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- Herausgeber: Conquest Publishing
- Kategorie: Ratgeber
- Sprache: Englisch
Dangers follow Tatiyanna and Daniel halfway around the world and only Tatiyanna's powers can save them.
Tatiyanna Demczak's life has never been easy. Between two jobs and keeping her strange powers a secret, she finds little time to make new friends or date. After her living situation becomes dangerous, her old roommate, Yael, helps her find a new place to live where a chance meeting turns her life upside down.
Daniel Dupree strives to improve the lives of those around him, but he's tired of being alone. Circumstances reunite him with the woman who has haunted his dreams for four years and set him on a path of discovering a world he never knew existed. Can he learn to trust in things he cannot see for the chance at true love?
As Tatiyanna and Daniel explore their newfound relationship, Tatiyanna discovers she's not alone with her secrets, and is destined to help save the world.
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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024
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The Comforter
Magdalene Dietchka
AConquest Publishing Original
Conquest Publishing
https://conquest-publishing.com
Copyright © 2024 Magdalene Dietchka
Cover Design: Abigail Baia
Edited by: Brittany McMunn
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Print ISBN: 978-1-962739-18-4
EBook ISBN: 978-1-962739-17-7
Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Names, characters, and places are products of the author’s imagination.
Trigger Warnings
This book contains discussions of childhood cancer, epilepsy, infertility struggles, violence, and veteran suicide.
Dear Reader, if you struggle with suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or dial 988.
Hours: Available 24 hours.
Languages: English, Spanish.
You are loved, and you matter.
With Love,
Magdalene
Contents
The Shepherds
The truth about mankind is they’re extraordinarily poor record keepers. The fall of civilizations invariably ends with the destruction of records and knowledge. Sometimes, all that’s left, if anything, are fragments or secondary sources. Holy scriptures are no different. Lost languages, forgotten prayers, or hieroglyphics that go untranslated for millennia all lead to muddied stories. The story of the Watchers is no different.
When God created humanity, he knew one day they would fall from grace. So, he created an order of angels charged to watch over humanity and guide them. The Watchers. However, some of them gave humanity forbidden knowledge and lain with mortal women who bore the Nephilim. God punished the humans who were corrupted by the fallen Watchers and the trickery of the Devil. He flooded the land around the Black Sea and locked the Watchers in prison until Armageddon. They were bound in the Veil between worlds, no longer able to enter the mortal world, nor pass into Heaven or Hell, but still able to guide the dead through the Veil.
Not every Watcher turned against their duties. As such, two factions arose. The Shepherds and the Sirens. The Shepherds loved humanity and encouraged them to be generous, kind, and human. The Sirens were the very angels who corrupted their charges and fell further from the light of God after their imprisonment. The Sirens ceased to guide souls bound for Heaven but delighted in harrying souls bound for Hell. When Armageddon approaches, their prison walls will weaken under each tribulation suffered by humanity, allowing the Watchers to send a part of their essence without escaping.
The Shepherds saw the goodness and joy in humanity and loved their charges. They didn’t want to see them harmed. Eventually, they discovered a loophole to protect humanity from destruction. They found worthy children who could see them, and those children were fated to die in a tragedy and be taken by Azrael, the Angel of Death. The Watchers served Azrael before their imprisonment, and the Shepherds continued their allegiance even afterward. These dozen or so children were molded into warriors, prophets, and healers to save humanity from the coming catastrophe, knowing it meant the Watchers would remain imprisoned. The Sirens were desperate to be freed from their prison and encouraged corrupt souls to fight against the forces of good and bring about the end times. Locked in battle, the two sides have struck blows, neither one succeeding in a decisive victory, and every generation has seen a renewed conflict. For millennia, this was the way of it, and until God decrees otherwise, it will remain this way for millennia to come.
Prologue
Daniel
Daniel Dupree stood in the corner of a sterile hospital room and watched his mother sitting next to his sister's bed, holding her hand. The only sound in the room was his mother’s quiet tears and the monitors with their steady beeps. His sister, Kelly, was so frail and so young. At sixteen, she should be learning to drive or hanging out at the mall. Instead, she was dying from a rare blood cancer, and there was nothing he or anyone else could do about it. His bone marrow hadn't been a match. Daniel’s family waited for two years for a donor, and none could be found, and all other treatments had failed. Despite his family's wealth and connections, they couldn't find a match for Kelly proving that money couldn’t buy everything. Now, the hourglass had run out. All of Kelly’s loved ones had gathered here at the hospital to say their goodbyes.
Daniel didn’t want to say goodbye to his baby sister. He remembered that day just over sixteen years ago when he was taken to the hospital to meet his sister. She had been crying and fell silent when he crawled on the bed to get a closer look as his mother held her. He remembered touching the blanket in awe of his new baby sister. Kelly captured his hand and held on tight, and Daniel vowed to be the best big brother. Watching Kelly was just too painful; he felt like he failed.
Kelly should be in a private room, but a storm damaged some windows in this ward, so beds were limited. Instead, she shared a room with another patient. Daniel glanced toward the second bed in the room. Only a few feet from his family's tragedy, another was unfolding. The teen girl in the other bed was about Kelly's age. Her head was wrapped from a recent surgery, her face swollen from her battles with whatever cancer ailed her. An elderly woman sat vigil over the girl and did her best to give them privacy. There was a three-barred cross sitting next to the bed with an icon of the Virgin Mary. On occasion, the elderly woman spoke to the nurses with a faint accent, and Daniel decided they must be Russian or Eastern European. He had stared at the icon and cross, trying to take his mind off his sister. His own family was lapsed Catholics, and Daniel considered himself an atheist. He wondered if that family's faith was making their situation better or worse.
Over the last couple days Daniel noticed no one else had come to see the girl. Kelly had a steady stream of relatives and friends paying their final respects. Cheerleaders from Kelly's squad had arrived that morning and her best friend left in tears only an hour earlier. Through it all, Daniel watched passively. He'd shut down sometime over the last week. He had nothing left to give. He just felt empty. His father had gone to fetch coffee for them, and part of him wished he had volunteered to go. It would be better than just standing here, waiting.
Another hour passed, his father returned, and the family settled to have the coffee and sandwiches his father grabbed. Daniel didn't taste any of it, but he ate dutifully, so his mother had one less thing to worry over. The beeping of one of the machines started to change, and everyone's attention moved to Kelly. Even the elderly woman crossed herself and began to pray. A moment later, the nurse came in, and from there, it all became a blur. His family and the elderly woman were ushered out, and doctors and staff came running in. He stood there with his cold coffee, numb. This was it. Later, he would not remember much other than being let back in to say their goodbyes; Kelly was gone. As he turned away, Daniel glanced at the girl in the bed next to her. She had strong vital signs; she was breathing without assistance, and in the corner of her eye, Daniel swore he saw a tear form and move down her delicate cheek. For years after leaving that room, he tried not to think of those horrid hours again.
Tatiyanna
Tatiyanna Demczak listened carefully to the movement of the family next to her bed. She hurt too severely to move her head, and opening her eyes seemed an impossible task. The sounds of girls her age saying goodbye to the patient in the next bed wrenched her heart. She could feel the beings, known to her as Shepherds, standing with her and the girl. When the girl's monitors started going off, her aunt and the family were quickly ushered out of the room as the doctors came in to attempt to save the girl. Tatiya cracked her eyes open with significant effort and saw the chaos unfolding. The curtain was accidentally pushed out of the way by the movement of the medical team. She stared at the Shepherd standing at the girl's head and knew what was about to happen. She had seen it several times during her cancer treatments, but she never said anything. The last time she spoke about the Shepherds, the doctors and her parents had assumed they were delusions caused by her brain tumor.
The girl’s Shepherd reached down and touched the girl's forehead, and a moment later, another light was standing next to the Shepherd with the girl's visage. The monitors blared alarms as the girl's heart stopped. The girl's spirit looked sadly towards the hallway and then back to the Shepherd, who held out its hand to her. She tentatively took its hand, and they faded away. Tatiya closed her eyes and felt another tear slide down her cheek. Only two days ago, it had been her on her deathbed. She had coded twice during her last surgery. When Tatiya had briefly regained consciousness, her Shepherd, Iahael, had been at the side of her bed.
"We stole you from Death today because someday, we will need you. Your journey has just started, Tatiyanna, daughter of Nicholai." Iahael had laid a hand on her shoulder. "I am sorry for the trials you will be faced with in your life, but I promise if you stay faithful and kind, in the end, it will be all worth it. We will send a protector to you. He will love you and be a support during your tribulations. Know this; I will never judge you for choosing to love someone. That is not our purpose. Be well, sweet Tatiyanna."
Tatiya was pained at the knowledge that this girl didn't survive when she had. That girl had a family that loved her, friends who were devastated by her loss. Tatiya felt wholly unworthy of the mercy shown to her. She only had her Aunt Elena. No one else would miss her if she were gone. It was unfair to the girl that they had shown Tatiya mercy, but the girl lost her battle. She hoped the Shepherds comforted the family in their grief. Silently, she recited the Trisagion Prayer in her head as the tears continued to fall down her cheeks.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us…
January 18 – 11 years later
Tatiyanna
The foggy, rainy morning had an oppressive air of gloom and doom. Tatiyanna Demczak turned the corner a couple of blocks down from her apartment and immediately found herself stuck behind an accident with no way to turn around. Tatiya sighed, her jog had taken a little longer today and now this would make her late to her appointment. “This is just a mess. Why did you have to babble so much this morning?”
Iahael shrugged. The Shepherd was vaguely humanoid with a pair of wings and flame-like hair and glowed with a golden light. Of course, only she could see him. Well, she and apparently others like her could see the Shepherds. They were the chosen ones who had been stolen from the Angel of Death and spared whatever fate originally had for them. Iahael said her time to connect with the others would come soon and she would find her Companion. Every Stolen, as she was called, was given a Companion to ground and protect them. Tatiya was less convinced it would happen since she rarely had any interest in a relationship.
Iahael twitched his wings in irritation and frowned. “It was not my babbling, as you say, that caused you to be late, Tatiyanna, daughter of Nicholai. Pushing yourself the extra mile on your run today added the additional time. You should be careful not to push yourself too hard. I worry about your health.”
“You and everyone else,” Tatiya retorted. Everyone treated her like glass, and she hated it.
Finally, the police officer who responded to the accident motioned her and the other cars to go around the accident. Tatiya crossed herself as she passed by and prayed silently that no one was seriously hurt.
A few minutes later, she pulled up to the front of a beautiful 19th-century townhouse in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C. She couldn’t believe how gorgeous the outside of the home was or how beautiful the block appeared. Under normal circumstances, she would never be able to afford this area, but a couple of her friends turned her onto the place. The landlady was a Russian law student who got lonely when her boyfriend and their friend returned to New York City. The woman was renting out a fully furnished room for six hundred dollars with all utilities included. Jake and Yael Perlman said she’d be a shoo-in for the place because they had already put in a good word with the woman. Apparently, she and Jake worked on a number of projects together. It had been a couple of years since she and Yael graduated and she was grateful the couple stayed in touch and looked out for her. The four years since Yael walked into their dorm room and introduced herself seemed to pass quickly.
Tatiya put her ancient Mitsubishi Eclipse into park and muttered under her breath. “Are you going to help me out in there? I absolutely cannot live another week at my current place.”
“Do not worry, Tatiyanna, daughter of Nicholai, your friends have seen to your success.”
“Great.” Tatiya jumped out of the car and locked it. Walking up to the door, she noticed the lovely flowers planted in the front garden and prayed Iahael and Jake were correct. This was the kind of place she always wanted to live in. The homes on this street were in the mid-seven figures. How could a law student afford such a place?
Straightening her jacket, Tatiya knocked on the door and tried not to bounce on her toes in nervous energy. After a moment, the door locks flipped, and a beautiful woman answered the door. She had to crane her neck up to look at the woman. Tatiya stood just under five-foot-one inches tall and this woman had to be a good ten inches taller than that. She had long wavy, chocolate-brown hair and the most striking violet-blue eyes that reminded Tatiya of Elizabeth Taylor. The woman was also very thin and Tatiya wondered how a woman like her existed and wasn’t a model. If not secure in her own looks, Tatiya might feel intimidated. In many ways they were opposites. Tatiya was extremely short with an hourglass figure, blonde with emerald-green eyes. Her honey-blonde hair currently hung in a long braid down her back and the woman’s rich curls hung loose around her face and shoulders.
Tatiya put on a confident smile and held out her hand. “I’m Tatiyanna Demczak. I’m here to see a room you have for rent.”
The woman smiled softly and shook her hand. “Sophia Grigorevna Petrakova. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Jacob and Yael have given you an excellent reference, please come in.” Sophia spoke with a slight Russian accent.
Tatiya decided to give herself a leg up and spoke in Russian. “Where in Russia are you from?”
Sophia perked up and replied in Russian, “St. Petersburg. Yael said you were American, but your father is Russian?”
Tatiya’s smile faded a bit. “He was. He and my mother have been gone for many years now.”
Sympathy crossed Sophia’s face. “My father died when I was a teenager and my mother when I was a child. I’m sorry for your loss.”
“And I’m sorry for yours.” Tatiya shifted nervously and noticed that Sophia’s Shepherd was staying close to the woman. That unnerved Tatiya given Iahael had suddenly gone quiet. He normally babbled in her ear when she was looking for places to live or meeting new people.
Sophia motioned Tatiya to follow her. “As you can see here on the first floor, I’ve had it opened up completely so you can see almost the whole way to the back. Down the small hallway next to the kitchen is my office, the laundry area, powder room, and a large pantry. There is a door to the back where you can access your parking spot.”
The living area contained a large, oversized cream sectional surrounding a marble fireplace. The walls were a soft blue with dark brown accents. An eight-person dining table separated the living area from the kitchen which contained high-end stainless-steel appliances and rich brown cabinets. To the right of the room were stairs that ascended to the second of three stories.
Tatiya spun in a circle taking it all in when she noticed an icon corner in the front of the living room on the eastern wall. The images of Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and various saints were familiar sights to her. The shelf also held an incense burner and candles. The sight made Tatiya smile again. “Are you Orthodox Christian?”
“I am,” Sophia replied. “I feel like I know so much about you from Jake and Yael and yet you know nothing about me. Let’s finish the tour and then we can sit and talk over some tea and cookies.”
“You had me at cookies.” Tatiya giggled.
“Follow me upstairs.” The corner of Sophia’s mouth curved up. She ascended the stairs and that’s when Tatiya noticed a series of nasty scars on the woman’s right ankle. As a dancer, Tatiya hid a cringe at how much it must have hurt. Now was not the time to ask about how she injured it. When they hit the landing, Sophia walked down the hall and tapped on a door on the right. “This is my suite. There are three suites in the house. Yours will be down here.” She continued down the hall to a door on the left.
“Suite, I thought I was only coming to see a single room?” Tatiya’s confusion caused the corner of Sophia’s mouth to twitch.
“When I bought this place my freshman year, I had the place gutted and remodeled. There were supposed to be three suites for three people, but two of them refused to move in. When they do visit, it’s complicated.” Sophia sighed and opened the door to the suite. “What do you think?” She stepped out of the way.
The room was done up in yellow creams and grays with an elegance that was worth far more than six hundred dollars a month. The room was divided into a bed area, sitting room, and en suite with a separate tub and shower. The whole suite was three times the size of her current room, one hundred dollars less than she was paying, and she had her own bathroom. Tatiya feared there was a catch. The place was too good to be true.
“I think you could be getting much more than six hundred for this suite. I must wonder why anyone who lives on this street needs a roommate or would rent far under market.”
“I’m not doing it for the money. I don’t need the money at all. I’m doing it because I’m lonely and I want a good roommate who will keep me company occasionally. I’m only charging rent to get rid of freeloaders and to preserve the dignity of the person who’s going to be living down the hall from me.”
“I know Jake and Yael wouldn’t send me somewhere with ulterior motives, but I never thought it would be this nice.”
“The Perlmans have never been up to the second floor, so to be fair, they weren’t able to set expectations. I am being honest when I said, I’m just looking for a friend. Since we have friends in common and you were a great roommate to Yael, she suggested you.” Sophia closed the door and motioned for Tatiya to head back down the stairs. “She said you were having issues with your current roommates.”
“Oy. You have no idea.” Tatiya followed Sophia to the kitchen where Sophia offered her a seat at the marble-topped island. “I have an agreement with my great aunt, Elena, that I will only have female roommates. She’s very Old Country if you know what I mean. She’d rather see me married, but that’s not happening anytime soon. My current roommates lied about the girl’s only status of the house and there are two boyfriends that live there full-time and don’t even try to pretend they don’t. One of them is a total creep and I need out of there. Yael wanted me to move in with them, but Jake suggested you.”
“In the interest of full disclosure, I have two male friends who visit regularly and stay for weeks at a time. They are my protectors and we’ve been friends since we were small children. They are the two who refuse to move in. You have nothing to worry about with them and you’re more than welcome to talk to the Perlmans about them.”
Tatiya chewed on her lip. Her Aunt Elena now lived in a senior community nearby and was no longer an option. Jake and Yael would not have recommended this place if it wasn’t safe, so she didn’t need to worry about these two men. If they were only visiting, she was still in compliance with the deal she struck with Aunt Elena. Tatiya decided the opportunity was too good to pass up.
“I would love to rent the place if you’ll have me.”
“Well, you pretty much had it before you ever crossed the threshold of my home. Now that you’re here, I see why Jake recommended you so highly.” Sophia filled and turned on the electric kettle. “We have so very much in common.” Sophia leaned across the island. “If you’re interested in the suite, it’s yours.”
“Of course, I’m very interested. I can pay the deposit, first, and last month’s rent today.”
Sophia drummed her hands on the island and straightened up. “Well, Tatiyanna Demczak, welcome home.”
Daniel
January 18
Daniel Dupree combed out his dark hair that was still wet from the shower using the mirror on the inside of the locker door. “That was bullshit,” He cursed as he closed the door on the locker, then he grabbed his lacrosse stick and strapped it to the side of his duffle bag.
“Calm down, DD.” Stefan Chernenko picked up his duffle and put his helmet and gear into it. His friend had no need to comb out his hair because the six-foot-five mercenary kept it in a short military style cut. Daniel was only two inches shorter but with a leaner build. Being over six feet was the only trait the two men shared. While both were physically fit, Stefan was more powerfully built due to his job. Stefan had light sandy brown hair and steel gray eyes where Daniel’s were a deep jade color.
Then there were the scars and tattoos that marked Stefan’s dangerous life. Each scar was a reminder of how deadly his brother’s job was. Daniel looked in the mirror. His own chest and body were unmarred from a life free of hardship. He endeavored to avoid the mistakes of so many of his peers and never wanted to be that spoiled silver spooned brat. He worked hard to be more like his brothers, Stefan, Jake, and Kareem. They were grounded, loyal, and hardworking.
He'd never admit it, but lately, he felt as if he didn’t fit anymore. His brothers became increasingly secretive over the last four years, ever since Jake’s wife Yael came into the picture. They claimed to be helping Stefan with his PTSD, but Daniel wasn’t stupid, and he planned to wait until the birth of Jake and Yael’s son before he confronted them. Daniel wasn’t going to stress out Yael any more than she already was trying to finish her Master’s and prep for an infant.
Their surprise baby had been a shock to everyone and came at a really inconvenient time for the couple with her going to grad school. They had panicked until their friend Sophia told them to enjoy the blessing that they had nothing to worry about. For whatever reason, that calmed the couple and they’d never seemed happier.
Shaking his head out of his thoughts, Daniel pulled his t-shirt and hoodie over his head and picked up his bag. “Yeah, but that guy was definitely slashing against you and the little punk was gloating about it.”
Stefan finished tying his sneakers and pulled on his Henley. “It’s not the first time we’ve been robbed because of a bad call.” Stefan grabbed his bag and they headed to the parking lot. “You know, DD, we do this to have fun and relax. So, what’s really going on, because I haven’t seen you this hot under the collar about a lost game in years.”
“I don’t know. Maybe work is getting to me? That or my mother’s insistence on trying to set me up. Either way, I thought a game would take the edge off and then we had an incompetent referee.”
“Sorry, man. Anything I can do?” Daniel’s best friend was the type of man who would take a bullet to save a friend. Stefan led them out to the parking lot.
“No, unless you want to get married and give my mother grandchildren, there is very little you can do.” Daniel thought about it a moment and then laughed. “Now, that could work.”
“Fuck, no. You can forget that shit. Besides, I think that would only encourage her because if I can do it, so can you.” Stefan’s horrified face improved Daniel’s mood.
“Damnit, you’re right.” Daniel tossed his lacrosse stick, helmet, and bag into the back of his brother’s Ford F-150 Raptor. Stefan locked the bed topper in place and headed to the driver’s seat while Daniel climbed into the passenger seat. The rainy and cold morning mirrored Daniel’s mood even if the idea of his friend married with children would be nice to see.
Stefan buckled up, started the truck, and backed out of the parking spot. “Buckle up, DD. You know the rules.” Stefan always wore his seat belt after a nasty accident when they were teens. He’d been riding in a car with another classmate when the inexperienced driver hydroplaned and hit a tree. Stefan had not been wearing one and ended up with extensive reconstructive surgery to fix shattered nose and cheek bones.
Daniel rolled his eyes at Stefan and buckled up, he would argue, but when you cared about someone, the little things weren’t worth the argument. “So, Kareem is going to be at Jake’s when we get there?”
Stefan turned the truck in the direction of McClean where Jake and Yael bought a home three months ago after selling Jake’s townhome. “Yeah, Amber, Ksenia, and Noor took Yael to PA shopping and some pampering for the weekend. Ksenia used the excuse that Yael was stressing herself out too much with the baby and school. Jake and Kareem spent late last night painting the nursery after Jake got off shift.”
“Won’t the paint be wet?” Daniel hated that he didn’t know these things.
“He bought a fast-drying paint so it might be slightly tacky but should be dry by the time we’re done. We’ll just need to be careful setting everything up and check walls before we move furniture into place.” Stefan adjusted the radio and got quiet. “Can I admit something?”
“Sure.” Daniel knew when Stefan spoke with that tone, he was thinking of his own family.
“I remember the day they brought Anna home from the hospital. My parents thought they had a couple more weeks, but Anna was in a hurry to come out and play according to my mom. She was so tiny, my four-year-old brain thought she’d be bigger. I’ve been thinking about them quite a bit as I’ve helped Jake pick up stuff with my truck.” Stefan cleared his throat.
“I hadn’t thought of Kelly yet. I guess I probably would have at some point, might have even been today as we assemble this furniture.” Daniel stared out the window a moment, thinking of the day his father took him to the hospital to meet his baby sister. She’d fussed and fussed until they let him up on the bed to see her closer. Kelly fell silent and focused on Daniel. His father made him promise to protect her. If only he could have protected her from cancer. Just one more thing he and his brother shared. They were big brothers grieving lost little sisters.
Daniel turned back to look at Stefan and realized his friend was also lost in thought. For once, Daniel decided they both deserved to stay in their own head for a bit. He remained silent until they pulled up in front of Jake’s new house.
Kareem was throwing some plastic sheeting into the garbage can when Daniel stepped out of the truck. “We’re upstairs. Jake is going nuts trying to put together the swing. I made him wait until Stefan arrived to start the crib.”
Stefan opened the bed of his truck and pulled out a toolbox. “I’m about to start cutting corners of all yinz man cards for not being able to assemble furniture.” Daniel laughed at his friend’s Pittsburgh accent bleeding through with his irritation.
Kareem rolled his eyes. “You won’t be mocking him when…” Kareem looked at Daniel and then back at Stefan. “Never mind, let’s just get upstairs.”
“No, what were you about to say?” Daniel opened the door for the other two to pass ahead of him.
Kareem sighed. “I was going to make a joke that was tasteless. So, let’s just get upstairs.”
The three men walked down the hallway to the room Jake and Yael settled on as the nursery when they bought the place. The door stood open, and the faint smell of paint was being pulled out of a window by a box fan and the room was being heated by a small space heater.
Jake looked up at the three of them from where he sat surrounded by plastic parts and a bag of bolts and screws. He motioned with the Allen wrench in his hand to some other boxes. “The walls are mostly dry but be careful. You can pick your poison with assembly. I chose poorly since this has a motor.”
“DD and I will take the crib if Kareem can start on the changing table.” In one breath, Stefan took command of the situation.
“Yes, sir, Sergeant Dickhead. Reporting for duty.” Daniel grabbed the box cutter and opened the box containing the crib.
“Careful, Private. I might tell Admiral Yael to put you on diaper duty when you visit.” Stefan smirked at Daniel.
“I’d pay to see that one.” Jake laughed.
“Me, too.” Kareem snorted as he opened the changing table box and took the cardboard into the hallway.
“Now, don’t all of you pile on. If Admiral Yael tries to put me on diaper duty, I’ll hire a nanny for her to avoid it.”
“Nope, no nannies yet. Yael is going to take some time to spend with the baby before she considers a Ph.D. Her brothers are pretty pissed at me because I promised her education was my primary focus.”
“But neither of you planned this.” Stefan pulled the cardboard from the crib box into the hallway and stacked it with what was already out there.
“I know that. You know that. They damn well KNOW that, but it doesn’t change things in their eyes. At least Savta told them to back off. She’s thrilled to have another great-grandchild on the way and has demanded we bring the little one to Israel to celebrate their first birthday.”
“They’ll relax once she’s graduated, and they can see the baby,” Kareem assured Jake.
Daniel reviewed the instructions as Stefan sorted through the pieces of the crib. The fact that the four brothers were putting together a nursery as a surprise for Yael showed how much they all loved her. Yael wasn’t due until the end of March, but she had been stressing about trying to get everything done while still working on her Master’s degree. Daniel had asked Ksenia Kuznetsov what they might be able to do to alleviate the stress. The adoptive mama of every man here suggested a weekend away with Yael returning to the nursery being completed.
Daniel dutifully interpreted assembly instructions for Stefan and the four made short work of the furniture working in teams. When all was said and done, Stefan returned from putting the cardboard in his truck to be recycled. They sat on the couch and had a beer while they warmed up in front of the fire.
Jake’s phone dinged and he looked at it, then he smiled and turned the phone toward Kareem. “She signed the lease. Sophia says she’ll be moving in next week.”
“Who will be moving in?” The text piqued Daniel’s curiosity.
“A friend of ours was having issues with her roommate’s creeper boyfriend and we arranged for her to rent from Sophia.” Jake put his phone back down. “You remember Sophia from the wedding?”
“The brunette Russian? Yeah, she and her boyfriend were surprised I spoke Russian and we had a lovely conversation about St. Petersburg.” Daniel recalled how beautiful the woman had been, but she’d been attached to her boyfriend and their mutual friend the entire night. The three were almost in their own little world at times.
Stefan shifted nervously. Odd. “Who signed the lease?”
“Tatiya. I guess the roommate’s boyfriend started walking into her room without knocking.” The look on Jake’s face told Daniel all he needed to know. This wasn’t just a favor; it was a safety issue.
Stefan looked at Daniel. “Perhaps we should help her move and ‘talk’ to this boyfriend.”
Daniel remembered Yael’s friend Tatiya. In fact, he’d dreamt of her a number of times since their one and only meeting. “Yes, I think we should.”
Kareem cursed. “You two should avoid the roommate’s boyfriend. Neither of you need an assault charge if his brain can’t make proper threat assessments.”
Stefan screwed up his face. “Spoilsport. Fine, I’ll steer clear, but you can borrow the truck if you want. I’m heading out in a couple of days anyway.”
“I don’t think she’ll need it. Both her current place and Sophia’s are furnished, so she doesn’t have much to move. Nothing that can’t fit in our cars, I think. If something changes, I’ll let you know.”
“I’ll help with boxes.” Daniel wanted to see Tatiya again.
“Don’t worry, Dan, we have it. I’ll let you both know if that changes.” A strange look passed between the other three and Daniel felt like cussing them out. If not for his bond with Stefan, he’d start to reconsider the friendship.
January 21
Tatiyanna
Tatiyanna rushed into the back room of the Kasatschok Café. Grabbing her apron and visor, she shot an apologetic look to her boss as she headed for the espresso bar in the front. She knew he wasn't about to chastise her for arriving at 7:01 am when the café opened at 7:00 am, but she always felt guilty sliding in at the last minute. Tatiya lost track of time while packing this morning, but she'd managed to make up the time by skipping breakfast. A decision she would probably regret halfway through the morning rush. She got right to work and was smiling and ready as the first set of customers came through the door in search of their morning caffeine.
Her boss, Jonathan, walked over during a lull and handed her a juice and one of the fresh muffins he made every morning. "You really shouldn't push yourself the way you do," giving her the father tone he always did when she was visibly tired.
"I'm okay, Jon. The creep didn’t bug me this morning as I was packing." She inhaled the muffin in a couple of bites.
"I worry about you, Tatiya. I'd never heard the end of it from my mother if you came down sick again."
Tatiya rolled her eyes. “Jon, your grandmother, and my aunt have been friends since the old country, but that doesn't obligate you to worry about what I had for breakfast."
"I know," he grinned, “but that doesn't stop my mother from pestering me."
Tatiya liked Jonathan (Ivan) Gorev. He was about six years older than her, very handsome and likable. His dark-blonde hair and blue eyes would have been unremarkable on another man, but with his angular features and slim frame, they conjured images of Baryshnikov. Despite their age differences, they had quite a bit in common. Both were dancers that were never going to grace a grand stage. Jonathan had torn his Achilles tendon during a performance of Le Sacre du Printemps several years ago. He took over the café from his mother after it became clear he'd never dance again. He went by his Americanized name these days because it suited him better.
Tatiya, on the other hand, was cursed by being too short. She made for comical pairings with the male dancers. Tatiya was curvy, but successive childhood illnesses had left her petite. One could mistake her for being frail, but she kept her body in top condition.
Neither she nor Jon lacked for suitors, but neither of them had found the right person. The Babushkas or Babas as they called his mother and her Great Aunt, which meant grandmothers, never lost a chance to try to matchmake. But they didn't have that kind of chemistry. However, to appease them, the two of them had made a pact. If they had no one by the time Tatiya turned thirty, they would wed to make the old women happy.
They got back to work without much more being said. In many ways, they talked to each other with their bodies. The ebb and flow of the daily routine had become a well-choreographed dance they both knew. When the last of the lunch crowd had left, and only a few patrons sipping their lattes and mochas remained, Tatiya took a moment to have a sandwich and water. As she deposited the plate and bottle in the garbage, she noticed a black Range Rover pull up to the front of the café, and two men got out of the back. Tatiya couldn't get a good look at them from the tables and umbrellas on the street, but from the quality of the suits, they were your typical Washington Insiders grabbing coffee on their way to one of the Embassies or Think Tanks here in Dupont Circle. To her surprise, Tatiya caught a quick flash of a golden glow trailing behind one of the men. She hoped it was a Shepherd and not a seizure coming on. Tatiya focused for a moment and verified what she had seen and sighed. She had done everything in her power to avoid looking while around other people, but sometimes it was unavoidable. Tatiya glanced at Iahael, who seemed pleased. The men moved around the trees outside the building, where she couldn't see them clearly on their way to the door.
She got behind the counter and washed her hands before turning and facing… the most striking man she had ever seen. Daniel Dupree was one of the successful businessmen in the Metro area and just happened to be friends with Yael’s husband, Jake. He was over six feet tall and dressed in a gray three-piece suit, but it was his eyes that she remembered first. They were almost like looking at pure jade; they held no emotion, which was startling. His skin was tanned, and his dark hair was short. Everything about this man was precise and crisp. She noted a Bulgari watch on his wrist, a gold signet ring on his right hand, none on his left. His mouth was hard and oddly sensual. Tatiya caught herself staring and exhaled, not realizing she'd been holding her breath. She cleared her throat. “Hi Daniel, what can I get for you?"
Daniel
January 21
Daniel just wanted some caffeine before going into the Wentworth Center for International Peace for another long meeting. Usually, he would have just sent his assistant to fetch his coffee, but he was seriously irritated with his companion, Karl Trenton, and found it better to wait for his coffee at the counter than be stuck in the back seat of his Range Rover listening to him talk. Daniel had been to this café several times with his best friend Stefan, who lived nearby. As he walked up to the counter and prepared to make his order, his eyes settled on the girl… no woman… behind the counter. She was tiny. At first, he thought she might be in her teens, but when her eyes caught his, he realized she was in her early twenties. About the same age Kelly would have been. He suddenly realized who she was. This was Yael’s old roommate. It would appear they were meant to see each other again.
She said something, but his brain couldn't register the words; her green eyes captured him. He had never seen eyes that emerald on anyone else. She cocked her head to the side, waiting for his response, and his gaze dropped to her mouth. Delicate and sensual, the lips parted ever so slightly, and then Karl’s annoying voice snapped him back to reality.
Karl huffed, “Are you going to order?”
"An Americano, no sugar," he replied to Tatiya, only guessing at what she'd said to him. “You’re Tatiyanna, Yael’s friend, correct?”
Tatiyanna glowed as she smiled. “Yes, that would be me.” She tapped the screen of the register a few times. “That'll be $6.36.” Daniel handed her his card, and after he paid, she smiled sweetly at him. “I'll call you when your Americano, no sugar, is ready. I’m surprised I never see you when Stefan shows up.”
“He and I rarely have mornings off in common.”
Daniel stood there a moment wanting to talk more but Karl cleared his throat and rudely gave his order, “Macchiato.”
Daniel moved aside, irritated. Tatiyanna proceeded to take Karl's order with the same efficiency. As she made their drinks, he watched her with interest. She was too striking to forget. Her long hair had the hue of dark honey, and she moved with a grace that seemed almost unnatural. He remembered what her curvy body looked like without the bulky t-shirt and black jeans that made up her uniform. The whole ensemble was unflattering; a woman who looked like that should be in Prada or Vera Wang.
"Daniel," she called and set his Americano on the counter. She turned and finished working on Karl's macchiato. After she placed it on the counter and called his name, she smiled at both of them. Karl headed for the door without saying ‘thank you’ and Daniel wanted to slap him.
“Thank you, Tatiyanna” Daniel decided to use her full name keeping with the Russian tradition of not using nicknames without permission. While Tatiyanna was good friends with Yael and Jake, Daniel had not seen her in four years and did not have a close relationship with her.
“You’re welcome, Daniel. I hope you come around with Stefan sometime. He’s not been in for a couple of weeks. Tell him hi for me if you see him.” Daniel had a minor stab of jealousy that Stefan knew Tatiyanna better than he did, but this was Stefan’s favorite spot, so it made sense. He’d have to grill his friend when he returned from his current assignment.
“I’m sure I will be around more often. See you later.” Daniel didn’t want to leave but Karl was waiting, and he had a meeting to get to. Daniel nodded to her and headed out the door. Returning to the Range Rover, he slid into his seat and didn't hear Karl's prattling for the rest of the drive.
Tatiyanna
January 21
Tatiya was still smiling when Jon returned from the back office. He raised an eyebrow and handed her paycheck to her. "Did I miss something?"
Tatiya grinned and shook her head. “Just served a total hottie who is friends with my old roommate, but he is completely out of my league."
Jon laughed. “Out of your league?"
"Yeah, you know, Black AMEX is the major league. I'm still in the multiple jobs division."
"Hey, good brotherhood is the best wealth," Jon quoted the Russian proverb.
"You're right, and besides Aunt Elena always says, honest work won't put you in prison," Tatiya grinned. "Men like that don't want anything but more money and more power. Now, I have a paycheck to cash, bills to pay, and a dance class to teach."
Tatiya gave Jon pecks on both cheeks, and after dumping the apron and visor on the hook in the back, she took off for her second job at Karasov's Dance Studio.
“Do not judge so harshly. Not every man of means craves more power. Some men crave a home where only a house stands.” Iahael warned.
“Oh, you hush. I don’t want to hear it right now.” Tatiya started her car and pulled out.
January 22
Daniel
The next day, Daniel found himself sitting in front of the café, wondering why he was there. He should be at his office finishing off the proposal for the new fair-trade cotton deal he was hoping to finance in Kazakhstan. Instead, Daniel was playing stalker. He'd spent the entire night thinking about this woman and couldn't get her out of his mind. This morning, he decided he would see her again.
Alarm bells went off around Tatiyanna; she was different from his usual women. They had only a brief conversation four years ago and then yesterday she made him coffee and smiled at him, nothing more. Yet, there was something about her that drew him in. He almost felt driven to be at her side as if a hand was pushing him in her direction every time they encountered each other. It was an odd sensation, and one Daniel could not explain. He got out of his Aston Martin Vanquish and crossed the street. His security parked nearby and stayed in the vehicle.
Daniel always traveled with security not too far away. When he was a young teen, strange men approached him after practice and tried to force him into a waiting van. He managed to slip their grip and run back to his coach and the other adults. That same van had been seen near Kelly’s daycare the day before. Afterward, his father became paranoid about kidnappings, and he’d surrounded Daniel and Kelly with security. Between that frightening day, and the dangerous zones Daniel’s company operated in, he carried the same paranoia for his safety. Only occasionally did he leave them behind, and always when he was with Stefan, whose security background left Daniel protected.
He noticed the café was busy before he opened the door, and Tatiyanna was gliding back and forth behind the counter next to another woman with pink hair and an eyebrow ring. He got in line and took the time to watch the two women interact. They worked well together and joked back and forth in Russian. When Daniel got to the counter, it was Pink Hair that greeted him.
"How can I help you?" Her English was accented, and her gaze slid over his features.
"Americano, no sugar," called Tatiyanna from the espresso machine, and she smiled at him. Pink Hair, whose name tag identified her as Marina, gave Tatiyanna a quizzical look and then looked back at him. He nodded, and she shrugged, cracked her gum, input the order into the register, and took his card. As he stood off to the side, he heard Marina exclaim to Tatiyanna. “So cute!”in Russian.
He smiled and was grateful that most foreigners assumed that Americans only spoke English. He listened carefully to see what her response would be.
“So, cute! Oy, Marina. Do you ever think of anything else? He’s a friend of Stefan’s and quite out of our league. He's one of the many big wigs working down here. You know what those kinds of men feel about women like us. If they take notice, it's for a distraction.” Tatiyanna responded in Russian.
“I could handle being a mistress for a couple of days if it meant being with him.”
“Yeah, sure, you may be, but being a mistress isn't my style,” Tatiyanna rolled her eyes and finished his Americano.
“Daniel,” she called his name, and at first, there was irritation in her voice, but when she looked at him, she softened and smiled. “Sorry, I’d love to chat but we’re busy right now.”
“It’s okay, Tatiyanna,” he smiled back. “Thank you for the coffee.”
Daniel caught her eye and held her gaze for a moment. Tatiyanna froze, staring back at him, and blushed. Daniel smirked, feeling victorious. So, he could affect her. Now, he needed to convince her that there were worse things than being a mistress. “Have a good day, Tatiyanna.”
“Have a good day, Daniel,” Tatiyanna pushed her long braid over her back and was about to say something when the next customer caught her attention.
As he walked out, his decision was made. The electricity he felt before was still there. Tatiyanna was worth pursuing, and this time, he wouldn’t let his friends run interference.
Tatiyanna
January 22
Tatiya placed her ankle on the barre and stretched forward, placing her forehead on her shin. Seeing him for the second day in a row was messing with her. It appeared that Daniel would become a repeat customer, so Tatiya would have to get used to seeing him. Those jade eyes and that mouth stirred things in her she thought weren’t part of her make-up. Tatiya didn’t date, at least, not seriously. Indeed, she was asked out often, but it never went past dinner and a movie. She’d never felt anything for any of them. They were friendly, but like Jon, there wasn’t anything there. Daniel was different, just looking at him; she felt flushed. Hell, thinking about him made her flush.
This must be what it’s like to be a teenager. Tatiya skipped those years; cancer robbed her of so much. When she should have been going to dances and giggling about hot boys, Tatiya was undergoing chemo and having surgeries—three rounds of chemo, two brain surgeries, and a total of five years of treatment. The process left her growth stunted and left Tatiya with numerous other problems. The worst scars were not the ones you could see. Adding in her ability to see the Shepherds made for difficulties opening herself up to relationships.
After Tatiya’s first surgery and during her second course of chemotherapy, her parents had died in a car accident. It had been late December, and everyone had been at the hospital late to visit. Her parents decided to head to the house they were renting and get some sleep. It had snowed, her father was exhausted, and a deer of all things was the final blow of the night. The police said her father swerved to miss the deer and hit a patch of snow and ice. The result was spending the Christmas season continuing treatment while attending the funeral and being bombarded by Children’s Services and Attorneys. Eventually, the state decided Tatiya’s elderly Aunt Elena was the only person suited to care for her since she had no other living relatives who could take her. So now, it was just her and her seventy-eight-year-old Great Aunt.
Between the medical treatments and being raised by an old Baba, Tatiya had never had a normal teenage life. However, her life has not been without joy. Aunt Elena brought with her Jonathan, his parents, and his grandmother. Elena was a loving and protective guardian, fierce with the doctors, and determined to ensure Tatiya survived her cancer. Elena was also deeply religious and made sure that Tatiya attended services regularly in the Orthodox Churches wherever they lived. The combination of Elena’s determination and the grounding of their faith saw Tatiya through those days. Tatiya had considered telling her aunt about the Shepherds a few times. She guessed Elena would be highly likely to believe her, but she couldn’t take the chance that wasn’t the case.
After she graduated from college in DC, she had talked about moving in with Jon, but her aunt nixed that idea. Living with a boy, even one you weren’t romantically involved with, was out of the question. After two months of fighting, Tatiya convinced her aunt to allow her to withdraw money from her trust fund to pay for rent. The fund also paid for her education, so without student debt, she was stable. She had no idea how much it was worth, but she didn’t want to know. She had hated using the money since it came from the life insurance settlement and the sale of her father’s businesses.
Her first set of roommates was a mitigated disaster. She only took the place because it was in a good neighborhood, and it was four girls in a four-bedroom with two full baths. She didn’t learn until after she moved in that there were two unpaid occupants in the form of boyfriends no one disclosed. She vowed to make it work and not tell her aunt when one of the men started to sexually harass her when his girlfriend wasn’t around. Tatiya tried talking to the roommate, but the woman didn’t believe her and then Tatiya had been labeled a drama queen. Now she just wanted out.
“You are deep in thought, Tatiyanna, daughter of Nicholai. Perhaps you should focus on your students?” Iahael motioned to the tween girls waiting on her.
Tatiya blushed. “Sorry girls, I got lost in thought.” She shooed the girls onto the dance floor and began working with their techniques.
After the class, on the drive home, Iahael spoke again. “I have been at your side since the day you drew your first breath. You know I am not able to tell you things that will make decisions for you, I can only provide you with guidance. Do not be afraid of Daniel, son of Charles, for he would never intentionally hurt you.”
“Intentionally is a loaded word. We can do a lot of damage in this world, unintentionally.” Tatiya pulled into her parking spot and looked at the house she would be leaving come Saturday. Her stomach shrank with dread. “Keep me safe, Iahael, please. Even if you must expose me to one of the others to get me help.”
“I told you the time has come. If your safety is at risk, call Jacob, son of Isaak and he will send a warrior to your side.”
“Thank you, Iahael.”
Tatiya climbed the stairs of the front entrance and pushed into the house. The house was quiet as she tiptoed to her room. It was after eleven p.m. and most everyone would be asleep. Tatiya waited until she opened her bedroom door before turning on any lights, slipped inside, and shut it quietly. The last thing she needed was for Landon to know she was home and about to shower.
Tatiya debated waiting until morning to shower, but then she’d be without hot water again. So, she gathered up her things, snuck across the hall, and locked the bathroom door before she jumped in the shower.
Tatiya lathered the sweat and grime out of her hair thinking about Daniel Dupree. Their conversation four years ago, before Stefan Chernenko had interrupted, started pleasantly and he was quite the gentleman. Perhaps he was the Companion that Iahael spoke about? She would ask but Iahael always gave her space during private moments like a shower.
Tatiya’s hair care routine took her several minutes in and out of the shower. When she stepped out, there was a slight rattle to the door. She jumped but said nothing hoping it was just creaking from the old house. Tatiya sped up her routine and finished getting her hair conditioned and combed. She dove into her pajamas and robe, then she grabbed her phone and pulled up Jake’s number. Tatiya carefully opened the door and walked out of the bathroom.
Standing a few feet away, leaning on the opposite wall, Landon stood with his arms crossed. He pushed off the wall and walked up to her. “You took long enough, some of us need the bathroom.”
“Oh, sorry, it’s past eleven so I didn’t expect anyone to be awake.” Tatiya tried to step around Landon, but he stopped her.
“Why rush away without saying, ‘hello’?” He leaned down to get face-to-face.
“Well, hello, good night, I need to get to sleep because I have an early shift tomorrow.” Tatiya tried to step around him again and he stopped her again. This time, he backed her against the wall.
Iahael reappeared. “Use your powers, Comforter. You have the right abilities to send him away.”
Tatiya held up the phone with her thumb over the call button. She took a deep breath and opened herself up to Landon’s emotions. He was getting pleasure out of her fear, his lust for her was disgusting and she wanted him gone. She squared her shoulders and lifted her chin, finding her mental grip over Landon’s emotions, and then pushed them toward fear. “Leave me alone or I’ll call my friends.”
Landon stepped back. “Hey, no need to do that. I just wanted to talk.” He looked around. “Uh, good night.” Landon dove into the bathroom and Tatiya jumped into her bedroom and locked the door.
Her heart pounded as she looked at Iahael. Whispering, “Thank you, Iahael. Thank you.” Tatiya wished she could hug the creature.
“My job is to guide and protect you. I will stand guard over you. Sleep well, Tatiyanna, daughter of Nicholai.”
“Good night.” She took her medication and went to bed.
January 26
Daniel
Daniel pushed back from
