CHAPTER 60

CHAPTER 60
SOPHIA

The days went by faster this time and I haven’t seen my mother since the last time.I miss her.
I blink my eyes when I hear the bedroom doors opening tonight.
But it’s not the king who comes in.
No one comes in, actually.
Every night the doors open so I can explore the castle instead of staying locked in here.
The king made this small gesture of mercy.
I am walking through the dark corridors of the castle, and each of my steps echoes over the cold stone floor like a nervous drum beating in my chest.
The air feels colder tonight, or maybe it’s just the fear running through my veins, making my arms shiver despite the navy-blue velvet cloak draped over my shoulders.
I look over my shoulder every few steps, fearing some guard might emerge from the shadows to drag me back to the room and lock me up like a prisoner.
I can’t stand being confined anymore.
I need to walk, I need to feel like I still have some control over my own body, over my life.
But deep down, I know freedom is just an illusion in this place ruled by him.
The king… just thinking about him makes my stomach twist.
I hate him more than anything, more even than the constant smell of iron and blood that clings to the walls of this castle.
That’s when I hear something.
A low, muffled sound.
A feminine moan escaping from behind a slightly open door.
I stop immediately, my eyes wide.
My heart beats so hard it nearly drowns out any other noise.
Slowly, I move closer to the wall beside the door and slip behind a stone column, peeking cautiously.
I pray not to be seen, my entire body tense like a bowstring ready to snap.
And then I see.
He’s there, inside one of the rooms, with a girl pinned against the wall.
His body curves over hers, strong hands gripping her waist, pulling her closer and closer to him.
The king’s lips are pressed to the girl’s in an intense, almost ravenous kiss.
And she, far from trying to escape, sighs, clutching his shoulders as if begging for more.
Her long hair is completely disheveled, her cheeks flushed, her eyes half-open with desire.
I feel a hot wave rush to my face.
I look away, ashamed and at the same time fascinated.
Part of me wants to run, to vanish from there, but another part… can’t move.
I stay there, hidden, watching that scene as forbidden as it is cruel.
Then something happens that takes my breath away.
While still kissing her, the king slides his lips along the girl’s neck.
I hold my breath, my chest rising and falling in a frantic rhythm.
I see the exact moment his fangs lengthen, sharp and gleaming in the dim torchlight.
The girl doesn’t pull away.
On the contrary, she arches her body toward him as if offering her neck.
My eyes widen as I see his teeth pierce the delicate skin of the young woman.
The muffled sound of the feminine moan seems to fill the entire corridor.
But it’s not a moan of pain.
It’s… pleasure.
She breathes rapidly, gripping his arms, her lips parted, letting out small, husky sounds while he drinks her blood.
The king’s face is partially hidden behind the girl’s long black hair, but I can see the slow movement of his jaw, swallowing every drop of red that drips down her skin.
The hatred I feel mixes with fear.
My stomach churns, but I can’t look away.
There’s something hypnotic about it.
The scent of blood seems to reach me where I’m standing, mingled with the sweet perfume of the girl and the dark, metallic odor that always surrounds the king.
I shiver, feeling a strange pang between my legs, a heat I hate to feel.
He keeps drinking without stopping.
The girl trembles, nearly fainting, but still smiles, her eyes clouded with ecstasy.
I’m almost stepping back, determined to flee from there, when the voice I fear most echoes through the corridor:
“Do you like watching me, Sophia?”
My heart leaps into my throat.
My whole body freezes.
His voice comes laced with sarcasm, hoarse, drawn-out, like pure venom mixed with honey.
I feel the air vanish from my lungs.
I know he must have smelled me.
Vampires always do.
With great effort, I turn around slowly.
He’s standing at the door of the room, staring directly at me.
A crooked smile plays on his lips, now smeared with blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.
The girl is behind him, still leaning against the wall, smiling like a broken doll, her eyes clouded with desire.
I shoot him my angriest look.
I clench my fists, fighting not to tremble.
“No, Your Majesty,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady, though it almost cracks.
He raises an eyebrow, clearly amused.
“Your face tells me otherwise. Come here.”
I want to run.
Everything inside me screams to flee, but I know it’s useless.
He would catch me anyway.
So, with shaky legs, I take slow steps toward him, keeping my chin up, trying to protect the little pride I have left.
When I get close, the king leans toward me, so near that I feel his warm, sweet breath mixed with the metallic scent of fresh blood.
A shiver runs down my spine.
His eyes, red as embers, devour me whole.
He touches my face and I avoid meeting his gaze.
“Look at this, Sophia,” he murmurs, his voice low like a whisper. “This is what I want to do to you.”
And without taking his eyes off mine, he pulls the girl back to him and kisses her again.
The wet sound of the kiss, mixed with her small moans, makes my fists clench so tightly I feel my nails almost tearing the skin of my palms.
I hate him. I HATE this castle, this fate, this gilded prison.
But in this moment, while he drinks the girl’s blood and stares at me with that hungry look, I discover something that terrifies me: no matter how much I want to run… I can’t.
The king smiles and then points toward the bed.
“Get on the bed, Sophia. I’m going to show you the different ways to feel pleasure.”
I open my eyes wide and shake my head as I see his eyes growing darker.
“That wasn’t a request, Sophia.”
I look at the girl who laughs, and I tremble as I sit on the bed.
The king looks at me with satisfaction, and in that moment, I look toward the door and see Adam’s eyes.
He’s on the other side of the corridor and can see us.
“Take off your dress, Sophia…”
My eyes fill with tears as I start undoing the ties of my dress.
I see Adam’s eyes glinting.
His hands grip the hilt of the sword strapped to his body tightly.
I feel what he feels.
He wants to kill the king and is holding himself back from doing it now, but part of me begs him to do it right this instant.