The old mansion was on fire. She coughed and tried to see through watery eyes at the smoky hallways. The sound of crackling fire mixed with the shouts of voices. They spoke in a foreign language one that she did not understand but she could hear from their tone of voice that they did not sound friendly.
To her left she heard the sound of a child crying. She recognized the voice it belonged to. Her brother. Her baby brother. She was near the nursery. Turning blindly she headed towards the sound. She had to get him out.
Fire blazed ahead of her but she dodged through the blazing maze, her small body finding the opening that allowed her to pass through.
She stumbled over something. Her toes stubbing on something hard and pain shot through her feet all the way up her legs. Frantically she reached out to regain her balance before she went tumbling, straight towards a burning pyre. Her hand touched something metallic and fiercely hot and she let out a cry as the pain seared her flesh.
Below her she heard a shout. Someone calling out and fear lodged in her throat as she realized that that someone had heard her. She could not help to let out a whimper of fear. Another cry came from the nursery. Her brother calling out to her. Behind her the sound of steps running up stairs.
Gathering courage even as it felt like her heart threatened to jump out of her throat, she turned towards the nursery. She took a step and as if some outer force had read her intention there was a cracking sound and something fell from the ceiling landing one foot in front of her. Fire immediately blazed up with intense life and licked the carpets from side to side until a wall of flame blocked her way.
Her lungs burning from the searing heat, she coughed and cursed with the limited vocabulary of a seven year old at everything. Inside the cry of her brother increased as if he could also comprehend the danger he was in.
Tears caused partly by the smoke and partly of rage and helplessness streamed down her cheeks. Where was everyone?
The sound of steps grew louder.
Gathering her courage, she took a few steps backwards and lunged towards the flame.
Fire surrounded her. Heat seared her. Pain engulfed her.
She screamed.
Sasha Michael woke up with a strangled scream and sat up bolt straight on her bed. Her heart was thudding against her chest and she could hear each heartbeat like a loud hammer. Panting like she had run a mile, Sasha closed her eyes and swallowed several times to relieve some of the dryness.
She was still caught up in the grip of the nightmare that it took her a while before she was able to notice the insistent knock on her bedroom door and the muffled voice of Josef calling to her.
�Sasha? Are you alright?�
It was worry in his voice, that made her pull herself together and shake away the last remains of the nightmare. Wetting her lips, she forced herself to sound normal. �I�m alright, Josef.� She called out to the loyal servant.
There was a long hesitant silence. No doubt he probably did not believe her after all he practically raised her from childhood and knew her like an open book. Most of the time that is, she had gotten better at hiding her feelings over the years now, experience and survival had taught her that. Still he knew her well enough to know when to press her and when to let things lie and tonight was definitively of the latter course.
�Would you like me to bring up something for you from the kitchen?� He asked instead.
�No I�m fine. Why don�t you go back to sleep?� Sasha suggested.
�Very well then. Goodnight, child.�
Sasha could not help but to smile at the last statement. He did not call her that often anymore even when they were in private but it comforted her to hear him call her that now, especially after her dream.
At the thought of her dream the smile on her face disappeared and darkness clouded her pale eyes. Lifting the heavy covers, Sasha left the bed and headed towards the window. The wide frames creaked slightly in protest when she opened them reminding her that the hinges needed to be oiled again. Rain tended to rust things and especially here in London where rain was part of the daily life.
Strong autumn wind blew through the open windows, brushing against her heated flesh and the heavy curtain. Normally the wind would have been chilly but tonight it felt cool and much appreciated. Even though she was drenched in perspiration, Sasha was still able to feel the searing heat coming from the flames in her dream touching her skin.
Lifting her hands she looked at the flawless creamy skin and remembered a time when that had not been the case. She had had bandages on for several months but thanks to a very close friend of Josef�s who also happened to be a talented doctor, she had no scars from it. At least not any that were visible on the outside.
She doubted however that the wounds inside her will ever heal enough for scars to even build. Her dreams was one of those signs.
It had been over ten years bordering to twelve coming this winter since that fateful night. The night when she had lost everything that was dear to her, her family, her friends, her home. The nightmares still would not let her go. They came and went on their own will and never the same though always about the fire and the attackers. Truth to tell she remembered little of what truly happened that night and over the years time has washed away more details and added some more. She sometimes wondered which were truth and which were the creations of her own fears and guilt. Guilt because she was alive and they were not.
Still one thing was different and that was the occurrence of the dreams. She has been having one every night now. Ever since she received the letter from Max four days ago and the news he had for her. From that day on, every night she had a dream of the night of the attack where she had always been one step too late to save one of her family members. She already had one of each of her siblings and the first night it had been her mother. The only one left she knew was her father and somehow that dream filled her with dread. She did not want to dream of him, maybe because it hurt her the most because they had been the closest and she missed him the most.
Maybe this was a sign from the other realm. Maybe having these occurring dreams was her family�s way of telling her that they still could not rest in peace. Justice has not been served and the perpetrators not punished.
Sasha closed her eyes in pain and misery. Loneliness washed over her like waves out in a stormy sea. She was so tired. Not because she had not been able to sleep for the past five nights now but because she had not been able to forget, to leave the past behind and to go on with her life. Whenever she thought she would move on, the nightmares would come back to haunt her reminding her that she was not through with the past yet.
She knew there was only one way to do that to end the nightmares, leave the past and the ghosts and move on with her life. She needed to stop her hiding and face fears and Max bless his scoundrel�s soul has just given her the perfect opportunity.
Opening her eyes, new resolve shining in her silvery eyes Sasha walked over to the small desk where she kept her correspondence and started to pen together a letter to Max, her partner in business as well as in crime. Once she was finished writing and sealing it, she pulled out his letter from the drawer and scanned the contents though she already knew them by heart. One sentence in particular was etched into her mind. �The royal party of Senovia is estimated to arrive in a month to Vienna, can I count on your help?�
Gabriel Stravinski and his beautiful wife Regina Kariaeva Stravinski were coming to Vienna for a brief visit in a few weeks. According Max�s sources they wanted the whole thing to be toned down, as the queen only wants to see place where her mother came from. Of course it would be the perfect opportunity for Sasha to extract her revenge. Had the couple stayed in Senovia there would have been no way for Sasha to do that but now was a totally different thing. They have finally left their lair and hiding, especially Regina Karieave Stravinski and Sasha intended to use this opportunity not just to steal as Max had intended but to kill her.
Somehow, someway she will find a way to revenge the murder of her family. As the only survival of the Michailovich, she, Natasha Michailovish, will make sure that the Kariaeva and the Stravinski got what they deserved. If only so that her ghosts may finally rest in peace.
