“He also tells me that you were not willing to help him with something he needed.”
Vittorio went still. “And what was that?” he asked, voice neutral.
“I think you know what I speak of.”
“You know how dangerous the ancient spells can be. I will not put the woman I love in danger, even for one I viewed as a brother.”
“You say that in the past tense. What has happened so seriously between you and Samuel to change your view of him? I know how close you were.”
“Perhaps he did not tell you the full circumstances of the manner in which he tried to obtain our help.”
“He told me that he asked you and you declined.”
“I see,” Vittorio said. The waitress brought fresh coffee for us and a mug for Clavius.
“Is there more?” Clavius asked when the waitress left again.
“Elena, show Clavius your arms.”
I pushed up my sleeves and laid my arms on the tabletop so he could see my fresh scars.
“My goddess.” The horrified look on Clavius’ face made me feel a tiny bit better about him. Even if he was involved in Samuel’s plot, perhaps he was not such an evil person. “I am so sorry about this. But…those are old scars. What game are you playing?”
“They are very fresh. Elena has the power to heal. But that is not important right now. Do you know what Samuel wanted from us?” Vittorio asked.
Clavius did not answer.
“Do you know he recently stole a valuable item?”
Again, no answer.
“Usually, when people don’t answer, it means they have something to hide. What are you hiding?” I asked.
“How dare you question me? You are not even in full control of your power, yet you deign to question the Sacerdote of a coven which you hope to join? You should show a little more respect. What Vittorio doesn’t know, is I can easily remove him as La Guardia, and banish him from the coven.”
“I only have my coven’s best interests in mind. Have I not served you loyally?”
“You have, but Samuel has been loyal, as well. Samuel understands my need.”
“What need is that?” Vittorio asked.
“The need of my wife!” Clavius shouted, pounding his fists on the table.
The few other patrons turned to stare, forks halfway to their mouths.
“I am sorry Aerin is gone,” Vittorio said softly. “I understand your pain.”
“How could you? Who have you ever lost that would let you understand my pain?”
“I thought I would lose Elena when Samuel kidnapped and tortured her.”
“It is not the same. You do not understand.”
“Perhaps not, but I can try to imagine.”
“You cannot! Samuel understands.”
“His mother,” Vittorio stated.
“What does he believe this spell will do?” I looked around and realized all the other patrons had left. That struck me as odd, but I didn’t have time to worry about it just then.
“He is only trying to obtain it for me. I believe it will give me eternal youth and unlimited power,” Clavius said.
“And what are you going to do with that power?” I asked, tired of being ignored.
“Get my wife back.” His voice cracked with painful emotions.
“You think there is a spell to bring people back to life?” I failed to keep the derision from my voice.
“It must! I cannot live without her!”
“You’re putting an awful lot of stock into something you don’t even know will work. No one knows if I can translate the text.”
“You could try.” Clavius started at me, tears glistening in his eyes.
“I will not put Elena’s life in danger. Attempting to translate an ancient spell could kill her if she isn’t gifted with the power.”
“You say that as if you had a choice.”
The air was thicker, harder to breathe. I tried to strengthen my shields against whatever Clavius was about to do. A blast of energy so powerful I never could have kept it out overtook me at that moment, and I lost consciousness.
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
I woke tied to a chair, hands tied behind my back, and thought, “Dear god, not again.” It took a few minutes for the fuzziness to wear off, and when it did, I realized I was back in the basement of Samuel’s father’s house.
Vittorio was bound in the same position on the other side of the room. No one else was around.
“Vittorio,” I whispered.
He didn’t move, still unconscious. How was it that I recovered from the blast of power before he did? I looked down at my chest, and saw a power-blocking amulet similar to the one from the last time I was captive around my neck. Crap. Vittorio wore one, too. Double crap. We were defenseless. I wiggled my wrists, hoping to be able to loosen the rope. I kept trying, and eventually shifted the rope around so I could reach it with my fingers. I picked at it, not really thinking I would be able to loosen it, but determined to keep trying. What else was I going to do?
As I struggled with the rope, Vittorio moved. “Are you okay?” I asked.
“I think so,” he said, voice unsteady. “How long have you been awake?”
“Ten minutes or so. I was worried when I woke and you were still out. How did I recover before you?”
“I do not know. It may be that your power is stronger than mine. But that is not to worry about now.” He blinked a few time then looked around, realized where we were and that we both wore amulets. “This is not good.”
“I’m trying to loosen the rope around my hands right now. I’m not getting anywhere though.”
Heavy footsteps came toward us from the hallway.
I lay my head to one side and closed my eyes. Maybe if he thought we were still unconscious, he’d go away; whoever it was.
“You cannot fool me, my sweet, little angel,” Clavius said.
I opened my eyes. “I’m not your angel.”
“Oh, but I think you will be. I think you will be whatever I want you to be.” His power burst through me again, coursing through my body so intensely that I thought I would explode into a million tiny pieces. I screamed.
“Stop! Leave her alone!” Vittorio shouted, struggling against his bonds.
“Oh, but she is so much more fun than you are. Do you not remember this?” Clavius asked, then directed his power toward Vittorio.
Vittorio struggled against it, clenching his jaw.
“That is why you are no fun to play with. Elena’s screams are much more fulfilling than your silent sufferings.”
He thrust his power into me again.
I tried not to scream, but he only kept making it stronger. I was going to pass out again, but just before I lost touch with the world, he stopped and brought me back to send a gentle wave of soothing warmth through me. That was so much nicer. Euphoria overcame me. The feeling of peace, love, and acceptance was so wonderful, I would have done anything as long as Clavius never made it stop.
“See, my little angel, I am not so bad now, am I?” He pulled his power away.
“Don’t stop,” I whispered, appalled at myself.
“Elena, fight him!” Vittorio shouted. “Think of our love, of how much I love you. He deceives you.”
“Just do one thing for me, and I will give you such pleasure as you have never dreamed.”
“Please,”I begged.
“Translate the spell.”
“Don’t listen to him, Elena.”
The sound of my love’s voice was all I needed to pull me away from Clavius’ power. “I’ll never help you.” His power tore through me again. This time he didn’t stop until I lost touch with the world again.
When I woke, I did not see Vittorio in the room. I needed to know where Clavius had taken him. I struggled madly with the rope again, desperate to free my hands. My fingertips became sore with the struggle, but screams renewed my determination. I had never heard Vittorio scream, but knew it had to be him. He was so strong, so sto
ic, and my stomach churned to imagine what Clavius must be doing to him to force him to cry out in agony.
My fingertips were raw and sore, but finally I got a little leeway with the rope. I kept working at it until it gave up its hold on my wrists. When I saw how raw my wrists were, I thought about healing them, but decided to save my energy for more important things. I could deal with rope burn.
Once my hands were free, untying the rest of me was easy. I removed the amulet and put it in my pocket. I peered down the hallway, then headed in the direction of Vittorio’s screams. I doubt Clavius would have heard me over Vittorio’s screams and the maniacal laughter anyway. That’s when I realized Clavius wasn’t alone. The other laughter was a woman’s - probably Elizabeth.
I looked around the corner of a doorway to see a fully-equipped exercise room. Vittorio’s hands were tied to a pull-up bar mounted from the ceiling. His legs were tied to a rack that must have held hundreds of pounds of free weights so that he could not kick out at his captors. His face was battered; blood trickled down his arms, chest, and legs. I could not see exactly what they had done to him.
Clavius, Samuel, and Jonah sat while Elizabeth gave her attentions to Vittorio. Neal was nowhere in sight.
“Now will you give up your little ingenue for me?” Elizabeth asked.
“Never.” Vittorio struggled against the ropes.
“You will not be so strong when you watch us slowly kill her.”
I covered my mouth to keep silent.
“You will not touch her.”
“You are hardly in a position to make demands. Perhaps if I show you some of my talents, you will change your mind.”
“I will never change my mind about you, Elizabeth.”
“Is that so?” She fumbled at his waist, and while I could not see what she was doing, I could imagine. I hoped I was wrong, as rage coursed through my veins. I was proven right when she dropped to her knees in front of him.
It took all my willpower not to run to her and beat her to a pulp with my bare hands. I knew I could not subdue four of them, though, and had to bide my time. Vittorio’s breath quickened, his chest heaved, rising and falling. Jealousy tore through me, and tears tickled the corner of my eye.
“What do you say, my love?”
He spat on her. “Never.”
She returned her attention to him. His breathing again quickened. I saw him clench his jaw in an effort not to cry out. I turned away, unable to watch her bring him like that.
“What about now?” she purred.
“That is no way to convince a man to sleep with you, Elizabeth,” Vittorio said, jaw clenched.
“All you have to do is say yes, and it will all be over.”
“No.”
Again, she returned to him, and he clenched his jaw. He screamed out again, taking in breath after ragged breath. She wasn’t going to bring him.
I could imagine what she was doing, and the thought horrified me. I tasted bile in my throat and swallowed hard, taking deep breaths to calm myself. Just as I was about to jump up to stop her, she pulled away from him.
“You will never have me, Elizabeth.” Vittorio sounded weak as he shuddered from the pain.
“In that case, neither shall she!” She drew a knife from a sheath at her belt.
I leapt to my feet as she aimed it as his heart, but she froze in place as I felt a wave of power.
“That’s enough, Elizabeth,” Clavius said in his commanding voice. “I want him alive. Now go sit. You are finished with him.”
As she walked away, I saw the damage she had done to Vittorio. She had sliced his chest and arms with her knife, his manhood with her teeth. Reason fled; I had to heal him. I pushed my power to him, willing him to be healed and whole again. He relaxed, and I drew my power back just as Clavius turned toward me.
I had enough time to put my shields in place before Clavius’ power lashed out at me. The force of it battered me, but did not break through. I did not know how I would fight all three of them, but had no choice. I backed across the room as I matched my power to Clavius’. Neither of us made any headway, and the others followed to help Clavius. I thought of what they had done to Kevin, of what Elizabeth had done to Vittorio, and let the image fill my mind, fill me with rage. I used that rage to send my power out in a wave of metaphysical force, pushing all four them away from me. I unleashed a second wave of power, knocking all but Clavius unconscious.
He was stunned, and I took those precious few minutes to untie Vittorio and pull the amulet off his neck. He collapsed to the ground, weak from loss of blood.
I couldn’t focus on him, though, as Clavius came at me again. He thrust his power at me and again I felt as if I would explode, but I gathered my will and fought to retain consciousness.
Vittorio’s power grew behind me, and joined mine against Clavius. I was surprised to feel the strength of his power, considering what he had been through, but didn’t take the time to wonder. I pushed my electric power at Clavius, willing him to collapse, and trying to keep out his exploding power at the same time. I saw movement to one side, but couldn’t take the time to focus on it.
I should have. Jonah had regained consciousness, and focused his power at me. My body was engulfed in flames, and I panicked. I collapsed to the ground, curled into the fetal position as the pain engulfed me.
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
Again, I woke to feel my wrists and ankles restrained. This was rapidly growing old. This time, however, they had put gloves on my hands so I couldn’t fiddle with the ropes. The amulet almost choked me. I could not see Vittorio, and shouted out for him. I was in shock from Jonah’s power attack, frantic, panicked.
“Your precious love cannot help you, so shut your mouth, bitch,” Elizabeth said, kicking me in the side. I was on my back on the floor of the plane. I cried, terrified of the fire. It was gone now, but my mind wouldn’t believe that it wouldn’t return. I knew I was in trouble, and though Jonah hadn’t completely broken my mind yet, I felt on the verge of a panic attack. I needed Vittorio’s comfort, and screamed.
“What are you screaming about?” Elizabeth asked as she kicked me again.
I shook my head back and forth and cried, my body shaking.
“Are you cold? Jonah could remedy that.”
“No!” I screamed, terrified the fire would return. “Vittorio!”
“I told you, he can’t help you. Samuel is having a chat with him.” As she said that, I heard Vittorio call out my name. I remembered what Samuel had done to him before.
“Vittorio, I’m okay. Don’t believe whatever Samuel is showing you,” I called out. I was far from okay, but the lie seemed acceptable considering the consequences.
“Jonah, maybe you can make Clavius’ little angel shut up, because she won’t listen to me.”
“No, no, no,” I cried when I saw Jonah standing above me. His power was gentle at first, mere warmth over my body. Slowly, the heat grew until I thought my skin would melt. I tried to tell myself it wasn’t real, but the fear of fire deeply embedded in my mind would not listen. He sent the heat in waves, backing off every few minutes so I wouldn’t lose consciousness, laughing the whole time as I screamed.
“Stop!” I never thought I would be so happy to hear Clavius’ voice in my life.
“We’re just having some fun,” Elizabeth whined.
“I said stop. I want her mind whole so she will fully understand what we are going to do to those she holds dear. Then we will decide her fate.”
That didn’t sound good, but I was too busy crying and shaking to grasp what he meant.
“You didn’t break her already, did you, Jonah? I will be very unhappy if you did.” Clavius probed at my mind with his power, and I shuddered. “Nothing I can’t fix. But next time, be more careful.” His power embraced me, comforting, taking away the fear in my mind.
I stopped crying, but still shook as my body tried helplessly to reject his power.
“Leave us.”
Clavius kne
lt on the floor next to me and wrapped his arms around me in a gesture that would have been comforting had it come from Vittorio, but was disturbing from Clavius.
I tried in vain to move away.
“It’s okay, my little angel. They won’t hurt you anymore. I won’t let them. You’re mine now.”
“I’ll never be yours.” I struggled weakly against his arms.
“Oh, you will be.”
“I am Vittorio’s.”
“Vittorio will not live much longer. Then, you will most certainly be mine.” He caressed my face, ran his hands over my body and kissed me.
“What about Aerin? What would she think of this?”
Clavius paused; his power lessened. “She would understand.”
“She’d understand you molesting another woman?”
“I love her. I do not love you. And I believe you will make my power stronger, as you have Vittorio’s.”
Vittorio’s power had become stronger because of me?
Clavius watched the thoughts cross my face. “He hasn’t told you? How selfish of him. His power is noticeably stronger since he met you.”
I couldn’t risk thinking about that right now, so pushed it aside. “I would not be okay with Vittorio fucking another woman just to gain more power.”
“And that is where you and Aerin differ. Not that you have much of anything in common with my sweet Aerin. But she understood that we must sometimes do unappealing things to strengthen our power. She and I accept that harsh reality.”
I struggled uselessly against my bonds.
Clavius enjoyed every minute of my torture. “Ah, my little angel, in time you will not be so repulsed by me.”
I screamed in wordless frustration.
“What did you do to her?” Vittorio growled as Samuel led him, still restrained, into the room.
“Nothing you have not already done.”
“You bastard.” Vittorio struggled to get to Clavius, but Samuel had too strong of a grip on him.
“Your little slut may have healed you once, but that just makes it more fun for us. We get to damage you all over again,” Elizabeth purred.
“If you kill us, we won’t be able to help you.”
Divided (Elena Ronen, Private Investigator) Page 17
