Note from the Author: Sorry if the chapters seem to be getting shorter and shorter. It's just hard to write when I'm so worried about boot camp in two weeks :( I'm trying my hardest to finish in time though! Thank you everyone for the kind wishes and thoughtful reviews.

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Chapter 30

Alcina crinkled her nose as her fingers dug through the pockets of the corpse slumped against the wall of her room, the overpowering smell of iron and plasma sickening her stomach. Being an assassin required her to deal with gore, but this particular circumstance was nauseating. "Why do I have to do this?" she gagged.

"Because you're the one who made the mess," Ezio folded his arms with a grin. She peeled back the damp coat from the body, the blood spotted fabric squishing under her touch. Her hand burrowed into the empty pockets, finding nothing of value. The blood had grown cold, aged and clammy... the worst kind. Ezio stifled a laugh at the contorting grimace twisting her lips as the body's stench wafted into her nose.

"Bastardo," she huffed to the corpse, pointlessly punching it in it's dead thigh.

"So he carried nothing then?" Ezio shook his head in exasperation. "Perfetto... now where do we begin?"

She raised an interested eyebrow, "Aspetta, I may have found something."

Ezio craned over her as she prodded the area she had just punched with her fingers. She picked up the tiny scissors from the floor that had saved her life hours before and began snipping away the pant leg of the attacker, tearing the sopping fabric from the body. Beneath the ribbons of shredded cloth, she found a strap latched around the frozen leg, concealing blood spotted envelopes. Alcina stripped the documents and passed them behind her to her onlooker with pride, "What do you make of these?"

Ezio turned the slips of paper over in his hands, his eyes taking in every detail. "They were marked with the templar insignia. I can still make out the cross from the broken seal." Alcina stared into the mess of blood below her perched feet, finding it hard not to drag the scissors through the color like a child drawing in the dirt. "Well Alcina, it looks as though we are going to Firenze."

"The documents were written in Firenze? Why would Rodrigo chose Firenze?"

"Not Rodrigo... the letters were signed by someone else."

"Who?"

"It makes no sense. They are signed by Patriarch Rodolfo Salvatore. These must be weeks, maybe even months old."

Alcina glared at the name and gestured a nod toward the dead body, "When I confronted him, he said 'Salvatore sends his regards.' He must have been hired before the Patriarch's death."

"Unless..."

"Unless what!" Alcina snapped defensively. Was Ezio going to be the second person to question her ability to tell the difference between a dead man and a live one?

Ezio stroked his jaw line with his thumb thoughtfully, "Unless someone else has claimed his title, seeking to benefit from the Templar's plan. Someone who knew him... someone close..."

Her startled eyes flared, "Ezio, you aren't suggesting this is Donato's doing are you?"

Ezio cautiously grabbed hold of her hand, "I hope not amore, but we must consider all possibilities. That is the only way we can be prepared." She regretfully turned her eyes from his as he continued, "Rodolfo trusted Donato, maybe even expected him to continue his plans if something should happen to him." He slipped his fingers beneath her chin and turned her stubborn gaze to his, "All I am saying is that it is possible, and we must be ready for anything." His fingers traveled to her cheek, curving against the contours of her face as her expression turned from a defensive glare to a worried gaze. She hoped against all odds that her brother was not involved in this. She would rather die than be made to chose between blood and love... she refused.

"I will leave you alone..." He kissed her forehead softly, warming her frigid skin, "We will leave when you are ready." She nodded beneath his lips, squeezing her eyes tightly shut. Ezio smoothed his thumb across her lower lip before walking out of the room, leaving her alone with her troubled mind.

"This is your fault," she cursed in the direction of the dead body, spitting in it's direction. Her saliva splattered to the floor lacking the spiteful effect she desired. She huffed aloud and marched from her chambers, unable to be in that spiritless room a moment longer. She wasn't sure where her feet were taking her, but that was the least of her worries.

The click of her boots contrasting with the rainfall lulled her into a trance, chilling her to the bone as she wandered through the empty halls, her mind absent and buried in her thoughts. Donato... no, he couldn't be the new Patriarch. She began fighting a terrible sensation of doubt and weakness as she gnawed anxiously into her cheek. It was in this stupor that she came to the harsh realization that she knew absolutely nothing about her own brother. Who was he? What were his likes, dislikes, strengths and weaknesses... even the sound of his voice was foreign in her mind. What was he even like? The one person she searched all of Italy for the past 10 years of her life was a complete stranger to her, and had somehow become her greatest enemy.

A strange sound jerked her from her anguish, her fluid movements finally under her control. She was instantly aware that she was outside of someone's room and had even knocked on the door. That explained the sound... but why did her conscious lead her here?

"Alcina?"

"I am sorry signora, I did not mean to disturb you."

Maria shook her head softly, "Nonsense child. Is everything alright?"

"I... I do not know."

"Please, come in," she greeted Alcina with a warm smile as she welcomed her into the bedroom. They stood awkwardly for a few silent moments, both gazing around the room in every direction. "I have something for you. My maid retrieved this from the tailor as an errand for Mario. I think you'll find it much more agreeable with your size."

Maria shuffled to the other end of the room, retrieving a wrapped rectangle shape. "Molto grazie signora," Alcina accepted the familiar package in her hands, suddenly afraid the lingering smell of her father had faded from the fabric. "I cannot help but feel responsible for what happened to Mario," the words blurted from her lips without control.

Maria's mouth tightened, "Responsible? Alcina we should be thanking you. If you had not stopped that killer, I am certain the rest of us would be in far worse condition than my husband's brother." Alcina felt a clench in her tender throat as her fingers touched over the bruises left behind from her attackers jabbing fingers.

Maria saw her embarrassment and sweetly guided her to the vanity beside the fireplace, dabbing a cloth into a jar of pale powder and gently applying it to the dark shapes on Alcina's neck. She then helped her change into her new assassin robes; tying loose ends tightly and strapping on the layers of protective garments, all done without the exchanging of words. Alcina had truly begun to appreciate Maria and the unspoken bond they shared, both able to understand one another without the hassle of conversation.

A swell of bravery heightened in her chest as Maria turned her to face the standing mirror. She was taken aback by the sleek, ivory stranger behind the glass, both beautiful and dangerous. The devilish brown eyes glowing beneath the shade of the sharp hood as the confident half smile lengthened over the shapely face. Ezio's mother spoke softly into her ear, "You look just like him."