“We could just draft all the male population and train them by force,” Kyle suggested with a shrug. “Derek did that to the vampires.”
“Sending humans off to battle with vampires is like sending them to their deaths,” Ian snapped. “Are you mad?”
“Well, it’s not like we’re expecting the humans to go on man-to-vampire combat,” Kyle defended himself. “No matter what they’re assigned to do, they’re still going to need to know how to fight.”
“I don’t think getting the humans to do anything by force is a good idea.” I shook my head. “I think it will only create more trouble in the long run.”
“Well, then, it’s not looking good, Sofia,” Gavin spoke up. “Most of the humans are actually seeing this as some sort of hope to escape The Shade and finally be free.”
I was surprised by that notion. “That’s foolish. They’re either going to end up dead or as slaves of the other covens. I doubt the other covens will be as benevolent as Derek has been.”
At this, Ian scoffed. Knowing him as someone who always spoke his mind, I wasn’t surprised by the words that came out of his mouth: “As much as I know you love him, Sofia, benevolent isn’t exactly how most of the people at The Catacombs would describe Derek.”
It was my turn to scoff. “I’ve known more vampires outside of The Shade than most humans here at The Catacombs. Believe me when I say that Derek is as benevolent as it gets for vampires. Take it or leave it.”
To that, no one could object. I was beginning to find the silence awkward, so I was thankful when Kyle broke it.
“Before we can even talk to the humans about joining a war, I think we first need to find a way to establish some sort of order here at The Catacombs, because let’s face it… in its current state, it’s been pure anarchy. Derek tried to figure out what the humans wanted with the general assembly at The Vale just recently, but with the vampire rebellion, that didn’t exactly push through.”
I nodded, remembering how the vampires split into two factions – one loyal to Derek, the other to his father, Gregor. Since Gregor’s mysterious and untimely death, the vampire rebellion – as Kyle called it – had already been quelled.
“Well, there’s no rebellion now,” I said resolutely. “I guess it’s time we call another general assembly and figure out what the people at The Catacombs want. I’m putting you three in charge of that. If you come upon any problems, let me know.”
All three of them grinned at me, making me rather uncomfortable.
“What?” I asked, widening my eyes at them.
“Is it just me or is Derek Novak’s bossiness rubbing off on you?” Gavin squinted an eye at me. Ian and Kyle were chuckling.
“It’s not just you, man.” Kyle shook his head. “She wasn’t this bossy when she first arrived here. She’s definitely getting a lot of Derek into her personality.”
I rolled my eyes as they found amusement at my expense. “Whatever,” I mumbled before finally digging in to my breakfast. They bade me goodbye and left me to eat in peace.
I enjoyed the silence and the solitude, but it also made me sense Derek’s absence a lot more keenly. We hadn’t been spending much time together and I couldn’t help but miss him. I kept telling myself that he had a lot on his plate, that he was the king of the island and was responsible for keeping the whole place together. That’s a good enough excuse to not spend time with his fiancée, is it not? Still, I wanted to be with him, but knowing that there wasn’t anything I could do about it, I finished my breakfast and hoped that I could somehow manage to spend some time alone with him later that day.
After I put away the dishes, I headed off to The Cells, where my father was still being kept captive. Aiden was more famously known in the vampire world as Reuben, one of the most ruthless and notorious hunters alive.
To say that my father was unhappy about me being in love with a vampire was a huge understatement, but then so was he… After all, my mother was now Ingrid Maslen.
Aiden was doing push-ups on the ground when I stepped into his cell. For a man who was well into his forties, he was still extremely fit and worked at remaining so. I waited for him to finish his set before clearing my throat.
He didn’t even bother looking up to see who his visitor was. He knew it was me. “How long are they going to keep me here, Sofia?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t talked to Derek about you yet.”
Aiden ended up in The Shade after he fooled me into believing that the hunters had found a cure to turn vampires back into humans. I was disappointed to find out that it was all, in fact, a ruse. When he was forced to reveal to Derek that there really was no cure, he ended up getting thrown into prison.
“The hunters will come for me, Sofia. I’m too important to the organization for them to just forget about my disappearance. The longer you keep me here, the longer you’re putting the island in danger.”
I knew he was bluffing, so I just stared at him blankly. “They won’t know how to get here, Aiden. Your tracker was disabled, protected by Corrine’s spell, the moment you came within the boundaries of The Shade. You know that. Besides, isn’t it hunter protocol to consider anyone caught by vampires dead?”
A muscle in his face twitched. He heaved a deep sigh and sat on the edge of his couch, tapping the space beside him to encourage me to sit.
Despite my apprehensions, I took a seat beside him and we sat in silence for a while before he broke it.
“I’m sorry, Sofia.”
I wasn’t expecting an apology. Not from him. I’d been putting off seeing him for days because I felt betrayed by him. Right after I thought we were becoming closer to each other and forming a bond as father and daughter, he betrayed me. He knew that I wanted to find a cure to turn vampires back into humans and he used that desire against me. I had no idea how to even begin forgiving him for that, and yet, I found myself responding with a nod and saying, “I understand why you did it.”
“I was doing what I thought I needed to do to get this idea of a cure out of your system. You have to accept, Sofia, that there is no cure.”
I shook my head, refusing to accept what he was saying as truth. “No. There is a cure. I’m going to find it.”
I saw how his face turned into a bitter, grim expression. “Stubborn,” he muttered. “Just like your mother.”