Divided (Elena Ronen, Private Investigator)

by Jennifer Sights

  Now I understood why she hated me so much. “Why did Clavius make you the La Guardia? Isn’t Samuel’s power strong, too?”

  “Yes, but our powers are different. Clavius believed mine to be more suitable for the position of the La Guardia. Recently, however, Clavius has become very close with Samuel. They claim it is simply because they have both suffered the loss of a loved one, but I wonder if there is something more to it, if Clavius now wishes he had made Samuel La Guardia.” Vittorio looked distant, as if trying to figure out some mystery.

  “His mother,” I said, remembering the shrine I’d stumbled upon in his house.

  Vittorio nodded.

  Wanting to get back to training, I asked, “What do you really do? Is it like in the movies where you all stand around chanting and burning candles and all that stuff?”

  “Yes and no. Hollywood tends to glamorize a lot of things. I suppose some would see witchcraft as glamorous, simply because it is so different from what most are used to. It is simply a religion, though, according to many who practice; there are rites, rituals and holidays. When you really look at the practices of the coven, many of the basic beliefs are similar to those of mainstream Christianity. Treat others as you want to be treated, respect for the Divine. It is true that we worship multiple gods. The point is, we are peaceful. What you see in movies often paints witches in a very bad light, which is a pity, because most people do not understand what we truly believe. Yes, we perform rituals, sometimes elaborate ones with many items required. They are similar to Christian prayer, though. We ask for goddess’ or god’s blessing; we thank them when good things happen. We simply base our beliefs on the more tangible aspects of the earth spirits rather than an image of some bearded man sitting on a throne in the clouds.” Vittorio walked to a bookshelf and pulled down two books; one large and old, the other smaller and newer looking.

  I laughed at that comparison. “I like the idea of worshipping the earth. I’ve never been keen on the big guy in the sky smiting us when we screw up and all the petty rules supposedly laid out in the Bible.”

  “There are rules in witchcraft, but they might be described more accurately as guidelines for living, and they should be common sense. Like I said, treat others as you want to be treated, respect mother earth; these are things any decent person should do on their own anyway.” He handed me the books, then sat again. “You can read these. They should help you understand more and be a good reference. I do not expect you to remember everything all at once.”

  “If there is a power struggle in your coven, where would I fit in?”

  “I hate to use the terms win or lose, but that is the simplest way to explain it. If I win, there is a chance I will be able to take position of Sacerdote. You would then be in place for Sacerdotessa.” Vittorio reached out to hold my hands.

  “Wow.” That was way more responsibility than I wanted. I fought to maintain my cool, shoving panic down before it overwhelmed me.

  “The other possibility is that I will remain the La Guardia, but you will have the opportunity to replace Elizabeth as Dama D’onore. You do not have to accept, of course.”

  “But?” What more could there be than the possibility of the highest position in the coven?

  “If you do not, you will be viewed as weak, which will put you in danger from our enemies. I am truly sorry, mio amore. I wish I did not have to put you in this position.”

  I didn’t tell him I agreed. He probably knew already.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  Vittorio left the study briefly after receiving a phone call from Samuel. I used the time to ponder what he told me. Aspects of witchcraft appealed to me, something to replace the feelings of loss and abandonment from my childhood. My Catholic upbringing seemed so cold to me, and when I tried going back to church after cleaning up, the congregation greeted me with judgment and scorn rather than the acceptance and forgiveness they preach. Religion lost its appeal, but I now wondered if perhaps this could be the path for me. The position of Sacerdotessa seemed daunting, though; it could be more responsibility than I was ready for.

  Vittorio returned, brow furrowed. “It seems as if we were correct; those who would stand against me are already organizing an effort to force me out of the coven. Your display the other night frightened them even more than I suspected. I wanted to spend more time this evening working with you to control your power, but need to go to The Chapel now. I must maintain a strong presence.”

  “Why do you have to go? What’s going to happen?” I stood and went to him.

  “Most likely, nothing. It will be a night like any other, with drinking and socializing. But if I am absent, it will be viewed as a sign of weakness or fear by some. It is all mind games. I find it quite silly, but unfortunately, must play along.”

  “What about me?” I didn’t want to be left behind.

  “That is your decision, mio amore. I will not ask you to decide on what we talked about, but I do need to know if you will stand by my side through this. I wish I could change what is about to happen. Unfortunately, I cannot.”

  “I told you I would stick with you.” Why were men so dense sometimes?

  “Yes, but I do not want to assume you agree to be part of this fight.”

  I stood to face him, as much as I could, being so much shorter. “Vittorio, I love you. Whatever you need, if I can do it, I will. If that is standing by your side through this, that’s what I’ll do.”

  He embraced me. “You cannot possibly understand what that means to me, mio amore.”

  “Isn’t that what people do when they love each other?”

  “Yes, but I have not had much support in my life such as you say you will give me. It makes it all the more precious, especially coming from you.”

  I understood what he meant. It was like how much I appreciated Kevin never writing me off. The gratitude and love in Vittorio’s eyes made me want to fly to the moon and back if that’s what he needed. My heart raced with love for him. He trusted me to stand by him and help him in this fight. Me, who he had only just learned had deceived him. I would die before letting him down.

  In keeping with Vittorio’s desire to show a unity of our power, I wore the purple gown he bought me, and he again wore the fantastic tux. I had discovered the last time it had a satin feel to it. It was so soft I had a hard time keeping myself from stroking his arm or back to feel the fabric. Okay, so maybe that wasn’t the only reason I had a hard time keeping my hands off him. I tried to behave, though, because I knew I would need every ounce of control I had, and still wasn’t sure it would be enough.

  As we ascended the stairs to the balcony, I felt his power gently reach out from his body. “What are you doing?” I whispered.

  “Simply a show of strength.”

  “Can I help?”

  “Not tonight. You need more training, and I want you to conserve your strength.”

  “Won’t that make us look weak?”

  “Perhaps, but it is a risk I am willing to take. If things get out of control later, and you have depleted your energy on a display such as this, it will make us look even weaker. If anyone comments on it, tell them they are not worth it for you to expend any energy on.”

  “Well, that’s the truth. From the little you’ve told me, I wouldn’t give these people the time of day if I had any choice in the matter.” I shook my head.

  “I agree, but unfortunately, we do not have a choice.”

  When we reached the top of the stairs, we found Samuel sitting in an armchair facing an empty love seat he had saved for us. Everyone turned to stare at us, but Vittorio kept walking as if we three were the only people in the room.

  I tried to follow suit, but couldn’t resist surveying the occupants from the corner of my eye. I was uncomfortable, unused to situations where tension so completely saturated the air.

  The three from the other night sat at the opposite side of the balcony from us. When we sat down, I asked Vittorio their names, even though I already knew Eli
zabeth’s. She had been with Samuel six months ago. It did not seem as if they were still together, but that fact made me even more suspicious of him. Or perhaps that is what had driven them apart. Or maybe her accompaniment to the art museum had been a friendly gesture. I would have to find out what their relationship was.

  “Jonah, Neal, and Elizabeth. Elizabeth will have even more animosity for you, as she has been trying to win my affections for years, and I talk to her as little as possible.”

  “Great,” I muttered. “And she thinks I’m trying to steal her position.”

  “This will not be easy, Elena,” Samuel said. It seemed as if Vittorio had filled him in on some of our discussion while I was getting ready, but found I did not mind. All I cared about at that point was making it through the night without losing control of my power.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  It was getting late; I was tired and hoped we could leave soon. So far, the night had been uneventful, and would even have been enjoyable were it not for the thickness of the atmosphere and little displays of power here and there. Elizabeth would throw a small spark of electricity at me, forcing me to fortify my shields to block it. My hopes crashed when I returned from the bathroom to find Vittorio and Samuel in a heated discussion with Jonah, Neal, and Elizabeth. An image in my head showed me standing next to Vittorio, my arm through his. It stopped me in my tracks when I realized that was what he wanted me to do. That was going to take some getting used to. More thoughts and images that weren’t mine filled my head. Somehow, I knew they were Vittorio’s, and I knew it was a warning that things might get ugly. My breath came fast and shallow as fear took hold of me; fear of an impending fight, and fear at Vittorio being able to invade my thoughts. Even though I knew he meant no harm by it, was trying to help even, I wasn’t sure I liked it.

  “Jonah, I have no intention of trying to take control of the coven. I do not want that responsibility,” Vittorio said.

  “I don’t believe you. Why would you have introduced her into all this otherwise?” Jonah said.

  “A man can want a woman for the pure reason of love alone, Jonah. I know that is a foreign concept to you, but please, try to understand it. I love Elena. Simple as that. There is no hidden purpose behind our relationship.”

  “How is it that you have so easily fallen in love with a woman you barely know?” Elizabeth asked.

  Her power searched for me, and it stung my body. I resisted crying out in pain, and gently pushed back with my own power. The desire to slam it into her full force was strong, but I remembered what Vittorio said about rarely needing to use the full strength. Need and want were two different things, so I held back, but did put enough energy into it to hurt her.

  “You little bitch,” she said, and renewed her push against me, stronger this time. I sensed I was stronger than her, but did not have as much control. This could get ugly.

  I half expected Vittorio to come to my rescue, but he didn’t. If you need me, I will be here, but you must try to do this on your own, mio amore. You must show Elizabeth your strength. How the hell did I hear him so clearly in my head?

  I don’t understand this, and it makes it hard to concentrate, so please be quiet. I hoped he got my message, but didn’t have time to worry about it as a million needles poked all over my body. Soon, I grew tired of the back and forth with Elizabeth. Trying to figure out what else I could do with my power to make her surrender, I remembered Vittorio telling me he threw a nurse across the room. I pushed back at her with electricity to give me a moment to concentrate, then pulled my power completely back. Focusing only on Elizabeth, I sent my power to her. She stumbled backwards. Her needles turned into knives in my body. I feared if I looked down I would be bleeding.

  I closed my eyes and pictured her in the chair across the balcony, unable to move, and let my power go. When I opened my eyes, I saw what I hoped for. She was in the chair, struggling to stand. I threw the electric power at her for good measure, and she cried out in pain. This time, I did not stop. I knew it would not permanently injure her, but it must have hurt like hell.

  Vittorio’s arm on my shoulder brought me back to reality. “That is enough, Elena.”

  Elizabeth’s face contorted in ugly pain. Had I done that? I called my power back, frightened. What else could I do? What other horrible pain could I inflict? Success had clouded my mind, causing me to hurt Elizabeth more than was necessary. Would that happen every time?

  From the looks on everyone’s faces, including Vittorio’s and Samuel’s, I knew we had won this round. But at what price?

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  Vittorio scheduled dinner with Clavius the following evening. “I have told him about you during our training sessions, and he will know about last night. It is long past time that I introduce you to him. He can be quite intimidating, but do not let him make you feel small.”

  “I don’t go well for intimidation. In case you forgot, Bryn warned me about you, and look where that got us.”

  “I hope you do not have the same reaction to Clavius,” he said grinning.

  “Clavius who?” I said, kissing Vittorio. “What do I wear to a meeting like this?”

  “You should look stunning, yet unassuming, considering some of the members’ fears. I believe the corset you wore the night we met will be perfect.”

  “And how do I act around this guy?” My stomach flip flopped.

  “Treat him as you would any other authority figure, with respect and deference, but there is no special protocol for this situation.”

  “Why haven’t you introduced me sooner?”

  “We have been busy with your training, and Clavius has not been as on top of matters as he once was. Not since Aerin died. But things are getting out of control. He must step up and control his coven.”

  A leader who no longer cared…that was a scary thought.

  Dinner was at an expensive fondue restaurant on Delmar, a trendy area of town with the street lined with boutique shops, restaurants and bars for several blocks. When we arrived at the restaurant, Clavius was waiting for us. With light red hair and clear, pale skin, he looked no older than twenty-five, though if he was older than Vittorio, he must have been closer to forty-five.

  He looked me up and down with piercing ice-blue eyes.

  I slammed my shields into place, blocking his power from probing me, and instantly felt safer.

  “So it is true. You are very powerful,” Clavius said.

  “How can you tell so soon?” I asked

  “You have much to learn.” He studied me, and I froze.

  Vittorio came to my rescue. “Clavius, I would like to introduce you to my love, Elena.”

  Clavius took my hand from Vittorio and chastely kissed the back of it. “A pleasure to finally meet the woman who has stolen my Guardia’s heart. I did not think it was possible.”

  “And I am pleased to meet the man who has taught my love all he knows,” I said.

  Clavius chuckled. “I cannot claim to have taught him everything he knows. He learned much before he came to me.”

  I did not expect Clavius to be humble, and assumed it was an act. “I’m sorry to hear about Aerin,” I said. “I understand how it feels to lose someone you love.” I didn’t plan to tell Clavius my whole story, but I felt a sort of bond with people who lost someone close to them because of violence. It’s nice to meet someone who understands what one has gone through.

  “Thank you for your sympathies,” he said, and I sensed it was sincere.

  I nodded, then waited out an awkward silence. Under Clavius’ scrutiny, those moments seemed endless, and felt like a test of some sort.

  “Shall we sit?” Clavius finally asked, looking pleased.

  The hostess immediately brought us to a corner booth toward the back of the restaurant. It provided privacy, and I suspected it had been planned.

  Clavius ordered a bottle of wine for us, then we reviewed the menu in silence. I had never been able to afford to eat at the restaurant, bu
t had heard about it. Meals consisted of salad, cheese fondue, meat fondue, and chocolate fondue for dessert. I let Vittorio order a meal for the two of us, and iced tea for me.

  “Tell me, Elena, how did you manage to steal Vittorio’s heart? Many women have tried over the years, but no one has succeeded,” Clavius asked after we ordered and the waitress took our menus.

  “I honestly don’t know, but he has stolen mine as completely, which is just as strange. I’m not the type of girl to be swept off her feet by a pretty face.”

  “Vittorio tells me he suspects your power has something to do with it.”

  “Maybe,” I said, unwilling to commit to the answer.

  Clavius remained silent and raised an eyebrow at me.

  “I don’t understand it enough to know.” That was true, and I didn’t want to say too much. Clavius made me uncomfortable for a reason I couldn’t quite pin down. I wanted to squirm in my seat like a school girl being reprimanded by the principal, but forced myself to remain still.

  “Interesting.”

  I reached for Vittorio’s hand under the table, desperate for any encouragement I could get. He squeezed it, and whispered in my mind, You are doing well, mio amore. Relax.

  I tried. Over the salad and cheese course, Clavius made small talk. I was beginning to relax just a little, but felt no more comfortable.

  When the meat course came out - they brought pots of boiling broth and bite sized pieces of meat you were to cook in the pots yourself - Clavius got down to business. “So, Elena, Elizabeth tells me she fears you will try to usurp her position in the coven.”

  “She’s wrong. I don’t want anyone’s position. I don’t even know the ways of your religion.” I was offended that so many people thought I was so power hungry. Why couldn’t they understand I just wanted to be left alone?

  “Yet you have power, and Vittorio has offered to teach you our ways.” He speared a piece of meat and set the long fork carefully in the pot of broth.