by Cara Wylde
“That’s right, baby, you’re doing great,” Alexi encouraged her.
She closed her eyes and tried to block the world around her. This was not about her mentors anymore, it was about her. The fake cock rubbing her insides, her finger drawing quick circles on her clit… Her walls clenched around the invading toy, her entire body trembled, and she felt the small nerves in her nub explode in thousands of pieces, the powerful orgasm taking her somewhere high up and letting her fall back to the ground. She screamed and rode the toy harder, her only regret being there was nothing warm and sticky to coat her pussy as she came, her juices spurting all over her fingers and the tiled floor.
“You’re beautiful,” whispered Alexi, mesmerized by the sight before him.
Kain was incapable of forming a coherent thought, much less speak.
Sophie felt the sigil on her stomach burn, and she snapped her eyes open. She lifted her hips so that the toy would slip out of her, then collapsed on the floor, covering the bright red tattoo with her hands.
“Damn! Why does it hurt? It never hurt like this before.”
Alexi reached for her wrists and pulled her hands away from the scorching mark. “Let go. Let the power flow through you. Try to control it. Hit me with it, okay? I’m your target. Direct all of it towards me.”
Sophie looked at his face and searched his dark green eyes, but the only thing she found there was determination. Could she really attack him? She took a deep breath and focused on the energy that seemed to ooze from her stomach, then launched it at Alexi, almost sure it would catch him off guard. The power of her inner demon was so much for her to handle that she was afraid she’d end up really hurting her mentor. When he blocked her with his own aura, however, Sophie realized she had to fight to hold her ground if she didn’t want to be completely overwhelmed by Alexi.
Kain was watching them closely, ready to intervene if it were the case. He could feel Alexi’s heavy aura floating above him, acting as a shield against Sophie’s reluctant attack. Sophie’s aura made him think of a fresh summer day, the sweet perfume of cherry blossom, and the soft buzz of bees filling the air. The two demons, Alexi’s and Sophie’s, were highly contradicting, each powerful in its own unique way.
After a couple of minutes, Sophie was forced to give up. The sigil on her stomach had stopped burning, and its color was fading to a pale pink, then a shy gray. She braced herself for Alexi’s aura, which was gaining ground and would soon envelop her completely, but nothing happened. When she lifted her eyes to meet his, she saw the bright smile on his lips and her heart grew with a pleasant feeling of relief and… pride?
“You did great, Sophie,” he said. “You did amazing.”
If anyone were to enter the Red Chamber then, they would have thought the three cambions had gone insane. Kain missing his T-shirt, his blond hair a mess, Alexi kneeling on the floor, slightly leaning forward in a defensive position, and Sophie sprawled on her back, her skirt around her waist, her heavy breasts popping out of her bra, her face flushed and her eyes sparkling. Oh, and the huge plastic toy between them. That would have sealed it.
♥
That evening, they had dinner together, which was very odd. Even though they had managed to build a sort of friendship during the past month, Sophie, Kain, and Alexi still didn’t interact much. After all, Sophie was just an apprentice. She couldn’t expect her mentors to pay attention to her outside of their private sessions. It wasn’t like they were in a relationship. As for Kain and Alexi… that was a whole different story.
There were days when the two roommates would joke around, help Mikal with the prisoners in Oriens, and even have fun in the Red Chamber. But then, there were the days when Alexi would build a wall between himself and the world and refuse to let anyone in. Those were the days when Kain hesitated between anger and uncertainty, unsure of how he was supposed to feel. Did Alexi’s mood swings had anything to do with him? Or with Sophie? Were they triggered by something specifically? He couldn’t tell. And those were the days when he gave in to his deepest fears and allowed his worries about the future to take over. What would happen after Sophie’s apprenticeship ended? Would they still work together? Why would they, anyway? Sophie was the only reason they were both at Lure right now. If it weren’t for her, then they would have taken on some cases weeks ago. Did Alexi know this thing they were doing, this game they were playing wasn’t going to lead anywhere and that was why he distanced himself sometimes? And why wouldn’t it lead anywhere? They could learn how to work together. They were already making progress. But then, Alexi’s dark period would pass and he’d open himself up again to Kain.
Lately, however, the blond cambion had become a bit reluctant when his partner had a particularly good day and wanted to spend it in his and Sophie’s company. He was starting to ask himself another question, a question which came with much more serious implications: did he, Kain, actually want this to lead somewhere? Hadn’t he always been better off by himself?
CHAPTER TWO
The last thing Sophie expected on Monday was to be summoned to the school therapist’s office.
“What the hell?” she asked Lamia. “I don’t need a therapist.” Her friend shot her an amused glance, and Sophie hesitated for a second. “Do I?”
“Of course you don’t,” Lamia reassured her. “Don’t worry about it. Erah probably just wants to make sure you’re okay and you have everything you need. Also, he’s the one who takes care of all the private sessions reports the mentors must submit weekly.”
“Reports? Why hasn’t anyone told me?”
“You mean Kain and Alexi didn’t tell you?”
“Nooo…” Sophie’s answer was more of an exasperated whine. It was amazing how disorganized her mentors could be.
Lamia rolled her eyes, but actually felt a bit sorry for her roommate. The two Lure legends weren’t making things easy for her. She wondered if they did it on purpose or if they were simply too absorbed by their own selves to give a toss about the rules. “It’s no big deal, honey. I promise. Mentors have to keep the Pantheon up to date with the progress of their apprentices, that’s all. Cambions develop their powers differently, and they learn how to master them at their own pace.”
Sophie sighed and grabbed her jacket. Erah, The Lord of the Changing Moon and the second ranked incubus, was waiting for her in Meridies, the pavilion where she had seen Lilith the first time.
The classes had ended two hours before, and many cambions were in the courtyard. Absentmindedly, she answered to a couple of “hellos”. She had only been at Lure Academy for a month, and everyone already knew her. She knew it wasn’t because of her high grades or irresistible charisma. It was because her mentors were Kain Svjetlo and Alexi Volkov, the best cambions Lure currently had. What a disappointment she’d be to everyone if she didn’t live up to her mentors’ high standards. As she climbed the stairs of Meridies, Sophie felt more and more nervous. What could Erah possibly want with her?
Erah’s office was on the last floor, and Sophie was out of breath by the time she reached the door. She knocked softly and she immediately heard the incubus’s warm voice inviting her inside. She entered the room, closed the door behind her, and stopped in front of his desk.
“Hi. You’ve sent for me…”
Erah stood up and motioned for her to take a seat. “Miss La Volpilliére, good evening! How are you?”
Sophie sat down but found it impossible to make herself comfortable. The incubus took back his place behind the desk. “I’m fine, thank you. Although, I must admit…” she laughed awkwardly, trying to sound casual, “… the fact that you called for me surprised me a bit.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” He gave her a wide, pleasant smile. “This won’t take long, I promise. I just wanted to ask you a couple of questions.”
Erah was one interesting demon. Every time she spotted him around the Academy, Sophie could hardly take her eyes away from him. He was tall, lean, and he always wore elegant suits. In fact, he was the on
ly one in the Pantheon who dressed so business-like. The other incubi preferred jeans, simple T-shirts, and even sneakers. She remembered the first time she saw Kvasir, Alexi’s demon father. In his battered jeans, sports shoes, and checkered shirt, he looked like the most human of humans. If it weren’t for the sheer wisdom one could see in his dark green eyes, Sophie could have easily mistaken him for a teenager. But enough about Kvasir (even though Sophie might have developed a bit of an obsession for him, much like a fangirl developed an obsession for a rock star). What was truly unique about Erah was his hair: it was short and neatly cut, but of a striking electric blue. Sophie had asked both Lamia and May if it had been his choice to have blue hair in his human form, but none of them could give her an answer. No one knew, and no one dared ask him directly.
“Water?”
Erah’s question snapped Sophie out of her thoughts. She had gotten a bit lost in his deep black eyes.
“No, thank you.”
“I’ll have some.” He poured himself a glass from a tall carafe and took a small sip. Sophie noticed how his every gesture was incredibly well studied. “So, Sophie…” he started. “How are you?”
“I… I’m fine.” Why was he asking that for the second time?
“No, not like that. How are you in general? How is Lure Academy treating you? Do you like it here? Have you made friends?”
“Oh, yes. I think I have more friends now than I ever had back home.”
“Good. Good.” The incubus leaned back in his chair and fixed his black eyes on her heart-shaped face. He wasn’t only studying her eyes and facial expressions, but also her body language. “And your mentors? Are you satisfied with them?”
“Absolutely!” Sophie didn’t hesitate for a moment. Erah smiled. “If I may, why are you asking me this? Is there anything wrong?” She realized how afraid she was of his answer. Kain and Alexi had been submitting reports about their private sessions for a month. What had they written in those reports? She suddenly felt exposed. Did Erah know everything they did together? Every little detail? She kicked herself mentally. And what if he did? He was an incubus, for fuck’s sake! Sex was no mystery to him.
“There’s nothing wrong, Miss La Volpilliére. It’s just my job to make sure our new cambions are good, have everything they need, and work well with their mentors. The last part is especially important in your case, as you are the first cambion is the history of Lure who has two mentors at the same time. And not just any mentors, but two senior students who are well known for their skills and experience. Unfortunately, these two cambions are also called Kain and Alexi, and they happen to be terrible together. As good as they are when working alone on the field, they are the worst when they have to collaborate. But I’m sure this is no news to you.”
He gave her another bright smile, which for some reason managed to help her relax. She leaned back in her own chair.
“There were some bumps in the first two weeks, but now everything is fine. Last Friday, they said I was making progress. I wouldn’t know…”
“This is exactly what they’ve written in their last report.” Erah changed his position and placed his elbows on the desk. “Miss La Volpilliére, you’re not just making progress. There’s only been one month since you came to the Academy, and you’re already capable of awaking your inner demon and controlling it without external stimuli. That’s huge!”
Heat rose to Sophie’s neck and cheeks, and she averted her eyes. She had never been good with accepting compliments.
“I just want to know, Sophie… And please be honest with me.” It was the first time Erah had called her by her first name, and this got her attention. “Are they pushing you too hard? Are they asking too much of you?”
Her eyes went wide, and for a second she didn’t know what to say. Were Kain and Alexi pushing her too hard?
“For a young cambion such as yourself it is important to work at a natural pace. Alexi is very ambitious, and Kain is certainly not known for his patience. They are highly competitive. I swear… it’s like they’re constantly running a marathon. If your sessions with them are too exhausting, please tell me. Trust me, when it comes to a cambion’s powers, forcing things is not good.”
Sophie bit the inside of her lip and took her time to think about the incubus’s question. Yes, it was true that the session on Friday had drained her, but it had probably been due to it being completely unexpected and right after Tarini’s monster of a test. Maybe they were pushing her too hard sometimes, but it didn’t bother her in the least. She was determined to keep up with them. She had to.
“No, everything is fine,” she finally answered. “We always establish the sessions together, and I really think they’re taking things one step at a time. I mean… I don’t know anything about teaching methods, but I believe they’re doing a good job…”
Erah lifted both his eyebrows. They were just as blue as his hair, of course.
“I’m not exhausted or anything, that’s what I’m trying to say,” she added, seeing that he didn’t seem convinced.
“All right.” He leaned back in his chair but never took his penetrating gaze off her. “All right.”
She shifted awkwardly in her seat.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t want to make you feel uncomfortable.”
“Oh, not at all!” Was it that obvious? She bit her lower lip.
“You see, Alexi brought the weekly report on Friday and made a rather unexpected request. I mean, the request itself is absolutely normal, but I just thought it came incredibly early.”
This piqued Sophie’s curiosity. “What kind of request?”
“He asked if they could start the training sessions with the prisoners.”
Sophie’s mouth formed a cute “o”, but no sound came out. Training sessions with the prisoners? It was early, indeed. She didn’t feel ready at all.
“Normally, I would give a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ depending on the apprentice and the weekly reports, but this time I wanted to talk to you. Do you feel ready, Sophie? Are you really making the progress Kain and Alexi have been recording in their reports, or is it just their ego that wants to speed things up?”
Sophie swallowed carefully and made sure she had perfect control of her voice. “Yes, I believe I’m ready.”
♥
“There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you!” Sophie stormed into the packed library and ran to Lamia’s table, by the window, while getting annoyed glances from the other cambions.
Lamia jumped in her seat and threw her roommate a worried look. “What’s wrong with you, woman? Keep it down!” she whispered.
Sophie took the chair next to her and leaned closer to Lamia so no one could hear them. “You’ll never guess.”
“What? What did Erah tell you?” Sophie was practically beaming, so it had to be something good. It had to be really, really good. “Spill it out already!”
“Alexi and Kain asked him if they could start the training with the prisoners. Can you believe it? This is it. The next step. I can’t screw this up, Lamia, I can’t! If my mentors think I’m ready for the next level, then it means I am, right?”
Lamia’s smile fell. She shifted in her seat and closed the book she had been reading. “I don’t know… It seems a bit early.”
“Erah said the same thing, but he asked me how I felt about it.”
“And you said you felt ready.”
“Obviously.”
“But… do you?” Lamia looked deep into her roommate’s eyes, and Sophie’s enthusiasm wavered significantly.
“I guess… I mean, who am I to tell? Surely, Kain and Alexi know what they’re doing.”
“Kain and Alexi are two hotheads,” Lamia sighed. “The prisoners are no joke, Sophie. They are demons. Real demons who did really nasty things before they were caught. My mentor thinks I still have a long way to go until I’m ready to face them, and that’s okay by me because I don’t look forward to it.”
“Oh…” Sophie thought about it for a
moment. Lamia had been at Lure longer than her. If she wasn’t ready for the training, then why would Sophie be?
Great potential, amazing progress… Did her mentors actually believe those things, or were they inflating the truth? Unfortunately, there was no way she could know for sure. She had two possibilities: either let herself influenced by Erah’s and Lamia’s obvious hesitation, or have faith in her two mentors. Personally, she couldn’t tell if she was making progress or not. She was just doing her best to follow Kain’s and Alexi’s instructions, her only goal being to please them. In the last month, she had worked so hard to gain their approval. She couldn’t back down now. This was her chance to show them they hadn’t been wrong about her.
“You know what? I’m doing this.” Her voice sounded determined. Lamia watched her curiously. “I can handle it. I know I can. If they say I’m ready, then it means I’m ready. I know it’s not going to be easy, but I’ll do my best.”
“Sophie, are you sure? Please don’t take this the wrong way… I’m your friend and I want to know that you’re safe.”
“Even if something bad were to happen, Kain and Alexi will be there.”
“Yes, but that’s not the point. Physically, you’re going to be safe. A mentor would never let anything happen to his or her apprentice. But you have no idea what a demon can actually do to your mind and spirit if he gets the upper hand even for a moment. Their auras are toxic, Sophie. Pure poison.”
“I’ll be fine.” There was a hint of uncertainty in her voice.
Lamia studied her friend’s face a minute longer, then sighed and shrugged her shoulders. “Okay.”
Even though it was dinner time, Sophie didn’t feel particularly hungry. She did follow Lamia to the cafeteria and got herself a salad, but she ended up picking at it. Kain and Alexi joined them later, and she did her best to keep a smile on her face and laugh at the blond’s dirty jokes. She couldn’t let them know how nervous she was, how afraid she was that she might disappoint them.
