“Oh…” She frowned, her eyes showing her disappointment and sadness. “He won’t allow me to go back to The Shade, will he? He’s angry that I tried to turn you… I thought that’s what he wanted, but then even Ben got angry when I did it…”

So she really did try to turn me. And she did it because she thought it was what Derek wanted. Or at least that’s what she says. I was beyond confused. “Why did you do it, Claudia? Why did you try to turn me?”

“You and Derek deserve to be together,” she said pensively as she slowly nodded her head as if our love was some sort of epiphany to her. “I understand that now. If you were immortal like he is, then you could be together forever. Isn’t that what you want, Sofia?”

I stared at her, not knowing how to react. Who is this person? I had no idea if it was all an act. I feared that perhaps it was. I decided to change the subject before she could drive me crazy with longing for Derek. “Why would Ben ask that your life be spared, Claudia? He hated your guts.”

Claudia’s face broke into a strange smile, a spark of her old, crazy self seemingly back, but her words indicated otherwise. “You got to him I guess…the same way you get to everyone… Back at The Oasis, he told me that if there’s any person who could forgive me for everything I’d done, it would be you.”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “It was you, wasn’t it? You helped Ben get out of The Oasis so he could ask help from the hunters. Is that why he asked that your life be spared? He did it in exchange for your help?”

She nodded. “You could say that.”

“But why? Why would you help him? You’re in hunter territory because of it. This is the most dangerous place for a vampire to be in.”

“I wanted to help you and Derek.”

I couldn’t help but scoff at that statement. “Sorry, Claudia, but I find that hard to believe.”

She rolled her eyes as she ran a hand through her mass of blonde curls. I saw in her actions a trace of the old Claudia that I had known. Mischievous, naughty, sadistically demented, but again, her words took me aback. “Well, of course you don’t believe me.” She gave me a wry laugh. “After everything you know I’ve done, after I helped deliver you to Borys Maslen, you’d be crazy to believe me.”

“You ruined my best friend, Claudia.”

“Ben reminded me so much of the Duke, but he was nothing like the man who ruined me. He didn’t deserve what I had put him through.”

I didn’t know what to make of her words. It was hard for me to believe, but Claudia actually looked genuinely remorseful. “You know what…” I threw my hands in the air. “I don’t even really care if all of this is just some sort of act. If it is, I don’t know why you’re doing it. I can’t even tell if you’re telling me the truth, but right now, if there’s any way you can help me, then I need you to do that.”

She stared at me, waiting for me to spout out what I had in mind.

I heaved a sigh and spoke my mind. “I need to get back to Derek, Claudia. I need to get back to The Shade.”

The moment the words came out of my lips, her face once again lit up in delighted expectation. “Yes! The Shade! I want to go back too, Sofia. You’ll take me with you, won’t you?” Her childlike glee was blowing my mind until she finally said the words that would shed light to the reason behind her alarming and sudden change of character. “Yuri will take me back, won’t he, Sofia?”

I didn’t see it coming, but it appeared that after hundreds of years, Claudia had finally realized that she was desperately in love with the one vampire at The Shade who could possibly hold genuine affection for her—Yuri Lazaroff.

CHAPTER 6: DEREK

Natalie pulled her dark hair up in a messy bun. Wearing a gray university hoodie and black leggings, she looked a lot more casual at home than she normally did wearing her usual, classy and stylish get-ups.

As she ran through the plans for my journey from her safe house to The Shade, I couldn’t help but appreciate her as a friend. We had some history between us—Natalie and I—history that very few people knew about, history that played a huge part in making us who we were. The centuries changed us both, but she would remain one of my dearest friends, even in spite of the fact that I knew that I could never fully trust her.

“So I’ve arranged transport for you to be brought from here to a nearby shore,” Natalie explained. “You’ll be leaving by jet at midnight. One of The Shade’s subs should be waiting on the beach to take you to The Shade.”

“How on earth were you able to communicate with anyone back at The Shade?” I asked.

She smiled. “I can’t tell you my trade’s secrets. Even you don’t have that much of an influence on me, Novak.”

Faded images of her as that beautiful young woman, who fascinated me from the moment I first laid eyes on her, flashed through my mind. I met her right after I escaped from our village—not long after my father turned Lucas, Vivienne and me into vampires. I hated being the creature I’d become and the reality of the hunter now being the hunted had just begun to sink into me. It was one of those nights when my craving for human blood was especially hard to suppress. Vivienne and I had gotten separated from Gregor and Lucas after a run-in with the hunters. I knew Vivienne was starving, because so was I, but she hadn’t spoken for almost a year by then, so I wasn’t expecting any complaints from her.

Natalie somehow found us as we trekked along the city walls, not daring to enter the city in case we couldn’t stop killing the people we met. She took us in and fed us. She was so tender, so kind, so lovely, I could barely believe that she was a vampire. That night was the first time I allowed myself to entertain the idea that goodness could still be found in creatures such as us. I had Natalie to thank for that. It was decades later before I saw her again—both of us bloodthirsty and losing touch with our humanity. Remembering her kindness and who she was greatly influenced my decision to escape it all and convince Cora to put me to sleep. After reminding her of whom she was before and the impact she had on me, I liked to think that I had a part in making her what she was now.

“Thank you for all your help, Natalie.”

She shrugged. “It’s the least I can do.” She grinned. “For old times’ sake.”

I heaved a sigh. “Did you ever think we’d end up this way? Vampires living centuries past our time?”

Natalie’s face softened and for a moment, I thought she was going to cry, but she just laughed dryly. “That’s just life, Novak. We are what we are. There’s no escaping it.”

No escape. The thought made me feel so hopeless. I was surprised by the strength of emotion that surged within me—something almost visceral fighting against that idea that our kind had no escape. How could that be our fate? That can’t be it, not when there’s hope for true sanctuary.

Sofia’s face flashed through my mind. I knew her role in the prophecy, the part she had to play. The distance we had between us was so keenly felt. She’s my hope. That’s when I realized that there was no possible way I could survive what was to come unless I made a conscious effort to connect to the light she had sparked in me.

I shook my head at Natalie. “I’d readily accept in a split second that I deserve this fate, but not you, Natalie.”

“Of all the vampires I’ve had the pleasure, or displeasure, of knowing, you’ve always been my favorite, Novak.” She playfully placed a finger beneath my chin and lifted my head upwards. “Do you have any questions about later?”

I shook my head. “I trust you.”

She rolled her eyes. “I warn you, Novak, trusting me could be your undoing.”

I chuckled. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

We shared a glass of blood before retreating to our own bedrooms to prepare for my departure. I was mostly thinking about what I was going to end up seeing upon my return to The Shade and how Sofia was doing. I hope she understands why I left. I found myself drifting off into a short nap. I was awakened by a thud outside the bedroom. Someone was with Natalie. I took great care not to make any noise as I peeked outside my bedroom door, which was slightly ajar.

“Where is Derek Novak?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about…” Natalie hissed.

I swallowed hard, panic overtaking me. At first, I thought that the hunters had somehow found the safe house, but I quickly realized—based on the fact that they made no move to hurt Natalie, nor were they equipped with the hunters’ advanced weaponry—that these were fellow vampires.

“We know you helped him, Natalie. You’re a diplomat. You’re not supposed to take sides. You shouldn’t have helped him, knowing that he is wanted by practically every vampire coven in existence—even his own.”

“You have nothing to prove that I helped Derek.”

“Who else would’ve helped him, but you?”

I knew then that I had to get out of the house immediately or I would risk destroying Natalie’s good standing with all the other covens. I couldn’t do that to her—not after everything she had done for me, not after everything she had risked.

I sneaked out of the bedroom window, still careful not to make even the smallest sound and headed off by foot to the location of the jet Natalie had arranged for me. I looked back and whispered a thank you to Natalie, praying that no harm would come to her because of me. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if anything bad happened to you because of me, Natalie. Stay safe.

A few hours later, just before the sun was about to rise, I was sitting in the submarine that would take me back to The Shade. I wanted to feel excitement about my return to the island that had been my home for centuries, but all I felt was dread. Somehow, I already knew that what I would come upon wouldn’t be a warm and happy welcome, but instead, complete and utter chaos.

I was right.