I wasn’t sure how I felt about that last piece of information. I couldn’t help but wonder if there was a way for our kind to survive without preying on humans. I was sure that just saying those thoughts out loud would be labeled as sacrilege by my father.
“And father?”
“He’s meeting with leaders from the other covens to discuss how to stop the damned Shadow Hunters once and for all,” Vivienne explained.
My jaw tightened at the mention of the hunters dedicated to ending our kind. I remembered a time when I was one of them. That time was long gone. “They’re still a threat?” I asked.
“More so than before,” Lucas said, almost sounding indignant that I didn’t know that – as if it were my fault that the Shadow Hunters were so powerful. “We’re the strongest and most powerful coven remaining. A lot of the citizens of the Blood Shade – Lodgers we call them – escaped from covens that the hunters managed to find and completely annihilate.”
Vivienne most likely sensed my agitation over the news, because she quickly changed the subject.
“Shadow Hunters are a topic for a later date.” She said, curtly.
We had just reached the outskirts of The Vale and were now about to enter a different part of the redwood forest. I couldn’t help but draw a breath over how the Blood Shade changed since I last saw it. Before the spell, it could barely be called a community. It was our escape, our safe sanctuary from the Shadow Hunters, who were threatening to expel every single one of our kind from the earth.
If I didn’t have my father, brother and sister to fight for, I would’ve surrendered myself to the hunters, ending my life under their cruel hands. I couldn’t bear to do that to my family though, especially not to Vivienne. The coven needed me at that time, but when I fulfilled my part of the bargain and managed to bring them to this safe haven and win Cora over to our side as our protection, I knew I couldn’t bear living another second with all the blood that was on my hands. I had to end it.
But I was a coward. I dreaded to think of what would happen once I actually die. What happens to the living dead once they pass away? I shuddered every time I found myself thinking about it. It was perhaps quite a strange thing that the undead could be so afraid of death, and yet it was truth. I was afraid to die, so I went to sleep instead.
As we walked through the dense wood, I couldn’t help but speak my thoughts. “You must hate me for having done what I did…abandoning you all.”
I noticed how Lucas’ jaw twitched, a flicker of the familiar resentment showing in his eyes. I didn’t need to hear a response from him to know what was going through his mind. Of course he hated me.
Vivienne was far more gracious. “No, Derek. You did what had to be done to protect us all without even knowing it. Your rested state has caused you to gain energy over the hundreds of years that you were under Cora’s spell. Because of this, you’re most likely the strongest and most powerful vampire in existence today.”
Lucas asked a question about how exactly I managed to win Cora over to our side, but Vivienne’s words echoed through my head… strongest and most powerful vampire. Recollections of how I practically threw Sofia up that pillar roamed through my mind.
My gut clenched. She looked fragile under my grasp and yet so fearless. I was death and I was looking her right in the eye. She looked right back. Without even flinching. She was walking behind me. I could hear her gentle footsteps and the clanging of the shackles over her wrists. I could still smell and practically taste the blood on her lips. I wondered if this was the same effect women had on me before. I couldn’t even remember.
I stopped in my tracks and called to her. “Sofia.”
Everyone stopped our walk through the night the moment I spoke the words.
Her youth showed in the way she responded to me. “What?”
Without even looking back, I knew that she was about to suffer pain for her insolence in addressing me. I could practically see the guard behind us raising his hand to hit her.
“Don’t touch her,” I commanded. “Sofia, walk beside me.”
I held my breath at the momentary silence that followed. I could almost sense her thinking, weighing the pros and cons of what could happen should she dare defy me. I breathed a short sigh of relief when the shackles began clinking with her every step as she filled the empty spot on my side.
I didn’t dare look at her. Having her so close was already taking its toll on my self-control… I was certain that just the sight of the bright red blush on her cheeks would remind me of her blood and my longing to partake of it.
“Get rid of these restraints. She has nowhere to run to.”
“Brother…” Vivienne began to protest. “If she uses the freedom you’re giving her to raise a hand against you, you might not be able to control yourself from…”
“I won’t feed on her.” I said it with more conviction and self-assurance than I actually felt. “Do as I say and remove the chains.”
My command was heeded to immediately. It was yet another reminder of who I was before, of how much they all feared me. I waited until the restraints were removed before I took a first step forward, the group following my pace.
Lucas and Vivienne tried to make conversation as we trekked through the dark wood, but I was no longer paying attention. I was too distracted by Sofia, aware of every single one of her actions. She rubbed her wrists even as she observed her surroundings. She was taking in every detail of her surroundings, her eyes showing bright curiosity and mild fascination. Before I could keep myself from doing it, I grabbed her hand, my fingers intertwining with hers.
She flinched from my touch. I knew I had no right to take that sort of liberty with her, but I gave myself that indulgence, because I really just wanted to feel her warmth.
I could only guess what was going through her mind, because at some point, she squeezed my hand like she did to that other girl back in the Sanctuary. She couldn’t have known how much that meant the world to me.
Chapter 9: Sofia
His hand was so cold. A chill climbed from the hand he was holding all the way up to my elbow. I couldn’t understand why he would do that – hold my hand. But the gesture strangely brought me comfort where I had none.
As we took the evening walk to wherever it was that would be considered the Prince’s quarters, I kept my eyes open for a means of escape. We’d just left the Vale and were now being ushered into another dark, murky wood, though I was sure that some other clearing would come to view, showing us another aspect of the Blood Shade that would astound my imagination.
At this point, however, there was nothing to be seen, but the same monotonous sights afforded by a dark forest, lit only by the torch flames the guards were carrying – tall trees with their long, foreboding branches, rocks lining the side of the dirt pathway, thorny thickets scattered here and there.
My thoughts roamed back to the people I saw back at the Vale. It was easy to tell the difference between the vampires and humans. The vampires wore designer outfits that looked like they were taken straight out of the pages of Vogue. I normally imagined vampires wearing mainly black tight-fitting leather or long trench coats. Not these ones. Even Derek, Lucas and Vivienne were dressed pretty normally – jeans, crisp black shirts on the men and a pretty moxie dress on Vivienne. It was obvious that the vampires managed to keep up with the latest fashions. Humans, on the other hand, had some sort of uniform – gray cotton overalls for the men, white cotton smocks for the women. I thought more about what I saw at the Vale. It quickly became evident to me that most of the work was being done by the humans, while most vampires appeared to be simply taking leisurely strolls around the place or spending time with each other – most of them having a human or two trailing behind them, ready to cater to their slightest whims. I was fairly certain that we humans were the workforce that was keeping the Blood Shade going. We were the Shade’s blood and sweat. Both literally and figuratively.
I remembered a particular scene I’d witnes
sed while we were being dragged past the Vale. From a distance, I saw a vampire hit a young man across the face, causing the boy to crash to the ground. I wanted to run there and do something about it. Even in high school, I made it clear to Ben and all of our friends that I would never stand for bullying.
Of course, there was no way for me to do anything about what I saw here. I was chained behind the vampires and guarded like a wild animal. I hated how helpless I felt and found myself squeezing Derek’s hand. It was mostly caused by instinct, like an impulse reaction to the memory, but when I realized what I’d done and looked at Derek for a reaction, I could swear I saw gratefulness in his blue eyes.
“We’re here.” Vivienne announced, stopping at a certain spot in the middle of the woods. “Welcome to the Pavilion, Derek.”
I frowned and looked around. I could only see the dark silhouettes of thick tree trunks.
Derek seemed just as confused as I was.
“I don’t understand…” he said tentatively.
Lucas smirked. “Was it not your bloody suggestion to build the Residences on top of trees?”
Before his comment could even register in my mind, Lucas leaped upwards. I looked up towards the sky. What I saw made my head spin. My mouth dropped open.
Glowing atop the giant redwoods were networks of tree houses. Although from what I could see from the ground, to merely call them tree houses, would be a grave injustice. They were modern, high-end villas connected by glass-covered walkways and hanging bridges from one tree to another. How it was possible for them to build those things up there was beyond my comprehension, but there they were – luxurious villas built on trees. The very thought of going up there began triggering my non-existent fear of heights.
My amazement was momentarily interrupted when I saw the reaction on Derek’s face. I could swear that his blue eyes were moistening with tears as he gazed up at “The Residences” with unveiled awe.
He then shifted his attention to his sister and with a practically broken voice, he said, “You remembered.”
Vivienne smiled. “How could I forget?”
I stood there, witnessing this trace of affection and humanity between them. For a moment, I actually felt jealous of what Derek and Vivienne had. I could see how much they doted on each other.
No words were uttered next, because no words were necessary. They understood, and in a strange way, so did I.
Vivienne leaped into the air just as Lucas did moments before. That’s when I realized that there were no stairs. Not even a ladder in sight. I opened my mouth, wondering how on earth I was going to get up there, but before words could come out, I saw a glint of amusement spark in the corners of Derek’s eyes.
He didn’t bother to ask my permission. He simply wrapped his strong arms around my waist and pulled me against him. Before I could get to grips with what was about to happen, he took a vertical leap that left my mind whirling as I gasped for breath, instinctively wrapping my arms around his neck and clinging to him for support.
When I felt him pull away from me and settle my feet on what felt like hardwood flooring, I dared open my eyes.
After I recovered from the shock, now that I was closer to the buildings, I could fully marvel at their beauty.
The villas came in different styles, most of them having only one floor, but some having two. A lot of them were the kind you would find in five-star beach resorts with their large glass windows and a general tropical feel to the architectural exterior design. They reminded me of the type of home you would see in some exotic location – the only difference being that these just happened to perch on top of trees that towered hundreds of feet off the ground.
I turned towards a wide terrace and found myself overlooking one of the most magnificent scenes I’d ever laid eyes on. It was more beautiful than a painting.
I walked toward the edge of the terrace and gazed out. Thousands of glittering stars were peppered across the pitch-black canvas that was the sky. These stars and the full moon’s beams were the only light to grace the landscape.
I dared not look directly downward. I preferred not to scare myself by discovering just how high up we were. But I could tell that this was one of the tallest trees on the whole island.
A massive sea of black treetops sprawled out beneath me for miles. And looming far in the distance were mountains. Mountains so high that the tops were capped with white. Snow.
I could only imagine what everything would look like at sunrise. I drew a breath just imagining how stunning it would be.
A cool sea wind whipped across my face. I tasted the salt.
What unsettled me was, despite how high up I was standing, I could not see any end to the forest. No sign of the shore. Not even the faintest clue in which direction I would run even if I managed to get free from Derek’s grasp. I gasped.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Derek thought I was gasping with pleasure. His voice was husky.
I just nodded as I leaned my weight over the wooden banister that lined the terrace, trying to distract my mind from the writhing I now felt within my stomach.
I began wondering about the other girls we’d left behind and figured that the guards would take care of them. I wasn’t sure whether the favor Derek was showing me was to my advantage or not. Somehow, I felt far more secure with the other girls around. Whatever had become of them, I really didn’t have a choice but to move on according to Derek’s pace, because he once again grabbed my hand and pulled me along as Vivienne and Lucas led him to his quarters.
“This is one of four penthouses that comprise The Pavilion, which was built specifically for our family,” Vivienne explained as she unlocked the oak door of the magnificent penthouse with large glass windows. “There’s one for each of us – you, father, Lucas and I.”
Even as we moved toward the tree house, or penthouse as Vivienne called it, I couldn’t help but stare at the windows in wonder. If what I knew about vampires was correct, wouldn’t all the sunlight be streaming right through? I gave the vampires surrounding me wary glances; that I would stand amidst them like it was the most normal thing jolted me to attention. No matter how awed I was by the Blood Shade’s beauty, I had to remember that I was there against my will. I couldn’t trust any of them – not Lucas, not Vivienne, especially not Derek. Where there’s a way in, there simply must be a way out.
I paid close attention to what the home looked like from the inside. Indoors, the penthouse looked even more massive than it looked outside. We were ushered into what I assumed was the living room based on the furniture it sported – a large flat screen TV, a fireplace, abstract art on the cream walls, plush black leather couches. It wasn’t at all how I pictured the home of a vampire would be. My eyes circled the room and noticed that there were three entry-ways surrounding it – aside from the one we entered from. At each entry way were glass doors that led to more glass-covered walkways leading to other rooms of the penthouse.
“And the Elite live where?” Derek asked, seemingly satisfied by what he saw.
I wondered who he meant by the Elite, and realized that even the vampires were classified into some sort of caste system. I made a mental note to find out more about this, although I wasn’t sure why. After all, I had every intention of escaping the first chance I got.
“The other Elites live at the Penthouses – basically tree houses similar to the ones we have, but ours, of course,” Lucas smirked, “are far more luxurious, because let’s face it. A Novak deserves only the best.”
When he said the best, he eyed me pointedly and I found myself backing up a step, but Derek’s firm grip on my hand kept me from going too far. It was almost as if he wanted me anchored to him – and I couldn’t understand why.
I looked at him, wondering what he intended to do to me that night. The thoughts roaming around my head made me to shudder with dread.
“The Pavilion’s penthouses have more rooms than I could keep track of,” Vivienne announced.
“There’s
this one, the living room, the dining room, the kitchen, a library, several baths, an indoor pool, an entertainment room, a theater, a master bedroom, several guestrooms and your harem’s quarters. There are several rooms that we left untouched, just in case you think of something you wish to do with them.”
“A music room,” Derek immediately said without even batting an eyelash.
My brows rose at this new piece of information. I never would have expected that he was musically inclined.
Vivienne smiled. “Of course. I’ll see to it that the scouts get everything you need. Do you need me to show you to your bedroom?”
Derek shook his head. “I’ll manage.”
My heart sank. The thought of me being alone with him in that place was unnerving. I tried to pull my hand away from his grasp, but he held tight.
Vivienne seemed to take notice of this, but paid it no heed. Instead, she walked toward her brother and gave him a hug. This time, he let go of my hand in order to reciprocate her gesture.
I stepped backward. That’s when I noticed Lucas staring at the hand Derek just let go of. He looked like he wanted to crush it. I balled my fists and hid them behind the silky fabric of the exquisite dress they’d made me wear. I felt Lucas’ eyes on me, traveling along every curve of my body. I wanted to bolt away.
“It’s only a few hours until morning. We’d best get going,” Vivienne said. “I’ll instruct the guards to have the girls brought to their quarters… unless you have other plans.”
Derek shook his head. “Take them there. Except for Sofia. She stays in the bedroom nearest mine.”
Vivienne gave me a pointed look from head to toe, as if she were wondering what was so special about me. That made two of us.
She nodded. “Very well. See you tomorrow, Derek.”
I wasn’t sure whether to be relieved by her goodbye. It meant that I would no longer be in the same room with Lucas, but it also meant that I would be completely under the mercy of Derek. Still, the inevitable happened. They left.
A Shade of Vampire Page 4
