As they walked back toward their dressing rooms, Katia looked up at him and smiled. “You’re always rescuing me anyhow, Sergei.” She gave a self-deprecating laugh and shook her head. “Sometimes, I don’t know what I’d do without you. I’m a hot mess and we both know it.” He smiled down at her and said, “Lucky for you, I’ve always had a soft spot for a good hot mess.” She smiled at him and opened her dressing room door. As she started to walk through, Sergei touched her upper arm lightly to stop her. “Meet me at the side door. I’ll walk you home.” Katia looked up at Sergei standing there, twisting the crested ring on his right index finger. She nodded and passed through her door, closing it softly behind her.
Finally able to get out of her formal performance dress, Katia took a relieved breath and rolled her neck. Floor-length satin evening dresses were not her outfits of choice on a daily basis. She pulled the pins out of her hair, tossing them carelessly on the dressing table. Reaching over, she grabbed her street clothes that were hanging over the back of a chair. Fitted black jeans, a black Beatles t-shirt, and a pair of motorcycle boots. Grabbing the length of her hair, she twisted it up into a messy bun. It felt like heaven to finally be herself again. There had been a time before her parents’ accident when she had tried to fit in with the moneyed, trust-fund crowd that frequented the area. Katia had quickly realized that she was pretending to be someone else. It had gotten her nowhere and she’d only felt uncomfortable. Quite frankly, she didn’t spend much time with the type of people that lived in her area and attended the theatre and concert hall. She felt so much more at home going to a bar and shooting pool with Sergei or watching a live indie band at a warehouse party.
Giving herself a quick glance in the mirror, she grabbed up her black messenger bag and violin case, and headed out the door. Katia walked briskly toward the side door of the theatre, the one used exclusively by crew and performers to exit unnoticed by the patrons. It opened directly into the employee parking lot and, as usual, most of the crew for the show were outside chatting and smoking before heading home for the night. She waved and smiled, accepting congratulations from most of them for a good show since this was the final night of performances for the season. Everyone would have a few weeks off before rehearsals would start for the orchestral performances that would kick off the summer program.
Sergei was leaning casually against the brick wall as Katia approached. He gave her a slow smile as she drew near. “Looking more like yourself. Not that your weren’t gorgeous before.” She laughed as they headed out toward the street for the short walk to her building. This was a walk they’d taken together after almost every performance for the past few years, but something felt different to Katia. There was a certain tension in the air around Sergei. After walking in silence for a few minutes, he stopped. Katia took a few more steps, lost in thought, before realizing he wasn’t beside her. She turned back toward him with a questioning look. Sergei was peering down at the pavement, he took a deep breath and looked up into Katia’s eyes. She sucked in a breath. There was such a look of longing in his face. “Katia, I decided a long time ago not to do this. I figured it was better to have you in my life in some way instead of risking losing you completely, but I can’t go on like this without ever having tried.” Her eyes widened, but she motioned for Sergei to continue. “I care about you, Katia, a lot. I want a relationship with you, a real relationship. Will you go on a date with me — an actual date, not a ‘just as friends’ date?” Sergei took a deep breath and held it.
Katia’s mind spun. She had known this was coming for a while, but now that the moment was here she had frozen. What should she do? She laughed at herself internally. A pro’s and con’s list would only tell her what she already knew — that Sergei was perfect for her in every way. She’d met a lot of men over the years through work, social interactions, and during school. She hadn’t ever found the same easy relationship that she had with Sergei. This could work, couldn’t it? They understood each other; they worked and rehearsed together. Hell, they even lived in the same apartment building. Okay, time to stop stalling and make a decision. It was now or never, and she’d had enough of feeling frozen and stuck. Time to pull her head out of her ass and do something to change her life. “Yes.”
Chapter Three
Luc headed down the staircase at the back of the bar that led to a cavernous stone basement. Nobody would guess from looking around the bar that such a massive space existed directly under his feet. At the end of each evening, creatures of the dark would make their way to The Advocate in order to head through the Portal and back to their homes in Outer-Sheol after a long day of work, play...or hunting.
He made his way down the well-worn stone steps and emerged into the cool air of the cavernous room. The arched gothic ceiling adorned with carved runes in various demonic languages
