“Look around you, Red.” Ian gestured to our surroundings. “Can you blame us for wanting something better? But of course, you wouldn’t understand, would you? You’re living in that suite of yours lavished upon you by your lover boy, the prince. You’ve no idea what it’s like to grow up here at The Shade, to live every single day in fear. We’ve had enough.”

It took a moment to register that it was me he was referring to with the name Red. Memories of Ben came flooding back, but I shoved them away in place of more urgent matters. “When was the last time an uprising was ever held at The Shade? Do you remember?” I asked, remembering the information I read from Derek’s journal at the Lighthouse.

The silence was enough of an answer.

“Of course you don’t remember, because the last time there was a human uprising, all humans involved were killed. No one lived to tell the story. You don’t stand a chance against the vampires. Derek has been going through painstaking lengths to get their military force trained. They’re formidable against hunters. What makes you think you can even do anything to scratch them?”

“Is this why you brought her here?” Ian asked Gavin. “She’s the prince’s spokesperson?”

Gavin didn’t respond. He seemed content to let us do all the talking.

I couldn’t help but wonder what was going through his mind.

“Do you really think we care if we die, Red?” Ian addressed me after rolling his eyes at Gavin. “We’re just tired. We’re going to die eventually anyway. We might as well die fighting.”

I understood their desperation, but what they were about to do was straight up suicide. “There’s got to be a better way.”

“There is,” one of the girls spoke up—a lovely brunette with violet eyes that reminded me of Vivienne’s. “We just have to get Corrine on our side. All she has to do is lift the protective spell over the island and it’s over. The sun will do all the killing for us. Nothing makes a vampire more vulnerable than sunlight.”

“Word is that you have sway not only when it comes to the prince, but also with Corrine…” Ian eyed me hopefully. “Would you talk to her? Without putting us at risk?”

And betray Derek by endangering him and everything he’s been fighting for? “I don’t think I can do that. I’m sorry. Besides, Corrine has been advocating human rights in this island since she got here. If she wanted to lift the spell, she already would’ve.”

“So you’re not going to help us?” Ian asked.

Gavin straightened on his seat. “Sofia, just talk to Corrine. She barely knows any of us and she’d probably just laugh us off if we spoke to her, but if you talk to her, then maybe she can shed some wisdom on all of this, because we all know that a revolt would just get us all killed and I don’t want that to happen.”

I glared at Gavin, hating that he managed to put me in the predicament I was in. Why are you doing this? “I’ll see what I can do, but for now, don’t do anything foolish. This revolt of yours will be more trouble than you could ever imagine.”

They all agreed as long as I promised to have a word with Corrine. When Gavin and I left, I couldn’t keep myself from confronting him. “You know how I feel for Derek and how much I love him. Why would you put me on the spot, Gavin?”

“Because I want you to realize that if the vampires proceed with a culling, the humans aren’t just going to stand back and take it. They probably don’t even realize it, but there’ll be more bloodshed than they’re capable of handling.”

“What do you expect me to do with all this information?”

“Sofia, the prince is practically putty in your hands and Corrine thinks highly enough of you to actually allow him to transform half of an entire level in The Catacombs into your quarters. You’re here for a reason. Maybe this is it, Sofia. You have to do something to at least try and avoid all this coming bloodshed.”

“How am I supposed to do that?”

“Talk to Corrine.”

I huffed at him before walking on. We were nearing my quarters and from the door opening, I could already see Derek waiting in my living room. I missed being around him, but the idea of talking to him after everything I had witnessed and heard of made my mind whirl. It felt like I was betraying him just by knowing what I knew.

Upon seeing me, he stood up from the couch and looked at me with so much yearning that I could almost sense the ache he felt. He quickly shifted his focus from me to Gavin. He began to shuffle on his feet.

I couldn’t help but smile. Is he nervous?

“About earlier today…” Derek began rubbing the back of his neck with his palm.

Gavin gave me an anxious sideward glance to let me know that he had no idea what was happening.

“I…” Derek cleared his throat. “I didn’t know what came over me.” He sounded choked. He scratched his head. “I’m…well, yeah…I guess I’m sorry.”

“You guess?” I asked.

“Well, no…I really am…sorry…”

“Have you never apologized to a human before?” I raised a brow, amused by the sight of Derek being so uncomfortable.

“Of course I have…” Derek widened his eyes at me defensively.

“Well, what do you have to say to that?” I turned my head toward Gavin.

“Uhh…I’m supposed to say something?” Gavin frowned.

“Do you accept his apology?” I shrugged my shoulders in emphasis.

“Do I have a choice not to?” The redhead boy grimaced. He looked just about as comfortable with accepting Derek’s apology as Derek was when making his. “What have you done to him?” he mouthed at me.

I chuckled. “You two are ridiculous.”

“Fine. I accept the apology. This is so weird.”

Derek nodded in agreement. He then peered at me through his long, dark lashes. “I was hoping to have a word with Sofia. In private.”

My gut clenched. How was I going to stay alone with Derek and not give in to the urge of blurting out everything I knew? Talking to Corrine suddenly seemed like the most desirable recourse at the moment. “I’d love that, Derek.” I grabbed Gavin’s arm when he began to turn to leave. “But I have to go talk to Corrine. I miss you…it’s just…”

“When are you going to stop avoiding me, Sofia?”

“I’m not avoiding…”

“Yes, you are.” Even Gavin breathed the words out.

I glared at my so-called friend. How dare you. Traitor.

I faced Derek, both loving and hating the longing that I saw in his eyes. “Spend time with Gavin here. You two get to know each other.” I shoved Gavin forward. “I won’t be with Corrine too long.” I gave Derek a lingering look. “I’ll spend time with you right after. I promise.”

“Let me take you there.” Derek volunteered.

“No.” I shook my head. “I’d rather go alone. I need the long walk to think things through.”

I knew I was tearing him apart. I felt the same way, but too much was going on—more than I could handle and being around him was the last thing I needed at that moment. “I’ll be back, Derek. Wait for me.”

I left the guys to bond, finding their discomfort and awkwardness around each other rather amusing. Still, the amusement couldn’t erase weightier thoughts burdening my every waking thought.

A culling. A revolt. A prophecy.

A sandcastle on the verge of collapsing.

CHAPTER 26: DEREK

I shifted my gaze from Sofia’s hurried, disappearing form to Gavin, who obviously had no idea what to do with the situation Sofia had just pushed both of us into. She definitely knows how to drive me crazy.

“Would you rather be alone waiting for her?” he asked, sounding quite hopeful that I would say yes.

“No.” I walked forward before nodding toward the direction of the dining area. “I think Sofia’s right. You’re getting quite close to her. Perhaps it’s best we have a talk.”

He visibly gulped—something I found strange considering how defiant and confident he was around me before. Does he have something to hide now?

“All right…” He nodded.

We headed to the round dark wood table and I sat on one velvet-cushioned chair while he sat on another right across the table from me.

“So what exactly does a Natural like me and a prince of The Shade like you talk about?”

I was impressed by his guts to open up the conversation himself. “The only common ground we have right now, I believe, is Sofia.”

“And you want to talk about her?”

“I want to understand her.”

“Well then, you’re asking the wrong person. Sofia is a mystery to me just as she is to everyone else. It’s like she has this thing about her that no one can really peg but you just get this unnatural urge to protect her and keep her safe. Like you’ll lose something precious if anything happens to her.”

I stared at him, knowing fully well what he was talking about. “She’s special, isn’t she?” was all I could think of to say.

“After seeing her calm you down the way she did, I’d have to say I agree.”

“Sofia was right. You are very blunt and honest. Almost guileless. I can assume you’d be very straightforward with me if I asked you to, can’t I?”

“It depends.” He shrugged. “Do you promise not to kill me in case you don’t like what you hear?”

“Maybe.”

“Considering that you were going to kill me earlier today, I think I need a better word of assurance than just a maybe.”

“Fine. I won’t kill you, but do tell me…what do the humans really think about my relationship with Sofia?” I gave my question some thought, wondering if I even wanted to hear the answer to it. “What do you think?”