The Betrayal

Chapter Four

"You could've stopped it," I cried. "You could've stopped it!"

"Your mother wouldn't let me."

"Don't you blame this all on her."

"I told you before that she has ability to do very powerful things. I wanted to help you, but she knew this was a weakness of mine. She forced me to watch every single second of it. Every time he touched you, I felt it. Every time he kissed you, I felt it. Every time he wrapped his hands around your throat, I felt it. I felt him tear you apart, Mae. She used her power to seal my lips and bound my hands and force me to watch him do those things to you," Valerio explained.

My eyes glared at the ground. My heart felt like it was tearing itself apart. Tears sprung from my eyes as Valerio enveloped me in a hug. My body heaved up and down in his arms. He snaked his hand in my hair and pulled me closer to him as my tears stained his bare flesh.

"Your mother was not only trying to teach you a lesson, but she was trying to make me stronger as well for you. She was making me face my fears."

After a few moments, I pulled away and looked up at him. "What are your fears, Valerio?"

His skin glistened in the moonlight. He took a deep breath and pressed his lips together. "My biggest fear is watching someone go through what you went through."

My eyes studied his face as I waited for him to continue. He pulled out of my grip and sighed, turning his back to me and looking out into the woods. His fists clenched by his side and he sat down at the edge of the platform.

"My mother was raped," he began. "Twice."

He shook his head as if he was trying to get rid of the memory, but he continued.

"The first time she was raped, she became pregnant with me. The bastard couldn't even stick around for a few months to see his own son be born. The second time she was raped by the same man and he made me watch him do it and then he killed her."

My eyes widened, and my chin trembled. Valerio rested his head on his hand. His body heaved up and down. "I-I'm sorry, Mae!" he sobbed. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you. It tore me apart, watching him do those things to you."

I rushed over to him and sat down, pulling him into a hug. He wrapped his arms around my body, holding me close. His heart raced in his chest. After a few moments, his breathing steadied, and he looked over at me.

I knelt in front of him and gripped his chin in my hands. "Valerio, promise me that you will never let me be like my mother."

He parted his lips as if he was going to argue, but I held a hand up.

"I know there are other ways to become stronger and unbreakable. Violence and torture might make your mind strong, but they break down the soul. We will find a way to make both the mind and the soul strong. Promise me, Valerio."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he reopened them, the moon bounced off of them and he nodded. "I promise you, my Queen."

I cupped his face with my hands. "Please don't call me that. You are my equal. I fight for you and you fight for me. We protect each other."

A smile stretched across his face and he nodded. I smiled back and leaned my forehead against his. "Thank you."

The dark night sky slowly faded away and the sun was peeking out behind the horizon and we decided to head back to the cabin. Once we arrived, I followed Valerio to the bathroom and helped him clean my cuts from the fighting.

As soon as he was finished, I fell back onto my bed and my eyes fluttered off into a deep, dark sleep.

Someone tapped on my shoulder and my eyes fluttered opened. "Mae." I groaned and turned to my side, pulling the covers over my head.