I was surprised that he would voluntarily help me considering how much he was against what I was doing, but I saw it for what it was. It was him letting go and supporting me in my decision even when it hurt him.

At that point, no matter how confident I was that I was making the right decision, it felt painful.

“Ben…”

“Don’t, Sofia… Just go…”

Tears moistened my eyes as I fished the key out of his pocket. “I’m going to text you where I parked it. I…”

“I guess Alyssa was right. Rose Red really does end up with the Beast…”

His words cut deep, but though they managed to scar me, they failed to deter me from what I set out to do. “Take comfort in knowing that the beast turned out to be not much of a beast after all.”

I got silence as a response. I moved toward the door. “I hope you know how much you mean to me, how much I love you. I hope you know that you will always be my best friend.”

“That’s what hurts the most, Sofia… knowing that I will always be nothing but your best friend.”

I spoke the words to soothe, but realized that they only added salt to the wound. The words basically translated to: It’s over between us, Ben. I was beginning to choke with tears so I hurried toward the door, unwilling to break down in front of him.

I still had one favor to ask, however, before going my way. I knew I didn’t have the right to ask it of him, but I felt obliged to. For Vivienne’s sake. “When you reach the hunters, Ben, do me a favor. Please find Vivienne. And try to make sure they don’t harm her.”

Ben’s response was bone-chilling. “Don’t count on it. I couldn’t care less how much they make her suffer.”

I turned my head his way, his face was enveloped by shadows. Darkness loomed in his eyes. My heart went out to him as I shuddered at what The Shade had turned him into. “You’re better than that, Ben. You have no idea who Vivienne Novak is and if you can’t believe in her, believe in me. There’s good in her, so please… if there’s anything you can do to help her…”

“Goodbye, Sofia.”

Sadness weighed heavily on me as I nodded and replied, “Goodbye, Ben.”

Finally, I left, sensing with deep sorrow that it might be the last time I would see Ben again. Over than an hour later, I had driven myself to a secluded area of LA’s Santa Monica beach. I left the truck and walked a few minutes along the beach. I soon spotted a familiar face walking toward me. Kyle.

“Sofia!” he exclaimed as he pulled me in for a friendly embrace. “I was beginning to think you weren’t going to come. Is Vivienne with you?”

I shook my head. “The hunters have taken her.”

His face fell and fear was in his eyes. “I have no idea how the prince is going to take that.”

“I guess we’ll find out.” I smiled bitterly.

He took my bag and sheepishly smiled at me as he lifted a syringe to my neck. “You know the drill…”

I rolled my eyes. “Fine.”

The truth was that Vivienne’s memories told me exactly where The Shade was, a memory of its location being circled on a map giving me one of the greatest secrets of The Shade. It was a sign of the trust Vivienne placed in me, a gesture I could not take lightly. Still, at that moment, I didn’t think Kyle needed to know.

So for the third time, a vampire stuck a syringe into my neck. As the sedative lured me to unconsciousness, I allowed myself a small smile. It felt like I was about to go home.

CHAPTER 31: DEREK

I was at the training grounds. Xavier, who had become significantly better with the sword after the daily training regimen I put him through, had just made a slice in my shoulder. My wound was in the process of healing when I was gripped by a sick feeling inside, accompanied by the urge to find out where my sister was.

“You do realize that the hunters and perhaps the other covens are now equipped with guns and not swords, right?” Xavier asked. “Why then do we have to learn to fight using these?” He raised his sword in the air as I straightened to my full height.

“Agility. Strength. The honor of looking your opponents in the eye before you wound them… Sword fights aren’t for cowards.” I explained, my mind still occupied by an urge to find Vivienne.

“Honor?” He raised one brow. “Is that what we call it now?” He positioned himself for another round. “Perhaps you mean horror.”

With my opponent poised for another fight, I backed down for the first time.

“Tired, Novak?”

I managed to scoff at his confident jibe. “Far from it… I just can’t seem to get my thoughts away from Vivienne.” Among others… My hunger for Ashley was far from being satiated and she never quite strayed far from my thoughts.

“Vivienne? Why?”

It was no secret that Xavier had many times tried to woo my twin and had just as many times found himself humiliated by her rejection.

“I don’t know. I haven’t seen her in days.”

Not since I issued the command that will most certainly pave a way to another human culling. From behind Xavier, I caught sight of Liana Hendry approaching. One look at her worried, grief-stricken amber gold eyes told me a story I knew would be painful to hear. Something’s wrong. Something’s very, very wrong…

She stopped along the boundary of the circle Xavier and I were standing within.

“Liana…” I called to my sister’s closest friend. “Is something wrong? Has something happened to Vivienne?”