《A Shadow of Light (A Shade of Vampire #4)》


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    PROLOGUE: CAMILLA


    ¡°I am going to kill him!¡±


    Never before had I been so frustrated than when I met Aiden Claremont during a month-long dig we had deep in the jungles of Cuba. From the first day we arrived, he had proven to be the most annoying, arrogant, conceited man that ever walked the planet and the fact that he was after the Red Orb¡ªmy artifact to unearth and discover¡ªwas just one of the many things that made him a complete and absolute jackass in my book.


    ¡°How dare he?!¡± I screamed as I threw a fist in the air.


    ¡°What¡¯s got your panties all up in a twist, Camilla?¡± my assistant and best friend, Amelia Hudson, asked me as she lifted her black-rimmed glasses over the bridge of her nose.


    ¡°That pompous, irritating, waste of perfectly good space, self-absorbed¡­¡± I searched my mind for a word bad enough to describe Aiden Claremont and, failing miserably to find one, I ended up with ¡°¡­doorknob.¡±


    ¡°Doorknob?¡± Amelia chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s the best you can come up with? Doorknob?¡± She rolled her eyes at me. ¡°Aiden Claremont may be a lot of things, but he is too fine and too exciting a man to deserve being called a doorknob.¡± She stood to her feet and walked to one end of our tent to make herself a cup of coffee before staring at me knowingly. ¡°What happened this time?¡±


    I stomped my foot on the ground and crossed my arms over my chest, hating the idea of having to recount to my best friend the reason behind my ire.


    Amelia finished making her coffee and had plopped herself over one of the bean bags we brought with us. She then took a sip from her coffee and raised a brow at me. ¡°Well?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to answer your question.¡± I pouted.


    ¡°You¡¯re acting like a child, Cam. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°I hate him!¡±


    ¡°Yes. You¡¯ve made that perfectly clear from the very first moment you laid eyes on him, and yet, he¡¯s all you seem to talk about!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because if I don¡¯t vent, I really might end up snapping his neck in two!¡±


    Amelia rolled her eyes again. ¡°Right. Don¡¯t forget the last time you¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Amelia.¡± I glared at her, knowing fully well what episode she was going to point out. It was one of those cold nights at our camp and for some reason Aiden decided to pay us a visit. We were in front of the campfire and he was actually being as pleasant as a pompous jerk like him was capable of. The conversation was good and we ended up alone, with everyone else retiring to their tents to rest. He offered me his jacket when he noticed I was shivering. I declined, but he insisted. I couldn¡¯t even remember our conversation that night, but it somehow ended up with him kissing me. When our lips parted, I motioned to slap him in the face, but he caught my arm, so I tried to slap him with my other hand, which he once again caught. With him gripping both my hands, he once again kissed me. I resisted until I just somehow found myself giving in. It was perhaps why I hated him so much¡ªI knew that when I was around him, no matter how I tried to keep them up, all my defenses kept crumbling around me. Aiden Claremont made me feel vulnerable and yet, protected at the same time. I wasn¡¯t used to feeling that way. That scared me.


    Amelia couldn¡¯t keep the grin off of her face. ¡°When are you going to admit it, Camilla? You¡¯re into him.¡±


    ¡°That is not true.¡±


    ¡°Keep telling yourself that until you actually believe it.¡±


    I frowned, finally spouting out the reason behind my outburst. ¡°He found the orb. They¡¯re packing up camp as we speak.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Amelia spat her coffee out. ¡°When?! How?!¡±


    I shrugged before letting my shoulders sag in defeat. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    I could still remember the glint of amusement in his eyes as he winked and said, ¡°Guess I won, Camilla. Don¡¯t worry¡­ I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll make for better competition next time.¡±


    I found myself groaning at the memory. ¡°Ugh! The nerve of him.¡±


    Truth be told, I wasn¡¯t sure what was frustrating me more: the fact that he found the artifact first or the fact that I would perhaps never see him again.


    ¡°What do you mean someone else found it?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t look Mr. Banks in the eye. He was a private collector and he was the one who recruited me and paid for my services in order to find the Red Orb. He was so excited about the artifact, recounting to me how there were rumors about it having dark, mysterious powers. Being an archaeologist and having a deep love for adventure, I couldn¡¯t resist the idea of an all-expense paid expedition that would lead me to some random ancient trinket¡ªprobably worth less than what the adventure cost. The trinket was rumored to have magical abilities.


    I didn¡¯t really believe in magic or vampires or even superstition at that time. I just wanted to get away from the museums and laboratories and actually get on the field. This particular artifact was one I hadn¡¯t yet heard of, so the idea of discovering something new was something I couldn¡¯t resist.


    However, initially, I was also skeptical about going on the expedition. Mr. Banks was said to be a hard man to work with. He wanted returns for his investments and was known to have a bad temper when he didn¡¯t get what he wanted.


    Thus, as I sat across from him on one of the couches in the lounge area of his office, I was desperately trying to figure out how I was going to explain that someone got to the orb before I did.


    ¡°There was another crew digging at the site. They were also after the orb.¡±


    ¡°And who might I ask is behind this other crew?¡±


    His name tasted bitter in my mouth. ¡°Aiden Claremont,¡± I hissed.


    Mr. Banks¡¯ wrinkled old face contorted in surprise. ¡°Aiden Claremont? What would a guy like him want with an artifact like that?¡±


    I frowned at Mr. Banks, raising my eyes to meet his for the first time. ¡°You know him?¡±


    ¡°Of course I know him.¡± The man was looking at me like I¡¯d been living under a rock all my life. ¡°He¡¯s one of the youngest multi-millionaires in the world. He owns one of the largest security conglomerates in the United States. You¡¯d never heard of him?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Hard to know about people like that when you spend all your time inside libraries and museums.¡±


    Mr. Banks narrowed his eyes on me. ¡°Well, we had a deal, Miss Saunders. I paid for your dig, you get me the orb. Unless you get the Red Orb in my hands, then I¡¯ll ask you to pay me back everything I spent on your expedition.¡±


    My hands gripped the armrests of my seat, knowing full well that there was no way I could afford to part with that kind of money. ¡°But¡­how¡­ Where would I get that much money?¡±


    ¡°Figure it out. I¡¯ll give you a month, Miss Saunders.¡±


    Mr. Banks¡¯ ultimatum was still circling my mind when I returned to the apartment I was sharing with Amelia. The moment I arrived, she threw a pillow at me.


    ¡°You will never guess who just called,¡± she exclaimed.


    ¡°Not in the mood for your guessing games¡­¡± I went straight for the refrigerator to get a cold drink of the pink lemonade I¡¯d made earlier that day. ¡°I have a headache.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡±


    ¡°All right. Well, you¡¯ll be happy to find out that the love of your life, Aiden Claremont, just called. He¡¯s hoping to meet you for dinner tonight.¡±


    I choked on the lemonade and coughed violently¡ªsomething Amelia found hilarious¡ªespecially after she had taken a quick shot of the scene with her Polaroid camera. ¡°I knew your reaction to the news would be precious!¡±


    ¡°Why would he want to meet for dinner?¡± I asked, suddenly feeling my cheeks grow red at the prospect of seeing him again. I was inwardly slapping myself for acting like a foolish teenager.


    ¡°How am I supposed to know?¡± Amelia shrugged. ¡°Oh my gosh, Cam! Are you blushing?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± I screeched in horror. But I was. He was the only guy who¡¯d ever been able to do that¡ªmake me blush.


    I checked my appearance in the living room¡¯s full-length mirror for about the hundredth time. I didn¡¯t understand why I cared what he thought about me. I tried to remind myself that I hated him, that he was an arrogant, pompous and conceited ¡°doorknob,¡± but I was fooling myself and I knew it. Aiden Claremont was every bit my match and that made him attractive to me.


    Plus he has the Red Orb. Of course I find him attractive, I told myself as I smoothed my palms over the contours of my waist. I wasn¡¯t exactly the kind of girl one would find in magazines, with the tall, skinny, hourglass figure. I had more of an athletic build¡ªmostly because of the kind of work I did. Still, I knew I was beautiful. Staring at myself in the mirror, taking in what others often called my assets, a familiar sickening sensation came over me.


    For all the glory it got from the world, beauty was a commodity that I had to pay dearly for. Long buried memories of my past began to haunt me and I had to hold on to a nearby chair for support to prevent myself from falling off balance.


    ¡°Wow, Cam.¡± Amelia stepped out of her bedroom and looked at me. Concern sparked in her eyes. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Nervous about your date?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a date.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh¡­for all I know, you¡¯ll be making a bunch of little Aidens and Camillas in no time.¡±


    I was stunned by how revolting the idea seemed to me. ¡°No. Never. Mark my words, Amelia. I will never have children¡ªhis or anyone else¡¯s.¡±


    I could never forget the way Aiden looked that night. Crisp, white shirt, straight cut jeans, shiny black shoes¡­ That smile¡­ That look in his eyes when he first laid eyes on me¡ªlike I was the most beautiful woman in the room.


    ¡°Hello, gorgeous,¡± he greeted with a wide smile.


    I frowned at him, desperately trying to keep my walls up, afraid of what would happen once they all completely crumbled¡ªsomething that seemed to be inevitable considering how charming he was being. ¡°Could we just cut to the chase and get to business, Claremont? Why did you ask to meet with me?¡±

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    ¡°Get to business, Camilla? Is that why you put on mascara to emphasize those lovely, long lashes of yours? Is that why you¡¯re all dolled up and looking incredible tonight?¡± He narrowed his eyes at me, looking as dashing as ever. ¡°You dressed up just so we could discuss business?¡±


    ¡°The way I look and the way I dress should be of no concern to you, Claremont.¡± I shifted my weight on my seat, hoping that my voice wouldn¡¯t break so that he wouldn¡¯t see past my bluff. ¡°I want the Red Orb. What do I have to do to get it?¡±


    That cocky infuriating side smirk of his formed on his firm lips. ¡°I don¡¯t know. What are you willing to do to get it?¡±


    I was half-expecting his over-bloated ego to make his head explode. Annoyed, I heaved a deep sigh and stood up. ¡°This is such a waste of time.¡±


    ¡°No, wait.¡± He gently laid a hand on my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Let¡¯s try that again.¡±


    I looked into his eyes, seeing his sincerity. ¡°Try what again?¡±


    ¡°Try to have a civilized conversation, Cam. I promise to be less of a jerk.¡± He raised one hand in the air to make his pledge official. ¡°Hear me out.¡±


    I kept my eyes on him and slowly sat back on my chair. I hoped that through my actions, he would realize that I was keeping him on a short leash.


    He sat back down and cleared his throat.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me any more of your crap, Claremont,¡± I warned.


    ¡°No more of that.¡±


    He then timidly asked if we should order first and I nodded. We made our orders¡ªa strangely awkward ordeal¡ªbefore I once again eyed him for some sort of explanation for our rather unusual meeting.


    He took a deep breath after the waiter left. ¡°So you really want the Red Orb?¡±


    ¡°I told you that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you then.¡±


    My brow quirked up. ¡°Just like that?¡±


    He slowly nodded. ¡°Yeah. Just like that.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense. You¡¯ve been competing with me and driving me crazy over the past few weeks trying to get a hold of that artifact. Now, you¡¯re just going to give it to me?¡±


    ¡°Well, first of all, you have to admit that the competition made the dig a whole lot more fun and interesting. Sorry, but messing with you was the most fun I had during that whole expedition. Seeing your reaction gave me far more satisfaction than actually getting the orb,¡± he admitted with an amused chuckle.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you were entertained,¡± I responded, feigning annoyance even though a smile was threatening to form on my lips as memories of all the bickering and competitive banter I had with him came to mind.


    ¡°Look¡­¡± He slightly tilted his head to the side. ¡°I¡¯m a guy who knows what I want. I traveled to Cuba wanting the orb and I got it, but I realized that there¡¯s something I want more than the orb.¡±


    I was afraid to ask, but the words came out of my mouth before I could hold them back. ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°You, Camilla.¡±


    That was the first date among many that followed after we got back to the States. I fell in love with Aiden Claremont, so when he proposed to me after several weeks of dating, I couldn¡¯t say no. Truth be told, I was terrified. Throughout the time we were dating, we were never intimate. I told him that I wanted to wait until marriage and he respected that. The fact that he respected my choice to wait made me admire him even more, but then it also made me dread the night I had to be intimate with him.


    On the night of our honeymoon, I wanted desperately to please him, to be the blushing bride eager to share a bed with her doting husband, but no matter how I tried to enjoy that night and take pleasure in his touch, I simply couldn¡¯t. I pretended on his behalf, but the moment he fell asleep, cradling me in his arms, I burst into tears.


    I was far too damaged by my past to ever enjoy such pleasures, but he didn¡¯t need to know that. Of course, Aiden was no fool. He knew something was wrong. He noticed times when I would sort of shut down whenever he tried to make love to me, but I always avoided answering his questions about it. My past was my own nightmare to live with. He didn¡¯t need to share the burden.


    The first few months of our marriage were the best months of my life. Aiden was everything I could ask for in a man. He was loving and affectionate. He treated me in a way that made me want to be the best I could be for him. I was satisfied, but I knew that he wasn¡¯t, or at least he wouldn¡¯t be for long.


    Whenever he brought up the topic of children, I skirted around it. I didn¡¯t want him to know that I never wanted to have children. I kept taking birth control pills without his knowledge; thus, it came as a complete surprise to me when several months after our honeymoon, I became pregnant. I was mentally kicking myself for allowing Aiden to come with me to the checkup. If he wasn¡¯t there, if I hadn¡¯t seen the delight in his eyes when he found out, if I didn¡¯t see for myself how much joy I would bring him by carrying the child, I would¡¯ve immediately had an abortion. Sofia never would¡¯ve been born.


    I could never forget the day our daughter was born. I knew from the way Aiden stared at her that I had just lost him. I no longer held all of his heart. A great big chunk of it had just been taken from me by Sofia.


    Sofia grew lovelier and lovelier each year. She was precious to me, because I knew that she was precious to him. Still, I was terrified. Though he remained a wonderful husband to me, and though he still looked at me the same way he looked at me on our first date, I was still terrified of losing Aiden. I didn¡¯t want him to love Sofia more than he loved me.


    I was afraid of being abandoned and every father-daughter outing they went on brought me into despair, the likes of which Aiden could never possibly understand. Never did I feel more weak than when Aiden spent time alone with Sofia, time I was convinced should¡¯ve been mine. I would¡¯ve much preferred to keep Sofia to myself than to have her be with her father. Aiden mistook this as me being selfish with Sofia and often teased me about it, but in reality, it was me being selfish with him.


    I was getting obsessed with the man that I loved and through the years, I began to notice little things about him that convinced me that he would eventually leave me. Sofia, after all, was the only girl he needed in his life. She had taken my place.


    I began to notice strange things about Aiden: his hushed conversations over the phone, prolonged out-of-town trips and his extra hours at work. These things were normal for him, considering the demands of his work, but as time wore on, I was convinced that he was having an affair. I tried to convince myself that I was just being paranoid, but I couldn¡¯t help myself. One night, when nine-year-old Sofia was already tucked in bed, I eavesdropped on a conversation Aiden was having over the phone.


    ¡°The Maslens are gaining power,¡± he spoke in hushed tones. ¡°We can¡¯t have that.¡± A slew of curses escaped his lips. ¡°Damn it. Track him down. Borys Maslen was last seen in Egypt. Find him and destroy him.¡±


    The first thought that came to mind was: Aiden has gone mad. He¡¯s absolutely insane. How could anybody in their right mind believe in vampires? But I knew Aiden. He was perhaps the most intelligent and rational man I¡¯d ever had the pleasure of meeting. When it came to his work, he wasn¡¯t one to believe in any nonsense.


    I tried to excuse what I had heard by rationalizing that perhaps Aiden was just talking in some sort of corporate code. Perhaps ¡°vampires¡± was just code for their competition.


    I didn¡¯t know how it had happened, but it became an obsession. Much as I hated it, I began to eavesdrop a bit more on Aiden¡¯s conversations and heard more talk about vampires and Egypt and the Maslens. At some point, I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. I began doing research. I contacted old friends of mine from libraries and told them that I was interested in anything they knew about vampires. I gave them some excuse about wanting to write a novel about it when asked why I was suddenly so interested with such folklore.


    The newfound interest wasn¡¯t something I couldn¡¯t keep from my husband, so when he confronted me about it, I had a ready answer. ¡°I think they exist. Don¡¯t you?¡±


    I was waiting for him to lie, to just laugh me off and tell me that I was being crazy, but no, he lifted one of the books I was reading and began thumbing through its pages. He then nodded. ¡°Of course they exist.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes at him. ¡°You¡­ Aiden Claremont¡­ You actually believe in vampires?¡±


    He shrugged one shoulder as he placed the book he was thumbing through back on my work desk. ¡°After a decade of marriage, my lovely Camilla, there are still a lot of things about me you don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Tell me then.¡±


    Worry creased his handsome face. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should, Cam. Why are you so interested in them all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°How can I not be interested?¡± I shrugged. ¡°They¡¯re fascinating, and now, you tell me that you actually believe in them. Can you blame me for not being intrigued?¡±


    I was expecting him to chuckle, give me a sarcastic quip about how he loved my pesky, stubborn and adventurous side. Instead he just shook his head slowly and gravely. ¡°There¡¯s nothing fascinating about vampires, Cam. They are the most vile creatures to ever walk the planet. Powerful, but evil beyond measure¡­ Stay away from them.¡±


    His admonition for me to stay away from the vampires only served to make me more curious. I began quizzing Aiden about what he knew about vampires and why on earth he knew so much about them. He willingly told me what he knew, but always kept silent about how he knew. I hated that he was keeping things from me. It made me feel betrayed that I¡¯d been married to a man who had this mysterious and secret connection with vampires that he had never told me about, but I didn¡¯t voice it out.


    At some point, I knew he was getting irritated about all the questions I was asking about vampires. He especially hated it when I mentioned them when Sofia was around.


    ¡°Cam, I¡¯m warning you¡­ I don¡¯t ever want Sofia to be exposed to these monsters¡­ I don¡¯t even want her to know about them. If I could have my way, I¡¯d remove everything in this world that points to the existence of these creatures. I would do everything possible to keep our daughter away from them.¡±

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    I barely even understood what he was saying at that time. I couldn¡¯t understand his hatred toward vampires or why he was so adamant to keep his family away from those creatures. Whenever I thought of vampires, all I could think of was the power that came with them. I wanted that power.


    I began asking Aiden about how to find vampires, how to track them down. During times when he obviously did not want to talk about vampires, I would turn on my charm and usually after a tumble in bed, he would oblige me and answer my questions.


    I may not have realized it at first but I saw the vampires as my escape from the hopelessness brought about by my own daughter¡¯s birth. I was tired of feeling so powerless against all the despair and all the fears, and the fascination I felt for those dark, mysterious creatures began to consume me.


    When I felt ready to actually hunt for a vampire, I asked Aiden if I could start working as an archaeologist once again. Of course, he didn¡¯t deny this request from me. He even encouraged it.


    ¡°I was wondering when you would once again give in to that adventurous streak I know you have,¡± he said as he kissed me on the forehead. ¡°Maybe now that you¡¯re on these expeditions of yours, you¡¯ll think less about vampires and more about archaeology.¡± He seemed so pleased as he held me in his arms and kissed me.


    I was so in love with him and I realized then that my love for him was the reason I was so weak. Two weeks after that, I was off to my first adventure in years. My first destination, of course, was Egypt.


    I was determined not to leave Egypt until I found out who Borys Maslen was and whether or not he was what I suspected¡ªa vampire. It took a couple of weeks of digging and prodding, following the tips and tricks I¡¯d learned about to track down vampires, before the man I was looking for came to me.


    It was the middle of the night and I had just crawled into my bed, when a hand clamped over my mouth and the weight of a man fell atop me. At first, I thought I was about to be assaulted, but when I saw the fangs, my emotions quickly shifted from terror to complete fascination.


    ¡°I know that you¡¯ve been looking for me, woman,¡± he hissed into my ear. ¡°Why is that? Choose your answer well for it may be your last. And don¡¯t you dare scream or I will make sure your death will be a slow and painful one.¡±


    He took his hand away from my mouth. I looked right into his face, unflinching and told him my request. ¡°I want to become a vampire.¡±


    At that, he scoffed. ¡°You? A vampire?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Why on earth would I give you that honor?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you anything, do anything¡­¡±


    His face broke into a manic smile, his dark eyes glimmering against the lamp¡¯s dim light. ¡°Anything? Prove your loyalty to me by giving me the person most precious to you.¡±


    ¡°If I do that, what are you going to do to that person?¡±


    ¡°Whatever I please.¡±


    The most precious person in my life was and would always be Aiden. For a moment, I considered giving him to this stranger, this vampire, but I couldn¡¯t. My love for him overpowered my desire to become like the powerful creature that found me that night. However, there was one person precious in my life whom I could offer to him. ¡°I have a daughter. She¡¯s nine years old. I¡¯m willing to offer her up to you to prove my loyalty.¡±


    The recollection of the delighted smile on his face still sent chills up my spine many years later. ¡°Perfect,¡± he said, before biting into my neck, injecting the serum that would forever destroy Camilla Claremont and bring Ingrid Maslen into being.


    I tried to convince myself that I never felt regret after that night. As Ingrid Maslen, I was immortal, I was powerful and I had a family of vampires who would never leave me. I would never again be abandoned. I did a good job pretending that I was alright, but many years later, I realized that I wasn¡¯t.


    I was in inner turmoil as I listened to my daughter hissing at Borys, ¡°I¡¯m not your betrothed.¡± She spat the words out, as if it was the most sickening notion she¡¯d ever been forced to contemplate.


    I knew then that that was my cue. I braced myself to once again face Sofia. This was after I had offered her up as prey for a vampire to feast on. ¡°Actually, Sofia,¡± I spoke up, desperate to keep my voice steady and confident, as I stepped out of the curtains and took my place beside Borys¡¯ throne, ¡°you really are his betrothed.¡±


    No words could explain the way I felt upon seeing the shocked and grief-stricken reaction on her face when she laid eyes on me. I wanted to wipe her tears away. I wanted to pull her into my arms and embrace her.


    Seeing what a beauty my daughter had become¡ªlovelier than I ever was at eighteen years old, it hit me full force what I had given up when I became Ingrid Maslen. I gave my daughter up. I gave my husband up. I gave my entire life up.


    ¡°She looks so happy to see you, Ingrid.¡± Borys tilted his head to the side, a manic smile on his face.


    Sofia¡¯s eyes were fixed on me. She couldn¡¯t have possibly known the effect it had on me when she uttered, ¡°Mom?¡±


    I hated that I felt affection toward Sofia since I was loyal to Borys, but it was the truth nonetheless: I detested the idea of him touching my daughter. The thought made me sick to my stomach. I knew the things that he would put her through. I saw him do it to countless young women, and I didn¡¯t want that for her, but I belonged to Borys and I knew it. Thus, being my daughter, Sofia belonged to him too. Not knowing how to handle the adverse reaction I felt, I did the only thing I could do: I inched closer to the dark side and turned my emotions off. I didn¡¯t want to care about Sofia. I didn¡¯t want to deal with any emotions I couldn¡¯t understand, much less control.


    Thus, I was able to smile at her¡ªcompletely indifferent to her plight¡ªand tell her, ¡°Yes, Sofia. It¡¯s me. Your mother. I betrothed you to Borys a long time ago. You are rightfully his.¡±


    I stood by Sofia¡¯s bed, my eyes fixed on the blood trickling down her milky white thighs. Her legs were quivering from the pain. She was obviously trying to fight back the tears. She gave me a quick look¡ªaccusing, hurt and full of contempt. I couldn¡¯t blame her. I would¡¯ve hated myself too had I been in her place.


    I just stood by and watched her scream as Borys kissed her the same time he sank his claws into her thighs, drawing blood. I did nothing. As I watched him do as he pleased with her, all I could think about was what she had just revealed to us¡ªthat she was already married to Derek Novak.


    I realized that a part of me was still hoping that I would see her in an exquisite, white gown¡ªa bride walking down the aisle to her groom. I missed it. I missed my own daughter¡¯s wedding.


    When Borys threatened to make a widow out of her and kill Derek, so that he could take his rightful place as Sofia¡¯s husband, I was overwhelmed with relief. I could still be there at her wedding!


    My stomach clenched at my own sick thinking, but before guilt could creep in, I snapped into attention when Borys pushed Sofia to the ground and looked my way to instruct me to ¡°heal my daughter.¡± I was transfixed by the sight of Sofia whimpering on the ground. I had no idea what to do. I wanted to help her out and ease her pain. Yet another part of me just wanted to get as far away from her as possible.


    I ordered two guards to help me take her to her bedroom.


    ¡°Be gentle with her,¡± I snapped at them. ¡°She is, after all, to become your queen.¡±


    They gave me strange glances, but I ignored them and walked ahead to the bedroom. Later, I had vampire blood brought to her in order for the wounds on her legs to heal.


    ¡°You¡¯ve drunk vampire blood before,¡± I told her, noticing how the idea of drinking the blood didn¡¯t seem to faze her at all.


    She just glared at me. That¡¯s when I realized that she wasn¡¯t like me at all. I thought that she was weak¡ªand from her appearance alone, it seemed that way¡ªbut I could see underneath her shaking exterior. I couldn¡¯t help but shudder, because at that point, I could only sense one thing from Sofia: power.


    Intimidated by her, I tried to break her down the next time I had an encounter with her. Borys sent me to her so that I could bring her to his chambers. I wondered if he was being cruel or if he was testing me to see if my loyalty would belong to him or to Sofia. I found the idea ridiculous. Hadn¡¯t I already proven how loyal I was to him?


    I went to Sofia¡¯s bedroom and found her speaking to her best friend, Ben¡ªAmelia¡¯s son. I found myself missing my best friend¡ªone who¡¯d been there for me during some of the toughest days of my life, while I was Camilla Claremont. I hated looking at Ben because of how much he reminded me of Amelia, and I couldn¡¯t stand being around him.


    ¡°I want time alone with my daughter,¡± I told the guards. ¡°Have the young man brought to the little blonde vampire from The Shade. She¡¯s been harping on about him since she got here.¡±


    I could feel the atmosphere tense as I watched the look of horror on Sofia¡¯s face. For some reason, I found delight in evoking terror in her.


    ¡°No¡­¡± Sofia begged. ¡°Please¡­no¡­ Not her¡­ Not Claudia¡­ Mother, please.¡±


    Mother. The word was like a splash of cold water calling out to the remaining fibers of maternal instinct left in me¡ªa final plea for me to show the motherly affection my daughter was clearly starving for. I raised a hand toward the guards who were already approaching to take Ben. ¡°Wait. What did you just call me?¡± I asked, hungry to hear the word again.


    ¡°Mother¡­¡± Sofia¡¯s lips trembled as she spoke. She grabbed Ben¡¯s hand, seeming to both give and draw strength from him. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you are? My mother?¡±


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right, Sofia.¡± I smiled, confused by the emotions whirling inside me. ¡°I¡¯m your mother.¡± Despite the delight I felt over this truth, the powerful Ingrid would always win over weak and pathetic Camilla. ¡°That means you do what I say, right?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re not going to cause any trouble tomorrow?¡±

 Page 4

    ¡°Tomorrow?¡± I noticed how her grip on Ben¡¯s hand tightened.


    ¡°Yes. Tomorrow. You¡¯re to be wed to Borys tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Why? Why would you do this? Why would you force your own daughter to marry that brute?¡±


    I began brushing strands of her hair away from her face. At that point, I found myself once again shoving Camilla back into my subconscious and letting Ingrid take over. ¡°You just don¡¯t know him, Sofia. Borys deserves the best and you, Sofia, are the best. Why wouldn¡¯t you be? You¡¯re my blood, my beautiful, perfect little girl. You belong to Borys.¡± I then straightened to my full height. ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind,¡± I announced. ¡°Leave the boy here. The Shade¡¯s little blonde vampire can have him after the wedding. Right now, Borys is requesting the presence of his blooming bride. Have my daughter brought to his chambers.¡±


    I watched as the guards dragged my daughter away to whatever fate Borys had for her that day. I watched wondering why I was so threatened by her. I watched hoping that she would break down, because the strength of her spirit only served to highlight the weakness of mine.


    One would have to be blind not to see how much Sofia loved the legendary Derek Novak, rumored to be the most powerful vampire alive¡ªking of The Shade, the largest and most influential vampire coven in existence. The look on his face upon seeing her made it quite evident that he felt for her the exact same way. Their reunion would haunt me my whole life, the way they whispered comfort into each other¡¯s ears and caressed one another would forever be etched into my mind.


    I had hoped that I would experience the same thing upon once again seeing Aiden, but when the hunters attacked and our eyes met for the first time in almost a decade, all I could see was a million unanswered questions behind his eyes and pure and utter hatred.


    I still loved Aiden Claremont, but he no longer felt the same way about me. I couldn¡¯t blame him, but I hated that he couldn¡¯t look at me with affection, yet he could still look at Sofia as if he worshiped the ground she walked on.


    Whatever love I felt for my daughter faded away when Aiden chose to ride in the helicopter with her instead of the one I was in. The hunters wanted me dead, but Aiden stopped them. I thought it was because he still cared, but he gave me one glare and coldly said, ¡°I want her dead too, but my daughter isn¡¯t about to lose a mother. Not tonight.¡±


    Everything just had to be about her.


    Sofia ruined my life. Not only that, but the world of all these powerful men seemed to revolve around her¡ªAiden, Derek, even Borys. I was jealous of her.


    Sofia was beautiful inside and out. She had a good heart and an inexplicable strength of spirit. She was powerful and vied for as the immune¡ªa human who could never be turned into a vampire. She was loved.


    Sofia was everything that I was not. Whenever I laid eyes on her after that fateful night when The Oasis was destroyed and we were all taken to enemy territory¡ªto the hunters¡¯ headquarters¡ªthere were three words going through my mind: I hate you.


    CHAPTER 1: DEREK


    Blind-folded, I was enveloped by pitch black darkness. Tucked between two hunters at the back seat of a black SUV, I found the ride bumpy and uncomfortable. My wrists were tied together in front of me.


    Back at the hunters¡¯ headquarters, I couldn¡¯t help but smirk when the hunters motioned to bind my wrists together.


    Do they really think I can¡¯t just snap off whatever they bind me with?


    Still, not wanting to cause them any reason to suspect me and harm me, I let them have their way. I couldn¡¯t afford to cross the hunters¡ªnot while I was in their territory, not when I was at their complete mercy.


    The ride was excruciatingly long, and now that we were outside headquarters, I was gearing myself up for a fight. I was fully expecting them to try and kill me. It didn¡¯t take a genius to realize that every single one of the four hunters escorting me out of hawk territory hated me.


    I wasn¡¯t surprised. I knew that they resented Aiden for not ending my life just because his daughter was in love with me. I also knew that Aiden letting me go was too good to be true. He was the head hunter¡ªwith a deep-seated hatred for vampires.


    They¡¯re either going to kill me or they¡¯re going to follow me to The Shade. The Shade was the island I had given my entire life to protect. If the hunters ever found the island, it would be the end of arguably the most powerful vampire coven in the world¡ªthe Novak coven, my coven. I couldn¡¯t have that.


    Thus, I tried to think of a way to get out of the predicament I was in. I knew that the hunters weren¡¯t just going to let me go. However, I found it practically impossible to come up with a plan¡ªnot when I couldn¡¯t get my mind off of Sofia.


    I had already convinced myself over and over again that it was the right thing for me to do: to leave Sofia behind. She was safe with her father, safer than she would be with me. I swallowed hard, once again keenly aware of my hunger for her, the taste of her blood still lingering in my mouth.


    Sofia¡­my fianc¨¦e¡­the only woman I have ever loved¡­the immune. How is it possible that she cannot turn into a vampire? How could she possibly be immune to this wretched curse?


    Flashbacks of the night she had told me of her past haunted me. I hated Borys. I hated her mother for allowing everything to happen. I wondered to myself what it all meant¡ªher being the immune.


    I grimaced. I know what it means. It means that she could never be immortal like I am. It means that despite all my proclamations that I would someday marry her, she was right all along. We could never really be together.


    I desperately attempted to shove thoughts of her away. If I was going to survive that night, I needed to think about myself and what had to be done to get the hunters off my back and get to The Shade without being followed.


    Apparently, there wasn¡¯t much time for me to think.


    ¡°We¡¯re here, your highness,¡± the hunter on my right side drawled, the mockery in his voice hard to miss.


    The sound of doors opening was followed by gruff hands grabbing me and dragging me out of the car. My feet had just hit what felt like gravel when one of the hunters whispered, ¡°I say we kill him.¡±


    The statement was followed by a punch in the gut and a wooden stake through my left bicep. They were about to kill me and they planned to make it a painful death. I steeled myself against the throbbing pain in my arm, snapped the rope they used to bind my wrists together and pulled my blindfold off before glaring at my captors.


    ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t have done that.¡±


    I immediately noticed the shock on their faces upon seeing how easily I had gotten out of my restraints. Their reactions made it clear that it wasn¡¯t normal for vampires to be able to get out of those ropes. I was sure that some sort of spell was most likely placed on those ropes by the hunters¡¯ witches.


    Recovering from their shock, all four began to reach for their weapons as I pulled out the wooden stake from my arm. The quickest among the four already had his UV-ray gun out. His swiftness was his death, because it was at him where I threw the wooden stake, the weapon digging right through his skull.


    I still had Sofia¡¯s blood coursing through me, and I could feel its amazing and rapid healing powers take effect over me. Flashes of her green eyes, her auburn hair, her inviting smile filled my mind and her influence on me took over. I used my agility to get behind one of the hunters to take hold of his head, threatening to snap his neck in two. At this point, the stab wound on my arm had already fully healed.


    ¡°There doesn¡¯t have to be any more bloodshed.¡± I eyed the other two men who weren¡¯t in my grasp. They were exchanging glances, perhaps wondering what to do.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind dying¡­¡± The hunter I had in my arms spoke up. ¡°End him. End Derek Novak. What could Aiden possibly do to punish you? He probably secretly hopes that we do it.¡±


    I raised a brow, taken aback. So Aiden didn¡¯t really order my execution¡­ ¡°He may not mind dying,¡± I spoke up, ¡°but I really don¡¯t like the idea of having to kill all three of you, and do believe me when I say that I can do just that.¡±


    One of the hunters¡ªa man with a bald head and tattoos running down his neck and arms¡ªglared at me. ¡°No vampire has ever been able to break those ropes before.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m stronger than most vampires.¡± Cora made sure of that. After establishing The Shade, she put me into a four-hundred-year slumber and to make sure that I¡¯d be able to fulfill the prophecy spoken about me. She added a spell that would make me stronger and stronger as I slumbered.


    ¡°What do you propose we do?¡± he asked.


    ¡°What do you mean what do we do?¡± my hostage admonished. ¡°You kill him!¡±


    The other two ignored him. They kept their eyes on me, waiting for a response.


    I took a quick look at our surroundings, something I didn¡¯t get a chance to immediately do after they attacked me. We were in some sort of woods. ¡°Toss me the keys to the SUV. I want your wallets too. Where¡¯s the highway?¡±


    The tattooed hunter tossed the keys to me and pointed toward the direction of the highway. Within minutes, I was driving in the hunters¡¯ black SUV, with the hunters¡¯ wallets in the passenger seat beside me. I had no idea where I was or where I was going, but I still had a tank full of gas and a long road ahead of me.


    I couldn¡¯t help but recall the last time I drove a car¡ªa red convertible. Sofia was in the passenger¡¯s seat, screaming, because she was certain that I was about to drive her to her death. She declared that day my birthday, refusing to accept the idea that I no longer needed to celebrate the day I was born.


    The reality of what I had just done fully sank into me. I left Sofia. I didn¡¯t even say goodbye. I left in the middle of the night, taking in the peaceful sight of her asleep for as long as I could, before the hunters took me away. I began to feel it immediately, the familiar forces of the darkness beginning to break down my defenses.


    Sofia was my light and I was driving away from her¡ªfar away. My hands gripped the steering wheel. I can¡¯t let the darkness take over. Not again. I must find a way to survive apart from Sofia. I kept her in my mind, recalling every precious memory I had of her. If I lose sight of her and what I had with her, it will be the end of us all.

 Page 5

    CHAPTER 2: SOFIA


    ¡°Sofia, he¡¯s busy! You can¡¯t just barge into his office without being called for¡­¡± Zinnia Wolfe was clearly not happy with me.


    But I couldn¡¯t care less. ¡°Watch me. I¡¯m his daughter and I deserve an explanation.¡±


    I barged inside what I knew was off limits for guests like me, knowing that of all the places in the giant estate known as Hawk Headquarters, I was most likely to find my father there.


    ¡°You can¡¯t go in there!¡± Zinnia continued to run after me.


    I halted only when I was already inside the control center. It was the first time I had ever entered this part of the headquarters. I was shocked by what I saw. Almost like a newsroom, the control center was decked with advanced technology, dozens upon dozens of hunters milling around the room, keeping track on what seemed like a network of at least a hundred computers tracking heaven knows what.


    ¡°Too late,¡± I told Zinnia, who was catching her breath beside me. I looked around and caught sight of my father, pointing at a giant flat screen monitor. He looked upset about something.


    ¡°Vampires are easier to get a hold of than you,¡± Zinnia hissed. She tried to grab ahold of my arm, but I was already on the move, taking steady, long paces toward my father.


    The moment Aiden realized that I was storming toward him, I could no longer keep my temper in check. ¡°Where is he?! Where is Derek?! What have you done to him?!¡± I yelled.


    ¡°Sorry¡­ I couldn¡¯t stop her,¡± Zinnia apologized. Aiden had assigned her to keep an eye on me from the moment I arrived with Derek at the headquarters.


    Aiden looked around the control room before slightly bowing his head and glaring at me. ¡°Sofia, don¡¯t make a scene. We can talk about this elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care where we talk or who hears us. I want to know where Derek is!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where he is. He left of his own free will, Sofia.¡±


    ¡°You liar.¡± I shook my head furiously. ¡°Derek would never leave me. Not unless you did something to make him leave. He would never!¡±


    I was trembling. Nothing my father could ever tell me would convince me that Derek would leave me here. Yet deep inside, I was afraid that it was true. He¡¯s forever immortal and I am infinitely mortal. Perhaps he thought that it was better for us to be apart. I shook the thought away. No. Derek wouldn¡¯t do that to me. He wouldn¡¯t abandon me.


    My father took a deep breath. ¡°Come with me. Let¡¯s go to my office.¡±


    As we both followed Aiden, I could sense Zinnia throwing curious glances my way.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked her, unable to reel in the foul mood I was in. I couldn¡¯t help it. I was panicking inside.


    ¡°I just¡­¡± She quickly shook her head. ¡°Never mind.¡±


    ¡°Just spit it out, Zinnia.¡±


    She hesitated, but eventually shrugged her hesitation off and said, ¡°What¡¯s so special about you? They¡¯re all enamored by you. Derek, Ben, Borys, Lucas¡­¡±


    I met her gaze and smiled bitterly. ¡°I haven¡¯t got a clue.¡± That was a lie. I knew why they wanted me. Borys wanted me because he was a sick bastard who thought that he owned me and was fascinated by the idea that I¡¯m immune to the vampire¡¯s curse. Lucas wanted me because he found me and brought me to The Shade. He also had a taste of my blood and up to his very last breath, he craved me. Ben wanted me because he was my best friend, and there was a time when I thought I wanted him too, but we just weren¡¯t meant to be together. I loved him though, and his death still weighed heavily on my heart. Derek, on the other hand¡­he wanted me because I was in love with him and he felt the same way. Yes, I know why they want me, but it doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m special. I¡¯m just who I am and who I am is somehow entangled in all this mess.


    We finally reached Aiden¡¯s office, where he motioned for me to take a seat and for Zinnia to close the door behind her.


    I chose to keep standing as Aiden sat on the leather recliner behind the large glass desk, which served as the centerpiece of the spacious, beautifully decorated office.


    ¡°You¡¯re really not going to sit down?¡±


    I shook my head, crossing my arms over my chest.


    ¡°You remind me so much of your mother sometimes.¡± He said it with such brokenness, I was taken aback and I couldn¡¯t help but soften a little at the sight of his pain. Any mention of my mother was painful. I knew Ingrid was somewhere inside the headquarters¡ªa captive of the hunters. Just thinking of her made me ache. I wasn¡¯t even sure if Aiden¡¯s claim that I reminded him of her was a good thing or not, considering what an ugly motherly picture Ingrid painted for me in the short time that I¡¯d known her.


    ¡°You really did love her, didn¡¯t you?¡± I asked my father. It was the first time I could remember ever sharing such a personal moment with him.


    Aiden smiled bitterly, as if he were putting back all his defenses around him. He just shut down. He pulled a cigar from a desk drawer and lit it up before eyeing me. ¡°So why exactly are you throwing such a fit, my lovely daughter?¡±


    The reason behind the encounter came back to me and I could once again feel my anger rise.


    ¡°Where is Derek?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°He¡¯s probably on his way back to his kingdom by now.¡±


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t leave without me.¡±


    Aiden sat straight on his seat, shoulders squared, his eyes staring straight at me. ¡°He told me that if he stayed here, he wouldn¡¯t be able to keep himself from drinking you dry.¡±


    My gut clenched. How could he possibly know that Derek already had a drink of my blood? Could Derek really have told him that?


    ¡°I know I haven¡¯t been much of a father to you, Sofia, but why would you ever willingly feed a vampire your own blood?¡±


    Zinnia looked at me like I was insane. ¡°You¡¯ve been feeding him your blood? What is wrong with you?¡±


    Aiden glared at her. ¡°Stay out of this, Zinnia.¡±


    I hated that he was acting like some sort of authority figure in my life. He didn¡¯t have that right¡ªnot after abandoning me for years, leaving me under the care of the Hudsons and barely acknowledging my existence until a few weeks ago when he suddenly woke up to the fact that I was alive.


    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Don¡¯t start acting like a father now, Aiden. I don¡¯t need to explain myself to you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sofia. You do. Derek Novak is one of the most powerful vampires alive and he is craving your blood on a twenty-four-hour basis. How is this not a reason to be concerned?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand. We are strongest together and we are weakest apart. That may not make sense to you, but you have to realize that a life without him¡­for me, that¡¯s no life at all!¡±


    I should¡¯ve known that an emotional plea would just sound weak to the rational and calculating mind of Aiden Claremont. Both he and Zinnia stared at me as if I had somehow been brainwashed into loving Derek.


    ¡°Do you love Derek Novak?¡± Aiden asked after a long and awkward pause.


    ¡°Yes!¡± I exclaimed. ¡°I love him. I love Derek.¡±


    ¡°And how exactly will this love work, Sofia? He¡¯s immortal. What do you intend to do? Turn into a vampire so you can be with him for all eternity? So you can be a bloodthirsty killer like him? Do you even have any idea how many people have died in his hands?¡±


    I knew what he was trying to do. He was preying on my own deepest fears about my relationship with Derek. As if Derek¡¯s immortality wasn¡¯t already haunting me, my father had to rub it in my face.


    ¡°You deserve so much better than Derek Novak, Sofia.¡±


    I smiled bitterly as I shook my head. ¡°You have no idea who Derek is, and trust me when I say this, Father¡­even if I wanted to, I could never become a vampire. I could never become immortal like Derek. Are you happy now?¡±


    He narrowed his eyes at me in scrutiny. ¡°What exactly are you saying, Sofia?¡±


    My jaw tightened as I glared at my father. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. What matters right now is this: I am going to find out what happened to Derek and if I find out that anything bad has happened to him and that you were behind it, I will never be able to forgive you.¡±


    Aiden smirked and the sight of that cold smile on his face as he shook his head at me and took a puff of his cigar sent chills down my spine. ¡°No, Sofia. You aren¡¯t going anywhere near Derek. Not again. In fact, until I say so, you¡¯re not going to leave this place. You will train as a hunter and learn to defend yourself against these vampires. I will keep you here until your deluded love for him is weaned out of your system.¡±


    Despite my shock, I managed to take a few steps closer to him in order to emphasize my point. ¡°You can¡¯t keep me prisoner here.¡±


    At that, my father scoffed. ¡°Oh yes I can, darling. Yes, I can.¡±


    CHAPTER 3: DEREK


    Natalie Borgia¡¯s safe house was a log cabin out in the country. For the first time in the past few days since I left the hunters¡¯ headquarters, I actually felt secure.


    Natalie was an old friend of mine. She was also one of the few rogue vampires who had full access to all of the vampire covens. She also had all the covens¡¯ sworn protection. In exchange, she was the ultimate diplomat, the main communication line between all vampire covens. She was invaluable to our kind.


    I walked along the stone path that led to the luxurious log cabin and knocked on the door. When Natalie opened it, a smile spread across her face as she handed me a glass of blood.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re famished.¡± The Italian girl always had a way of making me feel taken care of.


    I looked at her gratefully as I took the glass and drank its contents in one go. I hadn¡¯t had a drop of blood in my system since I left hunter territory. I couldn¡¯t bear the thought of killing the humans I had happened to come across during my journey to Natalie¡¯s safe house. I was indeed famished.


    Natalie welcomed me into the cabin and asked me to make myself comfortable as she poured another glass of blood for me. As I waited for her, I recalled the first time I was able to get in touch with her a couple of days back.

 Page 6

    ¡°Derek? What is going on? Where are you? Do you have any idea how many people are looking for you right now?¡±


    Gripping the disposable cell phone over my ear, I never thought I could be as elated to hear Natalie Borgia¡¯s voice as I was at that moment. I heaved a sigh, taking note of the mixture of alarm and relief in her voice upon realizing that she was talking to me. ¡°I need you to help me get back to The Shade without the hunters following me there. I¡¯ve been trying to get them off my back for the past two days. It¡¯s been hell.¡±


    ¡°Two days? Where are you? How are you keeping out of the sunlight?¡±


    Hidden in some sleazy motel in the middle of who-knows-where, I was in no mood to answer her questions. ¡°Natalie, I appreciate your concern, but right now, could you be less of a friend and more of a diplomat and just help me out?¡±


    Truth be told, I couldn¡¯t really wrap my mind around how I had survived the past two days. During times we spent at The Shade, both Sofia and my sister Vivienne¡ªbefore she passed away in the hands of the hunters¡ªtried their best to keep me up-to-date with the technologies and norms of the twenty-first century. Still, living them out firsthand was a shock. The world was far different from what it was four hundred years ago.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Natalie said, her voice lower and a bit less excited. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how they¡¯re doing it, but the hunters seem to know where I am at all times. I just can¡¯t get them off my back no matter how hard I try.¡±


    ¡°They probably have a tracker on you.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­how do I get rid of the tracker?¡±


    ¡°For one thing, do you have anything on you that came from the hunters¡¯ headquarters?¡±


    ¡°I have credit cards, wallets, drivers¡¯ licenses, an SUV¡­¡±


    I could practically see Natalie roll her eyes. ¡°Get rid of all of those. You don¡¯t know which one of those is bugged, so you might as well just get rid of everything. I¡¯m going to give you an address. That¡¯s my safe house. Don¡¯t bring anything that the hunters have been in contact with. Did you get all of that?¡±


    I nodded before remembering that she couldn¡¯t actually see me. ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Get here safe, Derek. I¡¯m worried about you.¡±


    ¡°I will. Thanks.¡± I heaved a deep sigh before looking at the SUV. I said goodbye to it, inwardly groaning at all the running I was about to do.


    Natalie plopped on the empty space on the couch beside me as she handed me another glass of blood. ¡°I¡¯m glad you made it. You sure the hunters aren¡¯t still on your back?¡±


    ¡°I completely lost them about a day ago. Had to take several detours though¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Derek? Where were you? The people at The Shade have been going mad when they heard news of the fall of The Oasis. Rumors are that you¡¯re now siding with the hunters.¡±


    I almost choked on my drink. ¡°Siding with the hunters? Did you not hear me when I said that they¡¯ve been hunting me down for days?¡±


    ¡°Well, the rumor is that they caught you and that you, Ingrid, Claudia and Sofia were taken to hunter territory. We all thought you were a goner, and yet, here you are. How could you have possibly escaped the hunters? Hunter territory is to vampires as The Shade is to humans. Once you get in, you can¡¯t get out.¡±


    I didn¡¯t like where the conversation was going. I quickly finished the drink and laid the glass on top of the coffee table. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that anyone would think that I would work with the hunters.¡±


    ¡°Well, you were once one of the most feared hunters alive and you have to admit that you coming out of hunter territory unscathed is more than just a bit suspicious.¡±


    ¡°Natalie, you believe me when I say that the only reason they kept me alive and let me out of there was because of Sofia, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a rogue, Derek. What does it matter what I believe? My job is to remain a diplomat and bring messages across covens. Since when does my opinion count?¡±


    ¡°It counts to me.¡±


    ¡°Of course I believe you, but come on¡­ It¡¯s not like the other covens will buy that story. For crying out loud, Derek, do you really expect them to believe that you just walked out of hunter territory thanks to true love?¡±


    ¡°I expect them to believe that there is an exception to every rule. You said it yourself, Natalie¡­ Hunter territory is to vampires as The Shade is to humans. Sofia and Ben were the exceptions. They got out of The Shade, did they not? Isn¡¯t it high time that a vampire got out of hunter territory unscathed?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Natalie shrugged. ¡°I know you well enough to buy that, but just to play devil¡¯s advocate here, I have to remind you that you are Derek Novak and you are in love with Sofia Claremont, who is the daughter of the notorious Ingrid Maslen. Not only that, but she¡¯s also the daughter of Aiden Claremont, or as we know him in our world, the infamous hunter, Reuben.¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to tell me, Natalie?¡± I asked, growing weary of the conversation.


    ¡°Gregor and Borys are alive and no one knows where they are. Other covens are beginning to suspect the Novaks¡¯ loyalties, because of the fact that you appeared at The Oasis on the exact same day the hunters attacked. Some don¡¯t think that¡¯s a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°What do you expect me to do about that?¡± I could practically feel the darkness coming and all I could think about was how much I wanted to hold Sofia in my arms. I inwardly groaned because just the thought of her made my heart pound and crave for her blood. It was this blood thirst that reminded me why it was necessary for me to leave her.


    Natalie must¡¯ve sensed my tension, because uncharacteristically of her, she brushed a hand over my shoulder. ¡°All I¡¯m saying, Novak, is that The Shade won¡¯t be safe for long. I think you should expect that the coven leaders will eventually attack the island.¡±


    At this statement, I could only scoff in response. ¡°Tell me something I don¡¯t already know.¡±


    At that moment, I could almost envision the future and all the bloodshed ahead. I wanted to laugh at the prophecy once spoken about me: The younger will rule above father and brother and his reign alone can provide his kind true sanctuary.


    Considering what was up ahead, the prophecy sounded to me like one big cosmic joke. How could all this darkness be true sanctuary?


    CHAPTER 4: AIDEN


    I stared at the lifeless corpse of the hunter whose life Derek Novak claimed. The hunter had a wooden stake grotesquely buried into his skull. I wondered to myself if I ought to tell Sofia about what had happened. Perhaps I should explain to her how the love of her life, or so she claimed, had fought against the hunters, killed one of them, took one of them hostage before taking their belongings and leaving them in the middle of nowhere.


    We¡¯d been following his tracks ever since. I gave strict instructions that Derek Novak was to be kept under surveillance until he returned to The Shade. I was desperate to know the location of the island and I wanted Derek¡¯s every movement tracked, but now, they were giving me news that they¡¯d lost him.


    Incompetent fools! Of course, I kept my calm in front of my men. I learned long ago that my cool silence scared them far more than an angry outburst.


    ¡°Surely your daughter knows where the island is,¡± Ivan, the hunter whom Derek took hostage, suggested. ¡°Can¡¯t we pry information out of her?¡±


    ¡°I believe she¡¯s been brainwashed by the vampires. She is far too in love with Derek Novak to ever give the location of the island.¡±


    ¡°Then maybe we can reverse the effects of the brainwashing¡­¡± Ivan pressed. ¡°Surely there¡¯s a way¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to subject my daughter to any more damage. Know your place and stay in it. Do not discuss Sofia anymore.¡±


    He backed down just as I had expected, forcing me to turn my thoughts toward my daughter and how she seemed to hate the very sight of me. Since our confrontation, I placed her under lock and key. She wasn¡¯t allowed to go anywhere nor do anything without my express approval.


    I kept her under a routine of training at the atrium as a new recruit, being taught how to defend herself against vampires and how to fight against them. I kept an eye on her, expecting her to keep to herself, to distance herself from the other recruits and the more trained hunters¡ªyoung men and women devoted to the eradication of her beloved vampires. Thus, I was surprised to find how easy it was for her to strike a friendship with everyone she came across with. It didn¡¯t take long for her to build a rapport with her trainers and the other recruits.


    I realized what was so attractive about my daughter. She was a ray of sunshine, always accommodating and with a ready smile to those who approached her. She was beautiful and she was definitely catching the eye of several young men.


    Pathetic saps. As if they could ever be deserving of my daughter¡­ I was surprised by my own sense of overprotectiveness for her.


    I found it ironic that I was thinking of her in that way, considering how the only person she seemed to loathe and avoid was me. In fact, when I first visited her at the atrium, she wouldn¡¯t even look at me. She treated me like I was invisible.


    All I could do was watch her interact with the other people around her while the head director of training, Julian, updated me about her progress.


    ¡°She¡¯s learning fast,¡± he said. ¡°She says that Derek Novak already gave her some basic training on how to defend herself against vampires before.¡±


    ¡°Why on earth would he do that?¡±


    ¡°She told me that he wanted her safe. I asked her why she never used it against the vampires who attacked her and she just shrugged and told me that they were all stronger than she was, and that she¡¯s a pacifist at heart and kept forgetting to bring her wooden stake with her.¡± There was no mistaking the hint of amusement in Julian¡¯s voice. Clearly, he was fond of my daughter. ¡°Were you aware that she¡¯s been stabbed with one before?¡±

 Page 7

    I found it hard to process this information. ¡°Stabbed? By a wooden stake?¡±


    Julian nodded. ¡°The stake was meant for Derek Novak. She pushed him away and was stabbed instead. He fed her his blood to heal her.¡±


    I found the thought that she would risk her life on his behalf sickening¡ªthe fact that she¡¯d been drinking his blood was even worse. I hated even thinking about the things she¡¯d been through during the period he had kept her captive at The Shade.


    ¡°What do you plan to do about that?¡± Julian asked with hesitation.


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°The fact that your daughter is in love with a vampire¡ªand not just any ordinary vampire¡­ She¡¯s in love with Derek Novak.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I groaned. This reality was haunting me. If I were to be honest with myself, I highly doubted that she was brainwashed. She wasn¡¯t exhibiting any signs of having been brainwashed. She didn¡¯t have the twitches, the paranoia, the confusion¡­ She never spaced out into blank gazes. It was hard for me to accept, but it seemed her love for Derek Novak was genuine. It seems that I would have to brainwash her in order to get rid of her love for that vampire. The idea turned my stomach, and I wondered if I could really do that to my own daughter.


    ¡°She could make a great hunter.¡±


    ¡°Trust me when I say that she is never going to be one of us.¡± I¡¯m afraid she loves him too much. I stood to my full height, squaring my shoulders as I let my gaze linger over Sofia, overcome by the force of emotions that coursed through me whenever I looked at her. I made a mistake abandoning her, but how could I have kept her with me? She reminds me so much of how beautiful and vibrant Camilla was.


    ¡°Are you alright, Reuben?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± I nodded. ¡°Give me a regular report on her progress. Tell her that from now on, she is to keep a stake on her person at all times. Also, make sure that she learns how to use the guns. I won¡¯t have her defenseless against those creatures again.¡±


    After the conversation with Julian, I found myself aimlessly wandering the corridors of the headquarters, the inescapable ache caused by all the time I had lost with Sofia at the forefront of my thoughts. Somehow, my meandering brought me to the last place I thought I wanted to be: Ingrid¡¯s cell.


    I came just in time to see her finishing up a packet of animal blood. She grinned when she saw me enter the room.


    ¡°Wow. Aiden Claremont finally pays me a visit.¡± She tilted her head to the side, her beautiful eyes set on me, her long auburn hair falling to one side. ¡°What did I do to deserve such an honor?¡±


    ¡°What happened at The Oasis? Why was Sofia there?¡± I pulled up a chair and sat down, gearing myself up for a conversation I wasn¡¯t even sure I wanted to have.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask your little princess?¡± she pouted.


    ¡°She refuses to talk about it.¡± I drew a breath and revealed the thought weighing on my mind. ¡°Do you not feel even a thread of affection for her? For me?¡±


    Ingrid¡¯s eyes softened for but a moment before the familiar manic look returned. ¡°I¡¯m sure Camilla adored her and on her good days, I¡¯m sure she also had some love for Sofia.¡±


    It hurt her being referred to as Camilla, like her former self was completely gone. ¡°Camilla was the love of my life.¡±


    I was surprised when Ingrid scoffed at this. ¡°Sure she was.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡±


    ¡°You were the love of Camilla¡¯s life, but I doubt she was yours.¡±


    I gave her a confused look. Did I fail to show Camilla how much I adored her? I doted on her. I practically worshipped the ground she walked on.


    Ingrid rolled her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that you have no idea what to do with that little princess of yours. It¡¯s not like I can help you with that. If you ask me, what you should do with her is place a white gown on her and offer her up to the man she belongs to.¡±


    The image her words painted in my mind was sickening. I found myself seething with anger. ¡°And that would be who?¡±


    ¡°Borys Maslen. Borys owns her. I gave her to him.¡±


    She was a stranger, not a trace of the woman I had loved left in her. ¡°What have you done with my wife? Is there any trace of Camilla left in you?¡±


    A bitter smile formed on Ingrid¡¯s face. ¡°Camilla is dead. She died the day Sofia was born. That spoiled little brat stole your heart from me. Every time she had to share you with Sofia, Camilla died a little. Hers was a slow and painful death. There was no way for her to survive.¡± She paused and gave me a penetrating gaze that would haunt me for days after. ¡°You were simply too blind to realize, Aiden, that your love for Sofia killed Camilla.¡±


    CHAPTER 5: SOFIA


    The moment Zinnia swung the door of my suite open, I dragged myself inside and sank onto my bed. I was exhausted. Every day at headquarters was mind-numbingly routine. There wasn¡¯t a minute that wasn¡¯t scheduled. My time was no longer my own. Perhaps Aiden thought that if he kept me busy every second of every day, I would somehow forget Derek. The idea was ridiculous.


    The thought of getting back to Derek was the fuel that kept me going. I knew that I had to find my way back to him and that was the only thing that kept me from sinking into despair. My every waking moment was filled with thoughts of how I was going to escape the hunters and return to The Shade. I went through the trainings and did everything I was told; I was willing to play the part of a hunter if only to gain their trust and betray it afterwards.


    Perhaps it was rebellion against my father. I hated that he was acting like a father to me now, assuming that he knew what was best for me, after abandoning me for all those years. I resented Aiden Claremont for keeping me prisoner and preventing me from finding Derek.


    ¡°You look horrible,¡± Zinnia told me as she rummaged through the kitchen for something to eat¡ªright after she had made sure that the door was locked, so I couldn¡¯t escape.


    ¡°Tell me something I don¡¯t know,¡± I said, watching her move around the small kitchen. We could¡¯ve eaten at the mess hall along with the other recruits, but I begged her to let me return to the suite. I was in no mood to socialize and I really just wanted to get back to the room that I used to share with Derek before he had mysteriously disappeared. The suite was my sanctuary, the one place in hunter territory where it felt as if Derek¡¯s presence still lingered.


    ¡°Are you going to eat?¡± Zinnia asked as she put a pizza in the microwave.


    I shook my head.


    ¡°Ben always ate up a storm after training¡­ Do you ever think of him at all?¡±


    ¡°Sounds like him¡­¡± I smiled bitterly, recalling glimpses of Ben¡¯s handsome face. I ached whenever I thought of him. ¡°Ben was my best friend, Zinnia. At one point, I thought I was in love with him. Of course I think about him.¡±


    Zinnia raised a brow. ¡°But not as much as you think about the Novak¡­¡±


    I furrowed my brows at her, wondering what she was trying to get at. She¡¯d been acting strangely the entire day, and at that point, I really wasn¡¯t in the mood to try and figure out her erratic changes of attitude toward me. At times, it felt as if we could be friends, then she suddenly switched and began treating me as if she thought I was the most annoying creature on earth¡ªa burden she had to carry at all times.


    ¡°What¡¯s your point, Zinnia?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. No point. Just an observation.¡±


    I inwardly groaned, deciding to ignore her, but it seemed she wasn¡¯t done.


    ¡°You know what I don¡¯t get?¡± she suddenly said after a moment¡¯s silence. ¡°Why is Claudia still alive? After what she put him through, I find it hard to believe that Ben would ever request that she be kept alive unless she did something to make him do it.¡±


    Claudia put him through hell during the time he was under her wing. Even I was confused when I was told that Ben pleaded for Claudia¡¯s life. However, I really didn¡¯t give it much thought after having gone through the motions of Ben¡¯s burial and trying to adjust to all the changes going on around me. When I found out that Derek had left, I completely forgot about Claudia.


    ¡°Hasn¡¯t anyone asked her yet?¡± I asked.


    ¡°As if we can trust anything she says¡­¡±


    I suddenly felt overcome by curiosity about my last encounter with Claudia. I knew the thought was crazy, because Claudia had given me absolutely no reason to trust her, but I wondered if I could make an ally out of her in order to return to The Shade. I scoffed at the thought. I¡¯m actually desperate enough to work with Claudia.


    I looked at Zinnia. ¡°Could you ask Aiden if I could talk to her? I have questions.¡±


    Zinnia gave me a long look. I doubted that she had any trust in me at all, so I was surprised when she shrugged and said, ¡°All right. I¡¯ll ask.¡±


    The next day, I was escorted to Claudia¡¯s cell. I barely recognized her, not necessarily because of any drastic change in appearance, but more because of the change in attitude. I knew it was going to be an extremely strange encounter when for the first time since I had met her, she actually seemed genuinely happy to see me.


    She was crumpled up in a corner, her back leaned against the wall, seated on the ground, her arms pulling her knees to her chest.


    ¡°Claudia?¡± I tentatively said, half-expecting her to attack me and once again try to turn me into a vampire.


    Instead, the moment she laid eyes on me, her eyes lit up, twinkling with delight. A bright smile formed on her face as if she¡¯d just laid eyes on a long-lost friend. ¡°Sofia!¡± she exclaimed as she stood to her feet and embraced me.


    My arms hung limply at my sides as I tried to figure out what was going on. I found myself stiff against her tight hug.


    She pulled away from me and gave me an expectant look. ¡°Where¡¯s Derek? Are they going to allow us to leave now? We¡¯re going back to The Shade, right?¡±


    ¡°Derek left¡­ I don¡¯t know what happened to him or where he is¡­¡± I found it hard to recall why I was there in the first place. Claudia¡¯s reaction upon seeing me had thrown me for a loop.

 Page 8

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± She frowned, her eyes showing her disappointment and sadness. ¡°He won¡¯t allow me to go back to The Shade, will he? He¡¯s angry that I tried to turn you¡­ I thought that¡¯s what he wanted, but then even Ben got angry when I did it¡­¡±


    So she really did try to turn me. And she did it because she thought it was what Derek wanted. Or at least that¡¯s what she says. I was beyond confused. ¡°Why did you do it, Claudia? Why did you try to turn me?¡±


    ¡°You and Derek deserve to be together,¡± she said pensively as she slowly nodded her head as if our love was some sort of epiphany to her. ¡°I understand that now. If you were immortal like he is, then you could be together forever. Isn¡¯t that what you want, Sofia?¡±


    I stared at her, not knowing how to react. Who is this person? I had no idea if it was all an act. I feared that perhaps it was. I decided to change the subject before she could drive me crazy with longing for Derek. ¡°Why would Ben ask that your life be spared, Claudia? He hated your guts.¡±


    Claudia¡¯s face broke into a strange smile, a spark of her old, crazy self seemingly back, but her words indicated otherwise. ¡°You got to him I guess¡­the same way you get to everyone¡­ Back at The Oasis, he told me that if there¡¯s any person who could forgive me for everything I¡¯d done, it would be you.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes at her. ¡°It was you, wasn¡¯t it? You helped Ben get out of The Oasis so he could ask help from the hunters. Is that why he asked that your life be spared? He did it in exchange for your help?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°You could say that.¡±


    ¡°But why? Why would you help him? You¡¯re in hunter territory because of it. This is the most dangerous place for a vampire to be in.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to help you and Derek.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but scoff at that statement. ¡°Sorry, Claudia, but I find that hard to believe.¡±


    She rolled her eyes as she ran a hand through her mass of blonde curls. I saw in her actions a trace of the old Claudia that I had known. Mischievous, naughty, sadistically demented, but again, her words took me aback. ¡°Well, of course you don¡¯t believe me.¡± She gave me a wry laugh. ¡°After everything you know I¡¯ve done, after I helped deliver you to Borys Maslen, you¡¯d be crazy to believe me.¡±


    ¡°You ruined my best friend, Claudia.¡±


    ¡°Ben reminded me so much of the Duke, but he was nothing like the man who ruined me. He didn¡¯t deserve what I had put him through.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to make of her words. It was hard for me to believe, but Claudia actually looked genuinely remorseful. ¡°You know what¡­¡± I threw my hands in the air. ¡°I don¡¯t even really care if all of this is just some sort of act. If it is, I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re doing it. I can¡¯t even tell if you¡¯re telling me the truth, but right now, if there¡¯s any way you can help me, then I need you to do that.¡±


    She stared at me, waiting for me to spout out what I had in mind.


    I heaved a sigh and spoke my mind. ¡°I need to get back to Derek, Claudia. I need to get back to The Shade.¡±


    The moment the words came out of my lips, her face once again lit up in delighted expectation. ¡°Yes! The Shade! I want to go back too, Sofia. You¡¯ll take me with you, won¡¯t you?¡± Her childlike glee was blowing my mind until she finally said the words that would shed light to the reason behind her alarming and sudden change of character. ¡°Yuri will take me back, won¡¯t he, Sofia?¡±


    I didn¡¯t see it coming, but it appeared that after hundreds of years, Claudia had finally realized that she was desperately in love with the one vampire at The Shade who could possibly hold genuine affection for her¡ªYuri Lazaroff.


    CHAPTER 6: DEREK


    Natalie pulled her dark hair up in a messy bun. Wearing a gray university hoodie and black leggings, she looked a lot more casual at home than she normally did wearing her usual, classy and stylish get-ups.


    As she ran through the plans for my journey from her safe house to The Shade, I couldn¡¯t help but appreciate her as a friend. We had some history between us¡ªNatalie and I¡ªhistory that very few people knew about, history that played a huge part in making us who we were. The centuries changed us both, but she would remain one of my dearest friends, even in spite of the fact that I knew that I could never fully trust her.


    ¡°So I¡¯ve arranged transport for you to be brought from here to a nearby shore,¡± Natalie explained. ¡°You¡¯ll be leaving by jet at midnight. One of The Shade¡¯s subs should be waiting on the beach to take you to The Shade.¡±


    ¡°How on earth were you able to communicate with anyone back at The Shade?¡± I asked.


    She smiled. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you my trade¡¯s secrets. Even you don¡¯t have that much of an influence on me, Novak.¡±


    Faded images of her as that beautiful young woman, who fascinated me from the moment I first laid eyes on her, flashed through my mind. I met her right after I escaped from our village¡ªnot long after my father turned Lucas, Vivienne and me into vampires. I hated being the creature I¡¯d become and the reality of the hunter now being the hunted had just begun to sink into me. It was one of those nights when my craving for human blood was especially hard to suppress. Vivienne and I had gotten separated from Gregor and Lucas after a run-in with the hunters. I knew Vivienne was starving, because so was I, but she hadn¡¯t spoken for almost a year by then, so I wasn¡¯t expecting any complaints from her.


    Natalie somehow found us as we trekked along the city walls, not daring to enter the city in case we couldn¡¯t stop killing the people we met. She took us in and fed us. She was so tender, so kind, so lovely, I could barely believe that she was a vampire. That night was the first time I allowed myself to entertain the idea that goodness could still be found in creatures such as us. I had Natalie to thank for that. It was decades later before I saw her again¡ªboth of us bloodthirsty and losing touch with our humanity. Remembering her kindness and who she was greatly influenced my decision to escape it all and convince Cora to put me to sleep. After reminding her of whom she was before and the impact she had on me, I liked to think that I had a part in making her what she was now.


    ¡°Thank you for all your help, Natalie.¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do.¡± She grinned. ¡°For old times¡¯ sake.¡±


    I heaved a sigh. ¡°Did you ever think we¡¯d end up this way? Vampires living centuries past our time?¡±


    Natalie¡¯s face softened and for a moment, I thought she was going to cry, but she just laughed dryly. ¡°That¡¯s just life, Novak. We are what we are. There¡¯s no escaping it.¡±


    No escape. The thought made me feel so hopeless. I was surprised by the strength of emotion that surged within me¡ªsomething almost visceral fighting against that idea that our kind had no escape. How could that be our fate? That can¡¯t be it, not when there¡¯s hope for true sanctuary.


    Sofia¡¯s face flashed through my mind. I knew her role in the prophecy, the part she had to play. The distance we had between us was so keenly felt. She¡¯s my hope. That¡¯s when I realized that there was no possible way I could survive what was to come unless I made a conscious effort to connect to the light she had sparked in me.


    I shook my head at Natalie. ¡°I¡¯d readily accept in a split second that I deserve this fate, but not you, Natalie.¡±


    ¡°Of all the vampires I¡¯ve had the pleasure, or displeasure, of knowing, you¡¯ve always been my favorite, Novak.¡± She playfully placed a finger beneath my chin and lifted my head upwards. ¡°Do you have any questions about later?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I trust you.¡±


    She rolled her eyes. ¡°I warn you, Novak, trusting me could be your undoing.¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    We shared a glass of blood before retreating to our own bedrooms to prepare for my departure. I was mostly thinking about what I was going to end up seeing upon my return to The Shade and how Sofia was doing. I hope she understands why I left. I found myself drifting off into a short nap. I was awakened by a thud outside the bedroom. Someone was with Natalie. I took great care not to make any noise as I peeked outside my bedroom door, which was slightly ajar.


    ¡°Where is Derek Novak?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about¡­¡± Natalie hissed.


    I swallowed hard, panic overtaking me. At first, I thought that the hunters had somehow found the safe house, but I quickly realized¡ªbased on the fact that they made no move to hurt Natalie, nor were they equipped with the hunters¡¯ advanced weaponry¡ªthat these were fellow vampires.


    ¡°We know you helped him, Natalie. You¡¯re a diplomat. You¡¯re not supposed to take sides. You shouldn¡¯t have helped him, knowing that he is wanted by practically every vampire coven in existence¡ªeven his own.¡±


    ¡°You have nothing to prove that I helped Derek.¡±


    ¡°Who else would¡¯ve helped him, but you?¡±


    I knew then that I had to get out of the house immediately or I would risk destroying Natalie¡¯s good standing with all the other covens. I couldn¡¯t do that to her¡ªnot after everything she had done for me, not after everything she had risked.


    I sneaked out of the bedroom window, still careful not to make even the smallest sound and headed off by foot to the location of the jet Natalie had arranged for me. I looked back and whispered a thank you to Natalie, praying that no harm would come to her because of me. I wouldn¡¯t be able to live with myself if anything bad happened to you because of me, Natalie. Stay safe.


    A few hours later, just before the sun was about to rise, I was sitting in the submarine that would take me back to The Shade. I wanted to feel excitement about my return to the island that had been my home for centuries, but all I felt was dread. Somehow, I already knew that what I would come upon wouldn¡¯t be a warm and happy welcome, but instead, complete and utter chaos.


    I was right.

 Page 9

    CHAPTER 7: INGRID


    No matter how much I tried, I simply could not rid my mind of the way Aiden looked at me after our last conversation¡­like I was the most despicable thing he¡¯d ever laid eyes on¡­as if I were some sort of monster.


    He¡¯s right. That¡¯s exactly what I am now. A monster. The thought gave no consolation, even though I had once fooled myself into believing that I¡¯d already reconciled myself with that truth.


    I hated myself for losing Aiden. He was a man with so much love and affection to give. Certainly no other man had been able to penetrate through the walls of my heart the way he had done, yet despite all the love he had showered upon me, I was still an empty shell, haunted by my past, a past I would kill to forever keep hidden.


    He has no idea how much of a monster I really am.


    After Aiden left me in my cell, the solitude began to drive me mad. Even before becoming a vampire, I hated being alone and the fact that I was made aware that the love of my life would never look at me the same way he used to look at Camilla was driving me insane.


    I stretched myself out on the small cot I was provided with¡ªone that felt coarse and rough against my skin, after having been accustomed to the Egyptian linens at The Oasis¡ªand screamed at the top of my lungs.


    A gruff, middle-aged guard immediately showed up on the other side of the steel bars lined with UV lighting.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± he bellowed at me.


    I gave him my sweetest smile before purring, ¡°Make me.¡±


    ¡°What do you want, bloodsucker?¡±


    ¡°Tell your boss that I want someone to talk to.¡±


    ¡°Why on earth would I do that?¡± He grimaced. ¡°All I have to do is pull one trigger and you¡¯re dead. In my opinion¡ªone that is shared by many here¡ªwe should just kill you and that other blonde vampire.¡±


    I sat up on the cot and began stretching my arms in the air. ¡°I¡¯m wondering the same thing, but right now, I¡¯m also wondering if you¡¯ll ever allow me to take a shower. It¡¯s been days. I stink.¡±


    He wrinkled his nose as he looked at me with disgust. ¡°We received no orders regarding that, so you¡¯ll just have to bear with the living conditions you¡¯re dealt with. It¡¯s better than being a corpse.¡±


    ¡°I want someone to talk to and I want a shower. If you don¡¯t get me that, trust me when I say there are many ways I can think of to drive you insane, you¡¯re going to wish you never became a hunter.¡±


    At this, the guard scoffed. ¡°What could you possibly do to¡­¡±


    ¡°I think you have orders to keep me alive and unharmed¡­ Otherwise, I¡¯d be as you say¡­a corpse.¡± I stood up and walked toward the UV-lined steel bars. I grinned when at that moment, I could swear that I heard Aiden¡¯s voice talking to someone as he passed the nearby corridor. I gripped one of the bars and genuinely screamed my lungs out because of the excruciating pain I felt in my palms.


    The guard¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°You¡¯re crazy!¡±


    Within minutes, I could hear footsteps running toward us. I was relieved to find Aiden show up beside the guard. ¡°What is going on?¡± he demanded.


    The guard looked nervously at his boss. ¡°She just¡­she gripped the bars¡­¡±


    I knew I looked crazy as I stared with stark amusement at my burnt palms. I knew that unless they gave me human blood, it would take hours before my skin was healed.


    ¡°Are you trying to kill yourself, Ingrid?¡± Aiden glared at me.


    I wanted to smile at him, but I found myself strangely hurt that he called me Ingrid and not Camilla. You¡¯ve lost him, Ingrid. Accept it. ¡°I¡¯m bored, Aiden¡­and I¡¯m wasting away. I want a good long bath and I want someone to talk to.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a prisoner here, Ingrid. Not a guest.¡±


    My response to him was simple. I gripped the bars again.


    Aiden watched¡ªhis face expressionless¡ªas I once again screamed in agony. Eventually, he took a step forward, his jaw twitching as he said, ¡°Damn it, Camilla! Stop!¡±


    I let go of the bars. Camilla. Despite the pain, I found a reason to smile. I haven¡¯t totally lost him after all.


    ¡°Boss, she¡¯s insane. She¡¯s just gonna keep torturing herself,¡± the guard said. ¡°Perhaps we should just end her pain and kill her.¡±


    Aiden shook his head, and confirmed my suspicions that he could never really let go of Camilla when he said, ¡°No. Give her what she¡¯s asking for.¡±


    As I watched him walk away, I hated to admit it to myself, but I could never really let go of him either. I will always love him. Even though I knew that I could try to turn the emotion off at any time, I realized that I really didn¡¯t want to.


    CHAPTER 8: DEREK


    The moment I stepped out of the submarine and into the port¡ªthe primary entry and exit point of The Shade¡ªCameron Hendry, one of my most trusted friends, greeted me with a curt nod and handed me a wooden stake.


    I looked at him questioningly as I lifted the object in my hand mid-air.


    ¡°Trust me. It¡¯s likely you¡¯ll need it.¡±


    I grimaced as I stared at the stake. I knew there was reason behind the sense of foreboding I had throughout my journey back to The Shade, but I wasn¡¯t expecting something like this.


    The majority of the Elite¡ªsome of the most powerful warriors we had at The Shade¡ªwere present at the port when I arrived. Liana, Cameron¡¯s wife, came to me and explained, ¡°We don¡¯t know how news of your return came out. We tried to keep it between just the council, but well, someone got wind of it and now there¡¯s a riot outside. You¡¯ve got a lot of explaining to do.¡±


    A riot. Perhaps staying at hawk headquarters would¡¯ve been safer. I pushed the thought away, trying to concentrate on the present circumstances.


    ¡°Maybe there¡¯s a way we can avoid the crowd.¡± Xavier Vaughn, an old friend of ours¡ªone I was sure had always been in love with my twin sister, Vivienne¡ªlooked distraught. I knew that vampires didn¡¯t age, but I could swear I could see wrinkles on his face.


    What has been happening during my absence? I felt I was about to find out just how much I owed these men and women who had remained loyal to my rule for hundreds of years.


    I grimaced, balling my hands into fists. ¡°Let¡¯s face them. If they really want to go against me, then so be it.¡± I surged toward the exit of the port that would lead to the clearing between the port and the great forest of redwoods surrounding the island.


    ¡°Derek, you have no idea what you¡¯re getting¡­¡± Liana began to object.


    Too late. I was already at the topmost step that led to the rock wall which served as the entrance to the port. I found myself standing face-to-face with Felix, who¡¯d always been more loyal to my father than to me.


    Surprise was evident in his face upon seeing who was standing before him. A hushed silence began to sweep through the crowd behind him.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°They said you were coming back.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m back. What nonsense is this?¡± I looked over his shoulder and it looked like almost every vampire of The Shade was present there. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder where the humans were. ¡°Who¡¯s looking after the Naturals?¡± I asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re hiding out at The Catacombs.¡± Felix tilted his head to one side, sounding a lot more confident. ¡°With the witch. They¡¯re in a lockout.¡±


    A lockout?! I was panicking inside, but I knew that I couldn¡¯t show it. All it took was for me to break a sweat and show any sign of weakness, and it would be the end of me.


    ¡°The human leaders organized a lockout after Felix and his men threatened a culling.¡± Liana was now standing behind me.


    I couldn¡¯t help but think about Corrine, the witch keeping the protective spell that was hiding the island from all forms of human detection. If she¡¯s at The Catacombs in a lockout, then how on earth is she still keeping the spell up?


    I narrowed my eyes at Felix, who was still standing in my way. ¡°Step aside, Felix. I want a council meeting immediately at the great dome.¡±


    ¡°Not until we get our answers.¡± Felix stood his ground.


    My vision darkened and it was taking all my self-control not to maim him. ¡°Step out of my way unless you want me to rip your heart out, something you know I¡¯m perfectly capable of doing.¡±


    ¡°Did you hear that?!¡± he screamed, throwing his arms in the air. ¡°Our beloved king wants to kill his own subject¡ªone who has fought and bled with him many times before.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you heard correctly. I have no idea what is going on here, but I will get to the bottom of this and I will make sure that whoever is responsible will answer to me. I am Derek Novak and no matter what lies you have brewing in your minds, I am still ruler of this kingdom, so unless you want blood shed right here and right now, every single one of you who isn¡¯t part of the Elite council will return to your homes! Now!¡±


    No matter what they believed about me, I knew how intimidating I could be. The citizens of The Shade had seen me in my darkest moments. They knew what I was capable of, that when darkness took over me, I could destroy a whole battalion of our best warriors. What they didn¡¯t know was that I was fighting with every fiber of my being not to let the darkness take over. I can¡¯t afford that.


    Even as I spoke and watched the crowd scatter, I was trying to imagine Sofia standing right beside me, trying to consider what she would think and what she would say about my actions. I could practically sense her hand on my arm, keeping my temper in check.


    I drew a breath. I miss you so much, Sofia. I could only hope she felt the same way. I wouldn¡¯t be able to stand the idea of you hating me. I quickly thought back to all those times when she had promised me that she would always be mine. I knew I had her heart. I hope she knew that she had mine.


    Xavier stepped out of the port and watched as the crowd slowly disappeared. Felix was shifting his weight from one foot to the other, obviously not knowing what to do once he lost the power of the crowd. I didn¡¯t give him the satisfaction of throwing him a glare. As far as I was concerned, he was too small in the grand scheme of things to ever be worth my time or my anger.

 Page 10

    Xavier blew out a whistle. ¡°You always did have a way with crowds, Novak¡­ It¡¯s amazing how easy it is for you to both attract and repel them.¡±


    Despite the tension of the situation, I looked his way and grinned. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you would doubt me, my friend.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that we did.¡± Xavier shrugged. ¡°But it¡¯s been crazy in here since the news of the fall of The Oasis broke out.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s discuss it at the dome. It seems we have a lot of issues to take into consideration.¡± I looked Cameron and Liana¡¯s way. ¡°Could you make sure that Corrine and the human leaders are informed that I have returned? I want them present at the council meeting.¡±


    I mentally tapped myself on the shoulder for keeping up a good act of leadership and control even though I was fighting my own battles inside. I scoped my surroundings, heaving a deep sigh. This is just the calm before the storm, Derek. Don¡¯t fool yourself into believing that things are about to get better.


    At that moment, the only refuge that calmed the storm inside of me was the image of my beautiful Sofia¡ªher smile, her eyes, the sight of her laughing. I knew then that there was no way I could survive what was to come without her.


    What have you done, Derek? What made you think you could get through all of this without her? What are you going to do now?


    Hopelessness and despair began to overtake me as I saw the island I fought for¡ªmy kingdom¡ªfor what it was¡ªa place absolutely devoid of light.


    CHAPTER 9: INGRID


    The hunters were resentful about how I was ordering them around. I could hear them murmuring amongst themselves, because not only did Aiden allow me to have a shower and a companion, he actually moved not only me, but also the impetuous blonde vampire to our very own quarters.


    The bedroom reminded me of my dorm room in college. Two beds, closets, a shared bathroom¡­ It wasn¡¯t the kind of room or space I was used to having, but it certainly was better than the cell. The moment I was brought to the room, I first noticed the sealed windows. Definitely no sunlight coming in through those¡­ The next thing I noticed was the surveillance cameras. They were going to watch our every move. I was certain that the room was bugged so they could hear our every conversation too.


    I didn¡¯t really care. I grabbed a towel from a closet and stripped to my underwear, looking up at one of the cameras before striking a pose and winking at whoever was watching me.


    I then stepped into the bathroom and took a long bath. By the time I stepped out, Claudia was already seated on one of the beds, a blank expression on her face.


    I wasn¡¯t pleased about spending time with the little twerp, but I guess she had to do. I fought the urge to roll my eyes at the petty conversations I was certain I¡¯d have to endure with her.


    I got dressed, not really caring who saw me naked before taking a seat on the bed across from hers. I perused her form as I towel dried my hair. I could tell that just like me, she wasn¡¯t given any favors when it came to personal hygiene either.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to have a bath?¡± I asked.


    She sighed haplessly. ¡°Maybe later.¡± She then stared at me in a way that really irritated me.


    ¡°What?¡± I snapped at her.


    ¡°You¡¯re Ingrid Maslen. Sofia¡¯s mother.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°What if I am?¡±


    ¡°I hope Sofia really does get to escape this place. She really wants to, I think. She and Derek are so in love with each other.¡± Her gaze left me as she bowed her head. ¡°I really hope she takes me with her. I want to go back to The Shade. Yuri is back there.¡±


    The news about Sofia¡¯s escape was something I found delightful, but I knew that asking further about the escape would draw suspicion. Claudia went on with her own soliloquy, spouting question after question, musing after musing. ¡°Have you ever felt like you¡¯re unworthy of the love of a man?¡±


    Yes.


    ¡°He¡¯s done everything for you and yet none of it seems to be enough¡­¡±


    My life¡¯s story.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always felt that way about Yuri. He always came through for me. Always. And all I did was hurt him, betray him, and make a fool out of him for holding any affection toward a broken creature like me.¡±


    Broken creature. The words struck such a chord with me, so much so that I couldn¡¯t pry my eyes away from Claudia. She was echoing my very soul, verbalizing what I could never speak out. Suddenly, the little blonde vampire became fascinating.


    ¡°Then suddenly, you lose him,¡± Claudia continued, her gaze distant, her eyes moistening. ¡°And you mess up so bad, you feel as if nothing you do could ever get him back. You start to wonder if he could ever forgive you, if he could ever love you again, but all the while, you know that you don¡¯t deserve that love¡­¡±


    She paused and I could practically feel exactly what she was going through, and I found myself finishing her sentence. ¡°You don¡¯t deserve it, but it doesn¡¯t mean you don¡¯t want it.¡±


    Claudia nodded in agreement, her eyes shifting toward me in surprise. ¡°Exactly. How did you know?¡±


    ¡°I feel the same way about someone.¡± The truth hurt. I found that truth always did hurt. I¡¯m in love with Aiden. I will always be in love with him. There¡¯s no escaping it, but it doesn¡¯t mean that I have to be prisoner to that love. ¡°Claudia, if you had the chance, would you try to go back to him and make up for everything? If he welcomed you with open arms¡­¡±


    Her face lit up, hope sparking in her eyes. ¡°Yes! I would do anything. I¡¯ve been such a fool¡­¡±


    I immediately saw the difference between me and Claudia. She wanted love more than she wanted power. I, on the other hand, chose power over love a long time ago. I stared at Claudia¡ªsomeone I perceived to be strong, independent and capable, yet turned into a pathetic weakling by love. I refuse to be like her. I can¡¯t be the way Camilla was¡ªa whimpering housewife, lovesick over her husband. I don¡¯t want to be the needy weakling she was when she was with Aiden. Not anymore. I¡¯m Ingrid Maslen now. Camilla Claremont is long gone.


    I looked at the room I was in, a favor I didn¡¯t deserve¡ªfaint proof that Aiden still held affection for me. Should I choose Claudia¡¯s path, I knew I could somehow get him back, but I also shuddered at the thought. Camilla was in love with Aiden. Not Ingrid.


    If I¡¯m to be Ingrid Maslen in all her glory and beauty, then Aiden is my greatest weakness. I swallowed hard at the next thought that gripped my convictions. That only means one thing¡­ He must be destroyed.


    CHAPTER 10: SOFIA


    No matter how tired I was, there were nights when sleep completely eluded me. Moments spent with Derek haunted me. Is he safe at The Shade? If he is, why hasn¡¯t he tried to get me back? Is he even thinking about me?


    Sometimes, I¡¯d get so overwhelmed with the questions, I could barely breathe. I would then hold the diamond pendant he gave me for my birthday, thumbing along its fine edges, drawing comfort from the promise that came with it: ¡°I want you to have it. Wear it always. It will remind you of me. Take it as a promise from me¡ªa promise that I will find a way to be with you.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know where he was or if he was in danger. I couldn¡¯t understand why he thought it best to leave without even saying goodbye, but I was sure of one thing¡­ I could never doubt his love for me. That was the hope that carried me to the next day.


    Aside from Derek, one more thing bothered my every waking moment: I am the immune. It was one thing I didn¡¯t know how to find the answers to. Telling the hunters about it didn¡¯t seem like the best idea, considering how I had no clue how they would possibly react to me revealing that I should¡¯ve been turned into a vampire many times, but here I am¡ªso completely human still.


    Only one other person at hunter headquarters knew that I was immune: Ingrid. The thought of speaking to her, however, made me shudder. I came to the point of desperation, however, and found myself asking my father to let me speak to her.


    ¡°Why on earth would you want to talk to that insane woman? The same woman who gave you as a gift to Borys Maslen, and still very much wants to, even now¡­¡±


    ¡°I want to speak with her. In private. No bugs.¡± I¡¯d been at headquarters long enough to know that it was difficult to have any conversation in private.


    ¡°You can¡¯t trust a word that comes out of her mouth, Sofia.¡±


    At that, I couldn¡¯t help but scoff. ¡°You mean the same way I can¡¯t trust a word that comes out of yours?¡±


    He seemed genuinely offended by the comment. ¡°Why is it so hard for you to believe that I¡¯m on your side? I¡¯m keeping you here for your own safety. I¡¯m your father.¡±


    ¡°You say that like it means something. You¡¯re my father by blood. So what? You abandoned me with the Hudsons for nine years, Aiden! And you said so yourself¡­ Camilla practically offered me up as a sacrifice to Borys Maslen and she¡¯s my mother!¡±


    Aiden¡¯s face reddened, his lips twitching as he obviously tried to reel in his temper. He stood up, his hands gripping the edge of his desk so tightly, his knuckles turned white. ¡°I am nothing like Ingrid. Do not compare me to her. What I did for you, I did because I thought it was the best thing to do. I didn¡¯t want you involved in all this. I wanted you to have a normal, happy life¡­ Something I was deprived of because of the double life I had to live as both a hunter and a businessman.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t in the mood to discuss his shortcomings as a father. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. The past is the past. We can¡¯t change it. For now, do you really want to gain my trust?¡±


    He looked relieved and sat back in his seat. ¡°I would do anything to gain your trust, Sofia.¡±


    I raised a brow. ¡°Anything? How about you take me to Derek.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that and you know it. Even if I could, I wouldn¡¯t know how to find him. I don¡¯t know where the Novak is. He might be at The Shade, but I doubt you¡¯d trust me with that information.¡±


    ¡°So much for anything. Well, if you can¡¯t take me to Derek, then take me to Ingrid. Let me talk to her.¡±

 Page 11

    Aiden gave me a deep look of concern as if he was afraid of what Ingrid could say to me. I realized then that he was trying to protect me from getting hurt by her words. For the first time, I found myself appreciating what it felt like to have a father looking after me. I thought it sad that he could make me feel that way only after a decade. I missed him so much, but it felt like any affection he showed me came too late. At this point, I really just detested how he was butting into my life. Still, I truly hoped that he had my best interest in heart¡ªnow and in the past.


    ¡°I was never able to control Camilla,¡± Aiden revealed wistfully. ¡°She had a mind of her own and she was given to a lot of erratic mood swings when we were together. I guess I won¡¯t be able to control you either, will I?¡±


    ¡°You can try, but I think that question is rhetorical.¡±


    ¡°Very well then¡­ I¡¯ll take you to your mother.¡±


    Suddenly I remembered all that I had gone through at The Oasis. Borys¡¯s claws sinking into my thighs, his teeth biting my neck, his hands groping my body¡­ All the while my mother sat back, doing nothing, I swallowed hard. Suddenly, any sense of anticipation I felt about meeting Ingrid faded away and was replaced with pure dread. What exactly am I getting myself into?


    CHAPTER 11: DEREK


    The Great Dome was the center of all our governmental, judicial and military gatherings. It never failed to remind me of my twin sister, Vivienne, to whom I gave the task of modernizing the dome. She did a brilliant job at it; thus, the place never failed to remind me of her.


    At that moment, however, the wave of nostalgia and grief that came with my sister¡¯s passing away at the hands of the hunters wasn¡¯t the only reason I was hesitant to go to the dome. I knew the Elite Council was already waiting there¡ªas I instructed them to. I instinctively knew what I was going to face on arrival: opposition. Truth be told, I was used to that. They weren¡¯t what I was afraid of. Instead, I was afraid of myself, of what I could possibly be capable of doing in case I lost control of my temper.


    Neither Sofia nor Vivienne were there to reel me in. Neither of them would be there to remind me that I was capable of goodness. Still, I knew that the council meeting that I had called wasn¡¯t something I could escape from, so when Ashley and Sam, two of Sofia¡¯s closest friends at The Shade, showed up at my penthouse to let me know that Liana instructed them to escort me to the dome, I had no choice but to go.


    Thus, I found myself walking along the torch-lit corridors of the Crimson Fortress, climbing up the west tower, standing as high as one hundred and fifty feet. Roofed with pointed cross-arches, the tower was one of the first installments built in the fortress and had already witnessed many battles in defense of the island. The Crimson Fortress, on the other hand, lined the entire island with thick walls and fortified towers.


    ¡°What happened, Derek? Where¡¯s Sofia?¡± Ashley was the youngest vampire at The Shade. She was one of the human teenagers brought for my harem¡ªa sick tradition that somehow developed at The Shade during my four-hundred-year sleep. It involved the abduction of teenagers outside the island to be brought to the Elite as slaves. Among the girls who were brought with Ashley were Sofia and Rosa. Ashley was the only one who willingly chose to be turned into one of us. Still, despite the fact that she was one of my subjects, her sense of familiarity with me never quite left. She never acknowledged me as royalty, but always spoke to me as she would a friend¡ªsomething I liked about her.


    ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon enough,¡± I answered as I caught sight of the entrance to the dome right ahead of us. I gave Ashley a look before diverting my attention to Sam. ¡°What¡¯s been going on here?¡±


    The two exchanged glances and I could immediately conclude that they were no longer just friends. At least there¡¯s still some good news here. I was aware of Ashley¡¯s affections toward Sam after she blurted out the whole thing to me back at Sofia¡¯s quarters at The Catacombs.


    I grinned at both of them as I gave them a knowing nod. Whatever joy I felt for my friends was quickly swept away, however, as I stepped in front of the giant double oak doors of the dome.


    A commotion had obviously been happening right before my arrival, but the moment I stepped in, a chilly silence filled the hall. I sped my way toward my seat at the front of the hall.


    Eli Lazaroff, usually the presider of all of our council meetings, took his place at the stand, in the middle of the dome. He cleared his throat as he faced me. ¡°Your highness¡­¡± He bowed his head in reverence and uncomfortably shuffled on his feet. I could tell that he was unsure how to bring up all the issues that had been brewing at The Shade since I had left to rescue Sofia.


    ¡°Oh, for crying out loud¡­¡± Felix stood to his feet and began walking toward the stand. ¡°May I please take the stand?¡±


    I inwardly groaned as I gave him a go signal with one nod toward Eli, who promptly left the stand to give Felix the platform he was demanding.


    ¡°With all due respect, Derek, I need to be straight with you,¡± he began. ¡°You may be savior of The Shade¡ªnone of us can take that away from you. We owe you this kingdom and its establishment. We bled with you and fought alongside you, but how can we continue to serve under your rule when we are uncertain of your loyalties toward not only this kingdom, but to all vampires in general?¡±


    I narrowed my eyes at him. ¡°You¡¯re questioning my loyalty to The Shade and to our kind? Do you not remember the prophecy and how I am to bring our kind true sanctuary? How could I turn my back on vampires when my life¡¯s purpose is to save us?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard for us to believe that you will remain true to this prophecy. Not after you were instrumental in the ruin of The Oasis and the Maslens. Not after you stepped into hunter territory and came out unscathed¡ªjust walked away from them without as much as a scratch. Did you or did you not work with the hunters to destroy The Oasis in order to rescue the woman you love?¡±


    It felt like I was being tried for a crime I did not commit¡ªby a subordinate of mine at that. I straightened in my seat, swallowing back my rising temper, shutting my eyes for a moment in order to remember who I was when I was with Sofia. My hands were gripping my seat¡¯s armrests even as I struggled to push away the darkness overtaking me.


    ¡°I did not work with the hunters to take down The Oasis. At the time of their attack, I was being held prisoner by Borys Maslen. I was in chains, being tortured. If it weren¡¯t for Sofia, I never would¡¯ve made it out of there.¡± I deliberately kept out the fact that my very own brother, Lucas, was also there inflicting pain on me. He died during the hunter attack on The Oasis, and despite his hatred toward me, part of me grieved his loss. ¡°Use your common sense please. Why on earth would the hunters ever trust me enough to work with me?¡±


    ¡°Why else would they treat you as a guest in their territory and let you prance out of there alive?¡± Felix shrugged. ¡°Isn¡¯t it because your beloved Sofia is the daughter of one of the head hunters? She¡¯s the daughter of the notorious leader of the hunters, Reuben, is she not?¡±


    I wet my lips as I grasped for a proper response. ¡°How exactly do you even know of all of this, Felix?¡±


    A tense hush filled the dome when the doors swung open and a prominent figure at The Shade stepped inside.


    I¡¯d always known my father as having a flair for the dramatic, but I never could¡¯ve predicted that he¡¯d be back in The Shade before me, and from the reactions of my allies, it seemed they weren¡¯t aware either. Gregor Novak entered the dome, cued by my question, to take his place beside Felix at the stand. ¡°I told him everything, son. It¡¯s your word against mine now.¡±


    ¡°You know that I never worked with the hunters.¡±


    My father shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not so sure about that. In fact, I haven¡¯t been very sure of your actions as of late. None of us are. You¡¯ve elevated the standing of every human of The Shade. You left the island to save one human girl from the Maslens. You stayed with the hunters for weeks. I think we deserve answers.¡±


    Just like that, reality sank in¡ªnot only to me, but to everyone present there. The king of The Shade was now on trial.


    CHAPTER 12: SOFIA


    Upon my request, Aiden agreed to have Ingrid brought to my suite rather than to have me brought to wherever they were keeping her. I felt safer in my own turf than in hers, and it seemed Aiden felt better with that arrangement too.


    ¡°You summoned me?¡±


    Wanting to end the conversation as soon as I possibly could, I got straight to the point. ¡°Why am I immune? What does being ¡®the immune¡¯ mean for me?¡±


    She sighed and smiled at me, her eyes looking at me with what almost seemed like affection. She then shrugged her right shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Sofia. You should be a Maslen, a beautiful nine-year-old vampire, but you¡¯re not and I will never understand why. All I know was that the moment he tasted your blood, Borys has been absolutely obsessed with you.¡±


    ¡°Why? What¡¯s in my blood?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m curious myself,¡± she admitted before looking hungrily at my neck. ¡°Perhaps you should let me have a taste so that I could find out for myself?¡­I¡¯m sorry. Bad joke.¡± A moment of silence then ensued as she eyed me with what almost looked like longing. ¡°You must have so many questions. How have you been, Sofia? I¡¯ve been overhearing whispers about Derek disappearing¡­¡±


    A lump formed in my throat at the mention of Derek. I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to talk to Ingrid¡ªor anyone else for that matter¡ªabout him. I ached with longing at the very mention of his name.


    ¡°You miss him, don¡¯t you?¡± Ingrid continued, perhaps realizing that she hit a note with what she had just said. ¡°I understand how you feel.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked, unable to hide the resentment in my voice. ¡°Because it¡¯s the same way you feel about your beloved Borys right now?¡±


    The question sparked anger in her eyes, but she quickly recovered and shook her head. ¡°No. It¡¯s what I felt about your father during my first years at The Oasis. It felt like I was missing a part of me.¡±

 Page 12

    ¡°Yet you turned your back on him in spite of that. We¡¯re not the same. I didn¡¯t leave Derek. I¡¯m fighting to get back to him.¡±


    ¡°Forget Derek, Sofia.¡±


    That¡¯s impossible. I knew how obsessed my own mother was about giving me to Borys and was well aware that harping on about Derek wasn¡¯t going to help my situation. ¡°Is that what you did with Aiden? You forgot him?¡±


    ¡°It can be done, you know.¡± She paused before looking directly into my eyes. ¡°Is it true that you¡¯re married to Derek? Or were you bluffing?¡±


    I had no idea what possessed me to tell her the truth, but I shook my head and responded, ¡°I¡¯m engaged to him, but no¡­we¡¯re not married.¡±


    Relief washed over her face. ¡°Claudia told me that you wanted to escape in order to get back to Derek. Is this true?¡±


    I pursed my lips, fighting the urge to roll my eyes. What has happened to Claudia? She¡¯d been completely useless in my trying to find a way out of headquarters. The only thing that sparked any worthwhile reaction from her was how much she wanted to get back to The Shade and whether or not Yuri would even care that she was there. It¡¯s like all common sense left her the moment she left The Shade. I couldn¡¯t help but smile a bit at the next thought that came to me, realizing how many times I did things that didn¡¯t really make sense to others out of my love for Derek. I guess that¡¯s what love can do to a person.


    I tried to re-focus my attention on Ingrid, responding to her question with a question. ¡°If it is?¡±


    ¡°I want to help you.¡±


    I raised a brow, taken by surprise. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I want you out of here. As long as you¡¯re here, Borys can¡¯t get to you.¡±


    ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is that you want me out of headquarters so that Borys can once again abduct me and make my life hell?¡±


    ¡°It sounds so wicked when you put it that way.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because it is, Ingrid. You¡¯re my mother. Does that not mean anything to you?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t decipher the look in her eyes when she responded. ¡°It means everything to me that you¡¯re my daughter, Sofia. Trust me when I say that if it weren¡¯t for you, Ingrid Maslen would probably not exist.¡±


    I had no idea what she was talking about. I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to know. ¡°How do you propose to help me anyway?¡±


    ¡°Easy. All I have to do is pretend to be Camilla Claremont again.¡±


    She sounded like a lunatic. Sitting there, I couldn¡¯t keep myself from wondering how on earth I got to have such demented parents. The thought of ever becoming like them was absolutely horrifying to me. Still staring at her in disbelief, I was slightly taken aback when she suddenly stood up as if snapping into attention.


    ¡°If you¡¯re agreeing to let me help you, get up and embrace me. Now,¡± she instructed.


    I don¡¯t know what came over me, but I complied with her instructions, hugging my mother for the first time in a decade.


    ¡°The only reason I want you to be with Borys is because I want what¡¯s best for you,¡± she whispered into my ear. ¡°If you¡¯re with him, you won¡¯t become like Camilla was. With Derek, you¡¯ll be a weakling. With Borys, you¡¯ll become powerful and strong.¡±


    I was trembling against her embrace and I began fighting back the tears when she kissed me on the cheek. When we broke our embrace, I realized why she had asked for it in the first place.


    Aiden had just walked in the room¡ªin time to see what appeared to be a poignant, affectionate moment between mother and daughter.


    Feeling used, I looked from Aiden to Ingrid and was surprised to find her wiping away tears as she gave me a fond look, taking my hand in hers and squeezing tight. ¡°I know how hard it is for you to believe, but I love you, Sofia.¡±


    I smiled at her, knowing that no matter how much I wanted to believe her declaration, it was what it was: a bold-faced lie.


    CHAPTER 13: AIDEN


    ¡°What game are you playing, Ingrid?¡±


    She stopped her steady paces on the way back to her room and twisted around to face me. ¡°What game? I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t play coy with me, Ingrid. The last time we spoke, you made it perfectly clear that you hold no affection for our daughter. Now, I step into her suite and you¡¯re all hugs and kisses with her? What¡¯s your game?¡±


    ¡°I just had a heart-to-heart talk with my daughter, Aiden. Is it so impossible that I could have a change of heart toward her?¡±


    ¡°A change of heart? After you fed her to Borys Maslen? Did you see it happen? Did you watch as he bit into her? Did you like seeing him hurt her? Did you not feel any guilt at the sight?¡± I began stepping toward her, backing her up until her back hit one of the walls. ¡°What is wrong with you? Sofia is your daughter. How could that not mean anything to you?¡±


    She raised a brow and scoffed at my statement. ¡°It meant nothing to my mother that I was her daughter.¡±


    There it was again¡ªanother vague clue about a dark, mysterious past she refused to talk about. During the first several years of our marriage, I encouraged her to seek professional help to get the ghosts of her past out of her system. She never did appreciate nor even entertain my suggestion. I had to watch the woman I loved remain broken, with no hope of ever getting fixed.


    I was so keenly aware of her closeness. Soon the longing I¡¯d had for her¡ªone I denied even existed¡ªcame rushing through me like a flood. No matter how much I hated to admit it, whether she was Ingrid or Camilla, she still had the same effect on me now as she had done when I had first laid eyes on her. She always managed to leave me breathless. She drew me in like no other woman had ever done before. With her standing so close, looking the exact same way she did ten years ago, no matter how much I hated to admit it, I knew that I would always love Camilla.


    Before I could keep myself from doing it, I grabbed her by the shoulders and pressed my lips against hers. Warning signals immediately began flaring up inside me. She¡¯s not Camilla. She¡¯s Ingrid. She¡¯s a vampire, a monster, a creature you¡¯re sworn to rid this planet of. You¡¯re in hawk headquarters. Think of what you stand to lose should you be seen doing this. None of it mattered. I pushed against her with all the strength in me, claiming for myself what I¡¯d been deprived of since she left me¡ªher touch, her kiss, her form uniquely contoured to fit mine.


    She responded with abandon, making it easy for me to tell that she wanted this too. It wasn¡¯t until her fangs cut my lower lip that I found myself jerking away from her. We were both stunned as I wiped the trace of blood from my lip.


    ¡°You still love me, don¡¯t you?¡± she asked. She said it in a way that was devoid of any hint of triumph. She spoke wistfully.


    ¡°I think I always will,¡± I admitted, hating myself for the affection I still held toward her, for the sense of overprotectiveness I always felt for her. However, I knew who meant more to me than her. Sofia. ¡°Don¡¯t think for one moment, Ingrid, that my love for Camilla erases the fact that I think you¡¯re using my daughter for whatever sick things you¡¯ve got planned. If you ever hurt Sofia again, make no mistake about it, I will kill you myself.¡±


    Her eyes began to brim with tears as she nodded. ¡°I understand. I just¡­¡± she hesitated. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to be a good mother, Aiden. I want to be that for her, but I don¡¯t know how. I want to change. I truly want to make amends with her if only to get back in your good graces, because I love you, Aiden. I will always love you.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t tell if it was genuine or if she was just putting on an amazing act. At that point, however, I really couldn¡¯t think straight enough to care if it was true.


    I was fully aware of the consequences when I took her to my suite and made love to her, but I really didn¡¯t care. I held her in my arms and gave in to my desperate need for the woman I had loved, to fill the emptiness that she had left inside me when she had abandoned me and our daughter.


    That night, like so many others before her disappearance, I found that I was once again putty in the hands of Camilla Claremont.


    It wasn¡¯t until the morning after, waking up with her lovely form cradled in my arms that it sank into me that Camilla was long gone and that it was Ingrid Maslen instead who now held my deepest affections in the palm of her hand.


    Aiden, what have you done?


    CHAPTER 14: GREGOR


    Upon my return to The Shade, only one word could describe me: haunted. Every part of me wished that I had never left the island. I wished that I never went along with Lucas¡¯ plan to take Sofia to The Oasis. I knew that I had made a mistake the moment I had stepped into the Maslens¡¯ infamous Egyptian tombs. The Shade was my kingdom and I never should¡¯ve left it. Now, after the destruction of The Oasis and the fall of the Maslens, I realized that things would never again be the same.


    I shuddered whenever I thought about everything that had happened since my son, Derek, woke up from his four-hundred-year state of sleep. I never thought that I could ever feel as much hatred and resentment toward my own flesh and blood as I had felt for Derek when he had taken over The Shade and dethroned me as king of the island. Now, being back at the island, I had no choice but to ruin him.


    I wanted my throne back. No matter what those fools belonging to the Elite thought, I was the rightful ruler of The Shade. Derek never should¡¯ve taken that place from me.


    Standing in the middle of the dome, I could feel my blood boiling as I stared at my son, sitting where I should¡¯ve been seated. I would go as far as declaring war on him if it meant regaining my rightful place.


    ¡°Ever since that little vixen of yours arrived at The Shade, you¡¯ve turned this kingdom upside down on her behalf.¡± I asked, relishing how Derek¡¯s face tensed at the statement. Clearly, he was in turmoil. Never before had something like this happened at The Shade. When I was king, my subjects never had reason to doubt my loyalty. Now that the slightest bit of doubt was being cast on Derek, I had every intention of capitalizing on it.

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    ¡°Sofia has nothing to do with the choices I made regarding The Shade,¡± he defended, the hint of affection that showed in his voice when he mentioned her name was easily detectable.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she the reason you stopped the culling and asked Eli to organize a way to tap into the blood banks? This move puts The Shade in danger of being discovered, does it not?¡±


    ¡°The same way you put The Shade in danger when you started abducting teenagers to turn into your slaves. Only with this measure, we don¡¯t have to destroy any lives.¡± Derek was losing patience and it was obvious.


    I smiled inwardly. I wanted his temper to blow up. I wanted to see him crumble and make a fool of himself. However, like I always found myself in danger of doing, I had once again underestimated my own son. Before I could think of another accusation to throw at him, he stood up and scoped the round hall.


    ¡°I tire of this. I am still ruler of this kingdom and will not be subjected to this mock trial. I am loyal to The Shade and will remain loyal to it. I am prophesied to find our kind true sanctuary and I will do that until I am robbed of my immortality. My love for Sofia Claremont is no secret to any of you. She is prophesied to be instrumental in helping me fulfill the prophecy. I am not working with the hunters. Yes. I stayed in hunter territory during the period between the fall of The Oasis and my return here. Sofia Claremont is the daughter of one of the highest ranking hunters in the world and he let me go because he knows I love her. He has forbidden me to ever see her again. In exchange for my agreement to that condition, he let me go.¡±


    At that final bit of information, many of those present who were close to my son¡¯s so-called fianc¨¦e or had formed some sort of attachment with her began to react.


    ¡°Does this mean that Sofia¡¯s not going to return to the island?¡±


    ¡°Are you really going to stay away from her?¡±


    ¡°What about the prophecy? If you¡¯re apart from Sofia that means you may never be able to bring our kind true sanctuary?¡±


    ¡°How did you ever get Sofia to agree to let you leave?¡±


    ¡°Does Sofia know that her father struck that bargain with you?¡±


    ¡°How could you have ever agreed to that bargain?¡±


    I was furious by the questions being thrown at Derek. As far as I was concerned, all of them were irrelevant. Angry that I could be sidelined so easily, I surged forward letting out a loud scream. I then motioned to attack Derek, managing to claw a finger through his cheek before he could dodge me.


    I watched as his blue eyes shifted from the ground to me as the wound on his cheek healed.


    ¡°You have no idea what you¡¯re up against,¡± I warned him, even as I shut out from my memory the events that occurred between the time Borys Maslen and I escaped The Oasis up to the time I was released to return to The Shade. I could feel the darkness taking its power over me.


    ¡°What exactly am I up against, Father?¡± he asked before giving me an arrogant smirk. ¡°You?¡±


    Fury took over. ¡°You never should¡¯ve come against me.¡±


    ¡°Empty threats, Father. We both know you have no power here.¡±


    At that point, I couldn¡¯t help but smile inside. Derek was underestimating me and that would work to his disadvantage. After all, I wasn¡¯t the same man who left The Shade for The Oasis. No, not anymore.


    ¡°This is war, Derek.¡±


    He stood to his full height and squared his shoulders. ¡°Then so be it, Father. If it¡¯s war you want, it¡¯s war you¡¯re going to get.¡±


    We stared each other down, ignoring the commotion the people surrounding us were causing. At that moment, without having to speak out, Derek and I had an understanding. As long as the war went on, I was no longer his father and he was no longer my son.


    You have no idea what you¡¯ve just gotten yourself into, I thought as I walked away from the dome. I¡¯ve changed the same way Borys has changed. I shudder to think of what kind of a force Borys is now. Derek doesn¡¯t stand a chance against us. He picked the wrong side when he chose light over darkness.


    As I left the Crimson Fortress, the smile faded from my face when a quick mental image of Sofia Claremont flashed through my mind along with the clear-spoken command: She must be destroyed if Derek is to come back as a child of the darkness. I realized then why I loathed the lovely redhead so much.


    She was Derek¡¯s choice. She was the light that he chose over the darkness.


    CHAPTER 15: DEREK


    ¡°What is going on here?¡± I demanded the moment I saw Corrine at The Catacombs.


    After finally escaping the confrontation at the dome, I immediately sought out the witch who was crucial to the ongoing survival of The Shade. I found that of all the human leaders established by Sofia to represent the human population of The Shade, only Gavin and Ian showed up. They explained to me that Corrine was still at The Catacombs; thus, I was forced to visit the network of caves located in a vast mountain range at the northernmost part of the island known as the Black Heights.


    Corrine was seated at the living room of the quarters that I had prepared for Sofia when she had moved to live with the other humans at The Catacombs. The witch barely even batted an eyelash at the sight of me. ¡°You¡¯re here,¡± she said flatly.


    ¡°This island is going to fall apart unless we all do the work necessary for its survival,¡± I spat out, immediately cutting to the chase after losing most of my patience back at the dome. ¡°Why are you supporting this lockout?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not supporting it.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m just here to make sure these people don¡¯t end up killing each other. Do you have any idea how chaotic it¡¯s been in your kingdom since you disappeared?¡±


    My jaw tightened. ¡°I¡¯ve been told.¡±


    ¡°Where is Sofia?¡± It seemed the witch wasn¡¯t one to beat around the bush either.


    ¡°I left her with the hunters.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re up against more than you can handle here, Derek. Apparently, you just declared civil war within The Shade. The Naturals are at one another¡¯s throats¡­ Never before has The Catacombs experienced such a high crime rate. And if I¡¯m not mistaken, there are also rumors of a threat of an attack from covens outside The Shade. It¡¯s anarchy and war all at the same time.¡±


    I had no idea how to respond other than with sarcasm. ¡°Well, thank you for giving me such a wonderful recap.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m serious, Derek.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think I know all of that, Corrine?!¡± I was thankful for the privacy given us by the humans and vampires who accompanied me to The Catacombs, because if there was anybody at The Shade I felt safe losing my temper with, it was Corrine. I knew that she could easily placate me with a single spell.


    ¡°You never should¡¯ve left Sofia. You are weakest when you are apart from her.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have a choice,¡± I explained. ¡°Keeping her with me would¡¯ve destroyed her. Even now, whenever I think of her¡ªjust the image of her in my mind¡ªit makes me crave her blood so much. All I can think about is how good it felt to drink her blood.¡±


    Corrine¡¯s eyes grew wide with shock. ¡°You¡¯ve had a taste of Sofia¡¯s blood? How? Why?¡±


    The recollection made me swallow hard. ¡°She fed me her blood to save me. Borys had been torturing me. We needed to escape The Oasis. I tried to object, but Sofia insisted. She cut her wrist and let the blood drip into my mouth¡­ I healed quicker than I ever had before.¡±


    Corrine sat up straight and moved forward so that she was practically sitting on the edge of the couch. ¡°That¡¯s it? Never again did you¡­¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I craved her so much after¡­ She willingly let me drink from her neck when we were in hunter territory.¡±


    ¡°Derek, how could you¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I do enough of beating myself up over that. I don¡¯t need you to add to my guilt.¡±


    She remained pensive for a couple of seconds before finally asking. ¡°What did it make you feel to have her blood running inside of you?¡±


    It was exhilarating just to think of Sofia¡¯s blood coursing through me. I smiled at the thought, almost feeling guilty over the reality that there was nothing like it. ¡°Honestly? It made me feel powerful beyond measure.¡±


    Corrine stared at me, the expression on her face impossible to decipher. She opened her mouth to say something, but then Rosa entered the room. Her eyes widened with surprise at the sight of me.


    ¡°Derek! I had no idea you were back¡­¡±


    Rosa¡¯s face reddened, almost as if she¡¯d been caught guilty doing something she ought not to do.


    I squinted my eyes at her and frowned. ¡°You don¡¯t seem very happy to see me, Rosa. Is something wrong?¡±


    With everything going on, I was actually pleased to see Rosa. Always antsy and careful with what she said around me, she reminded me of the days back at my penthouse when she, Ashley and Sofia had still lived with me. I felt a sense of responsibility toward her and I found myself eager to know how she¡¯d been doing since I had left. Knowing how much she mattered to Sofia, I couldn¡¯t help but give her a moment¡¯s attention in spite of the deluge of problems flooding my way.


    Rosa stood still for a couple of seconds as she tried to figure out if I was upset with her. She then shook her head and looked to Corrine for help. Corrine rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re scaring her, Derek.¡±


    I chuckled and the young girl sighed with relief. ¡°How have you been, Rosa?¡±


    She blushed and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Rosa¡¯s been taking care of Sofia¡¯s quarters,¡± Corrine explained. ¡°We didn¡¯t know what to expect, but it¡¯s been over-crowded here at The Catacombs lately, so I recommended that they move here.¡±


    My brow quirked up. ¡°Who are they exactly?¡±


    ¡°Well, Rosa¡¯s been here all along, but now, so is Gavin and his family¡ªLily and the children. Ian and Anna have moved in too.¡±


    Gavin and Ian were both Naturals¡ªborn and raised at The Shade. When Sofia moved to The Catacombs, it was Gavin who took her under his wing and introduced her to life within the caves. Lily was his mother and he had two younger siblings, Rob and Madeline. At some point, Gavin introduced Sofia to Ian, who was at the time, one of the rebel leaders at The Shade. Together, the three of them spearheaded a protest against a culling of all humans deemed to be useless.

 Page 14

    ¡°Who¡¯s Anna?¡± I asked, not really familiar with the name.


    Corrine and Rosa exchanged uncomfortable glances. Rosa tentatively took a seat on a wooden chair near her as if to grab support for what Corrine was about to reveal.


    ¡°Anna was a Migrate. She was Felix¡¯s slave. For a time, it seemed that he was actually in love with her. He had everyone convinced, but then, eventually he tired of her and just kind of abandoned her here at The Catacombs. We don¡¯t really know exactly what happened between them, but she went insane¡­¡±


    ¡°So you have a crazy woman living in Sofia¡¯s quarters?¡± I frowned.


    Corrine glared at my nonchalance. I found the story heart-breaking, but it was standard fare at The Shade. Anna was lucky that Felix kept her alive. I wasn¡¯t glad that she went crazy, but what was I to do when for hundreds of years, death was something common to The Shade?


    Rosa was, of course, oblivious of this reality and was quick to explain. ¡°Well, you see¡­ Gavin and Ian already suspected that some of the men here at The Catacombs were¡­¡± she paused and swallowed hard ¡°¡­taking advantage of Anna. I¡¯m not sure about the details, but Ian and Kyle got into a fight with some of the older Naturals over her. Since then, both of them have had this weird rivalry over who gets to protect her. That¡¯s why Ian insisted that he move here with Anna, something Kyle¡¯s not very happy about.¡±


    Kyle was one of two guards that I really trusted. He and Sam weren¡¯t part of the Elite¡ªmostly composed of families who fought with me in order to establish The Shade. They moved to the island much later, seeking The Shade¡¯s refuge against the relentless pursuing of the hunters. They¡¯d proven to be loyal and worthy of my trust. They were also good friends with Sofia.


    Sofia. Suddenly, looking around me, it felt like I was surrounded by her. These people I was with were her friends. The Catacombs was her world. I was sitting inside her home. I was suddenly so aware of her absence, causing a heavy weight to settle on my chest.


    I swallowed hard just in time to catch a glimpse of Corrine staring directly at me, as if knowing exactly what I was going through.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to survive without her. You can try, but apart from her, you¡¯re out of depth, Novak.¡±


    ¡°What do you want me to do, Corrine?¡±


    ¡°Get Sofia back here. There¡¯s no other way.¡±


    CHAPTER 16: INGRID


    The morning after Aiden and I made love, he found me cowering in a corner, trying to get as far away as I could from the sunlight streaming through his large bedroom windows. I could swear I heard him snicker when he saw me. I couldn¡¯t help but shoot him a look of thankfulness, however, when he pulled the heavy drapes over the windows, once again allowing us to be in the darkness.


    He pulled a robe over his body before turning to look at me. ¡°No one can know this happened.¡±


    That hurt. I wondered if he even had any idea the kind of effect he had on me. I wondered if he had even the slightest clue what it did to me when he took me in his arms the night before and held me like he did before¡ªlike I was Camilla. It felt like forgiveness, like redemption, like acceptance.


    You¡¯re such a fool, Ingrid. He used you. That¡¯s what he did.


    He began gathering my clothes and placed them over the bed. ¡°Get dressed,¡± he instructed, worry creasing the lines on his forehead. He then walked to the bathroom. Minutes later, I heard the shower running.


    My knees were still shaking as I stood to my feet. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of the sunlight or the fact that the full reality of what had just happened dawned on me. I never actually enjoyed sharing the marriage bed all those years I was with Aiden. I tried my best to please him, because I loved him, but to me, it was my duty as his wife and not necessarily something I relished.


    This time, however, I found myself giving into him with abandon in a way I never did before. Perhaps it was the time and the distance that kept us apart for a good part of a decade. I wasn¡¯t sure why, but I wanted him as much as I felt he wanted me. I gave myself to him without inhibition. I was surprised by my own response.


    Is it because I was with him as Ingrid and not as Camilla?


    I didn¡¯t have much time to process all the questions and emotions coursing through me. I barely just finished slapping my clothes on when he stepped out of the shower, dripping wet, a robe over his muscular form.


    He stared at me momentarily. I would¡¯ve given anything to be able to read his mind at that moment. His face was one big blank.


    My heart broke when he flatly said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. You can wash up back in your room.¡±


    I thought that was it. I was sure that Aiden thought that everything that had happened between us was just one big mistake, a lapse of judgment on his part. I was certain that it would be the last time something like it would ever happen.


    Thus, I was surprised when in the middle of the night, he arrived in the bedroom I shared with Claudia, bringing with him our nightly ration of animal blood. He handed both Claudia and me our respective containers before uncomfortably shuffling on his feet. I took my container and stared up at him, wondering why he wouldn¡¯t just leave.


    After what had happened, I wasn¡¯t very thrilled to have him around and strange as it was, the idea of drinking blood in front of him felt wrong.


    He must¡¯ve noticed how I was staring at him, so he explained, ¡°I need to speak with you.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s speak then.¡± I placed the container on my bedside table.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to drink that?¡± he asked.


    I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m not that hungry¡­¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡± Aiden nodded for me to follow him. Thus, I obliged and followed him out of the bedroom, not knowing what to expect. He immediately took me to the elevator and we were soon headed for the basement. I took note of where we were passing through, noticing that whichever way we went, nobody was around. No guards, no other people at all. Just us. I paid attention to the direction we were going and it wasn¡¯t long after when I realized that we were walking through a network of secret passages in the headquarters¡¯ underground. Eventually, we reached a short flight of stairs that led up to a latched opening. Aiden pushed it open and we stepped into a garden which I assumed was somewhere south of the main estate. Headquarters was quite a long walk away from us.


    The moment I stepped out of the underground passages, Aiden took one long, yearning look at me before grabbing me by the waist and kissing me. For a moment, I was too stunned to respond or even react. After I gathered my wits about me, however, I responded with abandon. I realized that night that I had him. I had Aiden Claremont in the palm of my hands.


    I also discovered a way to destroy Sofia¡ªand perhaps, in the process, destroy Aiden and any love I had still felt for him.


    The sense of power I felt that night, knowing that everything seemed to be falling into place, was unlike anything I had felt before. Snuggling into his arms and looking up at his beautiful green eyes, I smiled up at Aiden and he smiled back.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I could ever stop loving you,¡± he admitted.


    My heart leapt at what he said. ¡°Neither I you, Aiden,¡± I responded. That¡¯s exactly why I need to ruin you. Just imagine how powerful I¡¯ll be once I no longer have love holding me back.


    CHAPTER 17: CLAUDIA


    I couldn¡¯t keep Yuri out of my mind¡ªnot since I left The Shade. I realized then that he was the one constant in my life, that ever since the first day I had met him, no day had passed that he hasn¡¯t been, in one way or another, a part of my life¡ªthat was until I became stupid enough to leave.


    I pushed back the tears as fond memories of him came to mind, one of my favorites being the first day I met him.


    Once every week, my master, the Duke, would send me to market. That day was my favorite, because it meant I could take the long walk past the woods off to the town, away from the horrors of the Duke¡¯s manor. I was his favorite. He never shared me with anyone else, but being the Duke¡¯s favorite was not something to be envied. From the moment I was brought to him, I was pitied by everyone in the manor. I even pitied myself, and I hated that.


    Why am I not still used to this? My mother was a whore and now, so am I¡­ As I walked past the woods that would lead me to town, I wondered why I hadn¡¯t yet resigned myself to this fate, a fate I was sure was my own.


    That afternoon, I found out why. That was the afternoon I met Yuri for the first time. He seemed to just pop out of nowhere. I figured he had been by the nearby brook and saw me walking along the lonesome pathway and he had apparently decided that he had wanted to get to know me. So he just began walking in stride with me.


    ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Yuri,¡± he said, flashing me a smile, while keeping both his hands clasped behind his back. ¡°Might I have the honor of knowing your name, miss?¡±


    I stared up at him and decided to ignore him. I didn¡¯t trust men and he was no exception. I slipped one hand into a hidden pocket in my dress where I always kept a dagger. I was willing to use it on him if I had to.


    After a prolonged silence, he just narrowed his eyes at me and said, ¡°So you¡¯re not going to give me your name, huh? That¡¯s fine. Are you off to town? That¡¯s where I¡¯m headed too. Mind if I walk with you?¡±


    I remained silent, unwilling to have even the slightest small talk with a complete stranger. I couldn¡¯t deny, however, how attractive I found him. He was at least six inches taller than me, with a lean, lanky build and a charming dimple that appeared whenever he smiled. His nose was slightly crooked but in a way that I thought added to his charm. He had a certain boyishness about him that drew me in. He was nothing like the Duke at all. Many would say that the Duke was far more handsome than Yuri, who would look like a wimp next to the Duke. Many women thought the Duke was the perfect specimen of a man.


    I knew better. The Duke caused me nothing but pain.


    I was so busy studying Yuri¡¯s features and losing myself in melancholic thoughts of how powerless I was against the Duke that I barely noticed Yuri was still waiting for a response from me. When he didn¡¯t get an answer, however, he didn¡¯t leave like I had expected him to. He just kept walking beside me and talking.

 Page 15

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯ll take your silence as you not minding me walking beside you,¡± he piped up. ¡°We just moved into the village recently. Me and my older brother, Eli. He got work as a tutor for the Maslens. He¡¯s really smart you know and he wants to be an inventor someday. I think he can do it. I wasn¡¯t pleased about moving here with him, but I figured this place is as good as any to hone my art. When we got here, I was so disappointed¡­that is until I saw you last week. I was hoping you¡¯d allow me to paint you. Is that alright with you?¡±


    For some reason, I wanted to say yes, but knew that being around Yuri would just get me in trouble with the Duke, so once again, I just kept silent. Again, he didn¡¯t seem to mind. Apart from me shaking my head when he asked me if I was either deaf or mute or maybe both, I didn¡¯t respond to most of his talk. He talked on anyway.


    That was the way it was every week. He would always show up and just tell me about his week, how he and his brother were doing, what new art project he was out to do, which new friends he had made. I would often try to hide a smirk or a scowl whenever he would mention a name that I would recognize¡ªa face I¡¯d already seen at the Duke¡¯s brothel. Still, I never talked to him. I kept silent, and satisfied myself with listening to him¡ªsomething I found I was delighted in.


    I hadn¡¯t realized the effect Yuri had had on me until one day when I came home from the market and the Duke questioned me about why I always had a smile on my face after returning from my errand at the market. I lied and told him that it was because I enjoyed the long walks.


    ¡°Liar!¡± He slammed the back of his hand against my cheek so powerfully that I fell to the ground. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare lie to me, Claudia! Ever!¡±


    He put me through hell that night. It didn¡¯t end until I was bloody and bruised all over. I couldn¡¯t walk for days and once I was able to get up and around, every step still caused me pain.


    The Duke didn¡¯t need to tell me. I just knew. I knew that what he put me through was a clear warning that I was to stay away from Yuri for my own good. For two weeks, I wasn¡¯t able to go to the market. The Duke sent someone else instead. When he decided that I was ready to go, he warned me, ¡°Walk alone, Claudia. You must always walk alone from now on.¡±


    That afternoon, as I started my trek toward town, Yuri once again appeared. I could see the delight in his eyes upon seeing me. It made what I had to do even more difficult. The moment he began walking beside me, I stopped and turned toward him.


    ¡°Please stop. I would much prefer walking alone from now on. Thank you very much.¡±


    ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡± he asked. ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever heard your voice, and you use it to make me go away. It¡¯s a lovely voice. I hope it comes with a name.¡±


    ¡°Please. It¡¯s best that you stay away from me.¡±


    I knew that he could sense something was wrong, but he just nodded. ¡°I understand.¡±


    I wondered what it was that he understood. Did he think that I didn¡¯t desire his company when I actually did? In fact, I longed for it every week¡­


    He handed me a piece of paper. ¡°You didn¡¯t show up the past two weeks, so I figured something went wrong or maybe you got tired of me. Whatever your reason is, I want you to have this. I told you I would paint you. I hope you like it.¡±


    I simply stared at it, not knowing whether to take it or not.


    ¡°Please take it. It¡¯s not much, but well¡­it¡¯s my birthday today. I would really appreciate it if you at least take this small token of my affection.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know how to resist. I was trembling as I took the folded piece of parchment in my hand. It¡¯s his birthday today, I thought. That means he¡¯s twenty-one. Older than me, but a lot younger than the Duke.


    I opened the paper up and drew a breath at what I saw. It was a painting of me, taking a walk by the woods, a serene and peaceful look on my face. The girl in the picture looked so happy¡ªsomething I was not. I swallowed hard, trying to fight back the tears. I knew then that I would treasure that painting forever, and that even if I never saw it again, I would never be able to get it off my mind.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± I managed to choke out. ¡°Thank you, Yuri. I will treasure it forever, but I can¡¯t keep it. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    I knew that should the Duke find it, and I had no delusions about being able to hide it from him, it might as well be my death. I shuddered at the mere thought of what he would put me through for simply possessing such an item.


    Shaking, I quickly returned the gift to Yuri. No words could explain how much it was tearing me apart to do so. ¡°Please understand¡­ I cannot keep this. I simply can¡¯t.¡±


    I knew from the expression on his face that he was hurt that I wouldn¡¯t even take the gift from him, but what was I supposed to do? I couldn¡¯t bear the thought of having to go through what the Duke put me through the last time. My body might still be able to handle it, but my mind would not.


    Yuri took the piece of paper from me and nodded. ¡°I understand.¡±


    Do you? Do you really understand? I nodded my head toward him and began walking my way toward town. I expected him to leave me alone, but he didn¡¯t. He stayed quite a distance behind me, but he walked with me every step of the way.


    Even I couldn¡¯t understand the profound effect that had on me. I was so grateful that he didn¡¯t leave me alone, that in his own way, he helped me defy the Duke in the smallest way possible. The Duke couldn¡¯t possibly punish me if Yuri chose to walk behind me the whole time.


    I was wrong. The Duke still punished me, but not in the same way he had done the last time. He punished me in the worst possible way.


    The moment I got back to the manor, the Duke told me to get dressed. He was going to present me to someone else that night. I wondered then if he had finally tired of me and if I was going to be one of the common whores in his brothel. He instructed me to prepare myself to be as beautiful and alluring as I possibly could. That was never a good sign.


    I didn¡¯t understand why he was doing this or what he had in store, but I knew without a doubt that I wasn¡¯t going to like it.


    Just before I was brought to the Duke¡¯s client, the Duke put a mask on me.


    ¡°Keep it on until he¡¯s had his way with you, do you understand? I will know if you disobey me¡­¡±


    I nodded, though there was no way he could find out, I was too afraid of ever defying him. Upon seeing the man I was going to pleasure that night, I realized immediately why the Duke saw the mask as necessary. The ¡°client¡± he gave me to was Yuri.


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking about that boy again,¡± Ingrid said. She¡¯d just returned from another one of her midnight rendezvous.


    I wondered how she did it¡­how she was able to just shut off her love for Aiden. I knew I could do that, but I never dared. There were times when I had to push back any thoughts of Yuri¡ªespecially when I was with Ben, but I couldn¡¯t do it for long. I craved Yuri¡¯s company, his smile, his words and his presence.


    I was enamored by Ingrid Maslen. There were so many things about her that appealed to my own desire for power and control, but something about her repelled me too. We were alike in so many ways¡ªruined by our past and feeling helpless to make good out of the ashes we rose up from. Staring at her that night, however, I realized that I didn¡¯t want to be anything like her. I also knew that should I have continued in the direction I had been going, I¡¯d turn up exactly like her.


    I have so much to make up for.


    I was determined that if I were given another chance, things would be different. I¡¯m going to make it up to Yuri. I have to.


    A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. It was the young hunter, Zinnia.


    ¡°Aiden¡¯s little princess wishes to see you,¡± she said with disdain. I was then brought to the suite they kept Sofia in.


    ¡°Claudia¡­¡± she greeted with a tentative smile. ¡°Please have a seat.¡±


    I could tell that she still wasn¡¯t certain if I was friend or foe. I took my seat and waited for her to speak up. I felt vulnerable and unsure of myself.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to escape soon. I was just allowed to see Ingrid and spend some time with her and well, she showed me a way out.¡±


    My heart leapt, but from the expression on her face, I could immediately tell that she had no intention of bringing me with her.


    ¡°It¡¯s too much of a risk to bring you with me, Claudia. They keep me locked up at night¡­ The only way I can really sneak out is in broad daylight¡­ I just¡­ I don¡¯t know how it would be possible to take you with me.¡±


    ¡°Sofia, if they leave me here, they¡¯re going to kill me. You¡¯re the only reason I¡¯m still alive.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Ben is the reason they¡¯re keeping you alive.¡±


    ¡°I need to get back to The Shade, Sofia¡­ You of all people should understand why, considering that you have a man you love in there too.¡±


    ¡°I understand that, Claudia, and I promise that I will do everything in my power to get you back home once I¡¯m already there. I know Derek. I know I can talk him into finding a way to get you back.¡±


    I tried to smile. I knew Sofia was sincere in her promise, but I also knew that no vampire who had entered hunter territory ever got out, with the exception of Derek. I doubted that I could ever be an exception. Still, I knew that something within me radically changed when I was able to tell Sofia, ¡°I hope you succeed in your escape, Sofia. Don¡¯t forget about me when you do.¡±


    I actually meant it.


    CHAPTER 18: SOFIA


    She betrayed me. I knew that I was a fool to trust Ingrid, but I did¡­ I gave her another chance and she blew it. I couldn¡¯t understand her.


    I found the garden through, the secret passageways Ingrid had told me about. I thought that I was free when I reached open air, only to find Aiden waiting for me.


    ¡°Ingrid told me you¡¯d try to escape,¡± he said through gritted teeth.


    I wanted to tell him that it was Ingrid who showed me the way, but I had the inkling that he might¡¯ve already known that. Why would she give me the means to escape only to rat me out to Aiden on the night of my escape? Aiden grabbed me by the arm and practically dragged me to my room. I sat back on the couch inside my living room, watching as Aiden paced the floor in front of me, flaming mad.

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    ¡°I trusted you, Sofia,¡± he said.


    ¡°Since when?¡± I practically spat the words out. ¡°You¡¯re keeping me prisoner here, Aiden. I want to go back to Derek.¡±


    ¡°Forget him, Sofia! As long as I am alive, you and him will never be together!¡±


    Tears were brimming my eyes as I shook my head. ¡°You don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying. You don¡¯t know how impossible it is for me to forget Derek. We belong together. You don¡¯t know what¡¯s at stake as long as you keep us apart.¡±


    ¡°If he wanted to be with you, Sofia, why isn¡¯t he here? Why did he leave? If he thought that it was better for you to be together than apart, why then is he not making a move to get back to you?¡±


    He was preying on my deepest fears and doubts, but I couldn¡¯t let him. I knew what I had with Derek was real. If he wasn¡¯t coming to me, then there was a damned good reason why and I wasn¡¯t about to sit there and doubt everything we had, because he wasn¡¯t coming through for me the way I had wanted him to. I stared up at my father, not knowing what to say in answer to his questions.


    ¡°Well?¡± he pried, perhaps thinking that he gained some ground with me.


    ¡°I believe in Derek in a way I could never bring myself to believe in you.¡±


    ¡°What did that man feed you to make you so obsessed with him?¡± His words were cutting like a knife, but he didn¡¯t seem to care. ¡°Is it the fact that you seemed to have already gulped gallons of his blood or is it because you¡¯ve already willingly fed him gallons of yours? He is immortal, Sofia. How could you ever be together? Unless¡­¡± His eyes widened with shock and accusation. ¡°You¡¯ve thought about it, haven¡¯t you? You¡¯ve considered getting turned.¡±


    I ground my teeth with the pressure I was feeling from my father. Exhausted by everything that was happening and consumed by my desire to be with Derek, I spat the truth out before I could bite my tongue. ¡°Yes. I have. Not only have I considered it, I have been turned. Multiple times. Derek tried to turn me when he was still here with me, and yet, here I am¡­still human.¡±


    Aiden¡¯s eyes widened with horror as he tried to process what I had just told him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look so surprised, Father. It¡¯s not like you didn¡¯t know.¡± I couldn¡¯t hide the spite in my voice. ¡°You knew that the reason I was so sick after Camilla left was because as a child, she gave me to Borys Maslen. He tried to turn me when I was nine years old so that I could be his forever, but he failed. Claudia tried to turn me back at The Oasis, but she failed. Derek tried to turn me. He, too, failed. So don¡¯t worry, Father. You never have to worry about me becoming one of the creatures you¡¯re relentlessly trying to rid the planet of.¡±


    Aiden looked horrified, then it became clear to me that he knew nothing about what I was talking about¡ªabout me being immune.


    I creased my brows as we both stood at a standstill that seemed to last for eternity. ¡°You didn¡¯t know¡­¡± I eventually said.


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible.¡± He shook his head. ¡°How could that be true? How could anyone be immune from the curse?¡±


    He was looking at me like I was some sort of rare specimen that he accidentally stumbled upon. I began to wonder what implications came with the news that I had just revealed.


    ¡°Sofia¡­ You¡¯re immune from being a vampire? How is that possible?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps there¡¯s a cure¡­¡± I found myself voicing out the thought that¡¯d been circling my mind ever since Derek failed to turn me. Images of the confused look on his face when he realized that I could never be one of his kind. I fought the urge to give in to the doubts I felt about him leaving. Did he leave because he realized that I could never be immortal? Did he give up on us? The thoughts were too painful to continue mulling over. I shifted my focus back to Aiden. ¡°What if there¡¯s a cure? I escaped vampirism¡­ Maybe Derek can too.¡±


    Aiden shook his head, brushing away my musings. ¡°No. There¡¯s no cure. Curses don¡¯t have cures.¡± His voice choked and I could swear that a part of him wished that there indeed was a cure, but he was stubborn in his resolve as a hunter. ¡°Stop this, Sofia. Stop buying into all these delusions that you can be with that bastard.¡±


    This time, it was my turn to be stubborn and firm. ¡°No, Aiden. I think there¡¯s a cure and trust me when I say I¡¯m never going to stop until I find it. If it¡¯s the only way we can be together, then so be it. Derek will become immune too.¡±


    CHAPTER 19: DEREK


    I stared at Corrine for a couple of seconds, my mind reeling. Don¡¯t you think I want that? Don¡¯t you think I want Sofia here with me? But there was no way I could bring Sofia back. I didn¡¯t even know where hunter headquarters was.


    ¡°I want her here. You know that,¡± I reiterated to Corrine, ¡°but right now, I need to get The Shade back into shape¡­starting with this lockout. I need the humans back at their posts before the island crumbles.¡±


    ¡°And what if Felix and his men randomly begin attacking people again?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll post guards over the Vale and all the other establishments to make sure nobody hurts the humans.¡±


    Corrine scoffed at this. ¡°You¡¯re going to post vampires to stand guard over humans? Do you really think they¡¯ll agree to that?¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t have a choice. I¡¯m their king.¡±


    ¡°They have a choice to join your father and Felix in rebellion. Besides, if you have the guards and knights posted mainly at the Vale, how are you going to guard the Crimson Fortress, which we cannot, under any circumstances, allow your father¡¯s men to occupy?¡±


    I was starting to get frustrated. Rosa could probably tell, because she was beginning to nervously flinch on her chair. I decided to spare her from further discomfort and found a way to wave her off. ¡°Rosa, could you please get Sam, Kyle and Ashley here? Ian and Gavin too¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t miss the way her face lit up like a bulb the moment I mentioned Gavin¡¯s name. I raised a brow in curiosity and she most likely mistook it as me waiting for her to get out so she practically leaped from her seat, mumbled something undecipherable, before going off.


    I then shifted my attention back to Corrine. ¡°What do you want to happen, Corrine? Even if I could get Sofia back here, how is she going to help fix all this?¡±


    Corrine gave me a look that made me feel like the most irritating creature in the planet. Nobody at The Shade could make me feel as stupid as the brown-haired, olive-skinned witch could. She heaved a deep sigh. ¡°You¡¯re being a fool, Derek. Are you really that blind to the power Sofia has over the people of The Shade¡ªespecially the human population?¡±


    I was taken aback. Humbling as it was, I had to admit that Corrine had a point. Sofia had a way about her that seemed to win the trust and affection of people around her. The people of The Catacombs¡ªNaturals or otherwise¡ªlistened to her.


    ¡°If she was here, then all you have to do is keep the vampires in check and she can do whatever magic she does with the humans. That¡¯s half of your work done for you.¡±


    ¡°Even if that were true, Corrine,¡± I said, refusing to admit out loud that it made sense, ¡°I still haven¡¯t got the slightest clue how to bring Sofia here.¡±


    Right then, Ashley and Sam walked into the room, hands clasped together. Kyle and Ian followed right after¡ªboth men occasionally glaring daggers at each other when the other wasn¡¯t looking. Gavin followed after, seemingly deep in thought, while Rosa trailed behind him, looking like a fan girl running after her biggest idol.


    ¡°Finally!¡± Ashley, who apparently heard the tail part of our conversation, exclaimed as she and Sam plopped on the couch beside Corrine. ¡°We¡¯re addressing the elephant in the room! How to get Sofia back here, because let¡¯s face it¡­ It¡¯s been a disaster without the two of you here calling the shots.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes at her. I didn¡¯t know why, but it came as a surprise to me that people around The Shade actually saw Sofia and me not as separate individual entities, but as a unit working together to rule The Shade.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯d been bugging him about it, but he seems to think it¡¯s hopeless,¡± Corrine informed.


    Ashley stared at me thoughtfully. ¡°Well, it kind of is¡­¡±


    I was getting exhausted with the conversation. I wanted Sofia back. How could I not? But to go on and on about it, knowing that it was next to impossible for me to find her was beginning to get irritating.


    ¡°It seems impossible,¡± Ashley reiterated, glancing at Corrine, before addressing me. ¡°Do you remember where hawk headquarters is?¡±


    I shook my head at the baby vampire. ¡°No. You were once a hunter, Ashley. Don¡¯t you know where it is?¡±


    ¡°I never ranked high enough to ever be trusted with exact locations. I was blindfolded and escorted to headquarters whenever I needed to be there.¡±


    ¡°They did the same thing to me. There was absolutely no way I could figure out where exactly it was.¡± We were at a dead end, and I was hoping they¡¯d just stop talking about it. Thinking of Sofia just made me realize how much I needed her, which was a depressing thought considering I had no idea how to get her back.


    ¡°Remind me again why you left her there.¡± Ashley testily squinted an eye at me.


    I remembered the time when she was still human. I had completely lost myself and allowed the darkness to consume me. She suffered the brunt of the consequences that came with that after I attacked her and fed on her several times. I craved her so much after I had first tasted her blood. I left her because I might do to her what I did to you.


    Not quite comfortable about discussing my choices with everyone there, I changed the subject. ¡°I didn¡¯t call you here to discuss Sofia. We need to put a stop to this ridiculous lockout. Gavin and Ian, you were working with Sofia as the human leaders of this place. What are your thoughts on this matter?¡±


    Both men exchanged glances and Gavin was about to speak his mind when Xavier showed up. ¡°The lovely Natalie Borgia comes with a message.¡± From behind him, Natalie emerged and stepped into the room.

 Page 17

    I immediately stood up and breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°You¡¯re alright. I was certain that¡­¡±


    Her eyes widened warning me not to say anymore, reminding me the trouble she would get into should anyone discover what she had done for me.


    Thus, I restrained my urge to give her one big, grateful hug and nodded cordially at her. ¡°Your message?¡±


    She eyed all the people present at the room. ¡°This message contains sensitive information threatening the security of this island. You sure you want everyone here to hear it?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll find out eventually,¡± I assured her, steeling myself for the worst.


    ¡°The leaders of the other vampire covens want to meet with you,¡± she announced.


    It¡¯s a trap. Natalie wasn¡¯t her usual warm and inviting self when she was around me. Even as a diplomat, she always had this casual way about her when it was me she was talking to. This time, however, she was stiff and guarded. I knew then that no matter what history I had with her, I couldn¡¯t ever fully trust her. ¡°If I don¡¯t go?¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you¡­¡± Xavier began to butt in.


    I raised a hand midair to make him stop talking. I gave him a look to let him know that he was going to get his answers eventually. Right now, he had to shut up. He knew me well enough to figure out what I was trying to communicate to him.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t go.¡± Natalie shifted her weight from one foot to the other. ¡°They¡¯re going to attack The Shade.¡±


    ¡°And if I go, they¡¯re going to capture me and most likely kill me, right?¡±


    Her eyes softened for a moment, looking at me as if she was about to lose a dear old friend, but she quickly gained composure and maintained her diplomatic air. ¡°I guess you have a decision to make, Derek.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t find a reason for me to go. I didn¡¯t even have the slightest clue how the other vampires even intended to orchestrate an attack on the island without being detected by the outside world.


    ¡°Tell them I need time to think about it. I¡¯ll let you know once I¡¯ve made my decision.¡±


    Natalie handed me a sealed envelope. ¡°The details of the meeting are in there.¡± She gave me a long look¡ªa warning¡ªpractically a plea to keep me from going.


    ¡°Thank you, Natalie.¡± I tried to smile as I took the envelope. ¡°For everything.¡±


    As if the world weren¡¯t already crashing on me all at the same time, Cameron showed up¡ªa grave look on the Scot¡¯s freckled face.


    ¡°Cameron? What¡¯s wrong? Natalie was just about to leave the island.¡±


    ¡°She can¡¯t,¡± he said.


    ¡°What do you mean I can¡¯t?¡± Natalie frowned.


    ¡°Gregor and Felix just attacked the port. They have control of it,¡± Cameron announced. ¡°I think they know that Natalie is here. They¡¯re making it look like you¡¯ve taken her hostage.¡±


    I swallowed hard, knowing the implications of being accused of harming¡ªin any way¡ªa rogue vampire as important as Natalie. I eyed her anxiously, wondering if she had had any idea that this was coming. She seemed genuinely surprised.


    ¡°We need to take back control of the port,¡± Xavier mumbled.


    The words had barely just escaped his lips when a loud, piercing scream echoed through the cavernous walls of The Catacombs.


    Gavin, Ian and Kyle ran out of Sofia¡¯s quarters¡ªlocated at the topmost levels of the many layers of The Catacombs and within minutes, only Gavin returned, announcing, ¡°A riot. They¡¯re killing one another out there.¡±


    It was my first night back at The Shade and I could think of nothing more appealing than to kill myself right then and there.


    Adding fuel to the fire of my despair, Natalie stated the obvious, ¡°Looks like you¡¯re kingdom¡¯s falling apart, King Derek.¡±


    CHAPTER 20: AIDEN


    I held Ingrid¡¯s hand in mine as we walked toward the garden where we had our now regular midnight rendezvous¡ªthe same garden Sofia had discovered and tried to escape from. I was silent until we reached the garden, lost in my thoughts, relieved that Ingrid wasn¡¯t trying to make conversation.


    I knew the risk I was putting myself in by being in a relationship with her. I knew that the higher-ranking officials of the hunters had their eyes on me. The pressure I¡¯d been getting for losing Derek Novak and for keeping vampires alive at headquarters was intense, but I couldn¡¯t do what they wanted me to do. I couldn¡¯t kill Claudia out of honor for Ben. I couldn¡¯t kill Ingrid because the thought of my daughter suffering another death was beyond what I could handle. Stop lying to yourself, Aiden. Ingrid is still alive because you can¡¯t stand the idea of losing your wife.


    I let go of her hand, fully aware of how tightly I was clinging to our past. The nights I¡¯d spent with Ingrid had been pure ecstasy¡ªIngrid was a passionate lover in bed in a way that Camilla never was.


    That night, however, I had to shove away any wanton thoughts of having her in my arms and focus on the questions and doubts weighing in my mind. The moment we reached the garden, Ingrid motioned to kiss me, but I quickly pushed her away. I stepped back, keeping a safe distance between her and me, so we could have a conversation.


    ¡°How did Sofia know how to get to the garden?¡± I asked Ingrid.


    Her shoulders sagged and she heaved a sigh. ¡°She wanted to escape, Aiden. She asked me for help, so I helped her. My conscience couldn¡¯t stand it though. It felt like I was betraying you, so I had to tell you¡­¡±


    If she was putting on an act of a conscience-ridden woman, she was good at it. I couldn¡¯t help but still draw a breath at the sight of her. She will always be the most beautiful woman I¡¯ve ever laid eyes on.


    I clenched my fists, my recent conversation with Sofia still stuck in my mind. ¡°She¡¯s talking crazy. Sofia.¡±


    That statement seemed to spark delight in Ingrid¡¯s eyes, but she quickly covered that up. ¡°Why do you say that?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s talking about being immune to vampirism. She¡¯s talking about a cure to the curse.¡± I looked at Ingrid, not missing how ironic it was that I was discussing this with a vampire. I¡¯m such a hypocrite. I¡¯m condemning my daughter for loving a vampire, when I myself am in love with one. I gave Ingrid a lingering look, hoping that she couldn¡¯t see the disgust in my eyes when I thought: it¡¯s your curse too. How on earth could I allow myself to still love you?


    Conflicted was a word that did little justice to the war raging within me ever since Ingrid and I first slept together.


    ¡°Sofia and her delusions¡­¡± Ingrid said, sounding melancholic, almost as if she felt sorry for Sofia. ¡°She actually thinks that because she¡¯s immune, there¡¯s some sort of cure that will make a lifetime of bliss possible for her and her beloved. Delusional darling...¡±


    ¡°Immune? She is immune?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Ingrid stared straight at me before quickly reminding me why I should be revolted by her very being. ¡°Borys tried to turn her the night I gave her to him. She didn¡¯t turn. She¡¯s immune to the curse, if we could even call it that.¡±


    I stood there, unable to wrap my mind around the idea that she could speak so nonchalantly about offering her nine-year-old daughter to a century-old vampire and allowing him to try and turn her. How many times must I be reminded that she is not my Camilla?


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like some monster, Aiden.¡± She shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not like you didn¡¯t know that I wanted Sofia to end up with Borys all those times we made love. Does it really make a difference now?¡± She drew close to me, pressing her body against mine.


    This time, however, I found myself repelled by her. I pushed her away. ¡°This ends now, Ingrid. No matter what we¡¯d been doing these past days, my loyalty remains with our daughter. You were right all along. You lost me to Sofia, and make no mistake about it¡­ If she ever asks it of me, I wouldn¡¯t think twice about killing you.¡±


    Fury unlike anything I¡¯d ever seen before sparked in her eyes as she bared her fangs, poised to attack me, not quite remembering that I was a formidable hunter and compared to other vampires I¡¯d fought before, a decade-old vampire like her was no match for me. As she was about to sink her teeth into my neck, I grabbed her head with both my hands and used all my strength to twist her head and snap her neck in two.


    Quickest way to maim a vampire. I thought as she dropped to the ground. She was still alive, but once I instructed someone to snap her neck back into place, she would realize that she had just lost all leverage she had gained from my renewal of love for her¡ªor perhaps lust.


    She was going to wake up in a dungeon, her fangs ripped from her mouth, regretting the day she had ever tried to harm my daughter.


    CHAPTER 21: SOFIA


    Since my confrontation with him, Aiden kept me locked in my bedroom. The only person coming and going was Zinnia, and she usually came only to bring me food or take the dirty dishes away. During this time, she would barely speak to me or even look at me.


    ¡°How long is he going to keep me here?¡± I asked once after she had brought me breakfast on a tray. It was the morning of the second day after my botched escape attempt.


    She glared at me. ¡°Until you die, I hope. Ben gave up his life in order to get you safely back here, and this is how you repay him? By bolting the first chance you get so you could go back to that vampire boyfriend of yours?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know Ben as well as I did, Zinnia. You weren¡¯t there with him at The Oasis. He didn¡¯t risk his life to get me back here. He gave it up so I could be happy, so I could be with Derek.¡± I was choking up with tears at the memory of my best friend.


    ¡°Ben was loyal to the cause of the hunters. He never would¡¯ve wanted you to end up with Derek.¡±


    ¡°Really? Is that why he chose to stay with me at The Shade instead of returning here? Is that why he agreed to give me away on my wedding day, with Derek as my groom?¡±


    Her eyes widened. ¡°You married Derek Novak? Your father knows this?¡±

 Page 18

    I shook my head. ¡°I am engaged to Derek. I was abducted and taken to The Oasis before we could actually get married.¡±


    Zinnia narrowed her eyes at me, the disgust and criticism in her voice unmistakable when she said, ¡°What is wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to explain myself to you. I want to see my father.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t need to explain himself to you either. You may be Reuben¡¯s daughter, but you¡¯re nothing like him.¡±


    Thank heavens for that. I grimaced. I never could quite get used to what they called my father at hunter headquarters. Reuben. I wondered what kind of a life my father had lived even before my mother went crazy and became a vampire. Aiden and Reuben¡ªtwo sides of a coin, my father¡¯s double life¡ªboth sides of him a complete mystery to me.


    Zinnia left me with one final glare. I didn¡¯t expect Aiden to arrive at all, knowing that Zinnia most likely wouldn¡¯t deliver my message to him, but later that afternoon, he stepped into the bedroom, looking rather uncomfortable.


    ¡°So Zinnia did send you my message after all¡­¡±


    ¡°You sent me a message through Zinnia? She didn¡¯t tell me anything¡­ I just arrived from a business trip abroad. Has she been taking care of you?¡±


    I was taken aback by the idea that he came to me out of his own volition. ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s been feeding me regularly, if that¡¯s what you mean by taking care of me.¡±


    ¡°So what was your message?¡±


    ¡°I told her to let you know that I wanted to have a word with you.¡±


    ¡°Well, what do you want to talk about?¡±


    ¡°You have to realize that I will jump at any chance I get to find Derek. You locking me up here and keeping me from doing that only makes me want to do it more. That¡¯s like Raising Teenagers 101.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re eighteen, Sofia. Technically, you¡¯re already considered an adult.¡±


    ¡°So treat me like one. Let me make my own decisions and my own mistakes. This is my life, a life you chose not to be a part of for the past nine years. Now that I have my own mind and have been making my own decisions, you can¡¯t just step in and call the shots.¡±


    One corner of his lips twitched as he nodded. ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying, Sofia, but I¡¯m doing what I believe is best for you, and in that, I cannot waver. I know the vampires far more than you do, and in good conscience as your father, I cannot allow you to throw your life away because of this infatuation you have toward this creature. It doesn¡¯t matter how much you love him, Sofia. You can love a vampire and still find that your love doesn¡¯t keep him from being a monster.¡±


    There was so much sadness in his voice, almost as if he was going through what he was saying himself. I wondered once again if this reaction of his had anything to do with Ingrid knowing how to get to that garden. Not quite sure if I wanted to clarify my musings, I crawled to the edge of the bed and sat over it. ¡°Every day you keep me apart from him, you¡¯re killing a part of me.¡±


    He eyed me and I could swear that he somehow understood what I was trying to get through his thick, stubborn hunter skull. ¡°I can¡¯t give you what you want, but I can give you something close.¡±


    He pushed the door wide open and I couldn¡¯t help but gasp in horror when a young woman lurched into my room.


    I blinked my eyes several times to make sure that I wasn¡¯t just seeing things, but sure enough, she was standing right there in front of me, a ghost from the past, someone I held close to heart.


    The Seer of The Shade herself. Vivienne Novak.


    CHAPTER 22: DEREK


    A lockout that eventually morphed into a riot. A siege at the port. A kingdom on the brink of civil war while still facing an ongoing threat of an attack from outside forces.


    Fabulous. Just fabulous.


    After Natalie so wonderfully summed up the state of The Shade, I really had no idea what to do other than to walk away.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    I didn¡¯t even know who among the people behind me asked the question. I didn¡¯t care anymore. I knew that if I handled the situation head-on and tried to either quell the riot or retake the port, I wasn¡¯t going to be able to do it without bloodshed. The darkness was close to ruining me and I was aware of it.


    ¡°I am going to take a drive.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a riot and a siege going on, Derek.¡± Xavier stepped forward, attempting to be the voice of reason. ¡°Is this really the time to improve your driving skills?¡±


    I pointed at Sam and Kyle. ¡°You two work with Gavin and Ian to figure out how to quell this stupid riot.¡± I then pointed at Xavier and Cameron. ¡°Call in all the vampires who are still with us. Those who want to remain neutral have that option. At least we¡¯ll know who is really with us. Come up with a plan of action on what to do about the siege at the port.¡± I then cast a pleading look at the great witch herself. ¡°Corrine, please escort Natalie to The Sanctuary and treat her as our esteemed guest while she is stuck here at The Shade.¡±


    ¡°What about me?¡± Ashley pointed at herself.


    Of all the people present, she reminded me of Sofia the most and I knew that she was one who would never shy away from speaking her mind. ¡°Would you like to go on a joyride with me?¡±


    A smile lit up the blonde¡¯s beautiful face. ¡°Yes! Let¡¯s escape all this craziness.¡± She then looked Sam¡¯s way as if to ask his permission. He let her go, more perhaps out of respect for me than trust for either one of us.


    ¡°Derek, we need you to be a leader right now¡­¡± Cameron said desperately. ¡°This is no time for¡­¡±


    ¡°Let him go,¡± Corrine cut him off. ¡°He needs to win the battle inside before he can the war with the outward forces.¡±


    I gave her a grateful look. She understood what the separation from Sofia was doing to me and what I was up against.


    Of course, none of them dared to question the witch, knowing how the entire island¡¯s security was on her shoulders. Corrine rarely imposed her opinions on us, but when she did, we dared not cross her.


    Ashley and I made our way to a wide open field west of the island where a red convertible was located. We used it for practice drives mostly or whenever we just wanted to feel the night air blowing against our faces. It usually was Sofia seated on the passenger¡¯s seat beside me, screeching her lungs out because of my crazy driving, often reminding me that she wasn¡¯t immortal and that she was likely going to get killed if I didn¡¯t somehow fix my driving. I didn¡¯t really care much about the driving as much as I enjoyed having her react the way she did.


    ¡°You miss her, don¡¯t you?¡± Ashley asked me after we settled into our seats.


    I gripped the steering wheel hard as if it would somehow help give me some semblance of control over everything going on around me.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had her blood, Ashley,¡± I admitted. I ignored her gasp and went on. ¡°She made me drink it to heal me quicker after Borys tortured me. I didn¡¯t want to, but¡­ I crave her so much. I could barely think straight, because all I could really think about was how much I want another taste of her blood.¡±


    ¡°I know Sofia¡­¡± Ashley spoke softly, carefully weighing her words. ¡°She would most likely let you have all the blood you want. That¡¯s how much she loves you.¡±


    ¡°I know. That¡¯s exactly what she did when she offered her neck up to me back at hawk territory. I knew then that this couldn¡¯t possibly work. Corrine keeps telling me to get Sofia back, but how? What kind of man would I be to prey on her? She doesn¡¯t deserve that.¡±


    ¡°You see¡­that¡¯s just it.¡±


    I turned my head to the side wondering what Ashley was getting at. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not the same person apart from her than when you¡¯re with her. With Sofia, you¡¯re a better man. There was a time when you couldn¡¯t have given a damn if it was wrong or right. As long as a woman gives you her consent¡ªand in your darkest moments, even when she doesn¡¯t¡ªyou don¡¯t have any qualms about sucking blood out of a woman. Why then are you so resistant to the idea of having Sofia¡¯s blood when she so willingly offers it to you?¡±


    ¡°Were you not listening to me?¡± I slammed my palms over the steering wheel in frustration. ¡°I love her! I can¡¯t keep doing that to her!¡±


    Ashley straightened up on her seat and slightly twisted her slim body on the passenger seat so she could face me. ¡°If there¡¯s anyone who¡¯s stood witness to the kind of love you two have for each other, it¡¯s me. Sofia took a wooden stake for you, Derek¡ªone that I tried to stab you with. You went against your own father and took countless lashes on her behalf. It¡¯s hard for me to believe that this is what¡¯s going to tear the two of you apart. It¡¯s just plain insanity. Bring this place back to some semblance of sanity, get back control of the port and find a way to get Sofia back here. I¡¯m sure if we put our heads together, we could somehow narrow down the search and find the hunter territory.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not coming back. We should just accept that.¡± Even as I said the words, I found it hard to swallow. ¡°Besides, what kind of a life would she live if she returned? What if I end up destroying her?¡±


    ¡°What if the love you have for each other is powerful enough to keep that from happening?¡± Ashley shot right back at me. ¡°Don¡¯t be a fool, Derek. Whether you admit it or not, you can¡¯t really survive without her, so you might as well stop acting like a pathetic sap and get her back.¡±


    I swallowed hard. To that, I didn¡¯t have a response. I knew what Ashley was saying was true.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re no longer going for a drive?¡± Ashley asked, tapping her palms over the dashboard.


    ¡°No.¡± I shook my head. ¡°We have a riot to stop and a port to retake. Get ready for a fight, baby vamp.¡±


    Her face lit up in a wide grin. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about!¡± she exclaimed.


    At that very moment, I remembered a promise I gave Sofia not too long ago, the promise that came with the heart-shaped diamond pendant I had given to her as a gift. Take it as a promise from me¡ªa promise that I will find a way to be with you.

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    I wondered if this really would be a promise I had to break.


    CHAPTER 23: SOFIA


    ¡°Sofia¡­¡± Tears began rushing down Vivienne¡¯s face. She stumbled forward as I stood up from the bed to embrace her. When we hugged, I realized how thin she was, how emaciated. Her skin was deathly pale and lacking all luster. Her lips were chapped and dry and she had scars all over her arms.


    ¡°What have they done to you?¡± I whispered.


    She shook her head. ¡°Nothing. They¡¯ve been good to me, Sofia. I¡¯m really glad to see you again. Have they been treating you well?¡±


    We pulled apart from each other and I gave my father a suspicious look. ¡°Yes, Viv. I¡¯m fine. We thought you were dead, Vivienne. We had a ceremony for you at the Vale and everything.¡±


    She stared blankly at me almost as if she had no idea what I was talking about. ¡°Dead? Me? Of course not¡­ I just¡­ Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯re here now.¡± She grabbed my hand and pulled me toward a set of two couches with a round coffee table in between located near the windows of my bedroom. ¡°Let¡¯s catch up. Tell me everything that¡¯s been going on since you came here to headquarters.¡±


    I sat uncomfortably on my seat, wondering what was wrong with Vivienne. I looked at my father and found him nodding my way.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you two to catch up?¡± he asked cordially.


    I couldn¡¯t help but frown as he left without waiting for my consent. I once again shifted my attention to Vivienne who seemed oddly perky¡ªsomething she was never known to be back at The Shade. Vivienne was mysterious, serious and serene. She was calm and collected in a way no one I knew was. This Vivienne sitting across me was antsy and anxious. My stomach knotted at the suspicions rising up in my mind. What have they done to you, Vivienne?


    ¡°Derek was a mess after he found out that you died. He almost killed Ashley because of how the darkness took over him. What¡¯s happened to you?¡±


    ¡°Derek¡­¡± The name seemed to register something in her mind. She shook her head slowly. ¡°He¡¯s my brother. I was wrong about him, Sofia. I thought he was some sort of savior. I was convinced that he was a hero, but I was wrong. I never should¡¯ve helped you return to The Shade.¡± Agitation marred her lovely face even as she gripped both my hands. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Sofia. I¡¯m sorry for anything he might¡¯ve put you through after you returned.¡±


    ¡°Vivienne, Derek has been good to me. He loves me. You know that.¡±


    She nodded and for a moment, I actually thought that she was about to make sense, but she just looked at me with a knowing expression on her face¡ªalmost as if she held pity for me. ¡°I understand. It¡¯s going to take a while before you can recover from the trauma he¡¯s put you through. The denial is completely natural.¡±


    I was trying my hardest not to slap her across the face so she would start making sense. What has gotten into you? ¡°We¡¯re talking about Derek, Vivienne. Your twin. The same man who rescued you from Borys Maslen.¡±


    Horror showed in her eyes at the mention of Borys. ¡°They told me that Borys got to you too. That¡¯s why we need to stay here, Sofia. We¡¯re safer here. Borys can¡¯t get to us if we stay here. Sofia, you can¡¯t leave this place. If Borys gets his hands on you, it¡¯s going to be so much worse than what you had to go through with Derek.¡±


    I leaned back on the couch, my eyes fixed on Vivienne. ¡°What have they done to you? It¡¯s like you¡¯ve been brainwashed¡­¡±


    At that, Vivienne chuckled like it was the most ridiculous thing she¡¯d ever heard of. Her brilliant blue eyes settled on me with so much compassion. She brushed a hand over the back of my hand. ¡°No, Sofia, it¡¯s you who¡¯s been brainwashed.¡±


    The idea was so hilarious I couldn¡¯t help but laugh out loud. ¡°Is that what my father thinks, Vivienne? That I was brainwashed at The Shade so I would love Derek?¡± I couldn¡¯t hold back the snickers escaping through my lips. It was like I was defending against the frustration I felt inside. I found myself deeply concerned for Vivienne. This isn¡¯t her. This is just a shell spouting out words placed there by other people.


    ¡°You look tired, Vivienne.¡±


    She heaved a sigh and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s because I am.¡±


    ¡°Would you like to lie down and rest?¡± I waved an arm toward the bed.


    She looked at the bed longingly. ¡°Yes please, and if I could have more blood¡­ I¡¯m thirsty.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure they bring you some. Is there anything else you need?¡±


    She shook her head as she stood up and dragged herself to the bed. Without another word, she laid her head on the pillow. Within a couple of minutes, she was fast asleep.


    She slept for hours.


    Zinnia entered to bring me breakfast just as I pulled the drapes over the windows to protect Vivienne from the sunlight.


    Zinnia stared with disdain at Vivienne.


    ¡°What have you guys been doing to her? She¡¯s not the Vivienne I knew back at The Shade¡­¡±


    Zinnia shrugged. ¡°I thought she was dead. Even Ben thought she was dead. He was the last one to interrogate and torture her before what was supposed to be her execution.¡±


    I gulped at the idea of Ben torturing Vivienne. As much as I wanted not to believe it, I knew how much he hated vampires after what Claudia had put him through at The Shade. It was the reason he became a hunter in the first place.


    ¡°So you admit it¡­ She was tortured.¡±


    Zinnia smirked. ¡°What do you think vampires go through here, Sofia? They are interrogated and tortured for any information about their respective covens and once we get as much as we can from them, we have them executed¡ªthe exact same thing your mother is going through right now.¡±


    My face paled. ¡°Ingrid?¡±


    ¡°After the stunt she pulled helping you escape, she fell from Reuben¡¯s good graces.¡±


    ¡°May I see her?¡±


    Zinnia shrugged. ¡°Reuben¡¯s calling all the shots, but if he goes on keeping all these vamps alive, I doubt the higher authorities will tolerate it much longer.¡±


    The idea that my father wasn¡¯t some sort of untouchable big shot with the hunters was something new. It never dawned on me that he could actually get in trouble for what he was doing. I also knew that the only real reason these vampires were still alive was because of me.


    ¡°Zinnia¡­¡± I called out just as she was about to leave. ¡°Could you have some blood brought in for Vivienne please?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Because if you don¡¯t, I just might have to feed her mine. Look at her¡­ She looks awful.¡±


    Zinnia stared at me like she usually did when I mentioned vampires feeding on my blood. ¡°What is with you and treating your blood like it¡¯s orange juice?¡± She frowned and shook her head in exasperation. ¡°She can¡¯t suck your blood. Her fangs have been pulled out.¡±


    ¡°Well, can¡¯t I just cut myself and make her drink the blood I drain out of myself?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re insane. It baffles me still how you could be in any way related to Reuben.¡± She waved her hand midair. ¡°All we have is animal blood.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Vivienne is used to animal blood.¡±


    Zinnia rolled her eyes and turned her back on me. I was sure that she wasn¡¯t going to fulfill my request, but when she returned for my breakfast dishes, she had two glasses of blood with her.


    It took another couple of hours before Vivienne began stirring. At first, I ignored her, thinking that she was just having a dream. All of a sudden, however, she began to take erratic, heavy breaths. She started whimpering and it didn¡¯t take long before the whimpers turned into screams, tears running down her cheeks.


    I rushed to her side and began shaking her awake. ¡°Vivienne! Wake up!¡±


    She jolted up in bed, her eyes wide with terror as she began taking in her surroundings. She set her eyes on me and sighed with relief before she broke out into uncontrollable sobs. ¡°Sofia¡­you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ I¡¯m here.¡± I nodded as I pulled her into a tight embrace.


    Trembling, she whispered directly into my ear. ¡°You still have my memories, don¡¯t you, Sofia? Please¡­please¡­¡±


    She paused and I found myself holding my breath as I awaited her request. ¡°What is it, Vivienne? What do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°Remind me who I am.¡±


    CHAPTER 24: AIDEN


    From the Control Center¡¯s surveillance monitor, I watched the two women share an embrace. This isn¡¯t working out the way I wanted it to. Vivienne is supposed to sway Sofia to our side. Instead, it seems Sofia is about to restore her to her old, stubborn self.


    Zinnia stepped beside me as we watched the scene in my daughter¡¯s bedroom.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± I reprimanded her.


    ¡°What?¡± she asked, feigning innocence.


    ¡°Why that talk to Sofia about what was done to Ingrid? Don¡¯t ever mention Ingrid to her again, Zinnia. I can see that you¡¯re not a big fan of my daughter, but she¡¯s my daughter. It will do you well not to mess with her.¡±


    Zinnia rolled her eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t sign up to become a hunter just so I could babysit your daughter and bring her meals like a butler.¡±


    ¡°Patience, Zinnia. When this is all over, your next mission will be Derek Novak and The Shade.¡±


    ¡°How? Vivienne isn¡¯t acting the way she¡¯s supposed to. It¡¯s like there¡¯s something about your daughter that makes people act weird when she¡¯s around.¡±


    ¡°No one has ever broken through someone who¡¯s been brainwashed by us¡­¡± I said, crossing my arms over my chest as I watched my daughter doing exactly that to Vivienne.


    ¡°Well, Sofia seems to be doing a great job at it. Vivienne was acting erratically the moment she was presented to Sofia.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m going about this the wrong way.¡± I stared at my daughter¡¯s appearance. I hated to admit it, but there was no sign that she was ever brainwashed by the Novaks. I was just telling myself that, because I couldn¡¯t bring myself to accept the fact that her loyalty and affections toward Derek and The Shade were genuine.

 Page 20

    Perhaps she really does love him. Derek and Sofia are genuinely in love with each other.


    I attempted to focus on the image on the screen, trying to make sense of the words Sofia was uttering to Vivienne to remind her of the past, a past I was surprised Sofia was so well acquainted with.


    There was talk of a shipwreck and first blood, of massacres and cullings and centuries of trying to preserve their own kind against us. Coming from my daughter¡¯s own lips, and the way she was telling story after story to Vivienne, it was almost like we were the villains and the vampires were the victims.


    Of course, the whole time she was talking, Vivienne was a blank slate, not really comprehending what Sofia was saying until my daughter mentioned a greenhouse.


    At this, Vivienne¡¯s eyes lit up with recognition and delight. ¡°Is it still beautiful?¡± she asked in a hushed whisper, as if she was afraid that saying it too loud would somehow destroy the beauty of it.


    Sofia¡¯s face broke into a smile as she nodded and brushed Vivienne¡¯s hair away from her face. ¡°Yes, Viv. It¡¯s still gorgeous. Derek took care of it after you disappeared. He made sure it would be as beautiful as it would be if you were there.¡±


    Vivienne¡¯s next words sealed reality for me. I¡¯d just lost Vivienne to Sofia.


    ¡°I miss Derek so much,¡± Vivienne confessed, a tear running down her cheek.


    ¡°Well, that was a huge waste of time.¡± Zinnia smirked.


    I clenched my fists.


    ¡°What are you going to do now, Reuben?¡±


    ¡°I think I need to take a different approach. I have to accept that Sofia really does love Derek Novak and there¡¯s no way I can sway her from that.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re just going to keep her locked in that room until she gets over him?¡±


    ¡°No. She¡¯ll hate me forever if I do that. The best thing for me to do right now is to give her exactly what she wants.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re giving her to Derek Novak?¡±


    I shook my head. A plan began to take form in my mind. ¡°No. I¡¯m going to give her a cure to vampirism.¡±


    CHAPTER 25: DEREK


    When Ashley and I arrived at The Catacombs, it was in total chaos. I¡¯d just walked into one of the levels that lined the circular, seemingly bottomless pit in the middle of the caves when a bottle was thrown my way. I dodged it, but failed to warn Ashley, who was right behind me. Thus, when I turned to check on her, she had blood trickling from her forehead where the bottle had hit her.


    She mouthed a pouty ¡°Ow¡± as she brushed off any remaining pieces of broken glass from her forehead.


    Despite the newfound friendship I had with Ashley, I still couldn¡¯t help but let out a wry laugh at her misery. ¡°Welcome to The Catacombs, Ash.¡±


    She rolled her eyes. ¡°Wipe that smirk off your face, Novak.¡± She then bent over and picked up a shard of glass from the broken bottle and pointed it at me. ¡°I don¡¯t care that you¡¯re most likely a hundred times stronger than me, I can still find a way to cut you.¡±


    I grinned. ¡°Scary. Let¡¯s end this riot before some other flying object breaks your neck.¡± I leaned over the wooden banister that overlooked the rest of The Catacombs¡¯ levels. I realized that I still had no idea what they were even fighting over. I looked around and caught sight of Kyle, holding a frightened Anna by the arm, practically dragging her to what I assumed was Sofia¡¯s quarters. Ian was about a hundred meters behind them, trying to keep up with Kyle¡¯s pace. I stared for a moment, wondering how on earth this love triangle was going to pan out.


    From the corner of my eye, I could make out Gavin hitting another guy who just lunged at him. Rosa, on the other hand, daintily hit a man in the back of his neck with a glass bottle. The man was about to attack Gavin, who seemed oblivious of Rosa, and seemed intent on finding his family.


    I practically jumped out of my skin when I felt a tap on my back. My immediate reflex was to grab whoever just touched me by the neck.


    ¡°Hey there¡­¡± Sam raised both hands up in the air as a sign of surrender. ¡°Relax. It¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I demanded as I pulled my hand away from his neck. ¡°You were supposed to quell the riot.¡±


    He pulled Ashley into his arms before shrugging. ¡°It¡¯s not like we have any authority here at The Catacombs or in The Shade. These people aren¡¯t listening to us.¡±


    ¡°Do you even know why they¡¯re rioting or what they¡¯re demanding?¡±


    Sam was about to open his mouth to answer me, but someone screamed ¡°Fire!¡± and I knew there was no time for words. Action had to be taken.


    I looked toward the direction of the voice and sure enough, on the level below ours, where Gavin and Rosa were, a fire had just erupted. Gavin¡¯s eyes grew wide with panic. ¡°Mother!¡± he screamed. He frantically searched his surroundings in search for Lily and the children. That¡¯s when he caught sight of me.


    His jaw tightened as he gave me a pleading look, one that was asking me to do something. It took all the strength I had to conjure up a voice loud enough to drown out the chaos going on around me.


    ¡°ENOUGH!!!¡±


    The word echoed throughout the entire place and an immediate hush followed as everyone tried to locate the source of the voice. I tightened my lips when all eyes turned toward me.


    In as loud a voice as I could manage, I shouted out my command. ¡°Get water and stop that fire.¡± I pointed toward the direction of the flames. ¡°If you all don¡¯t do as I say, we don¡¯t need a culling to end all your lives. You will die of suffocation if you don¡¯t murder yourselves first.¡±


    Immediately, everyone¡¯s focus shifted from their fist fights and ridiculous differences to the fire that was now threatening to kill them all. Gavin shot me a thankful look as he once again went about the task of finding his family, Rosa helping him like a wide-eyed, obedient little puppy.


    ¡°Rosa has a thing for Gavin, doesn¡¯t she?¡± I asked.


    Ashley and Sam chuckled.


    ¡°The only person who can¡¯t seem to figure it out is Gavin, who is probably one of the densest people I¡¯ve ever come across,¡± Ashley said.


    We watched as everyone going at each other¡¯s throats were now working hand-in-hand passing on buckets of water and sackcloth to try and save their homes. No questions asked. The fire would soon die with little or no casualties to account for.


    All that was required was to get them to listen to one voice. I realized then what was the matter. The Naturals were used to being slaves. They were used to being told what to do by the vampires. Without the control of the vampires, they were left to themselves and what resulted was anarchy.


    Corrine could¡¯ve quelled this riot easily, but she never really meddled with things that she wasn¡¯t personally invested in. The Naturals and their stupid lockout and crazy riot were things that didn¡¯t move her personal convictions; thus, she stayed away. In her eyes, this was my problem and I needed to find a solution to it.


    Truth be told, I wanted to just threaten to kill them all, but the only thing keeping my sanity in check was the thought of Sofia standing beside me. She would try to find the solution that would lead to the most lives spared. That was the kind of person Sofia Claremont was¡ªlife-giving.


    I waited until the fire had been completely put out before once again speaking up, ¡°Who is going to answer to me for this riot?! What is going on?! This is madness!¡±


    I was met with utter silence.


    ¡°This riot and the lockout are over. If you want to discuss what you want, then there will be a meeting tomorrow at the Vale¡¯s town square. If you don¡¯t show up, you forfeit your right to be heard.¡±


    ¡°You just want us out so it would be easier to kill us all!¡± some anonymous voice hidden among the crowd cried out.


    ¡°If I wanted you dead, you¡¯d be dead,¡± I bellowed. ¡°Besides, you¡¯re all doing a pretty good job at killing yourselves all on your own. The day after tomorrow, I expect everyone to be back at their posts, doing their work. If you have issues with this, then take it up directly with me.¡±


    I began to walk toward the exit of The Catacombs.


    ¡°I guess that ends that,¡± Sam muttered under his breath as he and Ashley followed behind me. I heaved a sigh, knowing fully how false Sam¡¯s statement was with all the threats pouring down on The Shade at the moment.


    ¡°No, Sam. This is by no means the end of anything. This is barely the beginning.¡±


    CHAPTER 26: SOFIA


    I gently shut the door to my bedroom as I stepped out into the living room, relieved that I was no longer being kept prisoner in one room. I found my father seated on one of the wooden bar stools taking a swig of Scotch. I stared at him for a couple of seconds before moving forward. I didn¡¯t know what to say to him, so I was relieved when he took the initiative to break the silence.


    ¡°How¡¯s Vivienne?¡±


    ¡°She was finally able to get back to sleep. She¡¯s a lot better now.¡± No thanks to you. I climbed onto one of the stools next to him. ¡°Why are you here, Aiden?¡±


    ¡°I came to discuss something of importance with you¡­¡±


    My thoughts began to drift away and his words just trailed off into oblivion. My mind wandered off to all the vampires who¡¯d been tortured and killed at the headquarters. I couldn¡¯t concentrate on anything coming out of Aiden¡¯s mouth, because at that time, I couldn¡¯t quite point out the difference between him and the vampires back at The Shade who shamelessly treated their captives as prey and devoid of souls.


    ¡°Sofia, are you even listening to me?¡± He began snapping a finger in front of my face.


    ¡°Is it true that you¡¯re now doing to Ingrid what you did to Vivienne? You pulled out Vivienne¡¯s fangs. Do you do that to all vampires? Is that what you¡¯re going to do to Claudia too? I¡¯m not a big fan of Claudia. I¡¯ve seen her hurt many humans, but torturing her in that manner seems¡­inhumane.¡±


    ¡°Inhumane?¡± Aiden interrupted before I could continue my rant. ¡°Are you listening to yourself, Sofia? These creatures aren¡¯t humans. Nothing you do to them¡ªno matter how horrible¡ªcan be classified as inhumane.¡±

 Page 21

    I couldn¡¯t believe my ears. Does he truly believe that? Does he think that they are irredeemable and they are completely without hope? ¡°I want to see Ingrid. I don¡¯t care if she¡¯s a crazy freak trying to pawn me off to a vampire even crazier than her. She¡¯s still my mother and the idea of you doing to her what Vivienne¡­¡± I choked on my words. How could anyone with a conscience treat others this way?


    ¡°You¡¯re willing to just forget everything Ingrid did to you? To us?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t forget even if I wanted to, Aiden. You both scarred me for life when you both abandoned me. She¡¯s done worse things, but you are still guilty. Where were you that night when she came with Borys? Why was I home alone? I¡¯ve been wronged by both of you, by so many other people¡ªvampires and humans alike. That doesn¡¯t mean I want to go around torturing and killing everyone who¡¯s wronged me!¡±


    Aiden looked taken aback by my passionate outburst. He opened his mouth in an attempt to respond, but he quickly shut it again as he processed what I was saying to him.


    I was fighting the urge to cry. I was tired of being the victim. Whether or not I was at The Shade or back in California with the Hudsons or here with the hunters, I was always the one in need of saving, always the one who somehow needed someone to rescue her. I¡¯m sick of it. This time, maybe it¡¯s my turn to rescue someone. The thought came with so much conviction, I actually slammed my palm over the counter top making my father jolt back in surprise.


    ¡°Sofia, I¡­¡± His voice came with a squeak. Tears were beginning to brim in his eyes.


    I stared at him, horrified by the thought that my father was about to cry in front of me and I had no idea what I was going to do about it. Looking at him try to swallow back his tears, I couldn¡¯t help but ache with the longing I had for him. All those years growing up, I had wished that he would just look my way, let me know that I was precious to him, but he was never there. I had rehearsed so many times what I would say to him if I got the chance to confront him and let him know how much he broke me by leaving me. Now that I¡¯d already done that, I couldn¡¯t stand it. I couldn¡¯t stand hurting my father.


    I came to an understanding of my own personality. This is exactly why I can¡¯t understand the path of vengeance. No matter how much someone has hurt me, I still find no pleasure in seeing them hurt.


    He finally managed to compose himself. ¡°I never said sorry for leaving you. I thought it was the best thing to do at that time. I know that¡¯s no excuse for not being the father that you needed, but I couldn¡¯t look at you without thinking of your mother. I couldn¡¯t even be in the same room with you without reliving the pain. After I left you with the Hudsons, I¡­ I just¡­ I got myself in too deep with the hunters. I didn¡¯t want you to be a part of that world. I thought that I was keeping you safe by leaving you with them. I thought that maybe, just maybe¡­you could have some semblance of a normal life if I left you with them.¡± He gripped my hand and squeezed tightly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sofia. Believe me when I say that I truly want to make it up to you.¡±


    I knew then that I would remember that encounter as one of the most real and poignant moments that I had ever shared with my father. Overcome by emotion, I got off my seat and hugged him. ¡°You have no idea just how much your apology means to me,¡± I whispered into his ear before placing a gentle kiss on his cheek.


    He wrapped his arms around me and hugged me back. ¡°You¡¯re my little girl, Sofia. My precious daughter. I may have a crappy way of showing it, but I love you.¡±


    He then kissed my forehead and it was all I could do to keep myself from breaking down into sobs. I relished that embrace for a couple more minutes before finally pulling away from him.


    We knew that we¡¯d made a connection the likes only a father and daughter can have with each other. However, we were still keenly aware of our differences¡ªsomething neither of us could escape discussing.


    With him already having heard my rants, I figured it was time I actually listened to what he was trying to tell me. ¡°So what were you saying before I interrupted?¡±


    ¡°I was trying to tell you that you may be right. There just might be a cure to vampirism.¡±


    My breath hitched. I couldn¡¯t believe my ears. Why wasn¡¯t I listening the first time? Suddenly, I found myself holding my breath, hanging on to his every word.


    ¡°If you¡¯re immune, then maybe there¡¯s something in your DNA that makes you immune to the curse. If it¡¯s alright with you, I¡¯m going to have some of our scientists get a sample of your blood and we¡¯ll see where that takes us.¡±


    I stared at him for a couple of seconds, attempting to fully comprehend what he had just said, hope unlike any I¡¯d known before rising up within me. This is it. This is the way Derek and me could actually be together.


    ¡°Sofia? What do you say?¡±


    I nodded empathically. ¡°Yes. Yes. I¡¯ll give you whatever you need.¡± Before I could hold myself back, I threw my arms around his neck a second time. For the first time in eighteen years, it actually felt like I really had a father who cared and sought after my best interests. At that moment, I never could¡¯ve been more thankful that Aiden Claremont was my dad.


    ¡°Thank you! Thank you so much!¡±


    ¡°I love you, Sofia. Don¡¯t you ever forget that.¡±


    ¡°I love you too¡­Dad.¡±


    CHAPTER 27: DEREK


    ¡°We¡¯re in the middle of a siege at the port and you pick tomorrow to call out a general assembly at the town square?¡± Xavier was obviously trying to reel in the flames of fury building up inside him.


    Xavier was never one to treat me like the monarch The Shade portrayed me to be, but in this case, he really wasn¡¯t throwing any deference my way. In fact, as he paced the floor of the room at the Crimson Fortress where we had decided to have our meeting in, he was talking to me like a father scolding his teenage son.


    I calmly took my seat at the head of the table where Cameron and Liana, Eli and Yuri were already seated. Xavier, of course, was still on his feet, cooking up a storm. Words were coming out of his mouth, but it was barely registering in my mind. It was mostly about me losing my mind with the whole going on a drive thing and that he¡¯d always known from the beginning that I was crazy.


    ¡°And yet, here you are, still fighting by my side.¡±


    That halted him from his steamy tirade and the man paused to give me a pensive look. ¡°Yes¡­well, you may be crazy, but the times you are brilliant make up for it.¡±


    ¡°Finally.¡± I threw my hands in the air. ¡°A compliment. Now, could you kindly take a seat so we can get to business?¡±


    Xander begrudgingly sat down before drumming his fingers over the table.


    ¡°We have three orders of business,¡± I began. ¡°One, the general assembly. Two, the siege at the port. Three, the fact that it may take time before we are able to retake the port. This means that I may not be able to attend the meeting Natalie informed us about. The fact that it looks like we¡¯re holding Natalie hostage spells a lot of trouble for us.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t Natalie send a message to the covens that there¡¯s a siege going on?¡± Liana suggested. ¡°I¡¯m sure she knows of a way to contact the other covens from within the island.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m sure she does, but the other covens are threatening to attack us. Is it really the best recourse to let them know that we¡¯re on the brink of civil war? It¡¯s exposing too much of our weaknesses.¡±


    ¡°We have to retake the port as soon as possible then¡­¡± Cameron concluded with the obvious.


    ¡°Right.¡± I nodded curtly. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just go in guns blazing¡ªso to speak¡ªand just kill everyone. The island would be better off without the likes of them if you ask me¡­¡± Xavier said. Always the hothead.


    Sounds great. Let¡¯s do that. ¡°We can¡¯t afford to do that. We have to be able to do this with as little bloodshed as possible.¡± In this, I was firm, though I had no doubt in my mind that it was against my natural instincts. Perhaps that¡¯s why Xavier and I got along so well. We¡¯re both so trigger-happy.


    ¡°Why?¡± Yuri spat. ¡°They¡¯ve betrayed you. They¡¯re out to ruin The Shade.¡±


    I¡¯m sure it¡¯s what Sofia would have done. I straightened up on my seat. ¡°These men fought and bled with us through First Blood. They may be misguided by whatever lies my father weaved to discredit me, but if we are to reach true sanctuary then we have to find a way to work together. Our military force is paralyzed without them. If the other covens attack without them on our side, it will be the end of us.¡±


    Silence ensued. None of us knew what to do.


    Xavier broke the silence. ¡°Why is the general assembly necessary? And at the town square, Derek? The humans would be like sitting ducks there. What if Gregor and Felix attack?¡±


    ¡°What would they do?¡± Liana interjected. ¡°Murder the entire human population? Even Felix isn¡¯t stupid enough to do that. Let¡¯s not forget that he¡¯s one of the vampires who once was advocating better rights for the humans¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because he was still in love with Anna at that time.¡± Yuri waved her comment off. ¡°I honestly think that he wouldn¡¯t mind killing her now.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Eli lifted his glasses over the bridge of his nose.


    I could practically see the wheels winding inside Eli¡¯s genius mind.


    ¡°This could work to our advantage,¡± he spoke up. ¡°If we could lure some of the vampires at the port into the assembly, then we¡¯d have a better chance of taking over the port.¡±


    ¡°We still won¡¯t be able to get in.¡± Xavier shook his head. ¡°They¡¯ll attack us the moment we¡¯re at the narrow staircase.¡±


    ¡°No, no¡­ This can work.¡± I shook my head before sending Eli an encouraging look. ¡°We don¡¯t have to pass through there. The port isn¡¯t the only way out of the island.¡± I swallowed hard. The Lighthouse was my long kept secret. Only Vivienne, Cora and Sofia were aware of it. The shore near the lighthouse was where Cora and I drifted to the island from the shipwreck we were in five hundred years ago. Aside from the port and that small patch of shore near the lighthouse, the island was surrounded by rocky boulders and cliffs.

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    All eyes were on me, as they waited with bated breath, for what I was about to say.


    ¡°First off all,¡± I began, ¡°who among us knows how to swim?¡±


    I grinned inwardly as our plan took form. Gregor Novak won¡¯t know what hit him. I couldn¡¯t help but smirk at the notion. Well, what¡¯s new?


    CHAPTER 28: SOFIA


    Aiden escorted me to where they were keeping Ingrid. Anxious wasn¡¯t too befitting a word to describe how I felt about seeing Ingrid again. I fumbled with my fingers nervously, wondering why on earth she had such an effect on me.


    She¡¯s your mother, Sofia. If what Zinnia was saying is true, then you¡¯re about to see a tortured version of her¡ªthe same way Vivienne looks now. The idea made me sick to my stomach. I knew that no matter what Ingrid did, I could never really wish her wrong. No matter how insane she was, to me, she would always be Camilla Claremont.


    I gave my father a glance, wondering to myself if he felt the same way. A wave of nostalgia hit me, remembering what coming home from school was like when we were still together as a family.


    He always came on time. I never once had to wait. Whenever the school bell rang and I ran down the front steps of the red brick school building that I went to for my elementary education, I could always expect the black BWM waiting for me at the parking lot.


    Most of the time, my dad wouldn¡¯t be inside the car. Instead, he¡¯d be leaning against the passenger side door, arms crossed over his chest and a big smile on his face.


    ¡°Hello, baby,¡± he greeted me, before taking my backpack away from me and putting it on the passenger¡¯s seat. ¡°Would you like some ice cream?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± This was routine. We never went home without some sort of treat¡ªice cream, candy, perhaps a smoothie.


    He would tell me to hush and not tell my mother, but once we reached home, I would tell her anyway and he would make a mess out of my hair for getting him into trouble.


    After the afternoon snack, we would drive home together and he would ask me how my day was. He never once made me feel like he wasn¡¯t listening. He always seemed genuinely interested and actually delighted with what I had to say.


    More often than not, once we got home, we would find my mother in the kitchen or in her study. I loved her study. Of course, I wasn¡¯t allowed to touch any of them, but there were so many interesting trinkets and artifacts in there. Every single one of them had a fascinating story behind it. The Red Orb was my favorite. My dad said that it was how he had gotten my mother to fall in love with him. I loved that story.


    Dinner was never without laughter, and there were always plenty of hugs and kisses to go around. I was a happy child. I felt loved. I never would¡¯ve imagined that things would turn out the way that they did.


    I always felt like Aiden adored me and I still couldn¡¯t wrap my mind around the idea that Camilla held any form of resentment toward me. We were a picture perfect family. Perhaps that was why it was all the more traumatic for me when they had abandoned me. It didn¡¯t help either that growing up, I was diagnosed with so many psychological disorders¡ªranging from ADHD to OCD. It wasn¡¯t until I reached The Shade that Corrine figured out exactly ¡°what was wrong¡± with me. I had LLI or Low Latent Inhibition. It heightened my senses. No filters. I could hear, see, feel, sense everything going on around me at the same time. I wondered if this was the reason I felt deeply for those in pain.


    I remembered all the times that pain was inflicted upon me and I shuddered¡ªeven more so when I remembered seeing Derek in the dungeons of The Oasis. I couldn¡¯t stand the sight of him. I could practically feel his agony. I knew then that I would rather die than ever be held captive by Borys Maslen.


    ¡°You¡¯re shaking, Sofia.¡± Aiden broke through my thoughts. ¡°Nervous?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Kind of. I¡¯m always antsy whenever I have to see Ingrid. She says the most disturbing things sometimes. Trips to her demented mind are never pleasant.¡±


    Aiden chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± he said, the hint of bitterness in his voice hard to miss.


    ¡°Do you love her still?¡± I asked.


    He gave me a short look as if to wonder if he ought to answer my question. He bowed his head and nodded, before giving me what seemed like an honest answer. ¡°I think I always will.¡±


    I could sense his sadness. I would never really understand how my mother could¡¯ve ever let go of him and what we had together as a family.


    By the time we reached Ingrid¡¯s cell, I really couldn¡¯t think about anything other than the question ¡°Why?¡±


    When we showed up and the lights were turned on inside her cell, I was surprised by her appearance. She didn¡¯t look as awful as Vivienne, but it was clear to see based on the blood stains lining her mouth that her fangs had already been ripped out. A group of scientists were already there¡ªmilling around her. They had her strapped to the cot, so she wasn¡¯t able to move.


    Ingrid raised her eyes to see who had just graced her with a visit and a manic grin¡ªthat would most likely haunt my nightmares¡ªformed on her face. ¡°Well, look who came for a visit. Aiden and his beloved Sofia¡­ To what do I owe the honor of your presence? Once again, it looks like I failed to bring you two apart.¡±


    I grimaced, not even certain if I wanted to know what exactly was going through her demented mind. Does that mean she¡¯s already tried before? I stared at her, wondering if what we were about to do was right. Of course it is. How could it not be? This may be her one saving grace.


    Aiden ignored Ingrid and turned to me. ¡°They have been here prepping her system for what has to be done, making sure all her vitals were as required. I¡¯m going to administer the final stage of the process.¡± He pulled out a syringe and began shaking it.


    ¡°How does this even work?¡± I asked, feeling a knot form in my stomach.


    ¡°We used the samples of blood that you gave us and mixed the first sample with vampire blood. Let¡¯s just say the molecular structure of your blood began to battle that of the vampire¡¯s blood. Of course, nothing happened, or should we say, nobody won, until we put the mixture through a heating process and added vervain roots to the mixture¡­¡±


    Ingrid had been listening and horror showed in her eyes when she realized what was about to occur. She once again fought against her restraints.


    ¡°You sure you want to see this?¡± Aiden asked me.


    I nodded, although I wasn¡¯t feeling as confident as I might¡¯ve put on. ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s do this. I wouldn¡¯t miss it for the world.¡±


    Wide-eyed terror flashed into Ingrid¡¯s face. ¡°What are you going to do to me?¡±


    ¡°Relax, honey.¡± My father¡¯s deep voice tried to soothe her.


    The scientists surrounding her stepped aside as she writhed against her restraints on the bed. ¡°What¡¯s that? What¡¯s it for?¡± She stared at the syringe like it was about to bite her.


    Bite her. That¡¯s exactly what it will do. Or perhaps, it¡¯s more accurate to say that it will reverse the effects of a bite.


    In my father¡¯s hands was the cure, and if the hunters¡¯ scientists got it right, I was about to watch Ingrid Maslen turn back into Camilla Claremont¡ªwhether she wanted to or not.


    CHAPTER 29: GREGOR


    The general assembly was far too tempting to pass up. I hadn¡¯t had fresh human blood in weeks and the idea that the lockout was over and I could just grab any person at random and drain the blood out of them was hard not to bite into.


    ¡°It could be a trap,¡± I told Felix.


    We were at the port¡¯s control center, trying to figure out how we were going to keep ourselves fed. The moment we realized that we did the siege with just a few packets of blood to keep us from starvation, I knew that there was a possibility that Derek would just wait us out until we came out desperate for blood. Thus, I was pleased to find out that Natalie Borgia was in the island and keeping her hostage there wouldn¡¯t bode well for Derek at all.


    Felix shook his head. ¡°One of my men was there when Derek stopped the riot. He swore that Derek just came up with it in the spur of the moment. Besides, what are they going to do?¡±


    I stared at Felix wondering if I could trust what he was saying. He wasn¡¯t the greatest strategic mind. Here¡¯s to me hoping Eli was on my side. I grimaced, once again feeling the pain of betrayal upon realizing that my own subjects¡ªones I¡¯d served for four hundred years while my son slept like a baby¡ªcould turn their backs on me. What I would do to them should I ever regain my power¡­ They¡¯re going to pay. I swear it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± one of Felix¡¯s men muttered. ¡°Derek could easily just speed his way down here and kill us all. Why doesn¡¯t he just do that?¡±


    I raised a brow at him. ¡°Interesting that you have so much faith in the capabilities of my son¡­ I don¡¯t care what you think. Derek Novak isn¡¯t that powerful. It was I who sired him. I am more powerful than he is.¡±


    Obviously, he had something to say to that too, but perhaps he was able to see that talking about my son in glowing terms was most likely going to get him killed, so he shut his mouth. Smart boy.


    ¡°So what are we going to do?¡± Felix asked.


    ¡°We get ourselves a bunch of humans to prey on. Let¡¯s see Derek quell another riot after we do that.¡±


    Our plan seemed perfect. I had no doubt in my mind that it would work. It was quite simple. Divide up the men. Some would stay at the port to make sure that we would keep it held, while the others would stake out the pathways that led from The Catacombs to the Vale. We didn¡¯t need to attack the town square. All we had to do was create panic by killing the humans while they were on their way to the assembly.


    I wanted blood so I chose to be with the group that would stake out the humans. Felix stayed behind to lead the guarding of the port.


    As I hid myself behind a tree trunk from where the opening to the Black Heights was visible, I could practically feel the pleasure building up inside of me at the mere thought of once again drinking fresh human blood straight from a beating heart, pumping the liquid right to my parched throat.

 Page 23

    I wasn¡¯t sure if I would be able to keep myself from jumping at the first human that emerged from the cave. I knew, however, that we had to let a good number of them come out and pass through before we could attack. We couldn¡¯t afford to have them warn those who followed after. I had to hold back my anticipation as we waited.


    And that¡¯s what we did the whole time. We waited. And we waited some more. Then we waited some more.


    It felt like an eternity and I was furious that I hadn¡¯t laid eyes on a single human. Once I realized that none of the humans were about to emerge from the caves, I was livid. ¡°Let¡¯s go in!¡± I announced out of pure impulse.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± one of the men I was with asked. ¡°What if there are vampire guards in there? The humans could still be in a lockout. It¡¯s not the first time Felix would be wrong. I mean, he¡¯s had some pretty messed up information before.¡±


    A slew of curses escaped from my lips. ¡°I don¡¯t care! I want blood and I am going to get it!¡±


    I should¡¯ve learned my lesson. Anything I did out of pure impulse usually got me into a lot of trouble. We stormed the opening of the Black Heights and sure enough, the entrance that led to The Catacombs was sealed. They¡¯re still in lockout. How?


    I turned to the other side¡ªto the area of the mountain caves that led to The Cells, the island¡¯s prison system. My heart sank when Xavier emerged with twice as many men as I had. From outside, we could make out Yuri leading another group of vampires.


    ¡°Do you really want to die tonight?¡± Xavier cocked his head to the side. ¡°Because I don¡¯t share Derek¡¯s beliefs that we ought to keep you alive. I really don¡¯t mind ending your lives.¡±


    ¡°You insolent son of a¡­¡± I began to spit out, but paused mid-sentence when the men surrounding me began lifting their hands in surrender. ¡°You cowards! The lot of you! All bloody cowards!¡±


    I attacked Xavier and was able to send him crashing to the ground. I was about to rip his heart out but I was immediately held back by the other men. I knew I looked like a manic fool shouting out curses, but I didn¡¯t care. I hated the idea that Derek had once again outsmarted me. The humiliation was more painful than the betrayal.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. We still hold the port!¡±


    At that, Yuri scoffed. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that. Derek¡¯s a pretty good swimmer. So are Cameron and Liana.¡± He then narrowed his eyes. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it Cameron who rescued you from that shipwreck five hundred years ago?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you! I¡¯m going to kill you all!¡±


    I had no idea how it had happened, but for the first time since I had established The Shade, I spent the night as a prisoner of the kingdom that I ruled. Sitting in a dungeon at The Cell, it felt like I was on the brink of insanity.


    How could my own son do this to me? Doesn¡¯t he realize that if I fail at my mission to take over The Shade, it would be the end of me?


    I was whimpering like a child. How could I not? The darkness was never kind to those who failed. This is it. This is the end of me. He may not know it yet, but Derek just murdered his own father.


    CHAPTER 30: DEREK


    The reaction on Felix¡¯s face was priceless. He clearly never saw it coming. The swim from the shore of the lighthouse to the underwater portals of the port was long and exhausting, but all we had to do was stealthily get from the portals we used to get people transferred from the submarines to the port and recover our strength inside one of the submarines.


    Felix and his men were really lax in their guarding of the port, thinking the only way we could get in was through the staircase. Thus, when Cameron, Liana and I emerged from one of the submarines, they all looked shocked.


    Felix, whom I¡¯d always known wasn¡¯t much of a fighter and was more of a coward, immediately made a run for it.


    Those who weren¡¯t able to run surrendered. It seemed none of them were willing to die for whatever cause it was that they were fighting for. I breathed out a sigh, hoping that Xavier and Yuri were able to take my father by surprise too.


    After we had finished our planning at the Crimson Fortress, we decided to postpone the general assembly. I instructed Gavin and Ian to spread the word that the general assembly was to be at a later date and that they were once again going on lockout until we could eliminate the threat Felix and Gregor were placing on them.


    What I would¡¯ve given to see the reaction on my father¡¯s face upon realizing that The Catacombs was still on lockout. I had just walked out of the port to breathe in the fresh night air when I heard a familiar voice calling my name.


    ¡°You did it.¡± Corrine approached and as I turned to face her, I was surprised to see her smiling. When she usually looked at me, Corrine always seemed to have a look of disapproval on her face, so this was different.


    ¡°We did it,¡± I clarified, although I wasn¡¯t exactly sure what it was that we did. We regained control of the port and the riot at The Catacombs was over, but I still had to figure out how to get to Sofia and there was still a threat of attack from the other covens.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to get a response back to the covens as soon as possible.¡± Natalie gazed at me with concern as if to ask me if I was sure I wanted to meet with the other coven leaders.


    I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if there was some way she was being heard by the other covens. She seemed to be extremely guarded with what she said.


    She embraced me and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t go,¡± so softly, I barely heard it.


    I nodded at Natalie before saying, ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about the meeting and I think it would be better if my father goes on my behalf. He¡¯s usually the one who speaks to the other coven leaders. He once was the ruler of The Shade. He¡¯s more capable of handling these things than me.¡± And if Gregor goes, that means I won¡¯t have to worry about him messing things up here at The Shade.


    ¡°Derek, they want you.¡± Natalie shook her head. ¡°If you don¡¯t go, then they are going to attack.¡±


    I was momentarily confused by her. One minute, she was whispering for me not to go then the very next minute, she¡¯s telling me that I have to go. I narrowed my eyes at her before finally realizing what she was doing. She was trying to warn me while still accomplishing her job of delivering a message¡ªthe other covens¡¯ message that it was necessary for me to be there. I heaved out a sigh, knowing how difficult it was for her to stay neutral even despite the fact that she cared about me.


    ¡°If what they want is a road to diplomacy, then they would accept my representative with open arms. It shouldn¡¯t matter if I don¡¯t appear in person.¡±


    ¡°You were warned.¡± A hint of a smile appeared on Natalie¡¯s face.


    I nodded. ¡°Warning taken. However, it¡¯s in my best interest to remain at The Shade for now.¡±


    Natalie nodded before a guard escorted her to one of the submarines that would lead her off the island and back to the mainland.


    ¡°What was that all about? Sending Gregor Novak to the meeting with the coven leaders?¡± Corrine asked¡ªperhaps more out of curiosity than concern for mine or The Shade¡¯s wellbeing.


    I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to protect Natalie. She¡¯s gotten herself into a lot of trouble because of me.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Trouble. It seems to chase you wherever you go.¡±


    ¡°I have no idea how to get to Sofia, Corrine, and if I leave The Shade, there¡¯s no telling what could happen again. This place is in chaos. Felix and Gregor could easily take over¡­¡±


    ¡°Gregor is already detained at The Cells. He isn¡¯t going to cause you any trouble now.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s still my father, Corrine. I can¡¯t just keep him locked in there.¡±


    ¡°I guess Sofia had more effect on you than I initially thought. I know the Novaks¡¯ loyalties to each other are very strong. It¡¯s what kept you alive so long, but the Derek legends speak of wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to destroy his own father. It¡¯s why you were so feared.¡±


    ¡°Every day is a battle to keep the ¡®Derek legends speak of¡¯ from emerging once again. I can¡¯t afford to be that person.¡± The thought of Sofia¡¯s hand clasping mine. Her smile. Her touch. I ached for her so much, just thinking about it made it difficult for me to breathe. ¡°If the other covens attack, I wouldn¡¯t know what to do. We could lose everything. There must be a way out of this. Do you think I should meet with the other coven leaders? Maybe it¡¯s not too late¡­¡±


    ¡°I think you should find Sofia, Derek. Prophecy is prophecy¡­ You won¡¯t be able to fulfill your destiny unless she is by your side.¡±


    I knew full well that the only reason I survived being taken by the hunters was because of Sofia. Aiden clearly warned me that should I ever return, he wouldn¡¯t be as kind and accommodating. Dread filled me at the thought of dying in the hunters¡¯ hands.


    I caught sight of one of the guards coming out of the port, recognizing him as one of Xavier¡¯s men usually stationed at The Cells. I called on him to give him instructions. ¡°Let Ashley and Eli know that I want them to come to my penthouse first thing tomorrow. Tell them that we¡¯re going to locate hunter territory.¡± Of all the people who could possibly help me narrow down the location of hunter headquarters, it was them. ¡°Also, check if the lockout has been ended.¡±


    ¡°Of course, sir.¡± The guard bowed before heading off.


    ¡°And what are you going to do until tomorrow?¡± Corrine asked from behind me.


    ¡°Sleep. I haven¡¯t had any of that since I arrived at The Shade. Come to think about it, I haven¡¯t had any blood either.¡± I flashed Corrine a grin and narrowed one eye at her. ¡°Perhaps that¡¯s the reason you look so enticing.¡±


    ¡°Watch it, Novak. All it takes is one spell from me to end you.¡±


    I saw a hint of a smile on her twitching lip. I raised my hands in the air in mock surrender. ¡°Not really you I¡¯m afraid of. Some other woman already beat you to the punch and has already cast a spell on me.¡±

 Page 24

    She nodded knowingly, this time a full smile appearing on her face. ¡°The magic of Sofia Claremont.¡±


    I chuckled, realizing the reality that no matter what happened, Sofia would always be a part of me. A mixture of sadness and affection came with the next thought: Perhaps that¡¯s it. That¡¯s how we¡¯re going to be together. Sofia will forever be immortalized in my thoughts, in my soul, in my heart. Perhaps we don¡¯t really have to be physically together.


    That night, for the first time since I had left her, I tried to imagine Sofia¡¯s face and found that I could no longer picture her face as clearly as I had done before. I shut my eyes, holding on to whatever figments of her was left inside me. No. I need to find you, Sofia. I can¡¯t let you slip away. Not ever.


    I dreamt of Sophia that night. The dream reminded me how beautiful she was, reminded me that Sofia Claremont would indeed always be a part of me.


    CHAPTER 31: SOFIA


    Ingrid Maslen was human and she wasn¡¯t happy about it. Aiden and I were watching from surveillance monitors in another room as she tore at her cot¡¯s bedding and screamed her lungs out.


    A guard dropped by to give her a plate of food and she looked at the sandwich as if it were the most despicable thing she¡¯d ever laid eyes on. The food tray and the meal were thrown straight against the wall.


    ¡°How could you do this to me?!¡± she yelled into the camera, letting us know that she was aware we were watching her.


    ¡°I guess the cure works,¡± was all Aiden managed to say.


    I tilted my head to the side, not knowing whether to be amused or elated or just bothered by what was happening to Ingrid. ¡°I think the cure works to rid the person of vampirism, but it doesn¡¯t work to cure them of their craziness.¡±


    ¡°Did you really believe that she could be cured of that?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me and tell me that you¡¯re not still hoping for the same thing.¡±


    All I got from my father was a bittersweet smile. That was enough of an answer. I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. ¡°Thank you for believing me.¡±


    The muscles on his face tightened, his eyes once again fixed on the surveillance monitor, watching the woman he loved making a complete fool of herself.


    ¡°May I speak with her again?¡± I asked.


    He seemed surprised. ¡°Are you sure? It wouldn¡¯t come as a surprise if she attacks you.¡±


    ¡°I think I can handle it. I¡¯ll be fully equipped like you instructed.¡± I tapped my thigh where I had a wooden stake and a UV ray gun inside a holster.


    ¡°She¡¯s no longer a vampire¡­ The gun or even the stake if not used well could just maim her.¡±


    I had to laugh at how overprotective he was being. ¡°Maiming her is good enough to protect myself I think¡­¡±


    ¡°Before you go ahead and talk to her,¡± He gently brushed a hand over my shoulder blade. ¡°How do you intend to get the cure to Derek?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d have to go back to The Shade.¡± I shrugged. It seemed like the obvious answer.


    ¡°I¡¯m not letting you go back there alone. What if the cure doesn¡¯t work and they keep you captive there?¡± His face took on a very grim expression as he shook his head, and I could tell that there was no dissuading him from his doubts.


    I swallowed hard. ¡°Derek is never going to allow hunters into The Shade.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if we have to meet him outside of that secret island kingdom of his. I¡¯m going with you, Sofia. And that¡¯s that. I don¡¯t care how in love you are with this person, I can¡¯t lose my daughter again, and if you go back to The Shade alone even your word of honor won¡¯t allow me to believe that I will ever see you again.¡±


    I understood where he was coming from, but I had no idea how to communicate with Derek without going back to The Shade either. Unless¡­ ¡°Well, there¡¯s this girl. Natalie Borgia. You know her?¡±


    My father¡¯s brow rose. The name was clearly one that he¡¯d heard of before.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure either Claudia or Ingrid would know how to get in touch with her. We¡¯d have to promise her safety. Messing with her is like messing with every single vampire out there, so¡­¡±


    ¡°I know how important she is,¡± Aiden cut me off. ¡°You can trust me. She won¡¯t be harmed.¡±


    I wanted to trust him. I really did, but staring up at him, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how much of him was Aiden, my father, and how much of him was Reuben, the hunter. Still, I wanted to believe that he was sincere, that he was on my side. Isn¡¯t he already getting so much heat from the higher-ups about his decisions lately?


    ¡°I¡¯ll get the information we need from Ingrid or Claudia. I do have one condition¡­¡±


    He narrowed his eyes at me. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Claudia and Vivienne will be going with us. They deserve to get back home to The Shade. If they want the cure, then that¡¯s for them to decide, but I don¡¯t want them here any longer.¡±


    ¡°Sofia, you have to realize the trouble I¡¯m gonna get into if I just let them go¡­ I¡¯m already dealing with enough heat after letting Derek go.¡±


    ¡°I know, but I¡¯m not going to leave them here.¡±


    ¡°Leave them? Sofia, you¡¯re talking like you¡¯re not coming back.¡±


    ¡°Dad, I belong with Derek. If the cure works and he turns back into a human, then I owe it to myself and to him to actually give what we have a shot. We¡¯re engaged. If the cure works, we are going to get married.¡±


    His eyes darkened. Clearly, the idea of me marrying Derek Novak¡ªvampire or not¡ªwasn¡¯t something he was happy about.


    ¡°We¡¯ll discuss that in due time,¡± he responded. ¡°You can have a talk with your mother now if you want.¡±


    I nodded, sensing the tension. I could practically see the wheels inside his head turning. I knew that he was thinking about what I had just said. I loved Aiden. He was my father, but this was my life. He couldn¡¯t just stand in the way of what I had with Derek. This was something I was going to fight for.


    At that moment, however, the fight I faced was with my mother, or perhaps the lingering affection I still held for her. I had no idea what to expect or why I had even wanted to talk to her. Maybe I wanted to give her another chance.


    Visual daggers were thrown my way the moment I entered her cell.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you would do this to me,¡± she hissed.


    I looked at her, a reflection of me. From the moment I first laid eyes on her, I always thought of her as more beautiful than I was. I sat on the cot¡ªor at least what was left of it as I stared at her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, Ingrid¡­¡± I mused loudly as the cell doors closed, a guard watching nearby in case Ingrid tried to do anything foolish.


    ¡°Understand what, Sofia?¡±


    ¡°How you could turn your back on Aiden¡­ I¡¯m sure you loved him and he loved you. Why would you willingly become something that keeps you away from him?¡±


    ¡°You mean like a vampire? Did you not choose to remain human even in spite of your love for Derek? Isn¡¯t that the same thing?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to be turned into a vampire.¡± I nodded. ¡°But when I realized that it was perhaps the only way I could be with him, I did ask him to turn me¡ªmostly to see if I would turn. When I didn¡¯t, I was devastated to realize that I couldn¡¯t become what I needed to be in order to be with him.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. I couldn¡¯t become what I need to be in order to be with Aiden. I couldn¡¯t become Camilla. I couldn¡¯t become the perfect housewife. I was weak and afraid. Every day I was haunted by the thought that he might see me for the broken creature that I am and leave me. Especially in contrast to your perfection, how could I have stood a chance?¡±


    ¡°I am your daughter, Ingrid. I am Aiden¡¯s daughter. I don¡¯t understand how you could see me as competition.¡±


    At that, she sealed her lips and I knew just by looking at her that my words had somehow triggered dark memories that she dared not speak of.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying,¡± was all she said after a tense silence. ¡°You and Aiden ruined me when you turned me back into a human. I was powerful and strong as a vampire. Now, I¡¯m back to being what I was before: weak and mortal.¡±


    ¡°At least now you and Aiden could have a chance at being together again.¡±


    ¡°Not as long as you¡¯re alive.¡± She raised her eyes to meet mine and I shuddered to find so much hatred coming from her gaze. ¡°What are you seeking to accomplish with this cure, Sofia? You plan to turn Derek Novak back into a human so you can raise kids in a picket fence house, live the American dream and frolic together in your own happily ever after? Don¡¯t be a fool, Sofia. You and Derek don¡¯t belong together.¡±


    ¡°The same way you and my father don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Derek will only make you weak, Sofia. Just like what your father did to me now. Turned me back into a human, into this whimpering pathetic weakling¡­ If you end up with Borys, he will make you strong.¡±


    At that, my eyes softened. I saw how broken she was as she curled up into the corner of the room, knees held to her chest as she fought back sobs. I approached her tentatively, wondering if she was still planning to somehow attack me.


    When I reached her and I sat in front of her, she shied away from me, but it wasn¡¯t like she had any space to back into. I brushed a hand against her long auburn locks and she flinched at my touch. I kissed her forehead and was surprised at how she trembled.


    ¡°You might be surprised at how powerful a force love is, Mother.¡± I then pressed my lips against her cheek, realizing that this might be the first and last kiss I could give her for what remained of my life. ¡°For all it¡¯s worth, I do love you, Camilla.¡±


    She glared at me in response, but I meant what I had said. I backed away from her and I signaled for the guard to let me out. As I took a turn toward the hallway that would lead me out of the hawk headquarters¡¯ dungeons, I could swear that I had actually heard Ingrid Maslen sob.

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    CHAPTER 32: DEREK


    Things were getting back to normal¡ªor at least it seemed that way. After we heard what they had to say and what their demands were, we told the humans that we would look into their requests and that we would see that their living conditions were improved. With that settled, the humans were back at their posts. We were still hunting down Felix and the few men who still remained with him. Those who surrendered were given amnesty in exchange for their loyalty.


    The only remaining threat was the attack of the covens¡ªwhich we hadn¡¯t heard anything from Natalie about.


    ¡°What if they actually agree to you sending Gregor?¡± Ashley asked. ¡°I don¡¯t really understand why you would send him in your stead.¡±


    We were at my penthouse¡¯s dining room with Eli, who just stepped out to get us some blood when Ashley broached the subject of the meeting with the coven leaders.


    ¡°Trust me. They won¡¯t. They¡¯re bent on declaring war on The Shade. Of that, I am sure. I won¡¯t even be surprised if my father¡¯s working with them.¡±


    ¡°It seems like a dangerous assumption to risk the entire island on.¡±


    ¡°I just know. I know Natalie. I could tell by the way she was acting. They¡¯re going to declare war on us whether I go or not, and if there¡¯s war, I think we all stand a better chance if I¡¯m here at The Shade and not out of it.¡±


    ¡°Then what about looking for Sofia?¡±


    I inwardly groaned. We¡¯d been discussing everything we knew about the hunters and where we were brought and we narrowed down our search for their headquarters to a certain spot on the map.


    Ashley had already made it clear that witches still worked for the hunters. Thus, there was a great possibility that headquarters could be hidden by a spell the same way The Shade was.


    ¡°I want more than anything to have Sofia back here, but maybe we¡¯re wasting our time with all this¡­ Maybe this is how it¡¯s supposed to be.¡±


    Ashley gave me a strong smack on the shoulder. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you! We¡¯re at this again? Really? I know Sofia. The fact that you left her there is probably driving her insane! How could you do that to her?! I don¡¯t care what you think things are supposed to be, I know for sure that Sofia belongs here with you and not out there as some sort of spoiled, rich princess to her father, the lord of the hunters.¡±


    At that point, Eli stepped into the dining room, glasses of blood in hand. He began placing the glasses on the table in front of us. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Do you think Derek should leave here and be looking for Sofia as soon as possible?¡± Ashley asked.


    Eli first took a sip from his glass of blood before responding to the blonde. ¡°I suppose, but I¡¯m not sure about ¡®as soon as possible.¡¯¡± He directed his attention toward me. ¡°I understand how important Sofia is, but I can¡¯t help but feel as if we¡¯re wasting time looking for her when there¡¯s an imminent attack on The Shade. Should we not be focusing on our energies on fortifying our defenses and gearing up for war?¡±


    I cast a triumphant look at Ashley, who ignored me and sent death glares at Eli. Truth be told, my heart sank at what Eli had just said. Though my brain was telling me the same things Eli was saying, deep inside, I was desperate to find Sofia¡ªwhether it was because of my love for her or my craving for her blood, I was no longer sure. When it came to Sofia, black and white always had a way of fading into gray.


    A knock on the front door interrupted our conversation. I stood up to answer it despite Eli¡¯s offer to get the door. I walked up to the front door and swung it open to find Xavier and Natalie standing at my doorstep.


    ¡°Look who¡¯s back,¡± Xavier announced wryly, a weary look on his face. ¡°Apparently, she can¡¯t get enough of the chaos.¡±


    ¡°Or maybe she just misses you¡­¡± I shrugged.


    Natalie stepped forward, rolling her eyes at both of us, before giving Xavier a glare that clearly showed there was little chance of her ever missing him. She then set her eyes on me. ¡°You¡¯re going to need a seat for what I¡¯m about to tell you.¡±


    I swallowed hard and waved toward my living room. Natalie seemed to be bracing herself for what she had to say. ¡°I have two messages. One is from the vampire covens. The other is from Sofia Claremont. Which one do you want to hear first?¡±


    I froze. I knew what to expect from the vampire covens. I had no idea what Sofia¡¯s message would be. The unknown seemed to be a lot more fearsome than the immense threat that came with the known. ¡°I¡¯d like to hear what the other vampire covens have to say.¡±


    Natalie cleared her throat. ¡°Their message is simple. Three words. Prepare for war.¡±


    ¡°They sent you all the way here just to say that?¡± Xavier grimaced. ¡°Not like we didn¡¯t already know that.¡±


    I straightened up in my seat and nodded. ¡°Very well then. All I can say in response to that is another three words. Let them come.¡± I paused, surprised that war¡ªsomething I feared would happen¡ªwasn¡¯t alarming me as much as it should have. I guess knowing that Sofia had me in mind was more rattling a thought. ¡°The second message?¡±


    ¡°Understand that there was no way for me to meet with her,¡± Natalie explained. ¡°It was too dangerous to see her personally, with her being in the hunters¡¯ hands, so we had to communicate by phone.¡±


    I understood the implication of that. If Natalie was somehow bugged by the other covens, then they had most likely heard what Sofia had said.


    ¡°Sofia says that she might have found a way for you and her to be together. She wants to meet with you at a hotel in Cancun.¡± Natalie handed me a small note. ¡°Those are the details of the time and place.¡±


    I took the note and drew a breath at what was written: They know the time and place. It¡¯s too dangerous. Sofia is talking about the hunters having found a cure to vampirism.


    It felt like a rock was somehow able to lodge itself in my throat as I read the last phrase over and over and over again. A cure to vampirism. Not once since I had turned into a vampire did it ever even cross my mind that there could be a cure. How is that possible?


    I raised my eyes to meet Natalie¡¯s. She tightened her lips almost as if to warn me to tread very, very carefully. The possibilities that came with a cure began to whirl around my mind. A cure. A cure! If I turned back into a human, I would be mortal. Sofia and I could get married, have children, grow old together¡­ The deepest desires of my heart made possible.


    Hope unlike anything I¡¯d felt before surged within me. Could she have really done it? Could she really have found a way for us to be together?


    ¡°Well?¡± Natalie broke the tense silence, her eyes set on the piece of paper she had handed over to me. She noticed how much I was shaking as I held it in my hand. ¡°What do you want me to tell her?¡±


    ¡°Tell her to come to The Shade. I can¡¯t risk leaving The Shade. Not with an impending war. If I¡¯m going to meet with her, then it would have to be here.¡±


    ¡°You do realize that she doesn¡¯t plan to meet with you alone, right?¡± Natalie clarified. ¡°The hunters will be with her¡ªmost likely her own father.¡±


    ¡°Derek¡­¡± Xavier was shaking his head, clearly about to object. ¡°I know how much Sofia matters to you, but for crying out loud¡­she¡¯s with the hunters. Is now really the best time to accommodate hunters here at the island? We can barely keep things together!¡±


    A thousand possibilities crossed my mind all at once. Threatening. Overwhelming. Disturbing. I shook the thoughts out. There was no point in succumbing to the fears. ¡°I need Sofia to find true sanctuary. The prophecy makes that clear. If the only way she can get back here is with the hunters, then so be it. Let them come. Let them all come.¡±


    If war has to happen, I can¡¯t stop it. I just know that I need Sofia by my side. If this is the only way, then so be it.


    CHAPTER 33: CLAUDIA


    I was their gift to him.


    Yuri was celebrating his twenty-first birthday and his newfound friends wanted to give him a woman as a gift. The Duke decided that I would be the perfect gift for the young man who was already being acclaimed as an artist of great genius. Of course, my master also knew that Yuri meant so much more to me than that.


    When I was presented to Yuri, I could tell that he was uncomfortable with the idea. I¡¯d seen the same look in his eyes with countless other men before him. The uncertainty¡­that gut feeling that what they were doing was wrong. Still, most of the time, the gut feeling never actually stopped them.


    Both of us were practically jostled and shoved into a room, with hoots and cheers for Yuri to enjoy himself. I could tell that he would be pressured to tell them what had gone on inside the bedroom. I stood there, trying to control the way my body was trembling. I often shook before the Duke, but in front of Yuri, it was for very different reasons. With Yuri, I never felt more vulnerable than I did at that moment.


    ¡°Could you please take off the mask?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯m not allowed to.¡± I hoped that he wouldn¡¯t recognize my voice. I hoped that I would never have to remove that mask and reveal myself to him, but I also understood why the Duke instructed me not to remove it until Yuri was finished with me. The Duke relished the idea of Yuri finding out that he¡¯d been pursuing a whore like me. I swallowed back the tears at the thought of Yuri seeing me in a completely different way after that night.


    He approached me and raised his hand. I flinched from his touch, afraid that he would take the mask off. Instead, he just brushed a thumb over my exposed collarbone, the flimsy dress I was wearing leaving little to his imagination.


    ¡°Should we begin?¡± I asked, motioning to get on the bed. I was slightly curious about what he was going to do. I was half-expecting him to stop me, to tell me that this didn¡¯t feel right and that he really shouldn¡¯t do this considering how he was pursuing another woman. I wanted to believe that he was a decent man, but I should¡¯ve known that he was what he was: a man.

 Page 26

    As I lay down on the bed, my heart broke when he climbed on top of me and began gently undoing the laces on the bodice of my gown. As he did what he came there to do, I tried to shut my mind off what was happening. I tried to think of him as someone other than the young man who enamored me over the past weeks, but I couldn¡¯t. Yuri was just like every other man: out to use women like me.


    When he was done, his weight fell atop me and without asking me, he removed the mask. I didn¡¯t have the will to resist. At that point, I didn¡¯t care anymore if he saw me for what I was, because I saw him for what he was too.


    When our eyes met, I could barely recognize him through the blur of my own tears. Despite the haziness, however, I could still make out the shock in his eyes upon realizing who it was that he just laid with.


    ¡°It¡¯s you¡­¡± he managed to say as he got off me and pulled his clothes back on in a hurry.


    I tried to show him that I was strong, that my heart wasn¡¯t breaking in two at what had just occurred between us, but my resolve was crumbling. I sat up and took my place on the edge of the bed, trying not to cry as I pulled my dress back on. I wanted to get out of that room as quickly as possible, but found that I was shaking so badly, I could barely get the dress on.


    His face softened as he watched me struggle. I couldn¡¯t decipher the expression on his face.


    Is he disgusted by me? Does he think less of me now than he did before?


    ¡°Stop,¡± he ordered me after I failed once again to get my arms through the sleeves of the dress.


    By pure instinct, I heeded to his command. That was the training the Duke had put me through. Every order was followed immediately and without question. I dropped my arms to my sides, allowing the top of the dress to fall over the bunched skirt of the outfit.


    Yuri approached me and held my arms, coaxing me to stand up. Afraid that the skirt would fall to the ground and once again expose me completely to him, I hung on to the dress, holding it just below my waist as I let him study me.


    I didn¡¯t dare look at his face as he perused me, but I sensed it when he swallowed hard. ¡°Why do you have so many bruises?¡±


    Why does it matter? As usual, I didn¡¯t respond. In my book, he didn¡¯t deserve a response. Not after he had just used me.


    ¡°Who did this to you? Is this why I can¡¯t walk with you anymore? Is this why you wouldn¡¯t accept even the smallest of gifts from me?¡±


    I hated his questions. I didn¡¯t want to have to answer them. After all, what was the point? I was fully exposed to him now. The charade we had was over. ¡°Is there anything else you would have me do for you?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Answer my questions and tell me your name.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t or won¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Both.¡±


    Yuri frowned at me and the silence was so long and deafening, I finally managed to look up at him. I was surprised by what I saw there, because what I saw was something I never saw from the Duke or from any man who¡¯s had me before. Guilt. I saw Yuri¡¯s guilt.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± he told me.


    I couldn¡¯t fight back the urge to scoff at him. ¡°You¡¯re sorry? Would you have been sorry if you had never seen who was behind the mask?¡±


    He gulped. ¡°I was sorry even while I was¡­while we were¡­ This is wrong. I never should¡¯ve gone along with this.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you?¡± Why does anyone? Do they have any idea how much ruin they bring to us?


    He didn¡¯t respond. Instead, he lifted the bodice of my gown over my body and began lacing it up. ¡°This time, I really do understand,¡± he said. ¡°Nothing has changed. In my eyes, you¡¯re still the beautiful woman in the woods, the same one I wouldn¡¯t mind taking a walk with every day for the rest of my life, the same one who enamored me from the first moment I laid my eyes on her.¡±


    He kissed my lips¡ªthe most tender and precious kiss I¡¯d ever experienced.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I did this to you. I¡¯m sorry you have to go through this, but know that I will spend my whole life making it up to you. I swear it.¡±


    He was true to his word. I don¡¯t think Yuri ever forgave himself for sleeping with me that night. In fact, even when I made advances on him over the past centuries, he never did quite respond.


    He was the one who turned me into a vampire. He did it so I could protect myself from the Duke. Yuri was the one who always looked after me and protected me for hundreds of years.


    I hated it when he was with any other woman aside from me and I knew that he hated it whenever I was with any other man aside from him, but that was the way it¡¯d always been with Yuri. We couldn¡¯t stand being apart, but somehow, we both knew that we couldn¡¯t be together either. I asked him once why that was and his blunt answer was enough to give clarity to our situation: ¡°I want to be with you, Claudia. I think you know that, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll ever enjoy us being together until you get that sixteen-year-old victim out of you.¡±


    That was the day I realized that Yuri saw right through me. I knew that he didn¡¯t care about my past, that he would accept me if only I could accept myself. He also knew that I would always find it difficult to ever forgive him for sleeping with me that night. Until I was ready, until I could let go of my past, we both knew that we could never really be together.


    Leaving The Shade, that¡¯s exactly what happened to me: I realized that the past really didn¡¯t matter, that I¡¯d been wasting my immortality being so caught up in avenging my past against someone I had already ended. I was punishing both Yuri and myself for a past neither of us could ever change.


    What I would do to take it all back and do things differently¡­


    My thoughts were interrupted when the door creaked open and Sofia emerged. I hadn¡¯t heard from Sofia since she had told me that she was going to escape.


    ¡°Sofia!¡± I jumped out of the bed to greet her. ¡°Were you able to do it? Were you able to find a way to escape to The Shade? And now you¡¯ve come back for me?¡±


    She shook her head and gave me a soft smile. ¡°I got caught. You really can¡¯t trust some people.¡±


    My heart sank. I breathed out a sigh and shrugged. ¡°I guess this is it then? I deserve this fate. My fault for being so stupid all these years.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t have predicted what Sofia was going to say next in a million years, but when she said it, it was music to my ears.


    ¡°No, Claudia. We¡¯re going back to The Shade.¡±


    CHAPTER 34: INGRID


    My daughter was a relentless plague I couldn¡¯t seem to get rid of. Her words cut like a knife and kept cutting even as they circled my mind over and over and over again.


    You might be surprised at how powerful a force love is, Mother.


    Mother. She called me mother. She told me she loved me. Na?ve young woman. I scoffed even as I sat on that wretched cot inside that wretched hunter dungeon, lamenting my humanity. However, as much as I hated to admit it, I could call her na?ve and innocent as much as I wanted, but deep inside, I knew the truth. She was stronger in spirit and more powerful in her love and kindness than I could ever be. Sofia was everything I was not, everything I wished I could be. Perhaps that was why I loathed her so much.


    I couldn¡¯t understand how she could be so strong and powerful even clothed in her frail humanity. When I realized what Aiden had done, that he had exacted the ultimate punishment upon me by turning me back into a human being, it tore me apart. It felt like losing everything that had made me who I was. I lashed out. When Sofia visited me, she came as a wave of calm in the storm I was brewing up. I took one look at her¡ªbeautiful and brave¡ªand knew that there was something deeply wrong with me for envying her instead of being proud of her.


    I was still musing over her words when Aiden showed up, messing with my conflicted emotions even more.


    ¡°How could you do this to me?¡± I glared at him.


    He just stared as he stepped in. The bars behind him shut closed and we were left alone.


    I tried to hold my glare at him as he stared right back. I knew, however, that it was a battle of wills I couldn¡¯t win. I shuddered as I looked into his green eyes, butterflies fluttering in my stomach¡ªa sensation I hadn¡¯t felt since I turned into a vampire. I couldn¡¯t help but break the stare as I bowed my head, my eyes downcast. ¡°What do you want from me, Aiden?¡±


    ¡°Can you never be Camilla again?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you¡¯ve turned me into? Am I not once again human? Weak and vulnerable to your every advance? Pining for you? Unworthy of you?¡±


    ¡°Is that what you felt all those years we were together, Camilla? That you were unworthy? That you were weak?¡±


    I didn¡¯t respond. I couldn¡¯t believe my ears. How could he not know the answers to the questions he was spouting out? How could he not know that that was exactly how I had felt? More than that, I couldn¡¯t believe that he had actually called me by that name again. Camilla. I couldn¡¯t understand it, but my heart leaped at the sound of him saying that name again.


    ¡°I never saw you that way. You were vibrant and strong-willed and adventurous. You were sweet and kind. You were beautiful in every way as Camilla Claremont, and then you became Ingrid Maslen and now, look at you¡­¡±


    His words stung. All these years, I looked down on the person that I was. To be told that he found that person beautiful was daunting to me. How on earth could he have seen her as beautiful?


    ¡°What do you want from me, Aiden?¡± I asked him, hoping to end the confrontation as soon as possible. ¡°I¡¯m human now. Shouldn¡¯t I be released from this prison by now? Or do you torment and brainwash humans too?¡±


    Aiden shook his head slowly. ¡°What do I want from you? I just wanted you to know that what you wanted¡ªSofia ultimately belonging to your beloved lord, Borys¡­it¡¯s not going to happen. We¡¯re about to turn Derek Novak into a human being¡ªjust like you¡ªand there¡¯s nothing you can do about it.¡±


    I was surprised by the effect those words had on me. I was made livid by the idea, reinforcing that a part of Ingrid Maslen still remained with me. ¡°She belongs with Borys Maslen!¡± I screamed at him.

 Page 27

    Sadness unlike anything I had ever seen before filled his eyes. ¡°I wish you wouldn¡¯t say that. I guess human or not, you will always be Ingrid Maslen. Goodbye.¡±


    Left to myself, I felt the hopelessness of my defeat. It felt like Sofia had won over me. She took everything from me. I had nothing left. Nothing. Sofia, on the other hand, was about to get everything she had ever wanted. It didn¡¯t seem fair, but there was nothing I could do about it.


    Why live to see her celebrating her triumph over me?


    Desperate, I took a shard of glass from the ground, left over from a glass of water I¡¯d thrown against the wall. I tried to recall the last time I had felt pain as a human. Horrible memories I had long buried flashed through my mind, reminding me how cruel humans can be, how coldhearted and merciless they were. I don¡¯t want to be among them. I slashed the glass over my wrist, wincing at the pain.


    I waited, as I watched the blood gush out of my wrist. I was expecting to immediately sense the call of death upon me, but nothing happened. The blood just kept gushing out and trickling onto the ground until to my shock, the gash on my wrist slowly began to close.


    I stared at my wrist in horror. What¡¯s going on? I slashed the knife through my skin again¡ªthis time a deeper, more lethal gash. Within minutes, the same thing happened.


    I had no idea what was going on, but one thing seemed certainly true despite what they had done to me: I was still immortal.


    CHAPTER 35: DEREK


    I did not know how it had happened or who instigated the news, but word of the hunters coming to the island spread like wildfire. As was expected, the news came with several degrees of mixed reactions¡ªmostly negative. The vampires who remained neutral were beginning to question my sanity. Those who were loyal, on the other hand, did not find it hard to voice out their concerns on the matter. While some were quick to assure me that they had my support, I knew that their trust in me was wavering.


    The arrival of the hunters seemed to spark hope of escape from The Shade from some of the Naturals. Gavin and Ian were trying to take my side in explaining to them that hunters didn¡¯t exactly see humans taken captives by vampires as citizens of the outside world worth saving. They were made examples of, the human slaves of The Oasis, when they were massacred right along with their vampire lords. This knowledge didn¡¯t serve well to quell the hopes of those who would rather cling to the unknown brought about by the hunters rather than to the chaos they were so accustomed to at The Shade.


    I myself was questioning my own judgment, but I knew Sofia, and I knew that she would not suggest something she believed could ever bring The Shade harm. Unless of course they¡¯d gotten to her somehow and turned her against me¡­


    ¡°Am I making the right decision?¡± I asked Corrine, after having found my way to her home at The Shade¡ªThe Sanctuary.


    She shrugged as she stared at me warily. We both knew that my coming to her for advice or any kind of conversation was completely out of my character. Still, she gave me a piece of her mind. ¡°Well, I think you¡¯re doing what you need to do in order to get Sofia back here. That¡¯s what¡¯s important¡ªthat she gets back here.¡±


    ¡°Is it really possible that there¡¯s a cure?¡± I asked the witch. ¡°You know these things.¡±


    She paused, seeming to access a distant memory as she wrinkled her nose in thought. ¡°There were attempts to find a cure before, but I haven¡¯t heard of any successful ones that actually turned vampires back to humans. I wouldn¡¯t even really call it a ¡®cure.¡¯ Vampirism, as we know it, is a curse, not a disease.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Sofia would propose something this big unless she believes it will work.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt Sofia.¡± Corrine nodded. ¡°I¡¯m curious too.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it has something to do with her being the immune¡­¡± My eyes sparked with interest. ¡°Maybe she has somehow become the antidote.¡±


    ¡°The immune?¡± Corrine narrowed her eyes at me and I realized that since my arrival at The Shade, I haven¡¯t actually told anyone about Sofia being immune to being turned into a vampire.


    ¡°Claudia tried to turn Sofia. And at her request, back at hunter territory, so did I¡­ She didn¡¯t turn.¡±


    Corrine¡¯s brows furrowed with confusion. ¡°I didn¡¯t think¡­ Oh wow¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Well, I thought it was a myth¡ªthat there are immunes. Somehow¡ªand no one knows exactly how it happens¡ªimmunes survive the three days that follow after being bitten. Legend says that if the immune doesn¡¯t die or turn in those three days, they disappear at some point. Or they go crazy. It¡¯s because they¡¯re still human, but their senses and emotions are heightened like that of a vampire¡¯s. Their human mind is unable to cope with this and they snap¡­ I didn¡¯t think it was true. My mother always told that story to me like it was an old wives¡¯ tale or something¡­¡±


    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s why Sofia was exhibiting signs of that psychological disorder you diagnosed her with¡­¡± I mused. ¡°What was that again? LLI?¡±


    ¡°Low Latent Inhibition.¡± Corrine nodded.


    ¡°Wait. You mean there are more out there like Sofia?¡±


    ¡°If the legend is true, yes, but so far, Sofia¡¯s the only one I¡¯ve actually ever heard of.¡±


    I frowned, suddenly remembering one insane person at The Shade. ¡°Maybe there isn¡¯t just her¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Felix want to turn Anna before? That¡¯s what I was told¡­¡±


    Corrine¡¯s brown eyes narrowed. ¡°He wanted to, yes, but there¡¯s no indication that he ever did try to turn her. That¡¯s what was so surprising about it. He was so in love with her one minute, wanting to turn her and be with her forever and then suddenly, he just abandoned her. When he left her at The Catacombs, she was already insane.¡±


    ¡°What if he actually did try to turn her? Perhaps he really did want to be with her and he tried to turn her into a vampire, and she didn¡¯t turn.¡±


    ¡°You think Anna is an immune too?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s possible?¡±


    The witch¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°It does seem like a possibility. It could even explain why she went crazy. If you¡¯re right about Sofia exhibiting the signs of LLI because of the fact that she wasn¡¯t turned, perhaps Anna¡¯s brain wasn¡¯t able to handle it the way Sofia was able to. Still, the only person who could really verify that is Felix.¡± Corrine shrugged. ¡°He would be the only one who would know if he had ever tried to turn her. Heaven knows we can¡¯t get any trustworthy information from Anna.¡±


    I grimaced, remembering why I was so distraught in the first place. Right before I found myself meandering toward The Sanctuary, I was to meet with Felix and his men for negotiations with the humans. I had no idea how Eli and Yuri managed to find Felix¡ªmuch less convince the man to have a talk with me, but they had somehow managed to do it and I wasn¡¯t exactly looking forward to the meeting¡ªone that, for some reason, they had decided to hold at the port¡ªapparently Felix¡¯s ¡°neutral ground.¡±


    ¡°Wish me luck,¡± I told Corrine before leaving for the port. A couple minutes later, I was fighting to hold myself back from ripping several hearts out. All of them. They¡¯re going to drive me insane. I was summoning every ounce of self-control I still had left in me to not lash out at the people surrounding me, but I kept my anger in¡ªmostly by letting everything they were saying go in one ear and out the other.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to work with the humans,¡± Felix repeated, shaking his head adamantly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like we want to work with you,¡± Ian shot back.


    ¡°You¡¯re here to work for me, boy, not with me.¡± Felix then glared at me. ¡°See what you¡¯ve done? You¡¯ve let these weaklings entertain the delusion that they are somehow our equals.¡±


    ¡°This island will crumble without us.¡± Ian was now on his feet, his nostrils flaring as he boldly stood up against a creature that could easily break his neck in two.


    My jaw tightened as I tried to reel in my frustration. It seemed Felix and his men had no idea what the word ¡®negotiation¡¯ meant when they had agreed to the meeting. They had it in their heads that they were there to make demands. I was trying to drive the point that if we didn¡¯t come together, the other covens were going to annihilate everything we worked to establish over the past years. None of this common sense information seemed to faze Felix, who was adamant that he would never lower himself to the level of working hand-in-hand with humans. They were supposed to be his slaves.


    At some point, Ian must¡¯ve already had enough of the endless banter with Felix, because he ignored the man and set his attention on me. ¡°You know I¡¯m with you in this, Derek, but not all the humans are willing to fight in this battle. Most of the humans are willing to just sit this whole thing out and wait for the battle to finish. Others are hoping to escape during the heat of the battle.¡±


    I knew that what he was saying was a sure possibility. I couldn¡¯t blame the humans for saving themselves or even grabbing a chance for freedom. The other covens had their sights set on The Shade, but it seemed it was going to implode before they even stepped ashore.


    I was hoping that this meeting could somehow help us arrive at some sort of compromise before Sofia, Aiden and the hunters they brought with them were to arrive. Of course, it seemed the negotiations weren¡¯t going to take us anywhere that would lead to an actual resolution.


    ¡°Who cares about the humans we already have here? They¡¯re easy to replace.¡± Felix brushed Ian¡¯s announcement off.


    ¡°You mean the same way you brushed Anna off?¡± Ian hissed.


    Felix responded with a wide grin. ¡°Ahhh¡­Anna¡­word is you have an eye for my little pet. How is she, that lovely one?¡±


    Ian was obviously using his own self-control not to attack. I, on the other hand, found a way to voice out my own thoughts about Anna. ¡°You were in love with Anna once, were you not?¡±

 Page 28

    Felix raised a brow at me. ¡°Perhaps. What¡¯s that to you?¡±


    ¡°She was human.¡±


    ¡°She was a freak.¡±


    ¡°A freak?¡± I sat up straight, suddenly finding myself engrossed in conversing with one of the men I detested most. ¡°How so?¡±


    Felix¡¯ lips twitched as he sealed his mouth shut, refusing to answer my question.


    ¡°Rumors were you wanted to turn her into one of us so that you could be with her forever. You used to worship the ground she walked on, then suddenly, you just didn¡¯t want her anymore?¡±


    Felix gulped. His jaw tightened.


    ¡°What did you do to her?¡± Ian hissed, blaming Felix for her mental condition.


    The tone of accusation made Felix¡¯s temper flare. ¡°I did nothing to her. She was supposed to be mine. We were supposed to be together, but no matter what I did, she wouldn¡¯t turn into one of us. She remained human until I lost her. Until she just went insane¡­ Happy now? Is that what you wanted to hear?¡±


    I tried to hide the smile. My suspicions are correct. Anna is immune. ¡°I know why she didn¡¯t turn. It¡¯s the same reason Sofia didn¡¯t. They¡¯re both immune.¡±


    Felix narrowed his eyes at me. ¡°What does that even mean?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s not why we¡¯re here. Bottom line, Felix, is whether or not you will work with us.¡±


    Stubborn as a mule, the man shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re going to run this kingdom to the ground, Derek. With rumors going on that you¡¯re about to allow hunters into The Shade¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business,¡± was all I told him. The thought of the cure once again made my heart leap. Sofia is coming with a cure. It seemed too good to be true, but it was the one thing that I was hinging all my hopes on at that moment.


    I knew as I sat there that we weren¡¯t going to accomplish anything that day. Felix was too obstinate and Ian was just a boy who didn¡¯t hold any sway when it came to the majority of the masses occupying The Catacombs.


    The reality that we were about to go to war while still fighting amongst ourselves was sinking in and I was beginning to accept that it was a reality I couldn¡¯t escape from. Unless Sofia¡¯s cure actually works¡­ I knew that a cure would change life as I knew it. It would change everything.


    ¡°Are you even listening to what we¡¯re saying?¡± Felix slammed a fist over the table between us.


    I glared at him. ¡°I ask you one final time, Felix. Will you work with us or not?¡±


    ¡°No. Never.¡±


    ¡°Then why on earth would I listen to you?¡± I stood to my feet and spoke into the communication device Eli gave me before the meeting. ¡°Have them all arrested. I don¡¯t want them causing any trouble.¡±


    At that, Felix¡¯s face broke into a huge grin. ¡°I knew I couldn¡¯t trust you, so before we came here, I made sure I had a safeguard. If I don¡¯t come out of the port alive or a free man, Derek, I have a man waiting by the chilling chambers ready to set the chambers¡ªand all the blood supply this island has¡ªon fire. With all your people starving for blood, let¡¯s see you try to keep these human pests safe.¡±


    The chilling chambers were compartments where we kept our supply of blood. We relied on them to keep the entire vampire population fed.


    Ian¡¯s eyes grew wide with shock. ¡°You sick bastard¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s to say you won¡¯t destroy the chambers even if I let you go?¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯d just have to trust me, Novak.¡±


    Anger was taking over me and I could sense the darkness coming. I knew the chaos that would happen if Felix actually made good on his threat to destroy the chambers. Any form of progress I had made in quelling the possibility of a human revolt would be gone. Any loyalties the vampires had toward me would certainly be placed in shaky ground.


    Suddenly, I was seeing red, and in my eyes, Felix was the enemy¡ªone I had to absolutely destroy for his impertinence. Perhaps it was my exhaustion and frustration catching up with me, but at that moment, I just snapped. I couldn¡¯t fight the rage anymore and I lashed out at Felix. Before I could stop myself from doing it, I had his neck wrapped in my fingers and I blacked out. In my last moment of sanity, I tried to remember Sofia¡¯s face, Sofia¡¯s touch, but when I did, all I felt was a deep hunger, an immense craving for her blood and that only served to inch me further toward darkness. Power filled me as I ripped Felix¡¯s heart out and the moment I did, there was a loud explosion and I knew then that I¡¯d just signed up for more destruction than I knew how to handle.


    The black haze in my mind was beginning to clear, desperation and guilt over what I¡¯d just done beginning to sink in. Still squeezing Felix¡¯s beating heart in my hand, I stood to my full height and raised my eyes only to feel the darkness once again attempt to grip at me. My blood started pounding, because right there in front of me, with her mouth agape, stood Sofia.


    I dropped the heart on the ground. I wanted to take her in my arms, breathe in her scent, feel her body against mine, hear her words, touch her¡­see if she was really there, but more than that, I wanted to sink my teeth into her neck and drink. Drink deep.


    I can¡¯t live without her and yet I can¡¯t be with her either. Sofia Claremont is going to lead me to my ruin.


    Confused, I did the only thing I could do to keep Sofia safe. I ran. My heart ached when I heard her softly whisper my name and say: ¡°I love you.¡±


    CHAPTER 36: SOFIA


    I stood frozen as I watched Derek leave. I could sense my father standing right beside me. I knew that he saw what I had seen even though I got to the port ahead of him. He saw how Derek killed another vampire so easily. I could see the spark of horror in his eyes when he saw that beating heart clutched in Derek¡¯s hand.


    I couldn¡¯t even begin to fathom what was going through his mind¡ªespecially when Derek took one look at me, gulped and bolted out of the place like he couldn¡¯t get away from me fast enough.


    This was nothing like the reunion I had in mind. I hadn¡¯t even realized how much I was pining for Derek until I was standing right in front of him, and while I was expecting to get a kiss¡ªor even just a hug, I got nothing. I stood there, rooted to my spot, not quite knowing how to process the emotions coursing through me.


    Xavier and Ian remained with us¡ªalong with Sam and Kyle, who were the guards who fetched us from the shore and took us to the island. Xavier and Ian exchanged uncomfortable glances before nodding my way.


    ¡°This is awkward,¡± Ian muttered. ¡°But it¡¯s great to see you again, Sofia.¡± He seemed to hesitate before approaching me and giving me a short hug. ¡°It¡¯s been crazy here since you left,¡± he whispered in my ear, before stepping away from me and giving Aiden a short glance.


    Xavier scratched his head. ¡°Welcome back to all this chaos, Sofia. You¡¯ll find that The Shade is not the same as it was when you left. I¡¯m assuming this¡­¡± He eyed Aiden. ¡°Is your father, the infamous Reuben¡­ Was he told that the humans who come into The Shade never get out?¡±


    I knew that he was trying to joke around in order to lighten an otherwise tense situation, but the joke fell flat¡ªespecially when Aiden¡¯s nostrils flared at the slightest notion of him being imprisoned there.


    ¡°Relax, Dad,¡± I told him. ¡°He¡¯s joking.¡±


    I then turned to Xavier. ¡°There¡¯s someone back at the sub, whom I know you¡¯d love to see again. She needs her rest and she¡¯s not exactly in perfect shape, but Vivienne is¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t even wait for me to finish. He was out of there and running to the submarine the moment her name escaped my lips.


    ¡°Look who¡¯s back¡­¡± Sam said, with not a single hint of enthusiasm in his tone.


    Claudia had just emerged from the submarine. She rolled her eyes at Sam, never really being one who cared much for the younger vampires. She always did love being one of the Elite and didn¡¯t bother much with those she perceived as lesser than her. Still, when she realized that she didn¡¯t have many allies in that room and that the lowly guard was the only one acknowledged her presence, she heaved a sigh and asked him anyway, ¡°How¡¯s Yuri?¡±


    Sam frowned in surprise. ¡°Fine, I guess.¡±


    Right about then, a familiar face appeared from the entrance to the port. I couldn¡¯t help but squeal with delight at the sight of her.


    ¡°Ashley!¡±


    She responded in kind, shouting my name out as we embraced each other. For everything we¡¯d been through at The Shade and despite the fact that she was now an immortal vampire, the two of us were still teenagers, unafraid to express our delight upon seeing a long-lost friend.


    ¡°Sam told me you were coming today,¡± she said enthusiastically as she squeezed me tight.


    ¡°Ow¡­ Ashley¡­¡± I complained. ¡°You¡¯re a vampire now. You¡¯re stronger than you were before.¡±


    ¡°Oops¡­¡± She pulled away from me and grimaced. ¡°Sorry. I still forget sometimes. I was planning to hang out here at the port to wait for you, but Felix had to choose the port as the place to hold his negotiations with Derek.¡± She wrinkled her nose. ¡°Where is he anyway?¡±


    ¡°He bolted the moment he saw me. We arrived just in time to see him do that.¡± I pointed at Felix¡¯s heartless body on the ground.


    Ashley eyed the corpse. ¡°I think we need to get someone to get this mess fixed up.¡±


    ¡°Kyle¡¯s on it,¡± Sam assured her.


    I couldn¡¯t help but notice the way their eyes lingered on each other¡¯s before Ashley blushed and looked away.


    Aiden cleared his throat to make his presence¡ªlargely ignored¡ªknown.


    ¡°Sorry¡­ Ashley, this is my father, Aiden Claremont. This is Ashley. She¡¯s one of my dearest friends here.¡±


    Ashley extended her hand for Aiden to shake, but he just stared at it. ¡°You¡¯re a vampire too,¡± he said flatly.


    Ashley nervously began fumbling with her fingers. ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯m the youngest vampire here at The Shade, so I¡¯m also probably the easiest one to kill¡­¡± She furrowed her brows as if wondering to herself why she had just said that. ¡°I used to be a hunter too¡­ Well, I wasn¡¯t a very good one¡­¡±

 Page 29

    ¡°Yes. I thought you looked familiar.¡±


    Right about then, Xavier emerged, carrying a frail Vivienne in his arms, her head leaned against his broad shoulders. A flash of anger shone through his eyes as he caught sight of Aiden¡ªa clear signal that a riff had just been created between the two when Xavier found out what the hunters had been doing to the woman he cared deeply for.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking her home,¡± he announced. ¡°You can stay here and wait for Derek to get himself some self-control, or you can come with me.¡± He then gave Aiden a glare. ¡°I¡¯m not sure Derek wants him on the island.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s fine, Xavier. What can he do to anyone while he¡¯s here?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re responsible for him, Sofia.¡±


    I nodded before daring to take a glimpse of my father. He had a grim expression on his face and knowing him, I was aware that he hated being talked about like he wasn¡¯t even present.


    ¡°What are we going to do with her?¡± Sam asked, eyeing Claudia warily.


    ¡°Take her to The Cells.¡± Xavier shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t really care.¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± I shook my head. ¡°She can come with me for now.¡±


    Xavier seemed surprised by this, but didn¡¯t bother to object. He just went ahead to Vivienne¡¯s penthouse and we followed soon after.


    My father walked beside me, silently taking in the darkness of The Shade, not breathing a word. Ashley, on the other hand, chattered nonstop, updating me on what had been going on at The Shade. Sam and Claudia trailed behind us, the latter looking much like a lost little girl pining for home. I kept glancing back to check on her. I noticed how she looked at all the vampires we passed, almost as if she were wishing each of them would somehow morph into Yuri.


    ¡°Do you have any idea where Yuri is?¡± I eventually asked Ashley.


    She shrugged and shook her head. ¡°The last time I saw him was when we quelled the siege at the port. He keeps mostly to himself and only comes out when Derek calls for him.¡± She caught the direction of my eyes and looked back at Claudia. ¡°What¡¯s up with her?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s in love with Yuri,¡± I told Ashley.


    At this, the blonde cheerleader-turned-vampire raised a brow. ¡°Wow. That¡¯s new. Claudia actually caring for someone other than herself¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she realized it until after she was away from him. He¡¯d always been there for her through the years. She took that for granted.¡±


    ¡°Silly girl¡­¡± Ashley muttered under her breath.


    ¡°I remember now¡­¡±


    I practically jumped out of my skin when Aiden spoke up. I glanced up at him and realized that he was looking at Ashley as we continued to walk past the giant redwoods.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked my dad.


    ¡°Ashley¡­ You were the daughter of James and Helen¡­your mother used to say that a lot about you: ¡®Silly girl.¡¯¡±


    Despite the dimness of our surroundings, lit up only by the light of the moon and the incandescent lighting that lined the pathways, I could tell that Ashley blushed at the reminder of her parents.


    ¡°My mother always thought that I was stupid for not wanting to join in their cause and become a hunter.¡±


    ¡°Your father would have a field day if he ever found out that you¡¯d become a vampire. Do you have any idea how rattled they were when you disappeared?¡±


    ¡°I think you and I both know that I would¡¯ve made a lousy hunter,¡± Ashley responded, her voice sounding a bit choked.


    ¡°Maybe so, but being a lousy hunter certainly doesn¡¯t mean that you can just go ahead and become the enemy.¡±


    ¡°The enemy? Remember where you are, Reuben. You don¡¯t say things like that and expect to get out alive.¡±


    Aiden raised a brow at Ashley. ¡°Is that a threat, girl?¡±


    At that, Ashley chuckled. ¡°I would never dare threaten you, Reuben. Vampire or not, I have no delusions of ever winning a fight with you. I do give you a friendly warning.¡±


    ¡°A friendly warning¡­¡±


    ¡°Be careful, Reuben. Stay here long enough and you just might end up turning into one of us.¡±


    Before my father could respond, I noticed how his eyes suddenly widened and his jaw slightly dropped. We¡¯d just reached the Residences and for all the time I spent at The Shade¡ªbecoming familiar with it¡ªI¡¯d forgotten how gorgeous the lavish villas constructed on top of the giant trees were. We had around us a bustling community of vampires going about their business.


    ¡°This is incredible,¡± Aiden mouthed the first compliment¡ªand perhaps the last one¡ªhe could possibly give to a community of vampires. ¡°We¡¯ve attacked many covens before and I thought The Oasis was the most impressive, but this¡­ I¡¯ve never seen anything like this.¡±


    ¡°They did well for themselves and for their kind, these Novaks¡­¡± Ashley nodded. ¡°Welcome to The Shade, Mr. Claremont.¡±


    Aiden began walking ahead of us and Ashley took the opportunity to link arms with me. She then whispered to my ear, ¡°I don¡¯t trust him. Reuben is famous for his hatred of vampires. I think he inherited the loathing from his family. It¡¯s almost like it¡¯s in his bloodline, until¡­. Well, you came along and broke the tradition.¡± Ashley eyed Aiden warily. ¡°I know he¡¯s your father, Sofia, but I know his kind. A leopard doesn¡¯t just change its spots. He¡¯s not here to help you cure Derek or anyone else. What does that even mean?¡±


    I wanted to explain to Ashley that I saw Ingrid get cured, that the cure was possible, that it was my idea, but then I couldn¡¯t silence my own suspicions about Aiden¡¯s presence at The Shade either, so all I could say to Ashley was, ¡°I don¡¯t fully trust him either, Ash.¡±


    ¡°Then why risk us all by bringing him here, Sofia? If he ever finds a way to get the hunters here¡­we¡¯re all done for¡­especially considering that the other vampire covens have already declared war on Derek.¡±


    I shrugged, voicing out my own hopes for the first time. ¡°I guess I was hoping that by being here, he could see what we saw here at The Shade.¡±


    Ashley stopped in her tracks. ¡°And what exactly do we see here?¡±


    ¡°Hope.¡±


    CHAPTER 37: DEREK


    She¡¯s back. She¡¯s here. Sofia has once again found her way back to me.


    I wanted nothing more than to hold her in my arms and just be with her, but the urge to sink my teeth into the soft skin on her neck became excruciatingly unbearable the moment I laid eyes on her. As if it weren¡¯t already enough that she had come just in time to see me rip Felix¡¯s heart out, I couldn¡¯t risk spending the first few minutes of our reunion drinking down her sweet blood. Still, even as I ran from her, I was keenly aware of how close she was, of how easy it would be for me to just take what I wanted from her.


    If I wanted to satisfy my craving, no one could really stop me from doing as I pleased. That¡¯s what scared me so much. Thus, I made my way to the one place with enough power to keep me from harming Sofia.


    The Sanctuary.


    ¡°Back so soon? Since when can¡¯t you get enough of my company?¡± Corrine watched me intently, unfazed by the fact that I¡¯d just barged into her study unannounced.


    ¡°Sofia is back. She returned with her father and I don¡¯t know who else.¡± I sank onto one of the couches inside her study, my head downcast. ¡°She returned right after Felix and his men blew up the chilling chambers and I lost it¡­ I blacked out and I ripped Felix¡¯s heart out.¡±


    ¡°The darkness took over?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do, Corrine.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know what to do, Derek?¡± Corrine snapped. ¡°Your fianc¨¦e has just returned. You go to her and you kiss her and you make her feel like she matters. What on earth are you doing here with me?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think I want to do that? After all the time we¡¯ve been apart?¡± I ran a hand through my hair. ¡°I want nothing more than to be with her, Corrine, but did you not hear me? The chilling chambers are gone¡­along with the blood. There¡¯s no blood left¡ªapart from the blood running through the veins of the human beings and animals at The Shade. How on earth am I going to control my craving for Sofia?¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re certainly not going to be able to control it while ranting at me here, Derek. You have to face her and figure it out. One thing¡¯s for sure¡­you can¡¯t keep running away from her.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re no help at all. Don¡¯t you have any spell to help quench the craving?¡± I felt like a child throwing a tantrum as I crossed my arms over my chest, but I was desperate for some sort of cure.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Sofia arrive saying that she and the hunters have found a cure? If you let her father administer the cure, then you wouldn¡¯t have to come here asking for a spell, sulking like a little boy.¡±


    ¡°Cora would¡¯ve given me a spell¡ªif one existed. I know she would¡¯ve.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not Cora. Besides, she was in love with you. You could¡¯ve asked her to jump off the walls of the Crimson Fortress and she would¡¯ve done it. There¡¯s only one person on this island who would do the same thing for you and that¡¯s Sofia.¡±


    ¡°Come with me. Please.¡± I stood to my feet and quickly approached her, fully intending to drag her all the way to my penthouse if I had to.


    ¡°What?! No!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to see Sofia? You two are good friends. If you¡¯re there, at least I¡¯ll know that someone is powerful enough to stop me in case I black out and¡­¡± I grabbed Corrine¡¯s wrist and gasped when she quickly withdrew her hand from me and gave me a tight slap right across my face.


    ¡°Pull yourself together, Novak. Sofia Claremont is far stronger than you give her credit for. Man up and give her the welcome she deserves.¡±


    I knew that Corrine was right. I knew I was acting foolishly, but I couldn¡¯t help it. I was afraid. I was terrified of what I was capable of doing. ¡°How could I ever forgive myself if I cause her more pain than I already have?¡±

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    ¡°The same way you forgave yourself all those other times you made her miserable, Novak. You ask for her forgiveness and when you find that she loves you enough to see past what you¡¯ve done, that¡¯s when you¡¯ll be able to forgive yourself.¡±


    I was about to say something else in response, but the witch¡¯s brown eyes widened at me, and I shrank away from her.


    ¡°Get out of my sight, Novak.¡±


    I left The Sanctuary and took a long walk, my thirst for Sofia¡¯s blood not dwindling for even a moment. I knew I had to face her eventually, and I knew that I had to exercise some form of control¡ªif only to prove to Aiden that his daughter wasn¡¯t in danger around me.


    I eventually ended up in my penthouse, knowing that she was nearby, based on the level of thirst I had. I swallowed hard as I stepped into my living room, surprised to find Xavier there. He rose upon seeing me, fists clenched, the expression on his face clearly indicating that he was just about ready to break someone¡¯s neck.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look very happy,¡± was all I could think to say.


    ¡°Have you seen her?¡±


    I assumed he was talking about Sofia. ¡°Barely. You were there when she came¡­ I couldn¡¯t stand being in the same room with her.¡± I could practically hear her heartbeat, pumping blood into her veins, blood that would be pure ecstasy to me once I had a taste of it. ¡°What I would give to¡­¡±


    ¡°Not her¡­ Not Sofia¡­¡± Xavier shook his head. ¡°Vivienne.¡±


    My gut clenched and I took a step forward. ¡°Don¡¯t mess with me, Xavier.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s alive. I¡¯m not messing with you. She came with Sofia and her father. Claudia¡¯s with them too¡­¡± Xavier shook his head. ¡°She¡¯s not looking well¡­¡±


    ¡°Where is she?¡± I hissed. I was having trouble wrapping my mind around the idea that Vivienne could possibly be alive. No vampire had ever survived after being taken captive by the hunters before. Except me, and now there¡¯s Claudia¡­and Vivienne? How is this possible?


    ¡°In her bedroom, but so is¡­¡±


    I knew the warning he was about to give me. Sofia would be there¡ªI had no doubt about it, but I didn¡¯t care. My twin was alive. Vivienne survived. At that moment, this was all that mattered to me as I sped toward her penthouse, not caring to listen to the rest of Xavier¡¯s warning¡­ I rushed past the people huddled in my sister¡¯s living room¡ªmost of them there to greet Sofia I was sure¡ªand finally reached Vivienne¡¯s bedside.


    My senses went on overdrive the moment Sofia¡¯s eyes met mine. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, clutching Vivienne¡¯s hand as she fed Vivienne a vial of blood. For a moment, I couldn¡¯t return my focus back on Vivienne, because Sofia¡¯s presence was so overwhelming.


    ¡°Please leave¡­¡± I sounded like I was begging her. ¡°I don¡¯t want to do something I¡¯ll regret.¡±


    Sofia nodded. I knew she understood why I needed to be away from her, but I was also aware that the truth gave little consolation to either one of us. Still, she graciously obliged, helping my sister drink the last of the blood before sidestepping me and passing by to leave me with Vivienne.


    I was using up all my will power just to stand still the moment Sofia passed me by. When the door shut close and she was no longer in the room, I remained rooted to my spot for a few more seconds before I could gather my wits about me and make my way to my sister.


    ¡°Vivienne¡­ I thought I¡¯d lost you¡­¡± My voice broke as I held her hand.


    She seemed frail and weak, a pale shadow of my stunning and vibrant sister, but she managed to smile at me as she squeezed my hand. ¡°Derek¡­ You look incredible.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re alive.¡±


    ¡°I want to see Father, Derek. I have something important to tell him.¡±


    My gut clenched. How on earth was I going to tell her about everything that had been going on between our father and me? How was I to tell her that I took over the kingdom, that I was now king of The Shade and Gregor was in a prison cell?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Vivienne nodded. ¡°I have a fair idea of what¡¯s happening. That¡¯s why I need to speak with him. It¡¯s a matter of great importance.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see it done,¡± I promised.


    ¡°War is on the horizon, isn¡¯t it?¡± she asked, her blue violet gaze settling on me with deep concern.


    I nodded. ¡°Yes. The other vampire covens are blaming me for what happened at The Oasis.¡±


    ¡°Sofia told me about that. I¡¯m disappointed that you left her with the hunters, Derek. With everything going on, the burden of finding true sanctuary falls heavily on you. You¡¯re losing time. You can¡¯t afford to be apart from Sofia ever again. You can¡¯t lose sight of light. Sofia is your lifeline, Derek.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to be with her, Vivienne. I crave her so much. How can she remain by my side without me destroying her?¡±


    My sister smiled at me and gave me a look that made me feel like a stupid fool. ¡°Haven¡¯t you learned your lesson yet? You are not strong enough to be away from Sofia. Darkness will eat you up and swallow you alive. You can last for a certain amount of time as you seemed to have done during this particular time away from her, but darkness will catch up with you, Derek. Make no mistake about it. Sofia is stronger than you give her credit for.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not her weakness that I¡¯m scared of. It¡¯s mine. How do I keep myself from devouring her?¡±


    ¡°Does she deny you her blood, Derek?¡±


    I shook my head, remembering the last time she bared her neck to me, coaxing me to drink, allowing me to have my fill. ¡°She willingly lets me have as much of her blood as I need.¡±


    ¡°Then perhaps it would be better if you just partake of what she offers. Drink deep. Take what she gives.¡±


    ¡°And what do I give her in return for that?¡± Every bit of me was against what Vivienne was saying. The thought of just going ahead and drinking as much of Sofia¡¯s blood as I craved made me sick. ¡°I love her, Vivienne. How could I do that to her?¡±


    ¡°Maybe that love is enough for her, Derek.¡± She smiled at me. ¡°I¡¯m tired. I¡¯d like some rest now. Go to her. Stop tormenting yourself. Stop tormenting her.¡±


    She shut her eyes and I stood to my feet before leaning down to place a soft kiss on her temple. No words could express how grateful I was that she was there. I didn¡¯t even want to think about what she had been through¡ªI was certain that I had plenty of time to be righteously indignant over what the hunters had put her through. At that point, I was just thankful that I still had my twin, my ally¡ªanother Novak who wasn¡¯t out to torture me or dethrone me.


    I stepped out of the room and all eyes were immediately on me. Gavin¡¯s, Ashley¡¯s, Sam¡¯s and Rosa¡¯s. Aiden¡¯s glare was fixed on me even as I shifted my eyes from him to his daughter. I didn¡¯t need to look at Sofia to know that she was there. I was aware of her presence, my heart pounding at the very scent of her.


    I gulped as I looked into her emerald eyes. Vivienne¡¯s words echoed in my ear. Drink deep. I lost control. I just snapped. Before I knew what was going on, I had her pinned to a wall, my hands on her hips, raising her up so that she was barely on her tiptoes, my fangs bared, ready to sink into the milky white skin of her neck.


    I was about to take the bite I so longed for, but out of nowhere, I still managed to scrounge up what was left of my self-control and step away from her. My thoughts cleared and suddenly, I could hear her humming. She was humming our song¡ªthe same one I hummed to her the night of her eighteenth birthday¡ªthe night I promised to stay true to her, to value her, to pursue her, to find a way to be with her.


    I stared into her lovely face, looking up at mine, and realized once again how precious she was to me.


    ¡°You can control yourself, Derek.¡± she whispered soothingly as she took my hand in hers.


    My fangs retracted and I could feel jolts of pleasure shoot through my spine when she reached up and gently pressed her lips against mine. She smiled at me before looking over my shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Dad,¡± she assured.


    My heart sank. Aiden Claremont had just witnessed me attacking his daughter. I turned to find Aiden trying to get away from the clasps of Sam and Ashley. Gavin, on the other hand, was holding a gun¡ªone I was sure that Aiden had pointed at me when he saw me charge for Sofia.


    Aiden was glaring daggers at me. ¡°How many times have you done something like that to her? How many times have you pushed her against walls and had your way with her?¡±


    I hung my head, recalling the numerous times I¡¯d lost control with Sofia, the many times her life was endangered by my own hands.


    To my relief, Sofia answered for me, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, Dad. Derek and I are going to take a walk. You stay here. We¡¯re going to spend the night together. We need to catch up. I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Aiden shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not going to let you leave with that monster, not right after what I just saw him do to you.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t hunter territory anymore. If Derek says he wants me with him, then there¡¯s really nothing you can do about it.¡±


    She squeezed my hand and I could practically hear her coaxing me to say that I wanted to be with her, but I was apprehensive.


    ¡°Maybe your father¡¯s right, Sofia¡­ I don¡¯t know if I can control myself around you¡­I¡­¡±


    She cupped my cheeks with both her hands and began shaking her head. ¡°Derek¡­please¡­¡±


    The thought that she wanted to be with me as much as I wanted to be with her was my undoing. How could I stand there and not give in to what she wanted? How could I ignore her plea?


    I raised my eyes to Aiden¡¯s¡ªhis glare threatening and cold, warning me to choose my words well, but Sofia was right. He was in my territory, a place where my word was law¡ªnot his. I gave Sam and Ashley a quick look. ¡°Kindly take Mr. Claremont to The Catacombs. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be more comfortable in his daughter¡¯s quarters, where he¡¯ll be among humans, instead of here with the vampires. Rosa, make sure he is fed well. Gavin, kindly inform Xavier to keep an eye on Vivienne. Where¡¯s Claudia?¡±

 Page 31

    ¡°She returned to her villa,¡± Sam responded. ¡°We weren¡¯t quite sure what to do with her.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s no threat. She really just wants a way back to Yuri¡¯s good graces,¡± Sofia explained.


    ¡°Leave her then. It¡¯s about time she realized how much Yuri values her.¡± I then looked at Aiden. ¡°I will do your daughter no harm, sir.¡±


    He snorted in response. ¡°Sure you won¡¯t. Of course, you and I have very different definitions of the word ¡®harm,¡¯ or so it seems.¡±


    I turned to Sam. ¡°Sam, one more thing¡­ See to it that my father is released and escorted to my sister¡¯s chambers. Make sure he is well-guarded by more than one vampire stronger than him. We must also immediately hold a council meeting to address the loss of our chilling chambers¡­ We won¡¯t have enough blood to last us for another week unless we do something about that.¡±


    I didn¡¯t miss the way Aiden¡¯s eyes sparked with interest at that bit of information. I¡¯m sure every perceived vulnerability at The Shade was a point of interest to a man like him.


    Finally satisfied that I had all my bases covered, I walked out of the penthouse with Sofia. We were already in an isolated part of the woods when Sofia stopped in her tracks and looked up at me.


    ¡°You¡¯re trembling,¡± she said in what was almost a whisper.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± I shook my head. ¡°This cure¡­do you think it will work?¡±


    ¡°It worked with my mother. I saw it with my own eyes. She¡¯s not happy about it, but Ingrid Maslen is human again¡­ She¡¯s still nothing like my mother was. She¡¯s one angry human¡­¡±


    ¡°How is that possible?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She shrugged. ¡°But it is.¡±


    I wanted it so much to be true. I wanted to escape my immortality and the weight of being prophesied as some sort of savior to my kind. I was also aware that since Sofia could never be immortal, the only way we could really be together was if I became mortal once again. My head was swimming with everything I wanted to say about Anna possibly being immune too, about Sofia not actually having LLI, but whenever I looked at Sofia, all I could think about was how much I wanted her blood.


    ¡°I can¡¯t stand this.¡± She shook her head. ¡°We can¡¯t keep being this guarded around each other.¡±


    I swallowed hard, wondering what it was that she had in mind. She stepped away from me and to my surprise, she began unbuttoning the top buttons of her red blouse. I knew what she was doing, what she was willing to let me do and I began shaking my head.


    ¡°No¡­ Sofia¡­¡±


    She stepped forward and pushed herself against me, making me stumble backwards until my back hit a tree trunk. I couldn¡¯t remember her ever being so aggressive, but I couldn¡¯t dare complain when her lips began to knead against mine¡ªdemanding and passionate, hungry for something that I myself was starving for.


    I stopped fighting it and allowed my hands to fall to her waist. I pulled her up so that she didn¡¯t have to strain her neck just to kiss me. I responded with as much passion and hunger as she was dishing out on me.


    ¡°You¡¯re mine, are you not?¡± she whispered breathlessly to me when our lips finally parted.


    ¡°You know I am,¡± I responded, momentarily forgetting my craving for her blood as I tried to wrap my tingling senses around what had just happened.


    ¡°And I¡¯m yours, am I not?¡± she asked.


    Already knowing where she was getting at, I gulped before nodding. ¡°I hope so¡­¡±


    She pulled the sleeve of her blouse down her shoulder to expose her neck to me. ¡°Then stop torturing both yourself and me, Derek. It¡¯s okay.¡± She stepped forward and tilted her head to the side as she took hold of my both my hands and placed them on her waist. ¡°Satisfy your craving.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t stop even if I had wanted to. I took the bite, a mix of guilt and ecstasy coursing through me when I heard her whimper over the cut my teeth had made on her neck. When I felt the blood flow past my tongue and down my throat, it was pure bliss. Her blood was coursing inside me¡­restoring me, empowering me, strengthening me, completing me. She overloaded my senses when she once began to hum our song to me. She ran her fingers through my hair, gently caressing it to assure me that she was alright.


    Suddenly, I had the desperate urge to look at her lovely face, so I pulled my mouth from her neck and took her wrist instead. I bit into it without bothering to ask her. She bit her lip against the pain and watched as I drank from her wrist.


    Every sense I had was filled with Sofia Claremont¡ªthe scent of her, the feel, the taste, the sight, the sound of her sweet voice humming our song.


    Eventually, I pulled my teeth out of her wrist and then grabbed her waist to pull her against me so I could kiss her again. It wasn¡¯t until our lips parted that the guilt began to sink in.


    Sofia was the one who pulled away from the kiss. I didn¡¯t even realize it until she called me out on it. ¡°Derek¡­are you crying?¡±


    I tried to hold the tears back, but I couldn¡¯t. At the sight of the blood trickling from her neck and from her wrist, I couldn¡¯t help but break down right in front of her. ¡°How can we stay this way, Sofia?¡±


    ¡°The cure will work.¡± She nodded, sounding like she was wishing it instead of actually believing it to be true. ¡°When it does, you won¡¯t have to do this anymore.¡±


    Suddenly, it felt like everything I had, everything I wanted, everything I was and could be, hung on this cure¡ªa cure created by the hunters, whom I neither believed in nor trusted. A cure that I doubted could be true, much less possible.


    Still, seeing the hopeful expression on my lovely girl¡¯s face, I couldn¡¯t help but adopt her hope. ¡°I pray the cure works.¡±


    ¡°It will, Derek. It will.¡±


    Neither of us missed the lack of conviction in her words. I wanted to believe in the cure as much as she seemed to, but I was afraid to hang my hopes on what could most likely be just some ploy for the hunters to discover The Shade.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re right, Sofia, because if you¡¯re not¡­ I honestly think it will be the end of¡­¡± I hesitated, not wanting to hurt her any more than I already had.


    ¡°Of what, Derek?¡± She stepped backward, away from me, so that she could see the expression on my face. She was hurt and I knew it. ¡°You? Us?¡±


    ¡°Everything.¡±


    CHAPTER 38: AIDEN


    What the hell is wrong with you, Claremont? You just let your daughter run loose with the most powerful vampire alive¡ªthe same vampire you know is craving her blood, the same vampire you just saw attack her.


    I glared at the guards standing by the doorway to the caves they brought me to¡ªapparently my daughter¡¯s quarters.


    It¡¯s not like I have any choice.


    I leaned against the backrest of the recliner situated in her living room. I could hear the clinking of utensils as the girl named Rosa kept herself busy preparing food in the kitchen. She was accompanied by Lily, a widow with two children¡ªwho all seemed to have lived at The Shade their whole lives. They¡¯d already prepared a meal earlier that day, one I barely ate due to my anxiety over what was happening to Sofia. I kept pacing the floor, tormented by worst case scenarios regarding what the vampire could possibly be doing to my daughter. At some point, I took a nap, only to wake up and find the place still as dim as night, with Rosa and Lily cooking another meal¡ªdinner she said.


    One of Lily¡¯s children approached me. She was introduced to me as Madeline, five years old. She had red hair that reminded me of Sofia¡¯s when she was just about the same age.


    Madeline sat on the couch across from mine and stared at me. She was making me highly uncomfortable. ¡°Does the sun ever rise here?¡± I asked her in a serious tone, hoping to scare her away.


    She tilted her head to the side. ¡°What¡¯s the sun?¡± she asked.


    ¡°You know¡­ That big, shining light up in the sky¡­¡±


    ¡°You mean the moon?¡± She tilted her head to the side in thought. ¡°Well, Mama rarely ever lets Rob and me out of The Catacombs, but when she does, I get to see the moon and the stars. I love it when the moon smiles.¡± She gave me one big grin, showing me how she was missing one of her front teeth. ¡°I¡¯ve only seen the moon. No one ever told me about the sun¡ªnot even Gavin and he¡¯s out of The Catacombs a lot. The vampires like him.¡±


    ¡°And they don¡¯t like you?¡± I raised a brow.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know. Mama tells me to stay away from them. Ashley seems to like me though and so do Kyle and Sam, but Mama scolds me whenever I play with them. Gavin¡¯s my older brother and he gets to hang out with the vampires all the time¡ªespecially after he became friends with Sofia.¡±


    ¡°Madeline, don¡¯t bother our visitor¡­¡± Lily reprimanded, trying to pull the little girl away from me. She eyed me warily and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, sir. She¡¯s normally not so comfortable around strangers, but she seems to like you a lot.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s Sofia¡¯s father, Mama. And he¡¯s human¡­he won¡¯t bite me.¡±


    My heart went out to the five year old and the young mother trying to keep her in check. ¡°How long have you been here, Lily?¡±


    The dark-haired beauty bowed my way. ¡°All my life, sir. I¡¯m a Natural. We were born here. So were my parents and their parents before them.¡±


    ¡°You have a lovely daughter.¡±


    Sadness traced her eyes. ¡°Aye. It¡¯s why I fear for her so much. Loveliness is a dangerous thing to have here, especially for a young girl like her.¡±


    My heart broke. I wanted to offer the young woman consolation, but I knew that I couldn¡¯t offer her salvation even if I had wanted to. Those captured by vampires as slaves were considered dead to us. We annihilated them right along with the coven. If a hunter wanted to bother saving loved ones taken by vampires, they had to find a way to do it on their own accord, at their own risk.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a lot better since Sofia came. We never thought she would survive after being caught up in the rebellion, but she did¡­¡± Lily smiled at me. ¡°Your daughter saved a lot of lives. That day at the town square when Derek¡¯s father¡ªhe used to be our king¡­¡±

 Page 32

    ¡°Gregor Novak.¡± I recalled.


    Lily nodded. ¡°Yes. Him. He wanted Sofia flogged¡ªright along with my son and several of the other young Naturals who started the revolt. We all thought it would be end of her. Her fragile body couldn¡¯t have taken all those blows. My heart leaped when Derek took the lashes for her. His back was unrecognizable after¡ªcould barely tell which part was skin and which part bones¡­ It was an awful sight, but we all knew then that he loved her and that as long as they were together, life here at The Shade would never be the same again. I never thought I¡¯d hear myself saying that I love a vampire, but any vampire who is good in Sofia¡¯s book is good in mine.¡±


    ¡°We like Sofia,¡± Madeline piped up. ¡°Even my brother, Rob, likes Sofia and he doesn¡¯t like many girls at all. He¡¯s seven, you see. Andrea tried to kiss him and he was mighty angry about that.¡±


    I listened to the two talk on and on about my daughter and her heroic feats on the island. I hung on to their every word, not knowing what to make of what they were telling me. I wasn¡¯t sure I liked hearing how beloved Sofia was at The Shade. Their stories forced me to realize what I was taking from Sofia by forcing her away from the island and away from Derek.


    I hated to admit it, but I saw then why she loved The Shade and its inhabitants so much.


    Truth be told, I was impressed by The Shade. It didn¡¯t take a genius to see why it was so powerful. Unlike all the other covens, the island was self-sustaining. It had as little contact to the outside world as was required. It had a thriving human population seemingly loyal to the vampires¡ªsomething my mind could not completely comprehend.


    Of course, Lily made her fears clear. I knew she felt the same protectiveness for Madeline that I had for Sofia. At that moment, I found in her a kindred spirit fearful for her child as I was for mine.


    ¡°You really need not fear, sir.¡± Lily nodded. ¡°Derek would never intentionally harm Sofia. He loses himself sometimes when he blacks out, but there¡¯s only one person who can reel him back to his senses, and that¡¯s your daughter. No one else is capable of doing that to him.¡±


    ¡°King Derek needs Queen Sofia.¡± Madeline had a sweet smile on her face as she spoke the words. She nodded as she said them, her eyes twinkling.


    My stomach turned at the idea of my daughter having some sort of fairy tale romance with the king of the vampires. Right about then, Sofia and Derek stepped past the guards and into the room, their hands clasped together, smiles on their faces.


    The first thing I noticed was the bite marks on my daughter¡¯s neck. Despite whatever things Lily and Madeline had told me about Derek and how good he was to Sofia, he still managed to eradicate any hopes I had that their love could be real. I was livid at the thought of him once again feeding on my daughter.


    ¡°How dare you¡­¡± I hissed as I began charging toward him. ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t harm her¡­¡± I caught a glimpse of her wrist and saw bite marks there too. I grabbed Sofia¡¯s wrist and raised it up to him. ¡°Is this your idea of not harming my daughter?¡±


    Derek was unable to look me in the eye. His display of shame only served to anger me further.


    ¡°Dad¡­¡± Sofia spoke before I could once again start a tirade. ¡°It was my idea. I offered my neck to him. Don¡¯t take your anger out on him.¡±


    I stared at her with disbelief. ¡°Sofia¡­ I don¡¯t understand. How could you just let him treat you this way?¡±


    ¡°If your cure works, then he won¡¯t have to drink from me ever again. It works, does it not?¡± she challenged me.


    I gritted my teeth. ¡°I need you to trust me enough to let the hunters¡¯ scientists come here. I cannot administer the cure on my own.¡±


    Sofia¡¯s face contorted with shock as she shook her head, letting go of Derek¡¯s hand and stepping forward. ¡°You never said anything about needing them here. Why wouldn¡¯t you¡­¡±


    ¡°Would you have agreed to bring me here if I had said that I needed to bring a team of hunters with me? You saw that there was an entire team of people needed to prep Ingrid for the cure. I just gave her the final shot. I don¡¯t have enough expertise to do it myself. What if something goes wrong?¡±


    This time, Derek stepped forward, standing right beside Sofia. He looked me straight in the eye and I couldn¡¯t help but shudder at the power and authority oozing from him. ¡°How do we know this isn¡¯t all a trap?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°If you¡¯re that desperate for the cure, then you¡¯ll just have to trust me.¡±


    Derek shifted his eyes from me to Sofia. ¡°I don¡¯t trust him.¡±


    I was half-hoping that my daughter would take my side, but she eyed me warily and said. ¡°Neither do I.¡±


    I was surprised by the effect her disapproval had on me. From Lily and Madeline¡¯s stories, I realized that Derek had many times proven that he was worthy of Sofia¡¯s trust. He had turned his back on his own father, saved her many times¡ªrisked his own life to face Borys Maslen in his own turf just to rescue Sofia. She had reason to believe that he loved her.


    What have I done for her other than order her around and exert authority over her just because my blood runs through her?


    Sofia wasn¡¯t giving Derek her blind trust like I thought she was. She wasn¡¯t somehow brainwashed or blinded by love. He had done what he had to do to earn her loyalty.


    I, on the other hand, had done nothing. My daughter had become a beautiful, strong young woman throughout her stay at The Shade. I certainly wasn¡¯t the person to thank for what she¡¯d become.


    But then, who was?


    I eyed Derek from head to foot and grimaced. No matter what he had done for my daughter, I couldn¡¯t swallow down the thought of ever owing him anything.


    If there¡¯s someone I need to thank for the beauty and strength of spirit I see in Sofia, it¡¯s certainly not him.


    CHAPTER 39: GREGOR


    She¡¯s alive. My precious Vivienne is alive.


    I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes, but it was true. She was right there in front of me, smiling at me. My only daughter was alive. Seeing her beautiful smile¡ªthe same smile that brought me through some of the darkest nights of the past five hundred years¡ªmade me break down in tears.


    I never forgave myself for what I had allowed myself to do to her so long ago, when I let Borys Maslen get his hands on her and claim her as his betrothed. No other event in my life made me feel weaker and with less of a backbone than when Borys arrived to take her and I couldn¡¯t do anything but cower in his presence.


    I should¡¯ve fought for her. I should¡¯ve done everything in my power to keep him from taking her, but I was unable to do anything about it. He took her, he broke her, and if it weren¡¯t for Derek saving her, I probably never would¡¯ve seen her again.


    Derek never forgave me for it. I never forgave myself for it, but Vivienne did. She was the one thing keeping our family together and when we thought her dead, we fell apart. Lucas lost his life at the struggle in The Oasis and Derek and I were very much willing to kill each other, but I spent the past centuries trying to make it up to my daughter, trying to be a good father, a good ruler, listening to her wise counsel.


    I was lost without her and now that she was back, I once again gained hope that perhaps things would be as they used to be.


    Vivienne¡¯s soft hands began brushing through my hair as I sobbed over the edge of the bed, kneeling on the floor beside her. She remained still until I could gather my composure and actually look at her through tear-filled eyes.


    ¡°Vivienne¡­ I never thought I¡¯d see you again. What have they done to you?¡± She was obviously not as beautiful, perfect and vibrant as she used to be. I could barely speak the words out. I knew she was in pain and I hated the feeling of not being able to do anything about it.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright, Father,¡± she assured me. She struggled to sit up on the bed and I quickly helped her, fluffing up the pillows behind her so she could sit comfortably.


    No other person in the world could make my heart melt the way Vivienne did. I blinked away the tears as I sat next to her, putting my arm around her so that she could lean her head on my shoulder.


    She snuggled against me and drew a deep breath. We sat silently for a couple of minutes, simply enjoying each other¡¯s company. I reveled in once again holding her in my arms. With her, I felt accepted. While Derek and their mother always made me feel like some sort of disappointment, Vivienne never did. I was her father and she loved me and made sure that I knew it. She was a gift I never thought I could ever have for myself again, and no words could¡¯ve ever expressed how grateful I was that my daughter was alive.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think it was true¡­¡± I said as I placed a kiss on her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you could¡¯ve survived, but you did.¡±


    ¡°Barely¡­¡± She chuckled dryly. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Sofia, I never would¡¯ve gotten out of the haze they put me in.¡±


    I tightened my jaw at how she attributed her survival to the redhead my son was so madly in love with, the same young woman I hated with every fiber of my being.


    ¡°The darkness is coming for her,¡± was all I managed to say.


    At that, Vivienne scoffed. ¡°It¡¯s been after her since the day she was born, Father.¡±


    I didn¡¯t understand fully what she was trying to tell me. When it came to her, I rarely ever did. Finding that any talk of Sofia Claremont¡ªespecially when speaking about her in glowing terms¡ªmade me sick to my stomach, I decided to change the subject. ¡°Do you know what your brother did to me? He took over ruling The Shade. He overthrew me and put me in prison.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he had good reason to do it, Father.¡±


    Her words were a blow to my gut. I had forgotten how fiercely loyal she was to her twin. I couldn¡¯t blame her. Derek was the one who risked his life to save her from Borys, not me. He was her savior, while I cowered in fear.


    ¡°Father, was the prophecy not clear to you?¡± she asked as she turned her eyes toward me. ¡°We are supposed to support Derek if our kind is to survive. The Shade and all of its people are his to save and rule, not yours.¡±

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    In the deepest recesses of my heart, where goodness and bravery and what was left of my conscience still thrived, I knew that what my daughter was saying was the truth. Only Vivienne was able to access those parts of myself that I had to turn off in order to survive the past centuries, but her words were difficult to swallow. ¡°Was everything I did for The Shade all those years for nothing, Vivienne?¡±


    ¡°Everything we did was to prepare for Derek¡¯s awakening, so that he could fulfill the prophecy and bring our kind to true sanctuary. I thought that much was clear to you, Father.¡±


    My jaw tightened as a battle waged inside of me¡ªa battle I was afraid I could never win.


    Vivienne kneeled up on the bed¡ªslowly and carefully¡ªso that she could face me and look into my eyes. The moment her blue-violet gaze bore into my eyes, I knew that she knew what was behind the mask of confidence and courage I was trying to keep up.


    Her face fell and a tear ran down her cheek. ¡°The darkness has gotten to you, hasn¡¯t it?¡± she asked, her voice clearly about to break.


    I nodded, affirming her worst fears. She¡¯d spent hundreds of years trying to protect me from the darkness and to sit there and look her in the eye and tell her that she¡¯d lost me was heartbreaking.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Father. I didn¡¯t think¡­ I had hoped¡­¡± She choked on her own words and tears began streaming down her face.


    I pulled her into my arms, and let her sob into my chest, not knowing what to say or do in order to console her.


    ¡°Have I failed you so badly, Vivienne?¡± I asked, my own voice choked with the tears I was trying to hold back.


    She shook her head into my chest and kissed me on the cheek. ¡°No, Father. It¡¯s not too late yet. You can fight this, but you have to listen to what I¡¯m saying. You have to be a father to Derek. He is not your nemesis. You need to honor the prophecies. If you fail in this, Father, the darkness is going to use you to destroy us all.¡±


    Her words made me sink into deep despair, knowing fully well the weight of what she was telling me. Despite my fears that I could never do what she was asking of me, I nodded. She didn¡¯t have to know how weak her father was. She didn¡¯t have to know that it might be too late, that the darkness already had too firm a grip of me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do that, Vivienne.¡± I lied. ¡°I can¡¯t allow myself to be your downfall.¡±


    Even as I said the words, a hiss echoed from within me¡ªdark and menacing¡ªfull of spite and with a hint of amusement. You¡¯re a fool, Gregor Novak. It¡¯s your weakness that will destroy them all, and your beloved princess will be the first to fall.


    CHAPTER 40: CLAUDIA


    I couldn¡¯t stand being inside my penthouse. It reminded me of how much I¡¯d allowed darkness to take over me since I had turned into a vampire. I had become exactly like the monster that I¡¯d hated. I became exactly like the Duke. The memories of everything that had happened inside that place haunted me. All the horrors I put Ben, and so many young men like him, through began to replay in my mind. I could almost feel their presence inside my home. I hated who I was when I was with them.


    I hated Lucas, but I reminded myself that I was just like him¡ªevil to the core¡ªso he was one of the few people who frequented my home. The other person was Yuri.


    Thus, when I heard a knock at the door, it was easy to surmise who it was, considering Lucas¡¯ grisly demise back at The Oasis. I found myself shaking as I made my way to the door. I opened it and gulped when I saw Yuri standing on my doorstep.


    I was expecting him to say something mean or give me a condescending glare. We were known around The Shade for our frequent fights and irritable banter. This time, however, he just stared at me and I stared back.


    When I saw a tear run down his cheek, it was my complete undoing.


    ¡°Yuri¡­¡± I choked out.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you left, Claudia.¡±


    The dynamic between us radically changed. I began to sob, because for the first time in the past centuries I¡¯d co-existed with Yuri, I felt completely vulnerable and exposed to him. I guess I always was. I just had trouble admitting it to myself: that he knew me even more than I knew myself. He saw right through the hard, wicked exterior I¡¯d been putting up.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Yuri,¡± I managed to say in between my sobs. ¡°I never should¡¯ve left. I was a fool to leave. I just¡­¡± I wiped away my tears and tried to get a hold of myself. ¡°I know how loyal you are to Derek. I should be too. After everything he¡¯s done for us¡­for The Shade¡­but I just¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Claudia¡­¡± he said gently as he stepped into my home and closed the door behind him. ¡°Just shut up and stop torturing yourself over the past. You¡¯re back. That¡¯s what matters.¡±


    To my surprise, he grabbed me by the waist and lifted me into his arms and kissed me. Passionate at first, but he must have remembered who I was, because his kiss became gentle, tender¡­much like a sweet caress as his tongue softly pushed past my lips.


    When our lips parted, I could feel myself blushing. He gently laid me back down on the ground and both of us were in a stunned silence for a couple of minutes.


    ¡°Have you forgiven me, Claudia?¡± he asked.


    I looked up at him questioningly. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°For that night¡­ That night when I¡­¡± He choked.


    He didn¡¯t have to finish. I knew what night he was referring to. I remained silent as I searched myself for an answer. I decided to tell him the absolute truth. ¡°I couldn¡¯t forgive you until I realized how much I¡¯ve made both you and myself suffer for my bitterness. I forgave you the moment I realized that you are the only man I¡¯ve ever loved, Yuri, but I also know that I could never be worthy of you.¡±


    His face took on a grim expression as he shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. You are the only woman I¡¯ve ever wanted, Claudia.¡±


    He retrieved something from his pocket and my breath hitched when I saw what it was. The folded piece of parchment, tattered and browned throughout the years, but still the symbol of a walk in the woods, of an innocence stolen from both of us.


    ¡°This time, I won¡¯t take it back,¡± he said, as he handed it to me.


    Trembling, I took the paper and opened it up, looking at the image it contained. Upon seeing it, I couldn¡¯t bear the idea of looking into his face. ¡°How could you still want me, Yuri? I¡¯m so broken.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re all broken, Claudia, but none of us are beyond fixing.¡±


    His lips once again pressed against mine and when he whispered the words I longed to hear for centuries, I couldn¡¯t respond with anything but a grateful: ¡°Yes.¡±


    His words were, ¡°Let me love you.¡±


    CHAPTER 41: SOFIA


    Dinner with Aiden was awkward to say the least. He was sitting at the head of the table and there seemed to be many things he wasn¡¯t comfortable about¡ªprimarily the fact that Derek and I were sitting next to each other and ignoring our food as we acted like the teenagers that we were¡ªor at least I was¡ªfooling around and playing footsie, or Rob making a face at us, or Madeline giggling with delight at how sweet we were.


    Lily seemed pleased with us. Gavin didn¡¯t seem to care. Rosa was too busy staring at Gavin to really notice. Ian and Anna decided to opt out of the awkwardness and eat elsewhere.


    Aiden, on the other hand, expressed his irritation by making a scene out of banging his spoon and fork over his plate every chance he got.


    ¡°Are you drumming, Sofia¡¯s father?¡± Rob asked. ¡°Ian sometimes makes some music with a bunch of old cans. He¡¯s really good at it.¡±


    Aiden dropped his utensils on his plate, which he promptly pushed away so that he could lean his elbows over the wooden table. ¡°Soooo¡­¡± he said. ¡°You haven¡¯t told me whether or not you¡¯re going to let the hunters come¡­¡±


    Derek and I exchanged uncomfortable glances.


    ¡°Well, we haven¡¯t discussed it properly yet. If you want an answer now, I think the answer is no¡­¡± I replied, shifting my weight on my seat, gearing myself up for a confrontation.


    ¡°The sooner the hunters come, the sooner I get to administer the cure, the sooner we get to get out of here.¡±


    I raised a brow at my father. ¡°We?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not saying that you¡¯re not coming back with me, are you, Sofia? I thought¡­¡±


    ¡°Dad¡­what would I do back at headquarters? Train to be a hunter? My life is here at The Shade.¡±


    ¡°Sofia, you can¡¯t seriously be¡­ You don¡¯t even have to stay at headquarters. I want you to live your life and it¡¯s definitely not here.¡±


    ¡°If the cure works, then Derek would be human too.¡± I glanced at Derek and smiled, hope surging within me at the possibility of us being together. ¡°If he decides to leave The Shade, then I¡¯m going with him. If he decides to stay, then that¡¯s where I¡¯ll be.¡±


    I knew that I was tearing my father apart. I felt bad for him. I didn¡¯t want him to be unhappy. He was my father and I loved him, but as much as I wanted to be a part of his life, I couldn¡¯t leave behind my own life just to cater toward his hatred for the vampires.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but a life as a hunter isn¡¯t the life for me. Ben found that hard to accept too, but it holds true.¡±


    I felt Derek take my hand underneath the table and squeeze hard. Aiden¡¯s shoulders sagged with disappointment. I guess he knew me well enough to know that once I set my heart and mind on something, there was no way he could dissuade me to do otherwise.


    ¡°Sofia and I will discuss the hunters¡¯ arrival tonight and let you know by breakfast, Aiden,¡± Derek spoke up in an attempt to appease my sulking father.


    Aiden shot a glare at him, narrowing his eyes at the vampire. ¡°You¡¯re not suggesting that my daughter will spend the night with you, are you?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Derek swallowed hard.


    ¡°What? So you can feed on her all night?¡± Aiden¡¯s eyes suddenly grew wide open with horror. ¡°You two haven¡¯t already slept together, have you?¡±

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    I coughed out the orange juice that I¡¯d been drinking. I never had to endure these types of conversations before. Hearing these questions from my father and the thought of answering them was¡ªfor me¡ªbeyond awkward.


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± I stood up as I continued to cough out the juice. ¡°I think that¡¯s enough dinner talk¡­¡± Rob and Madeline were squealing with delight.


    ¡°I think we better go¡­¡± Derek suggested and I quickly agreed.


    We didn¡¯t wait for Aiden to voice out more objections. Derek simply took my hand and whisked both of us out of The Catacombs and into the woods, where we took a long, leisurely walk back to his penthouse, where we planned to spend the night.


    ¡°Your father must be throwing quite a fit right now. I almost feel sorry for Rosa, Gavin, Lily and the kids,¡± Derek said.


    ¡°They¡¯ll be fine.¡± We walked in silence for a while, losing ourselves in our own thoughts, enjoying each other¡¯s company.


    ¡°Thank you for bringing Vivienne back,¡± Derek broke the silence. ¡°Claudia too. I¡¯m not a big fan of the girl, but somehow The Shade isn¡¯t quite the same without her.¡±


    Derek and Claudia had always been at odds with each other. I knew that they¡¯d slept together before, knew that Claudia was attracted to him, but it was perfectly clear that they weren¡¯t friends. I doubted they even liked each other. Still, I somehow understood what Derek was getting at. The Shade had grown to be more than just a community. Over time, it had grown to be a family. They may not get along well with one another and everyone was always at each other¡¯s throats, but should anybody take one person away from the island, that person¡¯s presence¡ªno matter how unpleasant¡ªwas bound to be missed. The familiarity with one another and acceptance of each other¡¯s flaws was what made The Shade feel like the home that it was.


    Now, The Shade¡¯s falling apart. My heart sank at the thought. War was brewing, the blood supply was running low¡­ The island wasn¡¯t going to be in its self-sufficient cocoon for long.


    ¡°What are you planning to do, Derek?¡± I asked.


    He eyed me momentarily. ¡°About what?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°The Shade, the war, the blood supply¡­my father¡¯s proposal to get the hunters to come¡­the cure¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t reply immediately, and for a while, I thought he had no intention of replying at all. We just walked, listening to the sound of twigs snapping and leaves rustling beneath our feet.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do,¡± he finally admitted. ¡°I solve one issue and another one pops up in its place. The last time something like this happened¡ªright before I asked Cora to put the sleeping spell on me¡ªI just gave in to the darkness so that I could control everyone through fear. I don¡¯t want to go back there.¡±


    I remembered what he¡¯d shown me in his journals back at the Lighthouse¡ªthe history of The Shade, what became of him, how he¡¯d gone over to the dark side. I swallowed hard. I knew how important it was that he never go back to that version of him again.


    ¡°This cure, Sofia¡­ Do you really think it¡¯s worth the risk of letting your father bring in more hunters to The Shade?¡±


    My throat felt dry as I rasped my response out. ¡°I want this to work out, Derek. Perhaps I¡¯m being selfish with you¡­ I don¡¯t know. It seems like the only way we can be together. I want to trust Aiden, but I¡¯d be lying if I didn¡¯t admit that I don¡¯t. I¡¯m scared that it¡¯s a trap.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t even wrap my mind around the idea of a cure, Sofia. It feels like too big a risk. The other vampire covens have made it clear that they are uniting and gearing up for an attack. I don¡¯t know when, I don¡¯t know how, but they¡¯re coming and we need to be ready for that. The island is falling apart and we¡¯re barely keeping things together. If I allow hunters into The Shade and your father somehow betrays us¡­ Do you realize what could happen?¡±


    I nodded my head as I took care in weighing his words and responding to them. The atmosphere was tense and charged with emotion. I could practically feel Derek¡¯s desperation oozing through me. I wondered once again if the cure really did work. What if it works only with Ingrid? I probably should¡¯ve spent more time observing her. I felt like I was played by Aiden, manipulated into trusting him and bringing him to the island¡ªa place he¡¯d been desperate to find since he heard about its existence.


    ¡°Even if the cure works, Sofia¡­¡± Derek continued. ¡°What¡¯s going to happen? How am I going to defend the island as a mortal?¡±


    I swallowed hard. I hadn¡¯t actually thought that far. Was I expecting that all the vampires would simply agree to turn back into humans? Was I expecting that Derek and I would just skip out of The Shade and live normal, human lives? If Derek turned back to a mortal, he¡¯d be powerless to fight against all these forces coming at him.


    I couldn¡¯t find answers to the concerns Derek was placing before me, and yet every bit of me was screaming that this was the way, that this was as close as we could get to true sanctuary at the moment.


    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to take your kind to true sanctuary, Derek. That much we know is true, but what is true sanctuary?¡±


    ¡°You tell me.¡± He shrugged a shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t really know anymore, to be honest. I used to think The Shade was true sanctuary.¡±


    ¡°It couldn¡¯t possibly be true sanctuary. The last time I talked to Corrine, she told me that she was the last of the witches capable of keeping The Shade hidden. The island is safe from human detection and sunlight only as long as she is alive. The Shade¡¯s fall is inevitable.¡±


    Derek¡¯s bright blue eyes, illuminated by moonlight, focused on me, almost as if he was searching me for an answer, almost as if he were reminding me that I was supposed to help him find true sanctuary. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to tell you, Sofia.¡± His shoulder sagged in resignation. ¡°Perhaps this is it. Maybe true sanctuary really is just an eternity of war and bloodshed and once The Shade falls, I¡¯m doomed to find one haven after another to keep my subjects protected. Perhaps that¡¯s my fate. Forever.¡±


    I shook my head and stopped in my tracks to look him in the eye. ¡°Derek, you can¡¯t possibly believe that¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right¡­ Maybe I need the cure¡­ Maybe the only escape from this is mortality.¡±


    His words lit up a fire in me that I couldn¡¯t extinguish no matter how hard I tried. I didn¡¯t know how to explain it to him or how to make sense of what was going through my mind, but I knew without a doubt that what he had just said was true.


    Mortality was Derek¡¯s true sanctuary.


    CHAPTER 42: INGRID


    Bloody fools. They never should¡¯ve underestimated me.


    I couldn¡¯t help keep the smirk off of my face as I made my way through the secret passages that Aiden introduced to me during our short love affair and midnight rendezvous into the secret garden. Aiden¡¯s young prot¨¦g¨¦, Zinnia, had messed up big time when she had left me momentarily unguarded as I headed off to the showers. I knew how to find my way around the headquarters and quickly found my escape, emerging outside the gardens.


    The moment I did, however, I knew I had a big problem. It was the height of noon and the sun was blazing right at me. The very moment its painful rays hit my skin, my suspicions once again proved true. I don¡¯t know how it had happened, but Aiden¡¯s cure failed. When I cut that glass into my skin and it healed, I knew that I was immortal, but when the sun began to irritate my pale skin, I knew that I was still a vampire.


    Still, the dilemma before me was clear. I had to find a way out of hunter territory and out of the sun as quickly as possible or it would be the end of me. The sun¡¯s rays weakened a vampire immensely. It would take ten minutes before it would begin to get beneath my skin and the pain would be agonizing. It would be a slow, painful death.


    Trying to ignore the piercing sting of the sun, I used my agility as a vampire and scaled up the nearby wall. I knew that by that time, the hunters were already after me. I didn¡¯t have much time to get away. I jumped from the top of the wall to the ground below and ran with lightning speed. I ran, ignoring the pain of my skin peeling away. I ran even when I felt blood coming out of the sockets of my eyes. I ran until I could no longer run, until the sun had completely worn me down. It felt like hours until I collapsed on the ground, every bit of my body writhing in pain. I knew I was miles away from hunter territory now and I looked up and discovered I was in the middle of a meadow, not quite certain where I was or how I was going to get out of there.


    I looked around me and saw a log cabin on the horizon. The small house was only a couple of hundred meters away, but it felt like it was an ocean away. I dragged myself toward the home, my charred skin beginning to emit smoke, the pain of the sun digging in to my very bones. It felt like a million needles being repeatedly jabbed right through my skin to the core of my bones. Over and over and over again.


    It took all of my might to drag myself toward the cabin. I wondered if it was a trap set by the hunters. I even thought that it could be some sort of optical illusion, but at that moment, whatever it was, that cabin was my only escape from the punishing rays of the sun.


    I couldn¡¯t have imagined how grotesque I looked as I crawled up the front porch. I felt like all the liquids had been drained from my body and I was dried and shriveled up. One look at my hands made my stomach turn. Both looked like rotting flesh. I pushed the door open and lost all control when I saw a young woman, who couldn¡¯t have been any older than Sofia, descend a wooden staircase. She shrieked at the sight of me before I charged for her and devoured her, drinking down every single drop of her blood.


    By the time I snapped out of my black out, I was surrounded by three dead bodies and the sun was no longer shining. I couldn¡¯t help but smile as I rose to my feet. I¡¯d done it. I escaped hunter territory. I sought out a mirror and was pleased to find my body restored, even though my skin was still stinging.

 Page 35

    Gathering my wits about me, I knew that I was just lucky and that the hunters were surely after me. I found a cell phone in the pocket of one of the teenagers I had killed. I then searched the cabin for clues about its address, before dialing Natalie Borgia¡¯s number.


    My message to her was simple: ¡°Wherever Borys is, let him know that I¡¯m alive and that I need him to get me.¡±


    Within a few hours, a helicopter arrived. At first, I thought that it was the hunters¡¯ and I was beginning to panic, but when I saw Borys, I sighed with relief. I ran into his arms, tears streaming down my face.


    He embraced me and pulled me against his chest as he whispered into my ear, ¡°I thought I lost you, Ingrid.¡±


    I once again felt the strength and security that I could only feel when I was around the vampire who sired me. I sobbed into his shoulder for a few seconds before whispering into his ear, ¡°I think I know how you can get your hands on Sofia. Do you still want her?¡±


    I could practically hear the spite and menace in his voice when he responded in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ve never wanted anything more than to feel her lovely, trembling form in my arms again.¡±


    I shuddered when I realized the hell Sofia was going to go through should Borys ever get a hold of her again. I swallowed hard as I remembered my daughter telling me she loved me. I dreaded the day that Borys would once again have Sofia within his grasp.


    But it¡¯s too late, Ingrid. You¡¯ve already told him about her. You have no choice but to surrender her to him.


    CHAPTER 43: GREGOR


    The moment I was taken from my daughter¡¯s chambers and brought back to The Cells, I knew that I was in trouble. An odd mixture of determination to not disappoint Vivienne and pure terror began battling for the right to rule my will.


    I shivered just thinking about what I had gone through in between the time when I had left The Oasis and finally returned to The Shade. If there ever was any doubt in my mind that we vampires were creatures of the dark, it was totally eradicated when I was forced to come face to face with what a dark creature I had allowed myself to become. Darkness took hold of both Borys and me in such a way I had never thought possible. It took full control.


    Perhaps this is what happened to Derek before he decided to escape to his slumber. It¡¯s the reason he was so powerful. Darkness gripped him and made him the heartless leader that saved The Shade.


    Clarity had come over me the moment I had looked upon my beautiful Vivienne¡¯s blue-violet eyes. Her unconditional love for me as her father awakened what little shred of humanity I still had left in me. I realized that the only reason I was thinking beyond the darkness¡¯ control was because Vivienne somehow illuminated something deep within me. One small spark was all it took to light up pitch black darkness.


    However, my match was quickly running out of its flame. I knew that I was about to lose myself again. I would once again forget the love I felt for my children¡ªespecially Derek.


    Alone in my cell, moonlight streaming from the small, barred window, I felt like a million voices were ringing in my ear all at the same time. I knew the kind of power I was up against. I knew the hold it had over me. I knew that this was a battle I couldn¡¯t win, but couldn¡¯t afford to lose either.


    For the first time in the past five hundred years, I realized how I, as a creature of the dark, craved so much for light. I was desperate to keep the spark inside me burning.


    Traitor, a voice whispered¡ªcoming from within me rather than from my surroundings. I shuddered. I tried to fight it. I tried to summon all the will power I had within me to keep myself in control. I couldn¡¯t do it.


    My body was no longer my own, my thoughts conflicted and out of control. Claws came out of my hand, and with my forefinger, I began scratching a message on my arm. My own claw cut through my skin and it cut deep. I bit my lip against the pain as I saw the message take form.


    You chose the wrong side.


    Chills ran down my spine as it dawned on me exactly what it meant. At that moment, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that there was absolutely no way I could make it through the night, and yet I felt in me an unnerving calm. I was able to hold Vivienne in my arms again. I was able to see her beautiful eyes and her calming smile.


    I had all the consolation I needed knowing that should I die that night, in the final moments of my life, I had chosen light.


    CHAPTER 44: DEREK


    She was silent. She was soothing calm amidst a raging tempest. She peered at me through her long lashes and I found myself breathless.


    Suddenly, the waves crashing over me seemed less threatening, the winds blowing at me seemed a little gentler. The storm surrounding me ceased to matter. Sofia was once again in my arms, serving as my calming center.


    Her lips moved to press against mine, and I knew that if I wanted to, I could take it further. I knew her well enough to sense that she would happily give in, but I didn¡¯t want that. Not with her. I was determined to stay true to my vow that I would not make love to her until after she¡¯d become my wife. It was my way of setting her apart from all those other women who came before her. It was my way of honoring her.


    The idea that she could be my wife¡ªin light of the hunters¡¯ newfound cure¡ªthrilled me. To live a lifetime of this, being with Sofia, tasting her, loving her¡­ It was far more than I could ever dream of, far greater than my deepest wishes even as a human. It took centuries to finally find her, but it happened¡­ I found the woman I loved and if it was all my immortality was good for, then it was worth it.


    When our lips parted and I saw her blush the moment our eyes met, I could swear my heart stopped. I had no idea how I could¡¯ve convinced myself that I could ever stand being apart from her.


    ¡°I was a fool to leave you,¡± I admitted.


    She slapped my shoulder. ¡°Damn right you were. I was going crazy trying to understand why you left.¡± Her voice broke. ¡°You didn¡¯t even say goodbye.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have let me go if I had.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because we belong together, Derek.¡± She paused and looked at me like the big fool that I was. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you still don¡¯t know that.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t stand the idea of preying on you, Sofia.¡± My heart sank as I recalled my need to have a taste of her blood the moment I had woken up. I didn¡¯t even ask her anymore. I just took what she was clearly offering.


    ¡°Does it hurt when I drink from you?¡± I asked, wondering why I even bothered to ask the question. Of course it hurts.


    ¡°The bite stings at first, but it¡¯s not like I¡¯m not used to it¡­¡± She sat up on the bed and began pulling her hair up in a high ponytail.


    I breathed out a sigh, hoping that we could freeze that moment and just stay cocooned in my bedroom. I hoped that we could just forget all the concerns that I needed to deal with. Of course, I knew that was impossible. Right at that very moment, I could hear people shuffling outside my room, waiting for me to emerge. I guessed that it was some of the Elite¡ªperhaps present to discuss our severe lack of blood supplies. Just the thought of having to deal with all the drama going on made me groan out loud.


    Sofia, who was already up and about the room, getting herself ready for the day, looked my way and chuckled, seeming to already know what was going through my mind. She leaned over my side of the bed and kissed my cheek. ¡°We¡¯re together again, and that¡¯s all that matters right now.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know how to respond as I watched her step into the bathroom and close the door behind her. I loved that about Sofia. I loved how she seemed to take the heaviest of situations and somehow make it feel lighter.


    My ray of sunshine was back and I wanted to kick myself for allowing things to go any other way.


    By the time we both got ready and stepped out of the bedroom, we found a group of people waiting for us in the dining room¡ªCameron, Liana, Xavier, Eli, Yuri and to my surprise, Vivienne.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be resting? Sofia and I were just planning to visit you¡­¡± I asked my twin.


    ¡°Liana came over and told me about the dilemma regarding the island¡¯s blood supply. What are we going to do about that?¡±


    I gave Liana a cold glare for worrying Vivienne over matters of the island. ¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯re about to figure out today, Viv.¡± I pulled out a chair for Sofia beside mine before taking a seat at the head of the table. ¡°Before I ask to what I owe the pleasure of this invasion, do you have any suggestions regarding how we¡¯re going to fix this mess?¡±


    I was greeted by a tense silence. There was a time when the answer would¡¯ve been to abduct humans to feed on or to hold a culling¡ªkilling off all the weak and useless humans and draining them of blood that we could preserve at the chilling chambers. Now, none of us had any idea how to replenish the blood supply at such short notice. Until Sofia stated the obvious as she stared into space and shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t see what the problem is.¡±


    All eyes turned to her.


    Xavier seemed irritated. ¡°Do you have any idea how thirsty I am, Sofia? I only had one packet blood left and I had to give it to¡­¡± He bit his lip and caught his words as he glanced at Vivienne ¡°¡­Not that I regret it of course, but not all of us have a fresh supply of blood like Derek seems to enjoy since you came back.¡±


    My gut clenched as I followed the direction of Xavier¡¯s eyes on the bite marks on Sofia¡¯s neck.


    ¡°What Xavier¡¯s trying to say is that if the vampires don¡¯t get their blood, we won¡¯t be able to keep them from attacking the humans at The Catacombs. We¡¯re going to have another riot and considering that the hunters are coming and so are the other covens, we can¡¯t afford that,¡± Liana summarized before taking in a deep breath.


    ¡°Yes. I get the dilemma,¡± Sofia said. ¡°I just don¡¯t know why you can¡¯t see the solution when it seems pretty obvious.¡±


    ¡°Just tell us what you have in mind, Sofia. We¡¯re all ears,¡± I said.


    ¡°For one thing, you could always live on animal blood. Vivienne has survived all these years on that.¡± Sofia raised her hands in the air before anyone could object. ¡°Yes, yes. I know what you¡¯re going to say. Not everyone can do what Vivienne is doing. I get that. I do have another idea. I¡¯d like to believe that through the past year, we¡¯ve already established some sort of rapport between the humans and the vampires. I don¡¯t see why the humans wouldn¡¯t agree to donate their own blood to feed the vampires.¡±

 Page 36

    ¡°You mean like the humans voluntarily letting vampires suck their blood?¡± Yuri scoffed.


    ¡°I think what Sofia is saying is that we replenish the stocks by getting blood from the humans the way hospitals and blood banks do.¡± Eli glared at Yuri.


    ¡°Do you really think the humans would agree to that?¡± I asked Sofia.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why not¡­¡±


    ¡°One problem there¡­¡± Vivienne sat up. ¡°The vampires will end up craving whoever donated blood to them.¡±


    Sofia shrugged. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a temporary measure, is it not? If the cure works, then it wouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes¡­ The cure¡­¡± Liana nodded. ¡°That¡¯s why we came here. So much seems to be hanging on to whether or not this cure works.¡±


    ¡°Well, if this cure is for real.¡± Cameron straightened up on his seat. ¡°Then Sofia¡¯s right. We really wouldn¡¯t have to worry about blood supplies at all.¡±


    ¡°More than that,¡± Liana added, ¡°we won¡¯t need the protection of The Shade anymore. The other covens can attack all they want¡­ It won¡¯t really matter. They can even turn back into mortals if they please.¡±


    ¡°The hunters won¡¯t have to hunt us down anymore.¡± Yuri leaned back in his seat, arms crossed over his chest, his brows furrowing in deep thought.


    ¡°A cure just might end all of this,¡± Liana concluded.


    Finally, Cameron got straight to the point. ¡°I guess what we¡¯re trying to say is that we think we ought to look into the faintest possibility of this cure being real, because it is far better than a full-on war with both vampire covens and hunters.¡±


    My jaw tightened. They were listing all the advantages of the cure being real, advantages I¡¯d been mulling over since I had heard of the cure. Sofia and I exchanged glances and I could tell that she was feeling the pressure upon hearing how much was hanging on this cure the hunters claimed to have found.


    ¡°So I guess we¡¯re going to let more hunters into the island? We¡¯re going to risk that?¡± I directed my attention toward Vivienne. ¡°What do you think, Vivienne?¡±


    My sister shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯d be lying if I said that I trust the hunters, because I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust them either,¡± Sofia said. ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­the cure may be our last hope,¡± Eli finished for Sofia. ¡°A war would end us.¡±


    ¡°How are they even going to do it?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but blurt out. ¡°I can¡¯t even wrap my mind around how the other covens plan to attack us without being detected by humans. A war would definitely attract attention, perhaps end us all.¡±


    Eli lifted his glasses over the bridge of his nose as he shifted uncomfortably in his chair, rubbing his neck as he did. ¡°I can¡¯t be sure, but¡­¡± he hesitated.


    After it seemed he wasn¡¯t going to continue, I narrowed my eyes at him. ¡°But what, Eli?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ It¡¯s just¡­ I don¡¯t think we¡¯re up against just the covens.¡±


    At this, Xavier, who seemed unable to pry his eyes off of Vivienne the whole time, snapped to attention. ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°The other covens wouldn¡¯t dare risk something as big as this. That¡¯s what kept us safe from them all these years. You forget that a lot of vampires who migrated to The Shade¡ªcoming from other covens¡ªwarned us that the other covens were, for decades, covetous of what we have here. A full-scale war isn¡¯t something anybody would risk unless¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­unless there¡¯s a greater influence backing them up.¡± Vivienne nodded.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Eli said.


    I froze, every part of my body seeming to tense at the implication. ¡°You can¡¯t possibly mean¡­¡±


    Eli and Vivienne exchanged glances.


    In her typical sage and serene manner, Vivienne said the words that sealed my fears. ¡°Great darkness is behind this.¡±


    I swallowed hard, realizing that I was against a power far above what I could possibly handle. I knew whom they were referring to, but it almost seemed impossible¡ªutterly surreal.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­¡± Sofia silently voiced out, searching me for an answer.


    ¡°They¡¯re referring to the original.¡±


    ¡°The original?¡±


    ¡°The very first vampire.¡±


    CHAPTER 45: SOFIA


    As soon as the words came out of Derek¡¯s mouth, someone began pounding at the front door. Derek and I stood in unison, worry creasing his face as sure as it was mine.


    When the door swung open, we found Sam looking breathless and distraught. ¡°You¡¯re going to want to see this¡­the town square.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Derek asked, wary of any more bad news being thrown his way.


    ¡°It¡¯s your father.¡±


    Derek immediately shot a look at Vivienne. ¡°Stay here, Vivienne.¡± He then cast a commanding glare at Xavier. ¡°Keep an eye on her.¡±


    Xavier nodded, looking as if he would rather die than ever let Vivienne out of his sight. Derek took my hand and pulled my body against him in a tight embrace so he could speed from the Pavilion to the Vale where the town square was. The moment we arrived, I wished he hadn¡¯t brought me with him. It took every ounce of my will power to keep myself from vomiting at the grotesque sight in front of me. Right in the middle of the town square was Gregor Novak¡¯s corpse, impaled on a stick that went right through his heart. His heart, still beating was right at the tip of the stick.


    I could barely stand on my own feet, so when Derek¡¯s knees buckled at the sight, we both sank to the ground.


    ¡°Who would do this?¡± I muttered under my breath. That¡¯s when I noticed that something was scrawled on his arm, which looked like it was already in the process of rotting.


    Derek, who didn¡¯t seem to have the stomach to approach his own father¡¯s lifeless form, turned toward Sam. ¡°What¡¯s written on his arm?¡±


    Sam hesitated before responding. ¡°It says, ¡®You chose the wrong side.¡¯¡±


    I couldn¡¯t understand what that could¡¯ve possibly meant. Whichever side Gregor was on, it certainly wasn¡¯t Derek¡¯s. Did Gregor somehow cross someone else other than Derek? I was certain that Derek couldn¡¯t have had anything to do with this grotesque crime.


    Corrine emerged among the gathering crowd in the town square. Her brown eyes locked with Derek¡¯s, a grim expression marring her lovely face. From the very moment I first met Corrine, nothing seemed to shake her. She seemed unafraid of anything. I always saw her as some sort of strong tower, a refuge of calm. At this moment, however, she looked horrified.


    Her olive skin seemed to pale and for the first time since I had met her, I was certain that we were up against a force that was more powerful than her.


    Chills ran down my spine and dread unlike anything I¡¯d ever felt before swept over me. I stared up at Derek, somehow knowing deep inside that both of us would break before we could be made whole again.


    Alarm was in Derek¡¯s eyes when he broke gaze with Corrine in order to look at me. ¡°Sofia, you¡¯re trembling.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t aware of how tightly I was squeezing his arm. I shook my head, not knowing how to articulate to him what was going through my mind. Even if I could, I didn¡¯t know if it would be wise to voice out the fears I had coursing through me.


    I once again caught sight of Gregor¡¯s body¡ªwhich was now being pulled from the pole it was impaled on. Despite all my apprehensions, I nodded my head resolutely. I needed to have faith. I couldn¡¯t afford not to have it. ¡°We¡¯re going to make it, Derek.¡±


    When he pulled me closer to him and pressed his lips against my temple, I took it as reassurance that I was right.


    The rest of the morning wore on with Eli and Liana working with Gavin and Ian, trying to figure out how to make the blood drive among the humans happen. Xavier, Cameron and Derek saw to arrangements about Gregor¡¯s body. Last time I caught a glimpse of Yuri, he was taking a walk with Claudia¡ªsomething that I found delight in. On the other hand, I was left to deal with my father and all the questions he had about what went on between Derek and me throughout the night.


    ¡°You let him drink your blood again, didn¡¯t you?¡± was the first thing he asked me the moment I had settled myself in the dining room of my chambers at The Catacombs.


    Well, I didn¡¯t exactly let him. I just kind of woke up to find that he was already having his fill. Of course, I wasn¡¯t about to tell Aiden that. ¡°Do we have to go through this again?¡±


    Aiden¡¯s lips shut tight and we ate breakfast in silence without a word being exchanged until he finally asked the question that had probably been burning through his thoughts all night. ¡°Is he allowing the hunters to come?¡±


    ¡°Do you have any idea at all how much is hanging on the balance should this cure be for real?¡±


    ¡°You saw Ingrid turn back into a human, Sofia. With your own eyes!¡± he exclaimed. ¡°I don¡¯t understand how you could still hold so much doubt after witnessing something like that.¡±


    ¡°What if it only works on her? What if it doesn¡¯t work on all vampires?¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t know until we try, will we?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t fight back the uneasy feeling I had over the whole matter. I wanted to believe Aiden. I wanted to trust him, to believe that he wasn¡¯t going to screw us all over, but this dread inside kept nagging at me that something was amiss. ¡°I hope you understand that Derek means everything to me. You betray him, you betray me.¡±


    ¡°I know that, Sofia. I also hope that you realize that you are my daughter and I will always fight for what I believe is best for you.¡± He paused for a moment before continuing. ¡°I know I messed up big time. I know I wasn¡¯t a good father to you, but I want that to change. I want you to trust me.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t bear the idea of shooting him down after what felt like one of the most sincere things he¡¯d ever told me. Hesitantly, I nodded and gave him the go signal to something that could end us all.

 Page 37

    ¡°Have the hunters come.¡±


    CHAPTER 46: DEREK


    I was dragging myself through the entire day. The heavy weight that settled on my chest the moment I realized that I had just lost my father was inescapable. I¡¯d always been at odds with Gregor Novak but I had never wished such a death on him. I had no idea how to face Vivienne. I wasn¡¯t even sure if she¡¯d already been told. I sure didn¡¯t want to be the one to break the news to her. The mere thought of seeing her tears over the passing away of our father was more emotion than I knew how to handle.


    It seemed that it was the hand I¡¯d been dealt. Fix one problem and another will pop up. You¡¯re not even allowed time to just gather yourself together and pick the pieces up to prepare for the next tragedy.


    By the end of the day, I was ready to escape into sleep¡ªthe only recourse I had that would allow me to shut all my anxieties, fears and doubts out. I momentarily entertained the idea of going to Sofia at The Catacombs, but sleep really seemed to be a more enticing escape than even my lovely redhead, who for certain was with Aiden, someone who would once again remind me about what I was already deeply guilty about. I could still feel Sofia¡¯s blood coursing through me. I was certain that it was the wellspring I was drawing life from throughout that day. It was also my deepest source of shame.


    I just want to escape. All of it. For a few hours, I want to be rid of all of this.


    Xavier had gone with me to the Pavilion¡ªmost likely to check on Vivienne, who was being looked after by Liana. When he realized that I was off to my own penthouse, Xavier called me out on it. ¡°Aren¡¯t you even going to check on Vivienne? I think she needs you.¡±


    I tensed at the thought. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can¡­¡±


    ¡°You have to, Derek. If there¡¯s anyone who can understand what you¡¯re going through, it¡¯s her. And it¡¯s your comfort and presence that she needs most right now. She¡¯d barely just wrapped her head around Lucas¡¯ death at The Oasis. She needs you for this.¡±


    I knew he was right, so despite the ache I felt inside, I begrudgingly obliged. I made my way to my sister¡¯s penthouse and found her inside her greenhouse, amidst her beloved orchids, roses, lilies and tulips. Her blue-violet gaze was misty with tears.


    ¡°Vivienne¡­¡±


    She looked up and the moment she laid eyes on me, she broke down crying. She immediately approached me and threw her arms around my neck. I wrapped my hands around her waist and pulled her against me, allowing her to sob as long and as much as she needed to. I didn¡¯t know what to say to her. I found myself hoping that my presence was enough, because I couldn¡¯t find the right words to comfort her.


    ¡°It¡¯s just you and me now¡­¡± she rasped out in between sobs, her voice hoarse and choked. ¡°We¡¯re the last of the Novaks.¡±


    I hung my head¡ªalmost as if I was ashamed that this was true, almost as if it was my fault Gregor was gone.


    When her sobs subsided, she pulled away from me and nodded slowly, her eyes fixed on a black orchid which she was gently caressing with her thumb. ¡°I knew it would happen¡­¡± she eventually said. ¡°He was too far into the dark. He was fighting with every bit of his strength to stay in the light, but even you weren¡¯t strong enough to stand against it when it began to consume you. He¡¯d been giving into it for too long.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­¡±


    Vivienne caught my eye in that way only she could¡ªthat way that made me feel as if she were looking into the depths of my soul. I would look into her eyes and find uncharted galaxies behind them. I knew that I could never really grasp or comprehend her depth.


    ¡°I think he chose us, Derek. That¡¯s why he¡¯s dead. That explains the message on his arm. He chose us over darkness.¡±


    ¡°He hated me,¡± was all I could manage to say as I fought back my own tears.


    Vivienne shook her head. ¡°He lost a lot of himself. I know he wasn¡¯t the greatest father, but he did the best he could. He was a weak man. He was nothing like you, Derek. He never hated you. He envied you.¡±


    I smiled bitterly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter now I guess¡­¡±


    She heaved a sigh and gently brushed her hand over my face. ¡°I guess what matters is that we still have each other and that no matter where our father is right now, I¡¯m certain that he is much more free than he ever was as ruler of The Shade and father of the great Derek Novak.¡±


    Overcome by emotion, I could no longer keep the tears back. I pulled Vivienne against me. ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re back, Vivienne. I would have no idea how to get through this without you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll do just fine, Derek. You¡¯ve always been stronger than any of us ever were. Now that you have Sofia back here, you can make it. You can go against the original.¡±


    I pulled away from our embrace, my jaw dropping involuntarily. ¡°You can¡¯t mean that¡­ Vivienne¡­¡±


    She just smiled at me and turned away. I knew what that meant. She wasn¡¯t willing to say any more and no amount of coaxing from me could make her speak again. She¡¯d said her piece and that was it. I was dismissed.


    Going against the original vampire was something that had never crossed my mind. I couldn¡¯t understand why she would even think it. The original was almost a myth to us. None of us knew if the creature really even existed or what it was capable of. It was one thing to battle against something tangible, something you saw and understood, but it was a whole other thing to contend with a powerful unknown.


    I was in a daze as I returned to my penthouse, all sense of sleep leaving me. I knew that I couldn¡¯t escape to deep slumber even if I wanted to. Vivienne had just dropped a bomb that would make me toss and turn with anxiety all night.


    Thus, I was relieved to open my bedroom door and find Sofia sitting on top of the bed. My guitar was laid on the empty space on the bed beside her. She was busy penciling a drawing on the sketch pad laid over her lap, loose strands of her red hair falling over her face. She looked up through her long lashes the moment I entered and smiled.


    ¡°Rough day, huh?¡±


    ¡°As rough as it could get¡­¡± I leaned against the doorpost in a show of resignation. ¡°I haven¡¯t yet been able to rise up from one wave crashing over me before another one comes raging toward me again.¡±


    She tapped gently on the guitar beside her. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I last heard you play.¡±


    No matter how exhausted I felt, I realized that I wanted nothing more than to surround myself with that which I loved¡ªmusic and Sofia. I sat over the edge of the bed and took the guitar. I began strumming a chord to make sure it was in tune. Satisfied that it was, I began to pluck away, losing myself in the sound of the music.


    I could feel Sofia settle herself behind me, leaning her chin over my shoulder as she watched me play. As I continued to play tune after tune after tune, she began whispering encouragements in my ear. ¡°You¡¯re strong. Brave. Courageous. You don¡¯t need to give in to the darkness in order to get through this. I know you. I know that we can make it through this. We¡¯re going to fight this together.¡±


    I had no idea how long it took before we eventually settled down on the bed, snuggling against each other, enjoying that momentary reprieve. We were each other¡¯s refuge and in that bedroom, holding Sofia in my arms, it felt as if the world was as it should be.


    ¡°The hunters are coming tomorrow¡­¡± Sofia whispered as she brushed her fingers over my chest. I could hear the hesitation in her voice. I could tell she felt apprehensive about bringing up the subject. ¡°You ready for that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ Are you? If things go south, Sofia, I may need to fight your father¡­ I just¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she cut me off, the assurance coming too quick. ¡°I know you have to do what you have to do.¡±


    I knew it was tearing her up to even think of having to choose between me and her father. ¡°You don¡¯t have to choose you know¡­ I understand¡­¡±


    ¡°I know, but if I had to choose, you know that I¡¯d choose you in a heartbeat, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Her loyalty and love for me was always a source of astonishment. And it meant the world to me to hear her say it. I placed a kiss on her forehead. ¡°I love you so much, Sofia.¡±


    She smiled up at me. ¡°I know¡­ I want you to start believing that I love you just as much, Derek.¡±


    Her words were like a punch in the gut as I realized that what I had done¡ªby leaving her back at hunter territory¡ªshowed her that I didn¡¯t believe in her love for me, in our love. I made the choice apart from her, leaving her out of the equation. I was unfair to her by doing that and I decided right then that it would never happen again.


    I knew that we had a rough ride ahead of us, but somehow, that night, I realized that I didn¡¯t need to worry about tomorrow. I was fine where I was. I just needed to take things one day at a time and let tomorrow take care of itself, because no matter what threats were coming our way, I had Sofia in my arms. Just like Sofia, I needed to live in the moment and learn to love every minute of it.


    I wished I knew that earlier, because it was such a regretful thing to realize how much I¡¯d wasted my immortality, but I guessed there was no better time to start than now.


    CHAPTER 47: SOFIA


    We were at the port. All of the Elite Council was present to defend Derek should there be a fight. The deal was that the cure was going to be tested at the port so that the hunters wouldn¡¯t have access to the island the way Aiden did.


    The moment the group of six hunters emerged from the submarine, they revealed their faces, except for two, who remained hidden under hooded cloaks. The secrecy made me queasy and I found myself searching for Derek¡¯s reaction. From the way he was staring at the two hooded hunters, I could tell that he too sensed something was amiss.


    Our suspicions were confirmed when, with panic laced in his voice, Aiden, who was standing beside me, shouted out, ¡°I don¡¯t know these people. This isn¡¯t them. These aren¡¯t the hunters.¡±

 Page 38

    No sooner had the words come out of his lips when one of the ¡°hunters¡± lunged for me. Everything happened so fast, I could barely wrap my mind around the whole thing. All I knew was that before I could make sense of what was happening, I had an arm choking my neck, a familiar voice speaking out.


    ¡°We came here for her and her alone. You either give me a way out of here or she dies.¡±


    The chill of his breath and the distinct depth of his gravelly voice made it clear who was holding me hostage. Borys Maslen.


    My gaze instinctively locked with Derek¡¯s and I found in the blue depths of his eyes a mixture of fury and terror. I tried to make sense of where we were, panic overwhelming me at the idea of once again being taken captive by Borys Maslen. His mere touch was causing goosebumps to form all over my body.


    ¡°How¡­¡± Derek gasped out, perhaps wondering how on earth vampires¡ªBorys Maslen at that¡ªwas even able to get into the submarines without getting recognized.


    ¡°Surprised, Novak?¡± Borys grinned, his breath cold against the back of my ear. ¡°Since you helped the hunters destroy The Oasis, we¡¯ve been getting some outside support. A beautiful witch¡¯s spell kept us disguised as hunters until we could reveal ourselves to you. Now, let us leave with young Sofia here and no one has to get hurt. If you don¡¯t let us go, well, I¡¯ll just have to kill her.¡±


    He began nudging me toward the exit that would lead to the submarine, so I was relieved to find that the way to the submarines had been blocked by several of The Shade¡¯s guards, something that peeved Borys.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way you¡¯re getting out of here with Sofia¡­¡± Derek yelled.


    From the look in his eyes, I had no doubt in my mind that I would see hearts ripped out of their rightful place that day.


    ¡°So you¡¯d rather see her die than leave with me?¡± Borys said, tracing a claw over my bare arm, causing blood to trickle out of the cut. ¡°And I thought you loved her.¡±


    ¡°What do you want from her?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I will always want her just because I want what is mine. She¡¯s mine.¡± He kissed me on the cheek and I felt the tears trickling down my eyes as everyone around me watched helplessly. ¡°But to be honest, I¡¯m not the only one who wants her away from you, Novak. You¡¯re up against much more powerful forces now.¡±


    I swallowed hard at what he was implying. The original. The desperation in Derek¡¯s face was tearing me apart. I knew it was killing him to see me in Borys¡¯ grasp, even more now that the original was involved.


    ¡°She¡¯s my daughter.¡± Aiden took a step forward. ¡°Let her go. If she belongs with anyone, she belongs with me.¡±


    The other hooded ¡°hunter¡± chuckled. I didn¡¯t need to know who it was. Ingrid.


    ¡°Did you really think your cure would work?¡± She grinned. ¡°There¡¯s no cure, and lest you forget, she¡¯s my daughter too.¡±


    ¡°This is getting exhausting.¡± Borys once again clawed through my skin¡ªso deeply, I couldn¡¯t keep in a scream. ¡°Are you going to let us go or not?¡±


    Despite the anguish traced in his eyes upon seeing me in pain, Derek shook his head. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you stop him?¡± Aiden hissed at Derek.


    ¡°It will take only a couple of seconds for me to break Sofia¡¯s neck,¡± Borys explained matter-of-factly. ¡°He can¡¯t risk that. I¡¯m going to give you time to think this through, Novak. I¡¯ll give you an hour to let us all go unharmed.¡± Borys began backing up to where the cells at the port were, Ingrid and the other vampires they had with them backing up around us. ¡°Until you decide, my lovely Sofia and I are going to spend some private time together, heh? Think of all the fun we can have in a whole hour...¡±


    Just like that, I found myself locked in a room with Borys, five vampires standing guard right outside the door.


    ¡°What do you want from me?¡± I spat at him after he pushed me to the ground.


    ¡°Many things, Sofia¡­¡± He chuckled. ¡°Many things. But first¡­¡± He licked his lips and bared his fangs. As if the implication that he was once again going to drink my blood wasn¡¯t already sickening, he pulled off his shirt and unbuttoned his jeans. I knew what he wanted, but I wasn¡¯t going to allow him to have it.


    Gritting my teeth against what I was up against, I shook my head determined to fight with every bit of my strength. He¡¯s not going to make a victim out of me. Not again. Over my dead body.


    CHAPTER 48: DEREK


    I paced the floor of the port¡¯s control room as I tried to figure out what to do. I looked toward the direction of the cell where Borys took Sofia and just the thought of what he was doing to her in there was enough to drive me mad.


    ¡°What are we going to do?¡± Aiden asked.


    ¡°Did you do this?¡± I shot at him. I didn¡¯t care that he was her father. If he had deliberately put Sofia in danger just to get to me, I was more than ready to break his neck.


    He shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what happened. I didn¡¯t know about this. They must have found a way to intercept my communication with the hunters. I had nothing to do with this.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes at him as I moved closer to him. ¡°Is there really a cure, Aiden? Why is Ingrid a vampire again?¡± I was fighting the urge to interrogate him while I had my hand choking his neck.


    The man stood proud and indignant, unwilling to be intimidated even by me. I was impressed, but even more so when he looked me straight in the eye. ¡°There¡¯s no cure, Derek. There can never be a cure to a curse such as yours.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t able to keep myself from hitting him across the face, making him fall on the ground¡ªseveral feet away from me.


    He coughed blood. ¡°I just wanted what was best for Sofia. You¡¯re not what¡¯s best for her. I had to do everything I could to get this idea of a cure out of her head, to get you permanently out of her system.¡±


    ¡°You want what¡¯s best for her?!¡± I pointed toward the room where she was trapped with Borys Maslen. ¡°Do you have any idea what he could possibly be doing to her right now?! Do you have any idea how sick a monster Borys Maslen is?! It¡¯s your fault she¡¯s at his mercy right now.¡± I had no idea what to do. I knew that I could take down all of Borys¡¯ vampires if I wanted to, but I also knew without a doubt in my mind that Borys wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill Sofia. I grabbed clumps of my own hair as I screamed out in frustration.


    ¡°We need to get her as far away from Borys as possible,¡± I managed to mutter.


    ¡°Well, for once, we agree on something¡­¡± Aiden said.


    I wanted to strangle him. ¡±This is your fault. You know that, right?¡± I was about to march right toward him again, but a calm, female voice stopped me.


    ¡°Calm down, Derek. We won¡¯t get anywhere blaming each other.¡±


    I turned toward the voice and found Vivienne standing inside the room.


    ¡°What are you doing here? Vivienne, if Borys Maslen sees you¡­¡±


    ¡°I saw a vision of this happening. I rushed here as soon as the vision was over, but I guess it¡¯s too late. He has her now.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do, Vivienne¡­I want to kill something¡­anything¡­¡± Out of the corner of my eye, I could make out Aiden rising to his feet. He would be a good first candidate. ¡°Just thinking of what he could be doing to her¡­¡±


    I heard a loud bang from inside the cell and my heart plummeted, my fists clenching.


    Ingrid came through the hallway that led to the room and stepped into the control room. She eyed Aiden from head to foot, then smirked in triumph. ¡°You didn¡¯t think you could keep me trapped in hunter territory forever, did you? After I was able to escape, I found a way to intercept your communication with Zinnia¡ªshe isn¡¯t exactly the brightest bulb, is she? Well anyway¡­here we are now¡­ I won over you.¡±


    ¡°What exactly did you win, Ingrid?¡± Aiden spat out, every word dripping with spite. ¡°Does it really give you pleasure to see your own daughter being tormented by that monster?¡±


    ¡°You should see her trying to put up a fight. She¡¯s in a pretty bad state.¡±


    Despite her words, I could swear that I saw hesitation in Ingrid¡¯s eyes, almost as if she was also being tormented by what Sofia was going through. She even seemed proud that Sofia was putting up a fight¡ªsomething that made my heart leap and my gut clench at the same time.


    Ingrid turned toward me. ¡°Sofia is going to fight to her last breath before she allows Borys to lay a hand on her. I¡¯m not sure she¡¯ll last an hour. Are you really sure you want to drag this out?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to let Borys leave this island with her.¡±


    ¡°He will be more than willing to break every bone in her body and force her to drink his blood so she¡¯ll heal, then do it all over again. An hour is a long time, Derek.¡± Her shoulders sagged and it was easy to see that she was conflicted. ¡°Let us go.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes at Ingrid and wondered if she was actually really pleading for Sofia¡¯s sake. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense, Ingrid. I know Sofia. She would rather die than leave this island with Borys. I would rather die than give her over to him¡ªnot after what she had already gone through, not after you just told me what he¡¯s capable of doing to her.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but look at her like she was stupid. ¡°Are you even thinking straight? How could you leave your own daughter in the hands of the likes of him?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re wasting time.¡± Aiden interrupted, eyes brimming with tears. ¡°We have to stop him from destroying Sofia.¡± His voice was choked, and it was the first time I was convinced that he genuinely cared for Sofia.


    ¡°Let me have a talk with him¡­¡± Vivienne took a step forward. ¡°There was a time when it was me he wanted. Maybe we can talk him into taking me instead of her.¡±


    My eyes widened in horror. ¡°Vivienne, what!¡±


    ¡°Can you think of any other way to somehow get his eyes off Sofia even for a while? We have to at least try something¡­¡±

 Page 39

    Another bang came from the room and I found myself fighting the urge to just lose it and barge my way into the room to try and kill Borys myself.


    ¡°You would do that for my daughter?¡± Aiden was looking at Vivienne as if she was some sort of miracle.


    Ingrid, on the other hand, eyed her from head to foot. ¡°What makes you think Borys would still want you when he has his immune right in his hands?¡±


    ¡°Borys wants Sofia because she¡¯s immune, right?¡± I took a step forward. ¡°We have another immune on the island. If we bring her to him, would he consider taking her instead of Sofia?¡±


    Ingrid seemed to take the proposal into consideration and nodded. ¡°I can ask him. Still¡­he¡¯s going to put Sofia through hell until this other ¡®immune¡¯ comes¡­¡±


    Vivienne once again asserted herself¡ªmuch to my chagrin. ¡°Let me go with you¡­ I can at least divert his attention from her for a little while.¡±


    Ingrid smirked at my sister, but shrugged. ¡°If you really want to¡­ I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be of much help though¡­ He¡¯ll probably kick you out of the room as soon as you show your face.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t understand why Vivienne was putting herself at risk on Sofia¡¯s behalf once again, but I was out of ideas and I was desperate to get Sofia out of the pain I was certain she was going through.


    ¡°Vivienne, what are you even planning to do? You¡¯re nowhere near as strong as Borys¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t help but mouth out my concern.


    ¡°The point is to get his attention away from Sofia. The fact that I¡¯m no threat to him is to my advantage.¡±


    I stared at Vivienne, admiring her for her courage and yet, the idea of sending my sister off to what could be her death was something that didn¡¯t sit well with me. I just got her back and now I have to send her to this monster.


    I glared once again at Ingrid. ¡°She¡¯s your daughter. How could you¡­¡±


    She waved my statement away and rolled her eyes. ¡°Please¡­don¡¯t remind me¡­ If you¡¯re trying to appeal to my maternal instincts, trust me¡­it won¡¯t work.¡±


    Aiden attested to this. ¡°She isn¡¯t Sofia¡¯s mother. Camilla is dead.¡±


    I knew I had to make a decision quick, because just as the words came out of Aiden¡¯s mouth, we heard Sofia¡¯s piercing scream.


    A sweeping cold ran up from the base of my spine to the back of my head. I pointed at Vivienne, and without really thinking things through, I blurted out at her, ¡°Go! Now!¡±


    I didn¡¯t care what had to be done that day. I simply resolved that I wasn¡¯t about to lose Sofia. I also made up my mind that no matter what, Borys Maslen wasn¡¯t going to leave The Shade alive.


    I am going to rip him to shreds.


    And I was going to relish every moment of seeing the life drain away from his body.


    CHAPTER 49: SOFIA


    He¡¯s going to kill me.


    When the back of his hand hit my face, I was surprised that my neck didn¡¯t snap. My head was spinning from the pain which was already racking every bone in my body. I was certain that I had at least one broken rib and the parts of my body he dug his claws into were screaming in agony. I began coughing blood¡ªthe red liquid causing a spark of delight in his beady eyes.


    ¡°Why do you fight me, Sofia? Why do you resist?¡± he asked as I scampered away from him, backing myself up into a wall, as he dipped his finger in the blood I¡¯d coughed up on the floor and licked it. He closed his eyes. ¡°There¡¯s nothing like it. What is it that makes your blood so delightfully sweet?¡±


    I wanted to glare up at him but one of my eyes was already swollen shut. I was trying to figure out a way to retrieve the wooden stake I kept on the hunters¡¯ strap round my thigh without Borys noticing. I knew that should he see the stake coming, then I couldn¡¯t use it against him, but his eyes remained on me.


    Maybe I¡¯m doing this the wrong way. Perhaps I should play along with his game and pretend to want him so I could stab him in the heart while he¡¯s having his way with me. I grimaced at the notion. The very idea of his hands on me made me sick.


    ¡°Are you not tired, Sofia?¡± He tilted his head to the side, a smirk forming on his face.


    Exhausted. I returned his smirk. ¡°The disgust I feel just looking at you is enough to give me all the energy I need. Just the sight of you makes my skin crawl.¡±


    I could see his stocky, muscular build tense. I didn¡¯t know what demented part of his existence I had just hit, but my words had struck a chord and I knew it.


    ¡°Take that back,¡± he growled in a low, menacing voice.


    I knew that should I prod on with my insults, I would definitely cause him pain and most likely urge him to hurt me some more, but inside, I was also hoping that it would somehow repel him from me to know how much I hated him. ¡°It¡¯s true. Have you ever had a woman actually want to be with you? Isn¡¯t it why you have to do this? Force us? I am not yours, Borys. I will never be yours. I can never ever enjoy your touch the way I enjoy Derek¡¯s. You¡¯re nowhere near even a fraction of the man he is. I think you know that. That¡¯s why you envy him so much.¡±


    He sped my way, grabbed me by the shoulders and I had to scream when he threw me across the room into a wall. I crashed to the ground with a loud thud and before I could even make a single move, he was on top of me, stuffing his discarded shirt down my throat until I began gagging.


    ¡°You have to learn to shut up, Sofia, my pet. Say such foul things again and I will cut your tongue out¡­and heal you¡­and then cut it out again.¡± He pressed a hand over one of my broken ribs, making me scream through his shirt.


    ¡°We could end this, Sofia. Just cooperate with me. Pleasure me¡­¡±


    I couldn¡¯t hate anyone else more than I hated him at that moment. He made even Lucas, who had dealt me his own share of cruel torment, seem like a gentleman. I clawed at Borys with the strength I had left, but he just knelt over me and laughed as he took hold of both my wrists and pinned them over my head. He used his weight to keep my legs down while he used his free hand to begin unbuttoning my shirt.


    He bared his fangs, ready to drink from my exposed neck, forcing my head to the side to allow him better access. I shut my eyes against what was happening, hoping to mentally escape from the hands of this man. I was so horrified by the whole thing, I wasn¡¯t sure if it was just my imagination when I heard a knock on the door.


    Borys seemed annoyed by the intrusion. ¡°Has it been an hour?¡± He frowned.


    He turned his head toward the door and gave the inanimate object a cold glare before deciding to ignore it and turn his attention back to me. To my relief, it seemed he lost interest in drinking my blood. My relief, however, was short-lived because he then turned his attention to groping my body.


    When another series of knocks came at the door, I didn¡¯t even bother to fight the urge to sigh with utter relief. Please¡­for mercy¡¯s sake, don¡¯t stop knocking.


    Upon noticing how relieved I was, Borys decided to take his frustration over the interruption out on me by grabbing fistfuls of my hair. By doing so, he had to let go of my wrists, and my hands were free to claw at him and hit him.


    Annoyed, he forced my arms to my sides before wrapping one strong arm around me to keep me steady as he stood up and freely kissed my neck and jawline. He walked toward the door even as he held me in his arms.


    I steeled myself against shedding more tears. I didn¡¯t want to cry any longer, but I also had no fight left in me either, so my tense and exhausted form just limply hung within his embrace, hoping that whoever was behind that door would somehow provide me momentary relief from Borys Maslen.


    Borys finally opened the door.


    I only realized how terrible I looked when I heard Ingrid, whom I was certain didn¡¯t give a damn about what happened to me, gasp at the sight of me. ¡°What have you done to her? Are you trying to kill her?¡±


    Borys pulled his mouth away from my cheek. ¡°She¡¯s trying to kill herself with all the fight she¡¯s trying to put up against me. Little minx can¡¯t seem to get it in her head that she¡¯s mine and that she¡¯s supposed to just lean back and take whatever I give her.¡±


    ¡°Lest you forget, she¡¯s the only leverage you have against Derek Novak. If you destroy her, you¡¯re not going to be able to leave this island alive.¡±


    Borys scoffed. ¡°Just one drink of my blood will fix her.¡±


    ¡°Let her drink mine.¡±


    I was stunned to hear the familiar voice. Vivienne. I turned to find her stepping into the room right behind Ingrid.


    ¡°What¡¯s she doing here?¡± Borys spat out, though none of us missed the way his grip loosened around me as he perused Vivienne from head to foot. There was no mistaking that he still wanted Vivienne after all those years.


    ¡°A gift from Derek Novak.¡± Ingrid shrugged.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do anything you want me to.¡± Vivienne looked confident enough, but her voice broke when she spoke the words. She heaved a sigh to regain composure before raising her eyes to him. ¡°Just stop tormenting Sofia.¡±


    Borys grinned as he wrapped both his arms around me, crushing my broken ribs against his firm chest. ¡°Hear that, Sofia? Your lover is so enamored by you that he would willingly whore out his own sister just to rescue you.¡±


    I hate you. With all the defiance I still had left within me, I spat in his face. Angered, he once again threw me forcefully to the ground. Vivienne rushed to my side.


    ¡°Sofia, you look awful,¡± she muttered under her breath. She bit into her wrist and made me drink her blood.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Borys fisted a clump of Vivienne¡¯s hair.


    ¡°Healing her. If I don¡¯t, she will die. Do you not see how much you¡¯ve broken her?¡± Vivienne responded through gritted teeth. ¡°I can barely see a trace of her original complexion. She¡¯s black, purple and blue where she¡¯s not bleeding.¡±


    ¡°Serves her right for not giving in to me¡­¡± Borys walked away from us and leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest as he watched Vivienne feed me more of her blood.

 Page 40

    The momentary reprieve was exactly what I needed as my eyes met with Vivienne¡¯s. Her blue violet gaze bore into mine with sympathy and compassion. She was the one person I knew who had been through Borys¡¯ cruel hands before, which is why I was so shocked when she looked at me and said, ¡°Just give in to him, Sofia. Let him have his way. There¡¯s no point in fighting back. You¡¯ll only get hurt much worse if you don¡¯t give in.¡±


    I stared up at her in horror. She must know exactly how I feel about him, how disgusted I am by the idea of his touch, how revolted I am whenever I sense his eyes on me. How could she ask this of me? Her own memories¡ªones that she had shared with me before¡ªcame flooding through my mind. How she fought back with everything that she was, how he continued to defeat her and break her until her mind snapped and just let things be. It took years before she was able to completely recover from the trauma of what Borys had put her through.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about!¡± Delight was sparkling in Borys¡¯ dark eyes as he stared at Vivienne with amazement, reveling in her words. ¡°You should listen to Vivienne, Sofia. She knows. If Derek hadn¡¯t taken her away from me, I know Vivienne and I would¡¯ve gotten along well even to this very moment. Isn¡¯t that right, Vivienne?¡±


    Vivienne didn¡¯t respond. Instead, she checked on me and seemed satisfied that I was healing fine. I could see the fear and the dread in her eyes and I gulped at what she was planning to do. She rose to her feet and faced Borys.


    As I followed her with my gaze, it finally dawned on me what she was doing. She was using herself as bait, as a distraction to get Borys¡¯ attention away from me. My heart broke in the process, knowing the kind of sacrifice she was making for me.


    Vivienne approached Borys slowly, biding her time. Caught in her spell, he remained still, devouring her with his eyes, taking in her lovely form, loving every minute of her approach. I couldn¡¯t help but sneer at how delighted he seemed. I was certain that no woman had ever given him the same attention Vivienne was giving him at that moment. She gently caressed his face and hair. She then pressed her lips against his jaw. A sigh of pleasure escaped Borys¡¯ lips. The idea that he was getting pleasure out of Vivienne¡¯s humiliation sickened me.


    He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her body against his, before rolling over so that Vivienne¡¯s back was against the wall and he had full control. Now having a pliable victim under his grip, he seemed to revel in the idea that Vivienne was just going to let him do whatever he pleased.


    I rose to my feet, my eyes on Vivienne. She looked straight at me even as Borys began ripping the neckline of her shirt and kissing her collarbone. What am I waiting for? This is my chance. I reached for the wooden stake attached to my thigh and slipped it out. Vivienne¡¯s eyes widened and she nodded at me, but she also raised one hand to motion for me to wait.


    To my shock, she began running her hands over his bare torso and slightly tugged at his jeans to lower them. What is she doing? I heard Borys moan over the idea of a woman actually willingly reciprocating his advances.


    ¡°Borys is good to those who are good to him, isn¡¯t that right?¡± Vivienne said and Borys moaned his agreement as his hands gripped her hips and lifted her up higher against the wall, his own hips supporting her weight. ¡°Let me teach Sofia how to please you. You¡¯ll like it when she learns.¡±


    He hesitated for a moment. I was afraid that he was going to turn and look at me and find the wooden stake in my hand, so I hid it behind my back as I slowly approached them. But Vivienne continued to coax him. ¡°You¡¯ll have us both. Isn¡¯t that what you want?¡±


    It sickened me to think of him smiling at the notion, and I sped up my steps toward him. I was about a foot away when Vivienne nodded.


    ¡°Let me down, Borys¡­¡± she gently pleaded right after she had kissed him.


    His head was probably still reeling from her kiss because he gently lowered her to the ground. Vivienne continued to kiss him. ¡°Turn around, baby¡­ Sofia is right behind you and I¡¯m going to instruct her on what to do so that you won¡¯t get so mad at her all the time.¡±


    He must¡¯ve been expecting kisses from me¡ªsomething evident from the look of euphoria on his face as he quickly spun around to face me. By the time he saw the stake, it was already driven deep into his heart. He motioned to attack me with the strength left in him, but Vivienne held his jaw from behind and swiftly snapped his neck.


    Just like that, we saw the great Borys Maslen drop to the ground, dead.


    I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes. We actually did it. Vivienne and I had defeated Borys Maslen. As much as I was relieved, however, I could feel pain in my heart. This is what it feels like to end the life of another. Overwhelmed by everything that had just occurred, I did the only thing I could. I broke down in tears, and so did Vivienne.


    I didn¡¯t know exactly what caused her tears, but I liked to believe that we were crying over the same thing. We were crying over the many lives lost, the many broken souls, the many more that would be lost and broken in the days to come.


    CHAPTER 50: DEREK


    The silence was worse than the bangs and the screams coming from that room. It left too much room for my mind to concoct horrible images of what Borys was putting Sofia through. And now, Vivienne¡¯s under his mercy too.


    ¡°They¡¯ve been quiet for too long. What¡¯s going on in there? I can¡¯t stand this.¡± I began marching toward the room, ready to put up a fight.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Aiden motioned to stop me.


    ¡°I can¡¯t take it anymore. I have to do something.¡±


    ¡°You said so yourself. That monster might kill Sofia if you screw up.¡±


    ¡°Do you hear that silence, Aiden? She might be dead already!¡± I choked on the words the moment they came out of my lips. The idea of Sofia being gone was something I couldn¡¯t allow myself to accept. I shook my head against my own thoughts. ¡°No. She¡¯s fine¡­ She¡¯s fine¡­¡± I shot a quick look at the vampires surrounding me. ¡°We¡¯re going in.¡±


    Unlike Aiden, they knew me well enough not to protest, so they just nodded and we began to walk toward the corridor that led to the room. The corridor was guarded by Borys¡¯ minions.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Ingrid got in my way.


    ¡°You know for a fact that I can easily destroy you, Ingrid,¡± I snarled. ¡°Since you¡¯ve made it quite clear how indifferent you are to the plight of Sofia, I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll mind my killing you either, so get out of my way.¡±


    ¡°Borys will kill my daughter the moment he sees you walk through that door.¡±


    ¡°Your daughter?¡± I hissed. ¡°You talk as if you care about what happens to her.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything rash,¡± she warned.


    ¡°Let me talk to him¡­¡±


    She gave it a moment¡¯s thought and looked at the vampires standing behind me. She nodded and motioned for me to follow her.


    As we walked past the other vampires, I couldn¡¯t help but feel something was amiss. There was something different about them. I had no idea if I was just imagining things, but it almost felt as if they were looking at me with admiration. One of them particularly caught my eye. A man would have to be blind to not notice how gorgeous she looked. Our eyes locked and I knew without a doubt that she too was attracted to me.


    I swallowed hard, guilty that I was checking out another woman¡ªan enemy at that¡ªwhile Sofia was most likely going through hell. What¡¯s wrong with you, Novak?


    I followed Ingrid into the room and practically bumped into her frozen form when she suddenly stopped in her tracks and stared at something on the ground. I side-stepped her and my jaw dropped wide open when I saw Borys¡¯ dead body on the ground and a broken and bruised Sofia sobbing next to him. Vivienne was sitting a couple of feet away from Sofia, looking absolutely distraught.


    I couldn¡¯t understand what was going on. I was wrought with a mixture of shock, absolute joy and confusion over the reaction the women had to Borys¡¯ dead body.


    Before Ingrid, frozen with shock, could gather her wits about her, I rushed toward Sofia, making sure that she was safe. I grinned triumphantly at Ingrid as I bellowed a command, ¡°Take them all captive! Now! Kill them if you have to!¡±


    Chaos erupted outside the room. Ingrid seemed to have all the energy drained from her as she threw herself at Borys¡¯ body, her entire form racked with deep, broken sobs. I embraced Sofia, unable to bear looking at the bruises¡ªthough slowly healing¡ªall over her body.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± I whispered into her ear, tightening my embrace around her, feeling her tremble against my body.


    She nodded into my shoulder.


    ¡°You did it, Sofia. I don¡¯t know how, but you ended Borys Maslen!¡±


    ¡°They might need you out there¡­¡± she whispered hoarsely.


    I knew she was right, so I pulled away from her. I directed my attention toward Vivienne. ¡°Keep an eye on Ingrid. Keep her away from Sofia.¡± Satisfied that my sister was capable of getting a handle on things, I stepped out of the room to find all of the other vampires dead. All but one¡ªthe beautiful brunette who had caught my eye earlier as I passed her by¡­


    She glared at me, eyes blazing¡ªthis time, with anger instead of attraction¡­


    ¡°You¡¯ve no idea what you¡¯ve done and what you¡¯re up against.¡± She shook her head defiantly at me even as she motioned to attack me. She, however, was being held back by Xavier and Sam.


    I narrowed my eyes in scrutiny of her. I could tell that she was more powerful than she was letting on. I knew by instinct that she could¡¯ve easily gotten out of their grips if she wanted to. ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t remember, do you?¡±


    I frowned in confusion. ¡°Remember what?¡±


    ¡°Emilia. I¡¯m Emilia. You made a huge mistake today, Derek, but don¡¯t worry¡­you¡¯ll get back on track soon enough. For now, I¡¯m warning you. He won¡¯t stop until he gets a hold of her.¡±

 Page 41

    ¡°He? Who¡¯s he?¡± I tightened my jaw. ¡°I don¡¯t even care. Let him know that ¡®he¡¯ will never get a hold of Sofia. I would sooner wage war on anybody who threatens her than let her go.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to forgive this momentary lapse of your sanity, Derek. I don¡¯t understand how you of all people have come under her spell, but you¡¯ll snap out of it eventually.¡± She smiled at me and looked at me with a lingering sultry gaze. ¡°Don¡¯t act like you don¡¯t know what I¡¯m talking about. I know you felt it the moment you looked at me. You felt the attraction immediately, didn¡¯t you? You felt what I felt.¡±


    ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about,¡± I lied, swallowing back my guilt. ¡°You¡¯re delusional.¡±


    She chuckled in response. ¡°You don¡¯t belong with her, Derek Novak. You belong with me.¡±


    I straightened to my full height, not knowing how to react properly to the words she was spouting out. ¡°I don¡¯t even know who you are.¡±


    ¡°Of course you do.¡± She smiled. ¡°I¡¯m a daughter of the darkness just as surely as you are his son.¡±


    ¡°His?¡±


    ¡°The original. He meant you for me.¡±


    Before the words could even sink into my mind, she vanished before my very eyes. My knees buckled beneath me. No matter how much I tried to fight it or even deny it, Emilia had something about her that just drew me to her. Like we were somehow connected¡­


    ¡°Derek?¡±


    I turned to my side and found Sofia standing by the door. I wondered if she had heard what Emilia had just said. ¡°Sofia¡­¡± I began to speak, but the words came out in a bare whisper.


    ¡°Who was that?¡± she asked. ¡°How was that possible? She just¡­disappeared.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know how to respond. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never seen her before.¡± Sofia approached me and I pulled her against me, assured by her presence that I loved her deeply and that even my attraction for another woman could never shake that love. Still, my attraction to Emilia was killing me, and I couldn¡¯t understand why.


    ¡°What just happened? No one just disappears like that¡­¡± Xavier spoke up.


    ¡°If she is who she says she is, then we¡¯re at war with a force far greater than just the other vampire covens or the hunters,¡± Vivienne said, emerging from the room.


    I knew without a doubt that she had heard every word from the other side of the wall.


    I nodded. ¡°We need to prepare for war.¡±


    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t have to do that if the cure works¡­¡± Sofia said.


    At that, I couldn¡¯t help but scoff as everyone turned toward Aiden, who, with downcast eyes, had to tell his own daughter that he¡¯d been playing her all along.


    I hated how much it broke Sofia¡¯s heart when he said, ¡°There is no cure.¡±


    CHAPTER 51: SOFIA


    I snuggled close to Derek on the couch inside the octagonal room at the top of the Lighthouse. All the candles inside the room were lit up and we were surrounded by silence. I wondered to myself how it was possible that Derek and I could have such dysfunctional parents. Both of mine were now captives of The Shade and as much as I loved Aiden, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to feel any amount sympathy for him.


    Derek began brushing his thumb over my shoulder blade as he pressed his lips against my temple. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind, Sofia?¡±


    ¡°My father,¡± I responded. ¡°My crazy mother¡­ Us¡­¡±


    ¡°Us?¡±


    I sat up and spun around to face him, kneeling up on the couch so that I could look directly into his handsome face. ¡°Do you still want to marry me?¡± My voice broke as the question came out, my fingers touching the diamond pendant he had given me for my birthday.


    His blue eyes softened. ¡°Of course I do, Sofia. You know I do.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re immortal.¡±


    I waited for him to give me his usual assurances. I was expecting him to once again tell me that what we had was precious and worth fighting for and that there had to be a way. Instead, all I got was silence.


    Perhaps the reality of it all is finally sinking in to him. There¡¯s no way we can be together.


    The idea that Aiden played me, that he used me and the idea of a cure to get to Derek, was still breaking my heart, but I didn¡¯t want to cry over the whole thing again. Mostly, I felt anger and resentment toward my father for doing that to me.


    ¡°Derek, please say something¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say,¡± he admitted and I saw tears in his eyes.


    ¡°So that¡¯s it I guess¡­¡± My shoulders sagged with resignation. ¡°We really can¡¯t be together?¡±


    Anger contorted the features of his face. ¡°What?! No¡­Sofia, what are you saying?¡± He cupped my cheeks with both hands. ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense. We belong together.¡±


    I knew what he was saying was true, but it was easy to give in to despair. ¡°How does this work, Derek?¡±


    My despair seemed to transfer to him as his eyes darkened. I wondered what was going through his mind. I wish I could somehow read his thoughts.


    After a long silence, I began shaking my head. ¡°There has got to be a cure.¡± I couldn¡¯t bring myself to accept that this was no longer a possibility.


    ¡°You can¡¯t cure a curse, Sofia. It¡¯s not a disease.¡±


    ¡°How could there not be one, Derek? I¡¯m supposed to be a vampire! And yet here I am¡­ Can someone be immune from a curse?¡±


    He paused before shrugging. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s say there isn¡¯t a cure. What then is true sanctuary? What¡¯s going to happen from here on out, Derek? Not just with us¡­ I mean the island¡­everything.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me what true sanctuary is, Sofia. I fought for it for an entire century, practically gave up my soul for it. I thought I already had sanctuary after establishing The Shade only to find out that I didn¡¯t¡­ I just don¡¯t understand the prophecy. What I do know is that war is brewing. That¡¯s what¡¯s going to happen.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s just it? More bloodshed?¡±


    ¡°Did you really believe there was ever any other way?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think this is the way.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s the only way unless you find this cure.¡± Desperation showed in his eyes as he gripped my shoulder blades. ¡°I hope you know how much I want this to be true, Sofia. I want that cure more than anybody else, but until we find it, I need you to be with me no matter what comes our way. I need you by my side.¡±


    I leaned forward and kissed him. Gentle. Calm. Assuring. I then whispered in his ear. ¡°I¡¯m with you, Derek. I¡¯m right here with you.¡±


    ¡°Always?¡±


    ¡°For as long as I have breath.¡±


    EPILOGUE: VIVIENNE


    I was in the middle of a battlefield. There were bone-chilling screams and blood from both humans and vampires streamed through the site¡­ There were no victors, just victims, most of which were innocent. Suddenly, the battlefield was swept away in a dark vortex and I found myself in the middle of a great hall. Decking the walls were large portraits that honored the fallen. Chills ran down my spine when I recognized some of the faces in the pictures. The Hudsons, the family that took Sofia in when Aiden had abandoned her. The Hendrys, Cameron and Liana¡¯s descendants. Adults and children alike¡­lost.


    My mind was still reeling from the sight before me when I was once again swept away into another scene¡ªone of the most painful and agonizing things I¡¯d ever witnessed.


    Derek Novak was being forced into the cruel rays of the sun, screaming in pain as he burned to his death¡­ Sofia stood in the background, staring helplessly, tears rushing down her cheeks. Her eyes found mine and the moment our gazes locked, everything faded away.


    I snapped out of the vision, blinking several times before getting full control of my mental faculties. One thought was circling my mind as I began to shiver at the horrors I had just witnessed: If we are to survive, we must find the cure.