"Well, you're not running off with Sofia."
"Stop me." Nikolai glared.
George took a swing at Nikolai before anyone could react. Fortunately, Nikolai was fast and skilled. He grabbed George's hand, twisted, and flipped the werewolf to the ground before landing hard on his chest with his knee.
That took the wind out of George, and he didn't immediately try to fight back.
"Tartar werewolves much tougher than Nebraska werewolves." Nikolai managed to sound disappointed as he stood up and stepped back to Doc's side.
George sprang to his feet and tried again. This time Doc caught his hand, stopping it cold as George tried to punch Nikolai.
The werewolf's nostrils flared, and he growled.
Doc growled back.
"Guys, let's not fight. I'm going with them. We'll come back. It'll be fine."
"Honey, the roads are closed."
"You know, it didn't seem to stop them from getting here. We're fine. There is a spell for that." She smiled, saying the last with a hint of an accent.
Doc still held George's hand in a grip that had to be grinding bones together.
George finally dropped his shoulders and backed off. Doc let go.
"I'm going with you!" Star blurted.
"Yes, yes, that is fine. Let's go. I would like to add that it's entirely possible we were followed. Stealing Alex's car was not subtle." Nikolai opened the door, letting in a blast of cold air.
"Wait, what?" Sofia's mom exclaimed.
"Eh, long story." Nikolai darted outside.
Ed traded a wide-eyed look with Allan, and they both bolted out of the house. Star was not far behind them.
"That one is a mage," Ed heard George say as the door was shutting. "I still don't know what Doc is, but he's definitely lying about being a mage."
Doc swore as the door shut, but there was nothing any of them could do about it.
"Nikolai, my truck hasn't been plugged in. I don't know if it will start."
Nikolai waved his hand dismissively.
"Do not blow up my truck!"
"Of course not. I practiced on the Andersons' vehicles. I will warm it up for you so your overly sensitive diesel engine can start." Nikolai laughed.
Doc sighed.
"I will be careful. I do not want to piss you off."
Doc just shook his head.
Ed's shoulder blades itched, and he looked behind him. George, Rick, and Dan stood just on this side of the door, glaring at everyone.
Shivering, he turned back to the others just in time to see Nikolai slap his hand down on the truck. Blue motes sank into the engine, and Doc groaned, but he climbed into the driver's seat, and the engine cranked right over.
Ed was impressed. Also, he was glad Nikolai hadn't destroyed Doc's truck. He loved that thing almost as much as he loved Sofia.
Everyone else piled into the truck. Allan took the front seat, and he, Nikolai, Sofia, and Star crammed into the back.
Doc whistled. "You really trashed Alex's car."
Nikolai chuckled. "I believe the phrase is 'sorry, not sorry'?"
"Okay, what the hell is going on?" Star blurted once Doc pulled away.
"More urgently, where are we going?" Doc interrupted.
"Someplace we can work spells uninterrupted. I probably need to rest after," Nikolai said.
"Hotel?" Allan offered.
"Yeah, maybe. Find something. Nikolai, please tell me you have a traction spell handy. The roads…"
"Yes, of course. Otherwise, we would have died."
Ed cried a little and clutched Sofia.
"Sofia!"
"Sorry, Star. It's…a long story. Basically, the Andersons got me all possessed by a demon. We're trying to get her out so she can go home and I can have my body back. Nikolai has apparently figured out how to do it, which is why he's here. And, so…they're going to save me before it's too late. It's not too late, is it?" She said the last kind of to herself, and Ed thought she was probably talking to the demon.
"What!" Star yelled.
Sofia, who was basically sprawled between Nikolai's lap and his, shrugged. They both held her tightly, and she sort of melted into them.
"Why didn't you tell me any of this?"
"How, exactly, could I have?"
"Um, I don't know. The words, hey, Star, all these guys—which one of them are you dating by the way? Because that's not as clear as it should be—are trying to protect me from getting turned into a demon. Who does that shit, anyway?"
"The Andersons," Nikolai supplied.
"What does that even mean?"
"Do you want a magical theory lesson? I could give one," Nikolai offered.
"No! I just want to know what's going on."
"We told you, Star." Sofia sighed.
"But it doesn't make any sense!"
"Ah, no!" Sofia bolted upright out of our arms and shuddered. "Humans and their touching. Yuck." She turned her attention to Star, eyes now fully amber.
"What the hell? Your eyes!"
"Yes, Sofia has been sharing space with me for a while now. Neither of us like it, and you're not making it any easier on her by not believing her." Sofia's body sagged, and she collapsed against Nikolai's chest.
Ed took a hold of her hands again, and Nikolai brushed her hair out of her face. After a few moments she blinked her eyes and shivered. "You can fix this, right?"
"Yes. I am as sure as can be without having done this before." Nikolai rested his cheek against her hair.
"I trust you."
Nikolai exhaled. "I know."
Ed squeezed her hand. "We all do," he added.
"Not helping," Nikolai muttered.
"What, our super powerful mage is having self-confidence issues?" Allan laughed, though it sounded forced.
"It is different."
"Nikolai," Doc practically caressed the mage's name with his voice. "You'll do just fine."
Ed thought Doc might have used his vampire powers, because even he felt better about the situation, and the comment hadn't been directed at him.
Nikolai didn't reply, but he had a small smile on his face when Ed glanced at him. Sofia was grinning, too.
Star didn't look convinced, but she stopped trying to get more information out of them.
"There's a hotel about five miles down the interstate."
"That's closed," Star grumbled.
"Traction spell," Nikolai declared and waved his hand around, and dark blue sparkles filled the air. "Also, some degree of invisibility. Don't get hit."
Doc sighed and took the onramp. "At
