“I want them off this island.”

“Derek… they said they can help us find Rose.”

I stared at Sofia, unable to believe that she was even entertaining the idea of cooperating with them.

“I don’t care what they say,” I growled, scraping my chair back and standing up. I stalked to the door and looked back at Sofia. “Stay here and keep an eye on Ben. I’m going to tell Mona right now—”

She hurried over to me and gripped my arm, pulling me back. “Wait,” she breathed, her eyes glistening with tears. “I had the same reaction as you when I first saw them. But Derek… how long has it been since Ibrahim and Corrine left? What if… what if something happened to them? They haven’t made contact with us as they promised they would. So much time has passed, with Rose gone. I’m losing hope…” Her voice broke.

The way she was looking at me made me ache inside. I saw such sorrow in those beautiful eyes of hers. It cut me that there was nothing I could do to alleviate her suffering.

I held her waist and drew her closer to me, wiping her tears with my thumbs and kissing her cheeks.

I breathed out as she wrapped her arms around me, burying her head in my chest. I gripped the back of her head and rocked her gently from side to side.

Despite the burning in me to alleviate Sofia’s suffering, I knew that desperation was clouding her judgment. I was sure that the witches were preying on us at this vulnerable time, knowing that we would be more likely to accept whatever they proposed out of desperation to get our daughter back. But that was insanity. We’d already suffered enough at their hands. I wasn’t about to run even the slightest risk of suffering because of them again.

We couldn’t approach them from a stance of weakness. From vulnerability. That much I had learnt about these creatures. We had to approach them from a position of strength. We had to be cool in our dealings with them, even if it killed us inside.

Although it pained me, I clutched Sofia’s shoulders and separated myself from her. Looking her straight in the eye, I said, “We cannot allow these witches to run all over us again. We cannot agree to whatever proposal they have. I can guarantee you without even hearing it that we will be worse off for it. We are desperate to get our daughter back, but taking help from these witches will not make things better.”

Tears began to stream silently down her cheeks.

“Sofia, we need them off this island,” I continued.

I understood how Sofia saw these witches. She saw them as a flicker of hope, however faint it might be.

Me, I was a pessimist. I always saw darkness before I saw light. And in these witches’ case, I struggled to see any redemptive quality in the manner in which they had approached us.

They wanted something from us. They had no interest in helping us and they would do all they could to wriggle out of any commitment they might make in regards to our daughter. We’d be risking the safety of our island by forming an alliance with them. I didn’t know exactly what their motivation was, but I knew it wouldn’t be for our benefit.

“What if they could actually help us find Rose?” Sofia croaked.

It was clear she wasn’t going to give up on the idea easily. I led her to the sofa and pulled her back against my chest, stroking her hair as I wrapped an arm around her.

“I can’t say for sure that they don’t know where our daughter is. Perhaps they do. But forming an alliance with them is like forming an alliance with the devil. You know these witches as well as I do.”

She gulped. “I do, and yet I can’t help but feel I won’t be able to live with myself if I don’t at least try this. We know that not all witches are bad. After all, we are all still here because of witches. I just wonder, since the Ageless we knew has died, perhaps they have developed more humane qualities?”

I forced myself to consider her words even though my gut reaction was to reject them. The simple fact was, I wasn’t willing to risk the safety of our people or our island.

I shook my head. “They are of the same blood as the Ageless. You said Odelia was her sister, for Christ’s sake. They are one and the same. I’m as desperate to get Rose back as you are, but we simply cannot let desperation lead us.”

Sofia paused, biting her lip. I hated to leave her this way. I was denying her this avenue while offering no alternative. But she wasn’t thinking straight. I was in just as much pain as her over Rose’s absence, but we had to find a way to get Rose back without these witches’ help. We had many children on this island for whom we were responsible, not just Rose. We couldn’t be reckless.

“I need to go to Mona,” I said. “They never should have been allowed on this island to start with, and I don’t want them here a moment longer.”

Leaving Sofia, I strode back over to the door and left the apartment.

Chapter 4: Mona

There was a loud banging at the Sanctuary’s front door. I doubted it would be Kiev. I’d just told him I wanted some time alone. Whoever it was, I assumed it must be important.

I opened the door to see Derek standing outside. His fists were clenched. I was surprised to see him so soon after Brisalia and Csilla had arrived on the island. With Derek and Sofia’s son turning, I’d thought they’d take at least a full day to come to a decision.

Just looking at Derek’s face, I already sensed what their decision was.

“I want those two witches off this island immediately. There’s no need for us to grant them a reception. They need to leave.”