We didn’t leave the lighthouse until the next day, determining to just enjoy each other’s company and stay away from all the issues that we knew would assault us once we returned to the kingdom. Holding hands with her as we practically skipped our way—like love-struck teenagers—back to The Shade, I wished we could’ve just stayed at the lighthouse and locked ourselves up in there for as long as we could.
We’d just left the Crimson Fortress when Xavier approached us, worry traced in his eyes.
“What’s wrong?” I asked him.
Xavier shifted uncomfortably on his feet. “Ben Hudson is back.”
CHAPTER 37: SOFIA
I was struggling to wrap my mind around what Xavier had just said.
Ben’s back on this island?
At first, I was worried for my best friend. Why was he back? Was he alright? With him back, would Claudia be able to keep herself from tearing him into shreds?
When I saw the reaction on Derek’s face, however, I realized that we had greater issues to contend with. Ben had joined the hunters. Did he now know how to get back to The Shade? How did he find out? Was he going to compromise The Shade by letting the hunters know? Was he with the hunters now? Should we be gearing up for an attack?
My heart went out to Derek. He already had so much on his plate, so many issues to deal with…I knew that the additional burden of wondering whether or not The Shade was still safe with Ben back was something he didn’t really need nor want.
I squeezed his hand to let him know I was there for him. “Everything’s going to be alright,” I assured him.
He held my hand in a firm grip and looked me straight in the eye. “With him back, does it change anything?”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “I can’t believe you’d even ask me that question, Derek. Nothing’s changed,” I assured him.
Xavier was staring at us like we’d gone mad. “We’re holding him at the port,” he informed. “We had no idea what to do with him. We weren’t sure if you’d agree to have him brought into the island. I’ve sent scouts around the island, and as far as we aware, he arrived alone.”
Derek nodded. “I’ll go to the port to speak with him. You coming, Sofia?”
He gave me a look that was practically begging me not to go, but I wasn’t going to miss out on seeing Ben. He was still my best friend, someone who mattered dearly to me, so I nodded. “Yes. I’m going.”
Derek didn’t bother to hide the disappointment in his face, but understood me enough to know that he could do little to dissuade me from going.
Once we reached the port, an underwater facility that contained cells where new arrivals were held before they were allowed to enter the island, we were immediately brought to the cell where they were keeping Ben.
The moment we arrived, he stood up from the cot where he’d been seated. His eyes first fell on Derek and I watched him for a trace of the usual hatred he had whenever he looked at the prince of The Shade, but there was none of it. Ben just looked from Derek to me and once his eyes were on me, they stayed there.
Derek stared for a while before shaking his head. “I can’t stand this. I’ll be speaking with you in a while and I expect you to answer all my questions truthfully, but for now, before we get into the nitty-gritty of your sudden appearance here, I’m going to leave Sofia with you. I know that you two will want to spend time alone.”
Ben seemed sincerely grateful. “Thank you.”
Derek just grunted and nodded before leaving us on our own. I knew how Ben’s presence was eating at him. Ben, after all, was the reason I’d decided to leave The Shade before. I couldn’t blame him for being threatened that Ben was back, but I was also peeved. I’d just agreed to marry him. Was that not assurance enough that I was his?
Derek kissed my cheek. “You’ll be alright?” he asked.
I smiled and nodded. “I’ll be fine, Derek. We’ll call if we need anything.”
Derek and Xavier left, shutting the door behind them.
The moment I was finally alone with Ben, all I could think to do was stare at him. It felt like an eternity since I’d last seen him. His blonde hair was now shaved. He looked a lot more buff, stronger, bigger. He also appeared to have matured in likeness. Still, he was just as handsome as I remembered him to be.
It took me a while to finish studying him. When my gaze fell on his blue eyes and saw them moist with tears, I was taken aback. I had no idea what to say to him or even how to conduct myself around him.
“How’ve you been, Ben?” I managed to croak out. I hated the awkwardness we had between us. It was never this way before.