Hi guys! We are back again with another segment in the 'Summer' period. Continues on from 'Black Eye'. There's just one more chapter in this 'Summer' period that I'll upload and that'll be it for the 'Summer' timeframe. I have soo much more coming and lots written post Sophia's graduation that I'm excited to share and had lots of fun writing it! Enjoy and thank you for reading!
Also big shoutout to hopelesslylostinlove - you are THE BEST! and these segments are FOR YOU! :)
Church
Third Person P.O.V.
Summer before Senior Year - 17 years old
There was another formal event. Summer at Court was full of balls and royal parties, all glitz and glam. The girls loved to play dress-up—including Sophia. Whereas, the 'triplets' loved to flirt with boys and drink, Sophia liked to keep to herself and keep the night simple.
Similar to the Ball, she spotted a familiar young guardian darting around the edges securing the place. She hid a smile and did not dare peek in his direction. It was still unknown to her family that she was spending her summer nights with Damon again.
Sophia's phone vibrated in her hand. She opened a text message from Damon stating a time and location to meetup. It was towards the end of the night so it'd be easier for her to sneak off. When it was time, she slipped out a side exit and rounded the venue to a secluded area. There was a single large water fountain with a high ledge and colourful lights dancing in the water.
Damon sat in his black guardian gear and white shirt atop of the ledge, waiting for Sophia to show up. This side of the venue was much quieter and had little to no pedestrian traffic.
"Hey, gorgeous," he grinned.
She grinned back and joined him on the fountain. "Hey. How was your shift?"
"Ugh, a drab." He threw his head back. "How was your night?"
"Same as every other time." Sophia stared off into the air in front of her. Her eyes were lofty and unfocused—clearly thinking about something.
Damon eyed her. "You okay?"
She blinked and looked up at the dark-haired man. "Huh? Oh. Of course. Why not?"
Damon cast her a frown. "You sure?"
No response.
He nudged her gently. "Soph."
"Do you mind if I have smoke?" she blurted out.
Damon bit his lip. He didn't want to encourage this poor habit of his friend. However, something was obviously bothering her. He shook his head, allowing her to light one up. She sighed deeply simultaneously exhaling a small puff of smoke.
"Better?"
"A little," she murmured sadly.
"What's wrong?"
"I…I'm just mad at them."
"Who? Your family?" he guessed.
Sophia took another drag. "The whole night I had to be so careful not to glance in your direction and avoid looking at you because they're so damn overprotective. All of them. It's suffocating."
Damon slung a lazy arm over her shoulder and murmured in her ear, "That sucks. I could look at you whenever I wanted to tonight."
She shrugged his arm off and gritted, "Smug bastard."
Damon laughed out loud which in turn made Sophia cheer up just a tad. She knew he was being smug and arrogant on purpose. "Seriously. How are you okay with this?"
Damon smiled. "Because they're doing it out of care and love. Because of what happened. Not to control you. I know it feels otherwise…"
"I know all that too it's just…Ugh. They don't listen to me! It's like they can't trust my own judgement! I'm about to start senior year for goodness sake." She rubbed the butt of the white stick against the fountain's cement edge extinguishing the flame and tossed it away. She reached into her pack for a second one and lit it.
"They'll come around," said Damon.
Sophia chortled and began to retort when the sound of a door shutting sounded nearby. The pair locked eyes and grew silent, waiting to see if someone was coming. Turns out, a couple of 'someones' were coming.
"Uh-oh." Sophia had just blown out a cloud of smoke when three figures stepped into the light, revealing their faces. "Derrmo." Shit.
Sophia lowered her hand holding the cigarette to semi-cover it by the layers of her dress but it didn't do much as the cigarette still burned. Smoke seared in between the pair. The other problem was that the cigarette box laid in between Damon and Sophia. She was screwed. So, so screwed.
The three faces darkened, particularly her father's. Her mother was glancing between the pair, shooting daggers at Damon more than her daughter. Declan stared stonily at Damon, ready to beat him to a pulp. What part of stay away from Sophia did he not understand?
Very slyly, Damon slid a hand over the cigarette box and pocketed it in his jacket. Sophia was smart enough to recognise the movement also provided her an opportunity to release the cigarette in between her fingers and let Damon take care of it. When he picked up the box, he had grabbed the half-burning cigarette as well.
"Sophia, we're going," ordered Rose. There was no room for arguing from her mother's tone and facial expression. The eldest Belikov daughter jumped down from the ledge.
"See you later," she told Damon. His face was the perfect picture of calm with a touch of wiliness. He didn't respond but his eyes held enough power in them. To Rose, Dimitri and Declan, Damon glared at them as darkly as they were him.
The quartet hardly began walking before Dimitri berated his daughter in Russian. "Milana Belikova, if I ever see you smoking again, I'll make you eat that entire pack. Do you understand?"
Sophia didn't respond. There was no need. Her parents were plenty pissed off. More so than they'd ever been with her. This kind of behaviour warranted for it. Sophia was the responsible child. Not the reckless one.
Though, Sophia noted something in the choice of her father's words. Technically, he didn't forbid her from smoking. He simply stated if he ever sees her smoking. If he never saw her smoking again, then no punishment could come of it.
No one else spoke during the walk home to the Palace. Declan parted from the Belikovs halfway, creating his own beeline to his place of residence in the guardian wing at Court. The parents waited until they were in the privacy of their own apartment before ripping into their daughter.
Sophia sat on the sofa, arms crossed, stone-faced while her mother and father stood before her, scolding her.
"What on earth were you thinking? You shouldn't be smoking! Let alone with Damon!" Rose shouted.
"You're grounded. For the next two weeks," Dimitri bit out. That wasn't a bad punishment for catching your underage kid smoking with an older guy, actually.
"Nice easygoing punishment, comrade," Rose scoffed. "She should be grounded for the rest of the summer!"
"Rose," warned Dimitri. The tone compelled Rose to angle her head at her husband. A silent message wormed its way from him to her. As always. There was something else he wanted to get to the bottom of. The grounding was only to teach her one part of the lesson but he also knew his daughter's guilt would catch up to her and be the second part of the lesson. Thirdly, Dimitri wanted to get to the bottom of something else entirely.
Dimitri crossed his arms across his chest. "Why are you so hellbent on hanging out with Damon? He is not a good influence. Do we seriously need to remind you about what happened last week?"
Sophia remained silent and stoic.
"Soph," began Rose, realising something else. Realising that if she was right about her hunch, maybe Sophia found comfort in a friend. A lot had happened to Sophia in the past two years that she couldn't confide in with her peers. Sure, she trusted them and they knew what happened but that didn't mean she could really talk about it. They didn't understand. "Does…does Damon know about Liam? Did you tell him?"
Dimitri was caught off guard. He hadn't thought of that.
Sophia stood up abruptly, anger radiating. "It always comes back to Liam with you two, doesn't it? What does it matter if Damon knows or not? It wouldn't change your mind about him."
She shot her parents a blazing look and stormed off, cutting off the conversation completely. Sophia knew whenever Liam was brought up she had the power to shut it down—especially with her parents. This was one topic they never pushed her on. If she didn't want to talk about it, she wouldn't.
Damon's P.O.V.
Sunday
The bells sounded in the Church twelve times. Noting the time of day and that the formal procession was about to begin. Any last minute comers took their seats or found a comfortable position against the wall to stand. It was a large service today, so the Church was filled to the brim with people. So much so they spilled out into the foyer and outside the Court's cathedral.
My Aunt Alberta and I had reserved seating as she was a high-level guardian and part of the Guardian Council and was allowed to bring one guest. I took up the aisle seat, Alberta to my left and some other high-ranking guardians beside her.
A few hushed whispers suddenly broke out amongst the crowd. I glanced around the Church trying to figure out what the big deal was.
Abe Mazur was walking down the aisle with Guardian Janine Hathaway and their grandchildren: Sophia, Nadya and Sacha. I arched an eyebrow, watching the family walk all the way down the aisle to the front and filed into the second pew that was all reserved seating for the Queen and her escorts and personal guests. I kept my eyes on Sophia who was dressed in wide-leg black pants, strappy nude-pink heels, and a neat black shoulder jersey style tank top. That long brown mane of hers was blow-waved down today and she wore only a minimal amount of makeup from what I could tell here. She was an effortless beauty. Natural.
As she shuffled into the pew, she peered down the cathedral and found me. She passed me a small half-smile before turning back and sitting down. I was too late but I smiled back at her.
While we waited for the Queen's arrival, I played with the ceremony's leaflet in front of me.
Alberta cleared her throat beside me. I stopped playing with the leaflet and was surprised to find her staring at me sharply.
"What?"
"She's seventeen," she murmured sternly.
I rolled my eyes. "Relax. We're only friends."
"Mm-hmm. I know what the term 'friends' means to you."
"Not her," I said quietly, a note of finality in my tone.
After a few more moments of scrutiny, Alberta dropped her steely gaze, deciding that I was telling the truth.
It was then that the herald sounded his trumpet quieting all voices, signalling the Queen's arrival. Silence drew in the Church and as one, we all dropped to our knees and bowed in respect.
It was protocol for the Queen to enter last as this service was in her honour. It was the anniversary of her taking the throne and becoming Queen.
"Her Majesty, Queen Vasilisa Dragomir, first of her name," the herald's loud voice rang out.
The orchestra began playing the Queen's entrance song and Queen Vasilisa entered, dressed in the Dragomir colours: a green floor-length sheath dress with gold trimming and the finest gold jewellery. Her husband, Lord Christian Ozera, escorted her down the aisle with their three kids directly behind the pair. The Royal Guard formed a tight circle around the family, which Rose and Dimitri were a part of.
Princess Jill Mastrano Dragomir and her family and guardians followed suit behind the Queen and they all took their seats up at the front.
At the end of the hour long ceremony—which I mostly tuned out and daydreamed—Alberta murmured something to me about saying hello to a few guardians. I waved her off, saying I'll catch up with her later. Once Alberta departed, a tall Moroi female walked past me, purposely brushing her shoulder up against my black jacket.
"Hey, Damon," she grinned fully, showing her fangs.
"Hey," I nodded to her politely. I didn't know her name but I knew her face. A Voda royal. Dark hair and dark eyes. She was a couple years younger than me but I'd seen her at a few parties. She always went out of her way to make some physical contact with me and attempt striking up a conversation. For whatever reason, I always shut it down.
Noticing my lack of interest, she moved on.
"Not your type?" A voice asked behind me.
I spun around and met the amused eyes of Sophia. She was waddling down my pew, careful not to trip on the knee padding she was balancing on.
I smiled at her and shrugged. "Not really." I held out a hand and helped her down the beam. She clung to my wrist as I swung her body in front of mine.
"What, really?" She jerked her head in the Voda girl's direction. "Beautiful's not your type?"
I chuckled and shook my head in exasperation. I leaned back against the chair of the wood, lowering my height and stretching out my legs. Soph's feet stayed in between my ankles.
"How are you?" I taunted. "After yesterday's match?"
She playfully squinted her eyes at me. "I'm fine. I can still walk in heels, can't I?" She gestured to her shoes.
Recently, Sophia and I had been spending more time in the boxing ring during quiet hours at the gym. We were pretty equally matched but I was able to land a few more blows on her that she was still learning to dodge.
"Are we still on for tonight?" I clasped one of her hands in mine. Both my palms encapsulated that one hand. I danced my thumbs back and forth against her skin.
"Tonight," she agreed. She looked down at our hands and flicked her eyes back up to me. She didn't frown or jerk away. But she asked in a hissed whisper, "What are you doing?"
The corner of my lips tugged up. I feigned cockiness. "Starting a rumour." I tugged her hand and pulled her forward.
"Damon—"
"I'm just joking," I grinned. "Kind of. This probably will start a rumour. But no—I have something for you."
I kept one hand clasped around hers and used the other to reach inside my jacket. "Here." I held my palm out and dropped three pink Lindt chocolate balls in her hand. Strawberries and cream flavour.
She threw her head back and laughed. A thrill tickled my body at the sound. "Thanks." She twisted the wrapper open and popped one in her mouth. "Now we're even for last night."
I opened my mouth to respond with a witty remark but instantly clamped my lips shut when I noticed a figure dart behind Sophia. A figure that was a little too close for comfort. Even if he was on the right aisle of the Church against the wall.
"What? What is it?" Sophia followed my gaze to the other side of the Church and gasped. Instantly, she took a step back and coiled into my shadow. Any trace of humour and light vanished from her face.
"What is he doing here?" Her voice was tight.
"I don't know. I thought your Dad got rid of him," I replied.
"I thought so too."
I glanced at her sideways. I hadn't witnessed this side to Sophia before. Anxious. Unsure. Scared. Knowing her history with the male present, I refrained from touching her in case she wouldn't like that at this very moment.
"Do you want me to get you out of here?" I asked in a low voice.
"Yes," she answered hoarsely. She slid her hand into the crevice of my elbow and stayed close, angling her body away from him.
The exit point of the Church was crowded. It was crawling with chatty royals in elite get-ups and imposing guardians. We attempted to pass through but no one was eager to step aside for two dhampirs.
Sophia tugged on my hand urgently. "Damon. He's coming this way."
I turned over my shoulder and found Liam walking towards the crowd alongside his parents. It was unclear whether he knew we were here and if he was coming for Sophia or simply leaving. I attempted to slip through people again but it was so packed and loud.
"Urgh. Fuck this!" Sophia stormed away, dragging me with her. "We'll leave some other way."
"There," I pointed to a door adjacent to the altar that led outdoors. I prayed it was unlocked so that we could escape unnoticed by the Zeklos boy. "Go." I pushed her towards the front of the Church. We half-ran half-walked down the aisle, trying to remain respectable of the holy grounds we were on. I knew Sophia's anxiety was climbing an all-time high and all I wanted to do was help and protect her.
"Sophia? What's—" Sophia's grandmother, Janine, noticed our bustling and attempted to intervene. Janine stood near the Queen and the rest of the group. The Queen had stayed behind in the Church, sitting on her throne as some royal families lined up to say hello and offer their well wishes and congratulations. Soph promptly ignored her grandmother and the rest of them, dodging everyone neatly.
We turned right at the altar, heading to the door, close to freedom and fresh air when the two of us noticed Liam at the same time. He was running up his aisle, catching up to us.
"Sophia!" He called out.
"Oh my gosh," she breathed. She made a run for it. So did I; hot on her heels. We almost made it to the door, manoeuvring around loitering pairs of people, we were nearly there and then we weren't. Or well, Sophia wasn't.
Liam beat us to the door, obstructing it with his body. Sophia skidded to a halt. Instinctively, I grabbed Sophia by the arm and threw her behind me, taking several steps backwards.
Soph clutched my forearms, fingernails biting through my jacket.
"It's okay. I'm not going to let him anywhere near you," I told her.
"He already is near me!" she exclaimed.
"Not for long."
I cleared my throat and threw on my guardian voice. "Mr. Zeklos, please, step aside."
Liam ignored me entirely and peered behind me to glimpse at Sophia.
"Soph, I just want to talk to you," Liam begged.
"No," I snapped at him. "You won't be talking to her. Don't let me see you anywhere near her again."
"I just—" He tried again but I cut him off.
"Move aside or I will force you aside."
The boy had the nerve to scoff at me. "I'm a royal. You won't touch me."
I glowered. "Want to make a bet?" I felt my shoulders become tense and my hands curling into fists.
He nodded behind us. "And the Queen is right there too. You won't want to make a scene now, will you?"
"You don't know what I'd be willing to do," I said jovially. "Step aside."
Liam took a step forward, hands gestured out in a form of truce. I didn't accept it. Neither did Sophia. Her hold on me tightened and she attempted to pull me back.
"I just want to talk to her. Two minutes—no, I only need one minute. I—"
It was at that point that I decided he really wasn't going to listen to me or respect our wishes—Sophia's wishes—to leave and not engage with him. My fists took action before my brain could pause and think rationally. I knocked him aside and wrenched the door open. Sophia was glued to my back the entire time and subtly slipped out.
"You should've listened the first time," I said, glaring down at him. Liam rubbed his jaw and wiped away the trickle of blood that was dripping from the corner of his mouth with his knuckle. I took several steps forward until I was cowering over him. "Stay away from her."
I exited through the door quickly but it did not escape my notice that several onlookers witnessed the altercation. More than that, so did the Queen, the Royal Guard, Sophia's entire family and my aunt.
"Damon!" Alberta gritted through teeth, eyes wide with fury.
I shook my head at her and left, shutting the door quietly behind me.
Once I stepped outside, I found that Sophia was nowhere in sight.
"Soph?" I looked around but there were no real hideouts or alcoves or anything really. She ran. But where did she go?
I spent the next hour running around Court like a lunatic. I checked the Palace first, then the gym. I began blowing off the banquet reception proceeding the Church ceremony to continue my search. I didn't include the Moroi rooftop as an option considering how many people were out and about today. I tried to go to places that'd be the most secluded but she wasn't in the usual comfort zones. Lastly, I decided to go into the woodlands but again she wasn't present in any of the places we hung out.
After another hour of walking around, I went back to the guardian training areas to see if she'd be there now. Maybe she kept moving around and that's why I couldn't track her.
The oval was bare, as was the running track. I entered the headquarters building which was stationed by only a handful of guardians since most were needed in other areas of Court today.
I didn't bother to ask anyone if they'd seen Sophia as I didn't want to draw attention to the fact that she was missing, or rather, that I was looking for her.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to me, what if she's back in the banquet hall for the reception? I decided I would go there after checking a couple of offices first. Most doors were open, or partially closed, except for one.
Janine Hathaway's office.
I twisted the doorknob and found it locked.
Jackpot.
I rapped on the door three times, gently. "Soph?" I called out.
Silence.
I waited ten seconds before trying again but the door clicked. She didn't open it, she simply unlocked it.
I slipped inside the room and shut the door. I rested my palms backwards against the wood and leaned against it. I looked down at her. She was curled up in a ball on the floor next to the door, shoes taken off.
"Are you alright?"
She glanced up at me and I caught the faintest shadow of black underneath her eyes. Her makeup was smudged. She'd been crying.
She swiped underneath her eyes. "Not exactly."
"Can I join you?" I asked.
"Yeah," she breathed. I crouched down next to her and folded my legs underneath me.
"Would you like to talk about it?"
"Not really," came the short reply.
"Can I do anything for you?" I asked.
She remained quiet for a little while. Then, she curled into me, seeking my comfort. Her head rested atop my shoulder and she breathed deeply. "Just stay with me."
I did.
We sat in comfortable silence for a long time. I'm not even sure how long it was. All I knew was that we both definitely blew off the Queen's reception completely. Alberta was going to throw a hissy fit next time I see her. And I'm almost certain Sophia will be in some kind of trouble or receive a chastisement at least.
"You're going to get in big shit for what happened at the Church. Everyone saw you attack him," she said.
I sighed. "I know." I dropped my head against hers. "Don't worry about it. It'll blow over."
"I'm not so sure," she whispered.
"Why's that?"
"Liam's dad can be relentless. He might push the guardians to give you some kind of long-term punishment besides from what they may already dole out for you."
I snorted. "Wouldn't do any of them much good. I don't see how things could possibly get any worse for me as a guardian."
"Damon," she started.
"Yes?"
She pulled apart from me and stood up. She stretched her limbs out and padded over to the empty desk. She flopped down in her grandmother's swivel chair and propped her feet up.
"Why did you punch him? I mean, I know you did it to get him out of the way, but why not use some other tactic? Why resort to offensive violence so quickly?"
I rubbed a palm over my face. I'd never told anyone what I was about to say. Taking a deep breath, I answered her question. "When I was young, someone assaulted my mother."
Sophia went still.
"He got away with it, no matter how many times I begged my mother to report him. She said it wasn't worth the hassle and no one was going to believe her. It infuriated me so badly that from that day on I vowed to myself to never let any scoundrel disrespecting women in any way to 'get away with it'. I would take matters into my own hands and make them pay." I paused. "True, there's a part of me that acts before thinking too, but with Liam today…it wasn't so much that he wouldn't get out of the way but for what he did to you, and the fact that he was continuing to disrespect you." I swallowed and finished the last bit of my spiel. "Any time I see a man disrespecting or hurting or scaring a woman, all I see and think of is my mother. I couldn't do anything for her back then but I will not ever stand by and let it happen to someone else."
Sophia nodded in understanding. "I'm so sorry that happened to your mom…" She gazed at me thoughtfully. "Thank you. Thank you for trusting me and telling me."
Suddenly, the doorknob jiggled and the door swung wide open. Sophia sat upright at the presence of her grandmother and father. Her eyes widened at the pair.
"Grandmama. Dad," she said in surprise. "How did you know I'd be here?"
"We weren't even looking for you," Janine answered first.
"We figured you wanted to be alone after what happened earlier," Dimitri added with a pointed glare at me.
Sophia slipped her heels back on and stood up from the desk with silent understanding it was time for her to go home.
"What are you doing hiding out in my office anyway?" Janine asked. "And what required your presence, Guardian Petrov?" She turned on me, formal guardian voice in tow and crossed her arms imposingly.
"Like you said, I wanted to be alone. Damon unexpectedly found me too," Soph explained.
"Right," Janine said dryly. "Well, anyhow, your mother probably wants you home, and Guardian Petrov? I believe the Queen would like a word with you alone." She placed heavy emphasis on the last word to imply Sophia couldn't go with me. Immediately, she picked up on the insinuation.
"Why?" Sophia demanded.
"I'm guessing she'd like to speak with Guardian Petrov about his behaviour and conduct in the Church after her ceremony," she said to Sophia. To me, she said, "It was utterly irresponsible and improper, Guardian."
"Noted," I responded crisply.
Dimitri beckoned his daughter forward. "Come on, Milana. We're going home. Janine, perhaps we can look at it tomorrow?"
"Yes, no problem, Dimitri. Just swing by any time tomorrow," Janine said.
"I'm not going home, Dad," Soph said coldly.
Dimitri shot her a sharp look that would've scared me straight if it'd been directed at me.
She crossed her arms. "I'm going with Damon to speak with Aunt Lissa."
"No, you're not. We're going home. Aunt Lissa requested Damon and Damon alone."
"No!" she snapped. She came around to my side and clasped my elbow. "I'm going with him."
Dimitri switched to Russian, entering a private conversation with his daughter. Well, a conversation he thought was private. He didn't know that I also speak Russian.
"You told me there was nothing going on between the two of you and I believed and trusted you," he said in Russian.
Sophia equally responded back in Russian. "I didn't lie to you, Dad. There isn't anything going on between us. He's just a friend."
"You two don't act like 'just friends'," was Dimitri's reply.
Sophia groaned. "If it's such a big deal then why don't you come with us to talk to Aunt Lissa?"
"Fine, I will. I'm very interested to hear what he has to say for himself. What he did was unacceptable."
"Dad, stop. He did it to help me."
Dimitri studied her for several seconds, then said, "He knows everything, doesn't he? You told him?"
Sophia was looking down and quietly said "Yes" in Russian.
Dimitri switched back to English and beckoned us forward once again. "Come on, let's go."