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“We’ll figure something out. For now, let’s just take care of this. Sophie probably has what the shaman needs for the spell. We get this right and we catch all of them, okay? We spare no one. They’re all going to spend their miserable eternity in the dungeons of Lure Academy, I promise you. But you can’t fall apart now, or we’re finished.”
“I know… I’m sorry…”
They reached the greenhouse and Sophie threw the door open.
“What the hell happened? Is he all right?”
Kain made his way to the back of the greenhouse, dragging Alexi with him. The room was enveloped in a diffuse golden light that made everything glow eerily. Alexi sunk to the floor, his back against a huge flowerpot, and let Kain explain everything to Sophie. He was feeling better, the distance between him and Gremory making it easier for him to breathe and think.
“The demon who put that big, disgusting mark on his back is here.”
“What?” That was exactly what she needed: more complications. Sophie was exhausted, and it was obvious from her posture, weak voice, and pale face. In the past few days she had kept repeating to herself that she only needed to hang in there just a bit longer, just five more days. The only people she saw were Leila, who brought her meals and helped her get dressed, and the Count. She was so drained that she could barely walk straight, and it took all her will power to keep her shield down and not hit the greedy demon with everything she had. He never took much, and he never went all the way, but her energy was fading away with each passing day.
“He’s a mess… He almost collapsed on the corridor.”
Sophie threw Alexi a worried glance. She couldn’t see his face, and suddenly she hated all that dark, disheveled hair, no matter how sexy it was.
“What do we do? Does this mean our cover is blown?”
“No…” Alexi cleared his throat and forced himself to stand up. “We’re fine. He didn’t see me. The second I realized it was him, I made sure to stay on the other side of the room. He wouldn’t recognize me anyway, given that I’m imitating Leraje’s signature aura.”
“Well, yes, but if you can’t function while he’s around, we’re screwed.” Sophie’s heart clenched at her own words. She sounded insensitive, she knew that, but it was so hard for her to focus. It was so difficult to keep it together when all she had wanted was to get out of that roo
m and spend a couple of minutes with her two lovers. She had no strength left, that was why she had hoped they could help her. “I’m sorry, Alexi… I just…” She ran her hands through her long, brown hair, pulling harshly at the knots that dared stand in her way. The stupid corset the Count liked so much was too tight, and she would have given anything to throw away the high heels and walk around barefooted.
Alexi simply nodded and turned to Kain. The blond was the only one who was still functioning properly. And he was right, too. He needed to tell them the truth. He took a deep breath and ignored the burn of the demon mark.
“I met Gremory about 140 years ago. I was young, really young… Must’ve been around 19. It was before Hebe brought me to Lure Academy and told me what I was… I had no idea then. All I knew was that Grigori…” He made a pause and rubbed his temples. “… that was what he called himself then. Grigori was the only one who wanted to be around me. All the other boys and girls my age avoided me. I know why now. My presence must have drained them of energy, so they instinctively knew it was better for them to stay away. But then… it was horrible. I had no friends, no one wanted to talk to me, spend time with me… I wasn’t getting along with my parents either, and even my brothers and sisters avoided me. I don’t blame them now, but I did then. My mother… Nastasia…” He smiled when he said her name. “Of course she didn’t want me around. I was the living proof of her disgrace. Her husband, Nikolai, had married her to help cover her shameful pregnancy and offer me a home, but as the years passed and they had their own children, he had grown sour towards me. Grigori was the only one who cared, so I fell in love…” His voice cracked at the last words, and he needed a couple of longs minutes to recover and go on with the story.
Kain and Sophie listened to him patiently. Kain was leaning against a table filled with blossoming flowers, while Sophie was struggling to stand straight. Alexi’s story made her feel even worse, if that was possible.
“Three years it lasted.”
“Did you know…” Kain didn’t want to rush him, but it felt so unusual for a human, actually a cambion, to be in a long-term relationship with a demon and not feel that something was off. He would know… He closed his eyes at the quick memory flash which invaded his vision. “No, not now.”
“He told me after a couple of months, so yeah… I knew what he was.”
“What the fuck?!” Sophie couldn’t help her outburst.
“I… I even agreed to the mark. It was supposed to symbolize our bond… our happily ever after… I was so young and stupid.” He covered his face with his hands, suddenly unable to look into their eyes anymore. That was why he had tried to keep this a secret.
“What happened?” Kain’s voice was unusually soft.
“He left. March 4th. He disappeared and I never saw him again.”
They were silent for a long while, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Things were falling into place. It was all crystal clear to Kain now.
“My files. That’s why you wanted them. You wanted to know if I had caught him. Your obsession with the Duke cases, your intense study of their abilities. You were looking for him all along.”
Alexi nodded. “Not… not to be with him. To make him pay. To ask him why he marked me when he knew he wouldn’t stick around. I could have gotten over him, could have gotten over the fact that he left without a word, but his stupid mark would always remind me, always make it impossible for me to completely detach myself. It would burn three times a year: the day I met him, the day he carved his sigil into my flesh, and the day he left.”
Kain shuddered and squeezed his arms closer to his body. Alexi didn’t know, but the blond understood him more than he could have ever imagined. He had never thought there would come a day when that dark period of his past would be brought back to light, but if his own story would help Alexi come to terms with what Gremory had done to him, then Kain was ready to lay his soul bare. However, this was not the time for more confessions.
“Do you think you can hold up a little longer?” he asked Alexi. “I’ll help you avoid him. You don’t have to see him again until the Spring Celebration, even if you’re under the same roof.”
Alexi laughed bitterly. “Have you asked yourself if I can stay away now that I know he is so close? Within my reach?”
“You have to,” intervened Sophie. “Seriously, Alexi. We can’t risk it. Five more days, that’s all we ask.” She had no idea where she found the strength to speak so clearly and determinately. There was nothing she wanted more than to hug him tightly, but she knew the mark on his back was still burning. His posture made it clear he didn’t want to be touched, and oddly enough, Kain’s posture said the same. She needed to press her weak, drained body against their hard muscles and feel their auras recharge hers. It was a primal desire she could barely contain. She had asked them to come here because she had hoped they could help her relieve some of the tension, but she knew it was out of the question. They had to go back to the party anyway, before any of the guests started looking for them. “I have what the shaman needs to make that spell.” She pulled a small satchel out of her right sleeve. “See, Alexi? We’re moving fast. We’ll have everything ready for the Spring Celebration, and then all we have to do will be to seize the demons and free the prisoners.”
