The Magic of Hecate
Chapter 13 Chapter 13

The boat was quite peaceful after Max had finally shut up and stoppedthreatening to throw me in the canal. And only then, when I actuallyhad a moment to pause and relax, did I realise how beautiful Venicereally is.

"Here is as far as I can go," the man said after about an hour of glidingalong the emerald coloured water.

He began tying the wooden canal boat to a mooring bank by a stonebridge. There was a small gap between it and the buildings that hadbeen lining the canal for miles where you could step off the boat andback onto the streets.

"There they are!" I heard a voice shout as we docked which shatteredthe peace.

"Fuck," I cursed as I saw the three men from earlier race towards us.Max shoved some extra euros into the boat man's hand and I breatheda word of thanks before jumping onto dry land and in the oppositedirection of the men,

We pushed our way through the mid-afternoon crowd with ourpursuers close behind.

A few minutes later, Max took my hand and pulled me into a quieteralleyway.

"What are you doing?”

"Going on a detour. We'll never lose them in that crowd,” he repliedtaking a left turn and then a right.

"How do you know where you are going?"

"What makes you think I do?"

I rolled my eyes but had little choice. I was better off running aimlesslywith Max than turning back right into the Mafia's grasp. As far as Icould tell, they hadn't followed us into the alleyway. Max's map was ofno use so instead, we just ran in the vague direction of South, whereMax knew the airport was situated.

"Hey look," I said spotting a set of street signs. "Airport half a mile," Iread aloud.

"Thank the Lord," Max said with a relieved smile. "Come on."

We ran for another two minutes before finally reaching a large buildingwith taxis queued up outside and people dragging suitcases andvarious other forms of luggage.

I hurried inside and beelined to the ticket desk where a young womanwas sat doing not much at all.

"We need two tickets on the next plane to Seattle," I said. "Please.""There's a plane leaving in three hours but I'm afraid a man camearound half an hour ago and bought up all the 25 remaining tickets,”she answered in a bored tone. "Sorry."

"25? Who buys 25 tickets for the same plane? That would cost like$10,000. Who has that much money?"

"Somebody with a particular desire to stop anyone from leaving Venicefor Seattle tonight,” Max replied. "What did this man look like?"

"Tall, dark hair, dark eyes. A lot like you actually,” the woman replied.

I exchanged nervous looks with Max.

It was Luciano. Of course.

"What about Portland? Do you have two tickets available for Portland?""The next flight isn't for three days.”

"San Francisco?" I questioned.

"He bought up that too," she answered.

"Anywhere in America?" I asked getting desperate.

"He bought all the leftover seats for all the flights to America for thenext 18 hours. Florida, New York, Boston. He took them all. And Canadafor that matter. Most of South America too."

"Most of? So not all of? We are desperate to get out of this city. I don'tcare where to," I pleaded.

The lady eyed us suspiciously by putting a “why do I care?’ face on andlooking down at her screen.

"There is one. We just had a cancellation for a flight to Valencia leavingin two hours. There are two tickets available,” she replied looking at thecomputer screen.

"Perfect. We'll take it," I said.

"Oh. It looks like we just took an online booking for that flight. It is nolonger available.”

"Shit."

"I'm sorry but there is nothing I can do for you.”

"Okay, thank you," I said before marching away from the desk. "Nowwhat? Luciano has us trapped here.”

"The train station. We may not be able to get out the country but wecan leave Venice at least.”

"And where is the train station?"

"On the other side of the city,” Max replied.

"Let's go then," I said.

"Not so fast, my cousins," a voice said from behind us.

"This is a busy airport. You have no power here, Luciano," I snapped as Ifolded my arms across my chest.

"Very busy indeed. Lots of people closely packed together. It would beawful if let's say there was an explosion, wouldn't it?" he said deviously."You haven't," Max whispered looking around at the innocent familiesand children.

His lips curled into a malicious smile.

"Oh I have," he replied. "And it will go off in less than a minute if thetwo of you don't follow me immediately.”

He then left us and strode towards the doors.

It was hard to tell whether there really was a bomb but either way, histhreat worked. Max and I were not willing to risk the lives of so manyinnocent people.

We followed Luciano's lead as he walked away from the airport and intoa small alleyway on the edge of the city.

"You two are a pair of morons to fall for that. Why go to the effort ofplanting a bomb when just the concept of one is enough?" he saidamused. "I am almost ashamed to share blood with you."

I narrowed my eyes and turned on my heel.

"Fuck you, Luciano,” I growled grabbing Max's wrist and beginning tomarch away from him.

We turned out of the alleyway only to be faced by a squadron of Mafiaguards. We paused and I turned back the other way straight intoLuciano's arms.

"You just don't get it, do you?" he teased with his lips millimetres awayfrom my ear so that I could feel his warm breath on my skin. "You can'tescape me."

"Let me go, Luciano,” I demanded as he held me tightly.

"I expected this of the Luna but you, Maximus? I have to say, you havesurprised me," Luciano said refusing to release me. "I feel betrayed bymy own cousin."

I looked over at Max who was currently battling two of Luciano’s men."I mean I am not surprised that Ella would do this. She has never hadany loyalty to me and never will, but we were friends Maximus and Itrusted you. I thought that we were allies and I thought that we werelike-minded. Guess I was wrong."

"That was beautiful,” I remarked sarcastically.

"Shut up,” he growled putting his hand over my mouth before lookingback to Max.

"Why? I gave you the amulet to help your sister with, I forgave you forstealing from me, I offered you a permanent job in the mafia, I calledLeonardo and he is on his way to take his mate back himself. So I'll askyou again, why? Why would you try to escape me and ruin your futurefor no gain?"

"I wasn't going to allow you to simply hand her back to Leonardo likesome kind of lost puppy,” Max hissed.

"Am I talking to the same guy that tried to get her murdered threeyears ago?”

Max shot Luciano a deadly glare.

"Or maybe I am not the only one wanting Leonardo's trust back,” heteased before stroking my hair.

Max watched as Luciano touched me and clenched his jaw. Lucianonoticed Max's reaction and began to gather my hair together in hishand before giving it a little tug.

"I just want to see my sister again,” Max said. "And I care for Ella a darnsight more than you."

"What about your Megestanis title? Do you want that back?"

"No," Max replied. "And I don't want anything to do with your fuckingMafia either.”

He was obviously telling the truth which seemed to infuriate Luciano.He couldn't fault Max in any way.

"You are a bad man, Luciano. And It may not be my pack anymore but Istill don't want you in it," he hissed.

Luciano’s grip tightened around me and he let out a low grumblygrowl.

"Poor Luciano, getting angry because he can't replace a way to drag Maxdown to his level," I said managing to prize his hand off my mouth for asplit second.

"I am beginning to lose my patience with you, sweetheart,” he growledgripping my wrists tighter. "Are you forgetting what I am capable of?You can fight me but you won't win."

"Perhaps not but do you know who can't beat you though?" I said."Leonardo. He has done it before and he will do it again the second hegets here and sees that you have harmed me."

Luciano let out a low growl before withdrawing a rag from his pocketand holding it over my mouth. The repulsive, sickening smell hit

my nose seconds before I held my breath started frantically fightingLuciano.

But it was too late. I had already inhaled some of the ghastly fumes andcould begin to feel my body falling into unconsciousness.

Max was shouting at Luciano but I couldn't really make out his wordsand all I could see was his blurred silhouette fighting against hisrestrainers.

Luciano carelessly threw me over his shoulder seconds beforeeverything went black.