A Shade of Novak Read online

  I had to pause for a moment as the memories washed over me, the images fresh in my mind as if it was only yesterday. Rose’s eyes were glued on me. Her chin resting in her hands, she hung onto my every word, a look of horror mixed with fascination on her face.

  I’d told her far more than I had intended to already about myself.

  She frowned at me as soon as I had stopped. “So you went to Cruor?”

  I nodded.

  “What was it like?”

  I didn’t want to give Rose nightmares, so I refused to give her details. “Suffice it to say, Cruor made Annora much worse. She never returned to her former self.”

  “How did you escape from there?”

  “A group of witches came to visit the Elders one day, and offered a fresh batch of humans in exchange for fifty vampires. We didn’t know what they needed us for. We didn’t question it. And when three witches came to release us from our dungeon quarters, we all followed them without hesitation.”

  Rose bit her lower lip and rubbed a palm against her forehead. “And Annora… she’s not a vampire now?”

  “She is a witch.”

  “But how?”

  I paused, considering how to answer her question. “The witches who came for us were… different.”

  “Huh?”

  “These witches didn’t come from The Sanctuary.”

  “Then where did they come from?”

  “They have their own abode outside of the witches’ realm.”

  “But who are they?” she asked, frustrated.

  “Let’s just say that they are a darker breed of witches than you’ve likely ever come across.”

  “But…how do they get here? Hell, how did you get here? I thought the gates between the human realm and the realm of supernaturals were all closed off years ago.”

  I almost smiled at her naiveté, but refused to answer. Rose pressed for more information, but I brushed her off.

  She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. “Well then, continue. What happened to Annora?”

  My eyes glazed over again as I dug back into my memories.

  “We were transported away from Cruor and taken to the witches’ residence. During our stay there, Annora became increasingly… involved in the things that went on behind their walls. She embraced their way of living in a way that I never could have predicted. She confessed one day to me that she wanted to become one of them. I tried to make her see the consequences of that action, but she ignored me.”

  “I didn’t know that witches could get rid of vampirism from a person, least of all then turn one into a witch. I thought only the blood of an immune and—”

  “As I said, these are not ordinary witches.”

  “So they made her a witch,” Rose said slowly.

  “In the end, Annora’s desire for their power was too great.”

  “How on earth did you end up here?”

  “The witches have reasons for wanting us here,” I said, averting my eyes. “Reasons that I won’t disclose to you. Since Annora had gained their trust, and since they knew of her connection to me, they decided that she would be the logical person to oversee Stellan and myself running these two islands.”

  “And all of the vampires here on these two islands—all of them were rescued from Cruor by the witches?”

  “Yes. All of us. In exchange for protection from the Elders, we swore an oath to do their bidding.”

  She breathed out and sat back in her chair, running a hand through her hair.

  “So you’re all prisoners here?”

  “You could put it that way.”

  “What if you tried to escape?”

  “Annora has cast a spell around this island. None of us can leave unless she gives us express permission to do so.”

  “But when you are allowed to leave—like when you go out hunting for humans—why don’t you escape then?”

  “We are… bound to these two islands. Any longer than a week away from them, and…” I paused, remembering the time one of my own men had tried to escape and stayed away for more than seven days. I shuddered as I recalled the state we had found him in.

  Rose doesn’t need to know these details.

  “And what?” she asked.

  “We just have to return within a week.”

  Chapter 32: Rose

  I stared at the young man across the table in the dimly lit room. Although he only gave me half answers to every other question I asked, I felt privileged that he was opening up to me in this way.

  On several occasions, I wondered why he was revealing all of this to me. What I had done to deserve his trust. His openness. I realized what an ordeal it must have been to recount all of this to me.

  The one question that had been burning in my mind ever since I’d laid eyes on the black and white photos of the lovers was now on the tip of my tongue.

  “And you and Annora… how did it get this way? Why does she—”

  He held up a hand, and walked slowly to the other side of the room where he stopped, staring out of the window at the snow-covered mountain peaks. He stood still for several minutes and I began to believe that he wasn’t going to answer my question. But eventually he cleared his throat and said, “She’s sick, Rose.”

  I remained silent, holding my breath for him to continue.

  “I suppose,” he said slowly, his back still facing me, “I should have seen where she was heading earlier. I was just too blind.”

  I stood up and walked over to the window next to him.

  “What happens every night when she’s here?”

  “We fight,” he muttered.

  “Why?”

  “It’s…” He paused and bit his lip, as if weighing up his words before he let them roll off his tongue. “It’s how she feels alive.”

  I stared at him disbelievingly. “What?”

  He clenched his jaw. It pained me to see how uncomfortable my questions were making him. “It’s her way of clinging to the past. To what we used to have.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “She lost her ability to love me the moment she gave herself over to the witches. It’s one of the things she sacrificed.”

  My mind was beginning to reel. I leaned against the wall to steady myself.

  “Fighting me… it’s the closest she can feel to loving me.”

  He left me by the window and walked back over to the other side of the room.

  “Caleb,” I said softly, looking after him. “I think she does still feel for you. I saw her bawling her eyes out.”

  He shook his head. “She can feel pain, yes. But not love. I learnt that long ago.”

  Leaning against the wall, I sank to the ground and pulled my knees against my chest.

  I didn’t know what to say to him. But finally now, it was clear why he put up with her day in and day out.

  Caleb feels responsible for what she’s become.

  Had he not turned her, none of this would have happened.

  He thinks he caused her ruin.

  “It’s late,” he said, finally breaking the silence. “I suggest you leave.”

  Chapter 33: Rose

  Caleb stayed away from me after that night.

  I didn’t seek him out. I wouldn’t have known what to say to him if I had.

  I stayed locked up in my room and tried to distract myself with music. I now felt doubly grateful that he had sent the harp down to me.

  But as much as I tried to put thoughts of the vampire out of my mind, I couldn’t. Those old photographs remained etched in my mind, his broken love story replaying over and over in my head.

  Most of all, I wondered what would become of Caleb.

  Once I escaped from this island, I wondered if this was how he would live for the rest of his immortal life. I wondered how long he had lived like this already. Bound to this frozen island. Held hostage by the witch’s curse and his own guilt.

  That man deserves more than this.

  Thinking about him made my c
hest ache with frustration and sadness. And I felt a crushing sense of loss. Loss of what, I didn’t understand.

  I felt taken aback by the strength of my emotions.

  None of this is even my business. I should just be thinking about getting back to my family.

  Why do I care so much?

  That question haunted me as I tossed and turned in bed in the early hours of the morning. I ended up getting out of bed and walking out on the balcony for some fresh air. I found myself looking up toward his balcony, as if hoping I might see his arms leaning against the banister.

  But he wasn’t there.

  I returned to my bed and just as I was tucking myself beneath the covers, I heard a click. It sounded like the unlatching of my front door.

  Caleb?

  I got up and approached the hallway. A tall dark figure stood in the doorway.

  But it wasn’t Caleb.

  The figure walked toward me, his face coming further into the dim lighting of my bedroom.

  It was the ginger vampire with light blue eyes.

  “Stellan,” I gasped, stumbling back toward my bed.

  A smile crept onto his lips.

  “That’s right, princess,” he whispered. He looked around my room, and an expression of mock relief appeared on his face. “I see there’s no hot kettle to help you this time.”

  “Wh-what are you doing here?”

  “Taking you for a little rendezvous.”

  He launched himself against me, crushing me between his steely arms and flinging me over his shoulder.

  “No!” I screamed, lifting both knees and slamming them down against his rock-hard stomach. I was sure that I did more damage to my kneecaps than I ever caused him. I shouted again as loud as I could. Positioning my palms against his lower back, I managed to push myself up enough to wrap an arm around his neck. I pulled tight, pressing against his windpipe and locking him in a choke.

  He grunted in frustration and threw me back down against the bed.

  “So you want to make this rough, huh?”

  He scrambled onto the bed on top of me, pinning both of my arms above my head. Pressing his knees down against my shins, he slid them slowly upward, hiking my dress up my thighs as he moved. He’d stretched my body out so thin, it felt like I couldn’t budge an inch without tearing a muscle.

  He took my wrists in one hand. His other hand lowered to my face. Claws shot out. He ran a finger against my cheek. I exhaled sharply as he drew blood. His gleaming eyes settled on the blood on my cheek. He groaned, leaning down toward me, his face now barely an inch from my own. His cold tongue ran against my skin, and as soon as it did, his whole body shivered against me.

  “What are you doing?” I hissed.

  “Taming you a little,” he whispered, lowering his eyes to my mouth.

  His free hand made its way down to my inner thigh. I clenched my jaw against the pain as he made another mark on me. He loosened his grip around my hands as he lowered his head down toward the fresh blood he’d just shed.

  I shot my hand out toward the bedside lamp and, tearing its socket from the wall, smashed it down against his skull.

  I was sure that it had done little to hurt him, but it disoriented him enough to give me a few seconds to slide out from under him, roll onto the floor and make a dash for the exit.

  I ran out into the corridor and made it to the top of the first staircase before he caught up with me and slammed my back against the wall. His eyes burning with anger, he hurled me back over his shoulder—lowering me down further this time so I had no hope of reaching my arm around him—and began speeding down the stairs.

  “Don’t take a step further.”

  Stellan stopped and whirled around.

  I couldn’t see up the dark staircase from the odd angle I was hanging, but I didn’t need vision to know who had spoken.

  Stellan chuckled.

  “Or what? You’ll talk to the witch?”

  Heavy footsteps approached us down the steps. They didn’t stop until they’d reached us. I caught a glimpse of Caleb’s black leather boots.

  “Put her down.”

  “Go to hell,” Stellan spat, and started walking down the staircase.

  Caleb walked around Stellan and stood on the steps beneath us. His eyes were fixed on Stellan, his face expressionless.

  “I won’t say it again,” he said quietly.

  Stellan lowered me to the ground. I groaned as my body made contact with the sharp steps. Stellan remained standing in front of me, blocking me from Caleb.

  “Why do you want her so much that you’d defy orders, huh?”

  Caleb attempted to walk past Stellan toward me but Stellan reached out and shoved him back.

  “You’ve already had her, haven’t you? Now you just don’t want to share.”

  Caleb reached out and gripped Stellan’s throat, pinning him back against the wall.

  Stellan swiped his claws out and tore against Caleb’s chest, dangerously close to his heart. That started a full-on battle between the two men.

  I scrambled further up the staircase, out of the way of the two of them as I looked on in horror.

  After barely two minutes, both had ripped the skin on their faces and chests to shreds, and although their bodies healed within seconds, the wounds could barely heal fast enough before they were ripped open afresh.

  With one strong thrust, Caleb managed to make Stellan lose his footing. Stellan went crashing down to the bottom of the stairs. Caleb launched himself upon him and, gripping his neck while holding his chest down with both knees, snapped it. A loud crack echoed off the walls as Stellan became limp, his eyes vacant.

  I knew that he was not dead. Disjointing a vampire’s neck just paralyzed them temporarily.

  Caleb looked up at me, breathing heavily, his eyes blazing into mine.

  “Go back to your room and wait for me.” When I hesitated he hissed, “Now!”

  I rushed back up the stairs, locking myself in my room.

  I had no idea what was happening or what his plan was. Stellan had spoken of the witch’s orders. What orders?

  I’d been waiting for about ten minutes when the door unlatched. Caleb stalked into the room, his skin now almost fully healed from the fight.

  Before I could open my mouth to ask questions, he gripped the top of my head and dragged me out of the room by my hair.

  “Wh-what are you doing?” I gasped, wincing as his fingers dug into my scalp with each step.

  He ignored my question. He pushed open the door and hauled me into the witch’s apartment.

  I breathed out in pain as he yanked my head upward. As he forced me to my feet, I found myself face to face with the witch.

  Chapter 34: Caleb

  The witch’s cold eyes settled on Rose’s distressed face. Then she looked up at me, frowning. “What are you doing with her? I told Stellan—”

  “I know what you told Stellan,” I said coolly. “But he wants some rest after his last task. I’m doing this instead.”

  She looked from me to the girl. I made sure to keep my face devoid of emotion—something I’d gotten good at over the years.

  Finally, she nodded. “Very well. You have my permission. You know what must be done?”

  I nodded and took Rose by the scalp. Pulling harshly enough so that Rose moaned in pain, I dragged her back out of the witch’s chambers.

  As soon as the door shut, I scooped Rose up in my arms and carried her down the steps. Rose tried to ask me what the hell I was doing, but I ignored her until we’d exited the castle, run down the mountain and reached the port. I set her down at the edge of the frozen jetty while I opened up the hatch of a submarine.

  Only once I’d lowered us both inside of it and locked the hatch did I bend down and examine her wounds closely. I swore as I saw how much blood was still oozing from the gashes Stellan had made.

  I took her hand and led her into the control room, where I sat her down in one of the seats. She continued to glare at me, h
er expression full of pain and accusation. I rummaged around in the overhead cupboards until I found a first-aid kit—something we always kept on board, since we transported humans regularly in these vessels.

  I bent down next to her and began treating her wounds. I salivated as I wiped up her succulent blood and disposed of the tissues. Once I’d fixed bandages over them, I stood up and looked down at her.

  “Rose,” I said quietly. “I’m sorry.”

  She looked up at me, her eyes still wide.

  “I had to scare you. The distrust in your eyes helped convince her to let us go.”

  Her soft lips parted as realization dawned upon her.

  “And now?” she asked, her voice hoarse. “Where are you taking me?”

  “I’m taking you home.”

  Chapter 35: Derek

  We’d been at a loss for what to do. We had no idea where to even begin looking. And of course the police were even more clueless than us.

  We had searched the condo. There had been clear signs of a struggle—the sofa was in disarray, water splashed all over the kitchen, the kettle on the floor along with a knife. A mirror smashed, several paintings fallen off the hooks. The windows had been left wide open—and since there was no record of them leaving the apartment on the CCTV cameras outside of the room, the only conclusion we could come to was that they must have escaped with the four teenagers out of the window. Given the height of the building, unless they had parked a crane alongside it, this wouldn’t have been possible for humans.

  We saw no choice but to return to The Shade. Hanging around in Hawaii wasn’t going to solve anything. We called an urgent meeting in The Great Dome with our closest friends and family. But none of us could figure out what our next step should be. They’d just vanished without a trace.

  Now, I was beginning to lose track of how much time had passed since their disappearance. Days merged into a blur. We continued having meetings, but it felt like we were going round in circles.

  We’d received no calls from their phone, and whenever we tried calling it, we reached voice mail.