“Gregor Novak.” I recalled.

Lily nodded. “Yes. Him. He wanted Sofia flogged—right along with my son and several of the other young Naturals who started the revolt. We all thought it would be end of her. Her fragile body couldn’t have taken all those blows. My heart leaped when Derek took the lashes for her. His back was unrecognizable after—could barely tell which part was skin and which part bones… It was an awful sight, but we all knew then that he loved her and that as long as they were together, life here at The Shade would never be the same again. I never thought I’d hear myself saying that I love a vampire, but any vampire who is good in Sofia’s book is good in mine.”

“We like Sofia,” Madeline piped up. “Even my brother, Rob, likes Sofia and he doesn’t like many girls at all. He’s seven, you see. Andrea tried to kiss him and he was mighty angry about that.”

I listened to the two talk on and on about my daughter and her heroic feats on the island. I hung on to their every word, not knowing what to make of what they were telling me. I wasn’t sure I liked hearing how beloved Sofia was at The Shade. Their stories forced me to realize what I was taking from Sofia by forcing her away from the island and away from Derek.

I hated to admit it, but I saw then why she loved The Shade and its inhabitants so much.

Truth be told, I was impressed by The Shade. It didn’t take a genius to see why it was so powerful. Unlike all the other covens, the island was self-sustaining. It had as little contact to the outside world as was required. It had a thriving human population seemingly loyal to the vampires—something my mind could not completely comprehend.

Of course, Lily made her fears clear. I knew she felt the same protectiveness for Madeline that I had for Sofia. At that moment, I found in her a kindred spirit fearful for her child as I was for mine.

“You really need not fear, sir.” Lily nodded. “Derek would never intentionally harm Sofia. He loses himself sometimes when he blacks out, but there’s only one person who can reel him back to his senses, and that’s your daughter. No one else is capable of doing that to him.”

“King Derek needs Queen Sofia.” Madeline had a sweet smile on her face as she spoke the words. She nodded as she said them, her eyes twinkling.

My stomach turned at the idea of my daughter having some sort of fairy tale romance with the king of the vampires. Right about then, Sofia and Derek stepped past the guards and into the room, their hands clasped together, smiles on their faces.

The first thing I noticed was the bite marks on my daughter’s neck. Despite whatever things Lily and Madeline had told me about Derek and how good he was to Sofia, he still managed to eradicate any hopes I had that their love could be real. I was livid at the thought of him once again feeding on my daughter.

“How dare you…” I hissed as I began charging toward him. “You said you wouldn’t harm her…” I caught a glimpse of her wrist and saw bite marks there too. I grabbed Sofia’s wrist and raised it up to him. “Is this your idea of not harming my daughter?”

Derek was unable to look me in the eye. His display of shame only served to anger me further.

“Dad…” Sofia spoke before I could once again start a tirade. “It was my idea. I offered my neck to him. Don’t take your anger out on him.”

I stared at her with disbelief. “Sofia… I don’t understand. How could you just let him treat you this way?”

“If your cure works, then he won’t have to drink from me ever again. It works, does it not?” she challenged me.

I gritted my teeth. “I need you to trust me enough to let the hunters’ scientists come here. I cannot administer the cure on my own.”

Sofia’s face contorted with shock as she shook her head, letting go of Derek’s hand and stepping forward. “You never said anything about needing them here. Why wouldn’t you…”

“Would you have agreed to bring me here if I had said that I needed to bring a team of hunters with me? You saw that there was an entire team of people needed to prep Ingrid for the cure. I just gave her the final shot. I don’t have enough expertise to do it myself. What if something goes wrong?”

This time, Derek stepped forward, standing right beside Sofia. He looked me straight in the eye and I couldn’t help but shudder at the power and authority oozing from him. “How do we know this isn’t all a trap?”

I shrugged. “If you’re that desperate for the cure, then you’ll just have to trust me.”

Derek shifted his eyes from me to Sofia. “I don’t trust him.”

I was half-hoping that my daughter would take my side, but she eyed me warily and said. “Neither do I.”

I was surprised by the effect her disapproval had on me. From Lily and Madeline’s stories, I realized that Derek had many times proven that he was worthy of Sofia’s trust. He had turned his back on his own father, saved her many times—risked his own life to face Borys Maslen in his own turf just to rescue Sofia. She had reason to believe that he loved her.

What have I done for her other than order her around and exert authority over her just because my blood runs through her?

Sofia wasn’t giving Derek her blind trust like I thought she was. She wasn’t somehow brainwashed or blinded by love. He had done what he had to do to earn her loyalty.

I, on the other hand, had done nothing. My daughter had become a beautiful, strong young woman throughout her stay at The Shade. I certainly wasn’t the person to thank for what she’d become.

But then, who was?

I eyed Derek from head to foot and grimaced. No matter what he had done for my daughter, I couldn’t swallow down the thought of ever owing him anything.

If there’s someone I need to thank for the beauty and strength of spirit I see in Sofia, it’s certainly not him.

CHAPTER 39: GREGOR

She’s alive. My precious Vivienne is alive.

I couldn’t believe my eyes, but it was true. She was right there in front of me, smiling at me. My only daughter was alive. Seeing her beautiful smile—the same smile that brought me through some of the darkest nights of the past five hundred years—made me break down in tears.

I never forgave myself for what I had allowed myself to do to her so long ago, when I let Borys Maslen get his hands on her and claim her as his betrothed. No other event in my life made me feel weaker and with less of a backbone than when Borys arrived to take her and I couldn’t do anything but cower in his presence.

I should’ve fought for her. I should’ve done everything in my power to keep him from taking her, but I was unable to do anything about it. He took her, he broke her, and if it weren’t for Derek saving her, I probably never would’ve seen her again.

Derek never forgave me for it. I never forgave myself for it, but Vivienne did. She was the one thing keeping our family together and when we thought her dead, we fell apart. Lucas lost his life at the struggle in The Oasis and Derek and I were very much willing to kill each other, but I spent the past centuries trying to make it up to my daughter, trying to be a good father, a good ruler, listening to her wise counsel.

I was lost without her and now that she was back, I once again gained hope that perhaps things would be as they used to be.

Vivienne’s soft hands began brushing through my hair as I sobbed over the edge of the bed, kneeling on the floor beside her. She remained still until I could gather my composure and actually look at her through tear-filled eyes.

“Vivienne… I never thought I’d see you again. What have they done to you?” She was obviously not as beautiful, perfect and vibrant as she used to be. I could barely speak the words out. I knew she was in pain and I hated the feeling of not being able to do anything about it.

“I’m alright, Father,” she assured me. She struggled to sit up on the bed and I quickly helped her, fluffing up the pillows behind her so she could sit comfortably.

No other person in the world could make my heart melt the way Vivienne did. I blinked away the tears as I sat next to her, putting my arm around her so that she could lean her head on my shoulder.

She snuggled against me and drew a deep breath. We sat silently for a couple of minutes, simply enjoying each other’s company. I reveled in once again holding her in my arms. With her, I felt accepted. While Derek and their mother always made me feel like some sort of disappointment, Vivienne never did. I was her father and she loved me and made sure that I knew it. She was a gift I never thought I could ever have for myself again, and no words could’ve ever expressed how grateful I was that my daughter was alive.

“I didn’t think it was true…” I said as I placed a kiss on her head. “I didn’t think you could’ve survived, but you did.”

“Barely…” She chuckled dryly. “If it weren’t for Sofia, I never would’ve gotten out of the haze they put me in.”

I tightened my jaw at how she attributed her survival to the redhead my son was so madly in love with, the same young woman I hated with every fiber of my being.

“The darkness is coming for her,” was all I managed to say.

At that, Vivienne scoffed. “It’s been after her since the day she was born, Father.”

I didn’t understand fully what she was trying to tell me. When it came to her, I rarely ever did. Finding that any talk of Sofia Claremont—especially when speaking about her in glowing terms—made me sick to my stomach, I decided to change the subject. “Do you know what your brother did to me? He took over ruling The Shade. He overthrew me and put me in prison.”

“I’m sure he had good reason to do it, Father.”

Her words were a blow to my gut. I had forgotten how fiercely loyal she was to her twin. I couldn’t blame her. Derek was the one who risked his life to save her from Borys, not me. He was her savior, while I cowered in fear.

“Father, was the prophecy not clear to you?” she asked as she turned her eyes toward me. “We are supposed to support Derek if our kind is to survive. The Shade and all of its people are his to save and rule, not yours.”