Avrora
"Since the crest is real, I've been thinking I could be right about the rest of the dream." I sigh. "The parts where the shadow monsters kill me. Of course, I'm not dead and I know the monsters weren't monsters, but if I had a bad experience, I want to know what happened."
Worry washes over her face. "Do you think you should? I mean maybe that's why your parents didn't want to talk about it when you brought it up."
I nod slowly, feeling a little defeated. "I guess, but I just wanted to know."
"Avrora, I think you need to take each day as it comes and one problem at a time." She reaches out and covers my hands with hers. "Things are already intense enough with Anatoli. You've been thrust into this new life where you're not with Mikhail and you can't speak to your father. Don't take on anything that's going to add to that stress."
"You're right." Playing Nancy Drew is not what I should be doing now with everything else going on.
"At the same time, I'm not saying you shouldn't do anything because maybe you can ask Anatoli. But be careful."
"I will."
"And remember I'm here for you."
"Thank you."
We hug again, then fall into talking about college. Time flies by way too fast and soon she has to leave.
Ehlga comes out to get me moments after, but the person I see walking alongside her has my skin crawling.
It's Gytha.
She's not with Anatoli like I imagined.
Today she's wearing a fitted skater dress with thigh-high leather boots. While I look like I'm appropriately dressed to rummage through the snack aisle at Walmart, she looks like she's ready to sign a modeling contract with Dior.
Jesus, what's wrong with me?
Why am I comparing myself to this woman? I've never worried about my looks before. All my life, people have told me how beautiful I am. At one point, I got tired of it, especially the comments I'd get about how blessed I was to inherit my mother's hair color and her ice-blue eyes.
Gytha zeros in on me like a cat about to pounce on an unsuspecting canary. Ehlga, on the other hand, has a put-out expression on her face. Although I don't know this for sure, I get the impression she's not overly fond of Gytha.
I sensed it yesterday after my first encounter with the La Femme Nikita wannabe.
"I'm ready to go," Ehlga announces, forcing a smile.
"And I just wanted to introduce myself properly before you leave," Gytha cuts in, looking me up and down, sizing me up.
"Avrora, this is Gytha." Ehlga points to her. "I told her Anatoli would have introduced her like he has with all the staff, but she felt it more appropriate to do it herself as you are going to be his wife."
I almost laugh when Gytha cuts Ehlga a crude stare, clearly disliking what she said.
"That's not entirely true, but it doesn't matter. I wanted you to know I'll be trading places with Zane this week, so I'll be around more."
"Okay, I'll bear that in mind."
"You need to because Anatoli and I have a past you might not be aware of yet. When I'm around and we're together, we don't like to be disturbed. Let's just say I'm queen of the castle. Always. No matter who you are or what you are, wife or not, that will never change."
What a fucking bitch.
"I see." A pang of hurt goes straight to my heart. It's not for Anatoli. It's for what I lost with Mikhail.
I want to tell her she can be queen if she wants, but don't. I already feel like someone could break me into a million pieces so I don't have the strength to argue with a woman who's telling me she's my husband-to-be's mistress.
"Good, glad you understand, princess." Gytha smiles, revealing perfect white teeth beneath her crimson-painted lips, then she turns on her heels and walks away, swaying her womanly hips.
"Don't mind her," Ehlga says, looking at me apologetically.
"It's hard not to."
"Try not to worry about her. She's not very nice." Ehlga confirms my prior thoughts. "I have an idea. If we leave right away, I can take you to my favorite Continental coffee shop. It's on Main Street. They have a great selection of European tea there. Do you like tea?"
The offer surprises me but I'm grateful for it. She's done a massive turnaround since the other day. As she's in charge, I would have hated to have any contention with her.
"I love tea."
"Ahh, that's good. Then it looks like we'll get along just fine." There's a warmth beneath her gaze. "My grandmother was a gypsy. She could tell the future by reading tea leaves. I'll teach you how to do it."
"That would be really cool." I can see she's trying to make me feel better, so I won't spoil things by telling her I already know my future looks like shit.
"Come, let us go." She places an arm around me and we head out.
When we drive off the grounds, it feels good to be away from the house, but my worries follow me, haunting me like my mother's ghost.