Total pages in book: 147
Estimated words: 148949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 745(@200wpm)___ 596(@250wpm)___ 496(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 148949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 745(@200wpm)___ 596(@250wpm)___ 496(@300wpm)
“Eh.” Maxwell held his arms out. “I can get little man.”
“No.” I shook my head and kept him closer to me. “I have him.”
Baba watched me. I could see the love in her eyes. She gave me the saddest smile, and then grabbed David’s hand as he stood next to her.
Did this remind her of helping her grandson deal with the death of his parents?
How did she help David heal?
I made a note to ask her soon.
Meanwhile, I didn’t know at what point everyone formed a circle around us, but they did. They all surrounded us in love.
It took some time, but Paolo sniffled, looked at each of them, and then turned to Emily and me.
My mouse’s voice came out shaky. “We are all here for you.”
Paolo’s tiny hand reached out to touch the tears on her cheek.
She shivered. “I promise, baby. We are here for you, and we love you.”
“Mysh.” Trembling, Paolo placed his arm back around me and buried his face into my neck.
Pavel’s last words sounded in my mind.
It was the moment right before I shot him.
“Emily.” Pavel had turned my mouse’s way. “Don’t cry.”
A sad smile appeared on his face. “Don’t forget the promise or I will haunt you.”
She whispered, “I won’t.”
“Kazimir will love Paolo one day,” Pavel said. “Don’t let him think otherwise.”
And then a sudden burst of light illuminated the room, casting shadows on every surface. The lights that had been turned off, were now all on. The lamps near Paolo’s bed emitted a soft glow, while the overhead lighting on the ceiling shone with a bright intensity.
“What the hell?” Maxwell frowned as he checked the switch by the door and saw no one was there.
Others didn’t notice, but Baba. . .she continued to watch me and then curved those lips into a joyful smile.
And. . .for whatever reason. . .I lost it right there.
I had held it in for so long.
The guilt.
The sadness.
The emptiness.
It all came out at once as I broke down in tears.
Chapter 31
Clocks and Mirrors
Kazimir
Paolo cried for so long that I could feel his warm tears soaking through my black shirt. The sound of his suffering pierced my heart.
I did not know what to do, so I held him closer and tried to provide as much comfort as I could.
Once Paolo’s sobs subsided, everyone left to finish preparing themselves for the memorial—including my mouse.
The only person who stayed was David. My number one watched Paolo with sadness.
Several minutes passed.
Still, Paolo would not let me go. His small arms remained locked tightly around my neck, as if his life depended on it.
I patted his back and carried him out of his bedroom.
My guards in the hall rose and followed us.
I lowered my hand. “Let us go to the Memorial.”
Sniffling, Paolo rested his head on my shoulder.
David walked with us. “Many have already arrived and are in the ballroom now.”
“How were the final preparations for the ballroom?”
“The Mouse outdid herself as usual.”
I quirked my brows. “Better than what she did with the impromptu party yesterday?”
“Even better.” David bobbed his head. “I tried to add some things to give it more of a traditional Russian flair, but she had already thought of everything. So, I simply made sure the staff followed all of her instructions.”
Good job, mysh.
David’s face brightened. “Emily made sure that as the guests enter the ballroom that they are even greeted with a glass of vodka, served in elegant crystal glasses.”
“What vodka?”
“Beluga.”
A smile spread across my face. “That is a nice touch.”
“I thought so too.”
A head and shoulders above most other vodkas on the market, Beluga was named after the most expensive caviar in the world. The brand produced its vodka in western Siberia. I had been born and raised in the southeast of Siberia, so I had a special love for the brand. To make it, they used artesian water. Once distilled, Beluga added honey, milk thistle, and oats to give flavoring before bottling.
We headed toward the staircase.
David continued, “Emily has clearly done some research and asked around. Somehow she even knew about the mirrors and clocks.”
“Aww.” My heart ached.
My mother’s face flashed in my head.
After a death occurred in our family, Mom would cover the mirrors in our house and even stop the clocks. According to our folklore, mirrors served as a gateway to the land of the dead. My mother would say that the first person to see their reflection in a mirror after someone had died would be the next to pass.
Keeping my pace, David let out a long breath. “Baba cried when she saw the staff covering the mirrors.”
Nice touch, mysh.
I swallowed.
How did my mouse know? Did she understand how much this not only honored me, but my bloodline?
During my childhood, our family always stopped the clocks to assist our loved one’s soul to move on quicker into the afterlife. This tradition had stemmed from ancient folktales passed through generations—ones that my mother and father had taken very seriously and were adamant about upholding.