I remembered all the times that pain was inflicted upon me and I shuddered—even more so when I remembered seeing Derek in the dungeons of The Oasis. I couldn’t stand the sight of him. I could practically feel his agony. I knew then that I would rather die than ever be held captive by Borys Maslen.
“You’re shaking, Sofia.” Aiden broke through my thoughts. “Nervous?”
I nodded. “Kind of. I’m always antsy whenever I have to see Ingrid. She says the most disturbing things sometimes. Trips to her demented mind are never pleasant.”
Aiden chuckled. “That’s true,” he said, the hint of bitterness in his voice hard to miss.
“Do you love her still?” I asked.
He gave me a short look as if to wonder if he ought to answer my question. He bowed his head and nodded, before giving me what seemed like an honest answer. “I think I always will.”
I could sense his sadness. I would never really understand how my mother could’ve ever let go of him and what we had together as a family.
By the time we reached Ingrid’s cell, I really couldn’t think about anything other than the question “Why?”
When we showed up and the lights were turned on inside her cell, I was surprised by her appearance. She didn’t look as awful as Vivienne, but it was clear to see based on the blood stains lining her mouth that her fangs had already been ripped out. A group of scientists were already there—milling around her. They had her strapped to the cot, so she wasn’t able to move.
Ingrid raised her eyes to see who had just graced her with a visit and a manic grin—that would most likely haunt my nightmares—formed on her face. “Well, look who came for a visit. Aiden and his beloved Sofia… To what do I owe the honor of your presence? Once again, it looks like I failed to bring you two apart.”
I grimaced, not even certain if I wanted to know what exactly was going through her demented mind. Does that mean she’s already tried before? I stared at her, wondering if what we were about to do was right. Of course it is. How could it not be? This may be her one saving grace.
Aiden ignored Ingrid and turned to me. “They have been here prepping her system for what has to be done, making sure all her vitals were as required. I’m going to administer the final stage of the process.” He pulled out a syringe and began shaking it.
“How does this even work?” I asked, feeling a knot form in my stomach.
“We used the samples of blood that you gave us and mixed the first sample with vampire blood. Let’s just say the molecular structure of your blood began to battle that of the vampire’s blood. Of course, nothing happened, or should we say, nobody won, until we put the mixture through a heating process and added vervain roots to the mixture…”
Ingrid had been listening and horror showed in her eyes when she realized what was about to occur. She once again fought against her restraints.
“You sure you want to see this?” Aiden asked me.
I nodded, although I wasn’t feeling as confident as I might’ve put on. “Yes. Let’s do this. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Wide-eyed terror flashed into Ingrid’s face. “What are you going to do to me?”
“Relax, honey.” My father’s deep voice tried to soothe her.
The scientists surrounding her stepped aside as she writhed against her restraints on the bed. “What’s that? What’s it for?” She stared at the syringe like it was about to bite her.
Bite her. That’s exactly what it will do. Or perhaps, it’s more accurate to say that it will reverse the effects of a bite.
In my father’s hands was the cure, and if the hunters’ scientists got it right, I was about to watch Ingrid Maslen turn back into Camilla Claremont—whether she wanted to or not.
CHAPTER 29: GREGOR
The general assembly was far too tempting to pass up. I hadn’t had fresh human blood in weeks and the idea that the lockout was over and I could just grab any person at random and drain the blood out of them was hard not to bite into.
“It could be a trap,” I told Felix.
We were at the port’s control center, trying to figure out how we were going to keep ourselves fed. The moment we realized that we did the siege with just a few packets of blood to keep us from starvation, I knew that there was a possibility that Derek would just wait us out until we came out desperate for blood. Thus, I was pleased to find out that Natalie Borgia was in the island and keeping her hostage there wouldn’t bode well for Derek at all.
Felix shook his head. “One of my men was there when Derek stopped the riot. He swore that Derek just came up with it in the spur of the moment. Besides, what are they going to do?”
I stared at Felix wondering if I could trust what he was saying. He wasn’t the greatest strategic mind. Here’s to me hoping Eli was on my side. I grimaced, once again feeling the pain of betrayal upon realizing that my own subjects—ones I’d served for four hundred years while my son slept like a baby—could turn their backs on me. What I would do to them should I ever regain my power… They’re going to pay. I swear it.
“I don’t get it,” one of Felix’s men muttered. “Derek could easily just speed his way down here and kill us all. Why doesn’t he just do that?”
I raised a brow at him. “Interesting that you have so much faith in the capabilities of my son… I don’t care what you think. Derek Novak isn’t that powerful. It was I who sired him. I am more powerful than he is.”