“How did your training go today?” Dakota asked as they sat at the table that afternoon.
“It went well. I learned something new.”
“Oh yeah? Can you show me?”
Biting back the fear, Anastasia held her palm out and closed her eyes. She focused on the memory of the two of them playing in the tree and opened her eyes.
“That is amazing! I remember that day.”
“It’s my favorite memory of the two of us.”
He smiled and she closed her palm. “Are you ready to head into the village?” he asked her as he stood.
“I'm going to lie down for a few minutes if that’s okay. I’m pretty wiped out from today.”
“Of course. I could join you if you want company.” He winked at her, and she laughed lightly.
“You and I both know I wouldn’t get much rest if you came with me. Besides, your mom will want to see that you got back from the scout run safe and sound.”
“I’ll see you soon?” he asked, kissing her gently.
“Before you know it.”
After Dakota and Kaley left, she went into her bedroom and lay down on her bed. Moments after she closed her eyes, she heard the door open again.
“Forget something?” she asked playfully, sitting up in bed.
“As a matter of fact, I did.”
Anastasia leapt to her feet at the sound of Vincent’s voice. She ran through her doorway and into the living area, where she saw Vincent, Brady, and half a dozen Brutes standing in front of the door.
“Brady, what are you doing with him?”
“He is the only one who understands how I feel.”
“He is working with the Brutes! If that is what you are mad about, then why are you with him!” she yelled.
“He doesn’t like them either! They are only in it for the mutual benefits, but you all actually like them. Noelle is sleeping with one!”
“Brady, please come home.”
“Never.” He sneered.
“Get her, by whatever means necessary,” Vincent ordered.
Two of the Brutes moved in for her, and she dodged them. She threw her hand out and fire scorched them, knocking them to the ground.
Vincent laughed as three Brutes knocked her to the ground. “I'm going to kill everyone, Anastasia.” He sneered at her.
“Anastasia!” She heard the yelling and fought to get the Brutes off her. She flung her arms out and fought with everything she had. She saw her skin begin to glow, and suddenly the Brutes released her.
“You better run!” she screamed at them. She held her palm up and watched the flames leap on her skin.
“Anastasia, come back!” she heard the distant voice again. Why was it calling to her? She hadn’t gone anywhere—if anything, she had been found.
“Anastasia!” It was getting closer, and the glow on her skin began to dim.
“ANA!” Her vision cleared and the Brutes faded. In front of her stood Dakota, Tony, Argento, Elizabeth, and three other of the loyal Brutes. The cabin was smoking from her magic, and her body began to shake.
“Stay away from her.” Argento gripped Dakota’s shoulder when he moved towards her.
“Get off me.” Dakota pushed through him and reached for her.
“Don’t touch me,” Anastasia said softly.
“Ana—”
“Get out!” she yelled at them. “It’s not safe! Get out!” Her skin started glowing again, and everyone but Dakota began backing away.
“I'm not leaving you!”
“Go, Dakota! Tony, please make him leave. It’s not safe!”
Suddenly Vincent was back and the Brutes were reaching for her again. She pushed herself back into the corner as far as she could away from them and began sobbing. “Please go. I don’t know what’s real.”
“I am real!” She heard the voice again and fought to hang on to it.
“Go.” She flung her hand and threw Dakota out into the night.
The door swung shut, and no matter how he pushed at it, Dakota couldn’t get it to budge.
“What the hell is happening?” he yelled, turning to face the others.
“It is the effects of the stasis.” The Brute healer, Rayden, stepped forward. “She is having trouble discerning reality from illusion.”
“I thought that this would clear up, why is it getting worse?” Elizabeth asked him.
“I honestly am not sure. I have never seen a human put into a stasis, let alone ripped from one as abruptly as she was. Normally when we pull a Brute from it, we do it gradually by adding doses of reality back into it until it is back to normal. She found a way to get out of it within seconds. Normally it takes days.”
“She thought she saw Vincent today, while she was with Carmen,” Tony told Rayden.
“And you’re only just now telling me about this?” Dakota stepped towards Tony, and Elizabeth moved in between them.
“Dakota, calm down,” she urged.
Dakota saw the look on her face and felt his anger spike. “You knew?” he accused her. “Why wouldn’t you tell me? I understand Tony keeping her secret to some extent,” he added with a glare at Tony, “but you should have told me.”
“Dakota, I—”
“It doesn’t matter now,” he cut her off, turning his attention back to Rayden. “What can we do?”
“I do not know. As I said before, we have never used stasis on a human. If we try to reinsert her, then her mind could break and we may not ever recover her. I think the best course of action is to leave her be until she comes around.”
“Does that look like she is going to come around?” Dakota asked, pointing to the cottage.
“We need to place guards outside so someone can sound an alarm if need be,” Argento suggested.
“Guards? Are you kidding me? She is not the enemy!” he yelled, but Tony stepped next to Argento.
“He is right, Dakota.”
“You agree? How can you of all people agree to that?”
“She is dangerous right now, Dakota. Think about it from her side, how do you think she would feel if she tore this village apart?” He stepped closer to him until they were nearly standing chest to chest. “Do you think this does not tear me apart inside? She is like a daughter to me! I will not risk her hurting any one of our people not just for their sake, but for hers.” He turned to face Argento. “I’m going to get Carmen. She might be able to protect the cottage from any further damage and keep her inside until either she comes around or we find a way to drag her ass back to reality.”
“Dakota,” Elizabeth started, but turned and headed back towards the village with Tony.
“I am sorry, Dakota.” Argento touched his shoulder and then motioned to the Brute who stood beside Rayden. “You stay in those trees out of sight. She comes out, you alert us, but under no circumstances are you to go after her.”
“Understood,” he agreed, and hid himself from view.
Dakota sat on the porch, his back to the door. He could hear her inside crying and closed his eyes at the sound.
“I’m here, Ana,” he said quietly. “I'm not leaving until you come back.”
Anastasia sat rocking against the wall. “It’s not real,” she kept telling herself. “Dakota’s not dead, he’s alive, and my people are alive.” She wrapped her arms even tighter around herself as Brutes appeared in front of her again.
“No!” she screamed, and threw her magic at them, but they only laughed and disappeared. “It’s not real. Dakota’s not dead, he’s alive, and my people are alive,” she repeated again, rocking. “Please don’t let it be real.”