At that, I scoffed. How blind could he possibly be? “Don’t be a fool, Father. The Shade isn’t a sanctuary. It’s a nightmare.”
Gregor straightened to his full height, his eyes fixed on me. Unable to say anything in response, he looked at the council surrounding us, every single one gawking at the sight that had just unfolded before them. “I want Derek Novak arrested for high treason. His punishment will be discussed at the next council meeting.”
I couldn’t help but smirk at how delusional my father was. He really thinks that he holds the power. I didn’t know what he was expecting to happen after his announcement. Does he really expect the council to pounce on me to make the arrest? Does he expect me to panic and make a run for it? Apart from Felix making one hesitant step forward, no one else moved. I was certain that it was one of the most awkward moments the Great Dome had ever stood witness to.
My father’s breaths were coming in pants, infuriated by the fact that nobody bothered heeding his command.
“Why isn’t anyone moving?! Your king has given a command! Arrest him!”
After a few moments of stunned and motionless silence, Claudia burst out laughing. Claudia was one of the most twisted and demented people I’d ever met. She was certainly not an ally and there was no doubt in my mind that she hated my guts, but she was no fool either.
“I have no love for his highness, the prince, my dear king,” Claudia managed to say after her laughter subsided, “but no one here will ever be foolish enough to imprison Derek Novak. The only way you can get that man inside a prison cell is if he goes in willingly. Otherwise, a lot of blood will be spilled, and we love our immortality too much to see it end so quickly.”
Knowing that I had all the leverage I needed, I glared triumphantly at my father. “The abductions will stop. Understood?”
“All right,” Gregor said through gritted teeth, the expression on his face making it clear that he was admitting defeat. “This only means one thing then.”
“And what would that be?” I asked, suddenly growing anxious.
Eli stepped up nervously. “Even you knew that this would be inevitable since we put a stop to the abductions…we won’t have a supply of human blood forever.”
I was filled by an overwhelming sense of dread, knowing what my alternative to the abductions were. “You’re talking about a culling.”
The rest of the meeting flew right over my head, as the council discussed what had to be done to get the culling in order. My father kept glaring at me. I knew then that I just made an enemy out of him, though I wasn’t entirely sure if he ever truly was my ally.
Vivienne was the Seer of The Shade. She had the premonitions, but at that moment, I had a premonition of my own. And it wasn’t one that I liked.
Blood will be shed.
Two things stayed at the forefront of my thoughts: how to protect Sofia and how to keep her mine. I was once again afraid of losing her, because I doubted she could ever forgive me if a human culling actually took place.
After the council meeting ended, my first urge was to immediately locate Sofia. I knew that after the stunt I pulled, she wouldn’t be safe from my father. I knew Gregor Novak. He wasn’t just going to just sit there and take that kind of humiliation without striking back. It was clear to see that striking Sofia would be equivalent to striking me where it hurt the most. Upon reaching The Catacombs, I found her wearing muddied-up clothes. She was laughing over something the Natural boy, Gavin, said. A pang of jealousy hit me, but I shoved it away.
I cleared my throat to catch her attention.
She looked my way and a brilliant smile formed on her face. “Derek!” she exclaimed before throwing herself at me in an exuberant embrace. “I had a great day. How was yours?”
“Can we talk in private, please?” I eyed Gavin warily. I wasn’t thrilled about what I had to reveal to her.
Worry traced her green eyes as she pulled herself away from me. She turned toward Gavin and smiled sheepishly. “Thanks for everything, Gavin.”
The boy nodded his head toward her and curtly bowed his head in my direction. “Tomorrow again, Sofia,” he said. “If you’re still alive by then.”
She snickered at the statement, so I figured it was some sort of inside joke they had between them—an idea that grated at my nerves.
I was relieved when Gavin was finally gone and I had my girl all to myself, but any pleasure I felt in her company was overshadowed by the news I carried with me.
“What’s wrong, Derek?” she asked pensively as I held her hand and pulled her to a seat on the couch.
“My father reinstated the abductions…”
“What?” Her alarm was immediate. “But why? I thought…”
“I have three new girls at my penthouse. I have no idea what to do with them. I’m thinking of sending them here with you. They’ll be more comfortable with you I think…”
My suggestion seemed to go way over her head. “Why would your father do this?”
“We don’t stand on the same ground when it comes to these things, but after I found out, I went to the dome and found them having a council meeting. I made sure that there would be no more abductions from here on out.”
Sofia sighed with relief as she brushed both hands against her auburn hair. “Still…those poor girls…”
That was a hard blow to my gut. Of course she feels sorry for them…they have to live through what she lived through under my hand. I caught myself before sinking any further into my wallowing. Since when did you become such a dismal sap, Novak?
She must’ve noticed the look on my face. “Thank you for putting a stop to the abductions.”
I forced a smile, but I swallowed hard at what I was to say next. “Not having abductions may mean something worse…”
The color from her face drained away and I could sense that she already had an idea of what I was about to say.
“They’re discussing another culling.”
“Oh dear heavens…” She gasped, clamping a palm over her mouth as she furiously shook her head. “No….no! Derek, no…you have to do something. There’s got to be something you can do…”
How was I going to tell her that it was me who originally proposed the possibility of another culling? “I don’t know if there’s anything I can do about this, Sofia…if I could…”
“You’re Derek Novak! Of course there’s something you can do!”