A Castle of Sand (19 page)

My heart began thumping double its usual pace.
What’s going on?
I realized then that my wrists were bound together and I was shivering from the cold water that was now beginning to soak my clothes and seep around my skin.

“Did you do this, Sofia?”

I followed the direction of the all-too-familiar voice and saw Gavin glaring at me with suspicion. “No! I don’t even know what’s going on!”

“Someone ratted us out,” Ian hissed as he tried to break free from the ropes binding his hands. “I was certain it was you, Red. I still think it is.”

“If it were me, why on earth would I be here with you?” The look on their faces showed that they were unconvinced. We were lined up in front of a wooden pole—there were five of us, two of the others I recognized from the secret meeting Gavin dragged me to. “I didn’t do this.”

Ian scoffed. “And we’re supposed to just take your word for it?”

“It wasn’t her.”

The murmurs of the crowd grew silent. Heavy footsteps approached. I didn’t really have to look up to know who it was. Gregor Novak. I lifted my head and sure enough, he was standing over me, staring at me the same way he always did—with a strange mixture of hatred and desire.

“My son’s redhead didn’t rat you out,” he clarified. “She’s too intent on destroying The Shade and everything it’s become to do that. I’m no fool. I have my eyes on The Catacombs, humans who do my bidding for certain luxuries and privileges. I’ve had her watched from her first day there. I know what a traitorous snake she is. She might have my son fooled, but not me. I know
exactly
why you’re here at The Shade, Sofia Claremont.”

I gave him the most defiant glare I could muster. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

The back of his hand connected with the side of my face so forcefully, I thought my neck would snap.

“How dare you address me! You little worm!” He grabbed a clump of my hair and yanked me to a standing position. He leaned over my face so closely our noses almost touched. “I know exactly who you are.”

He threw me on the ground toward the direction of the pole. I tried to scramble upwards, but two guards grabbed me by the arms and dragged me toward the pole. All I could do was attempt to steel myself against what I knew was about to happen.

“Fifty lashes for the treasonous little wretch,” Gregor announced.

The guards unbound my hands, which had been tied behind my back, so that they could bind them on ropes that hung over a hook on top of the wooden pole. I was trembling uncontrollably by the time they started ripping the back of my dress in order to expose my bare back.

“That’s right, Sofia.” Gregor had a tone of triumph in his voice. “Tremble.”

I could hear the whip crack over the concrete ground. I shut my eyes, trying to swallow back my fear.
Derek, where are you? Do something…

“Stop this! Right now!”

Relief washed over me at the distant, but very much recognizable, voice of Derek as the crowd made way for him.

“Unbind her this instant!” he ordered the guards and they were about to do just that, but Gregor must’ve done something to make them stop.

“So you really are as strong and as powerful as they said you were, taking down five of Felix’s best men all on your own. I’m impressed.” There was a tone of amusement on Gregor’s voice. Not a single ounce of intimidation or defeat could be found in the way he was speaking. I wondered what ace he was hiding up his sleeve.

“I told you not to lay a hand on Sofia. I warned you.” When he saw that the guards weren’t about to do as he told them, Derek approached me and unbound my hands. He cupped my face with his strong hands and winced when he noticed the bump on my head where my captors had knocked me unconscious.

“You care for her like she’s some fragile little doll, when you don’t really even know who she really is. She’s playing you for a fool, Derek, destroying everything you fought hard to build.”

Derek’s chiseled features tensed as he let out a controlled breath, as if trying to reel in his anger. “I warned you, Father. You’ve gone too far.”

“She’s Ingrid Maslen’s daughter, Derek. Did you know that?”

I saw the flash of confusion that crossed Derek’s eyes as he withdrew his hands from my face. I felt the exact same confusion.
What is this guy talking about?

“Lies.” Derek shook his head, but for a moment he looked at me as though I might have been a wholly different person. Desperation began eating at me. I knew how much he hated the Maslens.

“My mother’s name is Camilla Claremont,” I told him trying to stay calm. “She’s been in an insane asylum for the majority of the past decade. You know this. Your father’s bluffing, Derek.”

“I’m not bluffing. I can prove everything,” Gregor said confidently. “I have all the background checks to prove it. Ingrid Maslen was once Camilla Claremont, wife of Aiden Claremont. They only have one daughter—your pretty little redhead right there.”

I shook my head. “No. It’s not true. Ingrid Maslen is
not
my mother.”

“When was the last time you saw Camilla Claremont, Sofia?” Gregor continued to pry. “Did you actually ever even see her in an insane asylum? Or is that just the story you’re weaving to cover up your connection to the Maslens?”

“That’s not…I’m not connected to the Maslens.” My voice was weak, Gregor’s words shaking me up. The idea of my mother being anywhere but inside an asylum was already too much for me to even comprehend. The thought that she was a vampire was something I was certain would drive
me
insane if I entertained it.

I kept my eyes on Derek’s, wondering what was going through his mind. If Ingrid really was my mother, I wondered if he could ever look at me the same way again. He was slipping away from me and I could feel it and the worst part of it all was that I actually had no clue whether or not Gregor was telling the truth.

Derek gave me a hurt and confused look. “Sofia…is it possible that Ingrid Maslen is your mother?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted, my heart sinking as I did. “Aiden and Camilla Claremont
are
my parents, but apart from Vivienne’s memories, I’ve never heard of Ingrid Maslen before I came to The Shade. You have to believe me, Derek.”

“Why would you believe her, huh? For all we know, the only reason she came back might be because her mother sent her, so that they could destroy The Shade or perhaps even take over. She might be their inside person.”

I looked into Derek’s eyes, wondering if it were possible for him to actually believe that I would betray him in that way. I couldn’t read the expression on his face and the realization made my heart drop. “Derek…” was all I managed to say, searching for some sort of assurance that he was going to side with me, that he loved me still. I found none. All I could see was the blank expression on his face as the wheels inside his mind churned the information he’d just been given, perhaps wondering what he was supposed to do with it.

His hands formed into fists and his muscles tensed at the motion. He took a step away from me and that was all he needed to do to make me feel like I’d totally lost him. Tears began streaming down my eyes as I looked into his eyes, desperate to find words to get him back to me.

“Get her back on the pole,” Gregor ordered the guards. “She’s guilty of inciting rebellion within The Shade. That’s the sentence for rebellion.”

“No.” Derek shook his head and looked at me. “Did you know about the plan to hold a revolt?”

My heart sank. I couldn’t lie. “Yes, but…”

The betrayed expression on his eyes tore me apart.

“Derek…please…”

“She admits her guilt.” Gregor chuckled. “You never should’ve trusted her.”

“Her knowledge of the rebellion makes her guilty.” Derek nodded. His words were said with a tone of resignation. “The Shade’s law dictates that any involvement in such a rebellion is to be met with a punishment of fifty lashes.”

“That’s it then!” Gregor exclaimed triumphantly.

The guards grabbed hold of me and began dragging me back to the pole. I couldn’t control my sobs. I knew that my sandcastle would totally collapse one day, but I never would’ve guessed that it would be in this way.

They were about to bind my wrists over the pole. I’d completely lost all hope when Derek called out, “Wait!” My heart stopped. “I cannot go against the law, which clearly dictates that she is to be punished for her actions, but the law also states that a citizen of The Shade can volunteer to take on the punishment of another citizen upon himself. I will take on her sentence.”

What he said caused such a commotion among the crowd, we were barely able to hear Gregor’s angry protests.

“No!” he cried out, when the murmurs of the crowd eventually died down.

I adored Derek too much at that moment to even bother looking at Gregor, but the king of The Shade sounded livid.

“You will do no such thing! A vampire taking on a human rebel’s sentence is unheard of. You’re the prince of The Shade! You will not do this. I forbid it!”

Ignoring his own father, Derek pulled his shirt over his head and threw it on the ground. “Let’s get this over with.”

He approached me, giving me a look that made me feel like I was the most precious creature on earth. I still couldn’t control my tears as he stood right in front of me. “You had me scared to death…” I confessed.

“Did you really think I could just stand here and let them hurt you?” he told me.

Though relieved as I was being spared the ridiculous punishment the king was meting out on us, the idea of having to watch Derek take on the punishment meant for me was frightening. “I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

He gently brushed a hand through my tangled hair. “Don’t worry about me, Sofia. I can take it. I heal, remember?” He then pressed his lips against my forehead. “Just do me a favor and leave. I don’t want you to see this.”

I shook my head. “No. You wouldn’t have to go through this if it weren’t for me.”

“The thought of you seeing this will only make the experience more painful, Sofia. Please…”

“I can’t leave you. I wouldn’t know where to go or how to bear being alone. If you have to go through this, Derek, if there’s no other way, then we have to learn to go through things together. No matter how painful…”

He kissed me full on the mouth before finally glaring defiantly at Gregor who seemed to have gone mad, not knowing what to do about the whole thing. He’d already run out of aces against me—against
us—
and he knew it. Derek approached the pole and as they bound him to it, that’s when I got a good look at the whip they were going to use.

A lump formed on my throat at the sight of it. When the first blow on Derek’s bare back was made, I could barely breathe. I waited for the dark, ugly welt on his back to heal, but it didn’t. Another lash was inflicted and still, he didn’t heal.

Murmurs and whispers began to float across the crowd as the onlookers were beginning to wonder why he wasn’t healing.

All I could think about was that he told me he would heal, and it wasn’t happening and with every blow, I felt worse and worse. By the tenth blow, Derek’s skin broke and blood was drawn. Every single blow that followed drew even more blood, creating a mess out of the flesh on his back. Halfway through, I couldn’t look anymore. At some point, I wanted to throw myself at him and just take the punishment myself, but I knew that doing so would’ve made all that he was doing be in vain.

It was at this point that Ashley stepped by my side and squeezed my hand. She drew me to her embrace and held me close as I flinched through the sound of every crack of that whip.

After the fiftieth lash was inflicted, an electric silence filled the atmosphere. I wondered what was going through everyone’s mind, but no one moved.

“It’s over, Sofia,” Ashley whispered into my ear.

I pried myself away from her and willed myself to look at Derek. His back was barely recognizable and I noticed the confusion on everyone’s faces—especially the vampires. The question on everyone’s mind remained the same:
Why wasn’t he healing?

Derek was supposed to be the most powerful vampire of his time, revered by everyone at The Shade. He was practically untouchable, and from Gregor’s own proclamation, he was only recently able to singlehandedly take down five of Felix’s best men.

However, at that moment, he hung motionless over the pole, unconscious.

I trembled as I approached him. Cameron and Liana following. The guards untied Derek’s wrists and he slumped to the ground. Cameron came in time to catch his limp form.

“What’s going on? Why isn’t he healing?” I asked, unable to keep the alarm from my voice.

“Let’s take him to Corrine’s,” Liana said.

“Not so fast!” Gregor said, menace lacing his words. “There are four other rebels who haven’t yet met their punishments.”

I drew a breath as I looked at Gavin, Ian and the two other Naturals who were caught with me. If Derek wasn’t able to take the blows, then how on earth would they survive?

“They won’t be able to handle it. They’re going to die…”

Cameron shook his head as his eyes met with Liana’s. It was as if they had some sort of telepathic communication, because Liana worriedly said, “Cam…” But then she paused and nodded.