Sorry for the lack of updates, I've been extremely busy lately. Just know that I'm in a lot of pain right now because I sewed through my finger. That's right; my middle finger has a HUGE bloody chunk taken out of it due to a sewing machine needle. However I am going to push through the pain (of which there is a lot, but I'm tough) and I'm going to post a new chapter.

If things aren't completely accurate to the game it's because I'm taking some small artistic liberties plus timing isn't my strong point, besides, every day in the game isn't documented!

Machiavelli was away, doing whatever it was that he did. Alessandra sat in the armory at the island, trying to get up the courage to break into his office.

"Each moment you spend being a coward is one more moment you leave Antonio to the Borgia." She told herself angrily. She stood and forced her feet forward, out of the room, up the stairs, down the hall and to the door. Her hands were shaking and she balled them into fists trying to calm her racing heart.

"You can do this." She hissed. She placed a cold hand on the lever to open the door and pushed. With a squeak of old hinges she was inside, heart nearly pounding its way out of her chest.

The office was dark, the sun having set the hour before. She cursed the fact that she hadn't thought to bring a candle. There was nothing for it now; she would have to do this blind.

La Volpe had said the documents she wanted would be marked by a seal with three stars around an intricate A. He didn't knew how many there would be, just that he would need all of them. Alessandra didn't ask how he knew all of this and the Thief Master didn't offer an explanation.

Alessandra fumbled her way through the dark room, bumping her shins on a low table before eventually finding the desk. The thieves she'd trained with had taught her to always check for traps, hidden openings, and devices to let the owner know their belongs had been tampered with. The Assassins were the most paranoid group of people Alessandra had ever seen and she could only assume Machiavelli would be no different.

Her cold fingers felt delicately at the desk, brushing past papers and quills. If these documents were as important as she assumed she doubted Machiavelli would just leave them lying out. However, she felt each sheet for the seal, trusting her fingers. Several were sealed, but not with the one she was looking for.

Alessandra moved on to the drawers, opening them slowly and feeling nimbly for trips and fake bottoms. There were none in this drawer, but it did have a false back. Carefully she opened the disguised compartment, probing fingers brushing thin sheets of rough paper. Her fingers touched something wet and she fought the urge to yank her hand back. Instead she wrapped moistened fingers around the papers and pulled them free.

Alessandra traced a thumb over the wax on the papers and felt it, the stars and A, her ticket to La Volpe's cooperation. She sniffed idly at her fingers and crinkled her nose at the foul odor. She wiped them on her pants and tucked the papers into her waistband. Alessandra considered checking the rest of the drawers but decided against it. La Volpe would have to be satisfied with what she'd found.

Alessandra retraced her steps to the door, blood coursing hard through her veins, forcing a cold sweat to coat her body. Her nerves were fraying quickly and she knew she'd have to leave the room soon or risk having a panic attack. Just as she was placing a sweating hand on the lever to pull the door open her adrenaline sharpened ears heard dull footsteps in the hallway beyond. Alessandra's heart stopped for a moment before kicking back into high gear. Her breath came in fear quickened puffs and she fought the instinct to flee.

The steps drew closing becoming more definite. From the heavy tread it was a man approaching, but not Ezio or Machiavelli, they were too light on their feet for her to have heard them. Alessandra couldn't force herself to move as the steps came to a stop on the other side of the door.

"Oh Dio!" she thought through the icy fog of panic "This is it! I'm dead!"

A fist hammered on the door and Alessandra squeezed her eyes shut, fist clamped hard around the door handle.

"Machiavelli!" boomed a loud voice. Alessandra felt like she was going to shake to pieces from the mixture of fear and panic. Her eyes were squeezed shut hard enough that the muscles in her face hurt. The door rattled again as the man pounded on it.

"Come! I must speak with you." Said the voice. "Bastardo is always out." The man said after a moment. The footsteps began to retreat back down the hall, the man mumbling incoherently. Alessandra counted to ten then shakily pulled open the door, wincing at the hinges.

Alessandra was shaking and sweat was rolling down her face and sides. Her legs felt shaking and her head was throbbing, she began to take staggering steps down the hall bracing herself on the wall. She fumbled her way downstairs and through corridors, trying to find her way to the door. She knew she was drawing strange looks from anyone she passed, mainly a few white clad recruits. It began to slowly dawn on her clouded mind that this wasn't normal. Fear and panic was one thing, this sickly haze was something too extreme to be a natural reaction.

Everything began to slow, her body going numb and losing control. Duly Alessandra felt herself fall to her knees then the cheek smack onto the cold stone. Hands moved over her but her slow mind barely registered the touches. Something sharp was jabbed into the back of her leg but her vision was already going black. White legs were all before fading into oblivion.

This chapter is WAAAAY shorter than I wanted it to be, but it's the best I can do with my hand the way it is. My finger is already bleeding again. Sorry for the long wait and the lackluster chapter. We'll be getting back to Ezio in Chapter 30.