I concentrated on her words, knowing I had to bear the pain because it was the only way for us to kill the demon for good.
Katarina started to speak. “I’m sorry I think you’re a pain in the ass – Alexandru has enough enemies as it is, but with you around he’ll have the world out for him, especially once people find out you’re a soul seer.”
“I’m sorry I think you’re so small, it should make Alexandru feel like he’s making love to a kid. I’m sorry I think you’ve got the body of a boy, it should make Alexandru feel like he’s gay when he’s kissing you.”
I coughed out a bloody laugh.
It was the demon’s death knell, and as I felt it thrashing desperately in its attempt to escape, I heard Alexandru’s voice in my mind. We’ve found the demon.
The talons in my soul disappeared.
The demon was dead.
I collapsed to the ground.
“Lady Zari?” Katarina cried out.
“I’m…okay.” It was still hard to speak, and my words came out as a croak. “Alexandru found the demon. It’s dead now.” I opened my eyes. We looked at each other, and suddenly we laughed. Even as tears formed in our eyes, we kept laughing.
“Do you need help?” Katarina asked as she came to her feet. At my nod, she offered her hand.
I took it.
Nooooooo—
“Lady Zari?”
But it was too late.
Around me, the world had turned into orange – everything was completely orange—
This isn’t real, I told myself feverishly, but then the fire grazed my skin, and I screamed at the pain of it.
I closed and opened my eyes. The world was still orange, and I was still guilty. I closed and opened my eyes. The world was still orange, I was still guilty, but I was not alone. She was there in front of me and she was burning alive.
COME BACK TO ME, ZARI. It was my Master’s voice, snatching me back to reality, and when I opened my eyes, I was in Alexandru’s arms, his face ashen. I saw Katarina behind him, her face drawn with worry.
I started to cry. “I don’t understand.” I lifted my eyes to Alexandru. “I saw her, Master. She was still burning, and it was still my fault. The demon’s dead, but I still end up killing her. Why?”
Chapter Eight
ALEXANDRU AND ZARI
Zari and Alexandru only had a moment alone when they made it to her Master’s room. He had carried her in his arms all the way back to the resort, and when the other girls from school saw them, he had simply said, “She fainted.”
Even though she was weak and tired, the excuse had her gritting her teeth. When they entered the elevator, she hissed, “Master, couldn’t you have been more imaginative?”
But the vampire hunter with legendary cunning and skills only threw her a blank look. “What’s wrong about that?”
She sent Katarina a commiserating look before she realized what she was doing. She stilled. Would the other woman think she was rubbing salt in her wound?
But then she heard the female hunter laugh, and Zari almost sighed in relief.
“How can you be so smart and be an idiot at the same time?”
Zari gasped at Katarina’s words.
The other woman snorted. “If a girl keeps fainting, what do you think is the first thing that would occur to other people?” When Alexandru’s cheeks stained with color at her pointed question, she crossed her arms over her chest. “Exactly. You made everyone think she’s pregnant with your child.”
The elevator doors opened to her floor, and stepping out, Katarina asked Zari over her shoulder, “Are you sure you think he’s really what you want, Lady Zari?”
The doors closed before she could answer.
Alexandru glanced at her with a raised eyebrow.
“I’m still thinking.” But Zari ended up gasping and laughing a little, even though it hurt to do so, as he suddenly shifted her in his hold. Her arms went around his neck, her legs wrapped around his waist as Alexandru pushed her back against the wall.
Supporting Zari with just one arm, Alexandru tucked loose strands of her hair behind her ears. After the fucking scare his pet had given him, he savored even the smallest things and would never take for granted the chance to touch her like this.
He asked, “Made up your mind yet?”
She couldn’t answer right away, his playful tone wreaking havoc on her senses.
Alexandru flicked her forehead.
“Oww,” she exclaimed, more out of surprise than anything else.
Suddenly, he bent his head, and their foreheads touched.
A ragged sigh escaped him, and she stiffened at the sound. “What’s wrong?”
“I thought I almost lost you.” His voice was a strained whisper, and it was the first time she had heard him speak like this. He looked up, and he flicked her head again.