Chapter 2
1023 Words
Sofia woke up as the car moved fast down the bumpy road. The familiar buildings were vanishing, swallowed by endless mountains and dark pine forests that looked like they belonged in the past.
Her eyes filled with tears, but she refused to cry in front of the guards sitting beside her. They didn't say a single word the entire ride. They didn't have to. Up ahead, heavy iron gates stood out of the dark like an open mouth ready to snap shut.
When the car finally stopped, a guard opened the door. Damon was waiting in the cold night air, his silver eyes shining in the moonlight.
"Welcome home, Sofia," he said, holding out his hand.
Sofia stared at his hand. Her fear turned into sudden anger. She climbed out and lifted her chin. "This isn't my home. Take me back."
Damon didn't argue. He nodded to the guards, who stepped forward to block any chance of escape. "You are where you belong. Get her inside."
They led her through a maze of hallways that smelled like pine wood and old history. Instead of a dark, cold dungeon, they brought her into a huge bedroom. A massive bed with soft velvet sheets sat in the middle of the room. Tall windows looked out over the dark forest, and a warm fire crackled in the stone fireplace.
It was a prison made of silk and velvet.
"Rest," Damon said from the doorway, looking at her one last time before stepping back. "You have a long day tomorrow."
"Wait—" Sofia rushed forward, but the heavy wood door slammed right in her face. A loud click echoed through the room. He had locked her in.
Sofia spun around. Her chest rose and fell as panic hit her. She ran across the room and tried the door handle, but it wouldn't budge. She was trapped.
For a long moment, she slid down from the door until she sat on the floor, pulling her knees to her chest. She thought of her mother, left behind in New York. A sob caught in her throat, but she forced it down. Crying wouldn't save her mother. Crying wouldn't get her out of here.
Her fingers drifted up to her neck, touching silver necklace.
She pulled the necklace out under her shirt, staring at it in the dim firelight. Whatever happens, never take off that necklace. Her mother's terrified voice echoed in her head.
As Sofia's thumb rubbed against it, something strange happened. The necklace began to vibrate. It grew warm against her skin, sending a tiny electric shock up her arm.
Then, the room went quiet. Too quiet.
The crackling fire seemed to fade away. Beneath the sound of her own heartbeat, a strange noise brushed against her mind.
Whispers.
Soft voices carried on the wind, echoing from deep inside the stone walls.
Sofia...
She gasped, sitting up straight and pressing a hand to her ear.
Help us...
"Who's there?" Sofia whispered into the empty room, her eyes darting to the dark corners.
Save us...
Before she could panic the more, the lock on the door turned. Sofia jumped to her feet and backed away as the door slowly opened.
It wasn't Damon.
A young man with brown hair stepped inside, carrying a wooden tray piled with food and a steaming cup of tea. Unlike the cold, watchful guards, his expression was respectful as he approached.
“I’m Silas,” he said quietly, keeping his hands where Sofia could see them as he placed the tray on the small table beside the fire."I am the beta. I brought you something to eat. You had a long night."
Sofia kept her distance, her eyes narrowed with distrust. "If you are here to lock me up tighter, don't bother. I want answers. Why am I here? What of my mother?.
Silas forced a smile. He glanced back at the closed door, took a step closer, and lowered his voice.
“Damon is not a patient man, Miss Vance,” Silas said carefully, his eyes shifting toward the shadows around the room. "And he doesn't explain things twice."
Sofia gripped the edge of the table, her frustration rising. "Then you explain it. What is going on here?"
Silas shook his head slowly, the polite smile vanishing. "Some doors, once opened, can't be shut again. Eat your food, Miss Vance. You're going to need your strength for whatever Damon planned tomorrow."
Before Sofia could demand an answer, Silas strode out pulling the door shut behind him. The lock clicked echoing through the room.
She was locked in again with more questions than answers.
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