A Castle of Sand (A Shade of Vampire 3)

EPILOGUE: SOFIA

Truth be told, I found it terrifying how much I’d allowed myself to need Derek. While going through the motions of Ben’s burial, having to look Lyle, Amelia and Abby in the eye and tell them what had happened, Derek was there for me, holding my hand, being strong when I was not.

Since the first night of our arrival at Hawk Headquarters, he’d not dared take a drink of my blood again. It was clear to see how guilt-ridden he was over the whole encounter. Aiden had been providing him with packets of animal blood to keep him from starving. Still, it didn’t escape my notice how he often swallowed hard whenever we touched.

I knew he was tormented about something, but he was in a world all on his own, and nothing I did seemed to be able to penetrate through his walls—not the same way I was able to before.

It felt like he was slipping away from me…a sandcastle being washed away by cruel, violent waves.

But Derek wasn’t the only reason for the chaos in my heart and mind. The mysteries of my past were about to unravel full force and I was completely unprepared for it. Tossing and turning in my bed, dreams reminded me of memories I’d tucked away, deep in my subconscious.

I was listening to the pitter-patter of the rain over our roof, watching droplets form on my bedroom window. I was delighted to hear the familiar growl of a vehicle pulling up in our gravel driveway. I knew what that sound meant. Mommy’s home.

I loved my babysitter, but there was nothing like cuddling against the familiar contours of my mother’s body. I always thought of her as the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.

But when I saw her face that night, I could immediately tell that something was different about her. She wasn’t looking at me with delight. She was looking at me the same way I did the cookies stashed in one of the kitchen jars.

“Hello, baby,” she greeted me before pushing my bedroom door wide open. “I want you to meet someone.”

A man stepped in. I didn’t know who he was, but I was immediately terrified at the sight of him. He stared at me and I wanted to shrink away from his gaze. “What’s her name? How old is she?”

“Sofia. She’s nine years old.”

“She’s young, but she’ll do.”

I couldn’t make much sense of what had happened next. All I knew was that he took me in his arms and bit my neck. I lost consciousness from the pain. When I woke up, my mother and the man were gone. Only my father was there and I felt sicker than I’d ever been in my life.

“Shh, Sofia…” My father tried to calm me, terrified by my burning fever—a fever that should’ve already killed me. “You’re going to be alright. Daddy’s here for you. Daddy will always be here for you.”

I woke from my dream and sat up, utterly confused…but then the pieces of the puzzle suddenly came together all at once, and the realization hit me full force: I should be a vampire. Borys Maslen tried to turn me and it didn’t work. That’s why I was so sick. That’s why Borys kept calling me ‘the immune.’ I checked the space on the bed beside me and found it empty. I ached for Derek’s touch, his strong arms around me, his soothing voice calming my nerves. He wasn’t there.

I then recalled what Vivienne’s memories had revealed to me: they are strongest together. They are weakest apart.

“Derek?!” I cried out.

Panic was beginning to take over, so I sighed with relief when he stepped into the bedroom from the balcony.

“Sofia?” he asked, concern traced in his choked voice.

I said the words before I could think them through. “Turn me into a vampire.”

“What? No! Sofia…we can’t…”

“Do it, Derek. Do it now!”

“Why?”

“Because I can’t be turned. I can never become a vampire. I will never be immortal.”

His blue eyes darkened as he furrowed his brows. “Sofia…why would you…”

“I’m the immune.”