The black haze in my mind was beginning to clear, desperation and guilt over what I’d just done beginning to sink in. Still squeezing Felix’s beating heart in my hand, I stood to my full height and raised my eyes only to feel the darkness once again attempt to grip at me. My blood started pounding, because right there in front of me, with her mouth agape, stood Sofia.
I dropped the heart on the ground. I wanted to take her in my arms, breathe in her scent, feel her body against mine, hear her words, touch her…see if she was really there, but more than that, I wanted to sink my teeth into her neck and drink. Drink deep.
I can’t live without her and yet I can’t be with her either. Sofia Claremont is going to lead me to my ruin.
Confused, I did the only thing I could do to keep Sofia safe. I ran. My heart ached when I heard her softly whisper my name and say: “I love you.”
CHAPTER 36: SOFIA
I stood frozen as I watched Derek leave. I could sense my father standing right beside me. I knew that he saw what I had seen even though I got to the port ahead of him. He saw how Derek killed another vampire so easily. I could see the spark of horror in his eyes when he saw that beating heart clutched in Derek’s hand.
I couldn’t even begin to fathom what was going through his mind—especially when Derek took one look at me, gulped and bolted out of the place like he couldn’t get away from me fast enough.
This was nothing like the reunion I had in mind. I hadn’t even realized how much I was pining for Derek until I was standing right in front of him, and while I was expecting to get a kiss—or even just a hug, I got nothing. I stood there, rooted to my spot, not quite knowing how to process the emotions coursing through me.
Xavier and Ian remained with us—along with Sam and Kyle, who were the guards who fetched us from the shore and took us to the island. Xavier and Ian exchanged uncomfortable glances before nodding my way.
“This is awkward,” Ian muttered. “But it’s great to see you again, Sofia.” He seemed to hesitate before approaching me and giving me a short hug. “It’s been crazy here since you left,” he whispered in my ear, before stepping away from me and giving Aiden a short glance.
Xavier scratched his head. “Welcome back to all this chaos, Sofia. You’ll find that The Shade is not the same as it was when you left. I’m assuming this…” He eyed Aiden. “Is your father, the infamous Reuben… Was he told that the humans who come into The Shade never get out?”
I knew that he was trying to joke around in order to lighten an otherwise tense situation, but the joke fell flat—especially when Aiden’s nostrils flared at the slightest notion of him being imprisoned there.
“Relax, Dad,” I told him. “He’s joking.”
I then turned to Xavier. “There’s someone back at the sub, whom I know you’d love to see again. She needs her rest and she’s not exactly in perfect shape, but Vivienne is…”
He didn’t even wait for me to finish. He was out of there and running to the submarine the moment her name escaped my lips.
“Look who’s back…” Sam said, with not a single hint of enthusiasm in his tone.
Claudia had just emerged from the submarine. She rolled her eyes at Sam, never really being one who cared much for the younger vampires. She always did love being one of the Elite and didn’t bother much with those she perceived as lesser than her. Still, when she realized that she didn’t have many allies in that room and that the lowly guard was the only one acknowledged her presence, she heaved a sigh and asked him anyway, “How’s Yuri?”
Sam frowned in surprise. “Fine, I guess.”
Right about then, a familiar face appeared from the entrance to the port. I couldn’t help but squeal with delight at the sight of her.
“Ashley!”
She responded in kind, shouting my name out as we embraced each other. For everything we’d been through at The Shade and despite the fact that she was now an immortal vampire, the two of us were still teenagers, unafraid to express our delight upon seeing a long-lost friend.
“Sam told me you were coming today,” she said enthusiastically as she squeezed me tight.
“Ow… Ashley…” I complained. “You’re a vampire now. You’re stronger than you were before.”
“Oops…” She pulled away from me and grimaced. “Sorry. I still forget sometimes. I was planning to hang out here at the port to wait for you, but Felix had to choose the port as the place to hold his negotiations with Derek.” She wrinkled her nose. “Where is he anyway?”
“He bolted the moment he saw me. We arrived just in time to see him do that.” I pointed at Felix’s heartless body on the ground.
Ashley eyed the corpse. “I think we need to get someone to get this mess fixed up.”
“Kyle’s on it,” Sam assured her.
I couldn’t help but notice the way their eyes lingered on each other’s before Ashley blushed and looked away.
Aiden cleared his throat to make his presence—largely ignored—known.
“Sorry… Ashley, this is my father, Aiden Claremont. This is Ashley. She’s one of my dearest friends here.”
Ashley extended her hand for Aiden to shake, but he just stared at it. “You’re a vampire too,” he said flatly.
Ashley nervously began fumbling with her fingers. “Yes, sir. I’m the youngest vampire here at The Shade, so I’m also probably the easiest one to kill…” She furrowed her brows as if wondering to herself why she had just said that. “I used to be a hunter too… Well, I wasn’t a very good one…”