Chapter 44 Raffaele
RAFFAELE
Iwas trapped in the translucent bubble of magic, floating behind the guards like some kind of prisoner display. Every attempt I made to summon strength and break free was futile. My magic was too depleted, my body too weak from the strain.
But my fury was alive, roaring in my veins. The bond was thin, but steady. Vivian was alive. She was close. I clung to that certainty as the guards led us deeper into the labyrinthine halls.
Vincenzo, floating in his own sphere beside me, grunted. “You’re going to burn a hole in the floor with that glare, Shadow.”
I ignored him, focusing on the bonder. Under Vivian’s fear, I picked up a tangled knot of uncertainty that made my stomach churn. What had Izo done to her?
The palace was a masterpiece of twisted elegance.
Every inch of the walls shimmered with bioluminescence, the glow of enchanted coral and streams of water casting moving patterns across the floor.
The haunting melody that permeated the air seemed to grow louder, pressing against my thoughts like an unwelcome intruder.
“We’re getting close,” Luca muttered.
I didn’t need him to tell me. The bond was stronger now, her presence a steady beat in my chest. She was near, just beyond the next corner. My pulse quickened, the raw need to see her overriding every other thought.
We turned the corner, and there she was.
The air left my lungs in a sharp, painful exhale. Vivian stood in the center of the room, the shimmering glow of the palace’s magic illuminating her. She was alive—whole—but something was wrong.
She looked different.
Her stance was rigid, her shoulders squared as though bracing for a fight. Her gaze was distant, her eyes clouded. But the worst part was the hesitation.
She saw me. I knew she did.
Our bond surged, and for a fleeting moment, I saw recognition in her eyes. But then it was gone.
“Vivian,” I breathed. I pressed my hands against the inside of the sphere, the translucent surface rippling beneath my touch. “Vivian, it’s me.”
Her gaze wavered, her lips parting slightly. But she didn’t move toward me.
Izo stood at the far end of the room, lounging on his iridescent throne like he owned the world. His silver hair gleamed under the shifting light, his smirk as sharp and venomous as a dagger.
And then Vivian did the unthinkable.
She walked toward him.
“No,” I growled, my fists pounding uselessly against the binding. “No, Vivian, don’t—”
But she didn’t stop. Step by step, she closed the distance between them, her bare feet silent on the polished floor. Every step was a blow to my heart.
When she reached his side, she turned and stood beside him. Her stance could only be described as protective.
My heart clenched as the bond thrummed with her confusion, her fear, her… loyalty.
“What the fuck is going on?” I snarled.
Izo laughed softly, the sound cold and mocking. “What’s wrong, Shadow? Don’t like the new arrangement?”
“She’s not yours,” I spat, my hands pressing harder against the barrier. “Let her go.”
Izo tilted his head, feigning innocence. “Oh, but she is mine. Isn’t that right, my dear?”
Vivian hesitated, her eyes darting to me for a fraction of a second. And in that instant, I saw the war raging inside her.
But she didn’t move.
Izo brushed his hand along her arm, and my blood boiled. “You see,” he said, his voice dripping with satisfaction, “humans are so wonderfully pliable. It’s almost too easy to make them see things my way.”
“You bastard!”
Vivian flinched, guilt crossing her face before she schooled her expression into one of cold detachment.
“Vivian,” I said, my voice softer now, desperate. “It’s me. I’m here. You don’t have to do this.”
Her lips trembled, but she didn’t respond.
“Vivian,” I tried again, the ache in my chest growing unbearable. “Baby, come to me.”
Izo’s smirk widened, and he stepped closer to her, his presence looming. “I wouldn’t bother, Shadow. She’s mine now. Body, mind… Soul.”
“No,” I growled, slamming my fists against the barrier again, the translucent surface holding firm. My magic flared weakly, but it wasn’t enough. I was too drained, too broken.
“Izo,” I said in a deadly whisper. “You’ve made a mistake.”
“Oh?” He raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. “And what mistake would that be?”
“You think you can keep her from me,” I said, my gaze locking onto his with unyielding intensity. “But I will tear this place apart, brick by brick, if that’s what it takes to bring her back.”
Izo’s smile faltered, just for a moment. But then he laughed, a sharp, cruel sound that echoed through the chamber. “Bold words from a man who can’t even free himself,” he said, gesturing to the binding that held me. “Face it, Shadow. You’ve lost. And she’s better off without you.”
I met Vivian’s gaze one last time, the raw pain in my chest threatening to drown me. “Vivian,” I pleaded. “Please.”
Tears welled in her eyes. She opened her mouth, but no words came out.
And then she turned away.
I slumped against the sphere, my strength draining away.
But even as despair threatened to consume me, I held onto one thought, one truth.
This wasn’t over.
Not yet.
Not ever.
Izo stood, his silver hair catching the shifting light as if he were anointed by the ocean itself. His smile was wide and cold, every inch of him radiating arrogance. The guards surrounding us stood at attention, their gleaming weapons poised to attack if given the order.
“Well, it’s good to finally see The Shadow himself, without all those clever little illusions hiding that magnificent face. Have you done something new with your hair?”
I lunged forward, slamming my fists against the translucent bubble imprisoning me. The barrier didn’t budge. My magic flared weakly, a pathetic reminder of how far I’d fallen.
Izo tilted his head. “Ah, my friend wants to come out and play. Very well.”
He snapped his fingers, and one of the guards stepped forward, drawing a blade that glinted like liquid silver. The guard tapped the bubble lightly, and it burst with an audible crack.
I stumbled forward, catching myself before I hit the ground.
My knees bent instinctively, and I rose into a fighting stance, my eyes locked on Izo.
My breathing was ragged, my muscles coiled with tension.
I didn’t have the strength to win this fight, but if I was going to die here, I’d make him bleed for it.
Izo clapped his hands slowly, his eyebrows raised in amusement. “Now that’s more like it. Let’s see if the infamous Shadow is as deadly as they say.”
I didn’t wait for him to make the first move. With a surge of desperation, I threw what little magic I had left at him, tendrils of shadow lashing out like vipers.
Izo sliced his hand through the air to summon a wave of ocean water from the streams running along the walls. The water coalesced into a barrier, absorbing my attack before the torrent rushed toward me.
I dodged to the side, rolling across the slick floor as the water crashed against the wall behind me. I came up swinging, my shadows striking like daggers.
He countered with ease, the water responding to his every gesture. It formed tendrils that snapped at me, forcing me to stay on the defensive.
“You’re tiring,” Izo said. “Not that you had much left to begin with. How does it feel to finally be powerless for once, Shadow?”
Finally.
A thought struck me, sharp and cruel. What if this wasn’t the first time Izo had tried to go through others to get to me? I stopped my attack and straightened, glaring at him. “It was you,” I growled.
Izo raised an eyebrow, feigning confusion. “Do clarify.”
“The illness in my territory. The women who fell sick.” I took a step forward, my fists clenched. “That was your doing, wasn’t it?”
His mouth twisted into a sneer. “Ah, you mean the mysterious ailment? A tragic little inconvenience, wasn’t it?”
“Answer me!” I roared, my shadows flaring around me, weaker now than ever.
He chuckled but didn’t confirm or deny it outright. “Let’s just say I hate that you found a cure. It would’ve been so satisfying to see you crumble.”
“You son of a bitch!”
He stepped closer to Vivian and pulled her to his side. She moved willingly—or maybe unwillingly, I couldn’t tell anymore—and stood beside him, her expression unreadable.
“I’ll just have to find another way to make you suffer,” Izo continued, stroking Vivian’s arm. “Oh, wait. I already found a much better option. And here she is.”
Her terror and confusion surged through the bond, along with something else I couldn’t quite place. My knees buckled as the realization of what he’d done to her sank in.
“Izo,” I growled, my voice shaking with barely contained fury. “Let her go.”
“Now, why would I do that? Your family, your legacy, your lies took so much from me. My father died because of your father. Without warning, without diplomacy. Just ruthless murder.”
“I’m nothing like my fucking father,” I roared, the force of my words reverberating through the room.
“No?” Izo’s silver eyes gleamed with malice. “Are you sure about that? Because I see the same cruelty, the same arrogance, in every move you make.”
I launched myself at him, my fists swinging with every ounce of strength I had left. The bond with Vivian pulsed painfully as Izo deflected my attacks, his water constructs wrapping around my arms and legs, dragging me back to the ground.
Around us, chaos erupted.
Luca’s shadows lashed out at the guards, popping his bubble and then everyone else’s.
Vincenzo barreled into the fray, his brute strength overpowering anyone in his path.
Camilla shifted into her cougar form, her sharp claws tearing through enchanted armor with ease.
Dorian danced between opponents, his blades moving like extensions of his arms.
But it wasn’t enough.
Izo was rallying his forces. Streams turned into spears, waves crashed against us, and the guards moved with perfect synchronization.
This was his domain, and we were barely surviving.