A Castle of Sand(47)

I was about to find out how grossly I had underestimated Gregor Novak.

CHAPTER 27: SOFIA
 I made myself comfortable in the red loveseat that Corrine had in her study. She was looking through some books when I arrived, black-rimmed glasses over the bridge of her nose as she looked up what was likely to be some ancient spell for another one of her projects.
“To what do I owe the honor of this visit?” she asked as she shut the book she was holding and gave me her full attention.
For the next ten minutes, I poured my heart out to her—my concerns over my relationship with Derek, the culling, the revolt…I told her everything, not withholding a single detail, giving her my complete trust.
“I have no idea what I’m going to do, Corrine. The culling is wrong. How could the witch before you have just stood there and done nothing? Is there anything you can do to stop this? I mean, if these people go on with a revolt, they’re done for! It’s suicide…”
Corrine patiently laid her palms over the top of the wooden desk she was seated behind. “There are some things you can’t change here at The Shade, Sofia. One of them is that the vampires need to feed on human blood. Take that away from them and everything falls apart.”
“So it’s okay for them to massacre the weak and the defenseless?” I spat out.
“Can you think of a better alternative?”
I stared at Corrine with utter disbelief. “Well, yeah! Force the vampires to live on animal blood!”
“Trust me, Sofia. That would cause more chaos than you can possibly wrap your mind around, but if that’s what has to happen.” She shrugged. “Then so be it.”
I couldn’t understand her nonchalance. We were practically talking about genocide and she was just sitting there talking as if life didn’t matter. “I can’t believe it. Doesn’t life matter to anyone here at The Shade?”
“It’s going to be over soon, Sofia,” was the only assurance I got from the witch.
I stood from my seat and began pacing the marble floor. “What does that even mean?” I muttered through gritted teeth.
I could feel Corrine’s eyes on me as I paced the floor anxiously. I didn’t bother to hide my irritation from her. My heart broke just thinking of what a culling could mean for the people I’d begun to care about.
“Do you have any idea why I’m here, Sofia?”
I paused to glance her way. “Yeah. They took you from your university, because the last witch was about to pass away. They need you to keep the protective spell over the island going.”
She chuckled dryly. “I could leave this island anytime I want. Derek knows that. You know that. Why do you think I don’t?”
“I always assumed it’s because you want to look after the humans of The Shade, but considering how apathetic you are over this whole culling business, I’m not so sure anymore…” I was surprised by my own bluntness. Perhaps Gavin has begun to rub off on me.
“That’s one reason, yes. I’ve tried to do my part in making the lives of the Naturals a bit more comfortable. As for the Migrates, there wasn’t much I could do for them. They were trapped prey inside a den of beasts from the moment they stepped onto the island. You weren’t supposed to survive, Sofia. You were supposed to get killed like everyone else. Derek Novak’s nature dictated that he suck the blood right out of you from the first moment he laid eyes on you, but he didn’t. Why is that?”
I pursed my lips, unable to come up with an answer. I recalled the conversation I had with Vivienne when she risked her life—and lost it to the hunters—just to get me back to The Shade.
“Derek thought he’d already fulfilled the prophecy when we established The Shade. The island, he thought, was our true sanctuary. Cora knew otherwise. She knew that he wasn’t done, so without his knowledge, she tacked on an end to her spell. Derek was to wake once it was time to find the girl who would help him fulfill his destiny. It was Corrine who signaled that he was about to wake and she made it very clear that the girls taken on a certain night were to be reserved for him.” Vivienne said.
“My birthday…” I threw the words out there, remembering the way I felt that night.
“Yes…your birthday…” she said the words as if she found it amazing that Lucas abducted me and brought me to The Shade on that particular day. “Derek hadn’t fed on human blood for four centuries. You couldn’t possibly understand how difficult it was for him not to feed on you. When he slammed you against that pillar, I thought you were done for. But he spared you. I don’t know what you told him, but you got to him in a way no other person was ever able to. Not our father or our brother or me or even Cora was able to get through to him the way you did…”