I followed his gaze, realizing too late that the cut I’d made earlier with the steak knife was visible. The hastily bandaged wound was a glaring reminder of my brief rebellion—and my failure.
Izo’s gaze slid to me. “Ah, yes. She’s been testing her limits. But don’t worry, Shadow. She’s learning her place.”
Before Raffaele could respond, Izo nodded to a nearby guard. “Bring the cart.”
A moment later, a guard wheeled a metal cart covered with an array of weapons, from jagged coral blades to wicked-looking tridents, into the chamber.
“Let’s make this a little more interesting,” Izo said, his tone light. He turned to me, his silver eyes locking onto mine. “Vivian, why don’t you help me?”
My body moved before my mind could process what was happening. My hands reached for the cart, trembling as they hovered over the weapons. The compulsion tightened its grip, and I felt my fingers close around a pair of coral blades, their razor-sharp edges biting into my palms.
“No,” I whispered, tears welling in my eyes as I fought against the invisible force controlling me. “Please, no.”
The compulsion sent a wave of excruciating pain through my body. My mind screamed in protest, but my hands moved with mechanical precision, arranging the weapons on the cart and stepping closer to Raffaele’s cell.
Two guards seized Raffaele, dragging him forward and holding him tightly as I approached.
“Vivian,” Raffaele said, his voice softer now. “Darling, look at me. You don’t have to do this.”
I wanted to tell him I didn’t want to. That I was screaming inside, desperate to stop. But the words refused to leave my mouth.
The coral blade in my hand caught the light as I raised it, the edge glinting as I brought it down in a slow, deliberate slice across his arm.
He hissed in pain, but his gaze never left mine.
My tears fell freely, streaming down my cheeks.
“Good girl,” Izo said approvingly. “Keep going.”
I fought against the compulsion with everything I had, but it was like trying to claw my way out of quicksand. I was drowning, a puppet in Izo’s game, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
But as I looked into Raffaele’s eyes and saw the unwavering determination there, a single thought burned through the haze.
I have to fight.
Even if it killed me.
The bioluminescent whipthat I grabbed from the cart felt alien in my hand, its pulsing, glowing tendrils alive with energy that twisted and coiled like water trapped in a tangible form. My fingers trembled around the handle as I tried to resist the compulsion pulling me forward. Every step I took felt like walking underwater, slow and deliberate, but unstoppable.
The compulsion twisted inside me, suffocating my thoughts with anger, fear, and resentment. Izo’s voice was a soft, insidiouswhisper that repeated over and over in my mind.They don’t understand you, Vivian. They never have. They’re trying to take this from you, but you won’t let them, will you?
“No,” I whispered, but it wasn’t my voice. It was someone else’s, someone I didn’t recognize.
“Vivian!” Camilla’s voice cut through the air like a blade, sharp and desperate. She gripped the bars of her cell, her eyes wide with disbelief and pain. “What are you doing? This isn’t you!”
I stopped mid-step. For a moment, her words threaded through the chaos in my mind.
“Think about what you’re doing,” Camilla shouted. “You’re stronger than this. Remember who you are! Remember me. Vivian, please!”
The compulsion flared in response, sending a wave of heat and anger through me that boiled away any clarity I’d felt. My head snapped toward her, and the words poured out before I could stop them.
“You don’t get to talk to me about strength,” I snarled, my voice venomous. “You’re selfish, Camilla. Always thinking about yourself. You don’t care about me. You just want to ruin this for me!”
Camilla staggered back as though I’d struck her. “That’s not true. You know that’s not true. You’re my friend, Vivian. You’re my family. I would do anything for you. That’s why I’m here—because Icareabout you.”
My chest ached with her words, but the compulsion twisted it, making it ugly. I couldn’t make heads or tails of what I was feeling or who I really was. “You don’t care,” I spat. “You just want to take Izo from me. You can’t stand that I’ve found something better.”
“Vivian,” she whispered, tears streaming down her face.
