Page 9 of Colton

Sophia’s eyes snap to mine, her brows lifting almost to her hairline. “Yes, I do. Why would you be interested in such a place?”

“I’m just curious,” I sigh. “I know I shouldn’t be. And I tried to keep myself from digging too much into the founding families, but I find the entire thing so fascinating and it’s impossible for me not to at least try and satisfy my curiosity.”

“It doesn’t matter how deep you dig, you’ll never find out anything incriminating about them,” Sophia’s voice takes on a serious tone, and shivers run down my spine. I’m not sure whether it’s from the chilly air, or because of the fear that’s looming above me. “However, it will put you on their radar, and you don’t want that.”

“You believe they’re criminals, too?”

Sophia shrugs. “It doesn’t matter what I believe in. My brother took me to Saint Valley for my eighteenth birthday. Let’s just say that place gives me the creeps. I’ll never set foot in there again.”

That makes me halt.

Sophia’s not easily scared. Her biggest fear is snakes. Other than that, she’s pretty much fearless. She doesn’t fear consequences because she has the power not to have any, regardless of what she does. Yet, she’s scared of a mere city? That’s not good. Her intuition’s always been impeccable, and I don’t think it’s for no reason that she’s only been there once.

“Why?” I ask. “What’s so terrible about the place?”

“On the outside, nothing. It’s like a paradise. They have a lake, a wonderful beach, amazing historical buildings, and even some spaces dedicated to the founding families that are gorgeous. However, during the night… It's creepy, Avalon. It’s like inviting every sort of criminal into a free space. I’ve never felt so unsafe in my life.”

A frown tugs on the corners of my lips. “Why? Did you see or hear anything?”

Sophia shakes her head. “No, not anything like that. But no one’s out past nine in the evening. All stores shut down at four. Sawyer took me to a club, and I barely lasted ten minutes before going back to the hotel we were staying in. That was when I decided that my life was worth more than some curiosity. If you’re smart, you’d stop digging, Avalon. Please.”

I’m at a loss for words. Something churns in my stomach, and my mouth suddenly goes dry. Sophia’s looking at me, with a pleading look, silently begging me not to go through with my little investigation. It’s as if she knows what I’m thinking of doing.

“I was just curious,” I force a smile. “There’s nothing more to that.”

“Good,” she breathes out in relief. “If the Founding Daughter is giving you trouble, you can always come to me.”

I lift an amused brow. “Why? Will you be my knight in shining armor?”

Sophia grins. “I happen to have some dirt on the little miss perfect, so yes.”

The air around us feels much lighter than moments before, and I’m able to relax. A small laugh comes from me as I put out the cigarette in the ashtray. “Do I even want to know where you got it from?”

“Nope,” a mischievous glint shines in her eyes. “That’s a secret.”

“You’re full of those.”

“Uhuh,” a proud look takes over her features, and I roll my eyes at the cheekiness of the girl. “Perchance you decide to go to Saint Valley, and you actually end up being stupid to do that, you’ll need the entrance pass.”

“I was thinking of borrowing yours.”

It’s her turn to roll her eyes. “Yes, I figured as much.”

She walks over to her purse, digging through it until she finds her wallet. It’s baby pink, with a lot of small gems decorating it. The letter S is embedded on the bottom in a gorgeous golden shade.

Sophia pulls out a pitch black card, and I frown.

“Here,” she extends her hand, and I take it.

Saint Valley is written on the front, engraved on it, in the same color black. In the far bottom, right corner is a small scanning code.

“That’s how they scan and allow you entrance,” she says.

“Which means they have all your information. Is a picture included?”

Sophia shakes her head. “Not yet, no. From what I’ve heard, they’ll update the cards and security system starting next year, so if you want to go check it out, do it soon. I don’t plan on renewing it.”

“What? Why not? You never know when you might end up needing it.”