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Luca had almost got through.
Almost.
“You’re my best friend, Alberto. And you always will be. No matter what, no matter how many things change.”
He’d seen Alberto’s eyes soften. His hand lowered. He was going to stop bloodbending. Stop hurting innocents.
Then she spoke. Moira. Whispering poison into Alberto’s ear, reminding him of the cruel things Luca had said. The words he desperately wished he could take back.
Luca saw Alberto tense. The anger was flooding back. No. No.
Then Moira said it. “Bloodbend him.”
Alberto put out his hand then paused. Hesitating. Luca just stared at him in terror. Wanting to run but trusting him not to hurt him. Please. Do the right thing. I know you want to.
Alberto glanced at Moira. Then back at Luca.
Luca screamed as Alberto bloodbent him, pushing him to his knees. His heart sank. Alberto had really done it.
“Alberto!” Violet cried.
“That’s it!” Moira laughed. Her apprentice had passed his final test.
“Alberto, please…” Violet whispered.
“He’s immune to your emotional games,” Moira crowed. “All that matters is power. Isn’t that right, Alberto?”
Shame flickered in Alberto’s eyes, but he ignored it. “Right.” His voice was flat like he didn’t quite believe it.
Luca looked up at Alberto, incredulous, hurt. Alberto looked away.
“That’s enough for now, apprentice,” Moira said, putting her hand on Alberto’s shoulder. “Head back to the house.” She wouldn’t be so kind to these villagers later, but Alberto didn’t need to see that yet.
Alberto quietly released Luca, and Luca slumped to the ground. Alberto trudged away, not looking at Luca.
The villagers grew dizzy and collapsed as Moira drained the blood from their heads. She walked away, leaving them there. She’d come back for them later.
Luca blinked hard, forcing himself to stay conscious. “Violet. We can’t let him stay with her.”
“He hurt you,” Violet said. Still in disbelief about it. “Can we save him now?”
“If we can just get him away from her…”
“So what do we do?”
“We follow them,” Luca said determinedly.
They walked in the direction Moira and Alberto had gone and eventually saw a small cottage. They waited a few hours, until they figured Moira would be asleep. Then they approached.
“What’s the plan here?” Violet asked.
“I don’t know,” Luca said quietly. “We just need to…get him alone. Then we can talk him back to his senses.”
“What if he just bloodbends us again? What if he’s really too far gone?” Violet asked.
Luca shook his head. He couldn’t believe that. Alberto was still in there somewhere. He was sure of it. Even now.
——
Alberto was quiet all through dinner, and Moira knew he was thinking about his friends in the woods. She reminded him of everything Luca had done to him, which seemed to help a little, but she knew he was still in a precarious place.
When Alberto went to bed, Moira sat up and patiently waited. She knew they’d be back. And she’d finally take them out. The only two people who had a chance of bringing Alberto back from the edge. She’d heard the way Alberto spoke about them, seen the way he’d looked at them in the woods. They needed to go.
Alberto was asleep when she heard them. Low voices, quiet footsteps outside. She stood up and went outside.
There they were, sneaking by the window. Moira raised her hands and bloodbent them both to the ground. Luca gasped.
“Poor, stupid children,” Moira sneered. “You really thought you could save him, didn’t you?”
She twisted her wrist. Luca’s head jerked to the side, and his neck snapped. Violet screamed, but it was cut short by a quick bloodbending of her vocal cords. Luca’s body dropped to the ground with a sickening thud.
Moira smiled.
——
The next morning, Alberto woke to the smell of Moira cooking. The comforting smell of meat and spices filled the cottage. He sat down at the table, and Moira put a bowl of stew in front of him.
“I’m proud of you,” she said sweetly. “You did such a good job last night. You’re a true prodigy.” She stroked his hair. “And they tried to manipulate you, but you held strong.”
Alberto gave her a crooked, unsure smile, like he wanted to be proud of himself but couldn’t quite do it.
“Now eat up,” Moira said gently. “Bloodbending is so draining.”
Alberto picked up his spoon and took a bite. The warm stew filled his stomach, but it couldn't quite settle his nerves. He couldn’t stop thinking about the encounter last night. Luca had sounded so convincing. Part of him wished he had listened. Instead, he’d chosen destruction. Again.
Part of him hoped Luca would come back and try again. Not that he deserved it. But if by some small miracle Luca hadn’t given up on him…
Maybe…maybe he would listen.
Moira watched him eat. Someday she’d tell him what was in it. But today, she just watched, enjoying keeping the secret to herself. Her fingers went to her pocket and wrapped around the two items in there. A pendant shaped like the letter V. A lock of curly brown hair.
Alberto finished the bowl.
“Have some more,” Moira said, ladling some more stew into his bowl. Alberto hesitated, then began eating.
Moira smiled. “Good boy.”