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He had seen her.
Victoria was buying food when he spotted him in the crowded marketplace. He looked almost the exactly the same as when she had escaped all those years ago, with his dark hair and even darker eyes. Like the darkness of the sky with no stars, Anne had always said. Victoria thought she had been mistaken at first, that she had just imagined his head in the crowd. She had before. When she first escaped, she had thought she had seem him in every crowd and around every corner. Even when time had helped her fear fade, she still occasionally thought a man was him. And then she would blink or glance back and it was someone else.
But no, it was him.
Him with the scar on his neck and his strong arms that threw young Victoria around like a rag doll.
And he was staring directly at Victoria.
There’s was no hoping he didn’t know who she was. Not with her bright hair and the sneer he had on his face. No. He knew who she was and he had not forgotten the debt she owed him.
Victoria immediately tried to disappear in the crowd, but she could hear him calling after her. No, no, no. Victoria couldn’t go back there, not to that prison. Not to the darkness, and the dirt, and the rats. Now now, not like this. Visions of her sister battered and bruised from her “clients” filled Victoria’s mind. Anne leaving, and then never coming back.
No. Victoria had worked too hard to end up like that.
In her panic, however, Victoria accidentally ducked into a dead end alleyway. She panicked, glancing around. She hid behind a crate.
And for the first time in a long time, Victoria began to pray the prayers she had been taught as a child. She had abandoned her faith when her sister never returned, but now she clung onto it like a poor man clings onto his last coin. Begging silently for something, anyone to save her from the fate that seemed more and more inevitable.
“You cannot hide yourself forever Victoria!” He called, his voice echoing off the cobblestone of the deserted alleyway. “I will find you, and when I do, well…” he chuckled, a deep and horrifying thing. “You have a debt that needs to be paid.”
Suddenly, however, a door to one of the nearby buildings opened. Light spilled from the building out into the alleyway.
“Sir, what are you doing out here?” A woman’s voice asked.
“That is none of your concern,” He hissed.
The woman became annoyed. “Are you drunk?”
“No I- there was a girl-”
“There is no one here sir.”
“There was! She was just-”
“Sir if you do not leave, I am afraid I will need to bring the owner out here.”
“She’s behind those crates, check if you don’t believe me,” he said, motioning.
Victoria heard footsteps echo against the cobblestone in time with her heartbeat in her ears. This was it.
The woman appeared, and Victoria felt like all the air was sucked out of her body. She wasn’t completely visible in the darkness of the night and the alley, but from what Victoria could see… she was breathtaking. Her hair was in light curls, illuminated from behind seemed to be blonde.
When Victoria and Anne had lived in their father’s home, there was a painting of an angel outside Christ’s grave that Victoria loved. She would stare at it for hours at a time.
That was this woman, an angel, come to life.
Her angel, the answer to her prayers.
The woman’s eyes locked with Victoria for a mere moment before she continued to glance around the area, as if Victoria wasn’t there at all.
“There is no one here,” the woman said, stepping back towards him. “I suggest you leave now. Perhaps stay away from the brandy.”
“But-”
There was a pause and then he huffed and left.
There was silence for a moment.
And then another moment.
“You can come out now.”
Victoria emerged from behind the crates to see the blonde standing in the doorway she had come out of earlier.
“Thank you,” She said, grateful as she approached the woman.
“You are welcome,” The woman said, giving Victoria a warm smile. Victoria could now clearly see her due to the candlelight. The woman wasn’t just breathtaking, she was painfully beautiful. As if a painting had come to life and was now standing before Victoria. “Has he been bothering you?”
Victoria was silent, not wanting to answer that question.
“You do not have to tell me if you do not wish to do so,” the blonde said, her voice gentle. “My name is Tatyana.”
“I really should get going,” Victoria said, motioning.
“Would you not like to come inside, warm yourself up?” The woman asked, concern in her gaze. “You are trembling.”
“No, no,” Victoria said, her blood still pounding in her ears. “I need to get back to my home.”
“Are you sure?” the woman asked.
No, no, Victoria wanted to stay with this woman in the warmth of her presence. She wanted to go inside with her. She wanted to pretend that she didn’t have a man who would tear the city apart now that he knew she was still here.
But this was the reality, and Victoria needed to leave.
Now.
“I really have to go,” Victoria said, her regret leaking into her voice.
“Perhaps I’ll see you again,” the woman said.
“Perhaps,” Victoria said.
But it wasn’t meant to be.
Victoria’s sister came for her that night, looking different from the Anne that had left her all those years ago. Anne brought Victoria into her new family, one full of the laughter and light Anne and Victoria had missed out on growing up. And yet… Victoria’s mind would return to the blonde. Her angel who had saved her that night. Even years later, after her sister, and the Volturi, and finding James and Laurent, Victoria’s mind would return to that night.
She sometimes wondered what could have happened to the woman.
Tatyana .
What a pretty name.
2005
Victoria almost forgot she had the cellphone on her.
She had bought it before the incident in Washington. A throw away phone Laurent had insisted she had in case they all got separated for whatever reason. And yet, even three months after the incident, she for some reason kept the phone on her. A memento, of sorts, for her former coven.
Victoria blinked, pulling it out and staring at the loud device. Who the-
Victoria flicked it open. “‘Ello?”
“Victoria?”
Victoria paused, hearing Laurent’s voice on the other end of the line.
“Laurent, what can I do for you?”
“I’m surprised you still have this phone.”
“You know I’ve always been a bit too sentimental,” Victoria said, ducking into a nearby ally.
“I guess you have, where are you?”
“Detroit.”
“Detroit?”
“Detroit,” Victoria replied.
“Huh, not what I expected.”
“Mmm,” Victoria said. “Where did you disappear off to?”
“I’m uh, I’m trying out the vegetarian diet,” Laurent said.
Victoria wrinkled her nose. “And why would you do that?”
There was silence for a moment.
“I um, I met someone,” Laurent said, sheepishly.
“Oh,” Victoria said, not being able to contain her surprise.
“Who?”
“One of the sisters of the coven leader. Irina.”
“I’m happy for you Laurent,” Victoria said, leaning against the wall.
“You should come up here.”
“And become a rabbit like you?” Victoria let out a hollow laugh. “I don’t think so my friend.”
“The lone wolf dies while the pack survives,” Laurent reminded her. “I don’t like the idea of you roaming around.”
“I’m a big girl Laurent,” Victoria said. “I can handle myself.”
“You would be safer up here, with us,” Laurent urged her.
“You know how I feel about big covens,” Victoria muttered. “They always draw more attention.”
“The Volturi has no interest in them. Two of them are former Volturi members Aro let go because he saw no more usage in them. As far as covens go, they’re probably third or fourth safest.”
Victoria felt a shiver travel down her spine at the reminder of the Vampire royalty.
Noella, Mary, Heidi, Hilda… Anne.
Taken from Victoria in a mere instant.
Victoria didn’t think there would ever be a day where she didn’t feel the ache of the loss of her sister.
“But I’d have to drink animal blood,” Victoria countered.
“It’s really not that bad,” Laurent said. “You’re being dramatic.”
Victoria sighed, kicking the ground.
“If you hate it, you can leave,” Laurent pointed it out. “But please, just try? I don’t want to have to worry about where you are and what you’re doing.”
Victoria closed her eyes.
She missed Laurent. She did. As much as Victoria would try to deny it… she wasn’t built to be alone. She had roamed like a lost ghost for years before she found James. And now she was a ghost once again. She couldn’t continue like this.
But… eating a bunny diet?
In Alaska?
Was that really the solution?
“Please, Victoria,” Laurent said, his voice soft.
“Alright,” Victoria said.
“Alright?”
“Alright.”
Victoria gazed up at the large lodge. It looked… expensive, for a lack of a better term. But also as if it belonged. It was gorgeous.
Definitely nicer then the digs she and Laurent used to squat in.
Laurent came outside.
“Tori!” He said, grinning. “It’s so good to see you”
His eyes were a bright gold now and he was well-groomed. His clothes fitting the Alaskan wilderness they found themselves in. He beamed at her, seeming much lighter then the Laurent who had left her and James behind.
“I see you got a new stylist,” Victoria said, motioning to his outfit. She glanced up to their house. “Are they waiting inside?”
He nodded. “Didn’t want to overwhelm you.”
“Of course,” Victoria said, she put her hands in her pockets.
“It means a lot to me that you’re here,” Laurent said.
Victoria shrugged. “Didn’t have anywhere else to be.”
Laurent just chuckled at that. “Come along,” they moved to the door. “Everyone is home. My mate, of course, Irina, her sisters Tanya and Kate. There’s also a woman named Carmen who lives with them. Her mate, Eleazar was once in the Volturi. He actually teaches at a local culinary school funnily enough.”
“Dangerous game with all those knives around,” Victoria mused.
“His control is quite good,” Laurent said, opening the front door and motioned for Victoria to step through. And that’s when the scent hit Victoria’s nose, warm and with a tinge of spice, like pure cinnamon. A scent that almost felt familiar.
Victoria followed Laurent into the living room where a very familiar face greeted Victoria.
And there, on the couch, sat the woman from so long ago.
She looked as she did all those years ago, with her curled blonde hair and her warm smile. She was sat between two other blondes, but stood up as she met Victoria’s gaze.
“Tatyana,” she whispered.
The woman seemed to recognize her as well. “It’s you.”
“You know one another?” Laurent asked, glancing back and forth between the two of them.
“The woman, from the alley,” Victoria said, her eyes not leaving Tatyana’s golden ones. “I thought she had died long ago.”
“As I did you,” Tatyana said, nearing her, the soothing smell of cinnamon washing over Victoria. “It certainly has been quite awhile.”
“It has,” Victoria said.
Tanya offered her hand. “Tatyana, but my covenmates call me Tanya.”
“Victoria,” Victoria said.
“Not ‘Tori’?” the woman asked, amusement gleaming in her eyes.
Victoria grit her teeth, glaring at Laurent who tried to look innocent. “You know I hate that nickname.”
“You let me call you that,” Laurent said weakly.
“So, just Victoria then,” Tanya said.
“Victoria,” she agreed.
“I’m glad you’ve come to join us Victoria,” Tanya said.
“I am too,” Victoria said, her eyes raking over Tanya, still unable to fully comprehend the woman was right in front of her. “Seems like fate wanted us to cross paths again.”
“Maybe it did,” Tanya said. Her smile was just a bright as it was all of those years ago. “Maybe it did.”