A Castle of Sand

by Bella Forrest

  Chapter 56: Derek

  It felt like I was riding to my death. I was surrounded by hunters and I was willingly heading toward the last place any vampire should be. The hunters’ headquarters.

  I could feel Aiden’s glare burning through me. I knew that in his eyes, I was the enemy. In his eyes, I had brainwashed Sofia into loving me. I knew that he would do everything to take Sofia away from me. It’s the way I would’ve thought had I still been a hunter.

  I clung to Sofia, driven mad by how much I was craving her blood. I swallowed hard as I pressed my lips against her cheek. I couldn’t remember ever wanting anyone as much as I wanted her. The fact that I was in love with her only added to the heavy ache that seemed to permanently settle on my chest.

  No wonder Lucas couldn’t keep himself away from her…

  Lucas. My jaw tightened at the recollection of seeing my brother burst into flames. I’d never liked him, but he was still my brother. Seeing him meet his end brought no satisfaction whatsoever.

  I found myself wondering where my father was. Does he know that Lucas is gone? That we’re the only two Novaks left? I held back the tears. I wasn’t about to break down. Not in front of all these hunters.

  Death and darkness surrounded us and it felt like there was more of it to come.

  My arm tightened around Sofia, who gently whimpered at the motion as she snuggled closer to me, trying to sleep her heartbreak away. I knew she was hurting. I knew how important Ben was to her.

  “So you’re Derek Novak.” The girl with blue-streaked hair, sitting next to Aiden, had been glaring daggers at me ever since she had laid eyes on me. “Ben’s dead because of you?”

  I narrowed my eyes at her, trying to make sense of her twisted logic. “How is his death my fault?”

  She shrugged one shoulder. “Your brother killed him.”

  “I’m not my brother. Just in case you didn’t notice, he’s dead right along with every other person you murdered back there.” The discourse we were having made it brilliantly clear that I wasn’t going to get along with this particular hunter. From the way she was shooting glares from me to Sofia, it seemed she wasn’t much of a fan of the girl I loved either.

  “What did you do to her?” It was Aiden who spoke up this time. “Does she really believe that she’s in love with you?”

  “Why don’t you ask her that question yourself when she wakes up? If you think I’ve somehow brainwashed her, you’re wrong. I truly love your daughter.”

  The face darkened. It looked as if he was debating within himself whether or not he should kill me while Sofia was asleep. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he did exactly that.

  “I don’t trust you,” he eventually spoke up.

  “The feeling is mutual, sir.”

  “My daughter is the only reason you’re still alive, Derek. I can’t promise that I’ll be able to protect you from the other hunters once we arrive at our destination.”

  I stared right at him, making it a point to look straight into his eyes. No matter how much mistrust there was between us, he was still Sofia’s father and for that reason alone, he deserved my respect. “I realize that.”

  “And yet you still came with us?”

  I nodded. “I can’t leave Sofia. Not after everything that happened at The Oasis. I was walking right to my death when I went there to get her. What difference does it make now?”

  He eyed me warily, hatred one of the many emotions being channelled by his cold glare, but there was also one other emotion that wasn’t there before. Respect. The rest of the ride was spent in silence, with me getting rather accustomed to the nasty stares I was still receiving.

  Finally, Aiden and the blue-haired huntress started fidgeting in their seats and stretching their necks. I peeked outside the window and saw a long runway strip.

  “Derek?” Sofia blinked her eyes several times, before full wakefulness came upon her. “Ben?”

  I shook my head sadly. Tears once again moistened her eyes, but this time, none of them spilled over. She held back the tears and nodded in acceptance even as she gulped down the pain. This was her life now. A life surrounded by warring factions of vampire covens and hunters. Ben wasn’t the first person she’d lost since getting caught up in this world I lived in, and he definitely wasn’t going to be the last.

  I could see her disheartenment, and I found myself fighting against the idea that I would lose her to her own jadedness. I wanted to preserve her, keep her innocent.

  “What’s on your mind, Sofia?” I found myself asking.

  Her hand caught mine, gripping tightly, before looking me straight in the eye. “I wouldn’t know what to do if I ever lost you.”

  Chapter 57: Sofia

  After the chopper landed on the runway, both Derek and I were given a set of clothes we could change into before we were ushered into the private jet, a clear indication of the kind of affluence, power and wealth the hunters had. We made ourselves comfortable inside.

  I could tell that something was bothering Derek as he sat on the seat next to mine. It was easy to see from the listlessness of his blue eyes and the many times I noticed him swallow hard.

  I grabbed hold of his wrist and looked questioningly. He gave me a quick glance and I could swear I saw his lips quiver. He wiggled my hand away and shook his head. “I’m fine.”

  You’re headed for hunter headquarters. How could you be fine? I knew better than to force information out of him when he was acting all broody and intense so I just nodded and kissed his cheek. The moment I did, I could sense him tense and I realized exactly what was bothering him. He was craving my blood. Of course. He hadn’t had any blood since I had fed him back at level seven.

  I wondered if there was anything I could do to divert his attention toward something else and I remembered by encounter with Claudia back at The Oasis. The fact that she was seated somewhere inside the jet was unsettling.

  “Back at The Oasis,” I spoke up, careful not to touch Derek in any way, wondering how we were ever going to last as a couple if we couldn’t even make physical contact without him wanting to sink his teeth into me whenever he felt hungry. “I think Claudia tried to turn me.”

  His eyes widened. “She did what?”

  “She told me that it was her gift for me. She bit into my neck, but Ben came to shoot her and she attacked him…”

  “Sofia, if the serum’s injected into your system…” Derek gulped. I knew there was fear and apprehension in his eyes, but there was something else… hope.

  My heart fell at the thought that he wanted me to become a vampire. I understood why he would, but still, the thought of becoming one sent shivers down my spine. “Am I going to turn?”

  He stared at me with a mixture of confusion and awe. “You’re not exhibiting the symptoms. You saw how it was with Ashley…the moment the serum was in her system, the effect was instant.”

  “Strange…” I remembered what Borys kept calling me. The immune. I still wasn’t sure what he meant by it, but I knew that somehow, it tied in to why I wasn’t now convulsing. I didn’t want to discuss that with Derek just yet, so instead, I diverted the topic back to Ben and Claudia. “It’s hard for me to believe that Ben would ever vouch for Claudia, Derek. The fact that she’s alive…I don’t know…something’s not right.”

  “We won’t know for sure until we get to talk to her.”

  “That’s assuming we even get the chance. How is this supposed to work, Derek? What’s to say that they’re not going to kill you the moment we step out of this plane?” I was voicing out fears that I knew he didn’t have the solutions to. “By the time we get there…”

  “Sofia…” he cut me off. “Let’s just get through this journey and worry about all that when we arrive.”

  “Maybe we should escape now…while we still can…”

  Derek eyed my father warily. Aiden had just walked in after having visited the cockpit. He gave me a quick glance and took his seat, talking to the girl with blue-streake
d hair.

  “I don’t think your father will just let us go off after having found you. I’m sure he’ll chase us down.”

  “At least we have a chance…”

  Derek shook his head. “No. If I’m going to marry you, Sofia, then your father’s approval is important to me.”

  I couldn’t believe my ears. What is wrong with you? Have you gone mad? “His approval?!” I practically spat the words out. “Derek, my father is one of the leaders of an order sworn to wipe out every vampire on this planet. There is absolutely no way he’d ever agree to me marrying you.”

  “Maybe so, but you know that I value you enough to try.”

  I stared at him with pure admiration, humbled by the value he was placing on me. After all we’d been through, I found myself still wondering how a man like Derek Novak could possibly love me in that way.

  I shifted my gaze from Derek to my father, knowing without a doubt who mattered more to me. While I ached with the longing to get to know Aiden Claremont, to find answers to questions I’d been asking my whole life, my loyalty remained with Derek Novak.

  Blood doesn’t always run thicker than water. Or perhaps it does…because Derek’s blood runs in me just as much as mine now runs in his.

  I knew then that should Derek ever ask, I would willingly let him have my blood. The thought scared me, because it was a stunning realization of how much I was willing to give up for him.

  I drifted off to sleep for the rest of the flight, leaning my head on Derek’s shoulder, hoping to escape everything through peaceful slumber. It was the sudden jolt caused by the wheels of the plane hitting the tarmac that woke me. My immediate instinct was to check out the window for the sun and I was relieved to find that it was dark. I knew we were in the US—that much I’d gathered from overhearing several conversations between the hunters, but where exactly in the States we were, I had no clue.

  I checked on Derek and found him unbuckling his seatbelt. “Hey, beautiful,” he said before quickly looking away.

  Something about him felt distant and cold. I looked toward my father and wondered what he would have to say if I went to him to ask for blood to feed Derek. The prospect seemed insane.

  I grabbed Derek’s arm and was surprised when he flinched.

  He gave me an apologetic look. “Sofia…” His lower lip twitched and it was enough for me to understand what he was struggling with, “If I black out…”

  I nodded. “I understand.” I knew I’d be able to calm him and keep him from sucking me dry, but if the hunters ever saw him attack me, it would be the end of him, the end of us.

  He didn’t respond but the look in his blue eyes was enough to let me know the anguish he felt over the idea of not being able to even touch me. I tried to push back the overwhelming sense of dread that I felt.

  Aiden was the first to rise from his seat when the plane finally stopped. He gave me a quick look as he spoke through the intercom system. “We have two vampires from the Novak coven and one vampire from the Maslen coven. None of them are to be harmed. I want this made clear throughout headquarters—especially to those trigger-happy new recruits. The vampires are not to be harmed.”

  My mind couldn’t help but add a “for now” to my father’s statement. I would be a fool to think that a vampire as notorious as Derek Novak would be in any way secure at Hawk Headquarters.

  “You have to wait here for a while.” The girl with blue-streaked hair approached, sounding perky, but still not withholding any of her death glares from Derek. “I’m Zinnia Wolfe by the way. I was a good friend of Ben’s. We were partners.” She shook my hand but didn’t even bother to look at Derek.

  “Sofia Claremont,” I introduced myself. “This is Derek Novak.”

  “Yeah.” She gave me a curt nod. “I know. We’re still trying to figure out what to do with you all. If it were up to me, I’d just have you vamps killed, but the boss seems to have other things in mind...”

  Derek glared back at her. I noticed his fist clench and I knew that he was trying to keep his temper in check.

  “It’s the first time vampires have ever been treated as guests at Hawk Headquarters,” Zinnia continued. She then cocked her head to one side as if she were listening in on something through her earpiece. She nodded. “Unbelievable.” She drew a deep breath before giving both Derek and me pointed looks. “Follow me.”

  Derek and I rose from our seats and trudged behind the petite young woman. It gave me some sense of comfort when Derek took hold of my hand as we walked forward. I needed his touch.

  We remained silent as we got off the plane and walked across the runway. We were not oblivious to the curious stares being thrown my way and the disdainful glares being shot at Derek. I swallowed hard at the tension, wanting to get away from everyone else and get to somewhere where Derek and I could spend time by ourselves.

  In the back of my mind, I knew that there were a lot of arrangements that needed to be done over Ben’s passing away, but I was too overwhelmed to dwell on it. I knew I needed to first catch my breath and gather my wits about me.

  Once we reached the main building, glass doors swung open to allow us entrance. Zinnia, still leading the way, headed right in. We passed through several corridors and then an atrium filled with several men in black jumpsuits training in martial arts. We then reached an elevator with large glass windows—reminding me a lot of the central elevator at The Oasis. The mere remembrance of the Maslen coven sent chills down my spine. On the third floor, we stopped and went through another maze of walkways and corridors, before Zinnia finally stopped in front of a door with a brass number eight.

  “This used to be Ben’s suite,” was all Zinnia said as she handed us a card key. “In my opinion, neither of you deserve to be in it.”

  I doubt that either of us want to be. I think both Derek and I would rather be back at The Shade right now. I hated that she was talking to me like Ben didn’t matter to me. He was my best friend and I was his. Who was she to him?

  “Reuben will be coming to have a talk, either later tonight or early tomorrow. We’ll need to figure out what’s to be done with the prince of The Shade here.”

  After Zinnia left us, we stepped into the room and closed the door behind us. I switched the lights on and watched as Derek walked right toward the full length windows that covered one side of the room. It was the first time in a long time that I could remember ever feeling awkward around him.

  “Nothing’s changed, has it, Derek?” I asked tentatively, afraid to hear his answer.

  “Everything’s changed, Sofia. I’ve tasted your blood. I can’t even look at you without wanting to…” he paused and I could sense the inward battle he was fighting. “I’m so hungry.”

  I approached him, wrapping my arms around his waist from behind and resting my head on his back, breathing in his scent. “We belong together. We’re going to get married. I am yours just as you are mine. My blood is yours to take whenever you want it.”

  “For crying out loud, Sofia…” He spun around so quickly, I found myself stepping back in surprise. “Do you even understand what you’re saying? How can we go on this way? I…”

  “Perhaps you should turn me…”

  “If I do that here and now, they’ll kill us both, Sofia. Hunters are merciless against vampires. The only reason I’m alive is because of you.”

  “And Claudia and Ingrid? Why are they alive?”

  He began to swear under his breath. “I don’t know…the world has turned upside down. Nothing makes sense anymore.”

  “Derek…I need you to be here with me. I need to know that we’re in this together. If we keep on being distant and awkward because you’ve had my blood, then I don’t know if I can handle it. I’m going to crumble.”

  “What do you want to happen, Sofia?” he asked, his eyes betraying the confusion he was experiencing inside.

  “They’re not going to feed you any blood while you’re here and it’s going to drive you crazy, so just satisfy your t
hirst, Derek.” I tilted my neck to the side, baring my neck to him. “Drink.”

  I could sense his hesitation, his eyes hungrily staring at my neck. His hands crept over my waist and he drew me close. I reminded myself that this was Derek, the man that I loved, the man who would do everything to protect me. The reminders, I thought, would help keep me from trembling, but still I found myself shivering when I felt the pointed end of Derek’s fangs on my neck. I bit my lip to stifle a groan when his fangs dug in and he began drinking deep.

  As it happened, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was about to lose more than what I’d already lost that night.

  Chapter 58: Derek

  What have I done?

  I stared at Sofia’s sleeping form lying on the living room couch. Motionless. Serene. Beautiful. I hated myself for what I had just done. My eyes kept returning to the bite marks on her neck—ones I myself had punctured.

  I love her. I can’t keep doing this to her.

  I ran both hands through my hair, not knowing what to do. I’d reached the point where I couldn’t live without her, but neither could I live with her without destroying her. It felt like I’d been sitting there for an eternity, just gazing at her and chastising myself for taking advantage of her by drinking her blood once again. Still, the taste of her lingered on my mouth—sweet and enticing… So enraptured was I by what just happened, by my own confusion and my own guilt that I practically jumped from my seat when someone began knocking on the door.

  I grimaced at the idea of it being Zinnia. I then realized that while I was indulging myself making dinner out of Sofia, she hadn’t had a bite to eat since we arrived. I quickly opened the door, certain that it was somebody bringing her something to eat only to find myself disappointed to find Aiden Claremont standing on our doorstep.

  “My daughter?” he asked. Straightforward and curt.

  “Asleep.”