Page 123 of Wicked Knight

Being in control put me in the driver’s seat and it was as he said, like trying to retrace my steps when I lose something.

I’ve been thinking about his advice to focus on the second person. The person in the car. I’ve been focusing but I still can’t see them in my head, but it’s good that I’ve been able to isolate that part of my memory.

I’ve also been thinking about Tommy. I’m not sure if he wanted to hurt me. All these long years I thought he kidnapped me and did all kinds of things to me, but part of me doesn’t quite believe that now.

I keep remembering the look on his face. It was like he was trying to protect me.

Someone stabbed him. Who?

I still can’t get over Eric being there.

Dr. Parker was aware that Dmitri could identify him from the tattoo.

Part of me doesn’t want to believe it. I never had much contact with Eric in the past but I know Dmitri looks up to him.

Eric kind up made up for the areas where Dmitri’s father lacked. It will be devastating if Eric killed Tommy. But will also mean my father didn’t do it.

I feel proud in way that I believed my father based on his word. Mom and I took his word and didn’t need anything else no matter how guilty he appeared to be.

Now I just have to figure everything else out. I sensed that Dr. Parker believed if I could remember that second person it would give us more answers,keyanswers.

The music fades to a hum then stops and I pirouette into a curtsey.

I rise and I almost jump out of my skin when I see a woman standing my the backstage curtains watching me.

It takes me a moment to remember who she is. It’s Yuliana, Dmitri’s stepmother.

I haven’t seen her in years.

I haven’t even seen her around campus now that she and Dmitri’s father live in the Lord Chancellor’s cottage.

“Hello,” I say first because she’s just staring at me. I don’t even know how long she was standing there watching me. Or why she’s here.

Why the hell is she here? And on stage with me?

I would have seen her come from the front if she came through the doors, so she came in from the back.

“I used to love watching you dance. I still do. Sometimes I watch you when you’re home in the summer. I think you’re amazing. And every year you get better and better.” She sounds weird. There’s a hollow to her voice that makes her sound like someone who’s talking but not really thinking.

“Thank you. It’s nice of you to say that.” I bring my hands together and continue staring at her, trying to find the right words to ask her why she’s here.

I never really bonded with this woman the way I did with Dmitri’s mother. Yuliana tried to make everyone like her and not compare her but she just didn’t gel with me. maybe that was why. Because she tried too hard. It would have been more natural if she was herself.

She steps forward. There’s something in her left hand that I can’t quite see because she’s holding it at her side.

“Do you need something Yuliana?” Finally I find the words.

“Do you know what it’s like to love a man who can’t love you?” She glances down to the row of empty seats before us. “I don’t suppose you do. Dmitri has always loved you and I know you love him too. His father on the hand was perhaps the worst thing to happen to me. He never stopped loving his dead wife.”

She looks back at me as if she wants me to comment.

“I’m sorry. He seems happy with you.”

She laughs off key. “You can’t even lie to me. I guess I should thank you. You’ll remember how much Maxim loved Jeneva because saw it for yourself. He never even tried to love me a little bit. All the woman he cheated on me with looked like her in some way. Every single one of them. And worse he wouldn’t have kids with me.”

I feel like I’ve just walked in on a private conversation I shouldn’t hear. It’s awkward and I don’t know what to say. “That’s awful.”

“Yes it truly is. That’s why I sought comfort when it was offered to me in his brother.Ericloved me, but of course he couldn’t be with me because I’m married to his brother. That didn’t stop us.”