Santi arrived early on the twentieth floor, eager to get the night off to a good start, but Ryan wasn’t waiting for her.
“Can’t we just let her go, sir…” Livia’s voice sounded faint to her ears, but Santi had an extremely sharp sense of hearing. Better than almost any other Immortal she’d ever met. She hadn’t disclosed that detail to Livia. One thing her abuelo taught her was to never show all of her cards. While Livia knew a lot about her, she did not know everything Santi was capable of. The door to Livia’s penthouse suite was closed, but Santi could still hear her side of the conversation.
“Yes, her gifts are valuable. I can break her. I just need a little more time…”
“Yes, father. Thank you. No I will not disappoint you again. Goodnight.”
“She will find a way to kill you if she knows you’ve been eavesdropping,” Ryan said as he stepped behind her.
“I didn’t mean… I-I—” Santi stammered. It wasn’t often someone was able to startle her, but she was so focused on Livia, she hadn’t heard Ryan arrive.
“Relax, I won’t tell her. Come on. Let’s get this over with.” He heaved a great sigh as they approached Livia’s door.
She had a terrible feeling she should have taken the out when Livia offered it.
Santi paced nervously around Livia’s pristine living room. She could hear her in the bedroom. It almost sounded like she was also pacing nervously, psyching herself up for what would come next.
“Let’s get started, shall we?” Livia said as she came bursting through the double doors.
“Sure,” Santi mumbled. “What will we be doing?”
“Follow me.”
She followed her down the wide marble hallway of her penthouse suite to the large, fully equipped gym.
Santi envisioned long, grueling workouts here and cringed at the thought of such rigorous training with the indomitable Livia as her instructor.
“I want you to touch me with your gift,” Livia said.
“What?” Santi couldn’t imagine doing such a thing. She didn’t want to know Livia that well.
“Touch my soul––the painful way. I want to see how your gift works.”
“Fine,” she said. “It will be more painful than you can imagine.”
“I doubt it. I have a high tolerance for pain.”
“Very well,” Santi said as she grasped Livia’s arm. She didn’t give her time to brace for it. She wanted her new boss to know how easily she could protect herself with just a touch.
Santi closed her eyes as she felt Livia’s soul scramble away from her. Everything about Livia flooded her mind as she strengthened her grip, the echo of pain rippling through her own body.
Livia’s soul was a dark place. She was a formidable woman, but she wasn’t without merit. She hated the woman she’d become and was locked in an impossible situation, with little choice but to do as she was told. Santi felt sorry for her. Almost.
With a frown she realized something went horribly wrong. She gasped as the pain began to rebound on her, more intense than she had ever felt before. She glanced up at Livia, feeling the struggle between them as she fought for control of her gift. Santi wasn’t prepared for this. Livia’s gift overpowered hers until she could no longer feel the essence of Livia’s soul. But the burn of the familiar agony swelled within her. It was no longer an echo, but the full brunt of her own gift. Livia was touching her soul now and Santi had absolutely no control.
“Relax,” Livia finally said after a struggle that seemed to last for hours. “I will return your gifts to you once you have been fully trained.”
“What? What is this?” Santi couldn’t comprehend what just happened.
“You will not wield your power without my consent. I have full use of your gifts now but I have not taken them from you. My gift allows me to temporarily use another’s power and return it as I please.”
“You can’t do that!” Santi’s voice came out as a harsh whisper.
“It is already done. You will live here until you have proven you can be trusted to do as you are told. You will stay within arm’s reach of me at all times. You will sleep at the foot of my bed and you will do as I say, when I say and how I say.”
“No.” Santi was done. Nothing was worth succumbing to this woman and her every whim.
“As long as I remain in control of your power, you cannot leave. You are mine now. When you have been trained to my satisfaction, you will return to your previous position within the company.”
“No.” Santi shook her head, still in shock. She couldn’t feel her power. She couldn’t grasp it as she had every day for the last nine years. The separation from her power was ... gut-wrenching.
“Yes. You will bend to my will, Santi. On your knees, at my feet, and you will do it now.” Livia pointed at the floor.
Santi fought the urge to obey. She resisted Livia’s will until beads of sweat broke out on her forehead and her back began to bend. Eyes closed and filled with humiliation, Santi fell to her knees, vowing to earn her place back.