The next day Anastasia sat on her porch watching the sun rise over the world she loved. Something Elizabeth had said last night had struck home for her. When all of this was over, and there was no more war to fight, would Dakota want to return to Seattle? Or would he be okay staying here?
Anytime she closed her eyes and tried to picture her future, it was here. She didn’t want to return to the city. She knew that he would choose her, but did he want to choose Terrenia too? Would he be happy in this world?
Kaley nuzzled against her and she began rubbing the giant feline again. She couldn’t leave here, she would just have to make sure Dakota was happy. This was her home, their home, and she would make sure he saw it too.
The wind picked up slightly, and Anastasia felt the chill in it. She knew it was only a matter of time before Vincent made the final move against Terrenia, and she hoped they would be ready when he came. The Guisnows offered them a substantial fighting force, and between them and the Brutes, Anastasia felt that they might stand a chance now even if they couldn’t gain any other support. But that was only if Vincent had no more surprises up his sleeve, and unfortunately, she knew he probably did.
She closed her eyes and imagined her father was sitting next to her. What advice would he have for her? Would he tell her to continue with her current mission? Or push her onto a different path? She could almost see him sitting next to her smiling, and the sight of it—even though it was only in her mind—was comforting.
“Hey.”
Anastasia turned and smiled at a sleepy-eyed Dakota coming outside. His pants rode low on his hard body, and simply looking at him had her mouth watering.
“Morning, sleepyhead.” She grinned.
He took a seat next to her and put his arm around her back. She leaned against him and smiled as his fingers drew circles on her lower back.
“I’ve missed waking up with you,” he said softly, and she turned her face to press a light kiss to his lips.
“Me too.”
“What’s on the plan for today, General?” he asked sarcastically, and she slapped his chest lightly.
“We have the next two worlds on our list and we need to get the Guisnows up to date.”
“I think Argento was taking care of that.”
“Good.” She smiled. Argento enjoyed taking charge, and she was a hundred percent okay with it.
“Shall we get dressed?”
“I was thinking perhaps we do the opposite?” She eyed his bare skin, and her blood quickened when his hand stilled on her back.
“Have I told you that you have the best ideas?” He scooped her up and carried her into the cottage.
* * *
“Be careful,” Tony warned as they finished strapping on their packs. “You got lucky with those desert creatures, you may not get lucky a second time.”
“We will be,” Anastasia assured him. “Have you seen Kaley?” she asked him as she tightened the straps on her backpack. “I haven’t seen her since this morning when I was sitting on the porch. I went inside for a bit and when I came out, she was gone.”
“She came to the gate and asked to go out earlier.” Pace, one of the Fighters from another village, offered. “It’s not abnormal for her, so I let her out.”
Anastasia nodded. She couldn’t help the sinking feeling in her stomach, and she wished the feline had stayed safely behind the wall. “Thanks, but keep an eye out for her, will you?”
“You got it.”
“Ready?” Dakota asked, and placed a quick kiss to her forehead.
“Let’s go.” She tossed one of the vials down and they stepped through the swirling blue light and into complete chaos.
Smoke filled their lungs at the same time screams sounded in their ears. It took Anastasia a minute to determine what it was she was seeing. An entire jungle was up in flame, its inhabitants being slaughtered as they ran from the trees. Brutes and those desert beasts were chasing terrified men, women, and children around, and Anastasia and Dakota leapt into action.
“Hey, dick!” Dakota yelled, catching the attention of one of the desert beasts. “How about you fucking pick on someone your own size!” he yelled as the thing turned back to the woman and infant it had been terrorizing.
“Gladly,” it said, and came for them.
Back to back they fought to keep the attention on them so the villagers could escape. Anastasia drew from her magic when she could, but stayed on the reserved side in case this was the day Vincent decided to show up. She had to be ready. So instead, she put her blood and sweat into sending the monsters to hell where they belonged.
Eventually, the villagers who were able to jumped in on the fight, and together they were able to dispatch the beasts who had destroyed the village and slaughtered its people. Anastasia used some of her magic then to put out the fires that had sprung up.
She fell to her knees. The exhaustion from using her magic coupled with the fight had drained her, but it wasn’t long before she felt the blade of a sword pressing into her back.
“Get up.” The accent was deep, and when Anastasia turned around, she was face-to-face with one of the most beautiful women she had ever seen.
She looked like a human cheetah. Her body was all muscle, and Anastasia didn’t miss the feline-like tendencies in the way she moved. Her skin was a honey brown with black spots that ran up both arms and formed a V on her forehead. Her hair was black, and fell to her waist in a thick braid while her eyes blazed like flame behind thick lashes.
“I wouldn’t draw that weapon,” she said without taking her eyes off Anastasia, and Dakota removed his hand from his holster. “Why are you here?”
“We were coming to warn you, but it seems we were late,” Anastasia said.
“What is your name?”
“She’s the Phoenix,” Dakota said, and Anastasia inwardly cringed at her nickname, afraid it made her seem like she was capable of a lot more than she felt like.
The woman instantly lowered her sword. “Prove it.”
Anastasia turned around and lifted her back to bear that tattoo that had somehow taken over who she was.
“Thank you for coming,” the woman said, and sheathed her sword. “I am Nallia, leader of the Jaitu. We’ve been expecting you.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” Anastasia reached her hand out and the woman regarded it warily before she took it. “I’m Anastasia and this is Dakota.”
“I take it you are not allies of Vincent’s,” Dakota said, disgusted.
Nallia hissed. “He is a monster and I will not rest until his blood is dripping down the hilt of my weapon.”
“Get in line,” Dakota said gruffly.
“Why was he here?” Anastasia asked.
“He told us to join him or die. We were not interested, and he sent his demons to battle for him. Coward.” She spit after saying the word, as if it left a bad taste on her tongue. “You have come for the same reason, no?”
“We came to ask for your help in defeating him. But we would have never harmed your people, Nallia,” Anastasia said softly as she looked at the carnage.
“We have a doctor. We can help you,” Dakota urged her.
“A doctor?”
“A healer,” Anastasia said quickly. “Come with us and I can promise you we will defeat him and he will to pay for everything he has done.”
“With his life,” Nallia growled.
“Absolutely,” Anastasia and Dakota said at the same time.
“We will come with you.” Nallia sighed. “I have to make sure I have everyone, and I need to bury those who did not survive.”
“We will help, tell us what to do.” Anastasia placed her hand on Nallia’s arm and the woman nodded. For the first time, Anastasia sensed a fragility about her and wondered how old she was.
“Nallia!” They turned to see a young boy running towards her, and she fell to her knees in an embrace.
“Henry! I thought I had lost you too,” she cried, and wrapped her hands around him. The boy looked almost exactly like her, but Anastasia wondered if they were siblings rather than mother and son.
“Who are they?” he asked, and Anastasia smiled softly.
“They are going to help us.”
“Will they get the man that killed mother and father?”
“Yes,” she growled. “We need to help everyone pack, can you let everyone know we are leaving soon? They will need to gather their belongings, what’s left of them anyways. We will have a proper burial for those who did not make it.”
“Yes, Sister.” He turned to run back where he had come from and Nallia stood, wiping tears from her cheeks.
“Come,” she said, and began walking. “We can start by collecting the dead.”
Anastasia and Dakota followed Nallia into what had once been the heart of her village. The entire jungle had been scorched by the flames caused by the attack, and Anastasia did her best to bite back the grief that smothered her as she looked at the carnage Vincent had once again caused.
They entered the house that was positioned in the center, and there Anastasia saw the bodies of two adults who she could only imagine had once been Nallia and Henry’s parents.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Anastasia said softly, and Nallia nodded.
“They expected much from me. I only hope to live up to half of what they hoped I would become.”
Anastasia swallowed hard. Nallia had just summed up how she herself felt about everyone looking to her for direction.
“I suppose this makes me queen now, doesn’t it, Mother?” Tears streamed down Nallia’s face. “You always wanted me to be one, and now I have no choice.” She sat in silence for a moment, and Anastasia knew it was to try and compose herself.
“Let us get started.” Nallia sighed and together they gave her people a proper burial.