“Animal blood.” I cringed.

“You survived with that before the hunters forced you to take this murderous path… why can’t you do it again?”

“You don’t understand, Sofia. Animal blood nourishes, but never satisfies. Not many can embrace that kind of living.”

“Living?!” She was livid. “How can you call this kind of lifestyle living? You continue to kill even when there’s an alternative to all this bloodshed…”

I couldn’t come up with a defense. I knew that none would satisfy her.

“Is there not a single vampire here living on animal blood alone?”

“Vivienne. She never fed on a human… at least not that I knew of.” I found myself longing for the company of my twin. She would’ve known just the right words to ease my conscience. Then again, perhaps that was what Sofia was for… to drag me away from my excuses and escapes.

“If she was able to do it, why can’t the rest of you?”

“It’s not that easy… You have to understand, Sofia… The vampires will turn on us if we put the fate of humans over them… We can’t just…”

Sofia shook her head. “For a widow to look at her children and find only fear and sorrow because she finds them beautiful … something’s wrong with that and you know it.” She wet her lips and ran a hand through her long red locks. Her eyes momentarily fell on me. “I can’t even look at you right now.”

She began to walk away, into the dark woods.

“Where are you going?” I called after her.

“Anywhere away from you. Don’t follow me.”

Stubborn human … I inwardly groaned, part of me wanting to run after her in hopes of knocking some sense into her, part of me wanting to get away from her, exhausted by the helplessness I felt over the issues she was bringing about. Even I found my defenses hollow and meaningless in light of her arguments.

I watched her form fade into the distance, secure that her affiliation with me would keep her from danger. I never once thought of the welfare of the humans occupying The Shade. They were always a means to an end – the end being keeping our kind safe and satisfied. Standing there, debating with myself whether to run after Sofia, I knew that the humans’ fate would relentlessly haunt me as long as she was around.

I was unable to move from that spot long after she left. Dread enveloped me when I realized: A culling is inevitable. What will she think of me when she finds out?

CHAPTER 45: SOFIA

I followed the pathway through the woods, not exactly certain about where I was going or what I planned to do. I couldn’t control the way my body was trembling or the fact that the pounding in my veins refused to subside. I didn’t even know exactly what or whom I was angry at. Was it Derek, what he was and the many excuses he had for every atrocity committed at The Shade? Or was it me and all the doubts I had over where I stood with him, with this prophecy of Cora’s and what I was supposed to be doing on this mad island?

When I eventually reached the Vale, I was exhausted from my trek. All I could think about was Derek and all the doubts I had about him. What’s wrong with me? How could I care so much about someone like him?

My gaze was set straight ahead, not really paying attention to the stalls and the people surrounding me as I meandered through the cobblestone streets of the Vale’s marketplace. So preoccupied was I by my own thoughts, I didn’t notice a familiar face until I bumped into her. Upon seeing the mass of blonde curls, the pretty round face and those big eyes, I froze. Claudia. A wide and wicked smile formed on her lips upon seeing me.

“Well, if it isn’t the little twig herself…” She brushed her fingers over my hair. “The prince’s pet walking about The Shade as if she owned the island.”

I stepped away from her, unnerved by her touch. Glaring at her, I gathered all self-control in order to keep myself from venting out all my anger toward her for what she put my dear Ben through – yet another atrocity Derek turned a blind eye to.

“I don’t want any trouble.”

“Neither do I.” She raised her brow and tilted her head to the side. “Send my regards to the prince. Do let him know that he can share my bed anytime he pleases.” Claudia smirked, her eyes twinkling with malice. “I owe him that much after he arranged for my quick release from the Cells.”

I swallowed hard, surprised by the way her words pierced a dagger right through my heart. I tried to appear unaffected, but the thought of any other girl sharing his bed made my stomach turn. Delight sparked on her face upon seeing my reaction.

“You don’t think you’re the only one sharing Derek Novak’s bed, do you?” Each taunt scarred me. “Poor little thing… Did you think him in love with you? That his heart beats for only you? I don’t know what kind of pleasures you provide him that he would be so enamored with someone like you, but you’re just a temporary pleasure… one he will grow tired of soon enough.”

Not wanting to hear any more of her cruel jibes, I forced a grim smile and gave her a curt nod. “I’ll be on my way.” I tried to remember who she was and that I shouldn’t take anything Claudia said seriously, but the words nagged at me even as I passed by her.

I’d only taken a few steps when I noticed a chain she was holding with one hand. She pulled on it, the sound of clanging metal filling the air, and a young man with red hair stumbled behind her. The chain she held was attached to a collar around his neck.

He looked at me with familiar eyes as he stumbled forward. He was just about my age – tall, lean and attractive with work-hardened hands and eyes that had seen too many horrors for a life as short as his.

Before I could second-guess myself, the words came out of my lips. “Claudia, wait.”

Both Claudia and the young man halted.

“Who is he?” I asked.

Claudia raised a brow. “A slave. My slave. Is he your best friend too? Would you have him taken from me the way you took Ben? Where is he anyway? I do miss him… You know I find it rather odd that I don’t crave him. If he’s still on the island, just his presence should drive me insane in an attempt to quench my appetite for him.”

She still doesn’t know that Ben and I escaped. I frowned at the thought, but stood my ground. The thought of what she was going to put that young man through had sealed my decision. Wary of Claudia’s long-winded taunts, I set my eyes on the boy.

“What’s your name?”

His eyes flitted from Claudia to me. I searched for a sign of fear but found none of it in his eyes. Just defiance.

“Gavin.”

The name was too familiar. I gasped. Lily’s son.

“I owned his father. It only makes sense that I own him too, does it not?” Claudia began running her fingers over Gavin’s arms, her eyes sultry and full of heat as she eyed him. Fists balled, I took a step forward to assert myself.

“I demand that you let him go.”

Claudia’s brown eyes grew wide open. “You demand? Who do you think you are, you little bitch?”

“I claim him for the prince. You do know by now how important it is to his highness that I am pleased, don’t you?” Gaining confidence even while calling the biggest bluff of my life, I stepped forward and violently pushed Claudia away from the boy.

She stumbled backwards more out of surprise than my strength to push her away. The moment she recovered from her surprise, fury blazed in her eyes. Her flirtatious and amused countenance was quickly replaced by a raging crazed demeanor that made my blood turn cold. Her fingernails grew into claws and she used them to scratch nasty gash lines over Gavin’s upper torso. He screamed and her eyes flickered with delight at the sight of his blood before she turned on me. Her hands found my neck and pushed me backwards until my back hit the wall of one of the nearby buildings.

“You overstep your ground, slave. It doesn’t matter who owns you. That’s what you still are. A slave.” She pressed one claw against the soft skin on my neck, threatening to draw blood.

I sneered at her, feigning confidence I barely had. “Go ahead, Claudia. Do it. Let’s see what Derek does to you once he finds out.”

Her hand caught my jaw before a manic smile formed on her face. “The same thing he did to me the last time I defied him, I guess. I can take whatever he throws my way, little girl. I can take the lashes. I can take the prison cell. I can take it when he uses me the way he uses you. I’ve been through hell and back, so think twice, redhead. Do you really want to threaten me again?”

I saw then how someone like her was able to break my best friend. Her brokenness made her give in to pure evil and there wasn’t a single sign of guilt or even hesitation in her eyes. The wounded can inflict the most painful wounds without hesitation. I knew then that she wouldn’t hesitate to kill me, so I kept my words few and my intention well-stated.

“Let Gavin go. You are not to touch him or his family again.”

The back of her hand slammed against my cheek and I went tumbling to the ground. She stood over me and was about to deliver a blow across my face with her claws when someone sped her way and pushed her back against the wall she had me pinned against only moments ago.

I looked to see who it was and found Derek pressed against her, keeping her in place. “Did I not make it clear that she is not to be touched?”

I stood up and headed for Gavin. He was lying on the ground, recovering from the pain. I put my arms around him and helped him sit up. A crowd of vampires was now beginning to circle us, more than one of them eyed his bloody torso hungrily. I positioned myself protectively in front of Gavin.

“She demands to take my slave from me. She has no right to. I was merely protecting my property.”

“He’s Lily’s son. I can’t bear the thought of him suffering the same fate as Ben.” I intervened.

Derek’s shoulders were heaving, the muscles in his back obviously tensing up. Silence filled the air as he weighed the decision before him. He let go of Claudia, stepping away from the vampire. “Do as she says, Claudia.”