“Let me finish.”
“Kain…” Did he really think what had happened to him, what he had gone through could be reduced to such a simplistic summary?
“No, let me finish. What I’m trying to say is: whatever Alexi is hiding is so much more than we can even begin to imagine. My secret was not actually a secret, Sophie. The entire Pantheon knows about it, as well as most of the cambions who were at the Academy when it happened. It has always been an uncomfortable topic for me, yes, but not a secret. Not something I wanted to hide. Alexi, on the other hand, is hiding something. Something big and… dangerous.”
“You can’t know that.”
“Sophie, anything that has to do with a demon mark is dangerous.”
She wanted to ask him what he thought it was, but she was too exhausted. There were probably only three hours left until sunrise, and it wouldn’t have done them any good if they used that little time to go on and on in circles about what Alexi could have been hiding and why. He would tell them himself. Sophie was sure of it.
Kain felt her body relax in his arms, and he knew she was falling asleep. He made sure she was tucked in well, and pulled the duvet a little higher over her shoulders. “Sleep well, baby,” he whispered into her ear. “Tomorrow will be a long day.” She mumbled something and Kain smiled at how cute she was. He closed his eyes for a couple of long minutes, only to give up and resume staring at the ceiling.
“That’s why I don’t do love,” he thought. “It always comes with sleepless nights.”
?
Alexi heard Sophie leave her room and hesitate for a couple of seconds in front of his door. He held his breath and only released it when he heard her soft steps taking her away, to the other side of the corridor. He closed his eyes and relaxed his shoulders, then pulled the duvet up to his chin. This house was ridiculously cold. Father Michael was probably used to the early spring weather in the mountains, but they weren’t. Yes, Lure Academy was in the Carpathians as well, south of where they were now, but the heat was turned on until late spring if necessary. The people here were poor and didn’t care much for comfort. They lived simple lives, away from civilization, and they had no idea what they were missing. Count Casimir D’Argyle had made sure of that.
Alexi turned on his back and stretched his arms and legs under the duvet, trying to release some of the tension in his muscles. His stomach rumbled, but the mere idea of food made him sick. He thought of Sophie and the concern in her eyes at dinner. He was so grateful that she was so understanding and easygoing. Kain was none of that. The blond would have shoved the steamed vegetables down Alexi’s throat if the priest hadn’t been there. Alexi smiled. He knew both of them cared about him in their own ways. It was a good thing Sophie chose to sneak into Kain’s bedroom tonight. Her patience would calm him down and she had a fair chance of convincing him to let this go at least until they would have solved the case. He had only been working with Sophie for a little over a month, but he sometimes felt like he had known her since forever. It was comforting.
It was past midnight, but the mark on his back still burned. How could he have forgotten about yesterday?
“March 4th,” he whispered into the darkness. “The day you left.”
He had been so caught up with Sophie’s training, so busy with figuring out his feelings for Kain, and so nervous about the case, that it had completely slipped his mind. Come to think of it, it was a good thing.
“After all these years, it’s the first time I forget. The first time March 4th and the burn of your mark take me by surprise.”
Was he finally moving on? He had never thought this day would come. He had been looking for that bastard all these years, he had violated Kain’s privacy because he had to know, he simply had to know if the blond had managed to catch him. Alexi wasn’t sure how he felt about it. Was he ready to let go? Did he want to let go? He sighed and, for a split second, wished Sophie were there, her soft body pressed against his side, her arm draped lazily over his chest. He shivered and winced when the mark on his back burned a little harder. No, he wasn’t ready for physical contact. It wouldn’t have mattered if it were Kain or Sophie, the people he cared about the most right now. Their proximity would have made him ill in an instant.
Alexi closed his eyes and tried to chase away the dark thoughts which he knew would only bring dark nightmares. This was not a good time to think about moving on and letting go, or about the inevitable explanation he had to give Kain and Sophie at some point. He had to sleep. And in the morning, he had to eat. He couldn’t let something that had happened over a century ago ruin this case.
CHAPTER TWO
It was a beautiful morning, and the cloudless sky promised a warm day. The sun had already melted most of the ice patches on the road when Sophie closed the gate behind her and followed Alexi and Kain up the mountain. They knew Tengu would be back from Lure by nightfall, and until then they had to use their time wisely. Sophie had practiced hiding her demon sigil a couple of times at the Academy, but they had to be sure she could do it under pressure, when surrounded by the heavy auras of more demons. Kain and Alexi didn’t know what identities Tengu would choose for them, but they could slip into their roles a bit to show their apprentice what she should expect the moment she met Casimir D’Argyle and his demon guests.
Sophie took in the marvelous landscape and breathed in the fresh mountain air. Oh, how she loved the Carpathians. At Lure Academy, she would never get tired of exploring the grounds, taking long strolls into the forest, and enjoying the powerful spirit of nature which seemed to give life to every tree and flower. This place wasn’t much different than Lure. The mountains here weren’t as tall as the Southern Carpathians, but they still offered one hell of a view.
“Come on, baby, don’t fall behind!” Kain shouted.
Alexi had already disappeared behind the trees, and the blond was waiting for her at the edge of the forest. They had no intention to go very far. They just wanted to look around a bit, get used to the place, and find a nice, private spot where they could test Sophie’s skills.
“I’m coming, I’m coming. You’re such a killjoy. With you, it’s all about work.”
“As if you didn’t like it.” Kain rolled his eyes and followed Alexi. His partner seemed to be feeling better. He had even managed to eat half the breakfast Father Michael had prepared for them, and he wasn’t as broody and grumpy as the day before. Sophie had convinced Kain to let him be for now because she was sure Alexi would tell them everything willingly when he was ready. This was just not the perfect time. All three had to focus on their plan. D’Argyle and his weird Spring Celebration were no joke.
Alexi found his way easily through the forest, although there was no path to show the way they took had been traveled before. By the time he reached a small clearing, he felt too hot in his jacket and had to unzip it. He was wearing a gray, long-sleeved blouse underneath, which went really well with his black jeans and sturdy mountain boots. The wind played in his longish black hair, and Alexi ran his fingers through it, combing it back, away from his eyes.
“I think this will do,” he told Kain.
The blond stopped beside him and took his jacket off. He was wearing a dark green T-shirt, as he had always hated anything with long sleeves. Army trousers and combat boots completed his outfit, and it was no wonder Sophie couldn’t peel her eyes off his perfect body.
“So, what now?” asked Sophie. She stepped to the middle of the clearing to study their surroundings. There wasn’t much to see there, as the tall trees obscured most of the sky. The shy sunrays provided just enough light to give the forest an eerie atmosphere of magic and wonder.
“You might want to make yourself more comfortable,” said Alexi while finally shrugging off his jacket. He gave her a last reassuring smile before getting ready to slip into his role and let his demon aura take over.
Sophie studied him curiously, then unbuttoned her coat and let it slip to the ground. She saw Alexi take a couple of steps towards her, and she gasped when she felt his overwhelming aura invading her personal space. Her first instinct was to activate her own demon sigil and lift a protective shield around her.