A Shade of Blood Read online

  “Ben…”

  Her eyes flickered with recognition at the mention of the name.

  “You remember him?”

  “Of course. He was special… that one… hard to forget. I regret ever taking him with me when I visited you, but how could I have known that your fiery little pet once knew him? How is she anyway?”

  Ignoring her, I got straight to my point. “I’m assuming that you already had a taste of his blood from the first night you had him with you. Am I correct?”

  She confirmed my suspicions with a nod.

  “How did you manage to drink of him for so long without ending his life? How did you have that kind of control?”

  She grew pensive, as if she too were surprised by what she was able to accomplish. “Why do you ask?” She stalled answering my question.

  “I crave a girl. I’ve tasted her blood and now I’m desperate to finish the kill.”

  “Your lovely redhead? Such a beautiful thing to waste on one kill…”

  “Answer my question.” First, Vivienne. Now, Claudia. The constant mention of Sofia was grating on my nerves.

  “Always so feisty.” She pouted, and then gave my question thought before responding, “I was never able to control myself from finishing a human off for more than a week or two.”

  “But he was with you for many weeks… He was brought to The Shade not long after Sofia was…” Her name left a bitter taste on my mouth.

  “He reminded me of someone. Someone from the past.” Something dark and wicked marred Claudia’s countenance. “As I said, he was special… I wanted to keep him for as long as I was able.” She shrugged. “Perhaps rage toward a human gives us some form of control.”

  I shook my head, slowly comprehending. “Not rage… emotion…”

  “Perhaps. Is that all you came to ask?” She stretched her back and winced at the wounds she forgot she had. She cast me a fleeting glance – unintentional and full of rage.

  I did this to her.

  “Pretty little Sofia…” Claudia’s gaze was now blank, her words full of venom. It was as if the girl I was speaking to only moments ago was gone and she was now possessed by a whole different person. “Ben spoke of her in his sleep. What is it with her that has got him and even you so wrapped up in her?”

  She revisited the memory of their reunion, and forced me to relive it right along with her.

  “Do you remember the look on their eyes when they saw each other? The way they embraced each other… so young… so in love… How does that not bother you?”

  I swallowed hard. Unwelcome imaginations of Ben and Sofia in each other’s arms, happy and in love, rushed through my mind. I wondered if Claudia was taunting me, but the anger blazing in her eyes told me that she too was living out the jealousy she felt upon seeing them together. Her rage was directed not at me, but at him, at her.

  I remembered that day all too well. Claudia came to pay me tribute and Sofia arrived from a walk outside. It was clear to see that she and Ben held affection for each other, so I asked Claudia to give Ben to me – for Sofia’s sake. I remembered how I held Claudia and pulled her body against mine as I gave her my request. I used Claudia just to see how Sofia would react to me placing my hands on the sultry, blonde vampire.

  I did not imagine it. I knew I saw jealousy in Sofia’s green gaze.

  I didn’t know what spirit possessed me to do it, but all I could think of was exacting revenge on Sofia for leaving me. I wanted to make her jealous again. Before I could make sense of what was happening, I had Claudia on the cot, her body writhing beneath mine.

  For a short span of time, my mind was too consumed by Claudia, Ben and Sofia for it to have room for my craving for Ashley, but I was fully aware that by sleeping with Claudia, I’d just hit a new low. As I got off her and began putting my clothes back on, I realized that she was softly sobbing. I looked her way. Her back was turned to me. The fresh, matted wounds that criss-crossed her back made my stomach turn.

  Gone was the raging vampire seeking to mete out her revenge on Ben and Sofia. In its place was a broken little girl.

  The guilt I felt reminded me of the humanity I still allowed myself to have. In my longing to ease my guilt, I unintentionally did the worst thing I could do to one such as Claudia. I told her that I would lessen her sentence for “the service” she afforded me.

  The glare she gave me was meant to inflict horrible pain before going for a kill. I realized my mistake immediately, reminded of what she once was and the broken creature it made her out to be. It was not what I meant to do, but I just offered her payment for sex and I knew that she would never be able to forgive me for it.

  Chapter 29: Ben

  The moment the team made the final touchdown that won us the game, my eyes immediately flew to the bleachers in search of Sofia. It was a championship game and she knew how much it meant to me to win it. I was looking forward to having my girlfriend run into my arms, congratulate me, having her lips press against mine. But I was only met with utter disappointment when I searched the field for her and realized that she was nowhere to be found. Instead, my mother was the one approaching me, carrying Abby in her arms.

  “Ben! I’m so proud of you!” she cooed as she pecked me on the cheek.

  Abby squealed out a string of cheers and yells that didn’t really make much sense to me. I figured she was trying to imitate the cheerleaders, but couldn’t remember the words, so she made up her own.

  “Thanks, mom, and thank you for that very unique cheer, Abby.” I looked around, wanting to see Sofia. “Where’s dad and Sofia?”

  My mother rolled her eyes. “Sofia left the stadium with a friend of hers not long after the game began. When she didn’t return, your dad went looking for her. I haven’t heard from him yet. I’ll call him while you go take a shower?”

  Something was wrong and I knew it. No matter how much the whole appeal of football escapes Sofia, she wouldn’t walk out on a game she knows is this important to me. “Do you know who this friend of hers is?”

  “No… I haven’t seen her before… though she isn’t exactly someone easy to forget. Tall, pretty young woman with black hair.”

  I searched my mind for anyone Sofia and I knew who could fit that description and shook my head. “I’ll try to call Sofia.”

  I walked toward the benches where I left my phone with one of the junior second-liners. My mom and sister were trailing behind me. I got the phone from him and dialed Sofia’s number. Several rings later, I was about to give up, but someone picked up.

  “Hello?” a deep, male voice spoke from the other end of the line.

  It took a couple of seconds before the familiar voice registered. “Dad? Where’s Sofia? Is she alright?”

  “Yeah. She’s fine. We’re back home.” He tried to lighten up his tone. “Hey… Did you win the game?”

  “Yes, we did. Can I talk to Sofia please?”

  “She’s unconscious at the moment, but don’t worry. She’s…”

  “Unconscious? Why is she unconscious? What happened? I’m gonna be right there…”

  “Ben.” My father’s voice was both firm and soothing. “Trust me. She’s alright. Take a shower, have a celebratory dinner with your mother and sister… Don’t worry about Sofia. She’ll be waiting up for you when you return.”

  “She’s my girlfriend, dad. How can I not worry?”

  The shock on my mother’s face upon hearing what I just said didn’t escape my notice. I didn’t care. It was about time she found out. I didn’t even wait for a response from my father. I shut my phone and rushed to the locker room to get changed, without bothering to explain to my gaping mother. We were already driving home when she brought up the subject.

  “You and Sofia…” Her grip tightened around the steering wheel. “How long have you been together?”

  “I saw them kissing, mommy…” Abby piped up from the backseat.

  “Shut up, Abby.”

  “Don’t talk to your sister that way. An
swer my question.”

  I glared at my Abby as she stuck her tongue out at me before replying, “We started dating a couple of weeks before prom.”

  She gulped before firing her next question. “Did you sleep together on the night of prom?”

  Way to get straight to the point. “No, mom…” I clenched my jaw. “Well, yes… we spent the whole night together in the same room, but nothing happened.”

  “She’s trouble, Ben.”

  “See? There it is. That’s why we kept it from you, because we knew you’d react this way… You’ve always been overprotective of me, Mom… and Sofia doesn’t need to deal with being rejected by you…”

  “You don’t know her.”

  “She’s my best friend and now she’s my girlfriend. I know her far better than you ever will. And if you had even bothered to spend time with her over the past eight years, you would know what an incredible person she is. Dad did.”

  I could see anger flare in my mother’s eyes. “Your father knew?”

  “Yes. We didn’t tell him. He just knew…”

  “What if she ends up like her mother, Ben?”

  “That’s a low blow, Mom. Sofia’s nothing like her crazy mother.”

  Amelia smiled bitterly. “You didn’t know Camilla. You never met her. She was just like Sofia. Beautiful, sweet, charming, soft-spoken… They both have this arresting way about them… like they’re both oblivious of the effect they have on others. Look at what happened to Camilla, Ben. Carted off by her own husband, never to be seen again.”

  “Sofia’s not going to end up that way.”

  “Go ahead and tell yourself that.” My mother stepped on the brakes and I was relieved to find that we were already home.

  I jumped out of the vehicle, eager to get as far away from my mother as possible. I raced to the front door and up the stairs and went right to Sofia’s room.

  I drew a breath when I saw her lying on the bed, eyes shut. She stirred slightly. I was immediately beside her, climbing on the bed and holding her hand. I slipped my arm beneath her shoulder in order to lift her head over the pillow. The motion caused her pillow to move. I caught sight of something beneath. Curiosity sparked, but Sofia’s eyes opened and the moment they fell on me, she had my full attention.

  I hated the way she was looking at me. A thousand apologies were in her eyes and I dreaded to find out the reason behind her need to say sorry.

  “Sofia… what happened?”

  “Vivienne…” she gasped.

  Vivienne. It took several seconds before it fully registered on my mind who Vivienne was. The princess of vampires. Derek’s sister. I stared at Sofia, feeling as if she just betrayed me. Why on earth would Vivienne leave The Shade and seek out Sofia? Fears of losing Sofia began to overwhelm me.

  “Why would you even dare be anywhere alone with her, Sofia? What were you thinking?”

  “She begged to speak with me…”

  “Why?”

  She licked her lips with hesitation in her eyes. I hated that she would change the subject but her next revelation brought me delight. “The hunters have her.”

  Good riddance then. I looked to Sofia for a trace of victory at the news. Instead, it was as if she’d been told that someone she loved dearly just died. “Isn’t this good news?!”

  “She’s my friend. I’m worried about her.” Sofia slowly rose from the bed, sitting over the edge of it, one hand brushing over her forehead. “The idea of what the hunters are going to do to her terrifies me.”

  A friend? That she would call The Shade’s princess a friend was a slap to my face. I was then reminded of her conversation with the vampire and shook my head slightly, refusing to let my girlfriend off the hook. “What did Vivienne say to you, Sofia?”

  Sofia paused before saying, “She was asking me to go back to The Shade.”

  “She what?!”

  “Ben…”

  My eyes grew wide with shock. “Sofia, you’re not actually considering this, are you?”

  “This room is suffocating. I need space to think.” Sofia got off the bed. “I’m going out for a walk.”

  “You’re not going anywhere, Sofia. We’re going to talk about this.”

  “No, Ben. We’re not. Not now at least.”

  She twisted the doorknob, opened the door and walked away, leaving me stunned. Half of me wanted to run after her and drag her right back to the room, when my father peeked into the room. “Looks like she’s up. Told you there was nothing to worry about.”

  Nothing to worry about? My dad always had a way of making light of things. I guess I inherited my penchant for avoiding problems from him. “What happened to Sofia, dad? Why was she unconscious?”

  “I don’t know,” he shrugged. “I was looking for her and found her in a coffee shop with that friend of hers, who was murmuring something while holding Sofia’s hands. I approached and suddenly, the other girl was having some kind of seizure and Sofia just lost consciousness. We went to the hospital and they released Sofia, saying she just needs some rest.”

  “And her friend?”

  My dad shrugged. “Didn’t think to check on her. Have you talked to Sofia though? Did she tell you anything?”

  She didn’t tell me enough. “Yeah… she says she just needs to take a walk.”

  “Well, it’s probably best to give her some space. And Ben?”

  “Yes?”

  “What really happened between you and Sofia when you disappeared … The day will come when you have to talk about it. I understand the desire to run from it, but with things like this happening, I’m beginning to wonder if…”

  “I’m fine, dad. Sofia’s fine.”

  “Alright then. Good night, son.”

  “Good night, dad.”

  I was left standing there, not certain what I was supposed to do. Then I remembered how something stashed beneath Sofia’s pillow had caught my attention. Giving in to my curious nature, I went to see what she had hidden there and immediately found myself wishing I hadn’t.

  Other than rip me apart, all it did was seal my decision. I’ve had enough. I’m going to locate the hunters first thing tomorrow. Either she’s with me or she’s not.

  Chapter 30: Sofia

  A cool breeze carried strands of my hair in the air as I took a stroll along the concrete sidewalks of the suburban neighborhood we lived in. I took in the familiar sight of row upon row of the identical-looking villas that completed the subdivision. I mused over how all the homes looked exactly the same on the outside, but were most likely radically different on the inside.

  Sometimes, that’s the way it is with people. You think you can tell what they are based on the patterns that you see, but when you take a look inside, they’re nothing like you expect them to be.

  That’s how it was with Vivienne. Of course, I never really understood her. She was always cold and aloof toward me while I was back at The Shade. It wasn’t that she disliked me. She just seemed indifferent, like I wasn’t deserving of her time, nor was I deserving of Derek’s.

  Then she allowed me a peek inside her mind by sharing with me certain select memories from her past, and I knew that I would never be able to see her in the same way again. It was unnerving to see how much she feared the hunters. That’s why she was acting so strangely. She was probably able to sense them. And yet she stayed… She risked everything just to convince me to go back to The Shade.

  I still had memories of the night Derek woke up, how fond they appeared to be of each other. My gut clenched at how Derek would receive the news of Vivienne having been taken by the hunters. I found it even more disturbing to think of what the hunters had in store for her.

  All of it was too much to take in and as I tucked my hands inside the pockets of the hoodie I had on – the one that had Ben’s jersey number – eight – on it, I found that I kept thinking of what was best to do for Derek.

  I couldn’t understand why he had such a hold on me that night. I meandered aimlessly throughout the
neighborhood, wondering what to do until I my feet finally led me back to the house that had sheltered me for eight years. Seated on the three steps leading to its front door, I found Ben waiting for me. When he saw me approaching, he raised his eyes and I knew that I had done something to hurt him deeply.

  “Ben…” I took a step toward him and saw what he had clutched in his hands. My heart sank. “I can explain.”

  “You don’t have to.” He stood up and handed me the items stashed under my pillow.

  He held my shoulders and kissed me on the forehead before revealing to me his intent. “I’m leaving at dawn to find the hunters. If I matter at all to you, you will join me. If you don’t, then I’ll take it as goodbye.”

  “Ben, don’t do this…” Tears began to fall from my eyes. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing him.

  He wiped the tears away with his thumbs, held my waist and pulled me against him before once again claiming my lips – gently at first then becoming rougher, hungrier, more demanding as the kiss went on. I gasped when our lips parted and drew a breath when his gaze fixed on my lips, still throbbing from his kiss.

  “An ultimatum, Rose Red. This time, the choice I’m giving you is clear.” He glanced bitterly at the items I was clutching with both my hands. “You’re either with him or you’re with me.”

  He left me standing by the front steps, afraid that any move I made would push me over fence I was balancing myself in. He was forcing me to choose a side. Tears blurred my eyes as I looked at what I was holding. One was the Polaroid shot Corrine sent to me – the one with Derek’s eyes on me – and the other was a sketchbook filled with page after page of the likeness of the vampire who still held me captive.

  As I stood there, I found myself overcome by a single emotion: exhaustion. I was tired of pretending that things could get back to normal. In that regard, Ben was right. I was a fool to think I could simply send out applications to colleges and move on with my life as if The Shade never happened. I was tired of Ben and his ultimatum and all the pressure he was putting on me to make a choice between vampires and hunters. Most of all, I was tired of feeling guilty over the fact that I wanted to go back to The Shade – if only to see Derek again.