A Castle of Sand

by Bella Forrest

  I wore a green, sleeveless dress that Ashley used to tell me highlighted my eyes. With it, I wore the necklace Derek gave me for my birthday.

  The smile that lit up his face when he saw me was enough indication that he appreciated the gesture.

  “You like it?” I asked timidly. I felt awkward asking the question, surprised that I was secure enough to believe that he would like me just the same if I were wearing an oversized t-shirt and pajamas.

  “Yes,” he said. “Very much, but you know you don’t have to dress up for me, right?”

  “I know, but I want to…I want to look good for you.”

  He caught his breath and I couldn’t keep the smile from my face when he gently laid his hands on my waist and drew me closer. He’d been treating me like a fragile piece of porcelain ever since he told me that he wanted to do things right this time around, to treat me differently than he did the other women in his life. I missed his touch and I knew right then that I wanted to be with him. I wanted what he wanted—for us to find a way to stay together forever.

  He kissed me on the forehead, then on my temple, on my cheekbone, on the corner of my lips, before claiming my mouth once again—wooing, alluring, coaxing. He was intoxicating me.

  Tears came unbidden. I couldn’t stop them. When Derek realized I was crying, he immediately stepped back, afraid that he might’ve crossed some sort of boundary.

  “I’m sorry. Sofia, did I…” He was doing a careful inspection of me, wondering what he could’ve done wrong.

  I chuckled as I shook my head, tears still streaming down my eyes. “Just kiss me, will you, please?!”

  Relief replaced the anxiety in his countenance. He was about to once again hold me and draw me close when confusion marred his features. “But why are you crying?”

  I grinned as I wiped my tears away. “Please don’t force me to say something corny.” I giggled as I bridged the gap between us by lifting up on my tippy toes and letting my weight fall on him. I reached forward to press my lips over his, but he pulled his head back.

  He scrutinized me before a smirk formed on his lips. “Something corny? Like what?”

  I rolled my eyes. “You know…the usual sappy stuff…I’m crying because I’m so overcome by joy.” I mocked an overdramatized version of typical romantic flicks I’d seen before. “I couldn’t hold back the tears because I’m so in love with you…”

  He wrinkled his nose. “You’re right. That really is corny.”

  I pouted, then shrugged. “Doesn’t make it any less true though, does it?”

  He responded with a kiss. By the time our lips managed to part, we were both breathless.

  “Let’s go to the lighthouse, shall we? Before I end up doing something I’ll regret…”

  At first, I wondered what he was talking about. It wasn’t until after we took the leap down the Crimson Fortress that I realized what he meant. He was going to stay true to his word. He wanted our love chaste and I knew without a doubt that he would never dare take me to his bed again until he married me.

  After everything he’d done for me and all the times he stood up for me and fought for me, that was the first time it really sank into me just how much Derek Novak truly loved me. I felt like I’d given up everything for him. I realized that he was willing to do the same for me if he needed to.

  Thus, that night, standing in the middle of the lighthouse’s octagonal top floor, dancing to the music in his head which he shared with me by humming, my heart leapt when he once again whispered in my ear the same heartfelt plea he gave me on my birthday.

  “Marry me, Sofia.”

  I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face against his chest, breathing in his scent, adoring the way his heart was now thumping at a quicker pace than normal. I couldn’t even remember why I had hesitated before, because the most sensible thing to respond with was a simple: “Yes.”

  Chapter 36: Derek

  I couldn’t believe my ears. I asked her out of a wishful whim, expecting her to once again decline my request, telling me that what we had could never last forever and that we needed to accept that. I expected her to look at me with those lovely green eyes of hers and tell me that she loved me, but that she was sorry, because she couldn’t marry me. She simply couldn’t.

  But no…what she responded with was something that sounded strangely similar to the word “Yes.”

  “What?” I asked her, stepping back, so that I could look at her and make sure that she wasn’t joking. “Did you just say what I thought you said?”

  She laughed at my reaction. “I’m not sure…” She tilted her head to the side, her long auburn locks falling over her shoulders. “What did you think I said?”

  “It sounded like you were agreeing to marry me.”

  She paused and wrinkled her nose before shuffling on her feet. When she heaved an anxious sigh, I was already certain that I was just hearing things.

  But then a huge smile broke into her face. “Then you definitely heard right.”

  I stood there stunned, letting the news sink in, taking in that moment and how stunningly gorgeous she looked in that green silk gown that clung to her curves in just the right places. I wanted to remember every single detail of that moment, because I wanted to treasure it forever.

  “Derek, say something…” she said breathlessly.

  I had no idea what to say. Was I supposed to thank her for making me the happiest man alive? Was I supposed to once again profess my love for her at the risk of her accusing me of being corny? What was I supposed to say? How was I supposed to express what she made me feel when she agreed to trust me enough to marry me?

  “I don’t deserve you, Sofia Claremont,” were the words that I eventually blurted out. “But I will spend every single day of my life making up for that. I’m so in love with you.” I cupped her face with both hands and once again crushed my lips against hers, breathing her scent in, tasting her sweet lips, committing every bit of that moment into my memory.

  At some point during the kiss, she began laughing. “We’re so corny…” She began shaking her head, before biting her lip and nodding. “But…I’m so in love with you too.”

  As much as I wanted to fully enjoy that moment and hopefully freeze it so I could live in that moment forever, I couldn’t deny that something felt amiss. We were ignoring the fact that I was immortal and that she wasn’t. I would forever be eighteen and she wouldn’t. I knew I could love her still even if she was already that old woman walking around with a cane, but what kind of life was I offering her?

  “Sofia…” I couldn’t hide the hesitation and sadness in my tone. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

  “Yes, Derek. I wouldn’t agree to marry you if I wasn’t entirely sure,” she assured me, then hesitation sparked in her green eyes. “Are you sure?”

  “I feel like I’m being selfish with you,” I admitted. “Is this really the life you want? I mean, you’re this beautiful, vibrant person, strong and wonderful in so many ways…you should be able to find a husband who can give you a normal life, let you have kids, support you and allow you to fulfill your dreams…I want to be with you, but I feel like I’m taking all that away from you.”

  Every word she said next broke down all my weak attempts to resist the idea of a marriage with her.

  “But you’re giving me so much more, Derek. You’re the man I love. You’re the man I want to be with. I don’t want a normal life, Derek. I want to live a life with you.”

  I didn’t know how we were going to make the marriage work. I didn’t know how any of it would work out. All I knew was at that moment, we had each other, and that was really all that mattered.

  We didn’t leave the lighthouse until the next day, determining to just enjoy each other’s company and stay away from all the issues that we knew would assault us once we returned to the kingdom. Holding hands with her as we practically skipped our way—like love-struck teenagers—back to The Shade, I wished we could’ve just stayed a
t the lighthouse and locked ourselves up in there for as long as we could.

  We’d just left the Crimson Fortress when Xavier approached us, worry traced in his eyes.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked him.

  Xavier shifted uncomfortably on his feet. “Ben Hudson is back.”

  Chapter 37: Sofia

  I was struggling to wrap my mind around what Xavier had just said.

  Ben’s back on this island?

  At first, I was worried for my best friend. Why was he back? Was he alright? With him back, would Claudia be able to keep herself from tearing him into shreds?

  When I saw the reaction on Derek’s face, however, I realized that we had greater issues to contend with. Ben had joined the hunters. Did he now know how to get back to The Shade? How did he find out? Was he going to compromise The Shade by letting the hunters know? Was he with the hunters now? Should we be gearing up for an attack?

  My heart went out to Derek. He already had so much on his plate, so many issues to deal with…I knew that the additional burden of wondering whether or not The Shade was still safe with Ben back was something he didn’t really need nor want.

  I squeezed his hand to let him know I was there for him. “Everything’s going to be alright,” I assured him.

  He held my hand in a firm grip and looked me straight in the eye. “With him back, does it change anything?”

  I narrowed my eyes at him. “I can’t believe you’d even ask me that question, Derek. Nothing’s changed,” I assured him.

  Xavier was staring at us like we’d gone mad. “We’re holding him at the port,” he informed. “We had no idea what to do with him. We weren’t sure if you’d agree to have him brought into the island. I’ve sent scouts around the island, and as far as we aware, he arrived alone.”

  Derek nodded. “I’ll go to the port to speak with him. You coming, Sofia?”

  He gave me a look that was practically begging me not to go, but I wasn’t going to miss out on seeing Ben. He was still my best friend, someone who mattered dearly to me, so I nodded. “Yes. I’m going.”

  Derek didn’t bother to hide the disappointment in his face, but understood me enough to know that he could do little to dissuade me from going.

  Once we reached the port, an underwater facility that contained cells where new arrivals were held before they were allowed to enter the island, we were immediately brought to the cell where they were keeping Ben.

  The moment we arrived, he stood up from the cot where he’d been seated. His eyes first fell on Derek and I watched him for a trace of the usual hatred he had whenever he looked at the prince of The Shade, but there was none of it. Ben just looked from Derek to me and once his eyes were on me, they stayed there.

  Derek stared for a while before shaking his head. “I can’t stand this. I’ll be speaking with you in a while and I expect you to answer all my questions truthfully, but for now, before we get into the nitty-gritty of your sudden appearance here, I’m going to leave Sofia with you. I know that you two will want to spend time alone.”

  Ben seemed sincerely grateful. “Thank you.”

  Derek just grunted and nodded before leaving us on our own. I knew how Ben’s presence was eating at him. Ben, after all, was the reason I’d decided to leave The Shade before. I couldn’t blame him for being threatened that Ben was back, but I was also peeved. I’d just agreed to marry him. Was that not assurance enough that I was his?

  Derek kissed my cheek. “You’ll be alright?” he asked.

  I smiled and nodded. “I’ll be fine, Derek. We’ll call if we need anything.”

  Derek and Xavier left, shutting the door behind them.

  The moment I was finally alone with Ben, all I could think to do was stare at him. It felt like an eternity since I’d last seen him. His blonde hair was now shaved. He looked a lot more buff, stronger, bigger. He also appeared to have matured in likeness. Still, he was just as handsome as I remembered him to be.

  It took me a while to finish studying him. When my gaze fell on his blue eyes and saw them moist with tears, I was taken aback. I had no idea what to say to him or even how to conduct myself around him.

  “How’ve you been, Ben?” I managed to croak out. I hated the awkwardness we had between us. It was never this way before.

  “I’ve been better,” he admitted, his fists clenching as he said the words. “And you? Has he been treating you well?”

  “Derek?” Just saying my fiancé’s name put a smile on my face. “I just agreed to marry him. I guess that should answer your question.”

  I expected a violent reaction from my best friend, but apart from the spark of surprise in his eyes, he just nodded with resignation and said, “I’m happy for you.”

  His reaction was enough for me to realize that something had changed in him and I wondered what could have happened to bring about such a change. “Why are you here, Ben?” So many questions were whirling in my mind regarding his return to The Shade and I had no idea where to begin. “How could you have possibly known how to get here? Ben, please…you can’t give away the location of The Shade to the hunters…”

  “I really just wanted to see you, Sofia, find out if you’re alright, if he’s treating you the way you deserve to be treated.” The longing that I saw in his eyes as he stared at me made my heart ache on his behalf. “I missed you so much.”

  No matter how much I tried to harden my heart against him, to try and figure out why he was at The Shade out of instinct to protect the man I loved, Ben still mattered too much to me, and I couldn’t help the tear from running down my cheek as my shoulders sagged. “I missed you too, Ben.”

  He spread his arms in a welcoming gesture and I quickly responded by running to him for an embrace. I sobbed as I nuzzled my face against his neck. “I thought you’d never be able to forgive me for leaving.”

  “I did too,” he admitted, “but you’re Sofia. You’ll always be my Rose Red and I couldn’t bear the idea of always being resentful of you. I realize now that you were right to leave. It seems Derek Novak deserves you far more than I ever will.”

  I could sense the sincerity in his words and despite all the qualms I had over his sudden appearance at the island, I could honestly say to myself that I was glad to have Ben back.

  Chapter 38: Derek

  I was anxiously pacing the floor right outside the cell where I’d left Sofia and Ben.

  “You just left them there?” Xavier asked. “Without even bothering to interrogate the lad?”

  “Shush,” I snapped at him.

  He was my second-in-command when it came to all military matters at The Shade and I was expecting him to question my judgment over why on earth I would leave Ben—an obvious risk to the island—to have a grand reunion with Sofia, who in truth was also a risk to the island. Despite what Xavier might have been thinking, however, I hadn’t gone entirely mad. I still had my protective instincts toward The Shade completely intact. I wanted to listen in on every word coming out of both Sofia and Ben’s mouths. I felt bad not trusting Sofia and eavesdropping on her conversation with her best friend, but I couldn’t help but give in to the temptation to do it.

  If I was to be completely honest with myself, I knew that my reasons for eavesdropping on them weren’t purely because of my desire to keep the island safe. Ben was the only person who had ever posed a real threat to what I had with Sofia. The fact that he would just suddenly show up at The Shade right after Sofia became my fiancée rubbed me the wrong way.

  Beyond that, the onslaught of fears that came with his appearance was something I could not deny.

  Of course, whatever fears I had completely washed away when Sofia made it known to Ben that she had agreed to marry me. I was expecting the young man to react with anger. He had never liked me after all, but I was surprised—and made suspicious—by his reaction.

  I couldn’t believe my ears when he told Sofia that he thought I deserved her more than he did. Why exactly is this man back here? Risking his l
ife to return “just to see Sofia” seems too good to be true. Unable to hold myself back, I barged inside the room in time to see them withdrawing from an embrace. The idea that he was touching Sofia—much more hugging her—made me sick with jealousy.

  Rein yourself in, Novak. Don’t do anything you’ll regret, I reminded myself as I tried to look unbothered by their embrace. I kept repeating in my head that they were best friends and that it was perfectly normal for them to hug each other after being apart for so long.

  “Derek?” Sofia cast me a questioning look. “We were just talking and…”

  I shook my head. “You don’t have to explain. I understand. You understand that I do need to interrogate, Ben? I know he’s your friend, but the threat he poses to the island is too great to ignore.”

  Sofia nodded. “Of course.”

  I shifted my attention to Ben, expecting to find the usual haughty and defiant expression on his face. Instead, he just seemed…exhausted and somewhat jaded by the time that had passed since he last stepped foot on this island.

  I gestured toward a small wooden chair in one corner of the small room. “You may take a seat.”

  He shook his head. “I prefer to stand, thank you.”

  I leaned my back against one of the walls. From the corner of my eye, I could make out Sofia taking a seat on the edge of the cot. Xavier was leaning against one post of the open door. All attention was now on our unexpected visitor.

  “I understand that you’re a hunter now?” I asked as I crossed my arms over my chest.

  Ben nodded. “Yes. That’s correct.”

  “That makes you a threat to us. Do the hunters know about the location of The Shade?”

  “No one knows I’m here.”

  “And I should just believe you?”

  “I don’t care what you believe or don’t believe, Novak. Prepare for a hunter attack for all I care, strengthen your defenses, put everyone on alert if you must. I’m telling you that it’s a waste of time. If the hunters knew about the island, then it would have been blown to pieces by now. They don’t care about all the humans you have here. They just want you dead.”