Derek was unable to look me in the eye. His display of shame only served to anger me further.
“Dad…” Sofia spoke before I could once again start a tirade. “It was my idea. I offered my neck to him. Don’t take your anger out on him.”
I stared at her with disbelief. “Sofia… I don’t understand. How could you just let him treat you this way?”
“If your cure works, then he won’t have to drink from me ever again. It works, does it not?” she challenged me.
I gritted my teeth. “I need you to trust me enough to let the hunters’ scientists come here. I cannot administer the cure on my own.”
Sofia’s face contorted with shock as she shook her head, letting go of Derek’s hand and stepping forward. “You never said anything about needing them here. Why wouldn’t you…”
“Would you have agreed to bring me here if I had said that I needed to bring a team of hunters with me? You saw that there was an entire team of people needed to prep Ingrid for the cure. I just gave her the final shot. I don’t have enough expertise to do it myself. What if something goes wrong?”
This time, Derek stepped forward, standing right beside Sofia. He looked me straight in the eye and I couldn’t help but shudder at the power and authority oozing from him. “How do we know this isn’t all a trap?”
I shrugged. “If you’re that desperate for the cure, then you’ll just have to trust me.”
Derek shifted his eyes from me to Sofia. “I don’t trust him.”
I was half-hoping that my daughter would take my side, but she eyed me warily and said. “Neither do I.”
I was surprised by the effect her disapproval had on me. From Lily and Madeline’s stories, I realized that Derek had many times proven that he was worthy of Sofia’s trust. He had turned his back on his own father, saved her many times—risked his own life to face Borys Maslen in his own turf just to rescue Sofia. She had reason to believe that he loved her.
What have I done for her other than order her around and exert authority over her just because my blood runs through her?
Sofia wasn’t giving Derek her blind trust like I thought she was. She wasn’t somehow brainwashed or blinded by love. He had done what he had to do to earn her loyalty.
I, on the other hand, had done nothing. My daughter had become a beautiful, strong young woman throughout her stay at The Shade. I certainly wasn’t the person to thank for what she’d become.
But then, who was?
I eyed Derek from head to foot and grimaced. No matter what he had done for my daughter, I couldn’t swallow down the thought of ever owing him anything.
If there’s someone I need to thank for the beauty and strength of spirit I see in Sofia, it’s certainly not him.
CHAPTER 39: GREGOR
She’s alive. My precious Vivienne is alive.
I couldn’t believe my eyes, but it was true. She was right there in front of me, smiling at me. My only daughter was alive. Seeing her beautiful smile—the same smile that brought me through some of the darkest nights of the past five hundred years—made me break down in tears.
I never forgave myself for what I had allowed myself to do to her so long ago, when I let Borys Maslen get his hands on her and claim her as his betrothed. No other event in my life made me feel weaker and with less of a backbone than when Borys arrived to take her and I couldn’t do anything but cower in his presence.
I should’ve fought for her. I should’ve done everything in my power to keep him from taking her, but I was unable to do anything about it. He took her, he broke her, and if it weren’t for Derek saving her, I probably never would’ve seen her again.
Derek never forgave me for it. I never forgave myself for it, but Vivienne did. She was the one thing keeping our family together and when we thought her dead, we fell apart. Lucas lost his life at the struggle in The Oasis and Derek and I were very much willing to kill each other, but I spent the past centuries trying to make it up to my daughter, trying to be a good father, a good ruler, listening to her wise counsel.
I was lost without her and now that she was back, I once again gained hope that perhaps things would be as they used to be.
Vivienne’s soft hands began brushing through my hair as I sobbed over the edge of the bed, kneeling on the floor beside her. She remained still until I could gather my composure and actually look at her through tear-filled eyes.
“Vivienne… I never thought I’d see you again. What have they done to you?” She was obviously not as beautiful, perfect and vibrant as she used to be. I could barely speak the words out. I knew she was in pain and I hated the feeling of not being able to do anything about it.
“I’m alright, Father,” she assured me. She struggled to sit up on the bed and I quickly helped her, fluffing up the pillows behind her so she could sit comfortably.
No other person in the world could make my heart melt the way Vivienne did. I blinked away the tears as I sat next to her, putting my arm around her so that she could lean her head on my shoulder.
She snuggled against me and drew a deep breath. We sat silently for a couple of minutes, simply enjoying each other’s company. I reveled in once again holding her in my arms. With her, I felt accepted. While Derek and their mother always made me feel like some sort of disappointment, Vivienne never did. I was her father and she loved me and made sure that I knew it. She was a gift I never thought I could ever have for myself again, and no words could’ve ever expressed how grateful I was that my daughter was alive.