Focus, Derek. Ignore everything.   I stood still and upright, my feet shoulder-width apart. My left hand kept a relaxed grip on my silver bow's handle. I retrieved an arrow from the quiver slung across my bare back.   Drown everything out. All that matters now is that you hit the target.   Beads of sweat were trickling down my temples. I'd been at this all night. I started with boxing before moving on to sword practice, then firearms practice, and eventually every other training the Crimson Fortress' grounds had to offer until I reached the archery range.   From the corner of my eye, I could make out the thick walls of the Crimson Fortress towering at least a hundred feet above me. They surrounded the island, protecting us from everyone who sought to invade us throughout the past centuries. The mere thought of the towering fortress and all its fortifications threatened to bring back a slew of

Ben and I checked in to the same resort we stayed at with his family last summer. The moment we arrived at the hotel room, neither one of us could wait to get out. It mattered little to us how beautiful the suite was – in fact, it paled in comparison to the lavish penthouses of The Shade. What mattered more to us was the sun. We were in Cancun and we'd missed the sun for too long to spend that bright, sunny day indoors. It became an unspoken rule between the two of us that for that morning, there would be no mention of The Shade, no mention of anything dark or heavy. For a few hours, we tried to be what we had every right to be – teenagers having fun on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.Without us even noticing at first, we ended up avoiding any kind of shade. We wanted to feel the sunlight against our skin, so we stayed clear of umbrellas and roofs and anything that would block the sun. I was sure that by the end of the day, I'd

You shouldn't have let her go. I tried everything I could to shut out my sister's words and keep them from continuously circling in my mind, but it was impossible. They gnawed at me and reminded me of the truth that I already felt so immensely. Sofia was no longer around, and no matter whom I surrounded myself with or what activity I tried to immerse myself in, I could still feel her absence with every fiber of my being. Of course, I'd lived long enough to mask what I was going through as I continued my strict schedule of meetings with the vampires I needed to carry out my commands. By the end of the day, word was already out all over the island: The prince is wide awake. He's done taking a break and is about to get right to the bloody business of keeping The Shade safe. I hated to admit it, but Vivienne was right. It was all a ruse, a show I had to put on in order to distract myself from the void that formed upon Sofia'

Breathless, Claudia and I rolled to our sides on her king-sized canopy bed. I pulled my arm from beneath her bare form, so I could sit over the edge of the bed and reach toward the table where I laid a pack of cigarettes. I propped myself up, leaning my back against the bed's headboard before lighting up a cigarette. I could feel Claudia's eyes on me. She was often the girl I ran to whenever I needed a quick tumble in the bed. She served her purpose well. Of course, the entire time we were screwing each other, it wasn't really Claudia on my mind. It was Sofia. My brother's slave managed to etch herself permanently on my subconscious from the very moment I first laid eyes on her and found myself wanting her – only to realize that she could never be mine. When I finally got a taste of her blood, I was a lost cause. I couldn't get her out of my head. The fragile little twig. "Word's out that Derek has got Cameron out

Blood was all over the Sun Room. The LED lights mimicking the sun's rays were busted. The only source of light was a flickering fluorescent lamp fighting to stay alight. I was pinned against one of its walls. I couldn't move. I was frightened. I didn't understand what was going on. I couldn't hear anything. My sense of touch was gone. I sensed a dark presence enter the room. A shadow. I couldn't make out who it was. I tried to talk, but my voice came out in an inaudible rasp. The shadow approached. Its presence was so strong, so powerful, so dark. It stopped in front of me. Blood began to pool on the ground where the shady figure stood. I was expecting to see Lucas, and found myself gasping when I saw it was Derek. Blue eyes void of life. Fangs bared. Ready to prey on me. He took a hold of me. His fangs were about to sink into my skin. Then nothing. Nothing but a large, empty void and a female voice whispering, "The darkness is coming."   I woke up in th