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 stoic, 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.