Valeriya's hands dug into his arm and he reflexively pulled her close. He watched, eyes hooded, as Rowen dispatched the two men with the power. Her words, while opaque in one sense, were entirely clear in another.
She had thrown in her lot with them. For good. Perhaps long ago he would have felt a twinge. A moment of appreciation for the sacrifice. But to do so anymore felt...a violation of something sacred. To conceive of a universe where those green eyes still danced and laughed and were fierce. Where they didn't look up at him with accusation and hurt. With love and pain.
What happened will be what happens. The weight on his shoulders lay heavy. But finally he had the key. The end. With these two, his heart and soul on the right, an eye on the left, he would see it accomplished.
As the limousine drove away, he watched, thinking. It was time for them to leave. Moscow was dangerous. Brandon was looking for him. And despite his anti-surveillance gear, it would only be a matter of time.
And he felt the pull.
Back in the bunker, he went to the chests filled with things packed by Rasputin a century ago. Not the dresses or jewels or nick nacks. No. It was the Reindeer skin. He felt their eyes on him as he dramatically unfurled it. The Cyrillic characters covered portions of the map. It was no language he understood. But Valeriya had, when he vocalized the phonetic components.
He looked at her. "Are you ready, my heart?"
She had thrown in her lot with them. For good. Perhaps long ago he would have felt a twinge. A moment of appreciation for the sacrifice. But to do so anymore felt...a violation of something sacred. To conceive of a universe where those green eyes still danced and laughed and were fierce. Where they didn't look up at him with accusation and hurt. With love and pain.
What happened will be what happens. The weight on his shoulders lay heavy. But finally he had the key. The end. With these two, his heart and soul on the right, an eye on the left, he would see it accomplished.
As the limousine drove away, he watched, thinking. It was time for them to leave. Moscow was dangerous. Brandon was looking for him. And despite his anti-surveillance gear, it would only be a matter of time.
And he felt the pull.
Back in the bunker, he went to the chests filled with things packed by Rasputin a century ago. Not the dresses or jewels or nick nacks. No. It was the Reindeer skin. He felt their eyes on him as he dramatically unfurled it. The Cyrillic characters covered portions of the map. It was no language he understood. But Valeriya had, when he vocalized the phonetic components.
He looked at her. "Are you ready, my heart?"