Sveta opened her eyes slowly.
Her lids were heavy and aching.
And she didn't remember anything from the past two weeks. The blinding sun was making her skin tingle and she felt as if she had been hit by a Metro train.
Where the hell I am, she thought, full of confusion. All she could remember was the tragic incident involving Geser telling her she had to be handed over to the Day Watch. That was it. She stumbled to her feet and looked around. She was in the middle of nowhere on a grassy plain, with only the sun beating down upon her. She frowned and looked through the Twilight. Nothing. Not one single Other for miles around and no trace of magic anywhere. So she must have been here for a while then. She fought to think back but it was a mix of emotions, hurt and anger, then finally relief.
Suddenly, she heard a ringing.
"Oh, thank God!" Obviously her kidnappers hadn't thought to remove her phone from her, and now Anton was on the other side of the earpiece. "Why haven't you answered your phone! The last thing I heard you had been handed to Zabulon and since then no word from you and no information from everyone else…" came his harsh tone. "Me and Nadya have been so worried." His tone had softened and Sveta relaxed. "Oh, Anton, I have no idea where I am! I don't even remember what has been happening."
"Hold on, Sveta, I'm going to inform Geser and the Night Watch and I'll try and trace you." There was a click on the end of line.
Sveta sank to the ground, and closed her eyes. She felt so relieved after all the confusion she was feeling. She felt so tired even though it was obvious she had been doing nothing else since 2 weeks ago. She closed her eyes, and despite the biting sun, she drifted into a dreamless sleep. She was safe now.
"Sveta, Sveta, wake up . . ." She jumped awake. She was lying in her apartment on her sofa bed and Anton was leaning over her, his face full of concern. She smiled weakly and reached out to touch the face off her husband whom she had not seen for 2 weeks. He flinched.
The smile faded from her face. Her hand dropped back to her side and suddenly she felt dreadful as if he was hiding what had happened from her. "Anton . . . what's going on? What happened?" He couldn't even look at her.
He then looked at her full of sadness and shame. "Before I tell you, you have to know that no matter what will happen from now on, I still love you and always will."
This was a bad sign. "Anton." she breathed. "Just tell me."
"Zabulon turned you. He got his filthy vampire slaves to bite you and now you are one of them. You are a Dark Other now."
"But . . ." She couldn't even start.
"Don't ask me how Sveta, I don't know."