"This—what is this?!" Perched on his throne, Rodion let out a furious yell.
Directly before him, on his knees, was Lev, bowing his head.
Two burly guards were gripping Esmeralda by her arms and her hair was rumpled, giving the impression that she had been struggling for some time.
"Ophelia?" Lev gasped and turned to see his sister curled up in the demon lycan's arms.
"Lia!" Esmeralda cried out, her expression and voice laden with relief.
"Esme?" Ophelia was in utter shock.
Nikolai slowly helped her to her feet, but as she took a step forward, she completely lost her balance.
Grinning, Nikolai put his arms around her waist to support her weight on her wobbling legs.
"You are okay!" Esmeralda drew in sharp breath. "Now I can finish this."
Her hands suddenly erupted into an amber glow that blasted both of the guards holding her. As soon as they both lost consciousness, she ran to embrace Ophelia.