I rolled my eyes. “You know…the usual sappy stuff…I’m crying because I’m so overcome by joy.” I mocked an overdramatized version of typical romantic flicks I’d seen before. “I couldn’t hold back the tears because I’m so in love with you…”

He wrinkled his nose. “You’re right. That really is corny.”

I pouted, then shrugged. “Doesn’t make it any less true though, does it?”

He responded with a kiss. By the time our lips managed to part, we were both breathless.

“Let’s go to the lighthouse, shall we? Before I end up doing something I’ll regret…”

At first, I wondered what he was talking about. It wasn’t until after we took the leap down the Crimson Fortress that I realized what he meant. He was going to stay true to his word. He wanted our love chaste and I knew without a doubt that he would never dare take me to his bed again until he married me.

After everything he’d done for me and all the times he stood up for me and fought for me, that was the first time it really sank into me just how much Derek Novak truly loved me. I felt like I’d given up everything for him. I realized that he was willing to do the same for me if he needed to.

Thus, that night, standing in the middle of the lighthouse’s octagonal top floor, dancing to the music in his head which he shared with me by humming, my heart leapt when he once again whispered in my ear the same heartfelt plea he gave me on my birthday.

“Marry me, Sofia.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face against his chest, breathing in his scent, adoring the way his heart was now thumping at a quicker pace than normal. I couldn’t even remember why I had hesitated before, because the most sensible thing to respond with was a simple: “Yes.”

CHAPTER 36: DEREK

I couldn’t believe my ears. I asked her out of a wishful whim, expecting her to once again decline my request, telling me that what we had could never last forever and that we needed to accept that. I expected her to look at me with those lovely green eyes of hers and tell me that she loved me, but that she was sorry, because she couldn’t marry me. She simply couldn’t.

But no…what she responded with was something that sounded strangely similar to the word “Yes.”

“What?” I asked her, stepping back, so that I could look at her and make sure that she wasn’t joking. “Did you just say what I thought you said?”

She laughed at my reaction. “I’m not sure…” She tilted her head to the side, her long auburn locks falling over her shoulders. “What did you think I said?”

“It sounded like you were agreeing to marry me.”

She paused and wrinkled her nose before shuffling on her feet. When she heaved an anxious sigh, I was already certain that I was just hearing things.

But then a huge smile broke into her face. “Then you definitely heard right.”

I stood there stunned, letting the news sink in, taking in that moment and how stunningly gorgeous she looked in that green silk gown that clung to her curves in just the right places. I wanted to remember every single detail of that moment, because I wanted to treasure it forever.

“Derek, say something…” she said breathlessly.

I had no idea what to say. Was I supposed to thank her for making me the happiest man alive? Was I supposed to once again profess my love for her at the risk of her accusing me of being corny? What was I supposed to say? How was I supposed to express what she made me feel when she agreed to trust me enough to marry me?

“I don’t deserve you, Sofia Claremont,” were the words that I eventually blurted out. “But I will spend every single day of my life making up for that. I’m so in love with you.” I cupped her face with both hands and once again crushed my lips against hers, breathing her scent in, tasting her sweet lips, committing every bit of that moment into my memory.

At some point during the kiss, she began laughing. “We’re so corny…” She began shaking her head, before biting her lip and nodding. “But…I’m so in love with you too.”

As much as I wanted to fully enjoy that moment and hopefully freeze it so I could live in that moment forever, I couldn’t deny that something felt amiss. We were ignoring the fact that I was immortal and that she wasn’t. I would forever be eighteen and she wouldn’t. I knew I could love her still even if she was already that old woman walking around with a cane, but what kind of life was I offering her?

“Sofia…” I couldn’t hide the hesitation and sadness in my tone. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Yes, Derek. I wouldn’t agree to marry you if I wasn’t entirely sure,” she assured me, then hesitation sparked in her green eyes. “Are you sure?”

“I feel like I’m being selfish with you,” I admitted. “Is this really the life you want? I mean, you’re this beautiful, vibrant person, strong and wonderful in so many ways…you should be able to find a husband who can give you a normal life, let you have kids, support you and allow you to fulfill your dreams…I want to be with you, but I feel like I’m taking all that away from you.”

Every word she said next broke down all my weak attempts to resist the idea of a marriage with her.

“But you’re giving me so much more, Derek. You’re the man I love. You’re the man I want to be with. I don’t want a normal life, Derek. I want to live a life with you.”

I didn’t know how we were going to make the marriage work. I didn’t know how any of it would work out. All I knew was at that moment, we had each other, and that was really all that mattered.

We didn’t leave the lighthouse until the next day, determining to just enjoy each other’s company and stay away from all the issues that we knew would assault us once we returned to the kingdom. Holding hands with her as we practically skipped our way—like love-struck teenagers—back to The Shade, I wished we could’ve just stayed at the lighthouse and locked ourselves up in there for as long as we could.

We’d just left the Crimson Fortress when Xavier approached us, worry traced in his eyes.

“What’s wrong?” I asked him.

Xavier shifted uncomfortably on his feet. “Ben Hudson is back.”

CHAPTER 37: SOFIA

I was struggling to wrap my mind around what Xavier had just said.

Ben’s back on this island?

At first, I was worried for my best friend. Why was he back? Was he alright? With him back, would Claudia be able to keep herself from tearing him into shreds?

When I saw the reaction on Derek’s face, however, I realized that we had greater issues to contend with. Ben had joined the hunters. Did he now know how to get back to The Shade? How did he find out? Was he going to compromise The Shade by letting the hunters know? Was he with the hunters now? Should we be gearing up for an attack?

My heart went out to Derek. He already had so much on his plate, so many issues to deal with…I knew that the additional burden of wondering whether or not The Shade was still safe with Ben back was something he didn’t really need nor want.

I squeezed his hand to let him know I was there for him. “Everything’s going to be alright,” I assured him.

He held my hand in a firm grip and looked me straight in the eye. “With him back, does it change anything?”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “I can’t believe you’d even ask me that question, Derek. Nothing’s changed,” I assured him.

Xavier was staring at us like we’d gone mad. “We’re holding him at the port,” he informed. “We had no idea what to do with him. We weren’t sure if you’d agree to have him brought into the island. I’ve sent scouts around the island, and as far as we aware, he arrived alone.”

Derek nodded. “I’ll go to the port to speak with him. You coming, Sofia?”

He gave me a look that was practically begging me not to go, but I wasn’t going to miss out on seeing Ben. He was still my best friend, someone who mattered dearly to me, so I nodded. “Yes. I’m going.”

Derek didn’t bother to hide the disappointment in his face, but understood me enough to know that he could do little to dissuade me from going.

Once we reached the port, an underwater facility that contained cells where new arrivals were held before they were allowed to enter the island, we were immediately brought to the cell where they were keeping Ben.

The moment we arrived, he stood up from the cot where he’d been seated. His eyes first fell on Derek and I watched him for a trace of the usual hatred he had whenever he looked at the prince of The Shade, but there was none of it. Ben just looked from Derek to me and once his eyes were on me, they stayed there.

Derek stared for a while before shaking his head. “I can’t stand this. I’ll be speaking with you in a while and I expect you to answer all my questions truthfully, but for now, before we get into the nitty-gritty of your sudden appearance here, I’m going to leave Sofia with you. I know that you two will want to spend time alone.”

Ben seemed sincerely grateful. “Thank you.”

Derek just grunted and nodded before leaving us on our own. I knew how Ben’s presence was eating at him. Ben, after all, was the reason I’d decided to leave The Shade before. I couldn’t blame him for being threatened that Ben was back, but I was also peeved. I’d just agreed to marry him. Was that not assurance enough that I was his?

Derek kissed my cheek. “You’ll be alright?” he asked.

I smiled and nodded. “I’ll be fine, Derek. We’ll call if we need anything.”

Derek and Xavier left, shutting the door behind them.

The moment I was finally alone with Ben, all I could think to do was stare at him. It felt like an eternity since I’d last seen him. His blonde hair was now shaved. He looked a lot more buff, stronger, bigger. He also appeared to have matured in likeness. Still, he was just as handsome as I remembered him to be.