A Gate of Night (A Shade of Vampire #6)(20)

He grinned when he saw in my eyes that this was exactly what I’d wanted. It was what I’d always wanted—even before I turned into a vampire. Fall in love with a girl, raise children with her, live a happy, normal life. Instead, what I’d gotten was centuries of being a creature I detested.

“Why didn’t you just kill her? Being around her, sensing how sweet her blood is, how could you have not bled Sofia dry? Where did you find the will?”

I glared daggers at him. A multitude of threats ran through my mind at the very thought of him ever laying hands on my wife.

“If you die, do you think she’ll ever love again?” He stared at the dagger he was about to gut me with. He had a sparkle in his bloody red eyes—almost as if he wished Sofia would love him.

All I could do was snicker. The attempt made me groan with pain.

“Relax, Novak. Stop exerting yourself. I don’t want you to die just yet.”

I lay as still as I could, attempting to focus on Sofia, knowing that I had to survive that night. I couldn’t afford to die. I couldn’t afford to leave my wife behind. I had to protect her.

As I lay there, however, I knew that I wasn’t who I used to be. The hours of torture Kiev put me through proved me weak. At the end of it all, I was convinced that I was completely useless to my wife.

I’m just too weak, I told myself. I’m powerless to defend her.

Those same words haunted me as I sat up inside the cell, terrified by the thought of what Sofia could be going through. I resented the words because I couldn’t deny it. I stared at my palms, hating how weak I felt at that moment.

“What have I done?” I muttered, before realizing something was amiss.

I felt absolutely no pain. None. I checked my body, my arms, my legs. I ran my hands against my face. No wounds. Nothing.

How is that possible?

Lost in my confusion, I was completely stunned when a beautiful woman appeared inside the dungeon. She wore a white velvet robe with fur lining over a snowy blue gown. With silver hair and amber-gold eyes, she stared down at me.

It took several minutes before her presence fully registered in my mind. “W-who…?” I creased my brows and looked at the cell around me. “How?”

She gave no introductions or explanations. There wasn’t even a greeting. All she said was, “You’re coming with me.”

I stood up, thankful that I was healed but mystified by it nonetheless. I shook my head. “Who are you?”

“I’m the Ageless, mother witch of The Sanctuary, and you’re coming with me, Derek Novak.”

“Wha… How do I know I can trust you?”

“You don’t.”

I frowned, taken aback by the bluntness. “What do you want from me? Why would you want to help me? What is The Sanctuary?”

“I came to get you out of here. I don’t want to help you. I just know that I have to. You’ll discover what The Sanctuary is if you come with me.”

“I’m not leaving without my wife.”

“You have to. If you stay here, mark my words, child, you will die. They won’t harm Sofia. They need her. You, on the other hand…”

I wasn’t used to being called a child, but if she was as her name implied, a five-hundred-year-old man was indeed a child compared to her.

“I can’t leave Sofia here.”

“You have a better chance of helping her outside of The Blood Keep than inside where they can torture you and make your powers regress.”

“Huh? Powers?” My breath hitched as I tried to comprehend the words she was speaking.

“Your ignorance is astounding.” She huffed impatiently. “Are you coming or not?”

“Where are we going?”

“The Sanctuary.”

I only knew of one Sanctuary—the witch’s temple back at our island kingdom. I definitely saw the benefit of returning there, where I had forces to command to free Sofia from the Elder’s grasp.

“Sanctuary? You mean at The Shade?”

She scoffed at the notion. “No, child. The true Sanctuary.”

I saw no other choice. Kiev would end my life if I stayed there. I was more useful to Sofia alive, though weak, than dead.

The moment I nodded, the Ageless grabbed my hand and within seconds, I was no longer at The Blood Keep.

I opened my eyes only to be blinded by a radiant sun. Once I had adjusted to the sudden change of lighting, I realized I was situated on the top floor of a towering building, standing on a broad white-marble verandah, overlooking a magnificent—almost ethereal—city.

A gentle breeze brought with it the fragrance of exotic flowers. For as far as my eye could travel, pure white architecture sprawled beneath me, with domed roofs studded with gems, glistening in the sunlight. The buildings were surrounded by lakes and green pastures. Not far in the distance came the crash of water. My gaze fell upon the crown of a waterfall, gushing down into a lush valley. An elegantly crafted bridge hung across the basin, allowing for passage.

One look at my surroundings and I could understand why anyone would call it true sanctuary.

Chapter 13: Aiden

Tense and irritated, I stood on one side of the large room they kept the rogue vampire in. I was infuriated that the witch and the vampire princess could go on and on about Derek with little thought to my daughter.