She gathered all her strength and focused it on the demon sigil she knew was on her stomach. It started burning again, weak at first, then the power grew and her aura grew with it. She let go of the armrests, took a step back and opened her eyes again, this time sheer determination and anger shining deep inside them.
“You tried to trick me!” she screamed. The demon opened his mouth to say something, but she didn’t give him the chance. She hit him hard, her warm aura absorbing the iciness in the room and turning the temperature up. The creature tried to stand and fight back, but she didn’t allow him. She kept her mind alert, her focus on her demon sigil, and worked on increasing the power of her aura as much as she could.
A headache exploded between her temples, and for a second she was sure she would throw up. She tried to push the sickness away, but then her knees turned to jelly and she was falling, and falling… the floor was so far… she kept falling and it felt like forever until her body finally hit it. The last thing she saw before losing conscience was Leraje’s drained body sprawled in the armchair.
?
“You did very well.”
The voice came from afar. It sounded familiar, but she couldn’t connect it with a face. She was probably dreaming…
“You were amazing in there, Sophie. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
A different voice. She was sure she knew this one. She stirred in her sleep, trying to clear out the fog in her brain. If she was dreaming, then she wanted it to stop. She wanted to come back to reality. She couldn’t afford to sleep in such circumstances. She wasn’t safe. They weren’t safe. She moaned and pushed the covers off her chest, trying to pry her consciousness free. She need to wake up. She needed to wake up now.
“Hey, it’s okay… it’s okay… You must rest.”
“She’s burning up.”
Burning. Yes, her whole body was burning up, not only the demon sigil on her stomach. She writhed on the damp sheets and struggled again with the heavy fog between her temples.
“The Marquis…” she whispered.
> “Oh, you took care of him all right.”
A small laugh. She recognized that laugh. Icy blue eyes and golden hair. Kain.
“Sophie, try to relax. Everything is fine. You just unleashed more power than we ever thought you possessed, and your body is exhausted.”
Smooth voice with a slight East European accent. Alexi. She took his advice and willed her muscles to relax. Her breath became even, and her heartbeat went back to a normal pace. The clouds in her mind were beginning to dissipate, and soon she was coming out of her weird, heavy sleep.
“That’s it, sweetheart. You’re doing great.”
Alexi’s voice guided her to the surface. When she opened her eyes, she saw both her mentors leaning over her.
“Where am I?” Her voice was hoarse, and she realized how thirsty she was. Fortunately, her demon sigil was beginning to absorb the scorching heat that had taken over her body. She tried to stand up, and both Kain and Alexi hurried to support her.
“The infirmary,” Kain answered.
“I’m thirsty…”
Alexi reached for the glass of water on the bedside table, and Sophie took it from him with trembling hands. She gulped down the cold, delicious liquid and asked for more. After she drank the second glass, she finally started to feel better.
“Thanks.”
She leaned back on the big, soft pillow and studied her mentors. They both seemed incredibly happy for some reason she couldn’t comprehend.
“What happened? Leraje… that bastard… he almost got me.”
Kain’s eyebrows met the blond bangs that were covering his forehead. “Did he? You seemed to be quite in control.”
“You wanna know what happened?” said Alexi. “You kicked his sorry ass, that’s what happened.” He beamed at her, and for a moment Sophie was mesmerized by his beautiful smile. Alexi didn’t smile often, but when he did… a woman could lose her mind.
“Yeah!” said Kain. “You were bad-ass! I’ve no idea how you did it, but you absorbed his energy and drained him completely in seconds!”
“I… I don’t know how I did it. I was so angry.”
Alexi found her hand and squeezed it. He was sitting on the right side of her bed, while Kain was on the left side. Sophie’s brown eyes went from one mentor to the other, her mind still not quite able to wrap around the fact that these two gorgeous men were actually here, trying to take care of her. She must have died and gone to Heaven.