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"It’s all right, Derek," Ibrahim said calmly "My brother is there intheeless called on me to assist with The Sanctuary’s orders"

"What orders?"

"Do you wantwife?" He approached Sofia’s bed and looked down at her "Only ic can help her body now… maybe And I can’t e to heal her physically A lot will depend on how much she fended off the darkness while the Elder was inhabiting her"

"So just… just… hurry up and do soainst Sofia’s pulse and could barely feel it any above Sofia’s head He placed his hands either side of her face, then ainst Sofia’s forehead For ten excruciating ainst Sofia, she re closer to nonexistent with every second that passed

But then it happened The spot where Ibrahi on Sofia’s forehead beca and yellowing disappeared Then this san to spread across the rest of Sofia’s face, first down along her nose, then across her cheeks, around her mouth, down her chin and then further down her neck Soon her arained fresh skin The nurse ripped open her dress and we could see the healing travelling down her chest, to her stos, and finally her feet and toes

I looked up at the warlock, atching intently Despite the worry that eighing e as a healer I wondered if even Corrine could have worked that kind of ic on Sofia Corrine normally needed potions to treat a patient

But why is he helping Sofia? I wasn’t na&iueless didn’t have so Sofia’s body healed But whatever the motive, it didn’tSofia to open her eyes again so I could lose reen color

And after several ot reen irises I missed so much

I knew as soon as she looked at me that she was back My Sofia had returned toher hand on h it was still cold, I could so the coldness of her skin

All the e in the pain of her absence, set the that Sofia now appeared to be in a stable condition, Ibrahim and the nurse left us alone in the coown off of Sofia’s shoulders and pulled it away from her body I fetched a warrabbed a blanket and helped her into a sitting position, rolling it securely around her Placing one arhs, I lifted her off the bed and sat down there ainst her chest and closedheart, reassurance that her healing a few o had not been some kind of hallucination My Sofia was back

This was the first tiiven birth that I’d held her in my arms The real Sofia The love ofMy ever-burning light My break of day

She clutched ainst my forehead Her kisses made their way down the arch of my nose and then to my jawline A small smile spread across her face as she said, "It’s okay, Derek I’ my hands to her face, I pulled her toward me and tasted her lips, slowly at first, but then with more heat and passion than ever before To have her respond in kind, unhindered by the Elder, was an ecstasy I wanted to lose myself in forever

Chapter 26: Sofia

"Sofia… you have no idea how ry I’ve been… to have you back inain"

He’d carried ht me back to his bedroo me from the blanket, he tucked me beneath his sheets

"You didn’t find the fake one so hot, huh?" I allowed rin as he tore off his shirt so fast that it ht as well have been on fire

He clih ainst the coldness ofmy possession that I’d wanted to reach out ize forhi Now that I was free from my prison, I could barely contain myself All these repressed emotions erupted at once as my form melded with his

I relished every slow caress, each heavy breath against ainst htened now that I could return in kind all that my heart felt for hi