A Shade Of Blood Part 10

After the blackout, things were bound to go downhill and I knew it. The darkness began to consume me and I didn't have enough will left to fight it, so I simply surrendered to it and let myself roll along with the free fall, waiting to hit rock bottom.

The first step down was when I decided that Sofia was no longer my responsibility.

I asked Cameron and Yuri to meet with me right after I attacked Ashley and hit Vivienne. I was in the music room. I kept the lights dim, my fingers playing a sad tune on the grand piano. The knights approached tentatively. Perhaps my face betrayed that I was in no mood for company.

"Find yourselves a seat and tell me what happened. How was it possible that my brother escaped from you both?" I kept playing the sorrowful melody.

Cameron took the lead and made himself comfortable on one of the cushioned benches. Yuri followed soon after. He appeared to be on edge with the way his fingers were twitching as he fumbled with them. I noted then how Yuri never seemed to be at ease when he was around me.

"Well?" I coaxed impatiently. "Speak."

"We found Lucas at Claudia's," Cameron obliged. "Apparently, he'd been hiding out with her all this time. He was quick to escape. Most likely heard us coming and jumped out the window of one of the guest rooms right before we arrived."

"I ran after him..." Yuri chimed in.

"...and Lazaroff was pretty d.a.m.ned fast too. Always has been."

From my peripheral vision, I could make out Cameron glaring at Yuri, as if to tell the younger vampire to let him do all the talking. Of the three of us, Cameron was the oldest both in natural and vampire years. He'd shown me more reverence and respect than Yuri ever did however.

"Yuri caught up with your brother," Cameron continued after a short pause, "but as you may well know, Lucas overpowered him. Had I not caught up in time, the prince would've ripped Yuri's heart out. When Lucas saw me coming, he made a run for it. By the time I reached the port, he'd already knocked out the guards and escaped on one of the speed boats."

"The speed boats?" At that, I abruptly stopped playing a tune. "He didn't take a submarine?"

"The subs are new and far slower than a speed boat. He wouldn't have known how to run the submarines," Yuri explained. "He hasn't shown any interest in navigating the subs anyway."

"So he went out of the island in broad daylight?" I turned on my bench so that I was facing them. "He'll die for sure..."

"I wouldn't bet all my marbles on it." Cameron chuckled. "If there's anything I admire about your brother, it's his will to survive."

Cameron was right. Knowing my brother, he had a plan up his sleeve that would help him survive even the sun. Not being able to argue with Cameron's reasoning, I had to ask, "Why was Yuri there?"

"He was the one who tipped me off that Lucas was at Claudia's."

I eyed Yuri thoughtfully. I didn't know why I was surprised. I just thought that after all those centuries, the strange thing Claudia and Yuri had going on between them was over. I never fully understood the dynamic of their relationship or Yuri's blatant outward disdain, and yet seeming fascination, of Claudia.

"How exactly did you come about this information?"

Yuri gave me a response a long-winded one, as he was inclined to do. His explanation escaped me however, because my mind quickly drifted off to Sofia's welfare. To say that I didn't care what happened to her was a lie. The thought of any danger befalling her sickened me. I knew that if Lucas survived and he most likely would he would pose a formidable threat to her life. If he wasn't aware that Sofia was no longer at The Shade, he still had plenty of time and means to find out that Sofia was no longer under my protection.

Part of me wanted to heed to Vivienne's coaxing to go after her, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. My ego couldn't possibly bear the thought of traipsing around the mainland in search of some teenager. Sofia chose to leave, knowing full well that upon leaving The Shade, she would no longer be under my protection. If Lucas went after her, that was her cross to bear. Not mine. She ceased to become my obligation the moment she chose to escape.

"So? What do we do now?" Cameron inquired.

I had to blink several times to snap out of my reverie and focus my attention back on the case at hand. "I want Claudia arrested and put on trial."

Yuri's eyes widened. "Sir, with all due respect, no Elite has ever been tried for a crime in all of The Shade's history. It's unheard of."

"It's either I put her on trial or I kill her for defying me. She spat on my face when she kept my brother from me when I so clearly demanded that he be delivered to my hands. I cannot stand for that if I am to rule."

"Derek..." Cameron slightly stood to try and reason with me.

I turned away from them. "Have it done immediately. The trial starts tomorrow." I continued playing the piano. It signaled that our conversation was over and that I no longer needed anything from them.

My next stumble down was when I removed everything that could possibly remind me of Sofia.

I paid Ashley a visit inside the room she shared with the girls not long after Cameron and Yuri left. She was still unconscious.

"Why hasn't she healed? Hasn't she been fed any blood?" I asked, staring at her limp form. I searched for a sense of guilt, but found none of it. Instead, I found that the urge to suck her dry was overwhelming. It was in my nature to kill and the predator in me craved for more of her.

"I fed her my blood, your majesty," Kyle began to explain. "It takes time for it to take effect."

I found this daunting. The several times I had to heal Sofia with my blood, she healed almost instantly. I shrugged it off. Sofia's different. I knew that from the moment I first saw her. My gut turned at the longing I had for Sofia and the hunger I felt for Ashley.

My eyes began to focus on the area of Ashley's neck that I sank my teeth into. The pain inside the hunger was almost unbearable.

"Get her out of my house." The command came out deep and threatening.

Kyle's eyes fell on me. "Sir?"

"You heard me. Get her out of here. Take her to your house. I don't care. I won't be able to keep myself from devouring her if she's kept here."

Kyle nodded, immediately understanding what I was trying to say. "The other girls?"

"Take them too. Have Sam take one or both under his wing. I just want them out of here."

I motioned to leave the room, wanting to distance myself from Ashley as soon as possible before I lost all sense of self-control. With all the strength I had left, I stopped and gave Kyle one final instruction.

"Destroy the Sun Room. I want it to be bare and stripped of everything that's in it. Make it a blank canva.s.s once again. I don't want anything left in this house to remind me of her."

Vivienne was right. I'd succ.u.mbed to the darkness. As I sat in my place at the Great Dome, in preparation for Claudia's trial, the one emotion that still connected me to my humanity was the guilt. It never left me. I knew that the moment I let go of the guilt, I'd be a lost cause. The temptation to ease my pain by switching off the emotion was strong, but I couldn't do that to myself. I couldn't let myself lose what little was left of my humanity no matter how painful it was.

Claudia was brought to the stand. To say that she looked unrepentant was an understatement. She looked outright livid, with her eyes glaring golden fire at me.

Eli, who was to head the proceedings, nervously shuffled on his feet as he took his place beside Claudia. He kept stealing glances at her, as if he were afraid that she might suddenly just pounce on him. With Claudia looking like an angry lioness and Eli a nervous, shivering mouse, it seemed highly possible that Claudia would end up devouring the thin, lanky vampire.

"Let's get this done with, shall we?" I initiated. My eyes fell on the empty seat where Vivienne was supposed to be. Where the h.e.l.l, is she? I made a mental note to seek her out right after the trial.

Eli began to make the introductory remarks, announcing the purpose for the trial and what Claudia was being charged against. For the most part, it was clear that none of us were sure of what to do. It'd been centuries since a person was last tried at The Shade. This was the first time a member of the Elite had been on trial.

Eli's jaw was twitching when he finished his introductions and turned toward the defendant. "How do you plead?"

"Not guilty." Claudia kept her eyes straight on me.

My brow rose. "You deny keeping my brother within your home?"

"No."

"Were you aware that I, your prince and superior, gave a command that he be surrendered to my custody by any citizen of The Shade whom he came into contact with?"

"Yes, I was aware."

"Then how are you not guilty? Is it not clear that you defied me?"

"Let's stop playing this charade, your royal highness," she hissed. "All of us know that you left The Shade with no laws before you went on your drowsy four-hundred-year retreat. You cannot charge me with a crime when there are no laws to break."

I leaned an elbow over the armrest of the leather recliner I was rested on. One corner of my lips rose in an amused half-smile. "You see that's where you're wrong, Claudia. In this island, there is but one law and you broke it. The word of those who rule over you and in my father's absence... that word is mine." I scoped every member of the Elite present in that room. "Mark my words. In The Shade, for as long as I rule, my word is law. Those who defy it will suffer the consequences. Does anyone dare object?"

The silence was electrifying. I was fully expecting Claudia to stand up for herself, but to my surprise, she cowered back. I smirked. Even lionesses fear the king of the pride.

"Is there anyone here who would like to speak on the defendant's behalf?" I called out.

Claudia didn't have an abundance of allies at The Shade, so I wasn't expecting anyone to stand up for her. I was surprised when Yuri stood on her behalf. Of all the people I could've expected to say something to save Claudia's neck, it certainly wasn't him.

Yuri took the stand, glaring at Claudia before addressing me. "It's no secret to this kingdom how much this wench and I detest each other. I find it sickening just to stand here alongside her. However, it's also no secret to this kingdom that if there's one citizen on this island who was ever able to stand being around her, it was your highness' older brother, Lucas." He paused for a breath and gave Claudia a pointed look.

It was a strange thing to see how Claudia's eyes moistened with tears. I found myself all the more intrigued by the story behind Claudia and Yuri's strange relationship.

"We cannot excuse her blatant defiance of your majesty, the prince, but I stand here appealing to mercy rather than to justice. We became the Elite, because we bled together in battle. We stood as brothers and sisters, as a family during the worst of times. Lucas was such to Claudia a friend perhaps, a lover maybe, family at best. Must we really punish her for trying to protect the one person at The Shade she can consider her ally?"

My response to Yuri's plea would cause wild commotion and I knew it. "I find your words moving," I addressed him, "however, defiance is defiance and I will not stand for it. Unless someone can give me a more substantial reason to give her reprieve, she will serve as a warning to everyone in the kingdom." I stood to my full height to give my words further emphasis. "I will no longer be defied by anyone."

I saw fear in Claudia's eyes. It was a rare thing to see her tremble and I relished every second of it.

"I sentence her to thirty lashes and six months in the Cells effective immediately."

The result was chaos, but I was able to accomplish what I set out to do. The message was sent loud and clear. The Shade was no longer a lawless kingdom. I was the law.

CHAPTER 24: SOFIA.

I was running through The Shade's dark, misty woods. I was cut up and bruised. I could taste blood on my lips. Tears were streaming down my cheeks. A dark presence was after me. Hope surged within me when I saw the clearing that would lead to my escape. I was going to make it. I sped up, desperate to find safety. Any hope I had was replaced by terror when I fell over the edge of a large, dark pit and right into the bowels of it. My gag reflex was immediately triggered by the stench, the sight, the silence and the sense of being surrounded by death. I was surrounded by countless corpses, some of which were familiar, dearly beloved faces. Ashley. Paige. Rosa. Sam. Kyle. Ben. Me.

My entire body was tense. I couldn't move a single muscle, but I was keenly aware of the uncontrollable tremble of my body.

"Sofia?"

I felt Ben's arms wrap around me from behind, his breath hot and erratic against the back of my neck. I thought for a moment that he was seeking to give me comfort and I found myself leaning my back against him. I was wrong. I realized that he too was shaking... more profusely than I was.

I slowly regained control of my own body and after a few minutes, lying there, the tremors of our forms molding against each other, I was able to roll over on the bed so that I was facing him. I still couldn't shake the aftershock of my dreadful dream, so instead of attempting to soothe him, I drew close, leaning my cheek against his broad shoulder.

It took what felt like hours before our bodies stopped shaking. I felt his heartbeat against my face. It slowed down from its quick, erratic beats to its normal steady pace. I gasped. His hand was over my thigh, hiking up my hips, my nightshift rising along with his palm. He lifted me higher over the bed so that our faces were parallel to each other's. His lips were then on me. First, the corner of my lips, my jaw, my neck, my shoulder... I was froze as his hands traveled my body... the way Lucas' hands did.

"Ben..." I croaked.

He didn't respond with words. Instead, his mouth found mine and I could no longer speak, no longer object. Eventually, I pushed him away.

"No... Ben, we can't do this."

His eyes met mine and I was stunned to find anger blazing in them. "Do you have any idea how many times she used me?"

Claudia. She was a dark cloud always hanging over him.

"How many times did he use you?"

"Never." I recalled all the nights I spent in Derek's bed. "He never even laid a hand on me." I was taken aback by that realization. I couldn't remember a single time that Derek ever touched me while I was in his bed... at least never in a sensual manner. There was always this safe distance between us.

But then came the memory of lying on his bed, with my hands pinned above my head, Derek holding me down by the wrists. It was the first time he ever did something like that to me since the incident at the Sanctuary upon his waking. I had to admit that Derek wasn't as blemish-free as my infatuation wanted to paint him.

"We can't keep doing this." I shook my head and got off the bed.

"Can't keep doing what?"

"Sleeping in the same bed. Not if we want to pursue a relationship... We're treading dangerous waters."

"You never had a problem sleeping in one bed with him..."

"Where is this coming from?" My hands rose in the air in utter frustration. I shook my head empathically. "You know what? Forget it. I'm going to do you a favor and forget this happened. I'm going back to my room."

From outside Ben's window, I could see faint hues of violets and reds, signaling the break of dawn. It was the morning of our first date. We set our date on the weekend after we decided to give our relationship a shot a couple of days ago. This certainly wasn't a great way to kick start our first date. I snuck out of my room and returned to mine. Sleep escaped me and I spent what was left of the dark staring outside my window, watching the sun rise.

During breakfast, it was clear from the bags under his eyes that Ben didn't get much sleep either. True to my word, I was determined to forget what happened earlier that morning, blaming it on some adverse reaction he had to whatever nightmares still managed to plague him. So I smiled at him and playfully punched him on the shoulder before placing a plate of French toast in front of him. He gave me a surprised look, but it seemed he was relieved that there wasn't a weird tension between us as a result of what happened.

"You two are up early..." Lyle commented as he took a sip of his coffee, his eyes set on the news article he was reading on his tablet. "It's a Sat.u.r.day. You're teenagers. Aren't you supposed to be sleeping in?"

Amelia and Abby were still in bed. They always slept in during weekends.

I just smiled as I dabbed b.u.t.ter and strawberry jam over my French toast. "Maybe we're not your ordinary teenagers, Lyle."

He gave me a lingering stare... enough to bother me. It was as if he knew something about me that even I didn't know.

I lifted the fork I was holding mid-air. "What?"

He shook his head. "It's nothing, Sofia."

"Actually..." Ben drawled as he poured a generous dollop of maple syrup over his toast "...Sofia just couldn't wait to wake up so she can spend some time with me."

I wanted to stop my cheeks from reddening, but they did anyway. I couldn't ignore the way Lyle shifted glances from Ben to me and back. Lyle was soft-spoken and mostly kept to himself. I rarely heard him raise his voice. Even when he was scolding his children, he did it in a calm, almost eerie, voice that made him sound actually far more threatening than Amelia's shrill diatribes.

"You two ought to be careful." Lyle warned, his face stoic, his voice flat. "Whatever is going on between the two of you," he set his eyes on Ben, "I think we know that your mother isn't yet ready to consider the idea of you being together. Tread lightly."

"Yeah, Dad... Sure thing..." Ben had that deer-caught-in-headlights look about him.