A Castle of Sand

by Bella Forrest

  That they wouldn’t think twice about blowing up the island was something I could believe. It’s what I would’ve done if I were still a hunter. It was how the hunters operated. Collateral damage and the loss of human life were acceptable as long as they fulfilled the mission of wiping out every single vampire from the face of the earth.

  “How did you make your way back to the island, Ben? How could you have known how to return here?”

  “Your brother, Lucas, sent me,” Ben said flatly.

  “Why on earth would Lucas Novak risk his own neck to contact a hunter and make him come here?” I narrowed my eyes, trying to understand what my older brother’s motivations could possibly be.

  “He wants Sofia out of here. He was threatening to kill my family—my father, my mother and my little sister. Although that was a bluff. I’m sure he’s aware that the families of hunters are always closely monitored; he’d be a fool to come within a mile of our house. He got in touch with me through Natalie Borgia. He sent me here to coax Sofia out of the island.”

  He said every word with such blunt honesty, it felt like a huge blow to my senses. “So all this time, my brother is still after Sofia.”

  Chapter 39: Ben

  “He doesn’t trust me,” I told Sofia as she laid a plate of stir-fried vegetables on top of the wooden table inside her quarters in The Catacombs.

  “Of course he doesn’t.” Sofia shrugged nonchalantly. “Why on earth would Derek trust you? Nobody here trusts you, Ben. No one has any reason to trust you.”

  “Not even you?” I asked, swallowing back my hurt, knowing how much truth rang in her words.

  Loose strands of her auburn hair fell to her face as she sat across the table from me. “I want to trust you, but I have so many questions running through my mind. I just…am I really supposed to believe that you had a complete turnaround and are now willing to protect The Shade?”

  “I have no desire to protect The Shade, Sofia,” I clarified. “I still want to have my vengeance on Claudia. I still want to see her die for what she did to me. The only reason I’m here is because I want to make sure you’re alright. I want to make sure that he’s treating you right. Lucas was the only way I could get to you. If I was going to betray The Shade, I already would’ve done that.”

  “Well, now that you’re here and you’ve seen me, I guess you can see that I’m perfectly fine, that Derek has treated me well. Now what?”

  I stared at her in wonderment. After Derek released me and allowed me to go to The Catacombs with Sofia—under close surveillance at all times—Sofia, Ashley and Rosa had updated me on what’d been happening at The Shade since Sofia’s arrival. I was saddened by the news of Paige’s murder, shocked by Ashley’s choice to get turned into a vampire and moved by the stories about the culling and how Derek stood up for Sofia at the town square. More than anything, however, I was stunned by what Sofia had been able to accomplish at The Shade.

  “She’s practically the princess of The Shade now,” Ashley had said proudly, as she cast an affectionate gaze toward Sofia.

  “She’s about to become the queen.” Rosa smiled as she fingered the ring on Sofia’s finger. Derek had given it to her shortly after he released me from the port.

  The sight of the ring made my heart ache with a sense of loss as I wondered what could’ve been if I’d done things differently, if I had been the one who treated Sofia the way she deserved to be treated.

  Every time I looked at Sofia, I couldn’t help but regret how things turned out between us. I felt the same way as I had supper with her.

  “Stop looking at me that way, Ben,” she said as she took a sip from a spoonful of soup.

  “What way?” I asked.

  “I don’t know…you look at me a certain way, Ben. Like you’ve somehow lost me…”

  I cleared my throat. “Am I that transparent?”

  “I just know you, Ben. That’s all. You feel like if you don’t get something you want, you did something wrong. The fact that I’m with Derek right now has nothing to do with you. You couldn’t have done things differently and expected things not to turn out as they have now. Some things are just meant to be.”

  “And you think you and Derek were always meant to be?”

  She nodded. “Yes. He’s the love of my life.”

  The words stung and she knew it, but I appreciated her honesty.

  “You saw me when no one else did, Ben. You took care of me all throughout high school and you made the worst nine years of my life livable. I love you, Ben.”

  “But not the way you love him.”

  “Why do you keep on tormenting yourself?”

  I needed to change the subject. I debated with myself then whether or not to tell Sofia that her father was running the hunters’ headquarters in the USA. I had no idea how she would react. I decided not to tell her just yet. Not now, there will be time later.

  Sofia kept quiet as she finished her meal. When she was done, she laid her spoon over her plate and looked straight at me.

  “I can’t explain how great it is to see you again, Ben, but your presence here terrifies me, because the man I love is fighting to keep this island protected. You’re a threat to him and that makes you a threat to me.”

  I looked straight at her, surprised that I meant every word when I said, “If you’re on his side, Sofia, then so am I.”

  Chapter 40: Derek

  We were at my penthouse. I was leaning back over the edge of my living room couch and Sofia had her back leaned against my chest. I absentmindedly played with the ends of her hair, my thoughts occupied by Ben and the recent reports from Eli about the possibility of tapping into the supplies of blood banks.

  “Do you trust him?” I asked Sofia. It’d been three days since Ben’s arrival.

  She nodded her head. “I want to. If he’s still anything like the Ben I knew, then he seems sincere…but Derek, I’m worried about his family…little Abby is the sort of girl Lucas would love to sink his teeth into. Ben is convinced Lucas poses no threat to them, but you know how scheming your brother is.”

  “I know you see them as family, but I’m not going to risk losing you on their behalf.” My hand tightened around her waist, fearing that she’d act on a whim and do something stupid.

  “What are we going to do then, Derek?”

  “I think we have no choice but to trust Ben and trust that the hunters are fully capable of keeping his family safe.”

  She licked her lips, worry evident in her green eyes. “I have a very bad feeling about all this, Derek.”

  “So do I…but what I know for sure is that you cannot—under any circumstances—step out of this island. If Lucas is out to get you…” The thought sickened me. After everything Lucas had already put Sofia through, losing her to him was something that I could never allow to happen. “I think it’s best to have you stay here at the penthouse with me for now?”

  To my relief, she agreed. “I think that’s best for now.” She paused. “I’m scared, Derek.”

  I couldn’t deny the truth. “So am I.”

  Chapter 41: Lucas

  I was staying at a hotel in Cancun, a place I detested. I hated how sunny and full of life it was, but it was one of the coasts closest to The Shade. It was also the same place where I’d found Sofia, so I figured it just might bring me some luck.

  I couldn’t wait for evening to come, and when it did, I immediately prepared myself to go out on a hunt for some lovely young women I could feast on that night. I was about to leave the room when I heard a knock at my door.

  I opened the door and smirked. Natalie.

  “Seems you can’t get enough of me these days, Natalie…”

  “Not my fault messages for you keep on coming.” She brushed right past me and went straight to the bar and poured herself a glass of wine. The lovely Italian vixen then retrieved an envelope from her purse. “From Claudia.”

  I raised a brow. I wasn’t expecting any correspondence from Claudia. I ripped the se
al off the envelope and took out a short note. An onslaught of curses flowed from my lips as I read the message: It looks like your boy, Ben, has now joined Derek and Sofia’s bandwagon. Your brother is now king of The Shade, and is about to make your pretty redhead his queen. He overthrew your father as king with a coup.

  “You don’t look very happy,” Natalie commented. “News from home not that good?” She took another sip from her wine. “But wait a minute…where’s your home exactly, Lucas? Is it The Shade or is it The Oasis?”

  I grimaced. I’ll have no home if I don’t get Sofia out of The Shade and into The Oasis. In fact, I won’t need a home, because Borys Maslen will have my head.

  Things were definitely not going according to plan, but it was clear that I now had two allies at The Shade: Claudia and my father. I had been certain that Ben would side with me, but it seemed that wasn’t the case. I never should’ve underestimated Derek’s powers of persuasion, but then it probably wasn’t his charm that turned Ben. Sofia really is a cunning little minx.

  “Do you have a message you want me to bring to Claudia?” Natalie asked, finishing off her wine. “This is awful,” she commented, wrinkling her nose. The Italian was known to have grown up in vast and lush vineyards. She definitely knew her wines.

  I, on the other hand, still could not fend off the annoyance I felt toward her—especially when I found out about the fondness she had for my brother. Still, Natalie Borgia was necessary to my existence and I knew I couldn’t mess with her.

  “Well?” she asked, tapping her foot on the carpeted floor impatiently.

  “Give me a couple of minutes.” I took out a piece of paper and began scribbling a simple message on it. I folded the paper twice and handed it over to Natalie. “Make sure only Claudia and my father see this.”

  Natalie stared at the piece of paper as if she were afraid it would morph into a viper. I knew that was exactly how she saw me: a snake. Still, it wasn’t her job to interfere or condemn. Her job was to bridge the gap between vampire covens. It was clear to see that she didn’t like the idea of helping me, but she really didn’t have a choice. Interfering would compromise her position as the rogue vampire whom everybody could trust.

  I smirked as I watched Natalie take the paper, nod and leave. I was nervous about what was to come, but at the same time, I found myself full of anticipation. The thought of once again having Sofia Claremont in my grasp was all the encouragement I needed.

  If everything goes according to plan, Sofia will be in Borys Maslen’s hands by the end of the week and once she’s at The Oasis, she’ll be within my reach and far from Derek’s.

  Chapter 42: Sofia

  Pulse quickening, heart thumping, I kept on running through pitch-black darkness with no idea where I came from, where I was or where I was going. All I knew was that I had to run, because this overwhelming feeling of dread told me that if I stopped at any point, it would be the end of me. Thus, I kept running. When I saw light shining from a distance, slowly lighting my blackened surroundings, hope surged within me. I was just about to reach the light when a small voice called out to me.

  “Sofia…” the voice said—small and frail, “you’re back.”

  I turned around and saw a little girl standing a few feet away from me. Her green eyes and knotted red hair eerily reminded me of myself. “Hello,” I greeted her. “What are you doing here?”

  She walked toward the light and I gasped when I realized that she was me.

  “I’m scared,” she told me.

  “Why?” I asked. “Why are you scared?”

  Her lips began to quiver and her hand moved toward her neck before letting her fingers fiddle with a pendant hanging under a golden chain around her neck. I walked closer to this smaller version of myself, wondering what was bothering her.

  “You don’t have to be scared…” I told her.

  She shook her head. “No. I should be afraid. Very afraid.” She let go of the pendant and I realized that it was mine—the diamond one that Derek had given me for my birthday.

  “Who gave you that necklace?” I asked her.

  “It’s mine.” She pouted.

  “Yes, but who gave it to you?”

  “It doesn’t matter now.” Tears began streaming down her face as she shook her head. Suddenly, the diamond pendant changed into a large heart-shaped ruby red pendant.

  I could feel the blood drain from my face as I heard a piercing scream fill the air, followed by the sound of glass shattering. I then saw a glimpse of Vivienne running from light to darkness, screaming, “How dare he! How dare he!”

  I sat up in bed. I was breaking into a cold sweat and trembling uncontrollably. The alarming sense of fear was taking over all of me. The little girl in my dream—the little girl whom I was sure was a younger version of me—was still etched in my mind.

  I could remember clearly the significance of the ruby red pendant based on one of the memories Vivienne shared to me—one of Xavier handing her a velvet pouch, telling her that it was a gift from Borys Maslen. When Vivienne retrieved the heart-shaped pendant from the pouch, she was livid. I’d always known Vivienne as this calm, collected person who sometimes seemed cold and heartless, so to see her so hot with fury was hard to forget.

  “Sofia?” A voice came from the other side of the door after a timid knock. “Are you alright?” The door creaked open and someone peeked in. I was hoping that it would be Derek, but it was Ben.

  I must’ve looked frightened out of my senses because he immediately stepped into the guest room and climbed on the bed next to me.

  “What happened?” he asked, gently brushing his hand over my hair.

  “It’s nothing. I just had an awful nightmare…” I pulled my knees up, embracing them against my chest. I gingerly looked at him. “What are you doing here?”

  “I came to visit you… I kept on knocking, but no one was answering, so I just let myself in. Rosa told me that you spent the night here. I could hear you screaming from outside…”

  I hated how much I doubted him, wondering if what he had told me was true. I wondered if Claudia even knew that he was around. I hadn’t seen the crazy, blonde vampire since the last council meeting.

  It then dawned on me. Where’s Derek? If Ben was knocking, Derek would’ve heard it. He was a very light sleeper. If I’d been screaming because of my nightmare, he would’ve heard.

  “I need to go find Derek…” I motioned to get off the bed.

  “Wait.” Ben grabbed my wrist and held on tight.

  “Ben?” I actually felt nervous. Suddenly, being alone in the same bedroom with my best friend didn’t feel safe. “Let go of my wrist.”

  He looked surprised, and even hurt, by my reaction. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be rough. You’re obviously shaken.” He got off the bed and stepped away from me. “I just wanted to tell you that just as I crossed the walkway leading to your bedroom, I saw Derek’s father enter the penthouse. He’s in the living room, and I don’t know...something’s not right. I don’t trust him, Sofia.”

  I laughed wryly. “Yeah? That makes two of us.” I had no idea what was going on, but I was sure about one thing: Ben was right. Something was wrong.

  Something was very wrong.

  Chapter 43: Derek

  Clad in a glowing white dress, Sofia held a bouquet of white roses as she marched across the aisle. The only ornaments that graced her were beautiful pearl earrings and the diamond necklace I had given her. She was a vision to behold—just as I imagined she would be on our wedding day.

  Her smile was enough sunlight to brighten up the darkness that had been my life. She was my life and she was about to become mine, bearing my name, making it known to the world that we intended for our love to last far longer than they ever gave it credit for. However, it seemed fate had other things in mind.

  She was halfway down the aisle when she suddenly stopped, panic evident in her eyes. Blood began to trickle from two small holes in her neck and she began to breathe in pant
s as she held on to her neck.

  I immediately ran toward her the moment I saw the bouquet of flowers fall onto the ground. To my horror, the diamond pendant she was wearing morphed into a heart-shaped ruby red one. I didn’t understand what it all meant, but I didn’t have to. It was clear that something wasn’t right.

  When I reached Sofia, she looked at me, her eyes wide with terror. She swallowed hard as tears began to run down her face. “I’m scared, Derek.”

  And just like that, she was gone.

  Eyes still shut, I tossed and turned in my bed, half-asleep and half-awake. The terrified look on Sofia’s eyes still etched into my brain. I knew that something was wrong and that I had to do something about it, but I was still in a state of limbo, trapped in the place between wakefulness and dreams. I knew I was mumbling something even as I shifted on the bed, but I couldn’t quite make out what I was saying.

  Then a feminine voice said my name. “Shh…everything’s going to be alright, Derek. Relax.”

  I could feel the bed shift and I knew then that I wasn’t alone. Warm lips began to press against mine and I found myself breathlessly saying the name of the girl in my dream. “Sofia…”

  “Yes…Sofia…”

  I was conscious enough to know that the woman in my bed wasn’t her, but it all still felt like a dream. I wanted to snap out of it, but it was almost like I was trapped in that state, unable to get out. When the lips pressing against mine pulled away, I forced my eyes open.

  Blinking several times until my vision cleared, seeing who was lying on my bed was like a blow in the gut. Claudia.

  She smiled and before I could even react, she stabbed a large syringe right into my veins. “I’m sorry, Derek, but you made a big mistake the day you treated me like your whore.”