A Shadow of Light (A Shade of Vampire #4)(45)

“You don’t know what you’re saying,” was all she said after a tense silence. “You and Aiden ruined me when you turned me back into a human. I was powerful and strong as a vampire. Now, I’m back to being what I was before: weak and mortal.”

“At least now you and Aiden could have a chance at being together again.”

“Not as long as you’re alive.” She raised her eyes to meet mine and I shuddered to find so much hatred coming from her gaze. “What are you seeking to accomplish with this cure, Sofia? You plan to turn Derek Novak back into a human so you can raise kids in a picket fence house, live the American dream and frolic together in your own happily ever after? Don’t be a fool, Sofia. You and Derek don’t belong together.”

“The same way you and my father don’t?”

“Derek will only make you weak, Sofia. Just like what your father did to me now. Turned me back into a human, into this whimpering pathetic weakling… If you end up with Borys, he will make you strong.”

At that, my eyes softened. I saw how broken she was as she curled up into the corner of the room, knees held to her chest as she fought back sobs. I approached her tentatively, wondering if she was still planning to somehow attack me.

When I reached her and I sat in front of her, she shied away from me, but it wasn’t like she had any space to back into. I brushed a hand against her long auburn locks and she flinched at my touch. I kissed her forehead and was surprised at how she trembled.

“You might be surprised at how powerful a force love is, Mother.” I then pressed my lips against her cheek, realizing that this might be the first and last kiss I could give her for what remained of my life. “For all it’s worth, I do love you, Camilla.”

She glared at me in response, but I meant what I had said. I backed away from her and I signaled for the guard to let me out. As I took a turn toward the hallway that would lead me out of the hawk headquarters’ dungeons, I could swear that I had actually heard Ingrid Maslen sob.

CHAPTER 32: DEREK

Things were getting back to normal—or at least it seemed that way. After we heard what they had to say and what their demands were, we told the humans that we would look into their requests and that we would see that their living conditions were improved. With that settled, the humans were back at their posts. We were still hunting down Felix and the few men who still remained with him. Those who surrendered were given amnesty in exchange for their loyalty.

The only remaining threat was the attack of the covens—which we hadn’t heard anything from Natalie about.

“What if they actually agree to you sending Gregor?” Ashley asked. “I don’t really understand why you would send him in your stead.”

We were at my penthouse’s dining room with Eli, who just stepped out to get us some blood when Ashley broached the subject of the meeting with the coven leaders.

“Trust me. They won’t. They’re bent on declaring war on The Shade. Of that, I am sure. I won’t even be surprised if my father’s working with them.”

“It seems like a dangerous assumption to risk the entire island on.”

“I just know. I know Natalie. I could tell by the way she was acting. They’re going to declare war on us whether I go or not, and if there’s war, I think we all stand a better chance if I’m here at The Shade and not out of it.”

“Then what about looking for Sofia?”

I inwardly groaned. We’d been discussing everything we knew about the hunters and where we were brought and we narrowed down our search for their headquarters to a certain spot on the map.

Ashley had already made it clear that witches still worked for the hunters. Thus, there was a great possibility that headquarters could be hidden by a spell the same way The Shade was.

“I want more than anything to have Sofia back here, but maybe we’re wasting our time with all this… Maybe this is how it’s supposed to be.”

Ashley gave me a strong smack on the shoulder. “I can’t believe you! We’re at this again? Really? I know Sofia. The fact that you left her there is probably driving her insane! How could you do that to her?! I don’t care what you think things are supposed to be, I know for sure that Sofia belongs here with you and not out there as some sort of spoiled, rich princess to her father, the lord of the hunters.”

At that point, Eli stepped into the dining room, glasses of blood in hand. He began placing the glasses on the table in front of us. “What’s going on?” he asked.

“Do you think Derek should leave here and be looking for Sofia as soon as possible?” Ashley asked.

Eli first took a sip from his glass of blood before responding to the blonde. “I suppose, but I’m not sure about ‘as soon as possible.’” He directed his attention toward me. “I understand how important Sofia is, but I can’t help but feel as if we’re wasting time looking for her when there’s an imminent attack on The Shade. Should we not be focusing on our energies on fortifying our defenses and gearing up for war?”

I cast a triumphant look at Ashley, who ignored me and sent death glares at Eli. Truth be told, my heart sank at what Eli had just said. Though my brain was telling me the same things Eli was saying, deep inside, I was desperate to find Sofia—whether it was because of my love for her or my craving for her blood, I was no longer sure. When it came to Sofia, black and white always had a way of fading into gray.