*Sephie*
I heard Adrik’s sharp inhale beside me as he listened to Battista’s words. I glanced at Misha, who was also shaking off the goosebumps he felt. Ivan’s sly grin caught my eye, as well, as I glanced around the room.
“I’m not entirely sure of the dynamics of the group, but I would be willing to bet that you’re all connected somehow and that you all complement each other. You’ve been able to stay one step ahead of everything that’s happening as it’s happened. The fact that Trino is still alive is a testament to how powerful you all are. We didn’t find out about Martin’s deal until it was almost too late. We set in motion a plan to ensure Trino’s safety, only to find you had already gotten to him. His men are loyal to Martin, as we now know you found out much earlier than we did. I’m not completely convinced we would’ve gotten to him in time,” Battista said.
“She even made it so he could see his dying mother one last time,” Vitaliy said. Battista looked at me surprised.
“And clearly you know things we do not,” Battista said.
“I didn’t know his mother was dying until after I told him to leave, to be fair,” I said.
“My point still stands,” Battista said, crossing his arms across his chest. “Now, we have information about the mayor. You’re going to need him on your side. His police commissioner is trying to frame him, but Henry is the one that’s on the take, not the mayor. The people in the city like this mayor, as well. He needs something to ensure they’ll love him. Why do I feel like you’ve already got just the thing to endear him further to the people?”
Adrik chuckled. “We’re still holding the doctor that created brawn. I think his face is mostly healed now. I had to wait to turn him over until he was recognizable.”
“We’re all still impressed that you didn’t kill him,” Stephen said quietly. “That was a stressful night.”
I felt Adrik’s arm tighten around me. His other hand held mine a little tighter as well. I knew he was still working through me being taken. We all were, judging by the looks on everyone’s faces as I scanned the room.
“You have to get to the mayor. The journalist you’re working with, he’s one of ours. He’ll have the information you need on Henry by the end of the week. We know you asked him to look at the mayor, but we helped him find the information on Henry. He must be exposed, at the hands of the mayor, and the doctor needs to be arrested publicly. Because Henry is connected to Sal, we can connect him to Dr. Moretti as well. It will be a very neat package for the people. Your dealers have already spread the word on the street that you are responsible for stopping the brawn operation, as well as capturing the doctor. The people know more about what’s going on than you might think, but they need a big win to stay loyal to this mayor,” Battista said.
--
I was sitting on the end of the bed that evening, thinking about everything that had happened over the last couple of days. I felt Adrik’s warm hand on my face. “You should stay asleep in the morning, love. I can see it. You’re exhausted again,” he said, his thumb rubbing lightly against my cheek as I leaned into his hand. I was still lost in my thoughts as he pulled me up to follow him to bed. He watched my eyes, his usual mesmerized expression on his face. “You’ve had so much to think about that you haven’t asked me what new thing your eyes did today,” he said, crawling into bed and pulling me into his lap.
“They did something new?”
He nodded. “When we were at Battista’s. You have a new color. Andrei’s going to be so happy,” he said.
“Shut up. They did not turn purple or orange,” I said.
“It wasn’t orange. And I wouldn’t exactly call it purple either, but it wasn’t your normal blue. Maybe violet, maybe indigo, but it was different,” he said, pushing a curl back from my face. He was still very amused while watching me consider everything. “Your mind is going so fast right now. Take a breath, love,” he said quietly.
I sighed, finally looking at him. “I can’t help it. I can’t get it to stop. Distract me?”
He put his hands on either side of my face, pulling me gently toward him. His lips softly brushed mine. “I thought you’d never ask,” he said, smiling against my lips. I felt my body start to relax as he pressed his lips against mine, capturing my bottom lip in between both of his. His tongue lightly ran over my lip before plunging into my mouth. I felt his desire for me come on suddenly and strongly. His kiss was urgent. He was making sure I could think of nothing else but him and I loved him for it.
--
Once I fell asleep more from exhaustion than anything, I found myself not on the familiar path outside the familiar house, but in the room that Adrik and I stayed in at Vitaliy’s house in Panama. I recognized it, but was confused as to why I would be there.
“Hello, sweet girl.” I heard Lena’s soothing voice behind me. Her blue eyes that were so strikingly similar to the ones I’d fallen in love with were smiling at me as I turned around to see her. “I promised not to scare the men again, so your father told me how to make this happen.” She laughed softly. “I really did make them mad, but they were also so worried for you. I felt bad about that. There’s also the matter of them all being able to feel you. I wasn’t aware they were so connected to you or that I would send your emotions into turmoil when I came to you last time.”
I smiled at her. “They really do worry over me for everything. I kind of love them for it, I’m not gonna lie.”
“They all love you, Sephie. Even Vitaliy. He’s so much more like he used to be when he’s with you. He’s a very sweet man. He just doesn’t want anyone to know it. He’s why I’m here. He’s been talking to me when he’s alone.”
I smiled, thinking about Vitaliy finally being able to tell her all the things he’s kept inside for so long. “You need me to give him a message, don’t you?”
She nodded. “You told him I was resourceful and I am, but he doesn’t always pay attention to signs, so I’m here. I’m not able to see him in his dreams yet, but I will be soon, if you help him. He’s blocking me, because he doesn’t believe it’s possible. He’s jealous that I came to you instead of him, but he doesn’t realize I came to you because I can’t get through to him. He has to be open to it for me to speak to him. He’s not right now. And he’s cranky about it on top of that, so it’s nearly impossible for me to talk to him.”
“I just need to tell him to let you in? Can I tell him to stop being a cranky stubborn bastard?” I said snickering.
She laughed. “I would love it if you did. I was with you when you went to the hotel the second time. I haven’t heard him laugh so loudly as when you told him to tighten up and stop being a cheeseball since before Adrik was born. It made my heart very happy, sweet girl. You’re good for him. You’re good for Adrik, too. I knew he was special, but you bring out his full potential. His men, too. You bring out their full potential. I saw what you did for Stephen. He’s a special case. We’ve all been rooting for him for so long. It was very questionable whether he could be saved. I’m not sure you realize how close he was to giving in to the evil that he’s been carrying around for so long.”
I felt a pain in my chest as I thought about everything Stephen has had to endure in life, but then I immediately felt my anger when I thought about his sisters. She put her hand on my shoulder. “Sephie, I’m allowed to tell you this because you’re still not sure you actually did it and we’re under a bit of a time crunch here. You took Stephen’s pain and allowed him to transfer it to them. You took the evil he’s been carrying around from his sisters and what they did to him when he was a child and you helped him give it back to them. That’s what broke them. The human mind can only withstand so much. Once the psyche is completely broken, they’re useless to the evil forces inside them, but it also traps those demons in that body. It creates a sort of hell for both until the body dies. That’s Stephen’s gift. He knows how to break the person. He used you to deliver it because he doesn’t know how yet.”
“I knew he was always going to be the one to mindfuck people, but that sounds extra horrific.”
She had a sympathetic smile on her face. “It does sound horrific, but it’s also the only way to save that person’s soul. You’re ultimately doing them a favor. Not in this lifetime, but in the next. If they continue to give in to evil, it will eventually consume them. The middle sister was close to that happening. That’s when Ivan can see them – when they’re close to being consumed or have already been consumed. When that happens, the soul dies. There’s no chance at another life after that. What you’ve done and what Stephen will eventually learn how to do is to give the soul another chance. Not in this body, but the demon will separate from the soul when you and he break their psyche and the soul will have a chance at coming back and trying again in a new life. So, it sounds horrific, but it’s the only way to save the soul when the person isn’t strong enough to get rid of the evil on their own. Not many people are. You’re saving souls, Sephie. Stephen will too once he learns how. Ivan is going to help. You three have known more evil than most people and are best equipped to deal with it. The others will provide support for you in their own ways, as well.”