She smiled, a sour expression. ‘You’ve seen Alberto and my staff?’
I nodded.
‘They are the sons and relatives of the man who killed my husband. I disposed of Minotti himself first, naturally. He was supposed to have been our friend, but he betrayed us in the foulest way. You don’t know, Crystal, what it is like when there’s an argument between Savants, how it can run out of control.’
Actually, I did: that was what Diamond had dedicated her life to preventing.
‘My foolish husband and Minotti were vying for supremacy in northern Italy, business, as if that mattered! I warned them, but they carried on with the stupid battle. Minotti was losing his influence so he tampered with the brakes on Guiseppe’s car—he didn’t even have the gumption to challenge him to his face.’
‘That’s terrible.’ I needed no special power to know that the rest of the story was going to be ugly.
‘It was. My soulfinder went over a cliff on the road to Garda—his body broken and mangled—leaving me with a fatherless child and a righteous desire for vengeance. I swore my son would never know the same pain as I felt then. I found a new use for my soulseeker power; I found I could erase, reorder so that emotional links were broken. No one knew because they never remembered afterwards what I had done. Until you came along, that is.’
I had to say it, even if it angered her: the parallel was screamingly obvious to me. ‘So you tampered with your son’s brain as Alberto’s father did the brakes. You’ve done the same to your butler and staff. How is that just?’
‘No!’ she shrieked, thumping the floor again. ‘It is not the same. I have kept them from true harm.’
‘You haven’t let them live.’
‘Don’t you come in here, you ignorant child, and tell me you know better!’
My alarm grew as I felt her gathering herself for an attack. ‘I’m not. I’m telling you I think you know better. You’ve become like this Minotti, the person you hated for taking your soulfinder from you.’
‘How dare you!’
‘Your son committed crimes and when the Benedicts helped catch him, you have forced the car of their relationships off the cliff.’
‘No, this is not the same at all.’
‘And as for keeping Alberto and the others as your … your slaves, how can that be justified? It was the father, not the son, that harmed you. You are keeping life from them because your own died that day. Your motivation is like that of the dog in the manger—if I can’t have it, neither can anyone else!’
Her mental attack slammed into my head. I had my shields raised and they held. I kept telling myself that this was what I had come for: if she didn’t take my deal—and clearly she wouldn’t—I had to know how she turned her powers against her enemies, but it was excruciating. I felt as if I was standing by a jet engine running full blast with no covering for my ears to dull the roar. I tried to breathe through it. She surely couldn’t keep this up for ever?
Sweat trickled down my spine. I closed my eyes. I could feel her groping for my connection to Xav, seeking to yank it into her control, but her mental hook skittered off the walls I had built, grappling irons failing to catch on my battlements. That was how she worked: she reversed the soulseeker power; instead of following the connection she reeled it in, a spinner hoarding the thread so it could not be woven.
Enough. I had my answer.
Xav, I need you.
Crystal, what the hell is going on? He could feel the attack I was under but I had no space to show him the source as any relaxation of control might let her in.
Thank God you’re still there.
Always, you infuriating … he rejected a lot of unflattering words and settled on my own favourite insult … muppet.
I had known in my heart of hearts that he wouldn’t really leave me as he threatened; that had been temper talking and I now owed him big time. I need you to help me. The contessa is trying to get our link.
Dammit, Crystal!
I’m going to drop my shield and reverse the attack but I want you to hit back with me so she can’t reel in our connection.
I don’t understand.
No time to explain—it’s a soulseeker thing. You’ve got to shock her so she lets go. Do something unexpected.
You mean use force. I caught a glimpse of him thinking of the final combat in the movies, Harry versus Voldemort, Spider-Man versus the Green Goblin.
No. She’s far too powerful. I can’t win a duel of strength.
So, what?
I could feel my shields beginning to shudder. My head was splitting. Can I leave that for you to decide, Xav?
Crystal, you’re in pain.
I’ll let you sort that out too later. Let’s do this. On the count of three.
Don’t give me much time, do you?
One …
Crystal!
Two … three!
I dropped my shield, trusting that Xav would do his part and yank our connection out of her claws. I went straight to her mind. She had no shields to speak of; so concentrated was she on attack, she forgot about defence. With part of my consciousness, I saw Xav doing a slalom down our connection wearing a Kermit costume, me as Miss Piggy. Unexpected but effective if the contessa’s astounded expression was anything to go by. I got inside her barriers and found that her mind was a confused mess, like a circuit board where the wiring had been bodged by amateurs. Grief had ruined her. But this was no time for pity; I had to protect me and mine.
Sleep, I ordered her, recalling how Victor had exerted this power. She resisted but she was slipping. He’d also said touch reinforced the mental command. I crossed the gap between us and put my hand on her forehead. Sleep.
Her eyes closed and her chin fell on her chest. Her mental presence vanished from the room, leaving just Xav and me.
Hey, Kermit, come in.
You really OK? Cupcake, you scared me to death—I think I could hate you for that.
No, you don’t. I felt exhausted but relieved. You can tell me off when I see you. And yes, I’m fine. I’m getting out of here but I’ll need a lift.
Not another rescue? I charge a lot for rescues.
I smiled, remembering our first flirting conversation. I’ll pay up, I promise. Can you get me a ride from the contessa’s island?
I’ll see what I can do.
Meet you at the water-steps. There’s something I’ve got to check out first before I leave.
I hope it’s not dangerous?
No, I don’t think so. See you in quarter of an hour?
I’ll be there.
I stood up. The contessa was asleep, her breathing shallow. She looked so small and frail; I couldn’t find it in myself to hate her any more. What would I have been like if I had lived through what she had done? I could only hope I wouldn’t be so unbalanced in my thirst for revenge but I could see her now as human rather than as a monster. I’d probably even forgive her if I could undo some of the damage she had inflicted, for after all, it was her ill-intentioned actions that had forced me to find Xav.
I rang the bell. Alberto arrived swiftly.
‘Signorina?’ He glanced at his mistress in consternation. ‘Is something the matter?’
‘No, your mistress is just sleeping.’ I studied him. He had the same almost-but-not-quite-there expression as I had seen on Diamond’s face. I had thought it his natural butler school manner, but now I knew it was foisted on him. The poor man had been a victim for so long, would trying to reverse that be worse than leaving him as he was? The contessa had warned that these were the kind of decisions I would have to face if I used my powers but I refused to chicken out just because I was scared of making a mistake. I asked myself, instead, if I were in his shoes, what would I want someone to do?
I’d want someone to free me.
‘Excuse me for a moment, Alberto.’ I closed my eyes and reached out to his mind. I was faced with that carousel of tidy emotions, raw ends snipped off and woven in an enclosed circuit that went no
where. I could now see what she had done: she had created a pattern that was like life but not life. But in doing that she had got it wrong: pain and suffering, longing and sadness could not be avoided as they were the flip side to all the best things. I couldn’t help him just yet—I could possibly do more damage by attempting a fix without more understanding of my own abilities—but I could at least offer him some help.
‘Signorina?’ Alberto was unnerved by my silent study of him.
‘Alberto, are you a Savant?’
‘Signorina?’
‘And there are other Savants on the staff—your relatives perhaps?’
He arched a brow. I took that as an affirmative.
‘I would be very grateful if you could arrange for me to meet them the day after tomorrow.’
‘Whatever for?’
‘I have something for … for the emptiness you know is inside you.’
‘Emptiness?’ The butler was rightly bemused by my abrupt drive off the track of normal conversation into the personal.
‘You’ve been, um, manipulated. By the contessa. If you really think about it, you might realize that you know this somewhere inside you.’ He frowned, like a child facing a maths problem beyond his level of understanding. ‘I am not asking you to believe me, just give me a chance to help. You see, I’m a soulseeker. Oh, and don’t tell your mistress that I’m coming back.’
‘I don’t know what you mean.’
Poor man. ‘I know. Can you at least let me in when I return? I won’t do anything you don’t want and I’ll only come if I think I know how to … to unravel this problem.’
He gave a cautious nod.
‘OK. Can I have my coat then?’
This time his face brightened. Back on the normal script of butler duties, he felt much happier. He handed over my jacket. ‘Goodnight, signorina.’
‘Goodnight, Alberto. See you again soon—I hope.’
Xav must have paid the driver of the water taxi handsomely to come and fetch me at this late hour. My soulfinder said very little as I emerged from the garden gate, just scooped me off the steps and dumped me next to him on the padded bench.
‘To the Zattere,’ he ordered the driver.
Catching his urgency, the pilot revved the engine and pulled away, prow of the boat slapping against the little waves on the lagoon.
‘Are you still mad at me?’ I huddled against him.
‘Yes.’
‘I’m a bit impulsive.’
‘I’m getting that picture.’
‘So are you.’
‘Er … excuse me, but I didn’t go shooting off alone to face down our enemy.’
‘Jumping out of a helicopter and skiing through a garden, anyone?’
‘Humph!’ He put his arm around my shoulders. ‘At least you knew what I had in mind.’
I bumped my head against his chest. ‘Yes, I know. And that’s what I’m sorry for—that I didn’t tell you. I had this pressure building inside me and when I saw everyone suffering I just had to do something about it.’ I wrinkled my brow. ‘I don’t think I was being totally rational, more like following an instinct.’
He sighed. ‘And was the instinct right?’
A huge white cruise ship came into view, having cast off from the moorings at the far end of the Dorsoduro. It sliced through the waters of the canal, strings of lights like Christmas decorations, tiny faces at the windows staring back at the city they had so briefly visited. The vessel felt far too big for the medieval landscape it sailed past.
‘I think my instinct was right. I now know what I’m up against and why.’ I filled him in on the background to the contessa’s particular gift.
‘Another soulseeker?’ Xav asked as our boat bucked in the wake of the cruise liner. The contessa had been like that, throwing our world at sixes and sevens.
‘I don’t think she’s been doing any seeking, more like hiding.’
‘And she’s done this to others, not just our girls—to her family and the staff?’
‘Yes. She’s one mixed-up lady. She’s been out of control for years, spreading her poison secretly to the Savants she knows, even her own blood. She says that, on the one hand, she’s doing it to keep her son safe, avoid the pain of loss, and yet, on the other, she clearly uses her powers as a kind of punishment. It’s not some well thought through master plan, more the erratic reactions of someone who is hurting.’
‘You’re being very generous.’
‘Yeah, well, I took a peek inside. Her mind is all scrambled, love connecting to hate, kindness to cruelty.’
Xav smiled down at me, a lock of his hair falling forward to brush my cheek. ‘You are a very sweet girl—when you’re not being totally infuriating and impossible.’
‘And you are one infuriating boy—when you’re not being totally sweet to me.’
‘Then I’d say we were well matched.’
The water taxi drew up at the landing place. The pilot lassoed a line around a post to pull us alongside. ‘Here we are, ladies and gentlemen: the Zattere.’
I hopped ashore. ‘Do the others know I was gone?’
‘Of course.’ Xav got out his wallet and counted out the fare. ‘You can’t expect me to shoot off after our soulseeker without Will and Dad knowing something was up and Zed foreseeing scary snatches of you sitting with the contessa.’
‘Oops.’
‘You’re part of the Benedict family now, like it or not. Get ready for a lifetime of all my brothers, my dad, and my mom when she’s back to her old self, telling you off when they think you’ve put yourself in danger.’ He passed the driver his tip and rejoined me on the jetty.
‘Aw, but I’ve got this big brave soulfinder to protect me now.’
‘Darlin’, you can’t hide behind me—you’re too tall.’
‘Leave this girl some illusions.’
‘C’mon. Let’s face the music.’
When we reported our safe return at the hotel, Xav did actually protect me from the worst of the roasting Victor and Saul had planned, arguing it was too late to scold me properly. He promised to tell them what had happened if they would let me get some sleep.
‘Tomorrow’s going to be another big day. She’s gone through enough tonight.’
‘You will promise not to leave the house alone again?’ asked Saul, hands on my shoulders to make his point.
It felt so great to be told off by a father again; I really wanted to hug him but instead I tried to look repentant. ‘I give my word.’
‘Then get some rest.’
I couldn’t quite meet his eyes, feeling a bit shy. ‘I’m going to try to reverse what was done. I think I might know how.’
‘You do?’ He couldn’t hide his flash of hope.
‘Well, maybe. I can’t promise that I’ll succeed.’
‘Of course you can’t, sweetheart. Until the morning then.’
Xav walked me the few yards home from the hotel foyer and gave me a goodnight kiss by the gate. Funny, it was the first time our relationship had fallen into anything like a traditional dating pattern, what with having started with the passionate kissing before we got to go out.
‘I really, really hope I can do it,’ I whispered.
‘I’ve faith in you, Crystal. Try to have some in yourself.’
‘The contessa said I’d have to take tough decisions—that I could do more damage than good.’
‘I suppose she’s right, but taking no action is a kind of decision.’
‘Yes, that’s what I think too. She tried to stop people living and that’s worse.’
Xav ruffled my hair. ‘Go and get some sleep. We’ll sort this out in the morning.’
‘Can I say “I love you” now without you biting my head off?’
‘I don’t know—that seems like a good idea.’ He opened his mouth wide and did the mock-Vampire thing on my neck.
I pushed him away. ‘Are you never serious?’
‘Um,’ he pretended to think, ‘no. You?’
I l
aughed. ‘Not often.’
‘I love you, Crystal.’
‘Back at you, Xav.’ I let the gate clang shut behind me, hugging that thought all the way up to my bedroom.
There was a mood of expectation the next morning when I surfaced from a dreamless sleep. Everyone was gathered in the living room and kitchen of the flat trying to pretend they weren’t waiting for me. I got a bit of a shock as I padded from my bedroom to the bathroom to find Steve and Lily had also showed up.
Memo to self: get rid of Disney PJs before meeting world megastar and trendy costume designer.
‘Hey, guys, give me a moment,’ I croaked. I locked the door and checked the mirror. Yep, it was as bad as I had thought: my hair was standing up on one side and a bird’s nest on the other. I did a quick repair job and scuttled back to my room to put on my most comfortable clothes. I’d snagged a jumper borrowed from Xav so that was almost as good as a morning hug.
‘OK, I can do this.’ I looked out of the window. Life went on as normal out there: Rocco chasing the birds, Barozzi watching him with indolent amusement, one eye cracked open as he lay on his table command post. The sight reminded me how Signora Carriera had been torn in her loyalties after we went public with our side of the story but had come down on ours when she talked to Diamond. She knew my sister too well not to realize that something was seriously wrong. She had given me the rest of the week off until after the wedding to deal with the family crisis. She was turning out to be a good friend; I’d not thought to have a real buddy from another generation. Then again, neither had I expected to be on best mate terms with Steve Hughes.
‘C’mon, Crystal, quit stalling.’ I forced myself to leave my bedroom. So many expectations were piled on my shoulders this morning I felt like a dairymaid carrying a too-heavy yoke. I was bound to spill.
‘Hi, everyone.’
Xav pressed a coffee mug in my hand and kissed my cheek. ‘Hi yourself.’
‘Will, you’re here!’ I rushed to the middle brother’s side where he lay spread out on the settee.