Looking For The Light (Book 2)

Looking For The Light Chapter 18 - Vikenti

            Vikenti was thankful that Eli slept most of the entire way to Moscow, of course painkillers helped with that.  He felt badly for the other man.  His face was swollen to almost unrecognizable proportions.  Something was likely broken in his face.  All that brutality was delivered by his own father.  With little choice in the matter, he was taken from the hotel he had to call home, and away from one of the few people that could grant him peace.

Vikenti had removed the cuffs from Eli’s wrists.  Of course, he was still dangerous, but if Eli had the mind to attack Vikenti, those restrains would have done nothing to hinder him.  He had already made arrangements for the helicopter to land at the Prizrak Rytsarya’s on-base hospital, not only to treat Eli’s wounds, but also to evaluate his mental health.  Vikenti was not the expert other PR officers were on telepaths, but he knew enough to cause him to worry for Eli’s vlast’. 

It was going to be a long flight back to Moscow.  Vikenti was wracked with worry, and guilt.  He hated himself for what he had done to Viktoriya.  Not only had he been lying to her for years, of course not by his own choice, but just the same, in gnawed at him.  It was just his assignment at first, but after the first few weeks, and months, he and Viktoriya truly became friends.  When she came to him with her proposal to investigate the missing persons case of Mischa Sima and Yuri Utkin, he earnestly supported her, not only as her subordinate, or knowing that this was the kind of assignment that would make her name as PR captain, but more as her friend, that wanted her to succeed.  When she worried over her feelings for Eli, Vikenti helped nudge her heart in the direction that would make her happiest.  He did the same for Eli.  Vikenti had never wanted to see a couple succeed in love and happiness - himself and Miro excluded – as much as he did for Eli and Viktoriya.  And he had just taken him away from her.  Taking custody of Eli was going to be a heavy burden on Vikenti, despite it being the right decision.  He’d seen that diamond ring on Viktoriya’s finger.

Vikenti couldn’t immediately remember a time when he’d felt so stressed, worried or upset.  It was probably the night he’d broken up with Miro, waited in silence for a train, and then cried his way to Moscow.  He never would have thought to be reliving those feelings ten years later. There was a small light in the darkness.  This time, Vikenti was on his way to Miro.

He closed his eyes, remembering Miro’s smile, missing a tooth, the way his eyes would light up whenever Vikenti walked into the room, and the way Miro would always smell like the most wonderful meals at the end of the day.  He remembered the tiniest of things, like the way Miro still wore his father’s brass whistle around his neck, or how he would never let his mother waste old fabric, instead turning them into aprons or bandanas.  Vikenti felt a new wave of guilt, he was finally going to see the love of his life, and the cost of taking Eli from his.

When Vikenti opened his eyes, blinking away a few tears, he found his phone in his hand.  Though he wanted to call Miro, and he would, Vikenti called his mother first.  Rather, he called the whole community.  They only had one phone after all.  It rang a few times before Eija Alghren answered.  She was little younger the Vikenti, and devastated when he came out.  Eija had been one of Natassia’s admirers and always jealous that Natassia held the engagement to Vikenti.

“Privet?” She answered curiously.  The phone was located in the community center, so Eija must work there now.  Perhaps she was a nanny or tutor.  She was always a clever girl and eager to teach others what she had learned, Eija would be good with children.

“Privet, Eija.  It’s Vikenti.” He greeted her.  After a bit of small talk – the harvest had done well this year, two new foals were born last spring, she was one of three teachers, they needed three now with so many children being born, and now grown – he asked, “Is my mother available?”