I paused, keeping my eyes on her. That information alone commanded my respect. No wonder she speaks to me as she does. If she was Cora’s descendent, it was better to keep her as ally rather than foe. I heaved a sigh, not quite sure I wanted to hear the answer to my next question.
“What century is it?”
“The twenty-first.”
I removed my gaze from her as I let that information register. Four hundred years. I escaped for four hundred years.
Corrine began circling me like a damned vulture. I could sense her distrust. She was scrutinizing me, perhaps wondering what my awakening meant for the Blood Shade.
I wanted to tell her that it meant nothing, because I fully intended to escape from it all over again. But there were so many questions running through my mind, although I was uncertain if I really wanted to hear the answers to them.
“Why am I awake?”
“It’s simply time.”
I clenched my fists. “Time for what?”
“For Derek Novak to stop acting like a coward and face what he was meant to do. Rule.”
My jaw tightened, my teeth gritted. “I didn’t ask for this.”
“Neither did any of us, but if his highness is entertaining any notions of going back to his dreamy reprieve, then I suggest you forget them now, Prince. Until you’ve played your part, there’s no means of escape. Cora made certain of that.”
“What do you mean…”
Before I could finish my question, the double doors made of fine acacia swung open and my older brother, Lucas, and my twin sister, Vivienne, strode into the chamber.
Lucas gave me a curt nod. I nodded back. That was the closest we ever got to showing each other brotherly affection.
Vivienne, on the other hand, threw her arms around my neck, whispering how glad she was that I was finally awake.
I couldn’t keep myself from telling her exactly what I felt. “That makes one of us.”
And then it happened. I could feel my gut clench in an excruciating twist. The smell was overwhelming – practically intoxicating. When I saw them, I couldn’t help but wonder whose idea it was to bring about this sort of cruelty upon my wake.
As my sister stepped aside to allow me full view, I remembered everything. I remembered why it was so important for me to stay asleep.
Five beautiful young women – innocents – no older than I was when I became a vampire, stood before me. I could sense their fear and the predator in me was desperate for release. I hated myself for it, but I wanted nothing more than to suck every last drop of blood out of every single one of them.
CHAPTER 5: SOFIA
My eyes were glued to the young man Vivienne was embracing only moments ago. There was no question in my mind that it was him. He was the one Vivienne told Lucas that I was here for. He was the one the guards and servants were whispering about. He was Derek Novak.
Soon after Vivienne left me inside the dungeon, guards arrived to bring me to another area of the place they called the Blood Shade. I and several other women around my age were brought out of a network of underground caves they called The Cells. I assumed it was the Shade’s prison system of sorts. My first instinct was to try to figure out where we were.
All I saw were the tallest trees I ever laid my eyes on – I assumed they were giant redwoods that I’d read about in books. They surrounded us on all sides except for one – our side – which from what I saw, consisted of a huge mountain range, whose ragged cliffs spelled danger. It was in the intricate cave system of this mountain range that they managed to carve out dungeons that they kept us all in. I was impressed by how they were able to pull it off, but I couldn’t help but wonder if human blood was shed in turning the Cells into a reality.
From the Cells, we were guided through a well-traveled pathway across a dark, murky wood, before we arrived at a very large clearing at the center of what seemed like a massive forest. Whispers from the guards who were escorting us to our destination informed me that we were at “The Vale”. I assumed that it was the Shade’s center of civilization. I guess I could say that it was the Blood Shade’s main town, built up of several structures, whose architectural styles were the likes I’ve never seen before – almost like a mix of modern and Victorian architectural design with certain elements that looked like they just popped out of fantasy or sci-fi movies. I was still marveling at the places we were passing by when they ushered us to a place that reminded me of a spa Ben often dragged me to for massages.
It was at “the spa” that we were pampered, perfumed, and exquisitely dressed in gowns made of fine silk - the kind which I could only dream of ever affording.
We asked several times why we were being treated so, and received no answers at first, until one of the women styling our hair got tired of the questions and replied.
“Rumors are that you girls are to be part of the prince’s harem. All of the Blood Shade’s Elite have harems of their own. You girls are lucky enough to be chosen to serve the legendary Derek Novak himself. That’s all I’m going to say, so you best shut your pretty little mouths up.”
I had so many questions after that. Being a part of anyone’s “harem” sounded terrifying to me, but I knew that prying for more answers would most likely lead someone into trouble. So, I satisfied myself with keeping my ears open to the hushed whispers being exchanged around me. All I gathered was that the prince had been asleep for hundreds of years and that “the vampires” see him as some sort of “savior”.
I also realized that the women dolling us up were all humans. I wondered if they too were kidnapped like I was.