“When was the last time you saw Camilla Claremont, Sofia?” Gregor continued to pry. “Did you actually ever even see her in an insane asylum? Or is that just the story you’re weaving to cover up your connection to the Maslens?”

“That’s not…I’m not connected to the Maslens.” My voice was weak, Gregor’s words shaking me up. The idea of my mother being anywhere but inside an asylum was already too much for me to even comprehend. The thought that she was a vampire was something I was certain would drive me insane if I entertained it.

I kept my eyes on Derek’s, wondering what was going through his mind. If Ingrid really was my mother, I wondered if he could ever look at me the same way again. He was slipping away from me and I could feel it and the worst part of it all was that I actually had no clue whether or not Gregor was telling the truth.

Derek gave me a hurt and confused look. “Sofia…is it possible that Ingrid Maslen is your mother?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted, my heart sinking as I did. “Aiden and Camilla Claremont are my parents, but apart from Vivienne’s memories, I’ve never heard of Ingrid Maslen before I came to The Shade. You have to believe me, Derek.”

“Why would you believe her, huh? For all we know, the only reason she came back might be because her mother sent her, so that they could destroy The Shade or perhaps even take over. She might be their inside person.”

I looked into Derek’s eyes, wondering if it were possible for him to actually believe that I would betray him in that way. I couldn’t read the expression on his face and the realization made my heart drop. “Derek…” was all I managed to say, searching for some sort of assurance that he was going to side with me, that he loved me still. I found none. All I could see was the blank expression on his face as the wheels inside his mind churned the information he’d just been given, perhaps wondering what he was supposed to do with it.

His hands formed into fists and his muscles tensed at the motion. He took a step away from me and that was all he needed to do to make me feel like I’d totally lost him. Tears began streaming down my eyes as I looked into his eyes, desperate to find words to get him back to me.

“Get her back on the pole,” Gregor ordered the guards. “She’s guilty of inciting rebellion within The Shade. That’s the sentence for rebellion.”

“No.” Derek shook his head and looked at me. “Did you know about the plan to hold a revolt?”

My heart sank. I couldn’t lie. “Yes, but…”

The betrayed expression on his eyes tore me apart.

“Derek…please…”

“She admits her guilt.” Gregor chuckled. “You never should’ve trusted her.”

“Her knowledge of the rebellion makes her guilty.” Derek nodded. His words were said with a tone of resignation. “The Shade’s law dictates that any involvement in such a rebellion is to be met with a punishment of fifty lashes.”

“That’s it then!” Gregor exclaimed triumphantly.

The guards grabbed hold of me and began dragging me back to the pole. I couldn’t control my sobs. I knew that my sandcastle would totally collapse one day, but I never would’ve guessed that it would be in this way.

They were about to bind my wrists over the pole. I’d completely lost all hope when Derek called out, “Wait!” My heart stopped. “I cannot go against the law, which clearly dictates that she is to be punished for her actions, but the law also states that a citizen of The Shade can volunteer to take on the punishment of another citizen upon himself. I will take on her sentence.”

What he said caused such a commotion among the crowd, we were barely able to hear Gregor’s angry protests.

“No!” he cried out, when the murmurs of the crowd eventually died down.

I adored Derek too much at that moment to even bother looking at Gregor, but the king of The Shade sounded livid.

“You will do no such thing! A vampire taking on a human rebel’s sentence is unheard of. You’re the prince of The Shade! You will not do this. I forbid it!”

Ignoring his own father, Derek pulled his shirt over his head and threw it on the ground. “Let’s get this over with.”

He approached me, giving me a look that made me feel like I was the most precious creature on earth. I still couldn’t control my tears as he stood right in front of me. “You had me scared to death…” I confessed.

“Did you really think I could just stand here and let them hurt you?” he told me.

Though relieved as I was being spared the ridiculous punishment the king was meting out on us, the idea of having to watch Derek take on the punishment meant for me was frightening. “I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

He gently brushed a hand through my tangled hair. “Don’t worry about me, Sofia. I can take it. I heal, remember?” He then pressed his lips against my forehead. “Just do me a favor and leave. I don’t want you to see this.”

I shook my head. “No. You wouldn’t have to go through this if it weren’t for me.”

“The thought of you seeing this will only make the experience more painful, Sofia. Please…”

“I can’t leave you. I wouldn’t know where to go or how to bear being alone. If you have to go through this, Derek, if there’s no other way, then we have to learn to go through things together. No matter how painful…”

He kissed me full on the mouth before finally glaring defiantly at Gregor who seemed to have gone mad, not knowing what to do about the whole thing. He’d already run out of aces against me—against us—and he knew it. Derek approached the pole and as they bound him to it, that’s when I got a good look at the whip they were going to use.

A lump formed on my throat at the sight of it. When the first blow on Derek’s bare back was made, I could barely breathe. I waited for the dark, ugly welt on his back to heal, but it didn’t. Another lash was inflicted and still, he didn’t heal.

Murmurs and whispers began to float across the crowd as the onlookers were beginning to wonder why he wasn’t healing.

All I could think about was that he told me he would heal, and it wasn’t happening and with every blow, I felt worse and worse. By the tenth blow, Derek’s skin broke and blood was drawn. Every single blow that followed drew even more blood, creating a mess out of the flesh on his back. Halfway through, I couldn’t look anymore. At some point, I wanted to throw myself at him and just take the punishment myself, but I knew that doing so would’ve made all that he was doing be in vain.

It was at this point that Ashley stepped by my side and squeezed my hand. She drew me to her embrace and held me close as I flinched through the sound of every crack of that whip.

After the fiftieth lash was inflicted, an electric silence filled the atmosphere. I wondered what was going through everyone’s mind, but no one moved.

“It’s over, Sofia,” Ashley whispered into my ear.

I pried myself away from her and willed myself to look at Derek. His back was barely recognizable and I noticed the confusion on everyone’s faces—especially the vampires. The question on everyone’s mind remained the same: Why wasn’t he healing?

Derek was supposed to be the most powerful vampire of his time, revered by everyone at The Shade. He was practically untouchable, and from Gregor’s own proclamation, he was only recently able to singlehandedly take down five of Felix’s best men.

However, at that moment, he hung motionless over the pole, unconscious.

I trembled as I approached him. Cameron and Liana following. The guards untied Derek’s wrists and he slumped to the ground. Cameron came in time to catch his limp form.

“What’s going on? Why isn’t he healing?” I asked, unable to keep the alarm from my voice.

“Let’s take him to Corrine’s,” Liana said.

“Not so fast!” Gregor said, menace lacing his words. “There are four other rebels who haven’t yet met their punishments.”

I drew a breath as I looked at Gavin, Ian and the two other Naturals who were caught with me. If Derek wasn’t able to take the blows, then how on earth would they survive?

“They won’t be able to handle it. They’re going to die…”

Cameron shook his head as his eyes met with Liana’s. It was as if they had some sort of telepathic communication, because Liana worriedly said, “Cam…” But then she paused and nodded.

Cameron stood to his feet. “As a show of loyalty to Derek Novak, I’ll take on the punishment of one of the rebels.”

Xavier stepped forward from the crowd and nodded. “I’ll do the same.”

Eli and Yuri Lazaroff followed and so did at least half a dozen others of the Elite. It was clear to see who it was that held the real power at The Shade, and it definitely wasn’t Derek’s father. My spirits soared on behalf of Derek, but I was more concerned about getting him the medical treatment he so desperately needed.

Corrine approached us. “Let’s get him to Sanctuary. I think Cameron, Xavier and the rest of the Elite are more than capable of handling matters here. Let’s get the prince taken care of, shall we?”

Sam, Kyle and Ashley were soon by our side as we hauled Derek out of there.

At the Sanctuary, we discovered why he wasn’t healing.

“He was administered a suppression serum before he showed up,” Corrine explained. “I’m thinking he already had a confrontation with his father even before he came to the town square. Perhaps that’s what they were talking about when Gregor mentioned him taking Felix’s men down.”

“So he knew he wouldn’t heal?” I asked, my voice choked. “And yet he still went through this.”

Corrine shrugged. “I guess he loves you that much.”

CHAPTER 30: DEREK

When I woke up, the first person I saw was Sofia, staring at me with wide-eyed concern. Despite the excruciating pain on my back, I had to smile at the sight of her. “Hey there…” I greeted softly.