Chapter 42 Vivian
VIVIAN
The water closed in around me as Izo yanked me under, and for one terrifying moment, I couldn’t breathe. Panic clawed at my chest as the world turned to swirling darkness. My lungs burned, screaming with the instinct to inhale.
Just as I thought the pressure would crush me, a bubble of air formed around my head. I gasped instinctively, the sudden rush of oxygen almost as overwhelming as the panic.
“Relax,” Izo said. He was laughing, a cold, mocking sound that sent a fresh wave of fury through me. “Did you think I’d let you drown? I’m offended, Vivian. Truly.”
I glared at him, covering my naked breasts with my arms. The warmth of his magic kept the water around me bearable, but cold still creeped into my blood. My anger was only barely enough to steady the raw fear still coursing through me.
“I don’t find this funny,” I spat, though my voice sounded weak even to my own ears.
“No?” He smirked, his silver hair floating around him like a halo. “You’ll see the humor soon enough.” He gestured for me to look around. “Take it in, my dear. You won’t see beauty like this anywhere else.”
I turned my head, my eyes adjusting to the dim, glowing depths.
He was right. It was stunning.
The water shimmered with bioluminescence, casting a soft glow over everything around us.
Massive, serpentine creatures swam in the distance, their scales gleaming in shades of blue and green as they moved with a terrifying grace.
Their eyes were molten gold, and the faint hum of their presence vibrated through the water.
“Sea serpents,” Izo said. “An ancient pact binds them to us. Beautiful, aren’t they? Lethal, too, but only if you’re foolish enough to trespass.”
The deeper waters revealed a labyrinth of underwater ruins. Strange wards shimmered around crumbling towers and sunken temples. In one corner of the ruins, a spectral figure moved with eerie grace, its translucent form radiating menace.
“Ancient cities,” Izo continued, his tone laced with pride. “Lost to time but not forgotten. Those spirits you see? They guard the relics within, and trust me, they don’t take kindly to intruders.”
My eyes shifted to the looming structure ahead, and I stared at it in awe.
“Welcome to the Thalassia Citadel,” Izo said.
The citadel rose from the ocean floor like a dark, glittering monolith.
Its towers were constructed from iridescent stones that shimmered like obsidian, catching the light of the bioluminescent coral and enchanted crystals that surrounded it.
The citadel blended seamlessly with the ocean, only its uppermost spires breaking through the surface.
The glow from the coral reefs painted the water in hues of violet, green, and blue, giving the entire scene an otherworldly ambiance. The light was mesmerizing, almost hypnotic, as if designed to lull intruders into a false sense of security.
“This,” Izo said, spreading his arms wide, “is my underwater domain.”
The pride in his voice was unmistakable, but to me, the sight was equal parts awe-inspiring and suffocating.
I felt like I was trapped in a dream—a nightmare. The surreal beauty of the scene around me blurred the lines between reality and illusion, and I struggled to remind myself that none of this was safe.
“It’s… too much,” I whispered.
Izo laughed softly. “That’s the point, Vivian. It’s meant to be too much.”
He swam closer, his silver eyes gleaming with an unsettling mix of amusement and triumph. “You’ll grow used to it. You might even come to love it.”
“Never,” I shot back, though my voice shook.
He brushed my arm as he swam past me, leading us closer to the citadel. “We’ll see.”
I forced myself to keep moving. The bond between me and Raffaele grew fainter with every passing minute, but it reminded me that I wasn’t entirely alone. As I followed Izo into the glowing depths of his territory, I could only hope that Raffaele felt my fear, and that he was coming for me.
Izo dragged me deeper into his domain, my body weightless in the warm water. The glowing depths of the ocean around us seemed dreamlike, the bioluminescent light casting an eerie glow on Izo’s face.
He slowed his pace and turned toward me, his eyes glinting with amusement. “Before we head to my palace aboveground, we need to stop at the citadel. There are preparations to make.”
His gaze swept over me again, lingering in a way that made my skin crawl.
“Can you at least get me some fucking clothes?” I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Not yet.” He winked at me. “I’m rather enjoying the view.”
I clenched my teeth. Bastard.
“Don’t glare at me like that,” he said, his voice lilting with mock innocence. “I’m not the one who came unprepared for a swim.”
Before I could retort, he grabbed my hands, his grip like iron.
“What are you doing?” I demanded, yanking my hands back.
“Don’t fight me,” he said smoothly, his grip tightening as he pulled me closer. “I’m just making sure you’re a good little girl for the entirety of your stay here.”
I tried to pull away, but his magic wrapped around me like chains. A cold, invasive force seeped into my skin, clawing its way through every fiber of my being.
“No!” I screamed.
“Don’t resist,” he said. “It’ll only make this harder for you.”
It felt like his presence was burrowing into my brain, embedding itself into the deepest corners of my mind. My vision blurred as the compulsion took hold, weaving itself into my thoughts, my emotions, my very sense of self.
A wave of suffocating loyalty surged through me, twisting my perception of him into something I couldn’t entirely hate. The compulsion amplified everything—fear, guilt, and even a sickening twinge of affection that wasn’t mine.
“Stop,” I whispered.
“Almost done,” he murmured, his tone disturbingly gentle as the magic solidified its grip.
My body felt heavy, disconnected from my mind as he cemented his control. It dulled my emotions, warping them, making me question my loyalty to Raffaele, my identity, and everything I had fought for.
When the magic finally receded, I was left gasping, my limbs trembling. Izo smiled, his satisfaction evident as he studied me.
“There,” he said, releasing my hands. “Much better.”
I wanted to scream at him, to fight, but the compulsion was already at work, suppressing my instincts. My body felt foreign, like a puppet on invisible strings, and my thoughts spiraled in confusion.
Before I could process what had just happened, he tugged me forward, his grip firm as he led me toward the towering structure below.
Inside, the water parted, revealing a vast, open chamber filled with light and sound. Bioluminescent coral lined the walls, casting a soft glow over the intricate carvings and enchanted runes that adorned every surface.
“Here,” Izo said, tossing a pair of weighted shoes toward me. “Put these on. You’ll need them to walk.”
I glared at him, but the compulsion forced me to obey. My hands moved of their own accord and put the heavy shoes onto my feet.
“That’s better.” He turned and strode deeper into the citadel.
My mind screamed at me to stop, but my body followed him.
We entered another chamber, where a tall, lean man with sharp features and cold eyes waited. He bowed slightly as we approached, his gaze flicking to my naked body briefly before returning to Izo.
“I need your assistance in the palace,” Izo said smoothly. “We’re nearly ready to finalize the curse on The Shadow, and I require your expertise for the final process.”
The man nodded, his expression unreadable. “Of course, my lord.”
At the mention of Raffaele, a pang of sadness cut through me, but it was dull. I struggled to hold onto it, to remember why I cared, but the compulsion was already twisting my thoughts.
“Bring her some clothes,” Izo added, gesturing toward me.
The man’s gaze flicked to me again, lingering a little too long on my chest. I crossed my arms instinctively, heat rising to my cheeks as his lips curved.
“Of course,” he said again, his voice tinged with amusement as he turned and left the room.
Izo’s hand gripped my arm, pulling me toward another corridor. The Siren’s Song was a constant hum in my mind now, its melody soothing and suffocating all at once. I couldn’t fight it. All I could do was follow.
“We have one more stop to make, then I’ll give you the grand tour of my palace.” Izo pulled me along through a maze of corridors. Finally, he stopped at a dead end. Several armored men stood guard at a large stone door. As soon as they saw Izo, they stepped aside and nodded in reverence.
“This way, my dear.”
The room was circular, with high ceilings that arched endlessly into the shadows.
Every surface was made of obsidian and shimmering coral, the walls inlaid with glowing runes.
One wall displayed weapons like trophies—blades, spears, and artifacts that glinted in the dim light, each one radiating its own lethal energy.
At the center of the room stood a pedestal carved from what looked like polished bone, its surface holding a single dagger. Its blade shimmered with a blue, iridescent glow, its edges rippling like water frozen in motion. Izo approached it slowly, reverently, his silver eyes gleaming with purpose.
“This is what I’ll need when The Shadow finally decides to crawl into my domain.” His fingers brushed over the blade with a kind of affection that made me shudder.
The pain in my gut flared again at his words, and I gritted my teeth, trying to push through it. My mind screamed at me to think of Raffaele, to hold onto the memory of him, but the compulsion dragged my focus back to Izo.
“That looks like a powerful blade,” I managed. The compulsion might control my actions, but my voice was my own, and I would use it however I could.
Izo glanced back at me. “It’s more than powerful. It’s a masterpiece. It’s been enchanted with water veils and is deadly with even the lightest touch. It doesn’t matter where it lands—the wound is always fatal.”