Prologue

Red. The color of anger. The color of blood. The only color she could see as she knelt next to her fathers body. The pool of blood had reached her toes as she stood there in shock. The wound on his stomach was fatal and the flower of red that came from it only proved that fact.

Hopeless. There was nothing she could do to save him. All she could do was ease his passing but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Taking lives of men she didn't know had stopped phasing her long ago but to take the life of a loved one seemed impossible.

"Amelia.., "the man choked out, holding his hand as high as he could. In an instant she was kneeling in the red pool, gripping her fathers hand like a lifeline. "I'm sorry my dear...It seems my time is up." he whispered.

"Pappa, please, don't go." she pleaded, tears streaming down her face.

"I must. Now listen to me. You must finish what I started. Take the codex pages to Giovanni Audi tore. His family will help you." he stuttered out. Blood was trickling out of the corner of his mouth and his breathing was becoming more and more labored,

"I-I-I w-will." she choked out between sobs. "I'm s-s-sorry I wasn't here in time." this was all her fault. She was supposed to be there to back him up but she hadn't been fast enough and now she was watching her bestfriend fade away in her arms.

"Do not spend the rest of your life blaming yourself for this. It wasn't your fault." He told her, lifting his hand to cup her cheek. She could feel the slick blood rubbing off on her cheek as his stained fingers came in contact with her tanned skin. "I am so proud of you my daughter. Stay strong for you are an assassin now." His hand fell from her face and she could see the light in his eyes fade until there was no life left in them. The hand that was in her own was now limp and it fell from her hand, splashing in the pool of blood.

Moments went by as she stared at her fathers lifeless body before her. He was gone. He had joined her mother in the afterlife and she was alone. She had nothing and no one to comfort her now. So she did the only thing she could think of to rid her of her grief. She screamed.

The ear piercing scream that erupted from her throat was inhuman and full of turmoil. She bent over her fathers body until her forged rested where the blade had pierced his armor. Sobs shook her body as she held on to him, praying he would come back. She knew he wouldn't though. She knew he was gone and he wasn't ever coming back.

The night faded away into the sunrise and Amelia found herself standing on a dock, bow in her hand with a flaming arrow prepared to fire. Out on the water was a small boat with her fathers body resting on a bed of hay. With her years of practiced aim she fired. The arrow hit its mark and she watched as the boat went up in flames.

Before she had laid her father to rest she had removed their family crest from around his neck. His sword and dagger now rested in her hip, the weight feeling foreign as she had her own weapons on the opposite side. She had also removed his bracer that had the traditional hidden blade. She now had two but her fathers would need to be tailored to fit her forearm properly.

She stood there on the dock until the flames of the boat sunk below the water and the sun had come above the horizon. She put aside her grief and loss, locking it away in the depths of her heart. She would not allow it to get in the way of the tasks that lay at her feet. She was determined to avenge her father and complete the work that he had started with Giovanni Auditore as it would have it. A name she had not heard in a long time.

Her fathers dying wish had her returning home to collect the codex pages and all that she needed. She knew that she would be abandoning her family's palazzo but it was a sacrifice she was willing to make. Giovanni was her only hope in her quest to complete her mission and she would do everything necessary to accomplish her goal. No matter the cost.

"I'm going home." She whispered.