As for myself, I’d wanted to be more isolated from the rest of them. I recognized that I couldn’t have my home on the ground either. I’d debated for a while about having my home up in the trees along with the werewolves, and I’d even tried it at one point. But I found the atmosphere too stifling. I needed my own space. Saira and Matteo had granted my request and helped build a wooden house on stilts right in the middle of the lake. It consisted only of one room—containing a bed, a cooking area, a table and a chair—and a bathroom. I enjoyed the solitude it gave me. And being in the center of the island, surrounded by creatures much stronger than me, I felt safe.
Once a day I visited the mainland to fill up my water bucket from the well, because I didn’t like the taste of water stored in my cabin for more than a day. But other than that, my home was self-sustaining. The fish and water plants I found in the lake were all I needed for food.
Moving away from the crowd before Saira spotted me, I walked down to the bank of the lake. I was relieved to see my old rowing boat where I had left it. I had insisted that there only be one boat kept in the lake—mine. This ensured that nobody ever disturbed me unless it was about something important, because they had to get wet in order to reach me.
I climbed into the boat, grabbed hold of the oars and began rowing. I was itching to feel the covers of my bed around me again. To relish the silence that my lake house afforded me. If it weren’t for it, I would have gone mad long ago. I didn’t know how I had managed to survive until we found the island. Living on the ship full-time and being surrounded by crowds of creatures all milling about in such a small space… The island truly had been a Godsend. And not just for me. For all of us. The vampires and werewolves used to be tripping over themselves. And while that still happened, inevitably, it was a rarer occurrence.
As I neared the center of the lake, my little cabin came into view. The red wood near the roof had developed an excess of moss, but that was nothing that some scrubbing wouldn’t fix. Each of the five large windows would also need washing. I smiled when I saw that the blue lilies I had planted around the stilts supporting the cabin had multiplied and were now in full bloom. Overall, I was relieved to see that my home appeared in no worse a state than I had left it in.
I climbed out of the boat and onto the small wooden platform leading to my front door. Before going inside, I took a moment to look around at the calm waters. The beauty and serenity of the lake never failed to take my breath away.
It felt like being on my own island. An island within an island.
But, even with these surroundings, I couldn’t say that my life was happy. Or fulfilling.
It was merely survivable.
Chapter 20: Kiev
As the sun set, I followed the group of vampires into a circular hole that had been dug into the forest’s undergrowth. It resembled the gaping entrance of a cave. There wasn’t even a door.
My opinion of the vampires’ accommodations didn’t improve on entering. We walked into a cavern that split off into various dark passageways. The walls, ceilings, and ground were made of dirt. Unsurprisingly, the whole place smelled of damp soil.
I followed a few vampires down one of the passageways. Lanterns lined the walls at intervals, which confused me because as vampires we didn’t need them. I supposed that it was just to add a touch of civilization, so we wouldn’t feel like animals living in this burrow.
As I walked down the corridor, I peeked into the rooms whose doors were open. Rooms was a generous description. They were almost entirely bare—and of course windowless—except for thin straw mattresses on the ground and a few personal belongings.
I wondered to myself whether the werewolves’ residences were any better. Somehow, I doubted it. The accommodations here were a far cry from what I’d grown accustomed to over the centuries. Still, as long as I had a room to myself, I wasn’t about to complain.
I didn’t know where Saira had gone, and I had no idea which room was to be mine. I walked around the passageways for a while, looking for someone to approach. I caught sight of Lorena, the attractive female vampire I’d asked for directions from back on the ship. I’d already guessed what her answer to my question would be before I had asked it.
“Didn’t Saira tell you she meant for you to share my room?”
I looked at her, unamused. She chuckled at her own joke before saying in a more serious tone, “I don’t know. I’m surprised she didn’t already assign you one. You should ask the captain. I can show you his room, if you want?”
I shook my head. I didn’t want to have to seek him out for anything if I could possibly avoid it.
“No, I’ll figure it out,” I said.
I continued walking along the passageways. Eventually, I found myself alone. I decided my best option was to seek out Saira. I made my way back to the central area of the tunnels and climbed the slope leading out into the night’s fresh air.
I didn’t have to walk long before a wolf came bounding toward me.
“Sorry, Kiev,” Saira panted. “I became occupied with other matters.”
“I need to know which room I should be stay—”
“Yes, yes. I know. But before I get you settled down, I need to discuss something with you. Care to take a walk?” She gestured toward the forest with her paw.
“I suppose so,” I said.
It felt odd walking alongside her during her transformation. Her walking on four paws meant I was constantly having to talk down at her.
She led me away from the tunnels and deeper into the forest. I took in the atmosphere as we walked in silence beneath the towering trees. Now that it was dark, I realized how much this place reminded me of The Shade. Sofia’s island. A wave of nostalgia flooded over me. The snaking pathways, the tree houses, the distant lulling of the waves against the shore… everything brought back memories of the visits I’d made to that magnificent island. Although, of course, The Shade’s lavish penthouses and other obscene luxuries were nonexistent here. Still, in the early years of The Shade’s development, the Novak clan hadn’t started out with much more to work with than what was currently here on this island.
“What do you call this place?” I found myself asking.
“What do you mean?”
“Doesn’t this island have a name?”
She shook her head. “We haven’t come up with a name for it. We normally just refer to it as our island… but on to more important matters. I need to discuss what your service is to be while you’re staying here with us.”