Like something out of a nightmare, the night seemed to grow darker. The orange lights dimmed and everything faded except Devin, who seemed to grow larger. His eyes flashed with angry fire.
“You will not take Anna from me,” he said in a deep, commanding tone.
Wilhelm turned back to him and started to say something, but in a flash Devin was in front of him with his hand around his neck. Anna rubbed her eyes because Devin seemed...bigger than Wilhelm, even though she knew that wasn’t possible.
Anna saw Devin’s fingers squeezing into Wilhelm’s neck. “No! Devin, no!” she screamed and ran up to him to pull at his arm.
Devin pushed her away and she fell to the ground. Devin’s evil eyes bored into Wilhelm’s. “You will not take Anna from me,” he said in a raspy, evil-tinged voice. “You will get on your plane, both you and your son, and you will leave this country. I forbid you and any member of your family to have any sort of contact with her. I forbid you from ever stepping foot in this country again. You and every member of your family. No one is welcome here. Leave and never come back.”
Devin released Wilhelm’s neck and, to Anna’s horror, Wilhelm and Kurt both turned and walked to the jet without saying another word. They climbed the steps and disappeared without a single glance back. Devin waved his hand and the door to the jet closed and the engines started.
“No!” she screamed as the jet taxied away.
She ran after it, but it picked up speed and disappeared into the night. She fell to the ground, scraping her knees and burying her face in her hands.
“No,” she sobbed. They were gone. They’d left without her. Her beloved Kurt and Wilhelm.
She heard footsteps behind her and looked back to see Ian walking towards her. She stood to run, but he was too fast. He picked her up unceremoniously and carried her back to Devin.
“I hate you!” she screamed and pounded on Devin’s chest.
He calmly grabbed her wrists and twisted her arms until she fell to her knees and cried out in pain.
“There. That’s how you belong. On your knees in front of me.” He looked at Ian. “Put her in the car.”
Ian picked her up and put her in the back seat. Devin got in next to her. “I believe you need another attitude adjustment.” Ian got in the driver’s seat. “The Manor please, Ian.”
Chapter Eight
Anna lay on her bed in the Manor in agony. Everything hurt. Even her toes hurt. Devin had done everything possible to hurt her, including using the “nerve juice” as he called it. When the first dose had worn off, he’d given her a second one.
The sad thing was she’d slept and was feeling better than she had been before she went to sleep. The idea of suicide flitted around her mind again, but the likelihood of it working was slim.
She was condemned to life. Would she ever die? She was only half-Immortal. What did that mean? How long would she live this hell?
The door opened and Devin walked in. He stood above her for a moment, looking down on her with his hands on his hips, then went to sit down in the chair by the window. Anna didn’t move. Her hatred of him rose inside her chest with a vengeance. But then faded just as quickly. He had a new way to hurt her and she was terrified of feeling that pain again.
Devin cleared his throat and Anna slowly sat up and looked at him.
“Yes, Master?” she asked in a hoarse voice. She’d lost her voice from screaming in the dungeon and it hadn’t returned yet.
He pointed to the floor in front of him. She crawled out of bed and stumbled across the floor to collapse on her heels in front of him.
“This is no longer a safe place, Anna. This is merely your room. You will call me Master at all times when you are in the Manor. When I enter the room, you will get on your knees like all the other girls. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Master,” she rasped.
“If I have to discipline you again, there will be three doses of the nerve juice.”
“Yes, Master.” She shuddered at the thought.
“We will try your ‘new life’ again. You will begin dancing again as soon as you are able. You will eat properly. You will dance well. You will take care of yourself. If you don’t, I will discipline you.”
“Why do you want me to dance?” she whined.
“Because if you don’t, you’re useless.”
Anna winced at his words. He was so harsh. He wasn’t even trying to be nice anymore. She supposed without the threat of Wilhelm, there was no need to be nice anymore.
He leaned forward and removed her necklace. He’d given her a new one when she moved out of the Manor. One without black diamonds. “I have half a mind to give you a ruby to wear. Act up again and I will.”
“Yes, Master.”
He produced a solid gold bracelet and put it on her wrist. “This is locked. You may not remove it.” It was thick and heavy and fitted to her wrist.
“Yes, Master.”
“And, finally, Ian will take you to your new apartment when you’re ready to leave. I don't want to pay the ridiculous rent I was paying in that other place. This one is much cheaper and closer to the studio, so I can get rid of your car as well. I will pay your rent. You have money in your bank account that you can use to pay for everything else. I removed your credit cards from your wallet. You only need money for food and dance clothes. If I decide I want to take you anywhere I will have Ian take you shopping.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Ian will pick you up on Fridays to bring you here.” Devin grinned. “Zach told me he saw you on Friday. He’s looking forward to spending time with you again.”
Anna’s heart dropped into her stomach. How could she have imagined a life that didn’t begin and end with pain and heartache? “Yes, Master.”
He stood. “I believe that is all. Let Ian know when you’re ready to leave. Maggie will bring some clothes in for you to wear home.” He stepped around Anna and walked out the door.
Anna slumped forward and buried her face in her hands.
*****
Thursday evening, Anna walked to ballet class from her new apartment. It was a tiny studio, but it really was all she needed. It had a kitchen, a bathroom and a closet. She had her TV to keep her dreams away, her mattress to sleep on, her coffee table and couch. If Wilhelm thought her previous place was hideous, she would hate to think what he thought of this place.
But she would never see him again. Devin made sure of that. Ian told her that they would never dare come back as long as Devin’s permission had been revoked. Devin could destroy them with a word.
“How did he get so powerful?” she had asked Ian as they drove to her new apartment.
Ian looked at her sadly. “The spring rituals, Anna. He uses you and takes your power for his own.”
That depressed Anna. She’d caused her own demise. If only she’d fought him harder...well, thinking about that right now wouldn’t do any good. Right now she just needed to concentrate on making him happy. To keep from being “disciplined” again.
It was a fifteen minute walk from her apartment to the studio. Not bad on a nice night. She was thankful tonight was a nice night.
As she came around the corner, she saw someone standing near the studio door.
“Aaron?” she exclaimed as she got closer and his face became clear in the dim light.
“Anna! I’ve been worried about you!” he exclaimed, grabbing her and embracing her hard. “I’ve been calling you and waiting out here for you every night this week.”
“I must have forgotten to turn my phone back on.” She’d turned it off after they’d left the restaurant and hadn’t thought about it since.
“I even went by your apartment today, but no one answered.”
“How do you know where my apartment is?” She’d just moved in yesterday. “I didn’t hear anyone knock and I was there all day.”
“I...someone told me,” Aaron answered vaguely.
“Someone?”
Aaron gave her a strange loo
k. “Yes. Someone.”
Anna was confused. Who would have told him where she lived? “I didn’t hear you knock.”
“You’re in apartment 760, right? In SoMo?”
Anna shook her head. “I was, but I don’t live in that place anymore. Devin moved me...closer to here.”
“You only lived there a few weeks.”
“He didn’t want to keep paying that amount of rent.” She shrugged. “I have a little studio on O’Farrell. It’s fine.”
“Fine?” Aaron looked outraged. “Anna, you’re a frickin’ duchess. You shouldn’t be living in a tiny studio apartment. You should at least be in a decent apartment. I can help—”
“I’m fine, Aaron,” Anna snapped. “And I’m not a duchess. Not anymore. Alex is dead, Wilhelm and his family are forbidden to come here. I am alone. The only thing I need to do is keep Devin happy. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get to class.” She pushed him aside and went inside the building.
“You’re not alone, Anna,” Aaron called after her as she walked away, but he didn’t follow her.
Yeah, right.
She huffed as she went into the studio and sat down on the floor to change shoes. It was better if she just kept to herself. Her only purpose in life was to keep Devin happy. Anything else would just get in the way and cause her more pain.
*****
Within a few more weeks, Anna had proven herself strong enough to start back on pointe. She worked with the summer students for a few weeks and then was put in the Company Corps. She knew many of the girls and a few of the guys, but she kept to herself. Jenna had recently been promoted to Soloist, so she wasn’t in classes with her.
Anna figured that her friends didn’t know she had joined for at least a week, because she wasn’t bothered. But Aaron spotted her coming out of the studio after class on the second Tuesday she was there and ran up to her.
“Anna!” he hugged her.
A few of the Corps dancers mumbled around her. Anna was getting a reputation of being a cold, icy bitch, which was fine with her. Anna suspected that some of her fellow dancers thought that, because she’d been a Principal before, she was unfriendly because she was a snob and was too good for the Corps. This, of course, was untrue, because she just didn’t want to be there in the first place. It didn’t matter what part of the Company she was in. She danced to the best of her abilities because if she didn’t, Devin would find out and punish her.
So when she pushed Aaron aside and walked past him without responding, the dancers were surprised.
“Maybe she’s just a bitch,” one girl muttered.
Aaron turned and stared at the girl. “You have no idea what Anna has been through in her life. Don’t you dare judge her!” He turned around and jogged to catch up with Anna.
Anna turned and saw him coming after her and ran quickly into the bathroom. She poked her head out ten minutes later and was relieved to not see him in the hallway.
When she returned to the studio for the morning rehearsals for Petrushka, she noticed a couple of the girls trying to be friendly and chat with her. Anna glared at them and walked away.
Unfortunately, Aaron caught her at lunch and held her arm to make her go with him. Fine, she thought as he led her out the door. She’d just make him regret he took her.
She refused to admit to herself that she was lonely.
Aaron took her to a deli down the street and tried to buy her lunch.
“I can buy my own lunch,” she snapped. Now that she was in the Company again, she would be getting a regular paycheck. Not a very large one, but enough to keep herself fed.
Aaron protested, but Anna glared at him and stood stubbornly with her arms crossed until he walked away. She ordered her lunch and then walked to sit with him at a table near the window.
“What do you want?” she asked before taking a bite of her salad.
“I’m glad you’re eating,” Aaron said, ignoring her sharp tone.
“I have to eat,” she retorted. “I have to take care of myself and dance well. Other than that, I don't have to do anything.”
Aaron raised his eyebrows. “Is that what Devin told you?”
Anna nodded. “Pleasing him is my purpose in life. Anything else will just get in the way. Especially people.”
He looked sadly at her. “I miss the old Anna.”
She shrugged and took a sip of her ice tea. “The old Anna was stupid and naïve and...just dumb.”
The old Anna had fallen in love with a monster. The more time passed, the more she hated Alex. For lying to her. For making her believe that life could be worth living. If he hadn’t interfered with that ritual...well, none of this would have happened. She would have been blissfully ignorant of many things in life.
“I don't think she was stupid. God, Anna, I’d never seen a happier woman than when you and Alex were together. You glowed.”
“I was pregnant. Pregnant women do that. And...well, Alex wasn’t who he said he was.” He was a monster who liked little girls.
Aaron gave her a confused look. “I thought you knew about what he did.”
“You knew? How could you still be friends with him?”
“Anna, I found out...after he died. But, I don’t think any less of him. It sure explains all his mystery trips.”
“Yeah, it’s not exactly something you advertise,” she grumbled.
“I imagine it would be dangerous if it was general knowledge.”
“Dangerous? Why would it be dangerous?”
Aaron looked bewildered. “Well, I don’t know...like you said, it’s not something you want to advertise. But, I mean, considering all that the Brotherhood does, I don't see why it’s a big deal. Aside from the whole killing thing, it’s actually kinda cool.”
“He killed them?” she squeaked. The little girls hadn’t looked like they died, but maybe they died later.
“That was his job, Anna. Or part of it anyways. He wouldn’t be a very good assassin if he didn’t.”
His job? Assassin? “What are you talking about, Aaron?”
“You’re upset because of his...well, the reason for his black diamonds, right?”
Anna shook her head. “No. I knew about that before he asked me to marry him. I’m upset because I didn’t know he had a penchant for hurting little girls. He lied and pretended that he was—”
“Anna, what on earth gave you that idea about him?” Aaron’s eyes were wide. “He would never do anything like that.”
“Yes, he would,” she said, angry tears filling her eyes. “I saw it.”
“You saw him hurting someone?”
She nodded and stabbed at her salad.
“Anna, he’s been gone for over two years—”
“I saw a video. Devin showed me.”
“A video?” Aaron stared at her. “Oh, God. Anna...was it...were there three girls? And Alex was...?”
Anna nodded. “You knew?”
“Anna, that video...it’s not real. Or, at least...God, Devin showed that to you?”
“It is real. He laughed when they screamed.”
Aaron shook his head. “No. Anna, no. It’s not. Yes, he told me.” He sighed. “Do you remember when we were dating? And that afternoon when that pain started. That excruciating pain?”
She nodded. “How could I forget?” Especially now that she’d had the real thing?
“Hon, Devin drugged him and made him do those horrible things. Then Devin tortured him and that’s when you started hurting. Anna, he was drugged. I know. We talked about it afterward.”
Anna shook her head again. “No, even drugged Alex wouldn’t....”
But Alex had done bad things another time when he was drugged. When he raped her after a trip. That’s when he told her he was going back to Frankfurt. Maybe the video wasn’t true? Maybe Devin had been just trying to hurt her. He liked to hurt her and didn’t hide it anymore.
“Alex was the man you loved, Anna. He was exactly the man he appeared to be.”
An
na angrily brushed her tears away and looked out the window. “Well, it doesn’t matter now. He’s dead. He left me alone and now all I have is Devin.”
“He didn’t get killed on purpose, Anna. You know that.”
“He promised me he would come home. That he would come back to me.” She shook her head. “He lied.”
“Anna, give yourself time to grieve. He loved you more than anything in the world.”
“And a lot of good that did. I wish I’d never met him. I would have been better off if he’d never saved me.”
“That’s not true, Anna and you know it.”
Anna glared at Aaron. “When you have lived my life, then you can tell me what’s true or not.” She stood, pushing back her chair so hard that it fell backwards. “Don’t talk to me again.”
She turned and stormed out of the deli and walked back to the studio where she went into the bathroom and wept. Knowing that the video wasn’t showing the truth didn’t help ease the pain. If anything, it made it worse.
If Alex really was the man she thought he was, then the loss was even greater. There was no hope. There was only Devin.
Chapter Nine
The weekend before Petrushka opened, Devin took Anna to the Summer Gathering. She hadn’t been there since Alex died, but Devin wanted her there this year since she was “awake.”
“I don’t want any of your attitude while we’re here, Anna,” Devin warned as they deplaned in Washington DC.
“Yes, Devin,” she said quietly and followed Devin through the airport. Ian and Tyler had traveled with them, but Devin had left Maggie at home because he didn’t want Anna to feel spoiled. She would attend to herself.
They arrived at the hotel a while later and Tyler took her to his room while Devin spoke with some of the Elders that had arrived already.
He pushed her into the bedroom. “Take your clothes off,” he snapped.
Anna immediately began undressing while Tyler watched with a wicked grin that was so much like his father’s. When she was naked, he turned her around and pushed her onto the bed.
The Life of Anna, Part 4: Ensnared Page 5