If there’s any hope of Kiev ever coming to the light, of ever embracing goodness, then this has got to work.
Without thinking things through, I moved over the edge of the bed and got on my feet. Facing him, I took both his hands in mine and met his questioning gaze with as joyful an expression as I could conjure.
“Dance with me, Kiev.”
“What?”
“Come on, don’t you miss dancing?”
“Seeing as I’ve never danced in my entire life, no. I don’t miss it.”
“Seriously?” My eyes widened. “You’re what, fifteen thousand years old?” I teased him. “And you don’t know how to dance?”
“Why would I ever want to dance?”
I should’ve known that Kiev’s sense of humor would leave much to be desired. I rolled my eyes. “Why are you so devoid of joy?” He lives at The Blood Keep, Sofia. What’s there to be joyful about?
“How is dancing supposed to give joy? Only fools find pleasure in flailing their arms around, swaying to music and acting like complete fools.”
“Were you always like this? I mean, even before you became the Elder’s spawn?”
Kiev seemed bothered by the question. “I’m not going to dance. You shouldn’t be dancing either. You’re going to give birth anytime.”
“Way to dampen the mood, vampire.” I rolled my eyes. I walked away from him and toward the large grilled windows in my bedroom. I leaned against one of the windows and drew the curtains back. I found myself staring at the dark night sky. “I need sunlight. There’s barely any light in this place.” There’s barely any light in you. I’m not even sure if you have any!
“We give you plenty of vitamins to make up for the lack of it.”
“I need my husband.” I bit my lip. I was gearing myself up for a rough hand gripping a fistful of my hair or perhaps even a slap in the face, but this time, Kiev didn’t seem angry at all.
It was beyond me why he seemed fine with me mentioning my need for Derek when all the other times I talked about my husband, it drove him to a frenzy. He was perhaps in another one of those mood swings of his and that particular moment, he was more considerate than freakish. He almost looked sorry for me, as if he sympathized with my plight.
“I see it, you know.”
“See what?”
“How you brought light into his life… how you were able to do the impossible and influence the notorious Derek Novak for good.”
His kindness was more unnerving than his acts of terror and I tried to keep the tremble from my voice when I coyly asked, “Oh yeah? How?”
“You are light itself.”
“Right,” I scoffed. “I don’t seem to be lighting you up, do I?”
“Maybe I’m too soaked in darkness to ever be consumed by light.”
I shook my head. Truth be told, I doubted I had any light left in me. Nights still terrorized me. Considering all the dark thoughts I’d entertained lately, I was always fearful that the Elder would come to me.
Just talking about Derek felt like healing to my longing soul.
“Derek had the light inside of him all along. I never told him before, but he brought light into my life just as much as he says I brought light to his. He just needed convincing that he still had good in him. You are who you choose to be. No matter how much light is shed upon you, if you still choose to remain in darkness, that’s your doing, not anyone else’s.”
I felt like a hypocrite saying the words. I needed to follow my own advice, but I justified my situation. Who can blame me? No light has been shed upon me at all since I was last with Derek. I missed him so much, the pain was almost unbearable. I don’t deserve this.
Kiev rose to his feet and stood behind me. His hand brushed through my hair. His touch gave me goose bumps, sending shivers down my spine. He wrapped his arms around me and began stroking my belly, I could feel him press his face against the back of my neck, breathing my scent in.
I hated when he touched me. He didn’t have the right to. It should be Derek with me right now, holding me.
“I hate that I ever got to know you, Sofia.”
The feeling’s mutual.
“I hate that you gave me something I never should’ve had.”
That he would think that I’d freely given him anything sickened me. “And what’s that, Kiev? What did I give you exactly?”
“Hope.”
That was when I realized for certain how embittered I was by the months I’d spent at The Blood Keep. I felt nothing for Kiev. Instead, I hated him. I hated him for taking me away from Derek. The Blood Keep had changed me and inside, there existed a darkness I’d never known I could possess.
“You are light, Sofia, and I rue the day when that will be ruined. I’m sorry for what you’re about to go through.”
My heart stopped. He was a man of riddles. When he was speaking good, it still felt like the words were laced with an underlying wickedness. I never quite knew what to expect with him and that was both thrilling and fearsome to me. “What are you talking about, Kiev?”
He shook his head as he clung to me tightly, pushing my back against his chest. “I can’t tell you, Sofia, but when it happens, know that there’s nothing I could do to stop it.”
A mixture of indignation, desperation and anger came over me as I broke away from his grasp, shaking my head. “No. Hell, no.” I stepped away from him and spun around so he could see how enraged I was. “Nonsense. You have a choice. There is always a choice. If what’s about to happen to me is so awful, you can help stop it. Don’t tell me that you can’t. You want to know how Derek turned to light? He stopped playing the part of a victim and began taking responsibility for his own actions! That’s how. He owned up to his choices instead of cowering away from them.”
Kiev stared back at me coolly. He seemed to be unmoved by my outburst. In fact, he seemed amused. “Interesting,” he noted. “We’re going to escape, Sofia. Soon. Just be ready.” His stare went from my face to my belly and I could swear I saw hunger spark in his eyes.
I shuddered, wondering what on earth he had in mind. I couldn’t figure him out. I felt like a toy whenever I was around him, and it seemed he never tired of playing games with me. Now, however, seeing the way he was staring at my stomach, as if he could see my unborn children, I knew that I would be a fool to trust him.
“Is all this just a game to you?” I hissed.
He shrugged. “What if it is?”
I remembered the first night I’d spent at The Shade when Vivienne had told me that I was just a pawn. That memory was quickly followed by another one with Vivienne telling me that I wasn’t a pawn after all. I was the queen.
Neither matters. Pawn or queen, they’re just pieces to be yanked around by whoever is playing the game.
I was tired of feeling so powerless. Aside from Eli, there were only two people I encountered on a daily basis at The Blood Keep: Kiev and the servant girl. I’d taken note after note of their every move. I didn’t understand either of them fully, but the little I knew, I had to use to my advantage.
It might seem like Kiev was the one in control, but he was just a piece in the game like me.
There is always a choice, I’d screamed at Kiev only moments ago. It was time I lived up to my own ideology.
In an upsurge of bravado, I determined to myself that I was no longer going to be played. By anyone. I made a decision to take control.
Kiev was right. What if life is just a game?
I gave Kiev my sweetest smile, and answered his question with a wink. “I’m wondering if you could teach me how to play.”
He was intrigued. I saw it in his face, but at the same time, he stayed true to his character. He was taking on the role of a player. I’d just made my move. Now, he was about to make his.
He didn’t leave that room until he was certain that he had me under his control and cooperation. I played the part of a student, eager to learn from the master.
Of course, the moment Kiev left and
I met up with Eli for a walk in the garden, I was delighted to find how Shadow responded to him with seeming eagerness and loyalty.
“So?” Eli asked. “Have you made your decision?”
I nodded. “Yes. Let’s get out of here.”
I thought I was playing Kiev. I was a fool to think that I could win against him. I had no idea just how good a player he was. I didn’t know it then, but I had already lost before the game even started.
Chapter 34: Derek
Xavier, a man I’d trusted with my life more times than I could count, strutted toward me. He was barely recognizable, his veins sticking out of his neck as if he was about to burst, his eyes sallow and a haunting white. He had Vivienne’s back pressed against him, gripping her hair while the other arm coiled around her waist. The tension inside the room was electrifying. Currents of fire were beginning to build within my veins. I felt like I could explode any time.
However, there was a strength in Vivienne’s eyes that I’d never seen before. I was expecting her to tremble, to shake and cower at the danger surrounding her, but no, something had changed with my twin and I was left wondering whether it was a change for the good. She glanced at me and quickly looked away. A sick feeling formed in my gut. Something was wrong with her and I knew it.
Noticing that my attention was no longer on him, Xavier—or whoever had taken over his body—grabbed her by the hair and made her yelp. Considering that Ashley and Sam were still in this makeshift arena pounding on each other, it was difficult for me to focus on Xavier, but it seemed he was one to fight for all the attention he could get.
Who knew Elders could be such attention whores?
“Well, if it isn’t the king of The Shade, honoring us with his presence.” Xavier’s eyes lifted toward mine, narrowed and intimidating. He began groping my sister, never losing eye contact with me in order to taunt me with my own helplessness.
“What do you want?” I clenched my fists, praying that I wouldn’t end up exploding and burning everyone there.
“That’s not a very diplomatic way to welcome your guests, is it now, oh powerful king? I think we ought to start with the pleasantries as is human custom, don’t you?” The sneer on Xavier’s face reminded me of every psychopathic villain I’d ever seen in those movies Sofia got me to watch during the first few months of her stay with me at The Shade. I had no question in my mind that whoever had possessed Xavier was one cold-blooded murderer.
Xavier fidgeted in a seeming attempt to recall “human custom”. “So how does this actually go…” he muttered as his hand continued to violate my sister, his lips sickeningly close to her ear. “Oh yes…” He looked my way with an air of triumph. “Hello there, your highness. It is truly a pleasure to finally meet you.”
I swore at him in response. I couldn’t hide the spite that I felt toward him.
My disgust only amused him. He cocked his head to the side and hissed like the snake that he was. “I guess you’re not very diplomatic, are you? It’s always been this lovely creature in my arms who’s been the picture of The Shade’s diplomacy.” He ran his tongue over Vivienne’s cheek.
I wanted to snap his neck in two.
However, his taunts were not yet over. “Deciding not to kill Cameron paid off after all. How could it not when the message he gave was so powerful? When this beauty is within our grasp?”
Cold winds began to rush all around me. Are they trying to quench the fire? If so, they were failing at it. However, even with the power I possessed, I had no idea how to use it. It wasn’t like I could just burn Xavier. The Elder would leave Xavier’s body and find a new vessel.
“Let her go,” was all I could manage to say.
“You’re not in a position to be giving out commands here, king. I’m the ruler of this island now.”
In retaliation over my audacity, he spun Vivienne around and kissed her. I could only imagine what all this was doing to both Xavier and Vivienne. My friend’s affections toward my sister weren’t lost on me, but Vivienne had seemed to be quite oblivious after all the centuries that Xavier had stood by her side.
What does Vivienne think of him now?
There was no way for me to find out, because as my stomach turned, my mind warring over the idea of ending Xavier’s life, Xavier snapped his fingers and two firm pairs of hands gripped me. I would’ve fought back, but I was too stunned by what happened next.
Ashley pierced through Sam’s flesh and pulled his heart out.
The shout that ricocheted across the cave walls was a chilling sound that seemed to come straight from hell.
Xavier pulled his lips away from my sister. His eyes began to burn a bright red-orange—almost as if flames had taken over his pupils. “Now, look what you’ve done. You made me miss out on all the fun.”
I felt the blood drain from my face as Sam’s body fell to the ground. I watched Ashley for a flicker of emotion—any indication that she was still in there, that she was torn over what she had just done. Nothing. She stood over Sam’s dead body, gripping his heart in her hand, blood dripping from her fingers. Her eyes were pitch black, an indication of the darkness that had taken over her. As if that weren’t blood-chilling enough, she grinned. Maniacally.
Vivienne crumbled in Xavier’s arms. I knew she had just reached her breaking point. When Ashley sneered, I couldn’t take it anymore.
Gathering up all the strength I could muster, I hit both men holding me with my elbows, grabbed their necks and the fire just went out of control. With one loud scream, my palms burst into flames, evaporating my own tears as the two men who were holding me got incinerated into ashes.
Xavier’s eyes widened, taking on the shade of red before turning into a midnight blue. I wondered what each shade meant. His shoulders were trembling.
“How did you do that?” The hoarseness of his voice betrayed his terror. “There’s no way you could’ve… You can’t kill an Elder.”
Realization washed over me like a flood as I watched the piles of ashes that accumulated on either side of me. The Elders are dead. I swallowed hard, realizing that I didn’t even know which of my men they had possessed.
I turned toward Vivienne. When her eyes moistened with tears, my knees almost buckled beneath me.
What have I done?
If Xavier was encouraged at all by my momentary weakness, it didn’t show. He was still staring at me, white as a sheet. “It can’t be. Our kind is immortal. How is it…” His eyes slowly turned into pitch-black night.
Winds started to move all around me.
Chills ran down my spine as all the vampires possessed by Elders set their sights on me.
Before I said the word that would signal Corrine to use her powers to retrieve as many of our comrades as she could, Xavier screamed, “He has to turn back into a vampire! Turn him now!”
He threw my sister to the ground. That was when I said it. One word. “Now!”
The moment the word came out of my lips, chaos followed.
My vision blurred as the strong winds carried all the Elders right toward me in one quick swoop. It was a full-on massive attack and I had no idea how to get out of it. All I knew was that I couldn’t allow them to turn me back into one of them, because the moment they possessed me, whatever power I had would immediately belong to an Elder.
When I pictured my young wife’s face, an overpowering desire to live came over me, but should it come to it, I had no choice other than to die.
Chapter 35: Vivienne
The sight that unfolded before me was one of the most awful, breathtaking sights I’d ever seen.
Derek Novak had always been powerful. He was my brother and I knew him better than anyone else in the world, but at that moment, he was almost unrecognizable. His face took on a determination I’d never seen before.
I watched in horror as one of the vampires possessed by an Elder—Landis, Xavier’s brother—bit into Derek’s neck. When Derek pressed his hand against the man’s chest, I was sure that I was about to see o
ne of us die—just like those two guards’ lives had ended just a couple of minutes ago.
However, as the mysterious fire once again flowed from my brother’s palms, touching Landis just as he was about to turn Derek into a vampire once again, the man simply collapsed to the ground.
Derek’s fire formed a flaming tornado. Screams of invisible—and supposedly immortal—Elders filled the air. As the lives of one Elder after another ended, Xavier, Liana, Yuri and Ashley moved away from the pack. Xavier took one look at the other three before they all disappeared. My heart sank. The Elders had taken them away from us. Hostages—people they would use against us.
I was so focused on Derek that I hadn’t noticed Corrine standing in the middle of the bloody arena, mumbling words that made no sense to me. Her eyes were as lightning, her long brown hair being blown away by invisible winds.
By the time I looked back at my brother, a dozen of the recently possessed vampires lay all around him. The flames—along with the Elders’ shrieks—subsided.
I had no idea what had just happened, but Derek, now covered in soot, looked completely exhausted. My heart dropped when he collapsed to the ground.
I rushed past the several levels of the Catacombs that separated him from me. I knelt on the ground beside him, raising his head and laying it on my lap. He was barely conscious.
“What was that?” I whispered. “How… What did you just do? You were able to kill Elders, Derek. How were you able to do that? What happened to you?”
I probably should’ve been more concerned for his wellbeing, because he didn’t appear to be doing well at all.
Derek’s lips opened to say something, but instead tears began rushing down his face and he sobbed. “I killed them all. I killed…”
I looked around at our people lying on the ground around us. They were all moving. Claudia looked through the mass of bodies. A disheartened expression was on her pretty face, her shoulders sagging in defeat, even though most of the people there were alive. “Claudia?” I whispered, unable to wrap my mind around everything that was happening.
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