Chapter 4: Trust

Exhausted the two lay side by side. Zhalia was in Dante's arms, her head on his chest. He gently stroked her back and her head. They were breathing heavily. They were to exhausted to go to bed. Dante had brought blankets and pillows from the chest in the training room and covered Zhalia and himself with it. The moonlight fell into the room and on their naked bodies. Dante looked at Zhalia. How beautiful she was. Her beautiful hair, her lovely face, her well-toned body. But she had one little flaw. The blindfold. She took it barely off, except when Lok and Sophie were around. Zhalia just don't wanted them to know about it. She thought that the two would treat her like a raw egg. But she don't wanted that. Dante kept out of it because it was Zhalia's decision whom she inducted into it. He could feel her heart beat. Her heavy breathing was already gone, she was breathing calmly and evenly. Dante knew that she was asleep. He smiled, thinking back to the last hours, closed his eyes and fell asleep, too.

A ray of sunlight fell through the window and woke Dante up. It fell right on his face. Dante opened his eyes, groaning. Zhalia was still laying in his arms. He lifted his head, looked around and needed a moment to realize what had happened. Then it occurred to him. With a smile on his lips, he tilted his head back and looked at the ceiling. Dante did not know what to do, he did not want to wake Zhalia up, but he also didn't want to stare at the ceiling the whole time, waiting for her to finally woke up. He let out a deep sigh. It was so strong that Zhalia heard it trembling in his chest and woke up. She lifted her head and turned her face to Dante. There was a smile on her face.

"Good morning, stranger." Dante said with a grin.

"Good morning, stranger." retorted Zhalia. The two began to laugh. Dante stroked slowly and carefully along Zhalias face, before he engaged her in a passionate kiss. She moved herself so that she was entirely on his body now. Zhalia broke the kiss and then her head rested on his chest. Dante patted her gently on the back. They were silent. Zhalia listened to Dante's quiet and regular heartbeat. She was getting warm. She loved to be close to him. To feel him.

"Zhalia?" Dante asked after a while.

"Hmm ...", Zhalia replied without raising her head.

"I think it's time to tell you something." he began. Dante waited a few seconds before he continued. "I wanted... to tell you... for a long time.", he brought out stagnant. Zhalia noticed that his heart began beating faster. As fast as last night when she had kissed and caressed him.

"I... love you." Dante finally said. Zhalia suddenly lifted her head and pointed it to his face. Dante knew that her mien was confused, although he could only see half of her face because she was still wearing the blindfold. He waited for her response. It felt like hours until Zhalia finally answered. He could see a smile on her lips. Suddenly he felt her lips on his. At the first moment Dante widened his eyes but then he kissed her, too. Zhalia took her lips from his and smiled at him.

"I love you too." she replied. Dante smiled relieved, then he took her face in his hands and drew her down to kiss her one more time. Without breaking the kiss, he rolled himself and Zhalia over so that she lay under him. Again, they explored each other's body. Caressing, kissing, touching.

In the afternoon, Lok and Sophie to visit because of Dante's desire. Dante wanted to plan the next mission together with his team. Zhalia sat in the living room and pretended to read a magazine when the two came in. The sky had already darkened and the sun was no longer visible, instead dark clouds graced the sky and made Venice dark. Lok and Sophie came running to Dante's house, heavily breathing.

"What's wrong with you?" Zhalia asked without looking up from the magazine.

"It looks pretty scary out there. We rushed so that we are not surprised by the rain." Lok said, as he took off his jacket. Sophie already sat on the arm chair, which stood close to Zhalia. She carefully studied her friend. "What?" asked Zhalia. With the aid of her skills she noticed that Sophie was looking at her.

"Nothing." replied Sophie and leaned back. "I'm just wondering why you're reading the magazine upside down."

Zhalia felt fear rising in her body. How could she be so stupid? The feeling grew and began to burn in her stomach. She swallowed and noticed that she felt sick. She desperately searched for an answer. When she wanted to try to explain Dante came from the kitchen with a tablet, where four glasses were standing on and he had the Holotome under his arm. He put everything to the table and sat down next to Zhalia. He opened the Holotome. Lok had been taking a seat already. Sophie looked at Zhalia still intently, but she said nothing.

"What's the matter, Dante?" Lok asked curiously.

"So." Dante began. "Guggenheim had contacted me today at noon. He said that we should try to steal the cup from Rassimov one more time." He looked at his team and then he continued. "But this time there should better be no troubles." His gaze fell on Zhalia. Her was bent down.

"So that means: careful planning of the mission?" asked Sophie. She noticed that Dante was looking at Zhalia with a sad look and her eyes wandered to Zhalia, too. Worried she looked at her. Then she turned her gaze back to Dante. "Hello?" She asked when she noticed that his mind was somewhere else.

"What? Um ... I'm sorry. Yes careful planning." he replied, concentrating on the Holotome.

After two hours of planning Lok and Sophie stood in Dante's Kitchen to prepare a small snack.

"Have you noticed anything on Zhalia?" asked Sophie, as she rubbed the bread with butter.

"No, what should I be noticing?" Lok said, as he cut the sausage into small slices.

"Really?"

"Yes."

Sophie was silent, and smeared other breads.

"What should I be noticing?" said Lok again and stood beside her. Sophie turned to him.

"She is blind." she said. Lok's eyes widened. Then he snorted. "Sophie, what a nonsense. You're imagining that."

"No, it's true." protested Sophie. "Look carefully into her eyes, then you see it. Or today, with the magazine." Lok frowned.

"Think of the spell. It was damned bright and she was getting it. "Argued Sophie and put her hands on her hips.

"Ok yes..." Lok said doubtfully. He wasn't sure. After all, she could walk normally and did not need help. Everything was so strange.

"Ask Dante. I'm sure he knows that Zhalia is blind." Suddenly they heard a loud bang. Sophie turned around and saw a shocked Zhalia standing behind her. She had dropped a glass.

"He told you?" she asked aghast. She felt tears filling her eyes.

"Zhalia." Sophie ran up to her. But Zhalia shook her head and ran out of the kitchen. She wanted to get away. Away from them. Away from this place. Away from Dante. But half way she bounced against him. Dante had heard the rumble and jumped up to make sure that everything was fine. When he noticed that Zhalia was crying, he wanted to ask what was going on, but suddenly he felt a strong pain on his cheek. His head was jerked to the side when Zhalia had beaten him.

"Ow.", was everything he brought out. Then he held his cheek and looked into Zhalia's angry, sad and also disappointed face. "What was that for?"

"Are you really asking me that? I trusted you!" she screamed at him. "You promised me!"

Zhalia passed him angrily. She ran out of the house and into the cold and rainy night.

PiaNoir and MissParkerFan