Part one: chapter fourteen
April, 1600
The cries echoing through the cold walls was the music to his ears. The powerless fall of dignity heard in the voices of each of his victims experienced while being locked away in dirty and obscure cells, a striking contrast to what all of them had been used to throughout their whole lives, made him all too happy.
He considered himself a man of simple, if a little gore, needs. Inflicting pain here and there while being paid for it was the perfect way of survival to him and he excelled it, if he could say so himself. Which is why he decided to keep the nickname given to him by the low lifes of the Scums - Mortis suited him just fine. He had gone by many different aliases during his life, though this one held a special place in his heart. Enough so that he started using it as a substitute to his real name.
His current work was going to set him up for the rest of his life, at least in the financial sense of it.
He had been cooperating with his contractors for a few years, though on a much smaller scale than now. So far, he had usually entered in the final stage of their plans, organising the grande finale of it all, making sure no traces were left behind and that no one would ever discover who was behind the tragedy falling over the areas they had been haunting with their presence. It had been fine with him. His contractors had been highly efficient and skilled themselves, planning a few steps ahead of everyone, not failing once in their task.
He didn't know their names nor their faces. No, it would give him too much power over them at any point. A leverage that none of them could deal with easily. Still, he could recognize through their speech patterns and the way they handled themselves that they were men of high statuses. It was enough that they paid him for his work immediately and didn't interfere much with his ways. The important thing was that the work was done.
When they had reached to hire not only him, but also a team he found suitable for the job, he had been surprised - and excited, if slightly suspicious. He hadn't survived years with the hazardous profession by being hot-headed about his decision making when it came to work. Mortis had taken a longer time than usual to look around in an attempt to discover why exactly they had needed his support. He investigated a bit, asked questions, and watched closely the scene.
It took him some time, but he eventually got his answers - he knew all too well what to look for. Their grande finale kept slipping through their fingers, continuing surviving in freedom day after day with the help of the House that should not have as much power as it had.
It was a challenge he was more than willing to accept, and the money made the deal even sweeter.
"You are in a good mood."
A voice cut through the pleasant noise and he looked up, squashing the spark of irritation.
There were not many people brave enough to interrupt him in his designated office - or stupid enough, such as in the case at hand. Though the gloomy and empty room he had occupied in the abandoned building that served them as a prison for their kidnapped victims was nowhere close to fir the definition of the actual office. While he himself would probably choose something of more luxury, Mortis had to admit that it served the purpose of their plans. It was secluded to the point where no one probably even remembered the old amphitheatre existed in the first place - if it even was an amphitheatre in the first place, cause the cell looking rooms gave a moment of doubt when it came to that.
They used it well, though. The award-winning feature turned out to be the scene located in the centre of the building. They didn't have to worry about an unlucky passerby stumbling accidently at their little auctions. He might have had some doubts concerning the durability of the wood holding it together, but he had held back any complaints he had when introduced to the place. Instead, he had made his men work on it in their free time.
"There is no reason not to be." he answered. "We are nearing the end of it all."
The Storm User leaned against the doorframe of his office, watching him. Mortis didn't bother with learning their names - they were expendable. Despite the belief of others, it wasn't impossible to find Flame Users amongst the brats in Orphanages. Not with the way the Mafia men spent their time away from duties, fooling around with no care about the consequences.
He, on the other hand, used their careless actions to his benefits. It took only a bit of promises and coins to have the bastards join him, serving his purposes. If one was lost, he simply looked for another with the attributes that he needed. Whether the kid looked for a twisted father figure in their lives, or simply wanted a way out of the depressing institutions they had been placed on the day of their births, he didn't know nor care about.
"We still don't have her." the redhead reminded him, an irritation visible on his face.
Mortis observed him for a moment.
The failure at the previous attempt kept bothering his Storm, it was obvious in the way he kept blabbering about it constantly. He had to even stop him from taking his anger out on one of the girls meant for the lesser Auctions, as they couldn't spare any of their prices on his emotions. The lack of control the boy showed made him irritated, though he was showing exceptional strength and possibilities - too much for Mortis to dispose of him simply due to the fact that he couldn't stand his character.
"We will soon. The plan is already set in motion, Mist is on it." he said.
That peaked the redhead's interest, as he straightened and entered the room with no invitation extended.
"What do you mean?"
"You will see when the time comes." standing up, the man looked at the boy with hard eyes, signalising the end of the subject. "Is everything ready for tonight?"
It was almost entertaining, to see the boy strain himself to not lose control of his anger of being stalled.
"Yes. The girls are ready, the place is ready, our esteemed guests should be coming here soon. We are doing an inventory check, so to say. To make sure none of them hang themselves or something. We can't lose anymore."
Mortis nodded his head, happy with the answer, before closing his eyes and listening to his surroundings once more.
"Don't worry about the lost one. She was of not much value anyway."
It was a bit irritating that they had to go through that much of an effort to kidnap one girl. But he had no issue with doing so. Everything was going in accordance with his plans. Nothing was going to ruin it.
Not when he set a perfect plan.
The atmosphere in the room has been full of anxiety and impatience, as Alexandra and Elena awaited any news to reach Vongola Residence about the latest development in the ongoing case. The same could be said probably about every single household in the local Towns, at least the ones that got the word from the people present in the Cavallone Residence when the news had been shared. The brunette couldn't help but wonder just how many people had decided to follow their haste exit and return to their own homes to spread the information with others as soon as possible. After all, all of them waited for a miracle to happen and even the possibility of it was of a great significance to all of them.
The road to her temporary home had been probably the longest one she had endured so far - the time had been dragging as each of them had wanted to find out more than the short, rushed explanation provided by Gabriel. Giotto and G hadn't even stepped inside the house, only making sure she was securely placed under protection of Demon and the other men tasked with securing the grounds, before making their way straight to the Carlevaro Residence.
She couldn't fully comprehend Giotto's hesitation when he helped her out of the carriage, nor the prolonged silent conversation he had with his Mist Guardian over her head before he had eventually let go of her hand, though she shook it out of her head eventually, putting it on the card of his sense of duty. He had been taking his job in protecting her more seriously than she had expected him to. Demon had seemed deeply amused by it, though, when she had passed him by the doors leading to the Residence.
Alexandra herself went to Elena to tell her the news, though the blonde had already known the gists of it from the messenger Giotto had sent to his Guardians - the boy had been much faster riding on the horse than they had been by the carriage. Many emotions had been exchanged in the duration of their talk - shock and disbelief at first, though there was also an excitement coming from the hopes that something could be discovered now, move forward to lead them straight to the kidnapped girls and, in the best scenario, find them all alive and untouched. Both of them were aware that chances for that were slim, seeing as some of the kidnapped people had been gone for months now, but they chose to ignore the thoughts.
Instead, Alexandra tried to release her anxious energy by walking from one window to another in the guest room, awaiting the carriage to show up on the road leading to the Vongola Residence. Only to scold herself a moment later - she wasn't even certain if the carriage had already reached the Carlevaro Residence, considering the distance between them.
A quick glance at the clock hanging over the fireplace of her guest bedroom told her that the possibility was close to zero, though it shouldn't take them that much longer.
"When do you think they will be back?" Elena asked, breaking the silence.
"Hours, most probably. I'm not sure what Gabriel expects from Giotto, but they will probably want to talk to the girl. Some of the officials may also get involved. And doctors probably will come to check on her wellbeing." Alexandra answered, playing with the necklace around her neck. "It's safe to assume that they may not be back for the night."
Elena hummed to herself, turning in the armchair so her chin rested against the back of it and watched the brunette for a few seconds, before admitting.
"I hope nothing happened to her. Nothing similar to what happened to the ones that were found, at least."
Alexandra shivered at the memory of the broken body laying on the snow covered streets.
"Do you think she escaped or they let her go?" she asked thoughtfully.
"Why would they let her go?" Elena wandered loudly. "After all this month they would suddenly find a moral code?"
Alexandra considered it for a moment, turning away from the window and leaning against the windowsill, the wind blowing against her back comfortingly through the slot left by the maids to let the fresh air in..
"Or maybe she didn't fit their goals, whatever it is." she said eventually. "But I want to know who the girl is. If it's anyone we know."
Elena nodded her head.
"All towns probably will share a similar notion once the word is passed to them."
"Whatever town she is from, the relief will be enormous." Alexandra pointed out.
The sound of hooves on the ground made both women look at each other with anxiety, before Alexandra turned around quickly to see through the window. There was a spike of disappointment when it was only a messenger, though the brunette recognized the boy easily - he was hired by her own family after all.
"He is my father's messenger boy." she said.
Neither of them hesitated before rushing towards the door of the bedroom. It was probably the fastest Alexandra had ever moved down the stairs, not to mention unlady-like, but both she and Elena were too eager to hear the news to care about their appearances.
Demon was already in the hallway, talking to the boy in a hushed voice. It was hard to hear without hovering over the Mist Guardian's backs, but the messenger's excitement was visible in his movements, which also increased the hope the two females felt. .
Whatever the boy had to say, he passed it over quickly, before disappearing back outside, not even waiting for Demon to offer him a place to rest before heading to Carlevaro Residence.
"What did he say?" Elena asked, making her fiance turn towards them.
He didn't look at least surprised by their presence, on the contrary - he seemed to fully expect them to show up.
"The girl is alive and moderately well. There is not much harm done to her, thankfully, though she seemed to suffer from amnesia. The doctor apparently said it's to be expected, after traumatic events." he repeated.
"It's good to hear she is alright." Alexandra said.
Elena hummed in agreement with her.
While glad for the girl's health, she still felt a spike of disappointment at the last bit of the news - there would be no great breakthrough without her memories of who had done her harm.
"She is going to stay in our Residence for the time being." Demon added. "That's why Giotto sent the messenger, to ask us to prepare everything for her arrival."
"I will speak to the maids. We need to prepare one of the guest rooms for her." Elena said, before stopping for a moment of consideration. "Should it be in our Wing? She will still need a chaperone and I may serve as one until we choose one of the maids to move to the room."
"That's a good idea. Let's hope that enough rest and a friendly environment will make her memories come back soon." Demon said and glanced at his watch. "I'm going to talk to Alaude and pass him the information, we will need to work on security. With the three of you being a possible target, we may need some managing to do."
Passing by them, Demon stopped for a short moment, giving his fiancee a passing hug, before rushing to where he expected to find Cloud Guardian. Elena looked after him for a second, a small smile playing on her lips, before shaking herself.
"I will be right back." she said, turning to Alexandra.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" the brunette asked.
Elena shook her head, already on her way towards the staff quarters.
"No, just wait for me. The staff will handle most of the things anyway, so I will join you in a minute."
Once she was gone, Alexandra looked around the empty hallway, feeling quite useless in the situation.
Giotto was tired.
It had been late at night by the time he had the opportunity to cross the threshold of his home. The day - full of events and surprises - had been much longer than he had originally expected. It hadn't been the first time he had to stay up for a long time sacrificing his sleep for duties, and certainly not the last one, but the overwhelming need to get the well-deserved rest was slowly getting into him. But he didn't complain - he had never done so. If it was becoming he would occasionally avoid his work and get an impromptu day off, though it seemed he would not be able to do so the next few weeks, if not months. Working in secrecy of the investigation had been taking most of his time, aligning the works with his Guardians, as well as trying to help Cozatto in covering his tracks in the Capitol in the face of the danger his friend had put himself into.
And still, he doubted he would quickly fall asleep tonight, the events of the day making his mind reel with thoughts. The news had been good originally, though their hopes were quickly put down by the doctor visiting the young woman that had been found on the street, hurt and unconscious. It hadn't been until she had introduced herself upon regaining her senses that Gabriel had connected her to one of the missing girls from another town.
The only problem was that, due to the trauma she had suffered, the young lady didn't remember anything that had happened to her during her captivity. So even though they had a witness, the whereabouts and identity of the kidnappers still remained a mystery.
Giotto sighed, crossing the hall, thinking of the new responsibilities he took upon himself. Not only did he promise the full cooperation of Alaude in the investigation once he was back - officially at least, as he hoped his Cloud Guardian would not let pass that they had been quite deeply involved into that already - but he also had taken the woman under their protection, giving her a place and safety of their Residence. They had been one of the most guarded locations, after all. Secluded and patrolled constantly, as he didn't want to jeopardise the safety of Elena and Alexandra in the face of the events, no harm should come to any of the females currently residing in his Residence.
Though a doubt had been building in him during his trip home. There was a great possibility that the kidnappers would go after the young woman to ensure she would not share anything crucial about them. And there was also a matter of Alexandra being already constantly targeted by the group as well.
The situation was growing more dangerous and he wasn't so certain anymore if he was strong enough to perform his duties. The sight of the fallen carriage and Alexandra falling into his arms, unconscious, still haunted him occasionally. The brunette herself seemed to be more skilled with getting over it, as it looked like she had not been much influenced by it anymore, though he had wondered many times whether she really was so lenient about it, or if she had put an act on, avoiding the subject altogether while pretending she had never used her Flame and he hadn't been a witness of it.
His line of thoughts was abruptly cut short by the sight of the light of the fireplace peaking through the slightly open door leading to the daily room of the Residence. He hadn't expected anyone to be up at this hour, especially with most of his Guardians being delegated to other duties. Walking there to see who was up at this ungodly hour, he was greeted by the sight that made him smile despite his previous dark thoughts.
Demon was sitting comfortably on the small settee, reading a book, with Elena's head resting on his shoulder as the woman slept deeply with her legs tucked under her, seeming comfortable despite her position. On the armchair next to them, Alexandra laid curled, also fast asleep, with the book dangerously close to sliding from her hip where she had rested it just before the tiredness took over her. Both women were securely covered with the blankets, probably by the Mist Guardians or one of the maids.
The approaching footsteps caught Demon's attention. The man raised his head to look at who it was, surprised by the sight.
"I didn't hear a door open." he said, a yawn escaping his lips as soon as he finished a sentence.
"I didn't want to wake anyone. The entrance to the kitchen is much quieter than the main doors." Giotto explained, reaching them.
"Our guest is securely asleep in Mist Wing. She didn't even wake up when she was brought inside." Demon reported, putting his book aside and turning his full attention to his boss.
"The doctor gave her quite a strong sleeping drug. She was too shaken to rest on her own. Thankfully, there was not much physical damage to her, her mental health suffered much more."
Before sitting down on the empty armchair, Giotto reached out and picked the book from Alexandra, before it could fall and most probably wake both of the sleeping women.
"Did she say anything of importance?" The hopeful curiosity was palpable in Demon's voice.
Giotto felt a pang of regret to be the one that would put down the expectancy of his friend.
"She can't. She remembers nothing, not even when and how they took her." he replied, resting against the back of his seat. "The doctor said it was probably temporary and once she feels more at ease in a safe environment, the memories can come back. But it won't be a pleasant experience."
"The other victims may not have that much time."
Giotto wholeheartedly shared his Guardian worries.
"Nothing can be done about that. Unless her mind is ready to recover the memories, at least." he replied.
Demon opened his mouth and closed them quickly, already knowing that Giotto would not agree to his proposition. He wasn't certain whether it was sitting well with him as well, but he was willing to sacrifice his own piece of conscience if required.
Mist Flame, his expertise, would allow him to see the woman's memories. While the main expertise of his power was illusion, he could also gain an access to the brain of his opponents, if the opportunity to do so was presented. Demon had done it numerous times to gain an upper hand on his opponents, more or less discreetly, discovering many weaknesses of the ones that were unlucky enough to stand against him. He was certain he was experienced enough to retrieve the pictures the woman had hidden in her memories.
And yet, there was no saying what could happen to her after it was done. The usual outcome was destroying the psychic of his enemies and he couldn't promise the same wouldn't happen to their guest. Even since he had joined the Vongola Family, Giotto had strongly voiced his displeasure in using such methods when they still had other possibilities available. And they had usually discussed it while facing the need to deal with some of the worst characters roaming their streets. His main goal was to put them to justice, not making them into a blubbering mess locked in the sudden emptiness of their own minds, as he had said so shortly after Demon had joined them.
So Demon held back his offer, not wanting to put Giotto in such a position again.
"Why is she here, anyway? I don't mind, of course, but I was certain D'Angelo wouldn't let her out of his sight, seeing as she is the only opportunity to bring it to the end." he asked instead.
"Normally, he wouldn't. But he believes Carlevaro House wouldn't be able to properly secure the safety of Beatrice, Elsbeth and Miss Martin. Most of their men are delegated to the case and away from the mansion, the ones guarding his wife and mother-in-law are the only fighting force in the Residence currently." Giotto explained, biting his lip in thought.
Demon watched him for a moment, the uncertainty and worry radiating from the blond was too easy to read to ignore it. Giotto hadn't shown any weakness in front of them often, despite being their closest friend. He had always made sure to remain a strong composure to give his Guardians enough strength to reach their shared goal.
"We put the guards in every possible position anyway. The patrol routes were extended to the surrounding forests as well, just in case. Protecting one additional person won't be much of a problem. Not for us." he said with a smirk, glad when he received a relieved smile in return. "But doesn't it make you wonder? That it's twice already when one of the strongest Houses in the Mafia puts their responsibility on our shoulders?"
Giotto raised his hand to his eyes, rubbing it for a second. He didn't want to speak badly about anyone, especially not his own allies, but he would be lying if he said that he hadn't wandered once or twice about the logic behind the latest acts of the Carlevaro House. Though there was always an explanation for it, mostly Francesco's absence and Gabriel's inexperience, and for the time being, he would grasp onto that,
"Francesco's mission came at the worst possible time. The case is beyond Gabriel's current abilities. To be honest, even Alaude is struggling with making any discoveries. If that's what he needs from us to help him get closer to solving this, then we will do our best." he said eventually with a heavy sigh, before raising his head and looking around the room once again. "Why are you all here at this hour?"
"The two of them wanted to wait for you. They were out almost at the same time, so their plan didn't work out." Demon asked, glancing at his fiancee with a smile. "I didn't feel tired anyway, so I decided to do it in their stead."
"I will tell them everything in the morning." Giotto promised. "Take Elena to her room, it would be cruel to wake them up now."
"Will you take care of Alexandra?" Demon looked at him, a strange spark of humour in his eyes.
"Yes, don't worry. I'm quite an expert at it by now." he replied with a quiet snort, standing up.
"You didn't seem to mind it."
Giotto rolled his eyes, not even looking at the smirk that he knew was definitely present on Demon's face.
"Don't you have your own fiancee to attend to?" he asked, though there was no irritation in his voice.
Demon laughed quietly, before doing just that. Elena didn't make a noise when he picked her up to carry her to her bedroom. The only reaction she had was to put her arms around Demon's neck, comfortable and at ease in his embrace even when she was fast asleep.
Giotto watched them go, before turning to the armchair occupied by sleeping Alexandra. A thought occurred to him that perhaps it would be more appropriate to wake her up and let her walk to her room on her own while escorting her, but she looked too peaceful and at ease for him to consider it for too long. Running a hand through his hair - he lost count how many times he had done it that night - he stood from his own seat.
She didn't stir when he picked her up. It was only after the blanket fell from her sleeping form that he noticed that she wasn't wearing her daily clothing, but instead was securely wrapped in her robe, which covered a nightgown she had underneath. It did make carrying her slightly easier, but for some unknown reason he could feel a warmth creeping up his neck.
The fact almost made him laugh.
He had been once a very easy-to-embarrass person, a fact that Cozatto and G had used against him sporadically when they had been growing up, though never with a malicious intent. It had taken a lot of time and effort to outgrew it and he himself had been quite happy with the results. His friends had been much more immune to the feeling of chagrin that he had been, though Giotto had always put it on the bark of the different culture he had been raised in before arriving in Italy all those years ago. But after they had abandoned the walls of the orphanage to roam the streets on their own, he had not much choice but to get used to certain things he had witnessed in his new reality.
And he had seen - and touched - a ladies clad in much less than a thick robe and a nightgown that covered everything up to ankles. At least that's what he assumed based on the limited knowledge he had about the fashion, cause Giotto had no intention of actually checking it.
He stood for a moment without moving, making sure that Alexandra was still asleep and would not move once they started climbing up the stairs. The fall would do nothing good for neither of them.
Still, while making his way up to the guest room assigned to Alexandra for the duration of her stay, Giotto couldn't help but think back to Demon's words concerning the requests from Carlevaro House. He didn't mind helping them, and was more than happy to do so, but the situation had been steadily outgrowing all of their plans and expectations recently. He wouldn't probably admit it to any of his Guardians, though he had a split second of hesitation before accepting a new ward under their protection.
The limited presence of his friends in the Residence was one of the reasons - they would need to do some organisational changes with their plans to ensure each of the present ladies was secured by one of them. The other matter was the real reason behind Alexandra living with them and her acting as his fiancee. They had been rather lazy with pretending when inside the safe walls of his home, with people closest to them aware of the farce. With Miss Matin around, they would need to behave as an engaged couple not only during the limited social events, but practically all the time. That would include not only their own change of behaviour, but also an effort on his part to actually plan something resembling the bridal lessons that would keep any questions away.
But even with that in mind, he found himself easily agreeing to Gabriel's request. With the debt he had when it came to Francesco and his family, he couldn't just abandon them in the moment of need, even if it would be done due to prioritising Alexandra's safety.
He was certain they would make it work somehow. His partner in the entire facade had been rather compliant with everything they had been through so far and he had no reason to believe that Alexandra would do anything to endanger their cover in any way. And, despite the passing warning he had received from Francesco before his departure, she hadn't done anything that would put her in danger of her own creation. On the contrary, she had been probably more careful than he had been on a few times, including their trips to Cavallone Residence - she had voiced her worries on both occasions, though he had done his best to calm it down both times. And the results had not really been in his favour so far.
Lost in his thoughts, he didn't even notice that he had almost made it to his destination. Alexandra's stirring made him pull out of his referee as he stopped and looked down at her. He had hoped that she would fall back asleep, even if it would cause some problems with entering the room, though his hopes were brought down as soon as she blinked her eyes open, the striking colour fogged by the remains of her sleep. She looked for a few seconds at his neck, trying to gather her surroundings - and failing miserably - before looking straight at his face.
Despite the tiredness still steadily seeping into his senses, he barely kept back an amused smile at the look of confusion and lack of understanding that was plastered all over her features. Giotto wasn't even certain if she recognized him at this point.
"Whass... goin' on?" she asked, voice all drowsy.
"Nothing much. You fell asleep downstairs, I'm helping you find a way back to your bed." he replied, before realising that his choice of words perhaps wasn't the best.
Still, she hummed in answer, as if it made sense in her current state, before resting her head back against his shoulder.
"I c'ld... walk... my...self." she still said stubbornly, her voice slowly fading.
Giotto let out a short laugh at that. Sleeping Alexandra was adorable, he had to admit.
He thought that she would actually go back to her rest, probably not even registering the exchange in her memories. But he only managed to take one step forward before her body stiffened and she raised her head, taking a second look at his face, the teal eyes much clearer than before.
"You are back." she said, straightening herself even more by pushing himself away from his chest slightly.
He had to tighten her grip on her to not let her fall.
"Indeed. Thank you for noticing." he replied with a spark of humour.
Even through her still sleepy features, she threw an unamused look at him.
"How did it go? Did you find out anything?"
"Not much more than what you already know from the boy I sent earlier." he admitted honestly. "I will explain more in the morning, when everyone is awake."
The disappointment in her eyes was clearly visible, even though she had already heard the news once Demon had shared the message. Giotto knew that it was something they all had to be prepared for in the upcoming days. The escape of Miss Martin brought a lot of hope to everyone - as he had no doubt that the news had already spread around - only to be brought down with unforgivable force. The biggest blow as he expected would come down on the families of still missing victims.
"Is it even possible that she will regain her memories?"
Giotto hesitated for a second. The doctor had warned them that it may take time for Miss Martin's mind to heal enough to recover the things she would rather keep under the veil. And he really didn't wish her to relive the time of her captivity. There was no saying what kind of trauma she would need to endure after it happened.
"For the sake of others, it would be best if she did. But it can be an unpleasant experience for her." he replied eventually. "And we will need to do our best to support her through the entire process of it."
"I will do what I can to help." Alexandra promised.
He nodded his head, already expecting that. Even despite the situation, the only highlight of Miss Martin placement in his Residence was the fact that she and Elena were both present there constantly to help their new guest accommodate quickly. The three of them were close in age so the possibility of them forming a friendship that would make her feel at ease was high enough for Giotto to have a moment of peace at least in that matter.
A silence hovered over them.
He wasn't certain whether Alexandra had woken up fully at this point, or getting some information to appease her curiosity made her more aware of her surroundings, but he could pinpoint exactly the moment when she realised in what position she was currently in.
He couldn't help it. Nor that he tried especially hard to cover his amusement, but the more his smile grew, the more red on the face Alexandra was becoming. Eventually, she cleared her throat, averting her eyes to look at the door leading to her room.
"... you can put me down now, thank you." she said.
"I kind of expected you to jump off by now." he admitted.
He still set her down carefully on the ground, holding back his laughter when she took a step back immediately and shot him a dignified glare at the insinuation.
"I still have some shreds of dignity." she replied.
"With how much effort we put in keeping it intact, shreds are rather disappointing." he pointed out.
Alexandra hummed, raising her eyebrow at him.
"Trying to get into a lady's bedroom while she is sleeping is an interesting effort to do so."
Giotto laughed shortly, shaking his head.
It was a nice change from the mood of the day ever since they had left the Cavallone Residence. Even though there was not much to be happy about lately, with the rare good news coming only from the birth of Dino and discovery of Miss Martin, he was still glad there were moments like this one, when he could simply banter and tease each other with his friends and family.
He just hadn't expected that Alexandra would be a fitting partner for that.
"That's one way to put it." he admitted, putting his hands into the pockets of his trousers. "We should go to sleep. There will be much to discuss tomorrow."
Alexandra nodded her head, turning to the door, while he himself took a few steps in the direction of the stairways, to finally make his way to his own Wing, to finally get some much needed rest. If he would be able to fall asleep at all - there were still too many thoughts running through his head for him to quieten down enough to relax.
He barely made a few steps before a hesitant voice called his name, making him look over his shoulder, questions written all over his face. He watched Alexandra, his brows slightly furrowed, as she looked back at him while biting the inside of her cheek, the faint light of candles still burning in the corridor putting a warm glow on her face.
She suddenly regretted calling him back.
There was a moment of silence as she battled with herself whether to ask the question she originally wanted, making his concern suddenly increase.
"Something's wrong?" he asked, turning fully around.
His voice made her pull herself out of her thoughts, before Alexandra shook her head.
"No, it's nothing. Thank you for taking care of me." she said instead with a smile.
She went inside the room before he had a chance to react.
Giotto watched the empty space for a moment, not certain what exactly that was about, before rubbing the back of his neck and turning, sighing to himself.
He really needed his sleep.
Alexandra didn't know when she had drifted asleep, though the clock in her bedroom told her she had rested for quite a few hours. But she certainly hadn't expected to be woken up surrounded by the comfortable warmth and a smell of sandalwood. She had considered jumping off Giotto's arms at the exact moment she had realised he was carrying her, though it would probably be the last thing she would admit to him. With her luck, she would probably end flat on her face or butt while performing the action, so she was glad her self-preservation instinct kicked in before she had a chance to utilise that plan.
She cleared her throat with irritation at the feeling of her cheeks growing warm again, before glancing at the bed that Lizzie had already prepared for her. It looked comfortable and welcoming, though something was telling her that the sleep would not come quickly over her now that she was awakened. Soft snoring reached her from the adjacent room where her maid was fast asleep, tired from the day. Elena had told her that Lizzie had been a great help in preparing for the arrival of Miss Martin and that made Alexandra glad - at least one of them was useful in the situation.
Deciding that turning around in her bed would be a waste of time, Alexandra made her way to the desk. There were still things she had to organise, even despite her current restrained possibility of acting. But even though her mind had been mostly circling around the discovery of Miss Martin and the possibilities it could bring, there was also another matter she had to deal with immediately. It had kept hunting her when they all had sat down in the living room with Elena and Demon, each of them busy with their own thoughts and activities, silence falling over them. In that comfortable and safe environment she had found herself, Alexandra couldn't stop thinking whether Rose had at least the possibility to experience the same - or if she had to overcome whatever her husband was inflicting on her in the exact moment she herself was resting and enjoying the warmth of the fireplace and the pleasant cup of tea.
No, she couldn't wait until her own situation would be resolved and she would be back to her Residence.
But she also couldn't do it on her own. Being constantly watched and accompanied by the Guardians, organising everything she had to plan would be impossible without getting them involved - eventually, they would start asking questions she was sure she wasn't comfortable with answering. Nor that she even could do so, anyway.
She lit up the candle on her desk, watching for a moment as the flame came to live, giving the area a nice, warm hue, reflecting in the glass of the window in front of her. She tried to collect and grasp all of her thoughts into one logical order, something that could help her with the problem at hand. There was something already brewing in her mind, an idea that could just work for Rose, though it would be hard to put in motion under normal circumstances. Now it almost seemed impossible.
Still, she pulled a clear piece of parchment from the desk and put it on the surface. Dipping a pen in the ink, Alexandra wandered for a moment how exactly to pass over the information without any details. There were none of Josh' guards around to pass the note safely, so she would need to send the letter over the usual way.
Dear Mia,
I'm sorry for not writing for such a long time, everything has been hectic with the situation in town. I'm sure you are aware of what's going on here and how dire the situation is.
To put down your worries - I'm perfectly fine and safe in the Vongola Residence. Everyone here takes great care of me and puts a lot of effort into preserving my safety. I'm as safe as I could be under my father's protection, even despite all the risk that is currently hanging over everyone's heads.
But as you can expect, it puts a great part of social life on hold here. Everyone tries to limit the events, in fear of falling victim to the kidnappers. It may also delay the engagement party even more than it already is due to father's absence. So don't hold the date I assigned - unless you are willing to hold the organisation from the Capitol?
I have been recently reached out by the florist of yours - I believe you must have told her about me and the upcoming events. I still have to come around and plan accordingly. We didn't have much opportunity to talk, but I now have an extensive expectation of her abilities after we discussed some things. With the busy schedule, I believe it would be best to book her as soon as possible to not lose her service.
I have been thinking of an unusual mix of roses and chrysanthemums for the main theme. It's rather unusual, but I do believe it would work out just fine.
Even despite all the danger, I was able to meet Claire's and Lorenzo's son - he is the sweetest boy I have ever seen. Not to gloat too much, but I do have an honour of being his godmother. Can you believe it? I have never expected to hold such a position in anyone's life, so it was quite a shock when Claire asked me. I couldn't refuse such a proposal.
I do hope you will be able to visit soon - I miss you, and I believe mother and Elsbeth do as well.
With love,
Alex
Putting her pen down and resting her back against the back of the chair, Alexandra looked through the letter, re-reading it. She wasn't certain how much Mia would understand from it, but she was sure that it would help her reach the expected result - whether due to confusion, or actually understanding the message, her aunt would try to contact her for more details, preferably through more secure means.
She was starting to miss the Capitol and the company of Mia and Avery, she realised, glancing at the window in front of her. Her reflection stared back at her, her messy from her impromptu nap and eyes tired from the lack of sleep - every night had been interrupted lately by nightmares, feral purple eyes following her in her dreams, bringing only the feeling of fear and anxiety. Thankfully, the rest downstairs had been calmest she had in a few weeks.
She didn't want to embarrass herself by waking with a scream in front of Elena and Demon. She had been afraid that Giotto and G would ask questions about it in the carriage before, but thankfully, neither of them brought it up. She didn't want to bother them with such trivial things as nightmares. She was fine, she didn't get hurt in the accident after all - the only victim of it was the poor driver that lost his life.
She didn't have the right to slobber over herself like that. Carlavaros didn't delve too much into their emotions. They strengthen themselves from the failures and go forward as if nothing happened. As long as they were alive, it meant that they were fine, as her father used to tell her.
So it was better to not burden others with her feelings.
At first, she thought that the strange impression of being watched came from the memories of her nightmares. She realised the mistake when the hair at the back of her neck stood up, a shiver running down her spine.
She could feel it, the presence in her room, the ominous intention seeping through her senses, growing more suffocating with every passing second, each breath she was taking being harder than the previous one.
She was transfixed in her seat, afraid to move. Every part of her being screamed to run, to get out of the room with no further delay, but she couldn't move a single muscle in her body, as if someone was holding her in a tight embrace, making it impossible to stand up from the chair. Her eyes in reflection of the glass were wide as saucers, the pupils dilated with fear. She almost expected a purple orbs to pick at her from the darkness of the room behind her.
It was when her Flame awakened. She could feel it before the flash of white reflected, blinding her for a split second, putting the candle out and increasing her heart rate significantly. Instead of bringing her a sense of power, giving her the confidence that she could protect herself, Alexandra became even more scared - she couldn't lose her consciousness now, not with the feeling of someone being in the room with her still heavy on her senses. If she woke up Lizzie by screaming, the girl would be put in immediate danger because of her again. If she didn't, no one would know something happened to her until a few hours would pass and the house would start getting ready for the day.
But the usual outburst of the Flame didn't happen. The Flame died as quickly as it showed itself, the darkness surrounding her completely, her eyes taking a moment again to readjust to the lack of light.
The suffocating feeling of being watched was gone as well. Was it all her imagination?
She felt it then - the sudden burning on the skin of her finger and the prickling feeling. Looking down, Alexandra saw the small stones on her ring glowing lightly. The view was transfixing, making her forget anything else as she watched the sparkling white power trapped inside of the delicate band. The wander changed into a hiss of pain when the ring burned the skin and she moved quickly to rip it off her finger and threw it on the surface of her desk.
It laid there for a moment, unmoving and sparkling with internal power, before snapping in half, a sound strangely ominous and heavy in the complete silence of the night.
"Miss, are you alright?"
Alexandra shot up from her chair, knocking it down in the process while turning around to look at the source of the sound..
Lizzie stood behind her, a candle in her hand as she watched her mistress with a mix of worry and confusion, rubbing her eyes with one hand, just woken up from her rest. Alexandra could hear her own heart beating rapidly, too fast for her well-being, as she tried to comprehend her maid's question.
"I… I-m fine, Lizzie." she replied.
She looked around the room, trying to recognize if anything was out of place. It would be hard to see it even if it was, she realised, as the only candle held by Lizzie was barely enough to light the area they were standing in. But the feeling of being watched was gone, now barely an ominous memory.
"Did I wake you up?" she asked, turning her attention back to the younger girl.
"I thought I heard something." Lizzie admitted, holding back her yawn. "Why are you still up, Miss?"
"I couldn't sleep." Alexandra said without explaining anything further.
She didn't want to worry Lizzie about something she could just as well imagine, she realised. Even though a silent voice in her head was telling her that what had just occurred had nothing to do with her imagination, Alexandra still found it hard to understand what else could it be.
There was no one in the room other than her and Lizzie. A passing thought occurred to her that perhaps she should have asked someone to do a quick check on the room, but she quickly put it to rest.
But it would be the first time for her Flame to come alive without any immediate danger or her direct attempts to bring it on.
"Should I bring you some tea, Miss? It usually helps with your sleep."
Shaking herself out of her thoughts, Alexandra turned back to Lizzie, taking a few seconds to answer her.
"No, it's really alright. Go back to sleep, Lizzie, I will follow soon."
"Alright." the maid nodded her head, though her voice was still doubtful. "Good night, Miss."
Answering the same, Alexandra turned around. Her hands were shaking, she noticed with dismay as she lit the candle standing on her desk again, hard enough for her to need two attempts to successfully finish the simple task.
Once it was done, she righted the fallen chair and sat back in it, taking a deep breath to steady herself. Was there any history of mental illness in her family? It seemed like she was slowly losing her mind.
Opening her eyes, she looked down on the desk and winced when she looked at it. Apparently, her Flame still managed to do some damage during its activation, as she could see some chopped edges that hadn't been there before. While it would require some explanation to be given to Giotto, she didn't worry as much about it - the piece of furniture could be replaced. Instead, she turned her attention to the fallen piece of jewellery lying down on the desk, innocent and dim in the light of the candle. Gone was the sparkle and power stored in it.
Alexandra touched it testingly, but the previous heat was also gone. Picking two separate halves, she brought it closer to her eyes, but even through close inspection, she could not see anything out of place. Just a simple band with small crystals.
She doubted glue would put it back together to its original use.
Sighing deeply, Alexandra fell back against her chair, looking at the ceiling of her room as it would give an answer to all her questions.
It didn't, but she was sure of one thing - she was not going to fall asleep that night.
1