“You don’t know her.”

“She’s my best friend and now she’s my girlfriend. I know her far better than you ever will. And if you had even bothered to spend time with her over the past eight years, you would know what an incredible person she is. Dad did.”

I could see anger flare in my mother’s eyes. “Your father knew?”

“Yes. We didn’t tell him. He just knew…”

“What if she ends up like her mother, Ben?”

“That’s a low blow, Mom. Sofia’s nothing like her crazy mother.”

Amelia smiled bitterly. “You didn’t know Camilla. You never met her. She was just like Sofia. Beautiful, sweet, charming, soft-spoken… They both have this arresting way about them… like they’re both oblivious of the effect they have on others. Look at what happened to Camilla, Ben. Carted off by her own husband, never to be seen again.”

“Sofia’s not going to end up that way.”

“Go ahead and tell yourself that.” My mother stepped on the brakes and I was relieved to find that we were already home.

I jumped out of the vehicle, eager to get as far away from my mother as possible. I raced to the front door and up the stairs and went right to Sofia’s room.

I drew a breath when I saw her lying on the bed, eyes shut. She stirred slightly. I was immediately beside her, climbing on the bed and holding her hand. I slipped my arm beneath her shoulder in order to lift her head over the pillow. The motion caused her pillow to move. I caught sight of something beneath. Curiosity sparked, but Sofia’s eyes opened and the moment they fell on me, she had my full attention.

I hated the way she was looking at me. A thousand apologies were in her eyes and I dreaded to find out the reason behind her need to say sorry.

“Sofia… what happened?”

“Vivienne…” she gasped.

Vivienne. It took several seconds before it fully registered on my mind who Vivienne was. The princess of vampires. Derek’s sister. I stared at Sofia, feeling as if she just betrayed me. Why on earth would Vivienne leave The Shade and seek out Sofia? Fears of losing Sofia began to overwhelm me.

“Why would you even dare be anywhere alone with her, Sofia? What were you thinking?”

“She begged to speak with me…”

“Why?”

She licked her lips with hesitation in her eyes. I hated that she would change the subject but her next revelation brought me delight. “The hunters have her.”

Good riddance then. I looked to Sofia for a trace of victory at the news. Instead, it was as if she’d been told that someone she loved dearly just died. “Isn’t this good news?!”

“She’s my friend. I’m worried about her.” Sofia slowly rose from the bed, sitting over the edge of it, one hand brushing over her forehead. “The idea of what the hunters are going to do to her terrifies me.”

A friend? That she would call The Shade’s princess a friend was a slap to my face. I was then reminded of her conversation with the vampire and shook my head slightly, refusing to let my girlfriend off the hook. “What did Vivienne say to you, Sofia?”

Sofia paused before saying, “She was asking me to go back to The Shade.”

“She what?!”

“Ben…”

My eyes grew wide with shock. “Sofia, you’re not actually considering this, are you?”

“This room is suffocating. I need space to think.” Sofia got off the bed. “I’m going out for a walk.”

“You’re not going anywhere, Sofia. We’re going to talk about this.”

“No, Ben. We’re not. Not now at least.”

She twisted the doorknob, opened the door and walked away, leaving me stunned. Half of me wanted to run after her and drag her right back to the room, when my father peeked into the room. “Looks like she’s up. Told you there was nothing to worry about.”

Nothing to worry about? My dad always had a way of making light of things. I guess I inherited my penchant for avoiding problems from him. “What happened to Sofia, dad? Why was she unconscious?”

“I don’t know,” he shrugged. “I was looking for her and found her in a coffee shop with that friend of hers, who was murmuring something while holding Sofia’s hands. I approached and suddenly, the other girl was having some kind of seizure and Sofia just lost consciousness. We went to the hospital and they released Sofia, saying she just needs some rest.”

“And her friend?”

My dad shrugged. “Didn’t think to check on her. Have you talked to Sofia though? Did she tell you anything?”

She didn’t tell me enough. “Yeah… she says she just needs to take a walk.”

“Well, it’s probably best to give her some space. And Ben?”

“Yes?”

“What really happened between you and Sofia when you disappeared … The day will come when you have to talk about it. I understand the desire to run from it, but with things like this happening, I’m beginning to wonder if…”

“I’m fine, dad. Sofia’s fine.”

“Alright then. Good night, son.”

“Good night, dad.”

I was left standing there, not certain what I was supposed to do. Then I remembered how something stashed beneath Sofia’s pillow had caught my attention. Giving in to my curious nature, I went to see what she had hidden there and immediately found myself wishing I hadn’t.