Finding Dmitria by Lauren Hinch (best way to read e books TXT) 📕

she cried, her cheeks stained with tears, dry blood tangling her grayed hair. “We must have come too late,” stuttered Maggie, every bone in her body shaking.

“Late? I am never late!” he yelled at her, slapping her across the face.
Ekaterina lurched forward in defense of Maggie. “No Ekaterina, there is not anything we can do…” whispered Dmitria sadly as she caught Ekaterina by the arm. Ekaterina fell back behind the thicket, tears falling on her skirt.
“Well then, I suppose this is where your usefulness has run its course.” said Akota without the slightest amount of remorse. He turned and waved his hand towards Celina. “You know what to do Celina, please get this filthy thing out of my sight” he hissed. Akota dropped Maggie, walking over to his remaining men.
Celina smiled and nodded her head at Akota, making her way towards Maggie’s frightened, shivering body.

Dmitria caught a glimpse of Celina’s face, and what she saw sent shivers down her spine: a malicious smile that, she could tell, craved Maggie’s innocent blood.

Akota laughed harshly as Celina dragged Maggie’s body behind one of the nearest, open stalls. The sound of Maggie’s screams echoed across the grounds. It seemed to Ekaterina that Akota cared for no one, did not find l life precious in any way possible – just another thing to destroy.

Aria Isabelle watched silently, terrified of what the man before her would do next.

Akota waved another hand, signaling his men to search the main house.

However, as the went to pass through the large metal gates of the Amore Perso stables, they found themselves prevented from entering, as though an invisible stone wall have be placed at the stable’s entrance. “Akota, sir, we are not allowed to enter! There seems to be something blocking our way.” yelled one of Akota’s men.

Akota stepped forwards shock on his face. “Impossible!”

“Master, what is wrong?” Celina reappeared from behind the empty stall, wiping the last traces of blood from her hand with a blood stained cloth. She looked at Akota with a quizzical brow, turning her head from side to side, surveying the area around them.

“It’s a protection spell, Celina.”

“But master, that is not possible. We were told that this island had been completely separated from the magic!” Celina looked at Akota in bewilderment.

“Yes, we were told correctly.” said Akota, waving his men away from the large metal gates. “However, I failed to consider an alternative.” He waved his hand across the entrance.

Celina and his men watched silently.

A smiled appeared across Akota’s face. “Of course, how could I have been so ignorant?” Akota ran his hand through his long greasy black hair. “Oh, Seryna?” he chimed at the entrance to Amore Perso stables, “Come out, come out where ever you are!”

Akota took a few steps back so that he was in line with the rest of his men, an eerie grin on his face. “Ah, there you are my darling.”


Suddenly a dagger with an ivory handle was sent flying towards Akota's heart. Sensing the knife, Akota pulled one of his men in front of him, the dagger hitting the man square in the chest.

Akota shoved the man to the ground, not thinking any more of him. He growled viciously, "Now, now darling. There is no need to be violent." Akota turned his head towards Celina and the rest of his men. “Go. This is a private matter. Search the surrounding area, the could not have gone far.”

"I feel that you and I do not see eye to eye.”

Aria Isabelle, Dmitria, and Ekaterina turned their heads to find Seryna Cartridge standing elegantly at the entrance of the stables. Her eyes were cold and dark.

For a moment, Akota simply regarded Seryna with bewilderment – as though he were seeing a ghost from his past.

“My, my Seryna! It has been quite a while since we have seen each other has it not?” he hissed at her, waving his hand at his guards to bind Seryna’s hands together. “I come for three, and uncover one who has eluded even my parents.”

Akota walked over to Seryna, grazing the side of her face with his hand, “I must say Seryna you look as beautiful as before.” He said, smiling cruelly.

She looked at him darkly, turning her head and biting down hard onto his hand.

He slapped her across the face, leaving a red handprint on her cheek. Akota grabbed her face with his hand.

“If you touch me I swear, you will not live through the night,” she hissed at him, a fierce look in her eyes.

Akota glared at Seryna for a moment, a wicked smiled appearing on his lips. He looked down at Seryna and raised an eye brow, surveying the land around him.

Suddenly Seryna Cartridge realized what Akota was preparing to do. She struggled to get away from him, her eyes pleading for him to show her mercy.

Akota smirked. “I see you have changed your last name, am I right? What was it before? Seryna Lai-John?”

For a slight second, Ekaterina just stared at Seryna, not wanting to look away. “Of course,” she whispered as she realized what had just happened, crystal tears beginning to fall down her olive cheeks.

“Ekaterina?” asked Aria Isabelle, turning her head towards Ekaterina. “Are you alright?” Ekaterina did not answer her.

“Ekaterina? Please, we have to leave. I am sure that Seryna will take care of herself.” said Dmitria attempting to pull Ekaterina away from the edge of the forest.

Ekaterina shoved away Dmitria’s arm, turning back towards Aria Isabelle and giving her a sad smile. Then she ran.
Chapter VII

“Ekaterina, no!” screamed Dmitria and Aria Isabelle. There was nothing that could have stopped Ekaterina from running to Seryna’s, her mother’s, aid. She had only just met the woman, but she was not going to lose the mother she had never known.

Aria Isabelle and Dmitria watched wordlessly as Ekaterina fled from the protection of the thicket towards Akota and Seryna. They watched helplessly as she through herself at Akota, attempting to grab the ivory handled dagger that Akota had pulled from the dead man on the ground from his hand.

Ekaterina collided with Akota, knocking him to the ground. She held onto the dagger with dear life as Akota struggled to throw her off. Suddenly her expression changed to fear as he forced her off him to the ground, holding the ivory dagger to her throat.

Akota’s eyes burned with fury. “Well, well, well. Look what we have here.” he said, holding the dagger at the edge of her throat. “This must be the lovely Ekaterina. My, my you do look lie your mother.”

Ekaterina stopped struggling for a moment, turning her head away from Akota towards her mother. Large, hot tears welled in her eyes.

“Ah, I see I have hit a nerve.” He smiled viciously. “Which one of you would like to die first?” Akota got off of Ekaterina, pulling her to her feet by her long brown hair.

“We can not just stand here and watch this Dmitria.” said Aria Isabelle nervously, “He will kill her if he is given the chance.”

All Dmitria could do was nod towards her best friend, sadly. She would not argue with Aria Isabelle, for once she had set her mind on something and there was no changing it.

“Then let’s go” whispered Aria Isabelle, gripping Dmitria’s hand tightly. Together, the two girls fled the thicket to help their new friend.

“Akota please! Please do not do this. You will only cause yourself great pain.” said Seryna quietly, her voice not reaching above a whisper. Seryna sat on the damp grass, wiping the blood from a tiny cut off her forehead. “The least you can do is to allow me to explain to Ekaterina why I had to leave her at the orphanage.” a tear fell from Seryna’s eyes. “I do not want to cause her anymore pain than I already have.”

Seryna’s words stopped Akota for a moment, he pondered them, appearing as though he were in deep thought. “You have deceived me. You say that you do not want to cause this poor girl anymore pain, am I right? Is it wrong for me to say that it would be better if I just carried on with my plans?” he said releasing Ekaterina, and throwing her to the ground. He walked towards Seryna, kneeling in front of her and stroking the side of her face with his hand.

Seryna’s head fell, a steady flow of tears falling from her eyes.

Ekaterina stared at her mother, feeling the slightest bit of sorrow for the woman. She had not thought about why she had decided come to the aid of a woman she did not even know.

“Would you come to her defense Ekaterina?” he asked, turning towards Ekaterina.

Ekaterina regarded Akota, to terrified to speak. In her heart she wanted to answer yes; however, she found herself unable to utter even the smallest word.

Akota smiled and nodded towards Ekaterina, turning back towards Seryna “Well, now we know where you stand, my darling.” Akota chuckled, standing back on his feet. “I must say though, I assumed she would not answer yes anyway. How could you expect her to? You left her to grow up all alone.”

Seryna hung her head in shame, nothing was more heart breaking that to know how much pain she had caused her daughter. Tears fell from Seryna’s eyes as Akota walked behind her kneeling down behind her. Slowly, Akota brought the ivory dagger to Seryna’s throat.

“Stop!” screamed Ekaterina, as Akota began to drag the dagger across Seryna’s throat. Then, as soon as Ekaterina and spoken those words, a vine that had wrapped itself around one of the aging trees, and flew towards Akota. The massive vine wrapped around his waist and flung him across the clearing.

“Ekaterina!” yelled Aria Isabelle and Dmitria. For a moment, everything was silent. Everyone starred at Ekaterina completely astonished.

Aria Isabelle and Dmitria stopped short. “Ekaterina, how in the name of all the heavens did you do that?” asked Aria Isabelle, an astonished look on her face.

Ekaterina stood motionless. Suddenly she began to shake, looking at her hand to try to comprehend what she had just done.

Dmitria looked back behind her at Akota’s unconscious body the ground. “Aria Isabelle, we have to go before he wakes up.” she said, gently touching Aria Isabelle’s arm.

“Yes, I suppose we do. Come, hurry Ekaterina we will figure out what happened later.” She walked over to Ekaterina, taking her arms in Ekaterina’s and pulling her away from the clearing towards the woods.

Ekaterina walked with Aria Isabelle