Corrine wasn’t as sympathetic. “What happened? What’s going on at the Catacombs? How were you able to get away? What did they do to you?”
Cameron’s already pale complexion grew several shades lighter. He was white as a sheet, and his eyes grew distant as tears continued to stream down his face. “We’re nothing to them. Just toys they can play with. Creatures they can embody. Vessels.”
Vessels. I had no idea what Cameron was implying, but the moment it came out of his lips, fear carved itself into my bones.
Corrine didn’t seem as moved. She was more focused on Cameron’s wounds, her brows furrowed as she examined him. “What do you mean by vessels? How were you able to escape?”
“I didn’t escape. Liana did this to me.”
My breath hitched. How is that possible?
“One of the Elders used her as a vessel. Then they forced me to fight her. I couldn’t do it. No matter how Liana hit me, fought me, I didn’t have the heart to strike her. I knew that it was the Elder, but…” Cameron broke down.
I understood. There was no way he was ever going to hurt the love of his life. Centuries of marriage had made Cameron and Liana one of the most loyal and loving couples I’d ever met. I’d stood witness to many of their fights and fallouts, but there was never a question that they were going to stick together.
“How then were you able to escape?”
“One more blow, and she would’ve ended me. She would’ve killed me. She raised her hands and when she did, I saw a tear run down her cheek. My Liana was still there, conscious even as that monster took over her body. She was about to deal the final blow, but they stopped her.”
Corrine pushed at his rib and he groaned in pain. “They used some sort of spell on you to suppress your healing abilities.”
I stared at Corrine, wondering if she was even the same person who’d once convinced me to treat Sofia as an equal and not as a slave. Would she act this way if Sofia were here?
“Why? Why wouldn’t they just let her kill you?” The words had already slipped out of my mouth before I realized how insensitive they were.
Cameron seemed unfazed by it. His eyes were still distant—somewhere far, somewhere painful. “They let me go to find you. They know you’re here, Derek.”
“Then why aren’t they coming for me?”
“They want you to surrender. They sent me as a messenger. They want you to willingly give yourself up to become one of their vessels.”
“Why on earth would I ever agree to…” Blue-violet eyes flashed into my consciousness. My heart stopped. “Vivienne,” I muttered. “They’re going to use her against me, aren’t they?”
“One of the Elders has made a vessel out of Xavier. If you don’t surrender yourself, they’re going to make Vivienne fight him to the death. Tonight.”
The heat shot out of my palms before I could control it. To my relief, the flames didn’t go toward Cameron, or it would’ve been the end of him. It felt like an eternity before I could reel the fire back in and gain back my self-control. By the time I was able to stop the fire, I had collapsed on the ground, while Corrine conjured a couple of spells in order to keep the fire from burning down The Shade.
I stared up at the witch who had kept The Shade protected with her spells and found myself both angered and curious at what exactly she was capable of. Whose side is this woman on? I’d once thought that she was on our side, especially seeing her fondness for Sofia and the way she’d gained the respect and loyalty of the Naturals, earning herself a prestigious position of honor at the Catacombs. This time, however, after having met her superiors, I wondered what game she was playing.
Before I could keep myself from doing it, I stood to my feet and grabbed her by the wrists. My palms still sweltering with heat, she screamed in pain as my touch seared her skin.
Defiant brown eyes looked at me and I could’ve sworn then that she was going to come up with a spell to destroy me. Instead, Corrine tried to tolerate the pain as she stared directly into my eyes. Through gritted teeth, she muttered, “What do you want?”
“How powerful are you, witch?”
Her lips were sealed tight, but a thought came to me—as if she had communicated with me telepathically. More than you can ever imagine.
“You’re going to help us,” I demanded.
“Why would I do that?”
“Because you are Cora’s descendant, and no matter what the Ageless or the witches of The Sanctuary stand for, you are loyal to your ancestor. You can’t deny that.”
“An ancestor you killed.”
“You know why it had to happen. Don’t tell me you wouldn’t have killed her yourself had you been given the chance. Emilia was just a shell. Cora would’ve wanted her dead. For all we know, Emilia might have also been just a vessel.”
Moistened eyes stared back at me. Corrine tightened her jaw, as if she were trying to fight me.
“Don’t pretend that you don’t care about us or The Shade. You might have been brought here under circumstances you aren’t entirely pleased with, but you can’t look me in the eye and tell me that you hold no affection for this island. Don’t tell me that Sofia—or the fact that she’s bearing my child while in the grasp of a sadistic monster—doesn’t mean anything to you.”
“I care about Sofia and you know it.” Even as the witch said those words, affection flashed in the otherwise stoic expression at the mention of my wife’s name.
My heart warmed at that gesture. Sofia had a way of doing that to people, getting them to care. “Then why aren’t you doing something to help us? Do you really think Sofia would still see you the way she did if you don’t help us? Is she not this place’s queen? You know she loves the people being tormented by these Elders.”
Corrine’s shoulders sagged in resignation. “What do you want me to do?”
“First, answer my question.” I shrugged a shoulder. “Exactly how powerful are you?”
Chapter 31: Sofia
Walking was getting harder as my belly grew. I was beginning to have my doubts about our escape plan. As we walked along the gardens so I could get a breath of fresh air, I hooked my arm over Eli’s and expressed my apprehensions.
“Is this going to work, Eli? Can Shadow even carry us?”
“He won’t have to carry me. I’ll still have my speed. Granted, it won’t last long, but I think I can make it. The Elder’s people won’t be able to come after us, not in sunlight.”