The kiss wasn’t harsh or forceful—it was deceptively gentle, a soft pressure that carried the weight of power and intent. My mind screamed at me to pull away, to resist, but my body betrayed me, melting under the spell of his song. Every thought, every ounce of willpower, slipped through my fingers like water.
The world spun. The bond with Raffaele thrummed violently in my mind, a discordant roar clashing with the soft, insistent pull of Izo’s presence. It was like being torn in two—one side tethered to Raffaele’s burning intensity, the other taken with Izo’s chilling allure. But I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t fight it.
Izo deepened the kiss, and I felt the faintest tug, as though he was drawing something out of me. It wasn’t only my strength or my resolve—it was deeper. I couldn’t name it, but I instinctively knew I couldn’t afford to lose whatever it was.
Then, as suddenly as it began, he pulled back.
My knees buckled, and I stumbled back, gasping for air as the pull of his song finally released me. Confusion and fury battled for dominance as I stared at him. My lips tingled from the kiss,and a wave of nausea churned in my stomach as reality crashed back in.
“You… you—” I stammered. But before I could finish, he raised a hand, silencing me with a calm, almost pleased expression.
“Thank you.” Triumph gleamed in his eyes, a predator’s satisfaction that sent a chill down my spine.
I took a shaky step backward, clutching at my robe as though it could shield me from his gaze. What the fuck had just happened?
“You’re more important than you realize, Vivian,” he continued as casually as if we were discussing the weather and not the fact that he’d just stolen something from me. “But time is of the essence.”
“What… what are you talking about?”
He stepped closer again, the water parting around him as though it obeyed his will. “The kiss. It’s a spark that ignites the process. But the true transfer of power requires your bond with Raffaele. Through you, my kiss will siphon his strength, piece by piece, until there’s nothing left of the man you despise.”
My stomach twisted violently, and I shook my head. “You’re insane. You think I’m just going to go along with this?”
“You don’t have a choice. The bond you share with Raffaele has already begun to react. The transfer is delicate and fleeting. You have an hour at most to complete it—or everything we’ve done tonight will be for nothing.”
I stumbled back another step, shaking my head harder now. “No. No, I won’t do it. I can’t.”
As the words left my lips, I felt a subtle shift, a wave of resolve that wasn’t entirely my own. It wasn’t the bond; it wasn’t Raffaele. It was me. The thought of being free—of escaping his control—was a temptation too powerful to ignore.
“This is your ticket home,” Izo said, his gaze boring into mine. “Do this, and you’ll be free. No more bond. No more cage. Just freedom.”
My hand instinctively rose to the choker around my neck, the diamonds cold against my fingertips. The tether to Raffaele pulsed in the back of my mind, a gentle pressure that felt both distant and invasive. I couldn’t tell if it was my own confusion, or if he was awake and searching for me.
Izo was right in one sense. Raffaele had not only taken my physical freedom, but he had also stolen my last sense of self, of autonomy, by being inside my head. By knowing my emotions.
“I—” The words stuck in my throat. I couldn’t move, couldn’t think.
“It’s simple,” Izo said. “All you have to do is kiss him. One touch, one moment, and the rest will take care of itself. You’ll be free, Vivian. Free.”
I wanted to scream at him, to tell him to go to hell, that he was no better than Raffaele, but the words wouldn’t come. His presence pressed against me like the tide, an unrelenting force that threatened to drag me under. My feet shifted, and before I could stop myself, I was stepping forward.
“No,” I whispered, more to myself than to him. But my body didn’t listen. My legs moved of their own accord, carrying me toward him until the cold water lapped at my feet.
Izo brushed his fingers over my cheek. “Don’t fight it, Vivian.” His voice weaved through my defenses like smoke. “You’re doing what you were meant to do.”
“No,” I said again, louder this time, trying to summon some shred of resistance. But his song—soft and insidious—rose in the air, and my protests died in the soft breeze.
“This is the beginning,” he murmured, his breath ghosting over my lips. “We’ll finish it soon.”
Before I could react, his lips captured mine again. This time, the kiss wasn’t gentle—it was commanding, an assertion of power that left no room for resistance. The pull was stronger now, deeper, as though he was drawing not just from me but through me.
When he finally released me, I staggered back, gasping for air. I collapsed onto the wet sand, my body trembling with exhaustion and confusion. Izo watched me for a moment, his expression calm, detached.
“You know what to do. Don’t waste this opportunity.”
With that, he turned, disappearing beneath the water in a swirl of silver and blue. I sat there, staring after him, the sound of the waves crashing in my ears. My mind reeled, torn between anger, fear, and the flicker of resolve that refused to fade.
This was my ticket home. All I had to do was take it.
