I shook my head weakly. “I can’t… I can’t do this.”
He gave me a pitying smile. “Oh, but you can. And you will.” He pulled me into his arms, holding me close.
The song began softly, the haunting melody sinking into my thoughts like a drug. It wasn’t loud, but it didn’t need to be. The sound vibrated through me, sending a sharp, stabbing pain down my spine and through every nerve in my body.
I screamed, clawing at his arms as the agony overwhelmed me.
“Shh,” he murmured, his tone almost tender. “This is for your own good.”
The song grew louder, the melody twisting, turning darker. It filled my head, drowning out every thought, every memory. The compulsion surged, forcing submission and loyalty to the forefront of my mind.
My limbs grew heavy, my struggles weakening as the pain became too much. It traveled from my ears down the length of my body until I sagged against him.
“Good girl,” he murmured, brushing a strand of hair away from my face.
He carried me to a cot that had been set up at the foot of his bed. “You won’t be joining me for dinner tonight.”
He turned and left me to cry myself to sleep.
46
VIVIAN
Istirred to the sensation of a hand moving gently across my back, fingers tracing slow, deliberate patterns over my skin. For a fleeting moment, I thought I was back at the cabin, that it was Raffaele’s touch anchoring me to safety. Warmth bloomed in my chest at the thought of him, but it was quickly obliterated by a searing pain that lanced through me.
I gasped, my muscles seizing as I rolled away from the touch. My eyes flew open, and there he was.
Izo sat beside me, his silver eyes flashing dark. “Good morning,” he said smoothly, his voice a melody that immediately began to seep into my thoughts, soothing the edges of my panic.
“No,” I whispered, shaking my head as I tried to cling to the shards of resistance still buried deep within me.
His song slid into my mind, wrapping around my thoughts like silk. My body betrayed me, my muscles relaxing against the invasive calm.
“That’s better,” he murmured, his fingers brushing against my arm. “There’s no need to fight me, Vivian. I’m here to take care of you.”
I hated him in that moment. I hated him for making my body obey and twisting my emotions until I had to question what was real.
“I have a story for you,” he said, sitting back slightly as his gaze locked onto mine. “Sit up, and I’ll tell it to you.”
I didn’t want to obey, but my body moved without my consent, pushing me upright as though it were a puppet on strings. I folded my hands in my lap, staring at the floor to avoid meeting his gaze.
“Good,” he said, his tone soft but filled with authority. “Now listen carefully. This is important.”
His voice dipped into the melodic cadence that I was beginning to dread. “Many years ago, before you were even born, there was a man. My father. He was a kind, just leader. Loved by his people. Respected by all who knew him. But then came The Shadow’s family.”
The mention of Raffaele sent a pang through me, but it was buried quickly under Izo’s smothering influence.
“They were ruthless,” Izo continued, his voice heavy with sorrow. “They wanted power. Territory. My father tried to reason with them, to find common ground. But they refused. They killed him without mercy. No negotiation. No honor.”
Tears burned in my eyes, and I didn’t know if they were real or if his magic was pulling them from me. The ache in his words bled into me, filling my chest.
“I was just a boy. I watched as they took everything from us. My father’s life. My family’s legacy. They turned us into nothing but scavengers, left to claw our way back from ruin.”
A tear slid down my cheek, unbidden and unwanted. My anger at Izo began to twist into sympathy.
Why did I ever oppose him?
No. That wasn’t right. I tried to push the thought away, but it settled in my chest, heavy and suffocating.