The Devil (BOOK I + II)

8 | "I Won't Let You Leave Me"

Chapter Eight
"I Won't Let You Leave Me"

" you were wild once.
don't let them tame you,"
~ isadora duncan

┏━━━━━━━┓

It's been almost a week since the trial, and my life continued in routine: wake up, eat breakfast with the family, train, keep myself busy until I eat lunch alone, then wait until dinner to see my siblings again.

Sometimes I'd go swim, and I was trying to force myself to read the books Gala suggested before she left. But as someone who craved movement and freedom, finding comfort in the estate was harder than I remembered.

Especially since I couldn't leave the damn place.

When Monday came, though, papa surprised me when after we ate breakfast, he instructed all of us to wait in the reading room. He didn't wait for our reply before strutting out, leaving me to watch his body depart.

"What do you think he wants?" I asked Vladik as I slid next to him, walking in the direction of the reading room.

He glanced my way, but didn't respond until a few seconds later. "Probably wants to make an announcement, Roza. I know as much as you do."

"I doubt that," I snorted as my eyes slid to Micah and Lev, who were a few feet a head of us, whispering to each other.

My heart ached at the sight of my baby brother's expressionless face.

Thankfully, Vladik spoke up, so I didn't have to think of it. "What's that supposed to mean?"

With a disheartened laugh, I twisted my head toward Vladik. My eyes raked over his Caribbean blue eyes, dark brown wavy hair and olive skin. He was bare of any facial hair, giving him a youthful persona, but the longer you stared into his deep eyes and dishevelled hair, there was a deviousness that could have only been created by Micah—the devil in disguise.

"You're a boy, Vladdie," I stated softly. "You'll always know more than me. And not because you're smarter." Because it's required for the men to know more than a woman. Especially in the Dynasty.

I didn't say that, though, but when his eyes flashed with understanding, I breathed a little easier.

Vladik threw his arm around me, and I couldn't help but be grateful that he was actually talking to me, even after what I put him through.

We made it to the reading room moments later, but Vladik didn't leave my side. He led us to the window seat on the right side of the space, and while I sat, my eyes lingered on all of the bodies filling up the room.

Micah and Lev were standing rigidly by the entrance across from the fireplace. I watched them both, dumbfound, as to how my brother was able to convert Lev into this... robot.

At that thought, my heart jumped before I rotated my head to the far left corner of the room, where I knew Daemon idled.

His cool gaze was on me, and the intensity of his attention made me shiver just as papa entered the room.

Papa's back was straight, lips pressed into a thin line as he slowly began to travel his focus across all the people in the room. I noticed Boris, Rolie and Gala's father in the room, but Rolie wasn't anywhere to be found. I also realized there were only Russians in the room.

Once papa finished, he tilted his head in faint satisfaction before he spoke in Russian.

"Christmas is coming, and that also means the winter banquet will be here, in celebration of our successes this past year." Some people glanced my way, but no one interrupted papa as he continued. "Because of this, all seven Dynasties will be present, and not just the leading families. Extra security will be present, as well as other measures to ensure nothing happens."