“I think that’s all.” Vivienne nodded after looking to both Aiden and me for confirmation. My father-in-law was pale as a sheet.
What is going on with him? “Aiden?” I asked. “You all right? You have anything to add?”
“All my properties and wealth, accumulated over the years and also inherited from my father, are to be given to my daughter and her husband, Derek. None of it will go to the cause of the hunters.”
Arron raised a brow at this. “You’re talking as if you’re about to die, Aiden. I can’t say I’m pleased with this seemingly last will and testament of yours, considering how your family’s wealth is largely due to the backing of the hunters, but sure. We don’t need your money or your properties, but why are you talking as if you are a dying man?”
“I know you, Arron. I just want to make sure that whatever you ask of us, of me in particular, my daughter and her family will be secure.”
For the first time, Arron took on an expression that was anything other than stoic. It was pure delight. “We weren’t wrong in choosing you to be one of our prime hunters, Aiden. You always were one of the best.”
“What is he talking about?” I couldn’t bear the anxiety any longer.
“I have two conditions. One is that all three vampires now within our custody be turned into humans the moment we rescue their loved ones. I wouldn’t want them to turn human before facing off with the Elders, because the Elders are already a threat to them as vampires—how much more as humans? Do we agree on this?”
“Claudia’s not going to like this,” Vivienne muttered under her breath. We exchanged glances but all I could really do was shrug. She nodded at me.
“Fine.” I nodded. Sacrifices have to be made. Besides, this is what I’ve always wanted for my subjects at The Shade. Freedom from this curse. They may not like it, but it is what it is. “What else do you want?”
“I want Aiden to agree to be turned into a Guardian. Not just a vessel for our kind, like the body that I have now taken hold of, but actually one of us. A true Guardian. That would mean that he would agree to be transported to our realm.”
Aiden trembled, and though I didn’t know the extent of what Arron was asking of him, I could tell that the sacrifice Aiden was about to make was beyond what I could imagine.
“Only after my daughter has been saved.” Aiden spoke before I could object. “Only after I’m able to hold her in my arms and say goodbye.”
“Goodbye?” I burst out. “What? Aiden, you don’t have to do this.” What exactly does it take to become a Guardian?
Vivienne grabbed his arm and squeezed. “We’re family.”
The words made Arron grimace, almost as if it was the most disgusting thing he could think of to be called our family.
“I have to do this.” Aiden nodded. “It’s because we’re family that I need to agree to this. I know Arron and he won’t stop until he gets what he wants. Isn’t that right, Arron? You’ll never stop trying to destroy my family until you have me at your side.”
Arron remained expressionless, except for a slight twitch of his lip.
I wondered what kind of history the two had with each other.
“This is me putting my family first,” Aiden assured both of us.
“It’s a deal then?” Arron asked.
I looked at Vivienne, whose eyes were fixed on Aiden with concern.
It was Aiden who sealed the whole deal. “Fine.” He nodded. “It’s done.”
“You agree to this, king of The Shade?” Arron raised a brow at me.
I felt trapped even though my instincts were speaking against this. “Aiden… Are you sure? Sofia would…”
“If there was any other way, Derek, I wouldn’t agree to this, but you and I both know we need them.”
Trapped in a corner, all I could do was nod. “But not until you show us what you can do.”
A smile formed on Arron’s face. “Very well then.” He stood to his feet and stepped a distance away from us. “First things first…” He drew a deep breath and when he exhaled, massive, magnificent wings sprouted out of his back—wings that resembled that of a hawk.
If I hadn’t known any better, I would’ve thought him an angel, but he was the furthest thing from such honorable creatures. Whenever I looked at Arron, all I saw was a devil in disguise.
Chapter 40: Sofia
Tonight was the night. I woke up in my bed, shaking, breaking out into a cold sweat. The night had been restless. My sleep was plagued with nightmare upon nightmare. My heart was pounding and my breaths came in pants.
I turned to my side and saw Shadow nearby, intimidating as he always was. “Is this really the right thing to do, Shadow?”
He sat to attention almost as if he understood what I asked him—like he tensed at the suggestion of what we were about to do. Our plan was insanity, and that was why I thought it would work.
They’d never see us pulling something so simplistic. The element of surprise is on our side.
I kept telling myself that by the end of the day, we would be out of that place and headed toward hunters’ headquarters where we could seek sanctuary, where I could give birth.
Still, there was a nagging feeling of foreboding inside. I felt a kick inside my belly and I held my breath. Please, please, don’t come now. Give Mommy more time. I was heavy with child and was due to give birth soon. That was why it was necessary to escape then, because if Eli and I waited any longer, I would have to give birth at The Blood Keep and that thought alone was the most terrifying thing I could think of happening.
I was certain that should I give birth at the Elder’s castle, I would never see my children again. I shuddered at the recollection of the Elder’s visit to my chambers and swore to myself that my children would live as far away as possible from evil like that.
This plan has to work. It just has to, I told myself for about the millionth time. I struggled to get out of the bed and up to my feet. I groaned. Who am I kidding? I can barely walk. Carrying twins was more difficult than I’d ever imagined it would be. I should be on bed rest or something, not planning an escape from a madman’s lair. I glanced at the dark creature that lay on the bed nearby. All our plans—all our hopes—hung squarely on one beast’s shoulders. A beast that still terrified me with just one of his yellow-eyed glares.
A knock on the door almost made me jump out of my skin.
Like clockwork.
I didn’t need to acknowledge the knock. The door swung open and Olga stepped in a few seconds later. The beautiful redhead smiled at me. I immediately noticed the bruise on her face.
“What happened?” I asked her. “Did I do something to displease Kiev? Why did he hit you?”
“It wasn’t your fault, miss,” Olga responded. “Mistress Clara paid him a visit last night.”
My stomach turned in knots. Clara was creepier than Kiev ever was—and Kiev already brought me more creeps than I could keep track of. “I’m so sorry.”
“I’m used to it. It will heal. I’m sure Master Kiev will allow me a drink of his blood. Now, shall we prepare your bath, miss? Sir Eli will be waiting at the gardens for your daily walk.”
“Please.” I nodded.
Olga assisted me toward the bathroom and helped me into the tub. She allowed me some privacy before returning to assist me in dressing. It was while I was dressing that Kiev entered the room. He sat on one of the couches, oblivious to my state of undress. In fact, the cad seemed to delight in watching me struggle to get dressed, needing Olga to support me.
Just think of it as him being relaxed, thinking that I couldn’t possibly escape given my current state. It was the only piece of comfort I could give myself given the awkward predicament I was in.
“You can barely move without help, Sofia,” he noted. “Perhaps a stroll around the gardens with your friend isn’t good for you. Maybe you should just be resting.”
My heart skipped a beat. Does he know? “I need the fresh air, Kiev. I enjoy the strolls. I think
it’s good for the babies.”
Kiev didn’t seem pleased with my request. “I think you spend too much time with Eli.”
“The only times I spend with him are the times you allow me to, Kiev.” What is going on with him?
“Tell him this is the last time you’ll be spending time with him.”
Olga helped me pull a sweater over the light pink dress I was wearing. “Why? Have we done anything to displease you?”
“No.” Kiev shook his head, his bright red eyes sparkling with something akin to excitement. “We’re going tonight.”
“Going? You mean…”
“Yes. Tonight’s the night, Sofia.” He stood to his feet, seemingly pleased with himself. “Get ready.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Just be prepared to do whatever I tell you to.”
“Okay.” I nodded, paranoid over the coincidence that Kiev would schedule his escape on the same day Eli and I did. “Thank you, Kiev.”
He walked up to me and ran his hand over my belly. I tried to suppress a shudder at how he looked at my stomach. “You’re shaking.”
“I’m cold,” was the only excuse I could come up with. I wanted to get as far away from him as possible.
“Maybe this will warm you up.” He pulled me into a tight embrace. I could sense him breathing in my scent.
I forced myself to stop trembling. I was revolted by his touch. I couldn’t understand what he wanted with me. If he was so interested in me, then why hadn’t he just taken me to his bed when I’d willingly offered myself up to him out of desperation?
Kiev was a great unknown and what I didn’t know left me on edge. I was relieved when he finally let go of me.
“I’ll take you to the gardens.” He offered his arm and I linked mine with his, despite the fact that all I wanted was to be far from him.
Shadow followed behind us—at a distance, seemingly wary of Kiev ever since Kiev had clawed at the beast’s skin.
When I saw Eli waiting at the gardens, I was both relieved and mortified. I knew what we were about to do and the consequences should we fail.
“Eli.” I tried to smile.
“Pleasant evening to you, your highness,” he greeted. “Have you eaten yet?”
“Breakfast always comes after our stroll. You know that.” I couldn’t help but note the edge in Eli’s tone of voice. His asset had always been his brains and not his brawn. Should we be caught, there was no way he could defend me or even himself. Eli Lazaroff simply wasn’t a man of battle.
Kiev eyed the man from head to foot. “Don’t tire her. She needs rest. She’ll be giving birth soon.”
“Of course, sire.” Eli nodded. “I’ll see to it that she doesn’t overly exert herself.”
Kiev kissed me on the cheek before leaving me with Eli, who watched as the Elder’s spawn faded into the distance.
“What was that all about?” Eli asked when Kiev was finally out of earshot.
I shrugged. “He’s been touchy-feely all morning. I think it has something to do with Clara’s visit to him last night.”
Eli didn’t ask more questions, to my relief. After all, we had more urgent matters at hand. “Okay then. Are you ready?”
I nodded. “As ready as a mother can ever be, I guess.”
As we talked, we walked steadily toward the boundaries. With Shadow tailing us, none of the vampires or the caretakers or the beasts who saw us suspected what we were up to. They were all expecting Shadow to pounce on me like he had the last time I tried to step over the boundaries of where I should and shouldn’t be.
Once we were right at the very edge of the boundary, we stopped. I slipped out the vial I tucked into my sleeve and handed it over to Eli. It contained my blood. He drank every drop of it.
We didn’t have to discuss the plan. We knew it by heart. We’d whispered about its pros and cons for weeks.
“You remember the hut?” Eli asked, careful with his words, in case someone was listening in on our conversation.
I nodded.
“Okay then?”
There were no further cues required. I took a sharp intake of breath. Eli whistled and snapped his fingers. Shadow lunged forward. As he did, I climbed onto his back and within less than two minutes, all three of us were outside the boundaries of The Blood Keep and right into broad daylight.
We were headed for a hut that Eli had heard one of the servants speak of. It was several miles away and they used it to store grain. That was our meeting place.
It turned out that Shadow was a lot faster than Eli. I could only hope that no one noticed our departure, because if they noticed, they were going to send the beasts after us. They might not catch Shadow and me, but Eli was in danger.
It felt like we’d been running for hours and I wondered if Shadow was getting tired of carrying me as he continued to sprint forward. The sun was beginning to burn the beast’s skin and I could tell that he was in pain, but I was amazed at his resilience. He just kept going and I was grateful for it. I tried to look back to see how Eli was doing, but I could barely move, as I was focusing all my attention on holding on to Shadow for dear life. All I could do was wish that Eli was unharmed. That he was safe. Should this escape succeed, I owed my life to him… him and Shadow.
I was relieved when we reached the hut. Shadow’s skin was beginning to burn off and given my current situation, I was fighting my urge to vomit all along the way. My back was screaming in pain and I was afraid of what the ride had done to the children I was carrying.
I staggered toward the hut, dying to take a seat. Shadow retreated to a dark corner in order to recover from the pain the sun had caused him. Seems like vampire dogs have far more endurance than their human counterparts. I couldn’t deny my amazement over the creatures created by Eli and The Underground. It’s too bad most of them are under the Elder’s control now.
I had to wait for Eli there. I’d barely reached the door when liquid ran down my thighs. No. This can’t be happening. Not now… It can’t be. Not now.
Sure enough, I saw a puddle of water beneath me. My waters just broke.
Tired and afraid, I stepped inside the hut. I tried to get comfortable. It felt like hours before Eli arrived. By then, I was screaming from the waves of labour pains washing over me.
When Eli arrived, he barely had any skin left on his body. The sun had burnt away his flesh. “I think I have to stay in the sun for the whole process to finish, Sofia,” he managed to tell me from outside the door. “I can’t help you. We have to get away from here. They’ll be on our tails soon.”
I tried to get up on my feet, but another wave of spasms sent me back to the ground, reeling in pain. Shadow whimpered from outside the cabin, as if he too could feel my pain.
I shook my head in desperation as I stared at Eli. “I’m so sorry. I can’t. I just can’t…” Tears were streaming down my face when I realized that I was going to have to give birth there. With no one to help me.
That was when Eli retrieved an item from his pocket—something so precious given the situation we were in. It was a phone. “I stole it from one of the servants. I don’t know if it works, Sofia, but it’s worth a try.” He threw the item at me. He then shut the door and ran to the woods where the sunlight still burned out the vampire’s curse, my blood still coursing through his veins.
I grabbed the phone and opened it. I was relieved to see the LED screen light up. There was the tiniest signal on there. I dialled the one number I knew—hunters headquarters. The line was so crackly, I could barely make out what the hunter was saying, but from what I could hear, a group of hunters was already at The Blood Keep. I had to keep myself on the line until she could figure out my location, using the phone’s signal to track me down. Waves of reassurance came over me when the hunter said, “Okay. Just hang on, Sofia. I’ll try to get in touch with one of the hunters stationed outside the Keep. Hopefully someone will be there shortly.”
The wait was excruciating. The labour was painful.
When I heard shouting outside, I thought that it was the end of everything. They know we’re gone. They sent the beasts to get us. I was expecting to be found anytime even as I drifted in and out of consciousness from the pain.
When the door swung open and I saw the handsome face of my beloved husband, Corrine standing alongside him, I thought I was hallucinating.
“Sofia.” His voice broke as he ran to my side. I felt his firm grip on my arm and his lips on mine, but I wasn’t sure it was for real. I just knew that I was thankful that he was there. My Derek was there.
Everything seemed so surreal. Corrine had taken over. The pain was making everything fuzzy. I just kept staring into Derek’s face, unable to believe that he was really beside me.
“You can do this, Sofia. You’re doing fine,” he encouraged as I pushed at Corrine’s command. I clung to Derek for dear life, wondering if I was hurting him.
“You’re doing fine, Sofia.”
I heard a small cry. Then I saw tears in Derek’s eyes.
“We have a boy. Sofia, we have a son,” he announced. He reached for the child. I tried to lift my head to catch a glimpse, but then another spasm of pain came. I screamed.
“There’s another one!” Corrine announced.
I saw the delight in Derek’s eyes. He wanted this. I wanted this. I had been at The Blood Keep alone with this pregnancy for so long I had forgotten that we’d dreamed of this. Derek and I wanted to have a family.
I stared at him. Is he really here?
“Push, Sofia! Push!”
Out of instinct, I responded to Corrine’s screams. The pain had reached a peak so that I could barely feel it. I wasn’t certain if the whole thing was even real, but I did as I was told.
When I heard a second cry, I looked up at Derek again. I saw pure joy on his face.
“It’s a girl,” Corrine announced, relief in her voice.
Derek held both children in his arms, and looked at me with such delight. “Everything’s going to be all right, Sofia,” he told me, then worry immediately replaced his joy. “Sofia?” Panic came with the way he said my name. “Corrine, take the babies. I'll bring Sofia. We need to get to a hospital as soon as possible.”
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