Unbroken (kotlc) (DISCONTINUED)

Part 3

{Unedited}

Sophie's POV

Sophie only saw her gauntlet- covered hands as she gripped the chair she was currently chained to. 

Unlike the last time she was kidnapped and interrogated by the Neverseen, they would drug after failing to obtain information. Only Vespera liked to leave her victims awake.

She should've known since it was mentioned when they were trying to rescue her parents.

Since Fintan was still imprisoned by the Council, Vespera took it upon herself to play with fire of her own. The gold gauntlets on Sophie's hands had been held over a roaring fire as Vespera questioned her.

Sophie refused to answer any questions and Vespera simply waited patiently. Eventually the gauntlets had grown warmer and warmer until they were white-hot. Sophie recalled screaming thrashing in her chair while Vespera just sat there, a smirk on her face.

When Sophie was begging for mercy, Vespera just told her, "If you don't like the head, Moonlark, then just answer my questions." She said it so casually as if it was a simple compromise. 

Sophie remembered, "NEVER!" And continue to thrash until she assumed she eventually passed out from the pain. She just woke up when someone finally brought her food.

Sophie could feel the intense burns on her hands underneath the gauntlets. Would Elwin be able to fix them? If she even got to him at all.

She begrudgingly forced herself to eat the rest of what the Neverseen member was spoon feeding her. When the tray was empty,  the Neverseen member and another cloaked figure dragged her back to her cell. Once she was in there, they removed the gauntlets.

Sophie didn't dare look at her hands. If they looked as bad as they felt- she'd probably hurl up whatever she just ate.

Thanks to the darkness of her cell, Sophie could just lean her head back against the stone wall behind her, take deep breaths, and try to get some rest. After several almost breakdowns, she fell into a dreamless sleep from pure exhaustion.

When she woke again, she didn't know how much time had passed since she was last awake but she dared a peek at her hands.

The skin was healing- still red and numb but it seemed like someone had treated her while she slept. 

She sent a silent prayer of thanks to whoever did- even if their kindness was in vain. 

Biana's POV

The youngest Vacker sibling couldn't sleep. She hadn't been able to for the last week since Sophie was taken by the Neverseen. She restlessly laid awake in her bed, staring at the dark ceiling, mind busy and loud. 

Biana decided that sleep wasn't an option and rolled out of bed, slipping into a robe and heading towards her doors. She roamed through the dark, empty halls of Everglen during the late hours of the night. 

She stopped on her way to the kitchen when she heard voices from her father's study. Biana vanished, her pajamas with her, and tip toed to the closed door where light peeked out from the gap between the wood and the floor.

"Alden, what else can we do?" A hushed feminine voice asked. 

"I don't know, Oralie," Alden's frustrated voice said back. "The Collective have their leads but are still deciding how to go about this."

"I agree with Oralie," Another voice said. Biana quickly realized that it was Councillor Bronte. 

What were Councillors doing talking with her father this late? Biana continued to listen through the door. 

Councillor Bronte continued. "We have no idea what other weapons they have that they could use in the future. I once had a message given to Ms Foster about my theory of her still being capable of inflicting when she was ordered to wear the ability restricter made by Mr Dizznee. If she's failed to escape by now, that should indicate that the Neverseen's restricter is probably much more harmful than the one we originally had for her."

Councillor Oralie went to reply but Alden interrupted her. He must've used telekinesis because the door to the study opened and Biana saw the three of them still seated in their chairs.

Her father gave her a small, yet rueful smile. "Biana, there's no need for you to stay hidden."

Reluctantly Biana appeared again, still standing outside the doorway. She dipped into a graceful curtsy for the Councillors present.  "I couldn't sleep," She admitted sheepishly. "How did you know I was there?"

Alden gave his daughter a knowing look. "Gut feeling," He answered before turning back to Councillor Oralie. "You were saying?"

Biana shuffled inside after Alden beckoned her over, shutting the door behind her. She sat in the extra chair and avoided looking at Councillor Bronte. She could barely be in the same room without getting flashbacks to when she and Stina asked him if he was Sophie's biological father. 

She resisted the urge to shudder and listened to their discussion. Mostly just about finding Sophie and the Black Swan's plans to do so. But she felt this prickling at the back of her mind... a strange sensation. 

Supernova...

Biana stood up, the two Councillors and her father looking at her. She reached for a pen and empty piece of paper from her father's desk and begin writing down the numbers.

*0-1-1-1-1-0-0-1-1-1-1-0

"What is this?" Councillor Bronte asked skeptically, eyeing the paper as if it were nonsense.

Only it wasn't nonsense- it was the key to which hideout Sophie was being kept at. 

A/N: yay! this one is a little longer! No promises on the next one though. Stay hydrated! ~N