Page 34 (1/2)

His reply was as sinister and as dark as his very presence "When your soul is a black hole, it can never be filled" The lashes then came one after the other until I was certain that I was a bloodyin Derek’s arms, but desperate to not wake him

"Gloat to me, Emilia, once you actually have hiain utterly mine, because if not for you, Derek Novak would’ve reo Return to The Shade and have him end the iht-eyed eagerness Until then, you’ve no right to the bliss I have allowed you to have in his arue with the Elder,It was a counterfeit joy to the delight I saw in Derek’s eyes whenever he laid eyes on Sofia I knew that what I shared with him was a fantasy, but I just wanted it to be real so badly, I illing to eht me

I tried to force back a sob, but it came out anyway I wished that I hadn’t surrendered to the Elder I wished that I could go back and hopefully do things all over again, but it was too late I’d gone too far into the darkness to ever be rescued

I oodness in ht planted itself in my head, I saw it – a flash of the Elder’s bloody red eyes raging with fury at me "How dare you, Eiven you"

Without another word, I was taken from Derek’s arms into one of ht of torment in my so-called father’s hands It took hours before he was satisfied withback to the way I was before I met him

When he was done, he whispered, "Go to The Shade and destroy Sofia Clareht will feel like a walk in the park coh, should you fail"

I found it insane that I didn’t see it before, but it seeood in hiht, no satisfaction, no affection, no e and manipulation He was pure and unbridled evil He was darkness itself He was sorrow, grief, pain andus all doith him

And yet, despite the sheer awareness of all the darkness I’d givento be under his control I told myself that it was the fear, but I knew that it was more than that The truth was I had becohter of the darkness and if I were to be h it alone

Chapter 38: Derek

She was beautiful The green eyes, the soft auburn locks, the splash of freckles on her cheeks, the beautiful s against her hair, wearing a stunning white dress, was one that would never fail to draw me in

As I walked towards her, I was fully aware that I was in a dreaer remember Sofia and I would be in love with someone else – someone as a far cry fro that she knew that I wasn’t betraying her, that I tried to fight against the darkness controllingI could do to stop its hold overWe simply held hands and we both cried

I felt such an overwhel her close, knowing that both our hearts were breaking in unison We both knew that we loved each other and she made that clear, when in between her sobs, she told h h to overcome this"

And then she disappeared and I was left alone, trying to re-connect with myself while I still could, while I still had control And I stayed that way until the dreao back to the lie that Emilia and her father had painted for me and turned into my reality

I are of the truth only in my dreams From the moment I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep to the moment when I would have to open theed I was Derek Novak, King of The Shade, the love of a beautiful and kind redhead’s life And she was ainstwave of love for her – a love that wasn’t from within, a love that felt unreal, but was nonetheless consu in the back ofwho I was, but I had no choice other than to be him: ashe asked of me without hesitation

When I woke up, I found the space on the bed beside me empty I creased my brows even as I battled with the immediate sense of relief that caht Why ao and look for her

I cliot dressed I was already about to bolt out of the door when Eht of her She looked stunningly attractive – the woave me a weary lookover – al in an hour"

"Leaving?" I asked, narrowing ?"