This is just the WIP-version. It has not been beta-read yet. I wanted to get it out there anyway since she is out of town.
The night had moved in what felt like a haze. She had spent the night talking to Daniel and she had found him both really sweet and really funny. She had laughed at his jokes and he had smiled in a way that made her heart flutter. She hadn't noticed the time moving and soon the night's early hours had escaped and turned into morning. She realized it only as she glanced over her shoulder, seeing the street outside light up in the morning son.
“Oh my god, I'm sorry, I've got to go” she exhaled as she raised form the bar stool.
“Take care, Hope” Daniel smiled at her. “If you need to find something else in town sometime you should swing by. Okay?” he asked, smiling that smile that made Hope's heart leap in her chest.
“Yeah, of course. Thank you” Hope returned his smile as she got up from the stool and made it for the exit.
The sun was setting over the French Quarter as she made her way over the streets and towards a bus stop. She could call a taxi, but she would prefer to see more of the city her father called home. She wasn't pleased with her journey at all. She hadn't met her mother and the only memory she would have from her father was him drenched in blood and telling her he wasn't her father. It made it twist in her stomach as she thought about it and she felt juvenile for expecting anything else. What did she really expect? That they would be a happy family all of them? She had been given away, of course there must have been a reason for that.
Suddenly there was a sound behind her. She turned around to look around and the streets were empty as they danced in the sunshine only the early sunsets would bring. She frowned in confusion and turned around again to face straight forward in order to keep walking as she suddenly stared up at the tall man she recognized from the bar. She didn't see his friend though and whether that was a good thing for Hope or not she wasn't sure.
She swallowed and took a step back only to feel someone grab her arms from behind.
“Well, well, I'll be damned. She sure looks enough like the originals” Kian said and the voice behind her laughed.
“And she was seen leaving their manor earlier” his hands closed harder against her arms as she tried to use her hybrid strength to pull away.
“Come on, let's go” the one behind her said and suddenly she felt a piercing pain through her chest and she knew that from anywhere. She had felt it once before, and once had been enough. She became limp in the arms of the man holding her, unaware of what was happening from that point.
She gasped out loudly with pain as she woke up. She spotted Kian standing before her with a stake in his hand.
“Seems like you passed the test” he stated, crouching down before her. “You lived through being staked through the heart. As far as we know there is only one type of vampire who does that.” His voice was cold as he grinned at her. “You know, we all thought you were dead, but it sure seems like your daddy had you hidden somewhere, doesn't it?”
Hope remained quiet as she stared down at her feet, being tied together with a chain that burned like nothing else. It was probably drenched in vervain or wolvsbane. Being a original hybrid she was sensitive to both. Rebekah taught her that early on.
Her wrists were tied behind her back and the same pain shot through her from them as well.
“Now, you could come quite in handy. Stay put, but then again, do you have much choice?” he grinned coldly at her as he rose. That's when she glanced around, taking the room in. It was dark, a lonely window sent light in. There was a tree somewhere outside, she could see parts of it through the window and she could hear the sound of water. The sea or a lake perhaps?
The man who called himself Kian soon left and in the doorway he was greeted by an older woman. She smiled tiredly at Hope as she poured up a glass of water, holding it to the girl's lips.
”You must be thirsty.”
”You must have spiked it with vervain or wolvsbane” Hope spat and the woman smiled, putting hte glass away.
”You surely are your father's child” she said, though Hope had no idea what that meant, so the woman continued, probably after seeing her confused face.
”He's as paranoid as you are. Then again he had all right to be paranoid, considering he's been hiding his child for all these years” she smiled at the girl who kept quiet, her face having a scar following her cheekbone down to her jaw and over the side of her neck and she had wrinkles framing her dark eyes.
”So, this is how this works. You give us what we want and we'll give you what you want.”
”What do you want?” Hope asked in return.
”Information” the woman answered, seeming like she didn't want to give Hope all the information of what was expected from her right now.
”And what do you think I want from you?” Hope asked, tugging some at the chain, though groaning out from pain afterwards. It still burnt just as badly and that had her too unfocused from tugging free. The pain was too piercing.
”Freedom to be with your family of course.” Hope couldn't help but to laugh at the woman's answer. ”Look, they think I'm on my way out of town. They won't miss me. There's nothing you can do.”
”Ah, seems like you've got even the more reason to work with us instead of being against us, then” the woman smiled, trying to hold the glass of water against Hope's lips again, but Hope refused yet again.
”How did he hide you?”
”I don't know.”
”Why did he tell everyone you were dead?”
”I don't know.”
”Did his friends know?”
”I don't know!” Hope stared at her and the woman smiled, now a lot colder though.
”I suggest we try this tomorrow again. Maybe then you are more willing to work with us.” She left the room, leaving Hope alone in there with nothing but a chain and the light the window owuld let inside.
It was the first night Hope spent in absolute darkness and in absolute pain. Never before had she been tied down, litterarly and never before had she been in such pain her mind wouldn't focus.
When she awoke in the morning it was from the sound of argument, hearing people scream in horror and in anger, before one voice piereced them all.
”WHERE IS SHE?”
