A Gate of Night (A Shade of Vampire #6)(3)
Author: Bella Forrest

“It’s just one month,” I added. “We already have a week down. We’re immortals. What’s three weeks to us? Derek and Sofia will be back from their honeymoon and he can iron things out with the hunters.” That silenced everyone.

I felt ill at ease with the position Derek had placed me in. After having been captured by the hunters, imprisoned, tortured and brainwashed at their headquarters, I’d lost a huge part of who I was and everyone could tell. I wasn’t in the best condition to be running a kingdom waiting to implode or explode—depending on who was going to light the fuse.

I’d spent the greater part of five hundred years living in The Shade. Our coven had been founded and ruled by my family—the Novaks. After the deaths of my father, Gregor, and my older brother, Lucas, the weight of ruling The Shade had fallen entirely on Derek’s shoulders.

I was the Seer of The Shade and I’d always known that Derek was destined to rule. He was prophesied to bring our kind to true sanctuary. With the help of Sofia, he’d found a cure, a way to turn vampires back into humans.

This cure, we believed, was our true sanctuary. Derek longed for it. He’d never wanted to be a vampire, so he’d turned his back on immortality and become human again the first chance he got—right after he’d married Sofia. They deserved their happy ending, but happily ever after wasn’t easily achieved. Not in real life.

When Derek had left for his honeymoon, some saw the move as selfish. I saw it as a well-deserved break, but of course their reprieve came at a price for those of us who were left behind. Now, while Derek and Sofia enjoyed their honeymoon, the island was overrun by hunters.

None of us trusted the hunters. Aiden’s experience alone was a testament that we could not put our faith in them. Because of his love for Sofia, he’d sided with his daughter and for that, even after he’d given his whole life to the cause of the hunters, they’d turned their back on him.

After discussing other matters, the council left the penthouse and, feeling suffocated by the loneliness of my home, I decided to take a breath of fresh air. I strolled past the giant redwood trees which supported the Residences.

The Residences used to be one of the most beautiful areas of The Shade, but after the Elder had attacked the island, many of the homes had been destroyed, along with half of the Crimson Fortress and the entirety of the Vale.

I looked up at the homes at the Residences still intact, now being shared by several vampire clans. At the thought of everything that we’d been able to establish at The Shade—everything that was now threatened—a wave of melancholy came over me. Everything I loved about The Shade was about to disappear. I swallowed back the tears.

“Well, if it isn’t Vivienne Novak,” a voice from behind me cooed.

I didn’t need to turn around to recognize the voice. Memories returned to me. Of all the hunters who’d come to my cell to torment me, he was the worst. Chills ran along my spine, settling at the nape of my neck, as he began to circle me.

“What do you want?” I snapped.

He stopped circling and stood in front of me—too close—crossing his arms over his chest. “I heard you were in charge of this island while your brother is out frolicking around the world with his new wife. Kind of selfish of him, don’t you think?”

“My brother is a lot of things. Selfish isn’t one of them.” Avoiding eye contact, I gazed at the tattoo of a small blue star on his temple.

He chuckled. “Well, I don’t care. It just means that we get to deal with you instead of your brother.”

I swallowed hard, knowing that even though I remained a vampire and Derek was human, I was still nowhere near as intimidating as Derek. “What do you want?”

“We appreciate the quarters you provided us at the Crimson Fortress, but I have to say that the Residences seem to be far more comfortable.”

“If you want comfortable, you can leave anytime.”

It was Aiden who’d suggested that the hunters be assigned to the military bunks at the Crimson Fortress—the large hundred-foot wall surrounding the entire island. A good chunk of the wall and its towers had been torn apart when other vampire covens had attacked The Shade under the command of the Elder. Still, the hunters’ quarters were quite comfortable, especially with a full staff to cater to their needs. As far as I was concerned, they were being treated like royalty, certainly better than the other humans.

He chuckled. “You always were a feisty one, Vivienne. I have to admit it’s interesting to see you in your element.” He gestured with his arms as he looked around. “I never thought The Shade would be like this. I mean, apart from the fact that the sun never rises here, the place is rather breathtaking.”

I didn’t know how to react to him. Has he forgotten what he did to me? “How long are you going to be here?”

“For as long as they tell us to be.” He shrugged. “Look, Vivienne, I know we started off on the wrong foot, but you have to understand that back at headquarters, I was just doing what I was supposed to do.”

“You were doing what you were supposed to do?” My voice was deceptively composed, but I was fighting the urge to strangle him. “You did what you did to me out of hatred. You enjoyed it.”

His jaw tightened and an infuriating smirk formed on his face.

I wanted to hurt him. I could sink my teeth into his neck, claw through his flesh or even rip his heart out, but I wouldn’t. There was more in the balance than just my revenge.

“Now”—I sidestepped him—“as much as I’m enjoying this talk, I have better things to do.”

He grabbed my arm. “Wait a minute. You can’t just walk away from me.”

I gritted my teeth. “In case you haven’t realized, you are at The Shade. I am princess of this place. Touch me again and you will regret it.”

“Okay then, princess, we want better quarters. Do something about it.”

The nerve of this man. My fists clenched and it was all I could do not to inflict some serious pain upon him.

“You are truly a magnificent sight to behold, Vivienne Novak.” He leaned toward my ear, so close that I could feel every breath. “It grates at you, doesn’t it? Everything you fought for all these years is crumbling before your very eyes. I must say that I am honored that I’m here to see it happen.”

I was losing control. I was about to attack him, but to my relief, a familiar voice came to my rescue.