The Recruit

Chapter 22

"You little bitch! You thought you could mess with my son and I will let you live?" The playful Pietro slipped back into an angry Master Octavius as he whipped me with his belt in rapid succession. I cried out in pain and my head is wrapped in confusion. Before I could ask him what is happening, Master Marvolo Berra barged into the room.

"GIVE ME THE RECRUIT, OCTAVIUS!" Berra screamed angrily.

"Get in line, Master Berra. Did you not see me disciplining her? I doubt anyone is angrier than I at this moment. You are welcome to watch if you wish, but you need to wait your turn because I'm no way close from done."

Pietro flipped me forcefully to face him. "Now tell me, recruit. How would you like your face to meet my belt?" I looked at him with horror as he caressed my face with his belt imagining the upcoming painful torture.

He choked me again for the second time today and tears ran down my face. I gathered my wits and play along, "Mercy sir, you have tortured me for almost an hour now."

Lucius choked me harder and I could hear Master Berra's excited chuckle. "It seems you got this. I have a business to attend then. Please do us both a favour and kill her before she pulls another trick to live." He laughed and closed the door as he left.

"Scream one last time, Liv, he still needs convincing." Lucius whispered closely in my ears and I understood what he meant. The sadistic beast is still at the door.

"Ah!!!" I screamed and pretended to sob hard. Lucius focused his hearing to hear any movement from outside of his door and pulled me up once he was convinced Marvolo was gone. My legs grew weak and I almost fell but Lucius steadied me.

I whimpered once I feel the pain in my backside as I try to move.

Lucius looked guilty and tormented. The vampire, who was known a heartless, stoic man, has shown the Ordinatio a myriad of emotions these past two days because of my antics. I just hoped that Berra didn't start to suspect that the scene he just saw was staged. 

I knew Berra loved seeing torture, I learned that early on in my training. He forced all of us watched him disciplined an assassin who failed his mission in the assembly two weeks into my training. 

At the same time, I know he wasn't a fool. He was just as calculating at the other Masters and colder than the others.

"It wasn't not your fault, if you didn't make it convincing Master Berra would have made it worse for me. Thank you for saving me again." He was about to protest when I put a finger on his lips.

"I'm fine, Master Octavius. I deserved it anyway. I used your child to affect your judgement against your conscience and even I hate myself for doing that. I know you are a kind man, you never treated someone unjustly and you felt guilt when you treated someone unfairly, that's enough for me."

"And you know this how?" He eyed me, letting me see and hear the vulnerability in his voice.

"My gut feeling tells me and I see it in your son. Honestly, I'm rarely wrong about people, so you can stop looking like that." He realized he let his guard down and put his mask back on.

"I better go now; I have to meet Master Raina now." He nodded and let his hands go.

I have one minute to go to Raina's office so I made a sprint for it. I knocked on her office and entered when I heard her command. I saluted her and sat in front of her as she gestured me to sit down. I winced as my bottom hits the chair.

"What's with your neck?" She asked.

"Master Octavius wasn't pleased with how I threatened him using his child, so I got punished for it. I just got out of his office, ma'am." I said it a matter-of-factly showing no emotions. I have to be careful with her as I don't know who she aligned herself with.