My heart broke at his words. I’m so sorry, Derek. This never would’ve happened to you if it weren’t for me. I steeled myself for what I was about to see, but nothing could’ve prepared me for it.
We entered the dungeon—and all my resolve not to cry was gone at the sight of Derek. He was hanging by his wrists, held by thick metal chains. He was unrecognizable. He was just a mass of blood and flesh hanging from the ceiling.
Borys chuckled when I began to struggle against his embrace. “Is this what you wanted to see, Sofia?”
“Sofia?”
My heart leapt at the sound of Derek’s voice. It was weak and broken, but it was his. He’s alive. My Derek is alive. Still, as I tried to break free from Borys’ grasp, I wondered if it would be better if Derek really did die…if only to escape this.
Finally, still chuckling, Borys let me go. I hurried toward Derek, tears still streaming down my face. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” I wanted to touch him, but I was afraid it would only add to his pain, so I just looked up at him, hoping that I could do something to ease his pain. “Who did this to you?”
“I did,” Borys answered, sounding very much proud of himself. “Although I can’t take all the credit. Lucas helped a lot too.”
Derek forced his swollen, bloodshot eyes open in order to look at me. “I love you,” he mouthed.
I wanted to respond, but I was too overcome by sobs to form coherent words. The thought that Derek’s own brother would do this to him shattered my heart. I knew that despite everything that had happened between them, Derek truly did hold affection for Lucas. He never would’ve done anything like this to his own brother.
“So you’ve seen him.” Borys began to approach after closing the door behind him. “Are you satisfied now, Sofia?” He stopped behind me and stared up at Derek with delight, as if admiring his handiwork. “Is this what you wanted to see?”
I stepped away when Borys began to run his hand down my shoulder. Borys responded by using one strong arm to grab my waist and pull my back against him, holding me in position so that he could touch me any way he pleased right in front of Derek.
I kept my eyes on Derek’s, wondering if things would really end this way. I was grasping for any thread of hope. I wanted to be strong for Derek, but I had no idea how to do it. We were both too weak, too broken.
When a soft knock interrupted Borys’ shameless display, I could hear Derek sigh with relief. “What?!” Borys screamed. A guard entered. He looked terrified.
“Your highness…” His voice trembled. “The boy…Ben…he escaped with the blonde vampire. They both left The Oasis…they haven’t yet returned.”
I could feel Borys’ breathing suddenly get heavy. His arms clamped around me so tightly, I thought he wanted to snap me in two. Instead, he pushed me to the ground and marched toward the guard. He grabbed the guard’s neck. “How long have they been gone?”
The guard stuttered as he replied, “More than fifteen hours, sir…”
Borys growled and ripped his heart out. The guard’s body dropped to the ground and Borys sped out of the dungeon, shutting the door behind him and locking it from the outside.
My jaw dropped open. What just happened? He’s leaving just like that? Did Borys really just lose it? I snapped to attention. Who cares? Do something. I rushed toward Derek, doing the only thing I could think of. I offered him my wrist.
Upon seeing it, he gave me a weak smile. All he said in response was: “No.”
CHAPTER 52: DEREK
“I’m not going to drink your blood, Sofia.” I shook my head—or at least tried to. I wondered if she could even understand what I had just said. To me, it all just sounded like a raspy mumble of words. Every part of my body was in agony, but it was nothing compared to what I felt inside, knowing that if I didn’t survive, it would be the end of both of us.
Suddenly, the ground began to shake and for a moment, Sofia stood in panic looking around the room as she tried to steady herself. She ducked her head and coughed as dust and small rocks began to fall from the ceiling. However, a few moments later, the earthquake stopped and the dust settled.
She looked up at me. “Derek, please…” She shoved her wrist right against my lips. “We don’t have any time…we both know you have to…”
“If I drink your blood, Sofia, I’d have to turn you into one of us for me to stop craving you…”
She paused, but within a split-second, she immediately nodded. “Do what you have to…Derek, I can’t lose you…”
When I turned my head away from her wrist, she quickly pulled my head back and kissed me, crushing her lips against mine. I could only groan at the gesture, because even the gentlest of kisses was painful. I was honestly relieved when she pulled her lips away from mine, but I found myself gulping when she bit into her lower lip, easily drawing blood.
My blood boiled at the thought of why she was so easily able to cut her lip. I noticed that they were slightly swollen. He must’ve already drawn blood from her lips. The thought of what Borys had been putting her through over the past twenty-four hours made me sick. Not once did Sofia leave my mind through all the torture Lucas and Borys put me through.
So pre-occupied was I over the anger I felt at how Borys treated Sofia that I didn’t realize why Sofia was drawing her own blood until she once again kissed me, giving me the slightest taste of her blood through the cut on her lips.
“Sofia…” I gasped, pulling my lips away from her.
“I won’t lose you,” she said determinedly. She rose to her feet and took a dagger from the guard’s corpse. She then cut her wrist open and steadied my head with one hand before letting her own blood drip over my mouth. I tried to turn away, but found myself unable to.
Having already tasted her blood, I lost the battle I was trying to fight. I bit into her already open wrist and began to drink deep. The moment her blood entered my system, it was pure ecstasy. I could immediately feel my entire body coming back to life, the agony easing into a dull ache and finally into what felt like complete restoration. It was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before. Her blood wasn’t only the sweetest I’d ever tasted…it also seemed to have healing qualities the likes of which I’d never thought possible. I could feel my strength returning and the wounds on my body healing, but I knew that I had to keep my senses intact. I couldn’t lose myself in the bliss the taste of her blood was giving me. I knew I had to be aware of when I had to stop. Her body could only give me a certain amount of blood after all. I had to be careful not to drain her.