"Thanks." Nikolai straightened, and he held on to him maybe a moment longer than necessary before letting go.
Victoria's eyes were huge when he happened to glance at her, but she didn't ask questions.
"I will not try that again," Nikolai laughed nervously. "I believe I have the information I need, however."
"Are you okay?" Doc asked.
"Yes, am fine."
The demon was clutching her head, but Ash didn't look terribly concerned, so Doc hoped that meant she and Sofia were okay.
Ed and Allan's gazes darted around, clearly not sure who they should be worried about or focusing on.
"So, there's a chance we can save Sofia?" Victoria finally whispered.
The demon laughed bitterly and shook her head. "If you do it fast."
"How fast?" Victoria replied.
"I don't know. I can barely sense her after that little explosion of pain," the demon replied.
Ed lunged forward, grabbed the demon's shoulders, and stared into her eyes, as if he could physically see Sofia. The demon tried to jerk away, but he held tight.
"We can't lose her," Ed cried out as he continued to search her face.
She finally jerked away, and Allan grabbed Ed around the waist and pulled him back.
"Ash, would you mind stepping out of hearing range for a time?" Nikolai asked.
Ash nodded and left the cabin.
"She tied herself to us." Nikolai held out his arm and showed the magical tattoo they all had. "It may be why the Andersons couldn't push her out. Ed, you and Allan should take turns staying with her through the pack bond as much as you can. Doc, too. Keep her anchored to us. I will see what I can learn from the Andersons' library."
"How will you do that?" Victoria asked.
"I can sneak a pastry out from under a werewolf's nose. The Andersons shouldn't be an issue." His smile was a touch sad.
The demon studied her wrist, but the golden cuff covered Sofia's tattoo.
"What about Sofia's parents?" Victoria's eyes widened.
He swore. "They will be a problem."
"Doc, you, Ed, and Allan keep our visitor from drawing too much attention to herself. We need to keep her parents from finding out, as well. If we succeed, then it won't be issue. If we fail…" The mage shrugged. "I'm all for unleashing holy hell on the Andersons. We will tell her parents then."
"Doc will have to manage her parents," Ed pointed out. "As far as they know, she's only dating him."
Nikolai wasn't completely in the loop on Sofia's parents, and he tilted his head. He understood it wasn't going to be an easy situation though. "Enjoy that," he said to Doc, sarcasm heavy in his voice.
Doc raised his eyebrows. Nikolai wasn't normally sarcastic.
"What if I don't wish to cooperate?" The demon crossed her arms and glared at the others.
"Then we will do what we can without your help, and hope it's enough," Doc growled out.
"If you unbind me, and I decide to keep this vessel?" The smirk on her face was so unlike Sofia that Doc's anger flared. He would never have been able to react this way toward Sofia, but he wanted to punch the demon.
"Somehow, I think you'd rather go home." He glared at her.
"And what if you figure it out too late, will my cooperation still buy my freedom?"
Because he was watching, he could see the uncertainty under the arrogant tilt to her chin.
"Yes."
She considered for a moment before shrugging. "Then I suppose I will cooperate, for now."
His shoulders unknotted. If she was agreeing, she probably had hope that they could succeed.
"Act fast." She turned away from Doc's angry stare and headed for the kitchen, looking around curiously as she did so. "Someone make me something to eat. This vessel is starving."
Doc glanced at Ed and Allan. They stared after the demon, almost identical expressions of anguish on their faces.
"Now," she commanded.
Growling, Ed and Allan stalked into the kitchen.
Nikolai came over and put his arm around Doc, leaning against him.
"Fuck," he muttered, returning the pressure.
"Indeed," Nikolai answered.
Victoria raised her eyebrows at them before following the others into the kitchen.
Chapter 22
Nikolai
Ash stayed until it was clear the demon inhabiting Sofia wasn't about to kill all of them, and then he left. He promised to tell the Andersons the demon wasn't fully integrated yet, and that there was no real point in stealing her back until she was more useful to them. He offered to give Victoria a ride back to the college, but rather understandably, she declined. Doc ended up running her back to the dorms while Nikolai, along with Ed and Allan, tried to instruct Sofia's inhabitant on what she needed to do to pretend to be Sofia.
The demon constantly waved them off, saying she didn't care, or that she had the knowledge needed. Nikolai thought she was mostly uncomfortable with how little she knew about the world and how little power she currently had. If the demon had been able to fully integrate with Sofia's body, she wouldn't be so powerless until the Andersons commanded her anyway, and he suspected she had thought of that. Hopefully, her promise to give them time to release her held.
While Ed and Allan tried to explain the modern world, Nikolai sat in the armchair he preferred and let his mind travel along the threads of the bond they had formed. He needed to contact Sofia, see if she was okay.
The demon sensed what he was doing and leveled a stare at him. He met her gaze and clenched his jaw, not wanting to fight with her, but knowing they needed to keep Sofia close and make sure she didn't give up.
Finally, the demon nodded and turned her attention back to Ed and Allan, or rather, turned back to pretending to ignore them.
Nikolai sank down into his mind.
"Sofia."
She had crafted the space in her mind she had carved out to hide in to look like her grove.
Sofia's eyes widened when she saw him. She sprang up and threw herself in his arms.
He held her tightly, breathing in her scent. "I'm so sorry, Sofia."
"Why?"
"We didn't
