A Castle of Sand Read online

  Testing her playfully, I said, “I’d love a kiss.”

  No hesitation. No objections. She spun around, snuck her arms beneath my own and around my waist, tilted her head up, stood on her tiptoes and kissed me—first, on the jawline, then the corner of my lips, then full on the mouth.

  When our lips parted, I couldn’t keep myself from asking, “What’s going on?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, if I said that I’d love a drink of your blood, would you cut yourself and hand me a vial of it?”

  A knowing smile formed on her lips as she batted her eyelashes at me. “No, of course not. Why go through all that trouble when I could just offer you my neck?”

  “You are driving me crazy.”

  She grinned. “Good, and for the record, I’m severely overdressed for this occasion.”

  “What occasion?”

  “You’ll see.” She held my hand and began tugging for me to follow her.

  “Not even a clue as to what you’re up to?”

  “Can’t you just trust me, Prince Charming?”

  “I told you not to call me that.”

  “No… you told me not to call you Prince Derek.” Laughter was in her voice. “Will you just come with me?”

  “As if I had any other choice…”

  Excitement sparked in her green eyes. Her zest for life was one of the many things I loved about Sofia Claremont. She lit up the darkness surrounding The Shade, and for a kingdom that had no mornings, only eternal night, her light was life.

  We exited my penthouse. I sighed as I looked out at three others like mine; interconnected by glass-covered walkways and hanging bridges, and built on top of the towering redwood trees. One penthouse each for the Novak family, although only two were occupied by our clan. After Vivienne was caught by the hunters, her best friend, Liana and her husband, Cameron, moved into her penthouse.

  On the other hand, my older brother, Lucas, was still on the run. After he tried to kill Sofia, I began hunting him down and he left the island. The last I heard of him, he’d completely turned his back on his own flesh and blood by joining the coven of our family’s greatest vampire rivals, the Maslens.

  Sofia led me to an elevator that allowed us to go from the top of the giant redwoods down to the ground below. We strolled through the woods for about an hour before reaching an open field, one of the few still undeveloped on the island.

  “Okay…” I said. “Now what?”

  Sofia stuck two fingers into her mouth and let out a high-pitched whistle.

  I heard the distinct rumbling of a vehicle’s motor and, in the distance, saw a car drive toward us. Behind the wheel was Kyle, a vampire guard I deeply trusted. His passengers were my second guard, Sam, and the three girls belonging to my “harem”—Ashley, Paige and Rosa.

  Ashley, with her blonde hair tied up in a high ponytail, looked like she was having the time of her life. The mere sight of her made my blood pound. Of all the girls in my harem, hers was the only blood I’d had a taste of and it took a lot of self-control to resist my craving to feed on her.

  Having Sofia around made it much easier for me to hold myself back. I felt Sofia’s hand squeeze mine when she saw my eyes on Ashley and the craving quickly left me.

  “So… what exactly is going on?” I asked as I watched Kyle park the vehicle. I’d never actually been in a car. Four hundred years robbed me of that indulgence and in The Shade, we did most of our traveling by speeding our way from one place to the other, or taking leisurely walks—like I normally preferred to do whenever I was with Sofia. I was introduced to cars through movies and magazines Sofia showed me when she first began schooling me in the ways of the 21st century.

  “Since it’s your day, I had Kyle and Sam spruce up this old fixer-upper so you could finally learn to drive a car,” Sofia said with a sly smile.

  “I don’t know if I should trust that smile.” I eyed her warily. “What do you mean it’s my day? And why on earth would I need to learn to drive a car?”

  “Because it’s kind of pathetic that you’re five hundred years old and you still have no idea how to drive a car,” Ashley quipped as she got out of the car.

  “Must you speak, Ashley? The sound of your voice really does grate on my nerves no matter how hard I try to ignore it.”

  “What acerbic wit you have, your highness.”

  “What despicable nonsense you have a talent for spouting out, peasant.”

  Seeming to have run out of wisecracks, Ashley frowned and muttered, “Bite me.”

  “Didn’t I already do that?”

  Sofia began snickering beside me, as did the other two girls and the guards. They were all used to Ashley and me bickering. I knew that Ashley still hated and resented me for the things I put her through during the span of time when Sofia left the island with Ben. It was a time when I completely lost myself and did things I regretted. I couldn’t blame Ashley if she was forever unwilling to forgive me. I doubted I could ever forgive myself, but my guilt didn’t mean I’d just stand there and take it whenever she threw sarcasm and ridicule my way.

  “You two love each other so much,” Sofia remarked as she pulled me toward the car. “Come on, Derek. Get behind the wheel.” She got in the passenger’s seat right after the others got out of the car. I stepped forward and ran a hand over the hood of the car. A smirk formed on my lips as I gave Sofia a questioning glance.

  “Are you really sure you want to do this, Sofia?” I started loving the idea of learning to drive a car the moment I saw her nervously gulp. “Oh yeah…” I nodded. “This is going to be fun.”

  Chapter 3: Sofia

  “Derek!” I screeched. “You’re driving the car right into the woods! Derek!”

  He waited until the very last minute before turning the car to the right. He seemed to be having the time of his life.

  “You’re getting a kick out of this, aren’t you?” I frowned.

  “You know I am!”

  He hit the brakes and I found myself thanking the heavens for the invention of the seatbelt, because had it not been created, I would’ve been thrown right out of that convertible.

  The car’s motor died down as Derek pulled the keys from the ignition. We were right in the middle of the field, the vehicle’s headlights providing more than sufficient lighting. I felt Derek’s gaze taking my shaking form in.

  “You’re right. You are overdressed for this.” He chuckled.

  Annoyed, I hit him on the shoulder. “At one point during that crazy ride, I swear I saw my entire life flash before my eyes. Whose stupid idea was this?”

  “Yours, I’m sure.” He leaned back on his seat, a satisfied smile on his face. “How did this car even get onto the island?”

  I winced. I knew the answer to his question and it was one that I was certain wouldn’t please him, so I shrugged and said, “That is something you ought to ask Sam or Kyle.” I checked our surroundings and ascertained that the others had left us alone. I smiled. Perfect. However, upon seeing the determined, questioning look on Derek’s face, I realized that I wasn’t yet off the hook.

  “Tell me, Sofia. I’d rather hear it from you. How did the car get onto the island?”

  “Your father had a couple of cars brought in several years ago. Before you woke up. Sam and Kyle know the details…they just told me about it, so…”

  “No. Tell me what you know. How were the cars brought in?”

  I heaved a sigh. “They had to use a special freighter ship to get the cars here. Your father and Lucas wanted to try them out. They have a collection stashed somewhere here. Apparently, Vivienne objected to it, but they wouldn’t hear of it.”

  “Another one of their insane luxuries…” He grimaced.

  “Now your mood’s all ruined.” I pressed the play button on the car’s stereo and music added a calming, tropical feel to our surroundings. I then got out of the car and headed for the trunk. Just as I’d requested, a picnic basket was inside.

  “I’m starving,” I confessed as I returned to the passenger’s seat beside him, picnic basket in hand.

  I began taking out the contents of the basket. Two bottles—one containing champagne, the other containing blood—two glasses, a sandwich, strawberries and a container containing some melted white chocolate.

  “So are you going to answer my original question or not?” he asked. I could hear the impatience in his tone.

  I smiled at him as I recalled the night that gave me this idea. We were at the lighthouse, the only man-made structure located outside the thick walls surrounding the island. We had been playing a game of chess. I couldn’t forget the sadness in his eyes when I asked him about his birthday and he explained, “We vampires tend to stop measuring our age in years. We progress from measuring it in decades and then later, in centuries.” I wondered why so much hopelessness seemed to cover his countenance whenever his immortality was mentioned.

  “I asked you once when your birthday was and you told me you’d forgotten…”

  “Sofia…” His voice was choked with emotion, already knowing what I was trying to imply.

  I poured blood into one glass and handed it to him before pouring champagne into my own. “You deserve a birthday, Derek.” I couldn’t keep a grin from my face as I shrugged. “So I decided to just make one up for you.”

  I was relieved to find a smile form on his face. “A toast to the day you came into my life.”

  “It’s your day, Derek, but hey…” I chuckled. “I’ll drink to that.” The edges of our glasses clinked as we shared a toast. We spent the next couple of hours, seated on the hood of the car, watching the stars and goofing around with the small meal that came with the basket. Of course, he couldn’t really partake of anything but the blood, but that didn’t
stop him from amusing himself by shoving strawberries coated in sticky white chocolate into my mouth.

  “So how old are you now?” I asked in an attempt to distract him so I could wipe off the chocolate he’d just smeared on my face.

  “Too old.”

  His blue eyes were burning with intensity and hopefulness as he looked at me. I didn’t have to ask what was going through his mind. I knew that the same thing was going through mine. We’d talked about it before. His immortality made it possible for us to have what we had. If he hadn’t become a vampire, our timelines never would’ve crossed.

  He pulled me into his arms and began humming a tune as we stared up at the starlit sky.

  “I wish we could be like this forever,” I whispered.

  He nodded.

  But I knew the truth. Things weren’t always going to be this way, because Ben was right.

  Sandcastles always fall.

  Chapter 4: Derek

  Upon our return to the penthouse, I was surprised to find Cameron and Liana Hendry waiting for us in my living room. The expression on their faces was enough to tell me that something was wrong. Instinct took over and I removed the arm I had over Sofia’s shoulder and gently nudged her behind me.

  Cameron and Liana rose from their seats upon seeing us. Both their eyes settled on Sofia in a sad gaze.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked, not quite sure if I was ready to hear the answer to my question.

  “We have to talk,” Liana responded solemnly. “About Sofia and the girls.”

  Had it only been Cameron paying me a visit, I wouldn’t have been as anxious, but Liana was there, and her presence rarely ever brought good news. I nodded at Liana to talk as we all took a seat. She took a deep breath before obliging.

  “A week from now, Sofia and the girls will have been here at The Shade for a year.”

  My hand quickly found Sofia’s knee and I squeezed tight. I remembered what Vivienne told me the night the girls were brought to me. “The humans who form the harems are kept alive for a year and whomever owns them gets to decide their ultimate fate after that.”

  I swallowed hard. “So?” I asked Liana.

  “Your father sent me to tell you that he wants to know your decision regarding the girls so that it can be executed at the appointed time.”

  I grimaced. “He couldn’t have just come here to tell me that himself?”

  “He told me that he wanted to, but that he would prefer not to see Sofia.”

  My father’s disdain toward her was no secret. Gregor Novak blamed her for Lucas turning against us and for Vivienne getting caught by the hunters. In my father’s eyes, Sofia was turning me against him.

  “It’s for the best. The farther away my father is from Sofia, the better off we all are.” I straightened up in my seat and nodded. “Fine. My decision is easy. The girls stay with me.”

  Cameron and Lucas exchanged worried glances.

  “That would mean you’d have to turn them all into vampires and make them a part of your clan, Derek,” Cameron explained.

  “What?!” I spat out. “Who came up with these rules?”

  Everyone knew that I thought the concept of a harem was ridiculous. That was one reason I put a stop to human abductions while my father was away.

  “Your father,” Liana patiently responded.

  With Lucas’ influence no doubt. I scowled. “What are my other choices?”

  “Most harems don’t really last a year and when they do, the owners usually just turn their slaves into vampires. A year means that they’d grown quite fond of their slaves and…”

  I licked my lips impatiently and turned my head toward Sofia. “Do you want to become a vampire, Sofia?”

  Her emerald gaze was moist with tears as she shook her head. She was clearly terrified by the idea. The truth was that though I couldn’t blame her for not wanting to turn into my kind, the thought that she didn’t want to be what I was hurt.

  “If the other three girls want to become vampires, then so be it,” I announced. “However, Sofia has indicated that she isn’t willing to become one, so what are the alternatives?”

  Liana’s response was blunt and straightforward. “She is either drained of all blood or sent to live at The Catacombs, where she will be assigned work she’s skilled at; therefore, making her useful to the island.”

  The Catacombs were located at the Black Heights, a vast mountain range north of the island. It contained a complex network of interconnected caves. These caves were divided into two areas—The Cells and The Catacombs. The Cells were our prison system. The Catacombs, on the other hand, were home to The Shade’s growing human population—the Naturals. The Naturals were humans born and raised at The Shade—they did the bulk of the labor required to keep The Shade in its self-sustaining state. On the other hand, Sofia and the rest of the humans belonging to the harems were known as Migrates. They were taken from outside the island. Just as Liana implied, most Migrates—if not all—died in the island. Only few were turned into vampires or sent to The Catacombs to become Naturals.

  I’d only been to The Catacombs once when Sofia asked to visit. The thought of her living there made me sick to my stomach. She belongs by my side.

  “I guess that really gives you only one option…” Liana broke the tense silence.

  “No. It doesn’t. I’m going to talk to my father about this. I’m not having it.” I growled and shot a glare at two of my dearest friends. “Where is he?”

  “He’s at his penthouse, but is it really wise to…”

  I didn’t bother to hear what else Liana had to say. I was up on my feet and speeding toward my father’s penthouse—not far from mine. I pushed the doors open and let myself in. A young woman stood shocked in the middle of the large round hall that composed my father’s welcoming room. I immediately saw the bite marks on her neck—fresh blood was still trickling from them. I expected to crave her, but all I felt was empathy. She couldn’t have been any older than Sofia.

  “Where’s my father?” I asked, reeling in my anger so I could speak to her in a soft voice. I didn’t want to frighten her any more than she already was.

  “Your highness…” she croaked, as if unsure whether or not she should be speaking to me. “He’s by the pool. I was just…”

  “What’s your name?”

  “Yvonne.”

  “Take me to him, Yvonne.”

  She led me through a series of glass-covered walkways before leading to a large, circular room with a round pool in the middle of it. My father leaned against one side of the pool, sucking on the blood of one of the two lovely maidens sitting on either side of him. Being distracted by them, he didn’t even notice my presence. My stomach turned upon seeing the bruises on the girls’ bodies. The thought of how Sofia would react to the sight before me was enough to make my blood boil.

  Yvonne walked over to my father and the moment he was aware of her presence, he grabbed a fistful of her hair and forced a kiss on her. Her body tensed and I knew that, though she didn’t resist, she wasn’t enjoying the rough manner in which he was treating her.

  Throughout the years, my father had already given me many reasons to be ashamed to call myself his son, but he was still my father, and if only to honor Vivienne, I had to attempt to treat him with some respect. I cleared my throat to announce my presence, no longer willing to witness this wanton display of lust.

  Gregor snapped to attention. He grabbed Yvonne by the waist and planted her on his lap, using her body to cover his own as he looked over her shoulder at me. He raised a brow at the sight of me. “Derek! To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”

  “You would have me send the girl I love to The Catacombs? I won’t have it.”

  “Ah… We’re at this again. Every time you come to me it is to bitch about that redhead pet of yours. Must everything be about her?”

  “I’ve done everything you told me since you came back. I’ve taken my place as commander of the army and I’ve geared them up for battle just as you commanded. I did not interfere with any of the decisions you’ve made about the island since you took your place as king. Why do you vex me this way?”

  “Vex you, Derek?” He once again grabbed a fistful of Yvonne’s hair, pulling on her scalp enough to get a yelp from her before pulling her head to an angle that exposed a generous amount of her neck. “Why do you think that everything I do is about you? I’m merely enforcing the laws of this island. Felix has told me about your manic outbursts and about your delusion that you are the law on this island. You’re not, my son. We owe you a lot. You made The Shade possible, but we’ve formed laws in this kingdom that even you aren’t exempt from.”