Princess of Apocalypse

by Drake Wellington

  “I couldn’t see your soul leaving your body. It had to be a dream.”

  Dream is the softer version of, Izzy, you were hallucinating. I made my eyes roll. “I’m not so sure. The ghost claimed to be my sister. Seems everyone wants a part of me nowadays. You might be right after all. Sure, it was just a dream.”

  He nodded encouragingly. “Unlikely you met a ghost of your former life.”

  “Whatever, my ghost-sister was very interested in you.”

  “In me?”

  “Yes, telling me you look better in uniform.”

  “Really? I must meet this ghost one day. Has my admirer a name?”

  “Tatiana, funny isn’t it. I believe Tat’s threats of killing me have found its way into my subconsciousness.”

  In response he lifted his right eyebrow.

  “Really, you should have seen her fighting me earlier. I tell you, I can be lucky being alive.”

  He shook his head. “Grand Duchess Tatiana was Anastasia’s older sister.”

  “Fine another Tatiana. That proofs nothing”, I raised my hands in defence as I foresaw the train of thoughts his mind was taking and wished to extinguish the possibility right in its germ. “It was just a dream, right? And she confessed to me by another name. Nadja, Nasha, something—“

  “Nastya”, he whispered, his face had lost all colour or the bit that had been there.

  “Yeah, that was it.”

  He turned around to the side table and picked up the book. “Nastya is the short form of Anastasia, a nickname.” He tried to sound casual, but I could look right through his weak facade. His shaking hands flicked through the pages of his book until he found a page with an old photograph, which he tossed right under my nose. “Is that your ghost?”

  One glance at the picture was enough. “You’ve to be kidding. That’s her. Her hair was longer, but those eyes, without doubt.”

  I sunk down and was grateful for the chair I found under my bum. “That can’t, simply can’t be.”

  “What else did she say?”

  I shook my head. “Only that our parents were so worried about me. And Olga is a pessimist. I don’t know an Olga.”

  Another flick through his book and he showed another stunning looking girl with model potential. “Grand Duchess Olga Nikolayevna, oldest daughter of the last tsar of Russia.”

  Hours ago, I thought it couldn’t get any worse. Now, what was I worried about? Suddenly, adopted sounded a better alternative to the reborn princess of a dead dynasty and Death himself was claiming to be my daddy.

  I’m not sure how I did it, but I calmed myself and managed to meet his eyes. Usually those dark eyes always gave me a shiver running down my spine. Not this time. Funny enough, the opposite was the case. He saved your life, Izzy. Yeah, that might be it. Instead of thanking him, I said: “Could you please for a moment, try not to look at me as all this is a great thing.”

  “Sure”, he turned around and gave me some privacy.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean you don’t have to look at me at all.”

  A sigh escaped him, when he faced me again. “Elizabeth.” He dropped to one knee, both his hands suddenly holding mine. I flinched upon the touch. It wasn’t unpleasant, not at all, rather sensational, just unprepared, like flinging me over his shoulder and jumping out of a window unprepared.

  Is he proposing? I’m barely sixteen.

  “Izzy”, I corrected him, blushing. What can I say? He saved my life more than once. That meant something to me. He earned his spot among my friends.

  “Izzy”, the touch of a smile gathered around the edges of his lips. “I know all of this must be hard to comprehend.”

  I sighed. “Hard is no expression.”

  His strong hands squeezed mine, making my heart pound harder, if that was even possible. “I’m sorry for all what happened to you. If you chose to believe none of this, it’s fine, but be assured of one thing, I’ll do everything, everything in my power to keep you safe.”

  “I know”, I whispered back. Conveniently, my voice decided to break at this moment and all I could bring out was a whisper. “I know, I’m not sure why, but I feel safe with you. I never thanked you for saving my life.”

  He shook his head. “Don’t!” It was a warning.

  I leaned forward, closer to him, our eyes and lips just inches away, blood shooting in my head, reddening my cheeks. “Why not? Don’t you think I feel no gratitude for you saving my life repeatedly? I stopped counting, but believe you me, I value my life and owe you big time.”

  “I didn’t save your life! I messed up. You owe me nothing. I owe you. Can’t you see this, Izzy?”

  “I’m still alive, Dimitri.” At least I hoped so. Nowadays, I wasn’t sure of anything anymore.

  “Again… alive… again. I should have protected you that night. I was too late, a marathon against time itself. When I found you they’d just killed your entire family, but I got you out. I got you out only to lose you minutes later, when the sentinels caught up with us. I thought I could kill them all. Anger and arrogance. I should have stayed at your side.” A tear was visible in his right eye. The memory pained him. I wanted to reach out, drive my fingers through his short hair and take him into my arms.

  Don’t Izzy, don’t. You need him, your friends need him. Jake needs him, Vicky too. I felt horrible.

  He was fighting to keep his composure. “One single Bolshevik fooled me. One slipped through my guard and killed you, her.”

  “Tell me about her.” My voice wasn’t more than a breath. “How was she?”

  A smile conjured back onto his saddened face, his eyes focused on a time in the past only he could see. “Her kindness knew no boundaries. Even when she was young, she was observant of her environment. Once she spotted a child crying in the street and gave her beloved doll to the weeping child, all because she thought she was more in need of a friend than she was. She was joyful to the point of mischievous. What can you expect if you have three older sisters, one more beautiful than the other? Of course she was marked by the same beauty and elegance. But beauty wasn’t everything. She was also blessed with a remarkable intelligence and love for her friends. She tried helping them, even when she needed their help most. You can call her selfless, because that’s what she was. Completely selfless with a need to act, a need to help. Sometimes she could make you furious, but all it needed was one glance into her deep blue eyes and all the fury was gone. Instead, you wanted to take her in your arms, be forever with her, even if it’s only as a servant boy. I always got lost in her eyes, this deep ocean, which was scary, but I felt addicted to her. Unnecessary to say, she was the love of my life. And I got her murdered.”

  “It wasn’t you, who murdered her”, I told him. I got my right hand out of his grip and stroke over his cheek with my thumb. For how long did he feel that pain? A tear was running down my cheek. “I’m sure she would have understood, I do.”

  He nodded knowingly. “As I said, kindness without boundaries. A kindness, I’d never deserve.”

  He looked so sad and I felt so horrible for what I would do next. “I believe, the princess and I have a lot in common. I can’t sit here waiting for the things that unfold. I have to rescue my friends? What would Anastasia do?”

  It was the first time I used this name directly and the effect was instantaneous. Dimitri flinched as if I have poked him in his side with a glowing iron stick.

  “What are you suggesting Grand Duchess?” He stole closer, I could already feel his hot breath on my lips. The world around me started spinning. My eyes closed in expectation, my skin showing goose bumps.

  Please don’t call me that. I don’t want to be her… I don’t want you to risk your life again and again for me just to prove your worthiness to me.

  IZZY!

  It took all my willpower to raise out of my seat and turn my back to him. I would have kissed him. I knew I would. There is no denying.

  “We’ve not the slightest clue where your friends are”, he said, sc
rambling back to his feet.

  “Maybe we tackle the problem from the wrong angle”, I said without turning around, my voice lacking determination, but I’m sure he didn’t notice. “Instead of looking for my friends, maybe we should look for the demons.”

  I expected a witty remark why my suggestion was stupid, but none came. So I turned around. His forehead was put in wrinkles. “I know, summoning a demon is bad business.”

  He shook his head. “As I said, she was blessed with remarkable intelligence. We don’t have to summon them, if we know where they hang out.”

  “Does it mean you’re helping me?” I straightened myself and gave him my sweetest pleading glance I could master.

  “I owe you”, was all he said and scratched the back of his head, while thinking hard.

  You don’t! You just think you do and because, even after a century had passed, you’re still in love with her. And because I made you do this by using your blind spot. I never felt worse in my life.

  “I take it, you’ve a plan and this plan involves us going to this meeting place. Am I right?”

  He nodded, a mischievous smile formed on his lips, not to say creepy. “Yeah, but you won’t like it.”

  Chapter XV

  Lucifer

  If I’d known that you won’t like it contained breaking into Tatiana’s room and rummaging through her wardrobe for the shortest and the most exposed outfit, I would have asked for a plan B. Unfortunately, there was none.

  Had I felt sorry for Dimitri minutes ago, I took all of it back and proclaimed the opposite. This plan seemed designed for his amusement only.

  “Njet”, he said, when I came out of Tatiana’s dressing room for the third time, clothed in a sun-coloured dress that was ending just underneath my hips. Meanwhile, he was just leaning against the doorjamb levelling his hand to a so-so, pretending to be bored. His eyes told a different story.

  “What’s wrong now?” I mocked, rolling my eyes.

  “I told you, think more seductive.”

  “Any shorter and I can go through as a hooker!” I shot back at him.

  “We’re dealing with demons, Izzy. It can never be short enough.”

  I turned on my heels, totally forgot that I’m in high-heels and landed on my bum. Behind me started a suppressed giggle. “Don’t you dare laugh at me, Dimitri! This plan sucks.”

  I scrambled my dignity together and marched back into the walk-in-robe. Luckily Tatiana had plenty of outfits, carefully set in order from seductive over to sinful and to ‘take me, I’m literally naked already’.

  “Honestly”, I told Dimitri, when I returned in a white dress with an extreme low neckline. “If that outfit is not waking a demon’s attention I don’t know what will.”

  Dimitri rolled with his eyes. “Definitely njet.”

  “Definitely njet?” I aped his accent. “Are you out of your mind? Do you want me to go naked?” His eyes flashed. “Alright, don’t answer that. Just tell me what’s wrong this time.”

  “It’s white.”

  “What’s wrong with white?”

  He took a deep breath in played annoyance, the entire charade seemed adding to his amusement. “Good and bad, black and white. We’re not going to offer you as a sacrificial victim. Demons like black and red.”

  “Fine”, I frowned at him and streamed back.

  “Demon’s also like higher heels”, he called after me. “The higher the better.”

  “Demon’s or you”, I muttered over my shoulder, but he chose to ignore me.

  Another fifteen minutes later, we finally settled on a red dress that was open at the back and made my boobs look twice as big as they were. Don’t even ask about the section below my hips. All I could say, the pastor back in Beacon Hills would call for the inquisition.

  On the positive, Dimitri couldn’t take his eyes off me.

  ***

  “Why do I have to look stunning, while you can go through with a black shirt and pants?” Alright, he looked great in those, but my expectations were centred on a tux, at the very least. And what’s with all this black and grey colour of his attire, anyway? Isn’t there any other colour in his wardrobe?

  “No demon will look at me. Their eyes should catch you.”

  “I’m bait?” The complaint was swinging with it, that’s all I am for you now?

  “Let’s say a very attractive bait”, he said, and opened the door to the nightclub The Devil’s Lounge in the Other Place. Yes, again, he did perform his portal-opening-show. I was almost swooning away when he cut his arm. Sorry, I’m not on good terms with the red fluid.

  I barely recognised the Other Place. It looked so much more like modern New York at night. With the exception, the New York of the Other Place was silent as a grave. No honking vehicles, no sign of the one million yellow cabs, no sign of any living creature… well, you wouldn’t call it living, rather a miserable afterlife of the dead. Honestly, I could have settled with the Victorian Britain, but I expected more from paradise. I made a mental note to live forever and strolled inside.

  The inside, however, resembled exactly what you expected of New York’s nightlife. Dutz-Dutz music was playing, the bass made the floor vibrate that much, I almost lost my footing. With the latter, it didn’t need much. Not in those extreme heels. Not worth mentioning, they weren’t my idea either. Dimitri had persisted on the red shoes with the six inch platform heels, those or we’re not going anywhere.

  Fine, I’d agreed. That was when I expected him to wear a tux as a compromise.

  There was a dance floor further down a few rows of tables, filled with a crowd getting out of control. On the side were little booths, more like caves or lounges for the people with higher status. It was exactly as in the movies… only the club was full of…. people…

  I leaned over to Dimitri so that I had not to shout over the loud music. The heels brought me to the same height as him. “This bloke has sharp ears.” I was pointing at a man in a Hawaiian shirt and dark sunglasses. He was carrying a cocktail with umbrella sticking out to another lady with sharp pointed ears in a golden cocktail dress. The lady gave me a glance and scrutinised me from top to toe. Then wrinkled her nose as if she’d inhaled a foul scent.

  “Elves… ignore them. They’re arrogant. Always consider themselves as a superior race. Worth mentioning, their arrogance brought them to the brink of extinction.”

  “I would call them rude.”

  “That too.”

  Slowly my eyes were adjusting to the dark surroundings. A laser show at the dance floor and tea lights on the tables and in the lounges seemed the only sources of light.

  “And over there.” I pointed to a bunch of five bearded men in leather jackets and leather pants, their hair untidy and sticky. You could’ve mistaken them as a biker-gang, if it wasn’t for their eyes, which had a yellow touch and… well, something animal in it, like a predator searching for prey. One of the men clapped his comrade in the middle on the arm and jerked his chin in my direction.

  Dimitri suppressed a giggle, when he noticed my scared glance. “Werewolves, don’t let them bite you.”

  The man in the middle made a deliberate step in my direction. “Dimitri”, my voice climbed in volume. “You’re not leaving my side, are you?”

  “Don’t worry!” His left hand was suddenly on my left hip, causing all kinds of electrical fireworks spasmed through my body. With a short pull to the side, he shoved me into him. The werewolf careered around and slapped his minion on the back of his head.

  “What was that?” I asked.

  “Hmm, you’re already taken. His comrade should have done his homework.”

  “Taken by you?” There was mockery in my voice.

  Dimitri’s hand let go of my hip. “If you prefer the wolf-gang, go ahead. They love group biting games as foreplay, just for your information.”

  “Dimitri!” I said shocked. “No, I rather don’t wanna know how you acquired this knowledge.” Where the hell did he bring me? My glance wandered to
another group of four, every single one dressed in a dark suit, black sunglasses despite the dark environment and their oily hair combed back into a short pony tail. Let’s call them the delegation of the Italian mafia. Their skin was very pale, almost white. One of them slipped his glasses to the tip of his nose and looked at me over the brim. His eyes had red shadows underneath. He raised his glass in my direction and gave a whistle, which muted under the bass of the music. The glass was a typical wine glass, filled with a red fluid… let’s say I had an inkling that it wasn’t filled with Merlot.

  I pulled Dimitri with a jerk closer to me. “Your hand, back on my hip. Now!”

  He giggled about my panic-stricken voice, but followed my order. “Your wish is my command, my lady.”

  “Any word to anyone about this and I’ll kill you, understood.”

  “Crystal.”

  Dimitri steered me to a bar at the side, where the music was just a little less noisy. The bartender, an elf in his low thirties appeared instantly. “That we understand us right, tracker, no trouble tonight.”

  Dimitri took a seat on the bar stool and gestured me to follow his example. Ever climbed up a bar stool in a dress that ended just below your hips? Sure, Tatiana would have managed and somehow Dimitri was mistaken me for his glorious girlfriend.

  “Johnny, Johnny, Johnny”, Dimitri said. “Have I ever failed you?”

  “Say, we don’t like trackers here.”

  “You break my heart, so let’s make this encounter a quick one. You tell me a few information and I’m back on my way.”

  Johnny nodded at me. “What’s with her? What happened to the redhead?”

  “House arrest. But she sends her regards. She really feels remorse for the toad accident—“

  “You call this an accident? It took me two days to clean up this place.”

  “Toad accident?” I asked bewildered, satisfied with myself that I’d finally had managed to climb up the stool without someone spotting my, sorry, Tatiana’s red underwear.

  Dimitri leaned closer, his mouth at my ear, which had the side effect that my cheeks were blushing fire extinguisher red. “Tat released a few toads.”