Page 3 of Sophie's Ruin
“What if we don’t leave this room?” The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could stop them.
Henry’s brows pulled together for a moment before he forced them apart.
“The Sophie I know would never back down from a challenge,” he said, one side of his mouth lifting. “You defeated the Dark Witches. What is facing a handful of vampires?”
I couldn’t bring myself to smile back as I admitted, “For some reason, it feels like they will prove to be a bigger challenge than the witches.”
Henry’s chest heaved with a harsh exhale as his half-smile faded.
“I fear you might be right, but we can’t hide in here forever. We need to meet with the clan leaders to ensure we are all in agreement on what will happen with this country, now that the Dark Witches are no more.”
“What if they don’t see it the same way we do?” I asked. “That our place is no longer at the top, ruling over the humans?”
A muscle flexed along Henry’s jaw as his gaze searched my face.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” he said. “All we can do is try to convince them.”
Sensing there was no point in delaying the inevitable, I nodded and slowly pulled my hands from his. Longing was etched into his features as he watched me leave the bed, taking the top sheet with me. Was he longing for peace like I was? Longing to stay in this bed and in this room, pretending the outside world didn’t exist? Even if he was, he didn’t stop me as I wrapped the sheet around my body, clutching it to my chest, and swept from the room.
My unbound hair whooshing around my bare shoulders, I quickly moved through the empty, dimly lit halls of the mansion until I arrived at my bedroom door. The room was dark when I walked in, halting by the vanity as my gaze snagged on the Tear in the mirror’s reflection. The crystal in the heart of the amulet pulsed on my chest like a beacon, the pale-blue glow illuminating my face and highlighting my drawn features.
Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I let go of the sheet, and the satin glided down my body with a faint swish before pooling by my feet. The air caressed my exposed skin as I reached up and unclasped the thin chain holding the Tear and then the one holding the locket with the portrait of my mother. I placed both on the vanity and walked to the bathing chamber, stopping by the bedside table on the way there to flip on the lamplight. After showering, I quickly got dressed, selecting a simple cream tunic and brown pants. I chose comfortable, practical clothing on purpose. Since I truly didn’t know what to expect from the meeting tonight, I wanted to be prepared for anything. The pressure on my chest intensified as I stepped into a pair of brown leather boots and returned to the vanity to finish getting ready.
Henry rapped his knuckles on my bedroom door a moment later. I glanced at him when he walked in, quickly drinking in his chiseled form. Dark breeches encased his long legs, and he wore a white shirt that molded to his powerful torso. His blue-black hair was swept back from his face, revealing his strongly defined features that appeared as drawn as mine. The longing I’d seen earlier was still there when our gazes locked, and I knew he could see it reflected in my face before I turned back to the mirror. I pulled the top half of my golden-brown hair up, letting the bottom half flow in soft waves down my back.
“Allow me,” Henry said, when I reached for the locket on top of the vanity.
Lowering my hand back down, I gave a small nod, waiting for him to approach me. He did so in two long strides, stopping behind me. When he reached around me to pick up the locket, my breath caught, and I found myself wondering if I ever would not have such a visceral reaction to his proximity. A pleasant tingling sensation erupted over my skin as Henry reached up and brushed my hair to the side, draping it over my right shoulder. His brows pinched in concentration as he laid the locket against my chest and fastened the delicate chain behind my neck. I took a steadying breath, the comforting weight of the necklace grounding me like it always did. In the mirror, Henry’s deep-blue gaze lingered on the locket for a few seconds before lifting to my face.
“Eloise would be so proud of you and what you have accomplished. You defeated the Dark Witches,” he said, his eyes shining with admiration.
“My grandmother had begun creating the amulet, and my mother finished it. It is their accomplishment, not mine,” I said, turning around to face him. “Besides, you helped me find it. You saved me in the Black Forest and then again when the Dark Witches took me.”
“True, but you saved everyone else,” Henry pointed out, his strong arms encircling my waist. “You saved me,” he added low, resting his forehead against mine.
“I did?” I whispered, breathing him in. Somehow, I knew he wasn’t just talking about the Dark Witches.
“Of course you did,” he said quietly. “Sophie?”
“Yes?”
“Will you keep saving me?”
Forever?I thought I heard him say even though he didn’t utter another word.
“We’ll keep saving each other,” I told him, brushing my lips over his.
We would keep saving each other from the darkness that came with being a vampire. At times, the sinister hunger was hard to ignore, even for Henry. The never-ending thirst was always there, gnawing at our insides. It followed us everywhere, waiting in the shadows like a predator ready to pounce and pull us under, drowning us in bloodlust.
Henry kissed me back deeply but also tenderly—a kiss to seal the promise we’d just made to each other.
“Ready?” he asked when he pulled away.
I wasn’t but I nodded anyway. When I did, Henry unwrapped his arms from my waist and took my hand in his, threading his fingers through mine.
“Wait,” I stopped him when he went to pull me toward the door.
When Henry gave me a questioning look, I explained, “I want to bring the Tear. I know we no longer need it, but I can’t bear the thought of parting with it.” The magic of my bloodline was stored in the amulet. Even now, I could feel the Tear’s power with each pulse of the pale-blue light.
