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  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?”

  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—and all the blood supply this island has—on 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—one 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—especially 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 whi
le I was expecting to get a kiss—or 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—along 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—especially 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—largely ignored—known.

  “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…”

  “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—a 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—becoming familiar with it—I’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—and perhaps the last one—he 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?”