Chapter 72
Author's Note: The return of... well you'll find out :D If you want to see a picture of him go to InklingHeart's deviant art page and look at "Cigars". She drew him so good :3 Enjoy readers and thank you for the reviews. I always say that but they maketh me happy.
Dafne had no idea how Dustfinger had managed to lock Basta in his cell and escape. All she knew was that she was going to be punished for it. This fact obviously hadn't slipped Mortola's mind as she pointed to her,
"Come with me girl. I'm sure Capricorn will want to see you after I tell him about your boyfriend's latest screw up. He fails, you get punished. That's the way it works, isn't it," she smirked.
Dafne didn't move. Capricorn had made it horribly clear what her next punishment would be. He would give her to Cockerell like she was a toy, one he could play with as roughly as he liked. And he would, he wasn't about to show her gentleness or mercy.
"Hurry up girl," Mortola snapped impatiently, "Dawdling won't help your situation. You're just delaying the inevitable."
She was right. She was delaying the inevitable. If she didn't start walking, Mortola would drag her to Capricorn by her hair. And she knew begging Capricorn to pass on this particular punishment was pointless. He enjoyed her suffering and no doubt he would be furious about Dustfinger escaping. He would hand her over to Cockerell without delay while Basta was conveniently locked up.
She started walking over to Mortola. She had the eyes of the maids on her and she felt like a prisoner walking to their execution. She wasn't about to die but considering what Cockerell was capable of doing to her, there was bound to be a lot of suffering. She wouldn't just lie down and take it but she knew he could easily overpower her. Just like when he had pinned her against the wall. Only this time Basta wouldn't turn up to save her.
He's going to hurt me, Dafne thought, he's going to do things, horrible things.
She reached Mortola standing in the doorway and what she did next was pure instinct, the instinct of a frightened animal. She shoved her aside and fled, down the hallway towards the front door. She was halfway when she came to her senses, with the sound of Mortola shouting behind her, demanding she come back this instant.
What was she thinking, running off? Where could she possibly go? She had no idea but she wasn't about to turn back when she knew what awaited her. Mortola's wrath followed by Capricorn's wrath followed by Cockerell's wrath.
She made it to the door and couldn't help feeling some small triumph as she flung it open. But she didn't dash out into the open. She practiced caution by sticking only her head out to check if the coast was clear. It wasn't. There was a guard. It was Carlo. He viewed her with surprise. So did the two men standing with him.
"Dafne?"
"Pietro," she spoke his name with relief as she hurried towards him. He must have come for the execution just like the rest of the men who had poured into the village. The other man she didn't know but she only paid attention to Pietro, "Please, you have to help me," she pleaded in a fast desperate tone, "You have to help me. Capricorn is going to give me to Cockerell and Basta is locked up and I don't what know to do."
Her plea took Pietro by surprise. He stared at her a moment before he smiled almost apologetically,
"Sorry I wasn't expecting all that. I just found out about Basta but what's all this about Capricorn giving you to Cockerell?"
"It's my punishment. For Basta failing again."
Pietro looked at her solemnly,
"I see."
"Please help me," Dafne begged again, "Cockerell will hurt me, he'll..."
"You don't need to tell me bella," Pietro cut in gently, "I know what he'd do to you," he smiled, "But don't worry. I'm not going to let him."
Dafne felt a wave of relief hearing those words.
"What are you going to do?" she asked.
"Break all his fingers Captain," said his companion. He looked a little older than Pietro with a scatter of freckles on his face. He was grinning, "That will stop him touching her."
"Yeah you should totally do that," Carlo said in agreement, "Or break his leg. The non-lame one obviously. Cause that would really suck, having a limpy leg and a broken one."
Pietro smiled,
"Excellent suggestions but I don't think harming Cockerell will be necessary. All I have to do if convince Capricorn not to give him Dafne in the first place."
"How are you going to do that?" Dafne asked.
Pietro didn't have time to answer because Orlanda emerged the house, her eyes searching for Dafne. She looked relieved to find her just outside the door. She looked even happier spotting Pietro.
"You complete idiot," she reprimanded Dafne, "what good did you think running away would do. Mortola's livid. Capricorn too I expect since she's up there telling him you've scarpered like Dustfinger," she turned to the subject of her adoration, "Thank you for apprehending her."
"No problem at all," Pietro said with the taut smile he reserved for Orlanda, "I'll take her up to Capricorn for you if you like."
"That would be such a help," Orlanda said, battering her eyelashes as quick as butterfly wings, "I'm so busy at the moment, getting everything ready for the execution feast."
The idea of an execution feast filled Dafne with revulsion. Celebrating murder, her friend's murder, it was sick. She wished Resa had escaped with Dustfinger. She didn't understand why she hadn't.
"If that's the case, we better let you get back to the kitchen," Pietro was saying to Orlanda, obviously to make her leave, "Goodbye Signora."
"Oh yes goodbye," Orlanda said, looking disappointed to be farewelled, "See you at the execution."
She disappeared into the house with a sigh.
The freckled man shook his head as he lit a cigarette.
"I don't envy you that admirer Captain," he said to Pietro, "She's an ugly beast."
He laughed and so did Carlo.
"I don't disagree but she's hardly my concern at the moment," Pietro replied, turning to Dafne, "You and I need to go talk to Capricorn."
Dafne nodded albeit reluctantly. She didn't know what else to do but follow Pietro's lead and hope his skills of persuasion could help her.
Pietro turned to the freckled man,
"Franco, I want you to tell our guys to help look for Dustfinger. He's pretty unmistakable with the scars on his face. He won't be in uniform."
Franco crushed out his cigarette under his boot,
"Yeah alright. I suppose we can't have an execution without the person being executed right?"
He winked at Dafne before sauntering off.
"Come on bella," Pietro said gently.
They entered the house, leaving Carlo looking somewhat glum about resuming watch with no one to talk to. But Dafne didn't spare Carlo a second though. She could only think about the man upstairs. What if Pietro couldn't get him to change his mind?
"I meant it when I said not to worry," Pietro said, reading the doubt on her face, "I will get you out of this situation, I promise."
"How are you going to persuade him?" she asked.
"You'll find out," he said cryptically.
Dafne looked at him in confusion.
"Why can't you tell me?"
"It's better I don't, for effect," he replied, confusing her even more.
"Effect? What do you mean?"
"Just trust me bella," Pietro said, "Trust that I'm doing what I think is best for you."
He sounded sincere but his answer still exasperated her.
"You're not making any sense."
"It will make sense soon enough," Pietro said as they ascended the stairs.
Dafne opened her mouth but closed it with a sigh. They were nearly there and there was no point insisting if he was determined to keep her in the dark for some reason. This made her slightly uneasy but she had no choice but to trust him, and hope whatever he had planned would work.
"Enter," Capricorn's voice answered when Pietro knocked on his door. Dafne cringed at the sharpness in his tone. He was obviously displeased. Why wouldn't he be, having been informed of Dustfinger's escape.
Pietro gave her a reassuring smile before he entered the room with her trailing reluctantly behind.
"Oh it's you Pietro," Capricorn was seated in his armchair. Dafne tried to position herself behind Pietro but his eyes still found her, "And Dafne, what a surprise. Mortola told me you had run off."
"She did run off," Mortola hissed through gritted teeth, "And pushed me over doing it," she narrowed her eyes at Dafne hatefully, "I'll make you pay for that you little..."
"I'm sure Dafne's sorry for pushing you Signora," Pietro interrupted in a respectful voice, "She's sorry for running away too. Aren't you bella?"
"Yes," Dafne murmured, feeling like a child being told to apologise, "I'm sorry."
She wasn't sorry at all for pushing Mortola but she knew it was better to act contrite. Not that Mortola was satisfied.
"You're sorry?" she said in a shrill contemptuous voice, "Do you think that makes everything right as rain," she turned to Capricorn, "She needs to be punished. She ran away!"
Capricorn was eyeing Dafne with his usual clinical expression. He probably agreed with Mortola but Pietro came to her defence before he could confirm this verbally.
"Signora she only ran away because she was afraid of being punished," Pietro said before looking at Capricorn more directly, "She said you were going to give her to Cockerell, as punishment for Basta letting Dustfinger escape."
Capricorn's expression darkened as he dug his fingers into his armrest.
"So you know about our other escapee," he was speaking to Pietro but he was glaring at Dafne. She supposed there was no one better to direct his anger without Basta present, "Quite a screw up wouldn't you say."
"It is," Pietro agreed, "But Dustfinger should be found. I've got my men helping search for him as we speak. He can't sneak out of the village without being recognised. He has Basta to thank for that."
Capricorn leaned in his chair,
"Yes well even if he is recaptured, Basta should never have let him escape in the first place. Why he even considered opening Dustfinger's cell..." he shook his head in incomprehension before sighing, "There's no point trying to make sense of his idiocy. The fact is he let Dustfinger escape and Dafne," she flinched at her name, "knows better than anyone what happens when Basta fails. You get punished don't you my dear."
Dafne stared at him with lump of fear in her throat. She bobbed her head but couldn't find her voice.
Capricorn seemed to approve of such speechlessness. He smiled as he began to inspect his fingernails.
"I made it quite clear to you and Basta what type of punishment you would receive the next he failed. Not that it stopped him for doing so," he watched her through his splayed fingers, "Unfortunately for you."
"So you are giving her to Cockerell then?" Pietro asked.
Capricorn linked his hands and rested them in his lap,
"That's correct. What better way to make Basta sorry he failed me, having his little love suffering at the hands of another man. While he's locked in that cell, unable to save her. The experience will be quite excruciating for him."
"It will be just as excruciating to have her fed to the Shadow," Mortola spoke up viciously, "I still think you're better off doing that."
Capricorn eyed her sharply,
"Yes you've made that opinion quite clear to me," he said almost exasperatedly, "But you're not in charge of the execution list. I am. And I don't require your presence anymore so leave."
Mortola's lips pressed together in discontentment but she didn't argue. Dafne was glad to see the back of her, even gladder that Capricorn had rejected her proposal to have her killed.
"Does Dafne have to be given to Cockerell in particular?" Pietro asked.
Capricorn looked at him curiously,
"Why? Do you have a better candidate?"
Pietro smiled.
"What about me?"
Dafne stared at Pietro in shock. Capricorn looked slightly taken aback himself but masked it quickly.
"You want her?"
Pietro continued smiling, looking unfazed by their reactions.
"Yes. I'm in need of a new maid and I quite like Dafne so how about you let me take her up north."
Dafne tensed at his proposal. What was he doing? He was here to help her, not use her dilemma to serve his own interests. He knew she didn't want to go north with him. She had made it clear why she didn't.
"It would be beneficial for both of us," he was saying, "It would devastate Basta which is what you want. You know how much he hates losing to me. He views me as his rival though I've never thought of him that way," he chuckled, "The way he carries on, he's always been more a source of amusement than anything else."
Capricorn eyed Pietro with a severe expression.
"I can assure Pietro the last thing I find Basta at the moment is amusing," he said quietly, "But then again I've never found anything humorous about gross incompetence and failure. And those two pretty much sum up Basta's handling of things lately. It's been one screw up after the other."
"Yes I've heard," Pietro said. The humour had vanished from his face, replaced by a look of commiseration, "But truthfully sir I can't see any point in continuing to punish Dafne for Basta's mistakes. It's obviously had little effect in preventing them."
"You're not wrong about that," Capricorn conceded not without annoyance, "I'm fast coming to the conclusion that Basta is irredeemably inept. But that doesn't change the fact that Dafne is his weak spot and making her suffer will make him suffer. And I want him to suffer Pietro."
"And he will. If you let me take her away from him," Pietro assured him, "He'll suffer being parted by distance, you can be sure of that."
"He'd suffer more if she was mistreated," Capricorn replied, "I doubt you would treat her as harshly as Cockerell if I gave her to you. You said yourself that you like her."
"I do," Pietro said, "Basta knows this and he's sure to spend every waking hour worrying I could be stealing her away from him. That's a worse thought than her being beaten don't you think? The fear he could lose her love as a result of his own stupidity..."
"You callous bastard," Dafne snapped, unable to stay silent any longer, "What makes you think I'd fall in love with you, especially after hearing you say those things. And I don't want to go north with you either!"
"You'd rather stay here with Cockerell?" Pietro said, "I must say I'm little confused since he's the reason you came running to me in the first place. You wanted me to protect you from him."
"If that right," Capricorn said, "Well Pietro it seems like she doesn't want your protection anymore."
Pietro shrugged, looking unbothered.
"What she's wants doesn't really matter does it. Her fate is your decision. I still want her for my maid."
"You're quite certain about that?"
"Yes," Pietro said brightly, "Even if she doesn't want to be my mistress, she'll be useful to have around the house. In fact my wife would rather like a maid who detests me."
He smiled at Dafne who glared back. But she said nothing. Capricorn wouldn't heed any of her objections and he had made his decision.
"I'll need a replacement maid before I let you take her away," he said to Pietro, "There was a girl Basta was going to fetch from outside the village. I suppose you can do it instead."
"Of course, I can do it now if you like," Pietro offered.
Capricorn shook his head,
"Tomorrow is fine, after the execution. You won't be leaving until that's over anyway. Until then Dafne will continue serving me."
Pietro nodded. He had no problem with that. In the end he would get what he wanted. He didn't look smug though. His expression was more reserved. He glanced at her and she saw something like relief in his eyes. She supposed he was relieved she wasn't going to be given to him instead of Cockerell. She couldn't help feeling relieved herself. She still didn't want to go north with him though – even though she had no choice in the matter.
"Is Basta going to stay locked up?" she asked Capricorn, "If he is, can I please visit him sir."
Capricorn glanced at his nails in contemplation,
"I suppose it would be the merciful thing to do," he said softly, "It might be your last opportunity to speak to him."
Dafne didn't like the ominous phrasing of that statement.
"What do you mean?" she asked apprehensively.
Capricorn looked her straight in the eye with his pale penetrating gaze.
"Well as you've noticed Dafne, Basta's been on a downwards spiral of failure. And I have no use for men who repeatedly let prisoners escape, especially prisoners I was looking forward to executing. If Dustfinger isn't found, I'm seriously considering having Basta executed in his place."
Fear gripped her heart like ice.
"What," Dafne said with quiet disbelieving horror.
Execute Basta. Execute...
She began shaking her head,
"No! No! You can't..." she couldn't even bring herself to say the word in connection with Basta.
Capricorn smiled at her horror, the naiveté of her words. Didn't she understand he was God and he could crush people as easily as ants under his shoe and only feel satisfaction? Basta was no exception.
"Of course I can," he said with a mocking certainty in his voice, "And if Dustfinger isn't found, I will."
"Please," Dafne pleaded automatically, "Please don't..."
At the back of her mind she knew it would do no good. Capricorn didn't have a heart to appeal to. Begging hadn't changed his mind about Resa and it wouldn't change his mind about Basta. If anything she was providing him with entertainment. Knowing this, she fought to hold back her tears. They would just amuse the monster even further.
"Sir," Pietro startled her by speaking up. Capricorn's pronouncement had registered as a shock for him too but his voice was controlled, "Basta might have screwed up a lot lately but you can't deny he's devoted to you. Are you sure you'd want to rid yourself of such a loyal person?"
"What good is loyalty when the person is completely incompetent," Capricorn replied, "Why should you care anyway Pietro, you two aren't friends."
Pietro was pensive for a moment.
"No I suppose we aren't," he said finally.
His eyes travelled to Dafne before shifting back to Capricorn.
"If Dafne's allowed to see Basta, I can take her," he said.
"If you wish," Capricorn said unconcernedly, "Just bring her back before lunchtime."
Pietro swiftly ushered Dafne out of the room. The tears started pouring out of her as soon as they were out in the hallway, silent fear-filled tears. Pietro pushed a handkerchief into hands.
"Try not to fear bella. Dustfinger will be found."
"What if he's not?" she said fearfully, twisting the handkerchief in her agitation.
The tears started to fall harder. She didn't want Basta to die. She couldn't let it happen. She couldn't.
"He can't really hide with those scars bella," Pietro said soothingly, "You need to think positively."
"Positively?" Dafne spluttered in a hysterical-edged voice, "There is no positive in this situation Pietro! Everything is completely screwed up!"
It wasn't just Basta who was in the crypt. Resa was too. Two people she loved. The thought of losing the both of them was just unbearable.
"You're safe from Cockerell," Pietro reminded her, "That's one positive."
He prised the handkerchief out her shaking hands and dabbed her tear-stained face like she was a child he was comforting. She did feel like a child at the moment, helpless and frightened. What was she going to do? She couldn't rely on the men finding Dustfinger to spare Basta's life. If she could get her hands on the crypt keys... But who had them right now. Flatnose? Or were they back in Mortola's clutches? There was no way of knowing. She clenched her fists in frustration.
"I hope you aren't too angry at me about what I had to say in there," Pietro murmured, "It was all to convince Capricorn to give you to me instead of Cockerell. Your reaction was part of that too. He might have passed on the idea if you'd seemed the slightest bit accepting of my proposal. That's why I didn't tell you anything beforehand. I knew you'd react that way since you don't want to go north. But I really think it's the safest place for you bella, away from Capricorn and Cockerell. As soon as Pumpkin works his way back into Capricorn's favour, he can come get you."
"How can he do that if he's dead Pietro?" Dafne hissed, grimacing at the awful words as she pushed his handkerchief away from her face. The tears had stopped but her heart was still beating frantically with fear. "Have you forgotten he might be executed tonight?"
"Might is not the same as definitely," Pietro told her calmly, "Dustfinger just needs to recaptured for Basta to be spared."
"Can you say that certain," Dafne said as a terrible thought occurred to her, "What if he's recaptured and Capricorn chooses to execute Basta anyway? You heard him in there, saying how useless and incompetent Basta is. What's to stop him from feeding him to the Shadow?"
By the solemn look on Pietro's face, she could see her fear wasn't unrealistic.
"You mustn't think like that," he said finally, "You have to have hope."
You can't open a prison door with hope, Dafne thought sorrowfully.
To be continued...
Poor Dafferz. Poor Basta (who will be in the next chapter). And Pie's really a good guy at heart when he chooses to be.
In the book it says that when Elinor is taken to the crypt, Basta asks Cockerell if they had found Dustfinger yet. This led me to believe that Capricorn might have said that if Dustfinger wasn't found, Basta would take his place being executed. Therefore Basta would have spent the whole day praying that Dusty was found so he would be spared (not knowing that Cappy would have him executed regardless of Dusty being recaptured).
Franco is Pietro's second in command at the northern HQ. They aren't related but he and Pietro grew up together so they are pretty close. Franco was the mafia's torture expert so he's broken quite a few fingers in his time. Hence his suggestion to Pietro XD
I know Nico wasn't in this chapter D: But he's off comparing new phones with Dante or something. He'll appear soon, perhaps next chapter.