King of the Underworld by RJ Kane

514

Sephie

“How so?” Stephen asked.

“So like with me and Andrei – we’re both sides of the same coin, if you will. He can see good; I can see evil. I think it’s the same with you and Boss, just to a higher level. You save the soul; he destroys it,” Ivan said.

It was suddenly starting to make sense in my head. “Lena told me that when the demon takes over a person, the soul basically dies. But I don’t think a soul can actually die. What I think she meant was that the demon takes over that soul and uses it in multiple lifetimes. That’s why it’s so difficult for someone to get rid of a demon once they have it. Just like us, they become connected to their demon. Bond with it, if you will. Except, unlike us, the demon is running things. And not in a good way. You’re what stops that cycle,” I said, looking at Stephen.

“The deal that Martin and Ricardo made must solidify that connection so completely that nothing can break it, which is why Boss is needed,” Ivan said.

Stephen was quiet for a few moments. It was clear that he was struggling, but both Ivan and I knew enough to let him think through his thoughts and not push him to share more than he was ready to. He finally looked up at both of us. “I know. I’ve thought about all this before. It’s not actually performance anxiety like I said it was. I’m struggling with believing I’m the good side of the coin.”

The sharp pain I felt through my chest was not enough to keep me from quickly moving to Stephen’s side. His arm circled my shoulders as he pulled me into his death grip while he worked to get himself under control. Ivan could feel his pain through me and it was enough that his anger made a brief appearance at what Stephen had been through in life.

“Tell me you’re okay or I’m coming out there,” I heard Adrik tell me and Ivan.

All good. Stephen needed this more than I thought he did. I love you for checking,” I responded. He didn’t say another word, but I felt the pull in my chest that let me know how much he loved me. It was a welcome relief from the pain of Stephen’s past.

Ivan quietly got up and moved to the other side of me so that we were all sitting together, leaning against the long ago fallen tree. “Don’t want you to get cold while we hash this out,” he said, sending low levels of anger my way just to stoke the fire.

say anything, Ivan spoke. “I sometimes wonder if evil from women isn’t harder to comprehend than evil from men. Everyone almost expects it from men, so no one is really surprised when a guy turns out to be evil. But women are the mothers of the world. The protectors. The healers. The nurturers. It’s so much harder to take when a woman is evil.” He picked up a nearby rock and chucked it into the lake. “When I was at the facility, there was only one nurse that was ever nice to me. The rest of them were just as mean as the doctors. That was almost harder to take than

with seeing who they really are. Tori and Giana both got past me. It was a hard lesson for me to learn to not give any special passes just because they’re chicks. Giana was much more of a special circumstance, but even still, she’s still a bitch for the way she handled

been a punching bag, princess. I shouldn’t laugh at that,

can laugh. Inappropriate humor will

“The three of us might all be punching bags,

why I

people about my sisters. They were both people I trusted. I thought

and Martin made deals with are female demons?” Ivan said, trying to lighten the mood. “I think we just solved

to kick them out of your head for good, so I’ll be here to argue with you anytime you start

tighter. “It’s so weird for me to have people that care about me. I mean, there’s Vlad. He cares. But mostly because I’m his enabler and I recognize that he’s always been ahead of his time when it comes to problem–solving. I mean, his solution for the poor people of the village

be improved upon.”

hard for me to get used to as well,” Ivan said. “It still doesn’t feel real some days. If I couldn’t feel it from the princess, I

chuckled. “Glad I’m not the only one.”

asked Ivan.

was all a dream or all of it was fake by now if I wasn’t getting constant reminders through you of how much we all care about each other. So, you see, princess, the connection you have to all of us is not a hinderance in

me,

still that part of me that believes everything my sisters would tell but then I feel Seph’s joy when she sees one of us.” He turned to look at me,

makes everyone else want to puke because you’re

are, you’re helping us with that too. If any of us were to meet that someone right now, it wouldn’t work. We wouldn’t be ready.

said, leaning my shoulder into