Divided

chapter THIRTEEN

When we got back to Vittorio’s house, Sarah helped me into the guest suite. “Are there some sweats or something I could change into?”

“Of course, miss.” She turned to leave the room.

“Please, call me Elena.”

“Of course, Elena. I’ll be right back.” She returned with the softest sweat suit I had ever felt.

“I’m sorry it’s so big, but it’s Vittorio’s and is all I could find. He doesn’t make a habit of hosting women here.” She held up the deep maroon outfit and handed it to me.

“Did he pay you to say that?”

“Of course not.” Her hand went to her chest in offense.

“I’m sorry, Sarah. I was trying to make a joke. I believe you, and god only knows, why, I believe him.”

“Vittorio is a man of honor. He doesn’t seem to fit in our time period.”

“That’s for sure.” When she left, I put on the sweats, pulling the drawstring to the pants as tight as it would go. I rolled up the legs, and pushed the sleeves up my arms, but I still swam in them.

A few minutes later, Vittorio knocked on the door. I let him in, and he sat in an armchair next to the bed. I sat on the bed, as far from him as possible. I wanted to wrap myself around him, so thought more distance was better.

“What the hell is happening to me?”

“Right to the point,” he said softly.

“Don’t mess with me, Vittorio. I don’t like feeling so out of control. I want to understand what’s going on.” I hugged my knees to my chest.

“Forgive me. I will explain the best I can, not fully understanding it myself, but you must keep an open mind.” He paused. “Do you believe in magic?”

I snorted. “You’re kidding, right?”

His serious face told me he was not.

“I guess I believe it’s possible, but I’ve never experienced it.”

“What if I told you magic was real?”

“If you told me you were using vampire powers on me, I’d probably believe you.”

That elicited a chuckle. “I am no vampire. Perhaps I should demonstrate.” He stood, walked across the room, and turned off the light.

I felt him stand next to the bed. Then I saw a faint glow near him. I hadn’t seen him carrying a flashlight. The glow grew brighter, and as my eyes adjusted to the light, I saw an orb in his hand.

“Nice trick. But it’s just a fancy flashlight, right?”

“Do you think so? Try to take it from me.”

I knelt on the bed and carefully moved closer to him, then reached out to take the flashlight. His hand was empty. “What the hell?” I tried again, but there was nothing for me to take. I sank back onto the bed. “Holy shit.”

Vittorio went to turn the nice, safe, electric light on, and the glowing orb disappeared. “Simply put, my power is responding to yours.”

“I don’t have any power, whatever you mean by that.” My mind raced as I tried to absorb this revelation.

“That is where you are wrong. I have never met anyone with power like yours, which I believe is why you react to me as you do. And the fact that you do not even know you have it magnifies the effect because you do not know how to control it, or even that you should control it.”

“Then why aren’t you affected by me as I am by you?”

“Elena, you have no idea how strongly I am affected by you, but I am familiar with my power. I have had nearly thirty years to learn to control it. Even so, you present the greatest challenge to my control I have encountered in a long time.”

I thought back to the night of our first meeting, and recalled a bead of sweat trail his neck as he oh-so-properly kissed the back of my hand. At the time I dismissed it as an effect of the heat from the overhead lights, but now thought different. What about when we were bird-watching? It was a pleasant day, but not too warm. Had he been sweating then, too? And tonight at the club. “If all this is true, I don’t think it’s safe for me to be with you. I can hardly control myself. Even now I want to pull you into this bed with me.” Panic rose in my chest. Magic? I couldn’t deny what I saw. It was as good an explanation as any for my reaction to Vittorio. “Please, can Sarah take me home? I don’t think I should see you anymore.” I was surprised by the disappointment I heard in my voice. I was going to have to let Ms. Carmen down. This was way more than I could handle.

“There is another option.” Vittorio’s face was carefully neutral, but his eyes showed hope.

“What’s that?” My mind screamed at me to get out, to run as far away as I could, but my legs wouldn’t listen.

“I can teach you to control your power. I can help you become familiar with it. I will not lie and say that if you learn that you will no longer be affected by me, but you will be able to control your power’s reaction to mine.”

“What is this power?”

“I told you. Magic.” He leaned forward just a little in the chair.

“But what does it do? If all it does is make people lust after each other, what’s the point?”

Vittorio chuckled warmly. “Elena, it is so much more than that. That is simply the way our powers have chosen to acknowledge one another. For example, my power responds to Samuel’s combatively.”

“What would you have done to him had he not apologized to me tonight? I’ve never seen such fear in someone’s eyes.”

“I honestly do not know. I am not fond of violence, but you cannot begin to understand what you mean to me. I will protect you at any cost.”

“That’s what I don’t understand. How can I be so important to you? You don’t even know me.”

“I will explain it to you in time, Elena, but please be patient. There is much I must tell you, and I do not want to overwhelm you.” Vittorio leaned forward, as if he wanted to reach for me, then stopped.

“Being so damned mysterious is not likely to win my trust. It’s bad enough I’m affected so strongly by you, and now you tell me it’s because of magic? If that really is true, how am I supposed to believe you’re not using these magical powers to make me lust after you? How can I trust you?”

I forgot all about the case. Only my emotions were present. Anger, fear, confusion, and lust threatened to overwhelm me. My father had betrayed me, and he betrayed my mother when she was still alive. I did not trust men easily, and Vittorio was making it even more difficult. This night opened more emotional wounds than I cared to face.

“Elena, please tell me what you want of me. What will make me believe you?” He stood, and took a few steps toward the bed.

I wanted to shrink further away from him, but held my ground. “You can start by explaining some of this crap.”

“Where do you want me to begin?”

“Tell me why I’m so damned important to you?”

“I did not fully understand it myself until tonight, but I felt drawn to you, as if there was a purpose for us meeting.”

There was a purpose, alright, I thought. And it sure as hell didn’t involve magic. I couldn’t tell him that, though. I may have let myself get emotionally involved, but I wasn’t stupid enough to tell him about the case. Not yet.

He continued. “I know now that it is our powers calling to each other, and I sense there is a deeper purpose than a romantic relationship to us being together. Also, in the interest of honesty, and at the risk of scaring you away for good, I am a hopeless romantic. I believe in love at first sight.”

So much for my theory that only giggly girls fell for that. I was not a hopeless romantic, and simply didn’t understand what Vittorio claimed to be feeling. I was also too tired to pursue it any further that night. “I don’t get it. I don’t believe in love at first sight, but for now, I’ll take you at your word. Tell me more about this magic.”

“It is simply that. Magic.” He spread his arms, palms up, as if to illustrate how simple the concept was.

“Like in movies?”

“Kind of, yes. It is easier to explain in teaching than in words. If you become familiar with it, learn to control it, befriend it, you will be amazed at what you can do.”

“Like make balls of light in my hand?”

“That is one minor thing, yes. Will you let me teach you?” He took another step toward the bed, and me.

I took a moment to consider. Magic, power, lust; could I handle it?

“Please, Elena. I do not want to lose you. But if you say no, I will respect your wishes. Sarah will take you home, and I will never bother you again.” Vittorio’s voice cracked with emotion.

I thought Vittorio’s heart would break if I said no. Perhaps mine would, too. I walked to him, standing just inches away. “Yes.” I reached up and touched his face with one hand. “Please teach me.” I stood on tiptoe, rested my hands on his shoulders to steady myself, and kissed him. I nearly fell, but he caught me and held me in his arms, holding my body firmly against his while we kissed. I felt boneless. It might have been seconds or years before I stopped. “I want this.”

Vittorio gently laid me down on the bed. “I gave you my word I would do no more than kiss you tonight. I am not sure I can fight this. I must leave you here to sleep, Elena.”

I wanted to beg him to stay, but only nodded. He turned to walk away, and I felt a wild beast tearing its way through my body.

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