Amidst a nightmarish Hell, a moment of Heaven is found.
In February of 1943, amidst the German Army’s relentless siege of Leningrad, Russia, the destruction of the city and starvation of the population has created an apocalyptic genocide. Yet the dangers within the city are far more perilous. Ilya, a young man forced into prostitution by his brutal father as a means to keep his disabled brother alive, understands this all too well.
In his darkest hours, Ilya finds salvation when witnessing the graceful beauty of a ballerina. To him, Tatiana is the red swan of hope, an angel surrounded by devils. As horrific as the city has become, she is an enchanting light within the darkness.
As the hours turn desperate, atonement, fate, and revenge become Ilya’s allies to freedom. The intensity of their love affair prompts them to risk all to escape from the carnage of war. And should they fail, Ilya willingly will greet death by having witnessed the sublime dance of the red swan.
PUBLISHER NOTE: Historical Romance. 28,700 words. All characters depicted in this work of fiction are 18 years of age or older.
After making love to her a second time, he eased out of her and adorned her bare back with soft kisses as he exhaled deeply, calming his breath.
“You have so many scars across your back and shoulders,” Tatiana commented while massaging his muscles when he lay on his stomach. Ilya hoped she would not ask how he had suffered them. He was not certain if he could convincingly lie about each one.
Resting her head on the pillow next to his, they looked into each other’s eyes. Watching her, he thought, I wish this moment would last. I want nothing more than to stay here and forget everything else. Sometimes I cannot remember what it was like before the war. I guess bombs falling from the sky have a way of not only destroying what they touch but also erasing memories of how places and people were before such devastation.
“What are you thinking about?” Tatiana asked.
Hoping to not spoil their time together with thoughts of the war, Ilya instead offered a happy memory.
“I was thinking again about the first time I watched you dance, standing there in your dress, looking like a red swan about to take flight.” She smiled when hearing his response. But her expression then turned somber, prompting him to ask, “What about you?”
He watched a tear stream down her cheek and his heart broke when she whispered, “I think we are doomed.” Ilya scooted closer to her to hold her in his arms. “Please, do not lie to me and tell me I am being foolish. I do not walk blindly through the city, failing to see such despair surrounding us. Someday the Germans will come, and our lives will be over.”
Ilya understood her fear. Many times he, too, believed the same. Yet that was before meeting and falling in love with her. Until that moment there was so little to live for. He had vowed to die in order to save his brother. He would die to save her, as well. Ilya pressed his cheek to hers.
“I love you. Should this be all the time we are given, then I can die knowing that someone as beautiful and graceful as you was in love with me. If there are tomorrows, they are a gift not to be squandered. If this is all we have, I will greet death as a happy man as my love for you will be eternal.”
