Page 70 of Blazing Embers

His eyes widen.

“Their new baby is going to be a girl,” I add. “They are going to call her Zoya. Named after your mother.”

“I...” He clears his throat. He swallows. “Is Irina… okay?”

“She’s glowing.”

“Tell her I’m sorry. If she wants to talk… give her the tablet.”

“I will.”

“And you?” he asks. “Are you happy there?” He clears his throat again. “Because, baby, I miss you so much I feel like part of my soul is gone.”

I pause. “I miss you, too,” I whisper.

He sighs. “Tara, I know I was an asshole. I lived in the shadow of your feelings for Gavriil and Konstantin. I was broken after Alisa. But I see now what I lost.”

“I wasn’t any better. I lied. To everyone.”

“Elena,” he says gently.

My eyes mist.

“She’s ours,” I whisper.

“I know,” he tells me.

“Is she safe?” I ask.

“She was with Sabrina. Until the RMSAD took Sabrina, and now she's with Oleksi, who is at your grandparent’s farm along with your mother, her boyfriend, Galina Mirochin, and Nikolas Vasilikis.”

“They are all in Russia?” My eyes widen.

“Yeah.” He nods. “All looking for you and now planning to get Sabrina back.”

“Ruslan… I had to do what I did, lying about Elena because... because, I’m not like the other Jewel subjects.”

“I know,” he says. “Medusa told me.”

“Medusa?”

“You know her as The Mother.” He laughs.

“Oh!” I breathe. “So you know... everything?”

Ruslan nods. “She explained in no uncertain terms why it was imperative that until we'd destabilized the RMSAD, no one thinks she's our child.”

“I was going to tell you the night of our wedding ceremony, but then I had to leave. For your sake.”

“I get it now. It wasn’t my trial. It was yours.”

“What?” I splutter.

“They tested your integrity. Like they did Konstantin,” Ruslan explains.

My eyes widen. “Did I pass?”

He laughs. “You passed. And broke my fucking heart.”

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