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“Didn’t I just explain? I do not forgive you, Camilla. So, get on your knees and beg!” I sneered.
Her eyes looked at me and then back to my sisters, then to me. “Calliope—”
“A woman of faith like you must know about penance, right? Well, here we are. You can kneel and beg, or you can say goodbye to your daughters—”
“Calliope, they are your sisters! You wouldn’t hurt them.”
I laughed. “Oh, I would. And you shouldn’t be surprised. If a mother can harm her child, that child can harm their siblings…especially if it’s a half-sibling.”
She still did not kneel.
“Italo, bash Bellarosa’s head in with that cross!” I hollered so loudly, my voice echoed throughout the church.
The moment he reached for the cross, Bellarosa begin to scream against her gag, and my mother dropped to her knees.
“Stop!” she screamed, begging.
“I knew Bellarosa was your favorite,” I chuckled.
Her eyes began to fill with tears as she peered up at me. “What…what do you want?”
“I’ve said it very clearly. Beg me.”
“Calliope, I already said I am sorry—”
“You said you were sorry? Well, golly, I guess that’s it?” I shrugged. “Sorry. Sorry I nearly killed you every day of your life—”
“Calliope!”
“I told you not to interrupt me!” I snapped.
She just shook her head. “Calliope, I know you are in pain.
I caused that pain. But don’t do this. Don’t act like a low-life thug. Like a Callahan—”
“But I am.”
“No! You are better than this—”
“You did not raise me!” I grabbed her throat. “So, you do not know what I am better than.”
“Calliope… Heaven…has eyes…”
“And heaven watched as you drowned me over and over again. As you broke almost every bone in my little body. As you tortured and humiliated me. Camilla, I learned a long time ago that heaven may have eyes but no hands. That’s why all the angels only weep and are never able to save little girls when they beg for help.”
Squeezing tighter, the tears that pooled from her eyes fell. “Calliope…I’m sorry.”
“No. But you will be,” I replied, letting her go. “You will kneel here, Mother, until I tell you to get up. Unfortunately, I am not as devout as you are, and I won’t be here again until next Sunday.”
“Calliope…I can’t.”
“But you have to, Camilla,” I cupped her face. “If not, every last scar you have given to me, I will give them tenfold.” I stepped to the side for her to see Avena and Bellarosa. “Don’t worry, they will be here chained up in the back, waiting for your penance to be over. Part of me really hopes you do get up, though, so you can see exactly how thuggish I can be.”
Spinning on my heels, I turned back to my sisters and the men holding them captive. I waved at them.
“Guhm!” “Mrugh!” They both screamed or cursed at me, but the cloth in their mouths muffled the words.
“I know, long time no see. Sorry, I can’t stay around to chat. But don’t worry, now that I’m back, we’re all going to get along.” I smiled and nodded for them to be removed.
