"Interesting approach," Sonia says once she's thought it over for a few moments. "I think the only trouble with the honest approach is that, honestly, we don't have many good reasons why she should tell us what she knows."
"Well…" You consider the matter briefly. "We could always tell her what could happen if she doesn't. Or the truth about what's going on out here."
Sonia nods. "That's true," she says. "I reckon the problem there is that, if we're being honest with ourselves, we don't know that either."
You give up. "I'd heard once that honesty was supposed to be the best policy."
The vampire shrugs. "I think whoever told you that might not have been completely truthful with you."
Next
It's been about five minutes of rather pleasant walking before you notice that everybody has stopped moving. You look up, following their gazes.
"Ah," Sonia says.
There are, scattered before you, a number of skeletons. None of them is human-shaped—most are rabbit and bird—but bleached white bone is an eerie sight.
"So," you say, trying for an unconcerned tone and not quite getting there, "what do we think this is?"
There's a round of shrugs. "Could be anything," Renault volunteers. "This is magic we're dealing with: it gets pretty inventive."
"We can't stop," Will says, his voice surprisingly firm. "Whatever this is, it's meant to stop people getting through. It means we're on the right track, surely."
"So," Sonia says. Her voice is quiet, almost reflective, but there's a note in it that makes everyone pay attention to her. "I think I know what happened."
"Well?" Max demands.
"Well," Sonia says, still in a quiet voice. "I've heard of this magic trap where…well, these vines come up from the ground and hold you still while this, like, magic field spreads around you to keep you trapped. And then this…" She pauses, as if searching her memory, then continues, "This creature, I guess you could call it, emerges from its lair and eats you."
There's a pause during which, as one group, you digest her words.
"That seems rather specific," Will says eventually. "What makes you think it's that?"
"Because of the vines wrapping themselves around Kan's ankles," Sonia answers.
You look down. The little vampire is right: green tendrils have encircled your ankles, so gently that you never noticed them. When you look at them, however, they suddenly tighten, viselike, around your feet, holding you down.