The Magic of Hecate
Chapter 12 Chapter 12

Three hours later, I was still sat on the concrete floor of the cellcompletely alone. I had taken to throwing Max's stone up in the air andcatching it out of sheer boredom. Staying in here for two months iscertain to drive me insane.

Fuck you, Luciano.

I guess we should look on the bright side. Max has the amulet and I'mat least going to get home alive.

A few minutes later, I heard footsteps. A man in a balaclava thenreached the bars of my cell and unlocked the door.

I watched him intensely as he came in and grabbed my wrist. He waswearing all black- not a bit of skin showing.

There was something different about him from the rest of the guardsbut right now that doesn't matter. There's only one of him and there'sone of me. I can take him.

As he began yanking me to my feet, I struggled against but weirdly, Icouldn't seem to escape his grip. He was clearly stronger than any ofthe other guards.

"Where are you taking me?" I hissed as he dragged me down thehallway with a tight grip on my upper arm.

No response.

I elbowed him in the chest as hard as I could and he retaliated bytightly grabbing both my wrists behind my back in one hand and liftingthe balaclava with the other.

"Can you stop fucking struggling?" he hissed as I caught sight of hisface. "It's me."

"Max?" I questioned as he pulled the balaclava back down andcontinued leading me. "What the hell are you doing?! Have youswitched sides?"

"Don't be ridiculous, idiot. I am coming to your rescue," he remarked. Icould tell he was wearing a sarcastic smirk even through the balaclava"I don't need rescuing," I said defensively.

"Oh yeah? Luciano called your Alpha and he'll arrive here in less than aday," Max replied as we turned a sharp corner. "And we need to get outof here before he does. Leonardo Loren is not a force I feel likereckoning with."

"But you don't have to. Your favourite cousin Luciano has given you theamulet and a job."

"I am not going to allow him to hand you over to him like some kind ofprize," he said with determination. "The only thing I hate more thanLuciano would be to see him earning the Alpha's trust and getting backinto the pack.”

"And we've gotten this far with just the two of us, it feels like defeat," Iadded.

"Exactly. You have to get yourself back.”

At that point, we turned another corner to come face to face withanother guard- well a real guard.

Max straightened up and tightened his grip on my arm.

"Do you need assistance?" he asked. "I hear she's a troublemaker.”"Don't worry, I've got it," Max replied switching back to Italian with hisvery convincing accent.

"Where are you going?"

"The boss has requested to see her,” Max replied and the man raised aneyebrow beneath his balaclava.

"Why?" he asked doubtfully.

"Can you blame him? Look at her.”

He shoved me forward so that I was in full view of the guard wholooked down at me like I was a piece of meat. His hungry eyes flashedwith lust before he simply shrugged his shoulders and walked on.

"I guess not," he added before we both breathed a sigh of relief.

"That was close.”

A few minutes later we had located an unguarded fire exit. Maxreleased me and checked the hallway one more time before returningand removing his balaclava, hoody and gloves.

He then pushed open the door and the broad daylight poured into thedark building. I could almost taste the freedom.

That was easier than expected.

Almost too easy...

"I trust you have the amulet?" I questioned as we stepped into the freshair.

"Oh shit," he cursed.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I hissed.

"Yes," he said with a laugh as he pulled the necklace from his pocket."Now let's get to the airport before they realise we are gone.”

We hurried through the busy streets of Venice for twenty minutesfollowing a shabby map that we had picked up at the tourist office."Why do I feel like we are lost?" I asked as Max turned the map theother way up.

"Probably because this map was printed in the fucking dark ages,” hereplied desperately trying to read the faded street names

"Canal trip. Only 5 euros a head,” a man with a thick Italian accentoffered in English as we crossed a footbridge with boats and a canalbelow.

"Maybe later," I replied feeling a twinge of guilt.

By that I mean, "sorry but we are currently trying to get to the airportand escape the mafia and I never plan to come back here ever again’."There are three men over there that look suspiciously like mafia men.Maybe I'm just being paranoid but-" I began after spotting threeparticularly tall men in the crowd wearing all black and with angryexpressions.

"On seconds thoughts," Max said to the canal man before hauling meoff the footbridge and down towards the canal.

He shoved some change into the man's hand before hastily boardingthe first boat we came across.

"Did they see us?" I asked as the man slowly rowed us away from thebridge.

"I don't know but I caught their scent so they could have caught ours,”he replied. "Is this as fast as this bloody thing goes?" Max rudely askedthe man.

"What he means is: we have a plane to catch in a few hours. Could youget us as close to the airport as the canals can take us?" I asked kindlyin my best Italian.

The man nodded despite his slightly terrified facial expression.

I slapped Max on the chest for scaring the poor guy before sitting backto try and enjoy the ride.

"Hey, what was that for?!" he protested

"For being a dick."