Emerge: The Captive: (Book 3)(11)

The minute Livia discovered his addiction she’d have the means to manipulate him. She owned his cloaking ability. She could use it whenever and however she liked, but she channeled his power to fuel the gift. He trembled at the thought of how she might push him to the point of no return. With Livia at the helm, he would become the thing he hated most—a junkie monster too seduced by his own power to think of his actions and how they affected others. That was the secret to breaking an Immortal like Quinn. If he succumbed.

“You’re a good guy, aren’t you, Quinn?” Livia sat back and crossed her legs like she was just having a friendly chat. “Tell me about yourself. Your family.”

He rolled his eyes. “Come on. I’m not that easy. At least buy me dinner first.” His attempt at bravado would have been more convincing if he wasn’t sweating and shaking from the intensity of his pain.

Livia reached for his hands. Her grip was strong and his wrists began bleeding again. He couldn’t break her hold. He could feel her power slicing into him like a hot knife.

“You’re a talented boy. You know very well by now how my gift works. You haven’t been able to touch your cloaking gift since the night I forced you to come with me while your family chose to save the girl instead of you. What is she to them? She’s not even family.”

“She’s family,” he said through clenched teeth, praying she would release her grip soon.

“Tell me about her. Allie.”

Of all the things he thought she might ask about his family, Allie was the last person he expected her to focus on. “She’s no one. Just a girl.” But he could see it in her eyes—Livia was obsessed. It can’t just be about Allie’s power? There had to be more to it than that.

“Bullshit. That girl is one of the most powerful Immortals I’ve ever met. Your family protected her and sacrificed you to save her. I want to know why.”

“That’s not how it went down, and you know it. You aren’t going to plant that kind of doubt in my mind. My family came to rescue us both that night, and you were pissed you couldn’t get out of there with Allie so you took me instead. Now you want to get to her through me and it’s not going to happen, so just get on with whatever you have planned.”

“Lead me to her and I’ll set you free.”

“No chance. I won’t sacrifice her or my family to this place. You’re stuck with me.”

Livia’s eyes narrowed. She tightened her grip and delved deeper with her gift, leaving him feeling naked and exposed. She could see everything. She would soon discover all of his secrets. He couldn’t keep it hidden forever. That was all this was about. Michael’s methods were all about delivering pain. Livia’s methods were about raping his mind and leaving him helpless with nowhere to hide. She was about to see right through his walls to the root of his power and his addiction.

“I knew you were powerful, but this is too easy.” She sat back with a smirk. “I’ve never seen an addict with so much restraint. Your cloaking gift alone makes you worth keeping, but I’m guessing you’re good for much more than a fun trick. I know exactly how to break you now. All I have to do is give you exactly what you want. Let you get hooked on the use of your power and then deny you. The breaking will come with the first withdrawal symptoms. But I want to see what you can do first. No need to tell me all your secrets at once, Quinn. We have time.”

She gripped his hands tightly, her gift lancing through him, searching for more of his secrets. Quinn went rigid, like a bolt of electricity shot up his spine. Livia was like a surgeon, cutting through the layers of his ability to see how it worked. It was nothing compared to everything else he’d been through, but it still had him clenching his jaw, and holding back a gasp of pain.

“Now that I have your full attention, tell me about the girl.”

“Allie again?” Quinn bit back a moan of agony. He knew she didn’t mean Allie this time. She was delving into his past, searching his memories without his permission.

“The brunette girl with the sweet disposition. What did you do to her?”

Quinn felt the first sting of tears burning his eyes. He would not let this woman make a mockery of his mistakes.

“You know I can look into your past whether you want me to or not, so just relax and let’s see what we see.”

Quinn resisted her push, but he was no match for her. Not in his current condition. Before he knew it, he was falling into his memories with Livia at his side.

“Quinn?” Eva’s soft voice made him cringe with regret, even after so many years. He sat under a huge oak tree with the young mortal girl he’d grown up with. Unshed tears burned his eyes like acid now as Livia stood by them, observing as the worst moment of his life was about to unfold. It wasn’t enough to make him stand by and watch this happen again—no, Livia was going to make him experience it all over again.

“You’re weird today.” Eva gave him a quizzical look. She never pulled any punches, always saying exactly what was on her mind. She was the only mortal friend he’d ever had. He was so different now that he’d experienced his Awakening. He knew she couldn’t see the stranger aspects of his appearance, but she sensed something was off.

“Did you get a haircut?” Eva asked. Her tiny hand looked odd against his larger one. Hers, smooth and unblemished, and his hard and calloused from years of training. She was slim and kind of geeky, with her nose always in a book.