved out of the mountain rock, but it had an air of ancient beauty to it. The gothic place could be unbearably cold if it wasn't constantly lit.As our feet echoed on the stone floor, I saw the Alpha and her group of hunters came from the opposite side. The same bearded man I had conversed with the other day gave me a smile of greeting as he walked gracefully forward. Vale went out to join them like she couldn't stand being near me anymore. This part made me frown while staring at her. Perhaps she was still angry at me."I hope you have a good night rest," Trotsky spoke, breaking my gaze from the huntress."As good as a vampire without her coffin could sleep, I guess," I said, turning to look at the man without much of a nod in return.
As we made our ways across the base, another man with a thick curved mustache appeared. He dressed in the same red uniform and was walking with several other soldiers towards us. His eyes were violet and bright with purpose. He was a vampire-that I could tell. The place seemed to be roaming with vampires more than I first thought.When they reached us, the man stopped and stared at me as if to ascertain who I was. His face was familiar but also unknown to me."Who's this?" I asked Trotsky without taking my eyes off the man."Anastasia, don't you recognize him? Standing in front of you is the world famous cavalry leader, General Krasnoff of the Cassocks."I had heard the name before, way back when Russia was under the Sickle and Hammer
The nature of sorrow often fades over time, but once in a while it remains lodged below the surface of things, a stubborn thorn under a fingertip, making itself felt every time you brush against it.The years galloped past, flowing onward like the waters of a river, disappearing never to return, on this day, it had been three or maybe five years. I did not keep track of time anymore. But the beauty of the bright spring sunshine, rejoiced with blossoms and the song of birds, brought nostalgia to my heart.I brushed another paint stroke against the canvas. Purple was my favorite color, but now I had grown to love red. Red was vibrant and strong. Red was the color of blood and life.In the garden under the spring sun, the portrait was taking shape, a beautiful shape of a woman I loved and
I sat holding Valerina against my chest. Her face, white as the snow that had frozen my heart, no longer showed any sign of life. The sounds of exploding bombs reverberated all over the city, but all I felt was the coldness that seeped through every pore of my body. The coldness that would last longer than any winter in the world."Valerina," I whispered her name over and over as if it would wake her up and bring her back from this endless sleep.I knew she wouldn't hear it anymore. The hollowness in my chest spread like a black hole. The words were lost forever. We stayed in the same bed, but it felt as if we were a world apart.Another bomb struck the ground, shaking the building. Dust fell from the ceiling like snowflakes then the light went out. I tightened my hold around the lifel
The sound of planes crashing to the ground and bombs going off in the distance filled the city. Buildings, chapels, and monuments were blown up, crumbling into piles of bricks and cinders. There were war tanks and cars engulfed in flames.We had moved to our underground headquarter. I stood observing the masked soldiers crawling through the streets of Kremlin. The enemy had advanced past the gates into the capital at last."Where are the other soldiers?" I asked one of my generals."They're all dead, Your Highness. The remaining troops are also wounded. The army we have left is now defending our headquarter and the main bases."I realized that we were failing in the battle. They outnumbered us by the thousands. Those rotten undead-Naz
AnastasiaMoscow lay under a cloudy, blood-red sky. In the distance, the winter sun lanced down its rays. Smokes hung in the air over the wide borders of the capital.The monitor screens transmitted images of the battlefields. Some were still active in fighting and shooting while others already died down with either counterpart retreated. Images flashed from screens to screens. I saw a crow standing on a corpse's chin, pecking hungrily at its eyes. A riderless horse stampeded by, driven mad by the smell of the dead and gas. Broken tanks and vehicles overturned. Torn flags snapped in the breeze.I tried to locate where a certain group of hunters was. Groaning with impatience, I turned to the operators.
ValerinaA few weeks later, after the Czarina left Kremlin with the Cossacks, the Alpha and I were asked to detail our assassin soldiers to help defend against the growing recruit-militia of the Kaiser.I refilled the quicksilver bullets into the pistols and cleaned the retractable double blades before strapping them to my body.My work was interrupted by a messenger from Trotsky, bidding me come to the headquarter as quickly as possible. Sensing trouble and worried about it, I had prayed that we did not face any loophole in our plans and everything was in good order. I packed the remaining weapons I thought I might need into the saddlebag and left.I
Inside the warm tearoom, I sat watching the frost frame the glass windows. Everywhere was under a thick sheet of snow. This winter seemed like it would go on forever, freezing the earth to its core.Avery poured some hot chamomile tea into my cup."Sugar?" she said, but I shook my head."I like it as it is, thanks," I said.She stirred the sweet-scented brew, letting hot steam drift into the air and disappeared. Then she put the silver spoon down and held the cup towards me. I accepted the drink with a smile.Her fingers were as cold as mine when I touched them. Although I already expected to find some changes in her, this still overwhelmed me. Avery didn't seem to notice my surprise
The Kremlin needed serious defense against the Kaiser's force. We installed multiple bunkers around the borders. The German Emperor had turned his target towards Russia as predicted. His troop had occupied Poland, our primary ally. Now, he was coming for Belarus, the last of our protection. Soon, our enemy would be at our gates in less than three months.That wasn't a lot of time to get ready. The rise of the Japanese Imperial Army left Alex with no choice but to split half of our force. It was rumored that their gigantic automatons were unstoppable, capable of great destruction and carnage on any scale. My sister had come up with an idea using an autobot called the Mole. It was the size of a warehouse, an enormous subterranean robot that burrowed through the ground and mountains with its sharp driller."The Mole is a new invention from
Outside the window of the Winter Palace hung a pale crescent moon in the sky. We stood by the fireplace in my chamber. The fire burned away, casting its golden light over our faces. Valerina let me undo the laces of her bodice. Her heart pounded like a moth caught in a flame. I had to remind myself that standing before me was a fearsome assassin on the battlefield, someone who could draw enemy's blood without making a sound, but she was also a human, capable of feeling emotions and untamed desires.I brought my lips to hers, hoping to dissipate her nervousness. She let out a soft moan into my mouth."No need to be nervous," I told her between kisses. "It's not like I haven't seen you before, and obviously it's not like we haven't had sex, is it?"Vale pulled back to glare at me. Her de
After the negotiation was over, and everything was more or less settled down, we all returned to the Kremlin Palace. The two generals were offered a base to assemble their army outside the city. The other parliament representatives, though reluctant to the idea of joining our mortal enemy, finally accepted my sister's decree. They had no choice but to act civilized for the sake of peace.Alex and I wanted a private moment just between us, sisters. We went into our father's office. My sister closed the doors and then she came to give me an unabashed long hug. I was a bit surprised by her sisterly affection. It had been so many decades since we'd ever shown it to each other. I felt like a child again, but in a way, I was still the same baby sister in her eyes.Alexandra had changed a lot, too. The older sister, whom I grew up with, had so