Chapter 198: Got you! Or did you? (1/2)
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The link is also in the synopsis.
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”I'm bored of playing chess,” said Sara Abate, the only person his age that Quinn had been able to make friends with during his stay at the Palazzo Abate.
”We can always do something else,” said Quinn as he moved his bishop across the board, ”and from the look of it, we will be needing something else to do.. .. checkmate.”
”Great, then let's do something else.”
Quinn looked up at the girl, ”Did you lose on purpose?”
”No, of course not,” said the girl, packing up the chess set, ”so what should we do?”
He looked at her with a suspecting gaze. ”We can go see the Volcano of Stromboli on the Aeolian Islands and wait to see the explosions.. .. if we're lucky, we could see some big ones.”
”Can we go up to the top?”
”.. .. I don't think so, that's not safe, I'm guessing.”
”Then no, let's think of something else,” she said. The initially shy girl had opened up to Quinn with time.
”Okay, how about we go to a beach?” he suggested, ”I'm sure we can find a secluded one and spend a fun day by the seaside.”
”I'm not really in the mood to go outside,” said Sara.
”You're the host, you know; you should be telling me what we should be doing.. .. can I interest you in some magic, though?” he asked, pulling out a deck of cards to perform a riffle shuffle while they were in his hands.
”Magic? You mean card tricks; what can you do?”
”A whole bunch of things,” Quinn held the red deck with his left-hand fingers and waved the left in front of it for the deck to change to blue.
”I can do that,” said Sara.
”Not without magic.. .. I need to come up with a term to differentiate the two types.”
”You do that while I get us something to drink,” said Sara and got up from her chair. She exited the balcony where they sat, went to the first door she could find, took out a silver key, and inserted it into the keyhole before turning it for the door to turn a royal blue. Sara opened it, and the door was now connected to her own room. She went in and took out two bottles each of Limonata and Arinchatta and prepared two Cornetti con Panna for them.
She turned to go back but stopped before she could even take a single step.
”Uncle!” she exclaimed; her heart was trying to leap out of her chest, ”what you doing.. .. ” her voice trailed off as her eyes went glossy, dull, and out of focus.
”Don't worry, Sara,” said the wire-thin man, ”this will only take a few minutes,” he gently took the glass bottles from her hands, ”you won't even remember it.”
”Okay.. . .” said Sara, her voice not louder than a murmur.
The third son smiled as he made Sara sit down before looking at the bottle in his hands. ”Quinn West, we're going to have a lot of fun for a long, long time.”
.. .
”I'm back.”
Quinn's eyes left the layoff cards on the table and looked at Sara. He saw the bottles and the two croissants that Sara had with her and grew hungry.
”I brought some refreshments,” said Sara and set down the tray before passing a bottle to Quinn, who touched the cap for it to pop off with loud.. .. pop.
”Bubbles, nice,” smiled Quinn and drank the cold soda, ”hmm, I can taste lemon,” he smacked his lips, ”and something else.” He took another swig and tried to find what else he was tasting.
Sara smiled and picked up a bottle for herself, ”That's the fun part; it's a surprise.”
”Whatever it is, it tastes good,” said Quinn looking at the label.
”I will tell you when you finish it.. .. till then keep guessing.”
Quinn went on to show Sara his magic tricks while enjoying his beverage. There were a lot of oohs and aahs from Sara as he proudly displayed the wonders of sleight of hand. But as he did that, Quinn started to feel a little dizzy, a bit lethargic, and a lot slower, but.. . .
When things finally cleared up back to normal, he wasn't on the terrace with Sara; instead, he was in an empty room lit up with candles placed around the room. He looked down to see that his hands, legs, and torso were thoroughly tied up.
”He's waking up.”
Quinn looked up towards the source of the voice and saw a man he had only seen once before, and beside him stood Dolion, who was staring at him.
”Dolion.. .. were am I?” asked Quinn.
”How are you feeling, Quinn?” asked Dolion in return and stared into Quinn's eyes.
”I feel slow.. . and my head feels heavy.. .. now — it's gone.. .. Dolion — what's happening?”
Dolion's eyes shined when Quinn told him about the heaviness disappearing. It meant that Quinn wasn't able to detect him inside his head. 'I can work without worry now,' he thought.
”There's nothing to worry about, Quinn,” said Dolion smiling. ”You're just feeling that way because I have given you a magic-dampening potion.. .. it cuts your connection to your magic.. .. once upon a time it was given to prisoners.” He had given Quinn a unique blend of magic-dampening potions that not only did its original function but also put the target into a hazy state.
”That — sounds — interesting.. .. . why did — they — stop?”
”It is interesting,” smiled Dolion, ”you don't need to worry about why they stopped.”
A strong wind made the windows shake and shudder, making Dolion's middle-aged companion quake in surprise. He turned to Dolion and asked, ”Are you sure the bodyguard isn't going to find out?”
”Aksel doesn't stay by his side while he's with mother or Sara. As long as Aksel is concerned, Quinn is currently with Sara. He won't be interfering with this, and even if he does decide to check on him, we will be done by the time he finds him,” a smirk made its way to Dolion's face, ”when he questions Quinn, the kid will say whatever we want him to, and Aksel will believe it because of Quinn's actions in Denmark.”
Dolion then turned to his companion and sighed, ”You're speaking too much. Why did I ever think that it was okay to get you involved? You have been absolutely useless,” he smiled, ”I know why.. .. you're my puppet after all.”
”What are you saying?” asked the middle-aged man.
Dolion raised his wands, and as the tip glowed with a dirty yellow, the middle-aged man's eyes went blank, all expression drained, and the man seemed to have become something like a.. .. puppet.
Dolion turned to Quinn, who was swirling his head as if not being able to support it. ”Quinn,” he called.
”Yes?” said Quinn, looking at Doloin with out-of-focus eyes.
”Do you know this person?” Dolion pointed to the puppet-like man.
”No.”
”You should get to know him; he's my puppet. Well, he's my first cousin, Antonio Abate.. .. And soon you're going to become his 'brother' so it's essential that you two get along,” he smiled and then chuckled, ”I don't think it will be a problem with getting along. I can just make you two get along.”
He turned to Antonio Abate and spoke, ”Go out and keep a lookout to see if there is someone who comes looking. Inform me if you see someone.”
Antonio mechanically nodded and turned to walk towards the door.
”Now, where were we,” Dolion turned back to Quinn, ”it's time to get you—,” his words died in his mouth, the sight in front of him made his heart skip a beat.. .. the chair was empty.
'Where.. .. where is he?!'
”It's fascinating, you know?”
Dolion turned hastily towards the voice and saw Quinn with his hands behind his back standing in front of a still Antonio, staring at the man.