A Shade of Vampire 79 A Game of Death - Bella Forrest Page 0,36
enough power and supernaturals to take down an entire galaxy, if necessary. I didn’t want this journey to end in such a way.
“We lost someone very dear to us,” Derek said. “I’m sure you understand why our patience might sometimes run thin.”
“And you have my sympathy and full support in investigating the girl’s death, no matter where it leads,” Acheron replied. “Thank you for your assistance on the Black Fever issue, as well. Whatever you need, please, do not hesitate to ask, Derek. Sofia.”
He bowed politely and left, closing the door behind him. I heard the guards move, this time, their boots on the marble, their armor jingling rhythmically as they walked away with their Lord Supreme. Something was still foul with this picture, but without any evidence, I had no one to blame. Just lots of questions.
“Sofia, you should know… I think I’ve changed my mind, given recent events,” Derek said after a while. “I may have told Acheron and GASP that we would not bring the troops in to interfere with Vision in any way. But that can change. GASP could come in at full force if we have no other choice in our defense. And you know that, should anything happen to me, or you, or anyone else left in our team… should they attack or hurt us in any way, I will bring GASP down on Visio. All the fire and the fury and the magic necessary, if push comes to shove. I didn’t want things to get to this, but…”
“Nethissis is dead,” I said, standing next to her body. Acheron and Petra hadn’t even looked at the poor girl the whole time they’d been in this room.
“Yes… But for now, we have no culprit. Once we know who is responsible, we’ll discuss an appropriate course of action. I mentioned GASP in case they think of hurting the whole team. That being said, I don’t want anyone else dying here. My quest for the day-walking protein does not have to include you and the rest of the crew, my love. I’ve been thinking about this, too…”
“I know you have. It’s written all over your face.” I sighed as I made my way back to him, wrapping my arms around his neck. “But what would you want us to do?”
“Maybe it’s better if you take Esme and Tristan and Amal away from here. I’ve got enough material and knowledge to work on the protein by myself. At best, the Faulty twins can guide me from afar. We’ve got cameras and comms links.”
“What? And leave you alone here?” I gasped.
Derek nodded slowly. “The protein isn’t worth losing any more lives. But you understand how important it is to me… I want to bring this full circle. After all my struggles, after what happened with Ta’Zan… I need to do this, Sofia, not for myself, but for every other vampire.”
“We’ve lived most of our lives in the night,” I said. “We learned to appreciate what we have. I agree with you, Derek, that none of this is worth dying for. But that doesn’t mean I’m okay with skipping out and leaving you here on Visio to finish this alone.”
I knew how he felt. We’d both found ourselves in the pits of darkness, fighting against our own vampiric conditions. The Shade had been a home and a sanctuary for so long, that most members of our species had grown accustomed to the eternal night. I also knew that others were longing for the sunlight again, especially since Derek’s daywalking ability had come to light. I absolutely understood why Derek wanted to do this.
“I’m sorry. I’m on edge,” I added, peering into his blue eyes.
“We all are. Which is why I think you and the others should get back to The Shade. Whatever this was with Nethissis, I don’t want it happening to anyone else.”
“But we can’t let them outsmart us on this,” I said. “And we certainly can’t leave—not until we find out what happened to Nethissis, anyway. I get what you’re saying, my love, but I don’t see myself leaving you here to your own devices, and I have a feeling the others will feel the same way.”
Derek thought about it for a moment, glancing to the side. There was grief in his eyes. I’d seen it before. There was guilt. But there was also determination. “Let’s get through with this investigation into Nethissis’s death first. Once we know exactly what happened, we can all sit down and have