CHAPTER 25
"What time is Ugo getting here?" I ask Ezio, bored.
"Midnight." Ezio replies.
I stand up and look over the docks, wishing there was something to do.
"If you're bored, bella, I know something that could pass the time..."
I ignore him. "But it's midnight now!" I exclaim.
"Bella, he'll be here."
"I know that, but at the rate we're going it'll be dawn before he's here."
A third voice enters the conversation. "Who?" It inquires.
I turn around to see Ugo standing with two other thieves behind him.
"Took you long enough." I say, half smiling. Ezio and I approach him.
"So, why are we here?" Ezio asks.
"Because we need you to do something for us. Antonio has a plan to get you two inside the Palazzo. To do that, it requires a bit of deception on our part." Ugo says. He begins to pace as he talks. "The Palazzo is surrounded by guards and archers. You wouldn't even get close to the building before you were shot down. About a week ago, one of our scouts heard tell of a shipment of guards' uniforms coming in. Your job is to steal those uniforms and bring them back to us. Then, you and our men will dispose of the existing archers surrounding the Palazzo, so that ours can take their place. This will give you a clear path inside the building, so you can get at Barbarigo."
"Simple." I comment.
"Sarcasm won't help you; if the guards discover you at any point in the plan, everything will fall apart and months of planning will be for nothing." Ugo warns.
"Where are the uniforms now?" Ezio asks.
"You see that ship over there?" Ugo asks, pointing to a large ship docked nearby. "That's where the uniforms are. The guards patrol it constantly, though the uniforms won't be moved until the morning."
"Va bene. We'll see you at Antonio's by dawn." Ezio replies.
Ugo chuckles. He and the two thieves run off, leaving Ezio and I to plan our attack.
"So, how should we do this?" I question.
"We can't risk being seen, but there's no way we can steal an entire shipment of uniforms without being noticed-" Ezio begins.
"Which means a direct attack is ruled out." I finish. "Right."
"We could create a diversion. Set off a few smoke bombs near the docks. Maybe the guards will investigate."
"No, they'd only investigate if it was a risk to the shipment."
"What if..." Ezio trails off, his eyebrows almost touching he's thinking so hard. "What if you create a diversion on the boat? Draw the soldiers away from the shipment and distract them, but at the same time I'll have a gondola ready to load the uniforms onto."
"Why can't you distract the guards?" I reply.
"I'm stronger than you, Lia." Ezio says with a grin.
I raise my eyebrow at him but nod in agreement. We climb down from the rooftops and head over to the docks. Ezio and I part ways, with myself staying at the water's edge and Ezio sneaking off to steal a gondola. Now that I realize our plan involves me jumping into the cold water, I'm somewhat less enthusiastic. I resign myself to the fact that it's going to be a cold, wet night and with that I dive into the water, swimming as quickly and quietly as I can to the boat which holds the uniforms. I can see the wooden crates stacked right near the edge of the ship, and at least four guards keeping watch over the shipment. I reach the boat and wrap my arm around the anchor's rope, thinking out my next part of the plan.
I could attack the guards directly, but they'd still be alert enough to notice Ezio stealing the crates. The Palazzo would be alerted before Ezio could get half the shipment onto the gondola.
I could sneak inside the ship, set off smoke bombs there. That would draw away some of the guards but not all of them. Suddenly an idea strikes me; I smile.
I climb up the side of the ship, reaching the top quickly and peeking over the rails. There are two soldiers guarding the shipment, and two standing near the bow. They all face away from the cabin doors; perfect. I pull myself over the rails and onto the deck, reaching the door and quietly slipping inside.
~!~
Ezio and I both see the last soldier that guards the Palazzo at the same time. His lips spread into a challenging smile, and before I know it we're both sprinting silently over the rooftops to reach the guard first. He has powerful, strong legs and can use them to push himself faster. However, I'm light and agile, and I'm naturally fast. It's a fairly equal race, until Ezio slips on a loose tile and nearly stumbles off the roof. I reach the guard quickly and flick out my hidden blade, slitting his throat before he knows I'm there.
His body tumbles down, down into the water where it slams into the almost black water and sinks.
"That wasn't fair!" Ezio exclaims as he reaches me. "You saw what happened!"
"I saw you lose your footing; nothing more." I reply smugly.
Ezio grumbles almost inaudibly and we exchange a grin before turning to Ugo, who is dressed in a guard's uniform.
"You two did some good work tonight. I'm impressed at your teamwork." Ugo compliments.
"Grazie, friend." Ezio replies.
"Antonio said for you to meet him in his office tomorrow evening. You two should go home, get some rest."
"We'll leave now." Ezio tells him. We turn around and head down from the rooftops, the moon lighting our way. It's almost dawn, and I suddenly realize how tired I am. As we reach the ground, I let out a yawn.
"Tired, bella?" Ezio asks, grinning like he always does whenever he's about to make a stupid joke. "I could help you... get some energy-"
"You've already made that joke. I think you're running out of material, Ezio!" I exclaim. "And they called you one of the most charming young men in Firenze!"
"They did?" Ezio asks, his ego growing exponentially.
"Oh, God. I shouldn't have said that." I say, already regretting it.
Ezio lets out a laugh and sighs happily. "If I was one of the most cha-"
"Don't even start." I say, rolling my eyes.
"This is all your fault, you know."
"What have I done?"
We share a laugh before I yawn again. We reach the inn after a while more of walking and chatting, and before I know it I'm standing outside my room, bidding Ezio goodnight.
"I'm glad we're... back to normal." Ezio says.
"So am I." I agree. "Goodnight, Ezio."
"Goodnight, bella." Ezio replies, smiling. Quick as a flash, his body moves forwards and his lips peck my cheek. He withdraws quickly, chuckling, knowing he's just mildly irritated me.
I roll my eyes and enter my room without a word. The cheek Ezio kissed burns inexplicably, and I can feel the blood now rush to my cheeks. I strip off my wet uniform and slip beneath the covers of my bed, luxuriating under the sheets.
Sleep quickly finds me, and I sink into a world of dreams.
~!~
Ezio ran across the square, his father and brothers standing atop the stage, the ropes tied around their necks. Alberti speaks to the crowd, his expression that of satisfaction, and as he finished speaking his father and brothers fell.
And everyone froze.
Ezio looked up, confused. There was a bird, frozen in mid-flight. He made his way through the crowd, knowing that if he could just escape them, everything would return to normal. As soon as he reached the edge of the crowd, the scene changed.
Suddenly, he was standing in a room, although he wasn't sure if 'room' was the right word. If it was a room, it was certainly bigger than any he'd ever seen. Everything was white, and he couldn't see any walls. Only white, flawless flooring as far as the eye could see.
"Greetings, Auditore." A woman said. Ezio jumped, looked around and saw a strange-looking woman standing behind him. She had an ethereal quality to her, almost godlike.
"Who are you?" Ezio demanded.
"I am known as Minerva. And many other names." She replied. She took a deep breath and studied Ezio for a moment. "What you have just experienced was-"
"I know what it was!" Ezio growled.
Minerva glared at Ezio for a second before continuing. "What you have just experienced is grief like none other. The passing of someone you love tears the heart, and though the tear can be stitched, it can never be mended. Do you wish to feel that again, Auditore?" Minerva demanded, the name 'Auditore' spoken almost like a curse word.
"Why would I want to?" Ezio asked angrily. He didn't like this woman.
"If you wish to avoid this feeling, you must distance yourself."
"Distance myself?" Ezio asked. "From what?"
"Not what, who." Minerva said. Ezio got the impression she thought of him as little more than an animal. Suddenly he felt fingers weaving through his. He turned to his side to see Natalia, glowing with a radiant beauty. She smiled at him adoringly, and he smiled back. She turned to face him but what he saw made Ezio feel sick.
Half of Lia's body – the side that was just facing him – was soft, flawless, beautiful.
The other half was bloodied, burned, maimed. Her eyes glowed with malice as she wrenched her arm away from his.
"You did this to me!" She growled. Her beautiful side began to burn and blister as well.
"Lia, what happened to you?" Ezio asked, his stomach writhing. He saw movement in front of him, and when he faced it he saw a vision of Lia being thrown against a wall by some unknown force, her uniform blazing. The vision disappeared, and Ezio saw one more glimpse of Lia before she disappeared too.
"Distance yourself, and you shall not know grief. You shall not know pain." Minerva whispered.
And she disappeared too.
Ezio stood there, shocked and feeling like he was going to fall apart at any second now. He was about to shout at Minerva to come back, to answer his questions when another woman appeared.
"Wh-Who are you?" Ezio asked, his voice croaky.
"Blue, red, blue, green, red." The woman said urgently.
"What?"
"Blue, red, blue, green, red." She repeated.
"What are you trying to-"
"Remember!" She exclaimed.
And Ezio woke up, panting and drenched with sweat. He sat up, breathing hard, panic swelling up in his chest for a second before it died down again, almost gone within a few seconds.
Then he heard a blood-curdling scream and something smash. The sounds came from Lia's room. Ezio tore out of bed and opened his door, running into the next room. There, he saw her, kneeling in front of a wall, her hands the source of a large pool of blood.
And on the wall, a message written in her blood.
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