A Shade of Vampire 23: A Flight of Souls Read Free

shoes with me. But my mind was so preoccupied, I barely even felt the sharpness beneath my feet as I whizzed out of the Vale and into the woods with supernatural speed.
    I arrived at the Residences and stopped outside Vivienne and Xavier’s penthouse, where Ben’s parents were supposed to be staying temporarily. I was about to rush into the elevator when another message caught my eye, this time etched into the damp soil. It was a similar note. Also signed by Ben. There were huge paw prints next to it.
    What is going on?
    It occurred to me that perhaps this was just some kind of prank. But I really couldn’t imagine who in The Shade would stage such a sick joke involving their prince.
    Tearing my eyes away from the message, I hurried up to Vivienne’s penthouse. I knocked hard on the door. Nobody answered. When I peered through the windows, it was dark. It appeared that nobody was home. Breathing out in frustration, I returned to the forest ground. The next logical place to visit would be Rose and Caleb’s treehouse, which wasn’t far from here.
    I glanced once more at the shaky note, then launched off in the opposite direction. As I ran, questions and doubts overwhelmed my brain. But then, as I’d almost reached Rose’s home, a moment of clarity came upon me.
    Suddenly, I wondered why I hadn’t seen the connection before.
    Hero… Ben?

Sofia
    E ver since the beginning —when Rose and Ben had still been only five years old, and we had decided to leave California and move back to The Shade permanently—Derek had harbored a desire for me to turn him. The only reason I hadn’t at the time was because I had harbored a secret fantasy of my own; Derek turning me. But now, he was finally getting his wish.
    The first part of the process was all right because, well, there wasn’t exactly any “turning” going on… but when it finally came time to sink my teeth into his bare neck, I felt like a nervous wreck. It was one of the hardest things that I’d ever had to do. This was the first time I had ever turned anyone.
    I crouched over him, the tips of my fangs centimeters away from his warm flesh. Derek settled his broad hands firmly around the backs of my thighs, as if to reassure me. Ground me.
    “You can do this,” he whispered, his steady blue eyes gazing up at me.
    I nodded, even as I felt like backing out of the whole thing. I leaned closer and finally broke his skin. Derek’s warm blood filled my mouth, its taste tantalizing my senses. His hands remained anchoring me against him as I began to release my venom. Then his palms moved upward, settling around my hips. He pushed gently, indicating that I’d inserted enough poison already.
    I drew my fangs out and then crawled off of him, giving him some space as the transformation kicked in. He started drifting in and out of awareness, and all I could do was watch as he began to shake and vomit blood. Even though I could fetch one of the witches to help if there were problems, it didn’t make watching my lover go through this agony any less torturous.
    I appreciated him now more than ever for having volunteered to do the same thing for me. Turning itself was hell, but watching a loved one go through it… it was a different kind of punishment.
    As the hours passed, I kept checking the clock. His turning was progressing at the usual pace, but it felt like forever. When he finally began to show signs of stabilizing, I couldn’t have felt more relieved.
    I clutched his hand as his shaking subsided. “You’re doing great, baby,” I whispered to him, planting a kiss over his knuckles. His eyelids, which had been tightly shut the entire time, opened slowly. I reached out and stroked his forehead. “I think you’re done.”
    He gazed at me, his blue eyes more brilliant than I had remembered them. His gaze sent chills down my spine, reminding me of the first time he had ever looked at me, all those years ago when he woke from his four-hundred-year sleep.
    “How are