A Shade Of Blood Part 25

My gaze was set straight ahead, not really paying attention to the stalls and the people surrounding me as I meandered through the cobblestone streets of the Vale's marketplace. So preoccupied was I by my own thoughts, I didn't notice a familiar face until I b.u.mped into her. Upon seeing the ma.s.s of blonde curls, the pretty round face and those big eyes, I froze. Claudia. A wide and wicked smile formed on her lips upon seeing me.

"Well, if it isn't the little twig herself..." She brushed her fingers over my hair. "The prince's pet walking about The Shade as if she owned the island."

I stepped away from her, unnerved by her touch. Glaring at her, I gathered all self-control in order to keep myself from venting out all my anger toward her for what she put my dear Ben through yet another atrocity Derek turned a blind eye to.

"I don't want any trouble."

"Neither do I." She raised her brow and tilted her head to the side. "Send my regards to the prince. Do let him know that he can share my bed anytime he pleases." Claudia smirked, her eyes twinkling with malice. "I owe him that much after he arranged for my quick release from the Cells."

I swallowed hard, surprised by the way her words pierced a dagger right through my heart. I tried to appear unaffected, but the thought of any other girl sharing his bed made my stomach turn. Delight sparked on her face upon seeing my reaction.

"You don't think you're the only one sharing Derek Novak's bed, do you?" Each taunt scarred me. "Poor little thing... Did you think him in love with you? That his heart beats for only you? I don't know what kind of pleasures you provide him that he would be so enamored with someone like you, but you're just a temporary pleasure... one he will grow tired of soon enough."

Not wanting to hear any more of her cruel jibes, I forced a grim smile and gave her a curt nod. "I'll be on my way." I tried to remember who she was and that I shouldn't take anything Claudia said seriously, but the words nagged at me even as I pa.s.sed by her.

I'd only taken a few steps when I noticed a chain she was holding with one hand. She pulled on it, the sound of clanging metal filling the air, and a young man with red hair stumbled behind her. The chain she held was attached to a collar around his neck.

He looked at me with familiar eyes as he stumbled forward. He was just about my age tall, lean and attractive with work-hardened hands and eyes that had seen too many horrors for a life as short as his.

Before I could second-guess myself, the words came out of my lips. "Claudia, wait."

Both Claudia and the young man halted.

"Who is he?" I asked.

Claudia raised a brow. "A slave. My slave. Is he your best friend too? Would you have him taken from me the way you took Ben? Where is he anyway? I do miss him... You know I find it rather odd that I don't crave him. If he's still on the island, just his presence should drive me insane in an attempt to quench my appet.i.te for him."

She still doesn't know that Ben and I escaped. I frowned at the thought, but stood my ground. The thought of what she was going to put that young man through had sealed my decision. Wary of Claudia's long-winded taunts, I set my eyes on the boy.

"What's your name?"

His eyes flitted from Claudia to me. I searched for a sign of fear but found none of it in his eyes. Just defiance.

"Gavin."

The name was too familiar. I gasped. Lily's son.

"I owned his father. It only makes sense that I own him too, does it not?" Claudia began running her fingers over Gavin's arms, her eyes sultry and full of heat as she eyed him. Fists balled, I took a step forward to a.s.sert myself.

"I demand that you let him go."

Claudia's brown eyes grew wide open. "You demand? Who do you think you are, you little b.i.t.c.h?"

"I claim him for the prince. You do know by now how important it is to his highness that I am pleased, don't you?" Gaining confidence even while calling the biggest bluff of my life, I stepped forward and violently pushed Claudia away from the boy.

She stumbled backwards more out of surprise than my strength to push her away. The moment she recovered from her surprise, fury blazed in her eyes. Her flirtatious and amused countenance was quickly replaced by a raging crazed demeanor that made my blood turn cold. Her fingernails grew into claws and she used them to scratch nasty gash lines over Gavin's upper torso. He screamed and her eyes flickered with delight at the sight of his blood before she turned on me. Her hands found my neck and pushed me backwards until my back hit the wall of one of the nearby buildings.

"You overstep your ground, slave. It doesn't matter who owns you. That's what you still are. A slave." She pressed one claw against the soft skin on my neck, threatening to draw blood.

I sneered at her, feigning confidence I barely had. "Go ahead, Claudia. Do it. Let's see what Derek does to you once he finds out."

Her hand caught my jaw before a manic smile formed on her face. "The same thing he did to me the last time I defied him, I guess. I can take whatever he throws my way, little girl. I can take the lashes. I can take the prison cell. I can take it when he uses me the way he uses you. I've been through h.e.l.l and back, so think twice, redhead. Do you really want to threaten me again?"

I saw then how someone like her was able to break my best friend. Her brokenness made her give in to pure evil and there wasn't a single sign of guilt or even hesitation in her eyes. The wounded can inflict the most painful wounds without hesitation. I knew then that she wouldn't hesitate to kill me, so I kept my words few and my intention well-stated.

"Let Gavin go. You are not to touch him or his family again."

The back of her hand slammed against my cheek and I went tumbling to the ground. She stood over me and was about to deliver a blow across my face with her claws when someone sped her way and pushed her back against the wall she had me pinned against only moments ago.

I looked to see who it was and found Derek pressed against her, keeping her in place. "Did I not make it clear that she is not to be touched?"

I stood up and headed for Gavin. He was lying on the ground, recovering from the pain. I put my arms around him and helped him sit up. A crowd of vampires was now beginning to circle us, more than one of them eyed his b.l.o.o.d.y torso hungrily. I positioned myself protectively in front of Gavin.

"She demands to take my slave from me. She has no right to. I was merely protecting my property."

"He's Lily's son. I can't bear the thought of him suffering the same fate as Ben." I intervened.

Derek's shoulders were heaving, the muscles in his back obviously tensing up. Silence filled the air as he weighed the decision before him. He let go of Claudia, stepping away from the vampire. "Do as she says, Claudia."

"What?!" Claudia spat. "You forget who you've sworn to protect, prince."

"I never swore to protect you, Claudia."

"What has she done that you are so enamored by her, that you would have even vampires submit to her whims?"

"My word is law on this island. She is the woman I love. So shall her words also be law upon The Shade ... unless I say otherwise. Do you understand?"

I froze. The woman I love. The words echoed inside my head so loud and so clear I barely understood the rest of what he said.

"The woman you love? Were you thinking of her when you visited me in my cell and..."

"Be silent, Claudia. My patience with you wears thin."

My heart broke when Derek cut her off as if he were unwilling to let her continue what she was about to say. It was confirmation to me that Claudia could be speaking truth about Derek being in bed with her. The thought of the last time I saw them together and the way Derek held her as he asked her to give him Ben for my sake haunted me, re-sparking the jealousy I felt back then. I hated the way he was making me feel. Conflicted. I wanted to believe that he loved me, but doubts were still a.s.sailing my mind and soul. How could he love me?

Claudia glared at Derek, then at me. "You're going to get your comeuppance one day, redhead. You'll see."

"Enough of that. Just leave, Claudia." Derek finally turned to face me and I found myself trembling when I felt his eyes peruse me. "Are you alright, Sofia?"

I nodded. He noticed the way I was shaking and mistook it as an aftermath of my encounter with Claudia.

"You don't have to be afraid of her any longer. I'm right here."

The only person I'm afraid of on this island is you, Derek. Without being fully aware of it, I let him penetrate my heart and soul. He consumed me. This terrified me, because despite my instincts nagging at me to believe that he was a good man worth fighting for, the circ.u.mstances surrounding us said otherwise.

Fear enveloped me at the idea of having such affection toward one such as Derek Novak, because as he embraced me, whispering soothing words of comfort into my ear, I couldn't help but wonder, What if I'd allowed myself to fall in love with a complete monster?

CHAPTER 46: LUCAS.

I puffed a cigarette as I stood beside a flickering lamp post in Amsterdam. My hunt for my father was proving to be a greater undertaking than I had initially predicted. He wasn't an easy man to find and I was hoping this would be the last stop I had to take before discovering him.

I was there to meet with an old acquaintance, Natalie Borgia. The gorgeous Italian vampire didn't belong to any of the covens. She was one of the few rogue vampires and the most well-connected among all. She was the only one who knew all the locations of the covens and was allowed entrance into all of them. She was the ultimate diplomat, a woman I found incredibly irresistible and totally unattainable.

"Lucas Novak."

I turned toward the sound of the voice and found Natalie approaching, her dark brown hair lifted into a neat updo, her sultry curves covered by a chic red coat. Cla.s.sy was the only way I could think to describe her.

"Hey, beautiful." I smirked.

She rolled her eyes and stared at me with a poker face. "You look like c.r.a.p." She took the cigarette from my mouth and threw it on the ground, crus.h.i.+ng it with her heel.

"That's not a very diplomatic thing to say or do, Natalie."

"Oh please, Lucas. We both know diplomacy is lost on you."

We began walking over a bridge, toward a small street cafe so we could talk. The moment we were comfortably seated, she crossed her legs and nodded for me to state my reason for wanting to meet with her.

"I'm a busy person, so do make it quick. And please... don't hit on me. We both know it's not going anywhere."

I frowned. "Don't flatter yourself, Natalie. I really just want to find my father. You're the best person to tell me where he is."

"I don't know where he is at this moment in time, but I did get in touch with him after you contacted me. He can't see you right now."

My blood began to boil. "Excuse me?"

"Word's out on you, Lucas. You're not the most subtle person and you've been burning right through all the contacts you have outside of your coven. To your disadvantage, you're not a very well-loved person either. You certainly pale in comparison to your brother and sister."

"I don't care what anybody thinks about me. Where's my father? Why doesn't he want to meet with me?" My knuckles began to grip the edge of the metal table between us.

"Your father asked me to tell you that he is afraid your presence would only compromise what he is trying to accomplish with the other covens. He thinks that it's best you return to The Shade and resolve whatever issues you have with your brother on your own."

"He doesn't understand. I can't go back there. Derek will kill me." I slammed my hand over the top of the table, making a waitress, who was about to approach to take our order, back up and leave. "Why is he doing this? Why are they all turning against me?"

"I'm just relaying the message I was given, Lucas." She was treating me so flippantly, I wondered where on earth all her diplomatic skills disappeared to. "I'll make sure your father hears your response."

I was fighting the urge to attack her. She was, however, at least a century older than me. In a fight against her, I was sure to lose.

"What am I supposed to do now?"

"That's entirely your choice." Natalie shrugged. "But I do have another message for you. From Borys Maslen."

"Borys Maslen?"

"As I already implied, your rogue status has become known throughout the covens."

My head was spinning. The thought that my father could turn on me at that time was something I never really considered possible. And now, our family's worst adversary was trying to get in touch with me.

"What does he want with me?"

"He's offering you sanctuary at the Oasis."

The world has gone mad. "In exchange for what?"

"Loyalty to the Maslens."

At this, I scoffed. "Loyalty? To them?"

"So what do you want me to tell them, Lucas? Does this mean you're refusing?"

I gave it some thought, weighing my options. I shook my head. "I think my choice was made for me the moment my family turned their backs on me. Let Borys Maslen know that I'll be on the first flight to Cairo I can book. Finally, make sure to let my father know that I've joined the Maslens."

Natalie nodded. Her expression remained stoic. No judgment. No condemnation. She was a channel, our central hub of communication. "I'll make sure your message is received. Anything else?"

"Yes. Tell my father that the one person to blame for our falling out is Derek. He's obsessed with a human slave named Sofia Claremont. Tell my father to beware of her."

"Of course." Natalie rose from her seat. "If that's all, goodbye, Lucas. I hope everything works out for you." Without bothering to hear my response, she walked away.

My eyes followed her until she disappeared. I smiled. I knew the damage my father was going to inflict on Sofia just based on the message I relayed through Natalie. For that night, the knowledge that I once again had contributed to making her life and Derek's a little bit more miserable, was enough consolation for my woes.

Thoughts of Sofia made my blood pound and my senses tingle. "You'll be mine someday, Sofia. Oh, you'll be mine."

CHAPTER 47: DEREK.

News spread quickly throughout the island that Sofia had directly defied a vampire a member of the Elite at that and got away with it. Outrage followed soon after.

"What if the rest of the humans follow her example and decide they can start defying their masters?" Felix, one of my most distrusted among the Elite, brought up during a council meeting at the dome.

"We can't afford to have another human uprising, Derek," Xavier voiced his concern one which I also shared.

Felix scoffed, his hands raised in the air. "A human uprising! Perhaps it's best... With the abductions halted, all the bloodshed an uprising would cause will give us all the blood we need for years to come."

Eli, the only one at the stand amidst all the talk being thrown from the seats of the council, stared at Felix as if he were insane. Despite the tension in the room, I couldn't help but notice the reaction on Eli's face. He always did look at Felix as if he had no patience for the man.

Eli spoke: "There's a reason we avoided touching the Naturals, prince. They are the backbone of this island. All the labor required to keep The Shade in its self-sufficient state is done by the humans born out of generations of humans loyal to the work they were given on this island."

"We cannot continue to abduct humans from the outside if that's what you're trying to imply, Eli." In this, I was not to be dissuaded. "They endanger The Shade by risking discovery from the hunters."