Rhea Dyer had been trapped all her life. It was her birthright, being born as a woman in the Gungnir Coven. The coven was cruel, and valued strength over anything. They simply didn't believe women had the same strength. She was made to obey. And she...
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IT'D BEEN LESS THAN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS SINCE THEY LEFT AND RHEA WAS TERRIFIED. She was still shaking in her seat in the car as raindrops pelted above. Storms usually put her at ease but today it was only adding to her anxiety. Each clap of thunder had her flinching in her seat. With a shaky breath, she clenched her fists, attempting fruitlessly to stop the tremors in her hands. Her eyes moved on their own, trailing to the side mirror to peer behind them every few seconds.
"Rhea." Her whispered name fell on deaf ears as she stared in the mirror. "Rhea." This time it was louder and accompanied by a hand falling on her shoulder. Rhea jumped, her head whirling around to her left. Her mother looked at her, her brows drawn in on her face. "They won't find us," she said with conviction.
Rhea didn't respond, instead bringing her shaking hand up to her mouth to chew on her fingernail. The silence stretched as she blinked away tears for the hundredth time that day. "What if they do?" She finally whispered.
"They won't."
"They'll kill me," her voice cracked.
Her mother turned sharply and reached for Rhea's hand. Rhea flinched again but calmed quickly as her mother squeezed gently. "Not if I can help it."
Rhea squeezed back, her eyes trailing back out the window. Her gaze caught on a sign in the next second as the car slowed.
Welcome to Mystic Falls, Virginia.
They passed over a bridge before they entered the town. It seemed small as they drove through it and it looked desolate in the night. Not a soul was wandering. Rhea brought her knees up and rested her cheek on them before a wince left her lips. She cursed under her breath, lifting her head instantly. She forgot about the bruises. The tears returned to her eyes as she remembered what had been done to her but she blinked them away fiercely. She wasn't this weak.
She released a breath and let her eyes trail back out the window. She wondered why they were in this town. Did her mother know someone here that could help? As they entered a neighborhood, she looked at her mother. She was driving with the certainty only someone familiar with a place could have. Just where were they?
She began to study her surroundings. The neighborhood was cozy, the yards filled with trees and bushes. They drove slowly, which allowed her to look thoroughly at the seemingly ordinary street. Why would they be here?
Before long, they were pulling to a stop in front of a very decorated house. An array of colors hung from the porch and the wind chimes sang in the night. Rhea stared until a sniffle sounded to her left. Her head turned to her mother, who was staring sadly at the small house. "Mom?"
Her mother shook her head quickly at the call and a small smile painted her lips. Rhea knew it was fake. "Yes, baby?"
Rhea looked at her a moment before deciding not to call attention to her state and instead asked the question that had been lingering on her tongue since they crossed the bridge. "Where are we?"
