A Blaze of Sun (A Shade of Vampire #5)(41)

She smirked at me, perhaps noticing my admiration of her appearance. “Very well then. I agree to all those terms.”

My stomach turned. I was hoping she wouldn’t agree. I was hoping that Derek wouldn’t have to spend a week or even a single second with her. Who knows what they could do to him there? One week suddenly felt like an eternity. I was gripping Derek’s arm so tightly I didn’t even realize it until Derek gave me a look that mirrored my own desperation.

I couldn’t even fathom the reason behind why Emilia would want an entire week with Derek, but I knew that there was a strong possibility that I could lose him. Is our love strong enough? Afraid of what was to come, I stood to my tiptoes, threw my arms around his neck and kissed him, not caring how it would affect Emilia.

It seemed Derek couldn’t give a damn about what Emilia felt too, because he picked me up in his strong arms and returned the kiss with equal if not more passion.

By the time our lips parted, Emilia was glaring daggers at us. She was red with fury and any beauty she possessed was faded away by the darkness oozing out of her. I could sense the threats that came with the way she was looking at me. I could tell that it would give her great pleasure to see me harmed.

An echo from the past began to circle my mind as I realized what was hanging in the balance. Derek and I were strongest together and we were weakest apart. I squeezed Derek’s hand. I was reminded of how hard he had to fight in order to keep our relationship intact, what with his attraction to Emilia. How much harder would he have to fight now that we have to be apart?

I began to tremble and he felt it. He looked my way and whispered into my ear, “Our love is strong enough, Sofia.”

I wanted to believe him with all my heart, but looking at the veiled triumph behind Emilia’s eyes, I wasn’t so certain our love could survive what she was about to put us both through. Still, I mustered up all the conviction and faith I had in me to nod at Derek and say, “Of course it is, Derek. Of course it is.”

Chapter 23: Kyle

The Shade was in ruins. The Vale was a pile of ashes and most of the Residences were wiped out. The only structures in The Shade that remained intact were the Black Heights and The Sanctuary. Half of the Crimson Fortress was just a pile of rubble.

We’d been fighting for what felt like hours and the enemy vampires were coming in droves and just when I thought we had no more fight left in us, someone screamed, “Retreat!” And they all began to return to their choppers flying off and leaving us to pick up the pieces left by their attack.

I didn’t know what caused their retreat, but I was relieved when they began backing off. I had never been more exhausted in my life. I couldn’t even count the number of times a stake was almost driven into my heart. In fact, I still had three stakes buried into several parts of my body – one at my back, the other on my shoulder, the other on my leg. I was battling one vampire, and another one was about to come right at me when they called for the retreat.

When they retreated, I just fell to the ground, unwilling to look at the casualties surrounding me. I heard one of the attackers chuckle as he passed by me. “This is what happens to anybody who crosses the Elder,” he said.

I wondered what we could’ve possibly done to cross the original vampire, when we weren’t really even sure that the first vampire existed.

I pulled the stake out of my leg, gritting my teeth at the pain. I had just tossed it aside when a familiar voice called out my name.

“Kyle!”

She hadn’t even reached me yet, but I already knew her well enough to know that it was her. Anna. I could sense her presence, smell her sweet scent, practically see in my mind’s eye her beauty. She came to me from behind, hugging my neck as she whispered into my ear.

“Are you alright?”

All I could do was groan in response. As alright as I could be I guess.

“You look like crap, man.” Another familiar voice. Ian’s.

Before I could respond, he pulled out the wooden stake from behind me. I screamed in agony. I could practically see the smirk on his face. I turned around to glare at him and was surprised to find him with an ugly gash right through his upper torso – his shirt torn from the claw marks.

“What?” He grinned. “You’re not the only one who wants to fight for The Shade. I mean, I’m not crazy about being a slave to you vamps, but I’m assuming that Derek is a better king to serve than whoever just attacked us.”

“Everything is ruined…” Tears were brimming Anna’s eyes as she looked me over with such affection.

I ached, upon seeing the look in her eyes. Since she’d been seeing Corrine, it’d been difficult to figure her moods out.

Anna was a pendulum, going from me to Ian, then from Ian back to me again. Over the past few days she’d been seeing Corrine, she always seemed to prefer being around either me or him. During the days when she preferred me, it was heaven. She was her old, fun, smart, bubbly self – just like she was during our nights at the lake. Of course, the times she spent with Ian were complete hell. It drove me completely nuts trying to avoid thinking about what they were doing or talking about.

Does she smile at him like she does me? Do they talk about the same things?

After the battle, I looked at her wondering whom it was she was gearing more toward. It was hard to tell, considering how it seemed she was a bit more of herself – compassionate, wanting to help and comfort and heal wherever it was needed.