Something caught in my throat and I found myself momentarily mute. I didn’t have to answer to her for the very same reasons that she herself had just spouted out. Why must I defend myself to her? She’s a nobody here at The Shade. I can bend her according to my own will just as I can everyone else on the island. I caught the thoughts roaming my mind before they could run rampant. Don’t be a fool, Derek. Vivienne sacrificed herself for Sofia and Corrine clearly hinted that the girl is of more importance than you originally thought. She is worth far more than all the humans combined.

I froze and gave her a lingering gaze, taking note of the agitation marring her countenance. She is worth far more than all the citizens of The Shade combined. The thought sent my mind spinning. Having someone mean that much to me brought forth an emotion entirely foreign to me.

“Well?” She was still waiting for an answer from me.

I realized then that I was incapable of giving her the answer she wanted to hear. “What do you expect me to do, Sofia?”

“I don’t know… something! Anything!”

“I’m not all-powerful, Sofia. I can’t stop the vampires from satisfying their cravings and feeding on humans. I can barely stop myself…” I stepped forward, wanting her to understand.

She lifted both hands in the air as if to ward me off. “In the chronicles of The Shade… back at the lighthouse… it was written that the first time most of you shed human blood was at the battle of First Blood. How were you able to survive before then?”

“Animal blood.” I cringed.

“You survived with that before the hunters forced you to take this murderous path… why can’t you do it again?”

“You don’t understand, Sofia. Animal blood nourishes, but never satisfies. Not many can embrace that kind of living.”

“Living?!” She was livid. “How can you call this kind of lifestyle living? You continue to kill even when there’s an alternative to all this bloodshed…”

I couldn’t come up with a defense. I knew that none would satisfy her.

“Is there not a single vampire here living on animal blood alone?”

“Vivienne. She never fed on a human… at least not that I knew of.” I found myself longing for the company of my twin. She would’ve known just the right words to ease my conscience. Then again, perhaps that was what Sofia was for… to drag me away from my excuses and escapes.

“If she was able to do it, why can’t the rest of you?”

“It’s not that easy… You have to understand, Sofia… The vampires will turn on us if we put the fate of humans over them… We can’t just…”

Sofia shook her head. “For a widow to look at her children and find only fear and sorrow because she finds them beautiful … something’s wrong with that and you know it.” She wet her lips and ran a hand through her long red locks. Her eyes momentarily fell on me. “I can’t even look at you right now.”

She began to walk away, into the dark woods.

“Where are you going?” I called after her.

“Anywhere away from you. Don’t follow me.”

Stubborn human … I inwardly groaned, part of me wanting to run after her in hopes of knocking some sense into her, part of me wanting to get away from her, exhausted by the helplessness I felt over the issues she was bringing about. Even I found my defenses hollow and meaningless in light of her arguments.

I watched her form fade into the distance, secure that her affiliation with me would keep her from danger. I never once thought of the welfare of the humans occupying The Shade. They were always a means to an end – the end being keeping our kind safe and satisfied. Standing there, debating with myself whether to run after Sofia, I knew that the humans’ fate would relentlessly haunt me as long as she was around.

I was unable to move from that spot long after she left. Dread enveloped me when I realized: A culling is inevitable. What will she think of me when she finds out?

CHAPTER 45: SOFIA

I followed the pathway through the woods, not exactly certain about where I was going or what I planned to do. I couldn’t control the way my body was trembling or the fact that the pounding in my veins refused to subside. I didn’t even know exactly what or whom I was angry at. Was it Derek, what he was and the many excuses he had for every atrocity committed at The Shade? Or was it me and all the doubts I had over where I stood with him, with this prophecy of Cora’s and what I was supposed to be doing on this mad island?

When I eventually reached the Vale, I was exhausted from my trek. All I could think about was Derek and all the doubts I had about him. What’s wrong with me? How could I care so much about someone like him?

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 bumped into her. Upon seeing the mass 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.