"Catalina!"
The Assassin gasped as her eyes shot open, her dream evaporating into an abyss. She blinked and grunted from the bright sunlight filling her room through a wide open window. She sat up and looked around before her brown eyes landed on a familiar young man at her door. "Ezio, what are you doing here? How did you get in my home?" she asked in bewilderment.
"No time to explain. Get dressed! We've got little time to perform this mission!" he said urgently. He grabbed her armor and robes from the wardrobe as she jumped out of bed. She caught her robes when he tossed them to her before stripping out of her nightgown. She didn't care if she saw her naked. There wasn't time to worry and he didn't seem to be bothered by it.
With his help, she got her armor on quickly. She put on her boots before following him out of the window. She rolled when she hit the ground below. As soon as they were both up, they sprinted down the road. "So, what is going on?" she asked as she followed him.
He glanced back at her. "A Templar slipped into our order and is going to poison Sargon!"
Sargon was an Assassin from Syria. He came while traveling a few years ago and decided to stay after falling in love with Italia.
"Why him?" she muttered. He was a very interesting person and always had entertaining stories to tell from his travels. How could anyone want to kill him? A thought hit her. "Who is it?"
Ezio didn't reply right away and she dreaded the answer. Rosa came to mind. She still felt bitter over her. The event had happened two years ago. After that day, she disappeared. Catalina had given up on trying to figure things out after a few months of sleepless nights and dead ends in research. If she wasn't meant to understand how she became a traitor, then so be it.
Sargon stepped off the boat onto the dock after Bello. They had just returned from fetching some new wine barrels for the birthday party they had planned for Catalina.
Bello smiled as he poured some from a bottle given as a gift. He had brought cups for both of them. "Let's try it," he said as Sargon watched some storm clouds on the horizon. Bello took advantage of his distraction to pour the poison in from a small leather pouch. After stirring it with his finger a bit, he called to Sargon. The Assassin smiled as he looked at him.
"I hope it is good. I don't want her party to be ruined by bad wine."
"It's Bello, isn't it?" she guessed as the man came to mind.
"I'm sorry, Catalina," Ezio apologized as he stopped to look at her. They were now at the clearing in front of the Palazzo Ducale di Venezia. "I know you loved him."
She huffed immediately. "You, too? We were just friends! A man and woman can be best friends without having it be a relationship, stronzo!" she snapped, angry at the assumptions that had reached her master. He smiled, finding her outburst amusing. She glared at him. "Well, where is he?"
"Bello is over there." He pointed out the man standing beside Sargon on one of the docks, offering a cup to him. Seeing this shot anger and adrenaline through her body. "Sargon!" she shouted as she sprinted her way across the large clearing. Sargon didn't hear her and sipped from the cup. Bello smiled innocently.
Catalina pushed people out of her way before grabbing a knife from her pouch and tossing it, praying it would strike the cup like in the image in her head. She missed but it was enough to gain their attention. They looked over at her and immediately Sargon realized what was happening as his throat tightened. He grabbed his throat as he fought for air.
Catalina reached them and Bello blocked her hidden blade with his bracer. The hit sent a wave of pain through her arm but she ignored it, furious at his betrayal. "I hate people like you!" she screamed as she drove her other hidden blade into his neck. Blood splattered onto her arm and hand but she didn't care. She pushed him down and turned to her dying friend. He was bent over, struggling to breathe. She quickly searched Bello's dying body for an antidote. To her luck, she found a vial.
"We made one...in case...I drank the poison..." Bello spluttered before his head lolled to one side.
She uncorked it as Ezio reached them. He held Sargon up as she poured the liquid into his mouth, tilting his head up. Please work! she begged in her mind as she massaged his throat to work the liquid down. Long minutes passed before he was breathing normally again. He hugged her. "Thank you so much, Catalina! You saved my life."
She hugged him back, fighting tears of relief and hurt. "I'm so glad you're okay!"
Catalina sighed as she ran her brush through her long, thick brown hair that evening. I can't believe I looked up to him, she thought as she remembered the fun times she had with Bello. He had been so sweet to her. Maybe he had liked her. She would never know now. She felt guilt worm its way into her heart. She had told him of her hate for him as she killed him. Maybe that hurt him more than her blade.
She shook her head. She shouldn't feel sorry for him. He had betrayed her trust by trying to kill Sargon. He didn't deserve any kindness from her.
A knock at her bedroom door startled her out of her thoughts. She turned in her chair to look at the door. "Come in," she called. The door opened and Ezio walked in. She furrowed her brow in confusion. "How are you getting in? I always lock my door!"
He smiled and held up a lockpick set. "La Volpe gave this to me. He said it might come in handy for some situations."
She rolled her eyes. "Of course." She turned back to her mirror on her vanity. "What do you need?" she asked as she returned to brushing her hair. He walked over to her side. His face was thoughtful as he watched her. "I found Bello's journal this morning when I went to ask him to do a contract. It was open to his entry of his plans to kill Sargon. After the whole ordeal on the docks, I went through it. Bello was in love with you," he said as he set the journal on the vanity.
She looked over at it, his words sinking in. The red leather book called to her to look for herself. She looked away from it, unable to answer her curiosity. "What else did it say?"
Ezio felt bad for her, seeing her emotions warring in her eyes. "He was originally sent to kill you."
His words made her look at him in shock. "Kill me?"
His face darkened. "You're one of their top priorities. It didn't say who sent him or why you're being hunted."
Her sister came to mind. "Rosa."
"Who?"
"My sister. She was one of us long before we met. She betrayed us two years ago. She was labeled a Rogue Assassin when I discovered she had switched over to the Templars during a contract. When we last spoke, she was not the sister I grew up with. I had hoped she had left when we no longer knew of her whereabouts. I guess not."
Ezio held out his hand. "How about we have a night of fun? After today, I could use it. I know you most certainly could."
She sighed, banishing her thoughts. She took his hand, glad for the abrupt change of subject. "Let's."
After she was in a dress and he still in his Assassin robes, they went out. Lanterns were lit every where as the number of days till Carnevale grew shorter. Some performers were practicing their acts and others were still busily setting up decorations.
"I am eager for the big day," she said as they watched a performer stand on his hands. "I always enjoyed Carnevale."
Ezio smiled. "This will be my first time. Will you show me around, bella?"
She couldn't help but blush. "I would like that," she said with a wink. "I know all the best ways to enjoy it."
Ezio chuckled. "I never knew you would flirt back. I have seen so many walk away from you broken hearted."
"They think they know me. They preach their supposed love for me and bring me gifts. Why would I accept the gifts of a married man?"
"So even the married swoon for your beauty."
"Still they need to learn to not try and cheat on their wives. I'm sure their wives love them still."
"I agree with you. My sister once had a man who cheated on her. I went and kicked his ass for it. No one gets away with hurting my sister."
"When I do decide to court someone, I will make sure he understands that I will not tolerate cheating or any kind of disloyalty." Catalina smirked. "Maybe I'll call upon you to teach them a lesson."
"I would be glad to," he said with a bow. He took her hand and kissed the back of it. "Anything for you, Catalina."
"I can see why all the ladies adore you," she giggled, her cheeks hot with a blush. Ezio straightened and smiled as he held out his arm. She linked her arm with his and they continued walking, enjoying the night.
