Chapter 452


    452


    Adrik


    Stephen stood in front of me and Sephie. I could feel she was still unsure about letting him help her.


    She wouldn’t look at him for a few moments. Finally, he said, “I promise it won’t affect me, Seph. I think


    Viktor can help me get rid of it, in the off chance that it does.*


    “Let him try, love. Anything is better than what you’re feeling right now. We all know this isn’t you. We


    would all like you toe back,” I said.


    She finally turned toward Stephen. “What do you need me to do?” she asked.


    “Nothing. Just give me your hands. I’ll do the rest,” he said.


    She timidly held her hands in front of her for him to take. He smiled at her. “Promise it won’t hurt,” he


    said, as he took her hands in his.


    It didn’t look like anything was happening, but we could all feel what she was feeling. As soon as


    Stephen grabbed her hands, I could feel the intense pressure. She’d never struggled so much to


    control her emotions, but Stephen was right. It was because she was trying to contain them, not control


    them. In trying to prevent them from flowing through her to us, she stopped everything and that was


    more than any one person should ever try to contain. I could see the small smile on Stephen’s face as


    he found what he was looking for. Gradually, the pressure decreased, like a pressure release valve


    being slowly opened.


    We could feel her emotionse at us like a tidal wave. One right after the other hit us, wave after


    wave, crashing into us. But as soort as the emotions hit us, they were gone. What was left was the


    normal connection I had with her. I could feel everything she was feeling like normal. Stephen said


    something to her, but I was too busy trying to look in her head to hear it.


    “You’re not shutting me out anymore,” I said to her, almost giddy that I could talk to her again. I could


    hear herughing in her head, but she looked like she was talking to Stephen and watching him move


    to Andrei. “Don’t ever do that again,” I said, probably more seriously than I meant to given her


    reaction.


    She turned toward me, her eyes ck, and told me, “I will do it again if it means protecting you from


    seeing what I had to witness today. There are things in life that no one should ever have to see.” She


    crossed her arms across her chest, her anger preventing her froming any closer to me. I wasn’t


    quite sure, but I could almost swear that even her demon was angry with me at the moment.


    Something felt different.


    Ivan chuckled, having witnessed our silent exchange. He could feel Sephie’s anger and knew I’d likely


    said something to bring it out. “Stephen fixed her. She’s all s*icy and s*it again,” Ivan said.


    Misha pped his hands, rubbing his palms together. “Extra-sp*cy Sephie is my favorite!”


    I finally gave in and pulled her to me, whether she wanted me to or not. I didn’t like being cut off from


    her. As soon as my arms were around her, she silently said, “I hated cutting you off as much as you


    hated being cut off, but you still didn’t need to feel any of that. Or worse, see it. We’re going to need a


    warning from Battista next time.”


    I could feel a wave of sadness from her. She still had her arms crossed in front of her, so I unfolded


    them and put her arms around my waist so I could hold her closer. I felt her body start to rx the


    longer she was in my arms. “I love you, Sephie.” She sighed, holding me tighter, hiding her face in my


    chest as I watched Stephen help Misha and Andrei the same way he helped her.


    After Stephen was done with Misha, it was Viktor’s turn. Misha asked, “can you fix all of us at one time?


    Is there like a limit on how much you can do


    at once?”


    “I don’t think there’s a limit. It’s not really me doing it anyway. Kostya does it. He just uses me when he


    does,” Viktor said.


    “Does it zap you when he uses you though?” Misha asked.


    “Not the same way, I don’t think. It doesn’tst nearly as long. I might be tired for twenty minutes, then I


    feel fine,” he said.


    “How do I sign up for that,” Misha said under his breath.


    1/3 Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    452


    “Can Kostya fix you again after Stephen helps you?” Andrei asked. “Is there a limit to how many times


    a person can be fixed? I’m looking at you, Misha,” he said, trying not tough.


    “As far as I know, there’s not a limit. Your aura is a part of you. It’s an extension of your energy field. As


    long as you’re alive, your aura will be there and will be repairable to some extent. I think you can reach


    a point where it’s past the point of saving. Like, I’m sure I would’ve been useless for that guy today,”


    Viktor said.


    “Do you want to see what Andrei saw? His aura was almost non-existent,” Sephie said. Viktor


    hesitated. She turned toward him, moving slightly away from me. “Andrei only sees auras. It’s Ivan that


    sees demons. I haven’t shown Andrei what Ivan saw yet. You won’t see anything you don’t want to


    see,” she said. “He can show you, even. Misha can help him, the same way he helped me.”


    Viktor was more agreeable to Andrei showing him than Sephie. He really was terrified of our demons.


    Andrei, however, was much more skeptical that he could show Viktor what he sees than Sephie was.


    Sheughed quietly at him. “You can show him, Bubba. It’s the same as with everyone else, it just


    takes a little longer. You need to concentrate a little harder. Do you want a snack first?” she asked,


    grinning at him.


    “I hate you,” Andrei said, walking to Viktor. He couldn’t hide his smile as he walked past her.


    “Not me. I love you,” Misha said, wrapping his arms around her and picking her up quickly before


    joining Andrei and Viktor. Misha was needed for Sephie to show Viktor before, so it was very likely he


    was also going to be needed for Andrei.


    Andrei tried for a few minutes, but couldn’t get it through to Viktor. Misha grabbed his hand, giving him


    the extra boost he needed. It was almost immediate, once Misha helped, that Viktor saw what Andrei


    could see that afternoon. While they were sharing it with Viktor, Sephie motioned for Stephen toe


    to her. She grabbed his hand, showing him the same thing that Viktor was seeing. She shared it with


    me and Ivan at the same time she showed Stephen. There was barely anything to look at. What faint


    outline we could see was dim and greyish in color, with very dark spots s*attered throughout.


    “Yeah, someone like him is going to get no benefit from me,” Viktor said. He looked at Sephie like he


    was slightly unsure. “Honestly, I’m not sure how much I can help you, Sephie. I don’t know how it works


    with your demon.” His tone was definitelycking the normal softness he had when speaking to her.


    I immediately felt her irritation. I knew it wasn’t her irritation this time. I knew it was her demon. As odd


    as it seemed to say, we were beginning to be able to tell the difference.


    “Does he know that Kostya fixed you once already, love?” I asked her.


    “No. And I’m not going to tell him,” she said, grumpily. I had to cough to keep fromughing out loud at


    her response.


    “I think you should still try. I think Andrei and Stephen’s theory of you being here to help us as much as


    anyone else makes sense. It wouldn’t be reasonable for you to be here and not be able to help the


    three of us,” I said. He could tell by my tone that there was going to be no arguing with me.


    Viktor simply nodded once, then walked over to Sephie. It was irritating to my demon that Viktor had


    seemingly rejected it, but it was irritating to me that he seemed like he was still struggling to be around


    her and that he seemed like he preferred to be disconnected from the rest of us. I wasn’t sure how to


    handle it from him..


    We all watched as he ced his hand on her shoulder. In much the same way as it happened when


    Misha first showed him his gift, we watched a little white lighte down from somewhere above us all


    andnd in his hand. He touched Sephie once more, lighting her up. The one hole that we could see


    when Viktor first touched her filled itself in, making her shine brighter than before.


    I could feel her relief as he was helping her. She finally felt calm again. Really, truly calm. Ivan caught


    my eye while we watched. “Did his reluctance pi*s you off as much as it did me?” he asked.


    “Don’t ask s*upid questions.”


    “Thought so. Stephen needs to help him get over his aversion to our demons or it’s going to get ugly


    and I’m not sure it’s going to be us that starts it.”


    “I could not agree more. He’s next after he fixes Andrei and Misha. I’ll hold him down if I have to.”


    2/3


    King of the Underworld