“If you didn’t, then who—” She stopped short, her lips parting as realization dawned on her. “Isolde,” she muttered.
“Huh?”
“I suspect I know who is behind this,” she said, looking me in the eye, her voice deep and dangerous. “But check the Novaks’ cells in any case, just in case one of them somehow managed to swipe her and is hiding her down there.”
Annora vanished, leaving me alone in the dark dungeon.
Chapter 8: Sofia
Over the next few hours, more vampires and witches came to until we were all awake. Each asked the same questions as they woke up. Each was left dumbstruck after they heard the answers.
Yuri, Xavier, Vivienne and Claudia all pushed their cell door at once—but it didn’t budge.
As the hours passed, hopes of ever finding Anna evaporated. Derek pulled me onto his lap as I buried my head against his neck. Though I knew he could offer me no words of comfort, I felt glad that he’d reached for me. There was something about his touch that I drew strength from.
The vampires in the opposite cells sat back down after their failed attempt to open the door. “What do you think they’re going to do with us?” Claudia asked for the umpteenth time, clutching Yuri’s knee.
We all looked blankly at one another.
Yuri wrapped his arm around Claudia and drew her closer to him. “I don’t know,” he said, his voice hoarse.
I thought of our twins and prayed that Corrine would keep her word to look after them and not let them off the island again, whatever happened. I looked around at the people in the room, most of them our closest friends and family: Vivienne and Xavier; Ashley and Landis; Yuri and Claudia; Gavin and Zinnia… The weight fell upon Derek’s and my shoulders to keep them all safe. We’d led them into this situation. And yet Derek and I were incapable of protecting even ourselves.
“How is it that we never knew about this place? These vampires…” Zinnia voiced the question that had been whirling in all of our minds ever since we first discovered these two vampire islands. And none of us were any closer to knowing the truth.
I reached for Derek’s neck and pulled his ear closer to my lips.
“I hope they’re not planning an assault on The Shade,” I whispered. I’d been avoiding saying this to Derek until now because I hadn’t wanted to panic the others, but after hours of being trapped I couldn’t hold in my fears any more. Even though I spoke the words barely louder than a breath, I knew most of them would be able to pick my words up anyway.
Now that we knew the strength of this witch, I was sure that she would be able to penetrate Corrine’s protective spell. Now that Caleb knew the location of our island, there would be nothing stopping her.
Caleb. Just thinking of that boy made my blood boil.
The click of the dungeon door opening echoed off the walls. I strained my neck to see who had entered.
Speak of the devil…
Derek let out a low growl as Caleb emerged from the doorway.
Caleb walked toward us and scanned our cell. As his eyes moved away from us, Derek’s hands shot out to grip Caleb. Although Derek had aimed for his neck, Caleb dodged too quickly. Derek managed to catch hold only of the front of Caleb’s shirt, which tore as the boy stepped back.
Derek stood, his chest heaving, holding a shred of Caleb’s shirt in his hands. “What do you want with us?” Derek demanded.
Caleb didn’t respond as he continued inspecting our cells.
I gripped the bars and hissed, “Answer him, boy.”
To my surprise, while he had ignored Derek, he looked up into my eyes. I stared at him, trying to read his blank expression and failing.
“I don’t know what the witch’s plans are for you,” he said curtly.
Several seconds later he was done inspecting our cells—for what, I had no clue—and he turned to leave. We all slumped back down to the ground as the click of the door locking echoed around the prison.
Our situation now seemed more hopeless than ever—if that was even possible. Not only had we been unable to save Anna, but I feared that our lives, our children’s and those of all the other inhabitants of The Shade now lay in the balance.
Chapter 9: Caleb
“Nobody down there is hiding the immune,” I said to Annora on returning to her quarters.
She stared at me, silence filling the room.
I was sure that Stellan wouldn’t have been brave enough to steal the immune away. Besides, he would have no reason to… unless he was trying to pin her disappearance on me, which I doubted since I had a clear alibi. Even Annora seemed to be past suspecting me.
Although I was perplexed as to what could have happened, and Annora clearly had some idea as to who was behind it, I didn’t press for answers. I wasn’t in the mood to question her and, quite honestly, I didn’t care.
All I could think about now was the fact that the Novaks, and consequently Rose, believed me to have betrayed their trust and stolen Anna.
It was a thought that had been weighing heavily upon my mind. Although I knew it was irrational, since I would never see Rose again—and indeed I had to stay away from her—it pained me to know that she would believe that I’d been playing her just so I could gain entrance onto the island.
After I returned to my room, I threw open the balcony doors and stared down at the cruel icy slopes. As the wind whipped past my face, it brought me to my senses.
This is the best thing that could have happened. Rose will distrust me, and whatever affections she might have held for me will be forgotten. And now it’s time for me to forget too.
Chapter 10: Rose
Staying inside was beginning to feel claustrophobic as we waited for our parents’ return. They hadn’t given us the slightest indication of when it might be. Hours? Days? Weeks? Even Corrine had no idea. They had all rushed off in such a hurry I doubted they had even known themselves.
Since all the leading vampires had left the island along with my parents, including their seconds-in-command, Vivienne and Xavier, Corrine and Eli had been left in charge. It was a lot for the witch to bear on her shoulders, given that she was also in charge of making sure the spell remained over the island. But if it was a struggle for the witch, she didn’t show it. She took everything in her stride and kept the island running smoothly in our rulers’ absence. I supposed it also helped to take her mind off worrying about her husband, Ibrahim.
I had no such distraction. After spending most of the morning with Ben, I found myself craving solitude and left the Sanctuary to take a walk along the beach.
I walked barefoot through the sand, the gentle wind carrying my hair and blowing against my face. I stopped once I reached the water and stared out toward the horizon.
The vision of Caleb’s submarine disappearing beneath the waves was still fresh in my memory, and like salt in a wound, now it stung more than ever.
Could he have really been using me all that time?
I knew him to be capable of worse. And now that he was gone, it seemed that maybe it had been my own feelings leading me to believe that he held some sort of affection for me.
From our first dance right up to our parting kiss… all an act.
Maybe it was no coincidence at all that he showed up on the same beach the same night we were partying. Maybe he somehow discovered we’d gone to Hawaii and planned this all along.
Maybe everything he told me about himself and the witch was a lie. Maybe what they were doing upstairs each night was just because they both like it rough, while all the while I was pitying him. And he used this belief to evoke sympathy from me and draw me in further. After all, I never actually saw what was going on up there…
My mind began to spiral out of control as I began to replay everything that had happened, from when I’d first seen him on the beach right up until we’d parted at the port. By the end of my walk, I found myself losing all hope.
And yet I felt a stubborn knot in my gut each time I blamed him. But perhaps it
was just a defense mechanism to avoid the pain.
Tears threatened to spill down my cheeks, but I fought them back. I wasn’t going to cry over this man. I’d already given him my affections, which he’d dashed to the ground. I wasn’t about to give him my tears too.
Although I bit my lip almost until the point of drawing blood, I managed to hold back the waterworks.
Still, even as I was convincing myself that Caleb wasn’t worthy of my affections, I shuddered at the thought of what my father might be doing to him now, or might have already done to him. I knew that my father wouldn’t hesitate to rip Caleb’s heart out the moment he laid eyes on him.
I swallowed back the lump in my throat and breathed deeply. I need to forget about that vampire.
I unzipped my dress, stripping to my underwear, and slid into the ocean. The waves lapping against my body always calmed my nerves. I lay back, submerging my hair in the water, and stared up at the starry night.
I lost track of how long I’d been lying there in the warm waters. I almost dozed off at one point because I started at someone shouting my name above the water. I heard a loud splashing next to my ear. I opened my eyes to see Griffin hovering over me.
“Rose.”
I jumped out of the water and scrambled onto the beach where I’d left my dress, quickly pulling it back over my underwear. Then I turned back to face him.
“What?” I asked, my cheeks flushing from embarrassment that my best friend had just seen me undressed for the first time.
He too looked embarrassed, his eyes fixed determinedly on the sand while I got dressed.
“I’m sorry,” he said, kicking the sand. “I… I know you haven’t been back long, barely more than a day, but I’ve barely seen you since you returned. I just wanted to know how you’re doing.”
I forced a smile and nodded. “I’m fine, Griff. It’s good to be back… and, uh, I’m dressed now. You can look up.”
He looked up and grinned sheepishly as he caught my eye. He cleared his throat and took a few steps closer to me.
“I, uh…” His voice trailed off. He averted his eyes away from me and looked out at the ocean, slipping his hands into his jeans pockets.
I joined him in gazing out at the ocean. And I wished that he hadn’t come to find me. I felt like I was a world apart from everyone right now. Even my own brother. I just needed space for myself. I sighed and sat back down in the water, my dress billowing up in the waves.
Griffin took off his shirt and dumped it on a patch of dry sand, then sat in the water next to me. “I was shocked when my mom told me it was that vampire who stole Anna.”
I bit my lower lip and nodded stiffly, not sure if I could answer him without my voice breaking.
“He seemed like a good guy.” Griffin stole a glance at me. “I mean, rescuing you and all… I guess sometimes you just can’t tell—”
“You know what, Griff,” I said abruptly, “can we please talk about something else? I’m trying to take my mind off of…all that.”
“Oh, sure,” he said, frowning at me. “I’m sorry.” He climbed out of the water and reached into his shirt pocket. “I, uh, brought you some chocolates my mom made. I swear they’re not pig-shaped.”
I smirked and took the small parcel from his hand, pulling away the wrapper to reveal frog-shaped ones.
“Seriously,” I said, popping one into my mouth. “What is it with Zinnia and animal-shaped chocolates?”
Griffin leaned back in the water, resting on his elbows. “Ah, I dunno… I think part of her is stuck back in time. She used to make them for me when I was a kid, and I guess she misses those days. Now she allows the junior-school kids to come round our house on Saturdays and collect them.”
I finished the frogs and washed my hands in the water. With the comforting taste of chocolate on my tongue, I was feeling a bit less tense already. Chocolate is a girl’s best friend, my girlfriends often said. Well, chocolate and Griffin were my two best friends.
I rolled onto my stomach and, leaning on my forearms, smiled up at Griffin. “Let’s talk about you for a change. What have you been up to since I’ve been away?”
“Worrying about you,” he said.
I expected him to flash me a goofy smile, but his expression remained serious as his warm hazelnut-brown eyes stared down into mine.
“You really don’t have much of a life then,” I teased, prodding him in the stomach.
“Maybe I don’t,” he muttered, looking down at the water lapping over his toned chest. “But the thing is… I really like you, Rose.”
“Well, that’s nice.” I grinned. “I really like you too, Griff.”
He gave me a pained smile. “No.” His voice was hoarse as he shook his head. “I mean, I really like you.”
Realization dawned upon me, my heartbeat quickening. My lips parted and I fell silent.
He sat up straight, looking down at me. “I’d been meaning to tell you before you left, and I’ve regretted not doing so every single day that you’ve been gone. And when I thought I almost lost you… I wanted to ask you out on a date. I mean, I still do.” His cheeks grew red. He cursed himself beneath his breath. Inhaling deeply, he said, “Rose, will you go out with me?”
I sat up and knelt in the water, still staring at him, my mouth hanging open. Part of me willed this to be one of Griffin’s pranks. Some kind of joke. But there wasn’t a hint of frivolity in Griffin’s eyes. I clenched my jaw and tried to speak, but my throat felt parched and no words came out.
The truth was, his confession had punched me right in the gut. I felt winded.
I’d never thought of Griffin like this before in my life. He’d always been my friend. And now, knowing that he had been feeling this way for me all along—how long, I didn’t even know—somehow our relationship felt false. Like we’d been living a lie.
“Griffin,” I stammered.
“Uh-oh. There’s always trouble coming when you call me that.” He was trying to make light of the situation, but it was too late. He’d just dropped a ton of bricks on me and I was suffocating beneath the rubble.
“Oh, man.” I sighed and stood up, clasping a hand to my forehead, staring out at the waves. “Why didn’t you tell me this before?” I almost resented him. I had always thought that we were close enough to not hide things from each other.
His expression became serious again and he stood up, looking down at me. His Adam’s apple moved as he swallowed hard.
“Because I was afraid,” he said quietly. “I was afraid that you didn’t feel the same way.”
I didn’t know how to respond to that. Now I wished I had never asked the question. His answer had just made the situation ten times worse. Because the truth was, throughout our friendship, it had never once occurred to me to think of Griffin as anything more than a friend.
And now I found myself afraid to admit this to him. I didn’t know what it would do to him. His expression seemed so hopeful, so full of nervous anticipation. I just didn’t feel like I had it in me to dash all his hopes. Yet, at the same time, I didn’t want to raise his hopes higher than they already were.
In the end, I took the cowardly option.
“Griffin,” I said, gripping his hand. “This has all come as a real shock. I never knew you felt like this about me. I-I need time and space to think about all of this. To even get used to the concept of you liking me as more than a friend.”
He reached a hand to my face and I flinched. “Is it really that hard to imagine I could have felt more for you?” I felt my heart being crushed as he looked down at me with adoration in his eyes.
I gulped and reached for his hand, pulling it away from my face. “Just… give me some time,” I repeated.
This was so unlike Griffin. I was used to him mocking scenes like this in movies. And yet here he was, acting as though he was in a romance movie with me. I thought to tease him about it, but his face was still so serious that I just patted him on the shoulder. “I’ll see you around, okay?” r />
He grinned finally and nodded. “All right, princess.”
I turned around and began walking in the opposite direction. I sped up after a few feet until I was running. Why? I didn’t know. I just felt the urge to feel the wind whipping past my face, the unearthed sand stinging my heels.
As I continued running alone on that beach, I began to wonder if there was a deeper reason for being so averse to thinking about Griffin in a different light than a friend. In theory, it wouldn’t be difficult to love him in a different way. Friends to lovers was the biggest cliche of all time. Even my mom had fallen for it with her best friend, Benjamin Hudson.
Friends to lovers was cliche for a reason: it was so easily done.
Now I wondered if the resistance within me was something deeper… something related to that vampire I’d kissed at the port.
As I raced faster, a chilling fear took hold of me, running from the base of my neck down to my spine, sending tingling sensations throughout my body.
I feared that Caleb had disappeared beneath the waves carrying a piece of me with him. That he’d brought me back to his castle, and there I still remained… only this time, as his willing captive.
Chapter 11: Ben
It had been a full day now since our parents had left us. And, thanks to Corrine, I was finally feeling well enough to stand on my own two feet again.
Rose had been oddly absent from my bedside for the latter part of the last twenty-four hours. She’d said she needed some fresh air.
That was just what I needed myself. I got out of bed with Corrine’s permission and, before heading off, donned a dark cloak and pulled the hood over my head so that it cast most of my face in shadow. Then I stepped out into the moonlit courtyard outside.