The Cultivating of Vengeance (II)
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"Hurt yourself," Enzo instructed Ada as they stood in a room with white brick walls.
In the righthand corner, there was a leak from the ceiling. It dripped onto a metal slate beneath it. It was incessant and intrusive. The lefthand corner of the room had a pile of chipped-to-broken red bricks.
Ada thought of the purpose of his instruction for a second. Then, without conclusion, she broke her left thumb.
She bit her tongue and grimaced.
"Not bad..." Enzo didn't bat an eye.
"Hurt me," he once again commanded, fixing her with a daring stare.
Without preamble, Ada stabbed him at the top of his thigh with the handy-dandy ratchet knife she keeps in her bra. He flinched for a microsecond and held the handle in a more comfortable position without extracting it from the wound.
"Good work. You hurt me more than you hurt yourself. That's rule number one: you are the priority. Fuck anyone else!".
"So... you're gonna train me?"
"For the torture? Yes. I also want to ask... do you want to take over the organization?".
"I thought it would pass to Luca's children...".
"To tell you the truth, there's been a plan employed, since Luca's grandfather's time as Capo, to decommission ourselves from the organization. In Luca's time, things are very nearly the end," Enzo levelled her.
"Then why offer me the position?".
"Because I think it's naive of them to think we can escape unscathed". His eyes reflected a cold ruthlessness.
"Hmm... I'm interested. I assume the training will be brutal"?.
"Indeed. I'll essentially torture you physically and psychologically so as to prepare you for anything you may face if you were... say, kidnapped by a rival for information. And other things. Scared?".
"No. Luca would definitely be against this...," she sung.
"As fate would have it, he's in a coma...," he teased her with her own lines.
She cracked a smirk, "you're fucked up".
"Comes with the damage...," he shrugged.
"Speaking of damage, we should probably call medic and get you a gurney"?.
It was then that Enzo felt the striking pain and sucked in a breath.
"Yeah, you're right," he whipped out his cell and rang Emilio.
"Honey, I've been stabbed in the thigh! Help me," he whimpered pitifully.
Ada raised an eyebrow at his theatrics and smiled at the concerned yelling in Italian over the phone. Enzo winked at her with a smug smile.
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Water. Pouring down Ada's nose and mouth. Her brain burned. Regret turned her intestines green. Air. Still burning.
"What is your name?!".
"You are my sunshine. My only sunshine. You ma-
Water. More water. The world is upside down again. Brain burning. No air. Air. Still burning.
"What is your name?!".
"You are my sunshine. My only sunshine. You make me happy! Wh-
Towel. Blind. Water. So much water. Different colours. Blinding light. Air. Still burning. Air, just a little clearer. Air soothing.
YOU ARE READING
The Empire's Descent (First Draft)
FantasyExcerpt: "Luca, it's a male Vampyr in the Green Grotto!", she burst into his office to inform. Luca rolled his eyes and clutched the desk before him, where he gripped splintered under the force. "Does it still hurt that much? Ari said you'll be able...
