Izo stood next to the rushing river, his silver hair shimmering in the moonlight. His clothes clung to him, dripping wet, as though he’d just emerged from the icy water. He looked ethereal, otherworldly, but the cruel smile on his lips shattered any illusion of kindness.
“Well, well, well,” he said in that smooth, mocking voice. “I’ve been sending out my siren’s song for days. I’m glad I finally found you.” His piercing blue eyes glinted with amusement as hetook a step closer. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were trying to get out of our agreement.”
My body trembled from the cold and the compulsion. “Izo…”
He tilted his head, feigning concern. “You must be freezing. Look at you. Wet, barefoot, barely dressed… You poor thing.”
I gritted my teeth, trying to summon some semblance of resistance. “Stay away from me.”
His eyes gleamed with malice. “Stay away? Why so shy all of a sudden? You were all too eager to join me in my endeavors before.”
“I don’t want to do this anymore. I want out of the bargain.”
Izo chuckled and shook his head as though I’d said something amusing. “Out? Vivian, my dear, that’s not an option. You know that.”
“There has to be a way,” I pleaded.
He took another step toward me, his smile turning sharper, crueler. “Why, Vivian, we’ve shared a kiss. More than once. Surely you’re not becoming timid now.”
His words sent a fresh wave of disgust through me. “That was a mistake,” I spat. “I want nothing to do with you.”
He sighed dramatically, as though I were a petulant child. “I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way.”
Izo moved so quickly I barely had time to react. His wet, icy fingers closed around my wrist, sending a chill through my body that made me gasp.
“Let me go,” I yelled, trying to wrench free, but his grip was like iron.
He pulled me toward the river with unnerving ease, his strength far surpassing mine. “Enough games, Vivian.”
The freezing water rose around my ankles, and my towel dropped to the ground as he dragged me into the river. But instead of the bone-numbing cold I expected, the water was warm, almost soothing.
I stared at him in shock. “What…?”
“I’m using my magic to heat the water,” he explained condescendingly. “You should thank me. It’s much more comfortable this way, don’t you think?”
I glared at him. “I don’t want your fucking comfort.”
“But you’ll take it. You always do.”
I tried to pull away again, but the warmth of the water combined with the lingering compulsion of the siren’s song made my limbs heavy and uncooperative.
“You can’t fight this, Vivian,” Izo said. “You made a deal. And now, it’s time to fulfill your end of the bargain.”
His words wrapped around me like chains, and true despair gripped me. I didn’t know how to fight him. I didn’t know if I even could.
But somewhere in the back of my mind, the bond with Raffaele pulsed weakly with hope.
The water surgedaround us as Izo propelled through the river. My body was rigid with fear, every nerve screaming for escape, but it was no use. His arm was like an iron band around my waist, holding me just above the surface. My legs kicked uselessly, but his grip didn’t falter.
The water was still warm around me, but the air was so frigid it was painful against my skin. My damp hair had frozen in the icy wind that whipped around us. The siren’s song still hummed in my mind, keeping me pliant, keeping me from fighting harder than I already had.
“You’re going to drown me,” I managed to choke out between gasps for air.
Izo tilted his head toward me, giving me a cold smile. “Oh, Vivian, I wouldn’t let you drown. That would ruin all my plans.”
He adjusted his grip, lifting me slightly so my head remained firmly above the water. “See? You’re breathing just fine.”
My heart hammered wildly as the river widened, feeding into the ocean ahead. The air shifted, the tang of salt filling my lungs. I didn’t know where he was taking me, but every instinct told me I wasn’t going to like it.
