Magic hummed through every stone. Sophia could feel it now, her newly awakened senses picking up the thrum of power woven through the foundation, the walls, the very air around the structure.
This wasn't just a house protected by wards. This was a living space, architecture designed specifically for beings with power, with needs beyond what normal construction could provide.
"How long has this place been here?" she asked as Marc opened her door and offered his hand.
"Centuries," Jack answered, coming around from where he'd parked the second vehicle. "Built by a consortium of supernatural families who wanted a safe haven in the human world. It's passed through many hands over the years. Currently, it belongs to Alexander—purchased when he realized he'd need somewhere secure to bring you eventually."
When, not if. They'd always been certain she'd end up here. The thought should have annoyed her, but she was too tired to work up the energy for indignation.
Sophia let Marc help her out of the vehicle, her legs unsteady after sitting for so long. The moment her feet touched the ground, she felt it—a pulse of recognition from the earth itself.
The wards knew her now. Had tasted her energy during the passage and filed her away as belonging, as safe, as someone who could enter freely. It was like being welcomed home by a place she'd never seen before.
Tally was already at the front door, pressing her palm against a panel that looked like polished obsidian. It flared with golden light, symbols racing across its surface in patterns too quick for Sophia to follow. Then the door swung open silently, revealing an entrance hall that stole whatever breath she had left.
The space was enormous—two stories tall, with a staircase that curved up both sides to meet at a second-floor landing. But what caught her attention wasn't the architecture. It was the light. Everywhere, light—but not from any visible source.
It simply existed, soft and warm and alive, illuminating every corner without creating harsh shadows. And floating through that light were threads of energy she could actually see, delicate filaments that connected floor to ceiling, wall to wall, creating a web of protection so complex it made her head hurt trying to follow it.
"The inner wards," Alexander said, coming to stand beside her. His hand hovered near the small of her back, not quite touching but close enough that she could feel the heat. "They're keyed to respond to magical signatures. If anyone tried to attack this place—or you—the entire structure would activate. Trust me when I say no one wants to see what that looks like."
Sophia took a tentative step forward, and the light brightened slightly, the energy threads pulsing in response to her presence. It was welcoming her. Greeting her. Like the house itself recognized what she was and approved.
So Damn weird!
"The whole building is designed around power," Marc explained, gesturing to the space around them. "Regular homes aren't built to handle what beings like us can generate, especially not someone with your potential.
The walls, the floors, the very foundations—they're all reinforced with materials that can absorb and redirect magical energy. You could have an episode in here, let your power loose, and the house would contain it. Channel it. Keep you safe from yourself."
Safe from herself...
Because that was what she was now, wasn't she? A danger not just to others but to herself. One wrong move, one loss of control, and she could recreate the devastation of her birth. Could kill without meaning to. Could destroy everything around her just by existing too loudly.
The hollow feeling in her chest grew deeper.
"How many people have stayed here?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. The acoustics in the space were perfect—she knew they all heard her despite the low volume.
"Over the centuries? Hundreds," Jessica said, appearing from a side hallway. She'd beaten them here somehow, must have taken a faster route.
"Young supernaturals learning to control their abilities. Beings fleeing persecution. Anyone who needed a place where their power wouldn't be a liability. The wards remember them all. Learn from them. Adapt. By tomorrow, this entire structure will have adjusted itself to your specific energy signature, making it easier for you to live here comfortably."
"Live here," Sophia repeated. "You expect me to live here. For how long?"