Carnem Levare (7 page)

Stefano sat at the steps. An hour passed. Every time
he grew impatient, he would begin humming the lines of a popular
tune
Al di la
. He remembered hearing a gentleman bellowing
out this popular song. The words drove him crazy at the time,
though they were now of comfort.

As Stefano hummed of his love being “far above” he
felt enlightened and hopeful. He swayed, eventually standing up
from the steps and dancing back to the center of the square. The
crowd had dissipated down to a handful of couples. At the center, a
woman twirled in a golden costume. Her hands magically glided,
reaching outwards in delicate expressions. She appeared to be
welcoming a lover, though she was alone. Stefano was captivated. He
stalked her out, still spewing his song of love. As he stood within
inches of this splendid nightingale, the wind carried a melodious
tone.

“
Al di la
, I wondered as I
drifted where you were . . .”

Stefano fell to the ground, kneeling before the
songstress. And he knew. Without full sight, as she was completely
swallowed in heavy gear, Stefano knew who this was.

“
Anastasia . . .” he
cried.

She stopped.

“
Anastasia?” He stood
up.

She took flight, racing slowly away from the square.
Stefano followed. Anastasia didn’t stop running until she barreled
into the arms of another man.

“
Bastiano?”

“
Anastasia?”

“
We must go . . . now!” Anastasia
cried out.

Bastiano had been standing with a group of men,
carrying on loudly while deep in spirits.

Stefano approached Anastasia from behind, connecting
with draped arms, trying desperately to hold her back. The touch
was electrifying. Anastasia leapt into Bastiano’s unsuspecting
hands.

“
Calm down, love.” Bastiano
appeared annoyed, frustrated as he placed her aside. He led her
away from the crowds. She babbled on and on about sensing darkness
in their midst. Stefano stayed near, following them to an all too
familiar location—the docks.

“
What is going on with you,
Anastasia?” Bastiano held tight to her wrists, yanking her into his
chest.

Stefano tried to remove the man’s grip, but was only
able to feel the sting from Anastasia’s fingers. She twitched.

“
Can we leave this cursed place,
Bastiano?”

“
Why?”

“
I sense something, perhaps
someone—”

“
You wanted carnival this year. We
are here and not leaving until it’s over.” Bastiano was desperately
trying to remain patient. The liquor caused him to ramble and sway.
He’d take several steps and then paused to beg her
patience.

Anastasia drifted to the ground and wept gently at
first. Her cries grew.

“
Stop it, Anastasia!” Bastiano
stooped beside her. He shook her, tossing her backward and forward.
Her mask and crown came undone. When she would not end the shameful
pleas, Bastiano shoved her aside.

Stefano became overtaken with rage. He shouted at
the culprit, placed his arms around Bastiano and forced him into
the water. Anastasia, who had been despondent, finally raised her
head in time to see Bastiano go over the edge. And she still
remained silent. Though he was able to swim on normal occasions,
being drunk hindered this ability. Anastasia stood at the edge of
the pier, glancing down as her present soul mate fought for his
life. She was too afraid to do anything to the contrary. Even when
the water overtook his body, all she could do was stare in
amazement.

“
Anastasia?” Stefano blew into her
face, her hair.

Tears rolled down her cheeks, eyelids lay shut. “Who
are you?” she finally asked the tyrant. Her body was still fixated
on the canal.

“
I am your forever. We were lovers
a long time ago.”

“
Show yourself.” Her voice quivered
as she finally turned.

Stefano wasn’t sure how he would accomplish that
task. Typically, near-death experiences would open sight. For now,
he could only hope. Stefano brushed his lips against Anastasia.
Instead of pulling away, she leaned in and felt his touch. He held
her face, desperately tasting. They carried on for several minutes,
and when he pulled away, it was obvious that Anastasia could see
him.

“
Stefano!”

“
You remember me?” His words were a
flood of emotions as he sought to contain his tears.

“
My love . . . you’ve been waiting
for me?” Anastasia’s fingers ran alongside Stefano’s cheeks and
lips. She moved him around, humming the words of their earlier
song. They danced.

“
Can we go in the
water?”

Of course Stefano could not deny his true love’s
request, especially after what he had done so long ago. And so he
sailed her out into the waters, quite like that dreaded night, so
long ago.

“
Do you forgive me,
Anastasia?”

“
Love can make us do anything,
Stefano.”

He stopped moving the oar, placing it against the
vessel. They rushed into one another’s arms.

“
Do you remember what I said to you
then, Stefano?”

“
Let’s forget about the past,
Anastasia. Live for tonight.”

“
It was on this same night,
Stefano. You killed me in A similar boat, at this exact time. But
you see, I can be reborn. You, on the other hand, will remain in
darkness for your sins.”

“
Anastasia . . .” He could not
speak or fight with her. She had taken hold of his clothing.
Stefano could not understand how this was possible. No one had been
able to penetrate his barrier. It had always been him that held the
power.

“
Stefano, how many women have you
killed?”

“
I only needed
companionship—”

“
So you killed them?” she shouted,
spraying saliva into his face. His tormentor held onto the back of
his head and forced it under the flowing current. As Stefano’s head
became submerged, he noticed an array of bodies floating below sea
level. He gasped, feeling as though he were drowning. He had
already died so long ago. His sins flashed before him. Every single
woman he had held beneath the sea. After death had presented itself
on those occasions, Stefano would pull them from the water, forcing
each woman to acknowledge him. This would go on as long as
possible, until they succumbed to his torture.

Face after face; cries upon cries; pleas followed by
more pleas, Stefano tortured for the sake of his selfish desires.
As his eyes dipped beneath the rising tide, he saw expressionless
faces of the dead and became chilled by their souls’ cries. Many of
his victims’ faces could not be matched with names; in fact, he
could not even place their demise. Though Stefano was certain it
had occurred. Yes, he was responsible for taking their lives.

“
You no longer deserve to roam the
earth. II know all that you have done. You are no longer cursed to
roam Venezia. I am here to permanently secure your place in hell
and break this sick curse on my family.” In a flurry of rage, her
wig fell into the water revealing jet-black tresses. Stefano fought
to be free, returning to the surface to momentarily catch a glimpse
of the devil that was capable of claiming his life, even through
death.

Author’s Note:

Thank you for previewing this companion story,
Carnem Levare. I hope you enjoyed the story so far.

Full Novel Coming Soon…

~~~

Jaxx Summers is the type of person many wish to
be: uninhibited and unafraid of creating her own version of fact
and truth, whenever necessary. I guess you can say that Jaxx is in
the perfect field. She loves the written word and its capabilities,
while forcing readers to let themselves loose in unforgettable
worlds she weaves with tapestries of words.

Finding this world often too monotonous and
uninspiring to settle for every single day, Jaxx strives to
surround herself with supernatural and paranormal memorabilia
through her books.

In 2014 Jaxx published her first title,
Samaria:
Warrior Princess
, as a paranormal writer. She previously
explored relationships and culture, prior to taking on the alter
ego of 
Jaxx Summers
. This versatile author enjoys
exploring the limitless potential of the unknown, while showcasing
a variety of regions.

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