“Vivienne? Is everything all right?” I’d known Xavier for as long as I could remember. He was one of the constants of my life and, among the Elite, he was also one of the most loyal to our family.
The hunter took a step backward, letting go of my hand. Xavier stood beside me. His hand protectively settled on the small of my back.
“Is this guy bothering you, Vivienne?”
“The princess and I were just talking about our living arrangements.”
Xavier cocked his head to the side. “Why? What’s wrong with your living arrangements exactly?”
“I’m sorry.” The hunter returned Xavier’s glare. “Who are you?”
Xavier was attempting to reel in his temper. “I could ask the same thing about you, boy. You have no business talking to our princess. The next time you wish to address her, you go through me.”
The hunter began laughing. “And what do you think you’re going to do if I talk to her, vampire? Do you honestly believe that Princess Vampire here is still in control of this island?”
I went from wanting to attack him to trying to prevent Xavier from breaking his neck.
“Let me maim him,” Xavier whispered beneath his breath.
“He’s not worth it.” I shook my head. “Let’s just walk away.”
“That’s right. Walk away, Vivienne. I hope you realize that you are just as weak and vulnerable here as you were at headquarters.” He then curtsied. “I’ll leave you two alone… for now.” He walked past us and was already several feet away when he screamed. “By the way, princess, I’m not sure I ever told you my name. It’s Craig. Don’t you ever forget!”
Xavier eyed me after Craig was gone. “You know that guy?”
I couldn’t break down. I shook my head as I clung to his arm for support, hoping that my knees wouldn’t buckle beneath me. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
I wish Derek and Sofia were here, because I can’t handle this. I knew that chaos was up ahead. My dreams and visions told me as much. I also knew that I was completely incapable of handling it on my own.
I shut my eyes for a moment. Derek, wherever you are, I hope that you’re having the time of your life, but I also hope that you remember how desperately we need you back here.
Chapter 3: Sofia
The moment Derek and I arrived at California, we took a cab to the neighborhood I’d lived in for nine years, since Aiden had left me under the care of Lyle and Amelia Hudson. As we passed the local elementary school and the familiar suburban homes—all of them attached to specific memories from my childhood—I was beginning to choke up with tears. I reached for Derek, who was sitting in the passenger’s seat beside me, and he put his arm around me.
“So this is where you grew up,” he eventually said, gazing out of the window.
I tried to wipe away the tears that were brimming in my eyes and threatening to fall down my cheeks, but not soon enough.
Derek placed his hand over mine, squeezing hard. “It’s going to be all right, Sofia.”
“I know.” I smiled. “It’s just that this place brings back so many memories.”
It didn’t take long before we pulled over in front of the Hudsons’ house—one that contained so many of the memories I held dear, memories of my best friend, Ben, whom I’d been in love with for most of my teenage years. Ben was the only one who’d ever posed a threat to my love for Derek. He was that important to me. And now he’s gone.
As Derek paid the driver, I swallowed hard when my eyes settled on an estate agency sign in front of the yard that said, “For Sale.”
I sat frozen for a couple of minutes before the sign registered. “They’re no longer here.” The Hudsons might not have been the kind of family I’d always dreamed of having, but they’d been good to me. “I want to see the house one last time, if that’s okay with you.”
“Of course.” Derek looked at me sympathetically.
We got out of the car and walked toward the house. I was expecting it to be locked, but when I twisted the knob, the door opened. A middle-aged woman with brown hair, glasses and a beige suit skipped down the stairs toward us.
I swallowed hard at the familiar scent and homey atmosphere that came with standing in the Hudsons’ hallway before focusing my attention on the woman.
“You must be the Millers! Oh my goodness, you are such a lovely couple!” she exclaimed before shaking our hands. “I didn’t think you’d be so young! Are you ready to tour the house?”
I was momentarily speechless. The woman looked from me to Derek, awaiting our response.
“Oh, I’m so sorry. I’m Monica Andrews. I’m the real estate agent. We talked over the phone. We had an appointment for you to check out the house? You’re actually an hour late.”
Derek and I exchanged glances. It seemed the Millers had ditched her.
“So?” Monica asked. “Shall we start?”
Derek shrugged a shoulder, his blue eyes still on me. “Sure. Why not?”
So, for the next half-hour, Monica gave us a tour around a house that I knew far better than she did. I was still doing pretty well around the living room and dining room, but when our tour reached the second floor I knew that I wasn’t going to be able to keep myself together.
The moment I stepped inside my old bedroom—now empty—vivid memories of times spent with Ben came flooding back. Every cherished memory I had with him: charming and funny, endearing and sometimes lonely. I could practically imagine their faces inside—his and his younger sister, Abby’s. We’d had so much fun in that room, but all the feelings of loss that I’d struggled with since Ben’s death returned to me at full blast.
“He used to call me Rose Red,” I whispered to Derek, memories of Ben’s kisses making my lips tingle. I was clinging to Derek’s arm so tightly, my knuckles were growing white.
Derek nodded and whispered back, “I know. Sofia, if this is too hard for you, we don’t have to go through this…”
Monica was talking about how marvelous the rooms were. She was showing us the cabinets and the wide windows and all I could think of was that I’d spent hours with Ben in that room.
Derek kept one hand on the small of my back. “Still up for this, Sofia?”
Monica spun around and froze when she saw me close to tears. “Oh. What’s the matter? Is something wrong?”