Page 36 of Sophie’s Ruin (Crimson and Shadows #2)

Several failed attempts later, I picked out a thread that arced down, disappearing into the ground close to where I stood.

Tilting my head to the side, I latched on to the thread and imagined myself seeping into the ground along with it.

Down and down we went until we reached a crypt-like chamber.

So Emeric hadn’t been the only one preparing a shelter before the war.

My lip curled in disgust. I no longer thought of the clan vampires as apex predators.

They were more like insects, hiding in caves and underground.

Lena sat on the stone bench in the middle of the crypt, her copper hair glowing in the light of the oil lamp.

Her gaze was cast down to her lap, where a small portrait of the rest of her clan rested on top of her emerald skirts.

She appeared to be waiting for me, and I wasn’t sure if the portrait was a ploy to appeal to my softer, human side or if she simply wanted to spend the last minutes of her life with her family, without actually bringing them here.

Disappointment washed over me when I saw she was alone, because that meant only her blood would be spilled tonight.

I recoiled at the thought as soon as it entered my mind.

I shouldn’t feel disappointment, only relief, but the depraved, twisted part of me wanted there to be more victims. Suddenly, I felt a pang in my chest and a tug on my heart, pulling me to go back to Henry, because he could shelter me from such disturbing thoughts.

As if sensing my hesitation, the darkness slithered over my shoulders, wrapping me in its protective shroud until I wasn’t scared of my thoughts anymore.

My thirst for blood was not something to fear, it whispered.

It was a part of me, of my vampire nature.

Perhaps I’d suppressed it for too long. Doing so had made me appear weak, allowing the clan leaders to swoop in and take advantage.

Maybe if I would have let the monster out sooner, all that had transpired could have been avoided.

There was no point in dwelling on the past, though.

I had to focus on the future—a future where all my enemies were eradicated and turned to dust.

I quickly followed the thread back to the surface and rallied my magic.

Raw power surged, thrumming through my veins.

Shadows thickened all around me, pouring out of me and blanketing the ground.

The earth began to shake beneath my feet.

Lena had made this too easy, really. She’d practically dug out her own grave.

Opening my eyes, I looked at Damien standing beside me.

His eyes were closed, his chin lifted. He looked enraptured as if he were feeding from the darkness that now surrounded us, soaking it in until it slithered just below the surface of his skin.

When he opened his eyes and looked at me, they were entirely black, like two glossy, obsidian pools.

“Finish this,” he hissed. “Rain death and destruction on your enemy.”

Lips stretching into a sinister smile, I did what he’d instructed.

My magic blasted from me, collapsing the ground underneath.

Lena’s muffled screams tore through the night as the twisted shadows of my magic lashed at her skin and broke her bones, grinding them until nothing was left of them but dust. I glimmered out, jumping into the void, to reappear a few miles away from where a deep, bowl-shaped cavity had appeared on the site of the collapse.

Damien glimmered in next to me a moment later.

“Where to next?” he asked.

His features sharpened, making him look almost reptilian, and I half-expected a forked tongue to dart out of his mouth.

“Yvonne’s domain. She’s the last one left,” I told him, feeling a pang of disappointment that my quest for revenge would soon be over.

But can it truly be over while the others live? the darkness whispered.

It was right. The rest of the clans were still out there, and they all deserved to die for what their leaders had done.

Yes, the darkness whispered in my ear, low and seductive.

Smiling, I turned my face into its shadowy caress.

“Are you ready?” Damien asked, and I nodded.

I’d been born for this. Who would have known that spreading death would make me feel so alive?

HENRY

She’d wanted to stay; I could feel it, but the darkness had pulled her back, dragging her right out of my arms. I was losing her.

She was slipping through my fingers. No matter how hard I tried to hold on, I couldn’t make her see reason.

I couldn’t make her choose me over the darkness.

My heart shattered at the thought. Perhaps I had overestimated her love for me.

No, I quickly squashed the thought.

I believed in our love and in her. She was lost, but she would find herself again, and I would help her. Even if I had to forfeit my own life. She was mine, and I would not give up on her. The darkness was strong, but our love was stronger. I had to believe that.

“Where is she?” I demanded, as I stormed into the cottage.

Celeste wasn’t alone. A young witch with thick red hair stood up from the sofa when I walked in. Her bright green eyes widened as she took me in.

“I’m not telling you,” Celeste said, also rising to her feet from the sofa.

“Damn it, witch, I need to know!” I demanded again, my deep voice booming in the small living room.

“Why? So you can go after her alone again? We were supposed to devise a plan—”

“I have a plan. It is to save Sophie.”

“Seeing how you have returned without her, your plan is not working,” Celeste pointed out.

“It will work. I just need to talk to her again. I’m the only one who can make her see reason.”

“And what if you don’t?” Celeste challenged.

“I will not even consider that possibility,” I bit out.

“Well, you should. Sometimes, they are too far gone and cannot be saved.”

They? My brows knitted in confusion.

“She will never be too far gone. I will always bring her back.”

Celeste shook her head, her expression grim.

“You are as blinded by your love for her as she is by her love for you.”

My frown deepened. What Celeste was saying sounded a lot like she wanted me to give up on Sophie, and I would never give up on her.

“Just tell me where she is. Please.”

“No,” the witch said, unyielding. “Amelie and I are going to the village to gather a few more witches, and then we are going after Sophie. If we are able to bring her here, you will get a chance to try and convince her to see reason and accept our help.”

“She will not come willingly.”

“I know, that’s why I’m going to bring others with me.”

“So you can force her into submission?!” I raised my voice as my heart sank. I couldn’t bear the thought of them hurting Sophie…or worse.

“We’ll do what’s necessary.”

“No! Just…” I ran my hands through my hair in frustration. “Let me try one more time.”

“We can’t afford for you to try again. Her power is dark and dangerous. It has to be contained before it’s too late. The longer we wait, the more powerful she will become.”

“At least let me come with you,” I begged.

“No. Wait here and hope that we can bring her back,” Celeste said, her tone final.

She looked at the young witch then and nodded—a cue for them to leave. I stood frozen in place, feeling utterly powerless as Celeste disappeared from the living room. The other witch remained behind, and when our gazes locked, her emerald eyes were full of sympathy and understanding.

“She’s on the Durand Estate,” she whispered quickly before she glimmered out.