A Shade of Blood (A Shade of Vampire 2)

CHAPTER 10: SOFIA

Night was the only time Ben and I chose to stay indoors. We decided to take a one-bedroom suite at the hotel, considering that as best friends, we’d slept in a single bed without malice dozens of times. For some reason, however, things changed and the idea of sleeping in the same bed as Ben felt uncomfortable, almost like it was a betrayal to Derek.

Back at The Shade, after Lucas killed Gwen, Derek asked me to start sleeping in his bedroom. He was more able to protect me that way. I couldn’t even explain why, but it seemed the most natural thing for us to be in the same room. I expected for some period of adjustment, with a lot of awkwardness; him being a virile, attractive young man and myself being, well, a young woman. I was surprised by how well we adjusted to one another. It was like a dance. We just naturally knew how to move around each other. He got me and I liked to think that I got him too.

I couldn’t understand why, but something changed between Ben and me. The rapport we had was gone. Our interactions felt forced. I assumed that the problem was with me and how my mind kept roaming back to Derek, so I shoved thoughts of my vampire captor out of my head. I had to push away thoughts of how much I missed Derek in order to let Ben in again. It was, after all, how Derek got to me in the first place – when I allowed myself to stop pining for Ben.

As I sat on my side of the bed, lightly bouncing over it as I grabbed a pillow, I huffed and gave Ben a small pout.

“What?” he asked.

“I hate this.”

“Hate what?”

“This! This tension … Since when are we so on edge around each other, Ben?”

The expression in his eyes softened. I knew he couldn’t deny that there was some level of awkwardness, because he had barely spoken to me since our trip down memory lane back at the beach. He sat beside me and grinned as he cocked his head to the side, his blue eyes falling on me. “I don’t understand how you could still appear so fair and pink and soft in spite of the fact that we spent the whole day in the sun.”

“Fair and pink and soft? You make me sound like a pig…”

“No… You’re pretty, Sofia. It’s just weird how you never seem to get sunburn.”

“That also means I never get that perfect tan you have.”

I didn’t realize how much I missed the arrogant grin on his face until I saw it again. “Yes, yes… The sun does love me. How did you describe me that one time?” He squinted an eye at me. “I believe you called me a Greek god…”

I rolled my eyes. “You never do get tired of bringing that up, do you? I was being sarcastic.”

“Riiight… You keep telling yourself that.” A self-satisfied smile formed on his lips as he lay flat on his back over the bed.

It was a glimpse of the Ben that I missed. Fun-loving, easygoing, never one to get all hung up over problems, issues or emotions. I smiled as I watched him fall asleep, and giggled when he once again began to snore. The tension between us having disappeared, I rolled to my side, trying to force myself to fall asleep.

By the stroke of midnight, I gave up trying and silently got up, pulled a robe over my body and quietly took the sealed envelope from the backpack given by the vampires. I didn’t want Ben to know that it contained an envelope addressed to me, because I was hoping that it came from Derek. After everything Ben told me about his experience at The Shade, I didn’t want him finding out about how much I missed Derek. I didn’t want to deal with having to feel guilty that I didn’t have as bad an experience as Ben did back at the island.

Clutching the envelope, I walked out onto the terrace, relishing the cool, evening breeze, carrying with it the distinct taste of salt from the ocean. I opened the brown envelope and found myself fighting back the tears when I saw what was inside.

The package wasn’t from Derek. It was from Corrine, the witch. She’d become a kind of older sister to me during the time we spent together. The package contained the cell phone I used to teach Derek how to use mobile phones, my favorite Polaroid snapshot of us together after I showed him how to use a camera, a silver ring studded with what looked like rubies, and a note that said: The phone and the photo is for you to never forget. The ring is a gift from me. May it help you find your way home. The island is several shades darker without you. We’ll miss your light. Love, Corrine.

I clutched the envelope to my chest. Hardly any time had passed since we left The Shade and I already found the ache within me overwhelming. I wasn’t supposed to feel that way. I was supposed to be thankful that I was one of the few humans who actually made it out of The Shade, but no… all I could think about was how much I wanted to go back.

“Sofia?”

Ben’s voice from behind me caused me to jump back, startled. I quickly wiped the tears away from my face.

“What’s that?”

“It’s… just… it’s… nothing…”

“How could it be nothing? Let me see.” He stepped beside me and gestured for me to hand him over the envelope.

“Don’t get mad.” I handed it over to him, afraid of what his reaction would be – especially over the photo, with me smiling and looking straight at the camera, while Derek’s eyes were set on me.

I could sense Ben tense when he saw what was inside. He handed it right back to me, almost as if he was disgusted by it. “Where did you get that?”

“It came with the backpack.”

“I don’t understand how you can trust him.”

“He saved me so many times… I…”

“Don’t you get it, Sofia? You wouldn’t need saving if it weren’t for him!” The outburst was a first in a long time. I couldn’t remember seeing Ben direct that much anger at anyone before. Calming down after breathing in and out for a couple of seconds, he eventually said, “It was Derek. He was the vampire who killed Eliza.”

His words came like a punch in the gut, knocking the wind right out of me. It wasn’t like I wasn’t aware that it was possible, but placing a name to the victim made the thought come to life. I remembered the night Derek came to the penthouse, blood dripping from his lips, how menacing he looked…

“You don’t seem surprised.”

“Some of the other vampires offer up their slaves to him… for him to feed on…”

“Did he ever feed on you?”

“No… never…”

“So what exactly are you saying, Sofia? As long as you’re safe and taken care of, it’s fine that he’s a murderer who feeds off of other people?”

“No, Ben. It’s not like that. You don’t know him like I do… You haven’t seen him struggle to take control…” My reasoning seemed hollow in the light of Ben’s accusations.

“How on earth can you turn a blind eye to these things, Sofia? Since when did you become the kind of person who stood by, comfortably perched in some penthouse, sleeping with the enemy while people are being murdered all around you?”

“I never slept with Derek in the way you’re implying.”

He gave me a wry laugh. “Right, but that really isn’t the point, is it? If the vampire prince suddenly shows up - right here and right now - takes you in his arms and kisses you full on the mouth, would you resist?”

I opened my mouth to answer, but nothing came out.

“I thought so,” he smiled bitterly. “You’re too blinded by your infatuation with him to see him for what he really is.” He eyed the envelope I was still clutching with both my hands. “He’s a monster.”

He turned back to the bedroom, but continued to speak. “Home is in California with the family who supported you and raised you for the past eight years. You don’t need their witch’s ring to find your way there. We make the drive back home first thing tomorrow.”

That night, Ben made a call to his parents, informing them where we were. The only explanation he gave them was that we wanted a taste of independence and decided to run away.

I feared that we would have to make one lie after another in order to cover up that story, but I didn’t want to worry much about it. The only lie that was circling my mind was the one I kept telling myself. I wanted Ben to be wrong about Derek and about how I simply turned a blind eye to what he’d been doing, but I knew he was right.

I didn’t know if it was self-preservation or something more than that, but back at The Shade, I wrapped myself in this little bubble, secured by Derek’s protection and unfounded fondness of me. I’d seen how other human captives were treated by other vampires, and never bothered to help. I simply thanked the powers that be that it wasn’t me. I was selfish and blind. I was so wrapped up in my fear and my own survival, I failed to look at the bigger picture. I failed to look at the immensity of the darkness that permeated The Shade.

It was logical and natural to hate the island the way Ben did. I was threatened multiple times while I was there. I was held captive. I was almost raped and killed. A friend of mine was murdered. I had every reason to hate The Shade and want to destroy it.

But I didn’t. And I couldn’t understand why.