Guarded Hearts ✓

Chapter 25

   I opened my eyes to see a crowd of people around me. It felt like time had frozen.

   "Violet stay awa-"

   I looked at him, hunched over my body as if he cared for me. As if he truly knew what it was to care for someone. I looked around as I slowly sat up to see random faces looking at me, as if I were an experiment ready to explode and that they needed to soak up every second leading up. Their faces didn't show concern. They were expressionless in fact, though the way their eyes lit up gave their motives away. They didn't care either.

   I vaguely heard Damien's voice. Even though he was the only one to speak, it felt as if I were underwater and that his voice echoed yet felt distant. "Violet that's it! Keep your eyes awake now, my darling. You can do this. One more minute!"

   I saw a familiar face in he crowd. He stared at me, his hazel eyes beneath furrowed eyebrows. As if he was trying to make sense of this situation. He furrowed eyebrows quickly were replaced by a slight smirk. Something you wouldn't have noticed unless you were staring back at him the way he was at me. He knew.

   I looked back at Damien. His hair had fallen over his eyes and his mouth was slightly agape. Through his mass of dark hair, I met his eyes and did the first thing I could think of. I screamed.

   I screamed and screamed even through a clock chime, indicating that it was now midnight. I screamed until my throat ran dry and the crowd dispersed after having given me looks of confusion and bewilderment.

   When I stop screaming I felt heavy sobs rack through my body.

   "It's over. It's broken," he said rubbing my back. "I know it can be a bit overwhelming but..."

    I tuned him out at this point. A bit overwhelming? Is he serious right now? I've been taken from my home, my family, everything. The odds getting home aren't in my favour. I've been forcefully thrusted into a new life.

   "So how do you feel now?" He said, interrutping my thoughts.

   I gaped at him. How do I feel? "I feel...", I paused and swallowed to try to soothe my now sore throat, reminding myself of who I was talking to, "...great."

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   After the whole commotion Damien had thought it was in my best interest to have an early night's rest. The idea of me sleeping now is laughable. There's no way in hell, no pun intended, that I could sleep.

   I was halfway through stripping my clothes to put on an oversized grey hoodie when the door suddenly swung open. I gasped and covered my bright yellow bra with my arms.

   "It's just me." Alyanna waltzed in unaffected by my outburst. She glanced over at my chest and smirked, turning away. "What exactly are you trying to hide?"

   My cheeks burned in embarrassment as I quickly pulled the hoodie over my body.

   I watched her every move as she wondered around the room, finally making her move to sit at the edge of the bed with one leg elegantly over the other.

   "You didn't answer my question." I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. "What exactly are you trying to hide?"

   I raised an eyebrow and remained silent.

  She laughed lightly and raised her crimson nails to tap at her chin in false wonder.

   "Oh, what could it be." She suddenly stopped and stood up, walking towards me. "Maybe it's that you and that dark haired guardian of yours linked just before it hit twelve."

   My eyes widened and I took a step back. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

   How does she know? She can't know. The only person that knows is....

   She smirked and nodded. "Yes, Smith...or Sophie as you'd prefer to call her works for me. Did you think she would help you? That she was a friend of yours? That she gave you that locket out of the pureness of her heart. No. Smith is rightfully in hell like everyone else in here. She married a man for money and shortly after their marriage killed him. His family came to know of her murder and had her stoned to death." She paused and smirked at my probable expression. "Don't forget where you are. Just because you haven't really seen the bad doesn't mean it's not here."

   As if to strengthen her point, she snapped her fingers and a young man, probably only a few years older than me was suddenly shoved through the doors by two burly guards. His brunette hair lay lifeless against his dull blue eyes and his body stood bruised and cut. Unable to hold his own weight he collapsed on the ground. I rushed over to help him when Alyanna suddenly grabbed my arm in a steel hard grip. 

   "Don't."

   She nodded to the guards and they immediately retreated out the room, shutting the door in the progress.

   "What are you doing?" I gasped trying to free myself. "He's hurt!"

   "I know", she replied simply.

   She let go of me and slowly walked towards him. She smiled at him and helped him up.

   "What's your name handsome?" She purred, running her hands down his bare chest.

   "Michael", he groaned out. 

   "Well Michael, do you know where you are?" When he didn't respond she laughed. "You're in hell."

   Within a second her nails had extended and she clawed quick and hard at his chest. A stream of blood  was pooling out as he grinded his teeth through the pain. 

   "Not hard enough?" She purred seductively again, and laughed.

   Her hands clawed deeper down his chest. "Your beloved God," she clawed, "doesn't accept" she clawed again, "worthless little", she clawed, "thieves."

   She raised her hand to claw at his again but I ran forward and stopped her, grabbing at her hand.

  "Stop! Enough!"

   She smirked and put down her hand to mock curtsey at me. "Whatever you wish." She turned back to him and gave him a lingering kiss before snapping her fingers to allow the guards to take him away.

   "Why did you do that?"

   She laughed. I hated her laugh. It sounded so patronising. I will not be patronised.

   "Don't forget where you are."

   I exhaled loud. I wouldn't dare forget.

   "Why did you tell Smith to give me the locket?" I asked, changing the subject.

   Her smirk dropped and she began to circle me. 

   "I want you gone."

   "What?" I breathed.

   "I. Want. You. Gone."

    I gaped at her. 

   "How am I going to do that?" 

   She smirked and headed for the door.

   "Matthew", she said over her shoulder with a toss of her head and a wink.

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A/N: I know its been a while but here you go. Let me know what you think...

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