“Don’t call her that.”

“Always so defensive when it comes to pretty little Sofia…that’s what everyone calls her, Derek.”

“Go away, Claudia.” I turned toward the direction of my room, but Claudia wasn’t done.

“You’re turning the island upside down on her behalf. What do you plan to do when she leaves you?”

“She’s not going to do that.”

“She’s human, Derek. What exactly do you think is going to happen? Would she really want to stay here forever? Age into an old lady, wrinkled and decrepit, still pining for you? Do you really think that little firebrand of yours won’t want to accomplish something for herself? Doesn’t she have any dreams and ambitions of her own to fulfill? She may be an immature teenager obsessed with you and ready to give in to your wanton needs, but she’s going to grow up eventually. You know it. I know it.”

I had no idea why I just stood there, allowing Claudia to mess with my mind using her winding spiel, but I did. Claudia was voicing out my own fears and I didn’t have an answer to any of the questions she was throwing my way.

“If she wanted to be with you, Derek, she would’ve allowed you to turn her.”

“If she didn’t want to be with me, she wouldn’t have given up her whole life outside of the island just to come back here to me.”

“Oh come on…that doesn’t prove anything. For all we know, the only reason she might be here is because she wants to be some sort of hero to her fellow humans.”

“She could’ve done that outside The Shade, Claudia.” I felt a spark of triumph as I realized once again just how much Sofia had given up to be with me. “She knows where The Shade is. Vivienne gave her the exact location, the exact coordinates. She could’ve destroyed us all, but she didn’t.” Because she loves me. I smiled.

“She doesn’t deserve you, Derek…” Claudia still tried. “She’s just…”

“No. I don’t deserve her. Yet she is mine out of her own choice and I am hers. You have no idea what she’s given up for me and what I’m willing to give up for her. For your own good, Claudia, whatever this is that you’re trying to pull, stop before you sorely regret it.”

The victory that I felt when Claudia left was inexplicable. I’d been so worried about the future, about losing Sofia, I failed to make her stay at The Shade worth everything she gave up. Stop acting like a whiny teenager, Novak. Man up and be the kind of man a girl like Sofia Claremont deserves.

I might not have realized it then, but something clicked inside me. It was at that point that I decided to do anything for Sofia—no matter the cost. I will fight for her.

CHAPTER 24: CLAUDIA

That didn’t exactly work out as planned. The idea was to drive a wedge between Derek and Sofia, but it seemed all I managed to do was make Derek realize just how much the redhead loved him.

Of course, the trip wasn’t entirely in vain. My suspicions were correct. Ben was no longer on the island. I couldn’t find him anywhere, and based on what Derek had told me, it seemed he’d been gone for quite some time already. I can’t believe I didn’t know. I always just assumed that he had my boy hidden somewhere on the island.

My suspicions were solidified the moment Derek said, “…she wouldn’t have given up her whole life outside of the island just to come back here to me.”

If my conclusions were correct, Ben and Sofia had already been outside the island after their captivity. Only Sofia came back. I knew then the message that I was going to relay to Lucas. I was about to find a scout in order to relay a note to Natalie Borgia, but just as I was about to head off to the port, Yuri Lazaroff showed up.

The same strange mixture of irritation and affection came over me. I owed the handsome young man so much more than I was willing to admit. Though I couldn’t relate to Derek and his lunacy over the redheaded human, I could relate to the feeling that I didn’t deserve the person I loved. I would rather die than admit it to anyone at The Shade, but I’d always been in love with Yuri, a man I knew I would never in a million years deserve.

“What are you up to, Claudia?” Yuri asked, giving me an irritated glare.

“You’re stalking me again, Lazaroff?” I frowned at him.

“I told you I’d keep an eye on you.”

“Why?” I seductively purred at him—something I knew he detested. “Are you ready to admit how in love you are with me?”

I expected a wisecrack from him, so I was surprised when he just looked at me with a long, meaningful gaze. “Why do you do this, Claudia? You’re no longer a whore. Why must you keep on acting like one?”

“Once a whore, always a whore, Yuri. Do you have any idea why I got out of prison so quickly?” I was recently imprisoned at the Cells for defying Derek during a council meeting. That was before Gregor came back and Derek was still acting like an insane darklord.

Yuri’s lip twitched as he obviously steeled himself to what I was about to say. He was the only person in the world that I was certain cared enough about me to be bothered with what I was about to say. “Enlighten me.”

“Your noble and valiant prince came to my cell to lay with me. He shortened my sentence right after…”

Yuri’s fists clenched. “Claudia…I…”

“Save me your pity and your righteous indignation, Yuri.”

“Derek was in a dark place then. I’m sure he didn’t mean to offer you payment for…”

“For what, Yuri?” I cut him off. “My services?! I can’t believe you’re defending him!”

“Come on, Claudia…you’ve done a lot of screwed up things over the years—a lot of which all of us turned a blind eye to and forgave you for. When are you going to stop playing the part of a victim?”

“Of course you’d side with him.”

“Well, did he force you to bed, Claudia, or did you willingly give yourself to him like you usually do to all men?”

Before I could stop myself from doing it, I slapped him across the face. Never before had I endured a conversation with Yuri as emotionally charged as this one—not since the night he rescued me from the Duke.

Yuri never did shy away from the truth when it came to me. He never treated me like some fragile flower soiled by the hands of the people who sold me into prostitution as a child. He told me things as they were, told me that I could rise up from my past and be better. The reason we could never be together was because I believed that I was irreparable and he didn’t share the same convictions. Being with him meant constantly disappointing him just by being who I was. A whore with a broken, twisted mind.

“When will you learn not to mess with Derek, Claudia?” he asked.

I shook my head. “The prince is going to get his comeuppance someday, Yuri. Just wait and see.”

“Claudia…” Yuri called after me.

“You’re not my conscience, Yuri. Just leave me alone.” The moment I said the words, I realized just how miserable my life would be if he actually ever did leave me alone. I then scoffed at the notion. When have you ever been not miserable, Claudia? I heaved a sigh and nodded resolutely. Revenge was my source of euphoria. I’m going to make Derek Novak just as miserable as I am. Misery, after all, loves company.

Several minutes later, a confidential message was sent to Natalie Borgia to relay to Lucas, perhaps the only vampire I knew who embraced the wicked side of me. My message was simple.

Ben Hudson is no longer on the island. Find him and use him as an ace against Sofia.

CHAPTER 25: SOFIA

Insane was the only way to describe what they were planning to do.

I had no clue where Gavin was taking me when he told me about “what’s really happening here at the Catacombs,” but I certainly wasn’t expecting us to walk into a room—or in The Catacomb’s case, a cave—occupied by over a dozen young men and women—most of which couldn’t have been any older than I was. All eyes focused on us as we walked in and I began tugging on Gavin’s sleeve.

“What’s going on, Gavin?” I mumbled.

“Yeah, Gav…” One of the young men nodded. “What’s going on? What’s the prince’s pet doing here?” At the sight of him, the first thing I noticed was the scar that lined his face from the middle of his forehead to his left cheekbone. It was clear to see that he held some sort of authority in the group.

“Relax, Ian. We can trust her. She won’t rat us out.”

“And I’m supposed to take your word for it?” Ian challenged.

Gavin shrugged and nodded. “Yes.”

Ian shifted his focus on me. “Why should we trust you? For all we know, the prince allowed you to live here in The Catacombs to spy on us.”

I chuckled dryly. “Yes. That’s me. A spy.” I rolled my eyes as I made myself comfortable on one of the vacant wooden chairs in the room. “Spying on the humans here in The Catacombs is the last thing on Derek’s mind.”

“Derek? So you’re on a first name basis with him?”

“Yes.” I nodded. “How is that a problem?”

“It’s not…it’s just that the last time I’ve heard a human refer to a vampire from the Elite on a first name basis was Anna.”

My stomach turned at the information I was given, but I turned my thoughts to other things. “What exactly is going on here?”

Gavin leaned back in his seat and looked at our companions. “These fools are planning a revolt.”

Murmurs and protests filled the room as the group made it known how indignant they were that Gavin would just blurt their secret out like that.

I was staring at them like they’d gone bat crazy. “A revolt?” I asked, after the murmurs subsided. “Against the vampires? That’s insanity.”

“That’s exactly what I told them.” Gavin shrugged.