“Sweetheart, you mustn’t let your hunger get out of control. A little often usually does the trick.” She squats down next to me to pick up the empty bags off the floor.
“I’m sorry.” I look at my blood-covered hands.
“No, don’t be sorry. At least it’s just bags you are draining.” She winks at me as she stands and retreats to the kitchen.
I sit for a few minutes mortified and still hungry. I crave the feeling I had last night when that human offered himself to me. I crave the flow of pulsating blood straight from the vein, still warm and sweet. I play with my pendant between my fingers. My thoughts return to my family and the need to speak to them. I sigh as I stand up and make my way to the kitchen. The clock on the wall shows it is only six in the morning. Maria is at the coffee machine with two coffee mugs. Once the whir of the machine finishes, she fills the mugs with the steaming liquid and hands me one.
“When are you going to call your mother, sweetheart?” Maria sits next to me on the barstool.
“I don’t know what to say to her.”
“You don’t have to say anything just yet, but let her know you are safe. As a mother, I know I would do anything to be able to speak to one of my daughters again.” She sips her coffee and stares at the bench top.
“You had daughters?” I ask, surprised.
“Yes. I had two before this curse took over at the age of thirty-two. Neither of them changed into what we are. I kept my distance from them but always made sure they were okay.”
“I’m so sorry,” I offer.
“No, don’t be. I look back on them fondly, glad they had meaningful, full lives.” She smiles.
“Do you keep track of all our ancestors that have turned?”
“Yes, we are scattered around the globe. No one turned for more than a hundred years after me and since then the timing is becoming more frequent,” she explains.
“Will I ever get to meet the others in our family?”
“Over time I’m sure you will come across many. We do meet up if we can every couple of decades.” She smiles and sips her coffee.
“What time is it in Australia?”
“Ten at night.” Maria smiles warmly. “I think you should ring your family.”
I nod in response knowing all too well that there is no chance of that happening. I retreat to my room with my coffee to sit on the unmade bed, sheets still on the floor, and stare out the open window. The sun glows brightly onto the sand-colored church across the piazza. I shake my head thinking back to when I was thrown out of there. The poor priest must have been having heart palpitations. My phone buzzes and I reach to get it off the floor.
“Are you allowed out during the day? Or will you combust? ” Dominic texts.
I giggle at the smiley face. “No going up in flames here,” I reply.
“Let’s meet at our pillar in thirty,” he texts back.
“Okay,” I quickly reply.
I clean myself up, ensuring any traces of blood are gone, dress hastily, and wind my hair up in a topknot. I casually walk to the front door only to be interrupted by Maria.
“Going out?” She stands leaning against the doorframe.
“Yes. I feel like a normal day of sightseeing,” I answer hoping my face does not show any signs of the lie that easily comes out of my mouth.
“Be careful. Do you have your phone on you?”
“Yes.” I smile feeling guilty that I am going behind her back to see Dominic.
I escape quickly before she can ask any more questions. I open the front door and hesitate; the sun is bright and glares at me through the opening. I have not been in direct sunlight yet and the thought unnerves me. I carefully extend my right hand out, testing the sun on my skin, expecting the feeling of a painful sunburn. All I feel is warmth. The pleasant glow of the sun’s rays feels like home. I push that thought aside, take a deep breath, and step out of the doorway into the direct sunlight. I close my eyes as the heat warms my exposed skin. It feels like a summer day and I absorb the feeling with longing. I set off toward the Pantheon only to realize I am walking hurriedly and gaining the unwanted attention of the humans around me. I slow my steps and fall in rhythm with my heartbeat.
The gentle breeze brings with it the smells of coffee and baked goods. His scent tickles my nose; it lingers in the morning air and I know he walked this path not too long ago. The sound of the sprouting water from the fountain distracts me from the human pushing a crate of freshly baked breads. I do not look at anything but the path in front of me. Concentrating on the cobblestones, I round the fountain and cannot stop the grin spreading across my face. There he is in all his masculine beauty standing in the shadow of one of the pillars. He gazes up, our eyes meet, and I watch as he strides toward me, embracing me in his strong arms. My feet lift off the ground as he holds me close to him before kissing me gently on the lips and lowering me to my feet.
“Ciao.” He grins.
“Hi.”
“How did you manage to get away?” His eyes search mine.
“I lied,” I sigh. “I told my aunt that I wanted a normal day of sightseeing.”
“I’m sorry.” He holds me tight around the waist. “I promise it will get easier.”
“What? The lying?”
“No. This—us—seeing each other. I will find a way around this.” He gently kisses my forehead.
“I hope so.” I smile up at him.
“Let’s go get coffee. You do still drink coffee, don’t you?” He looks at me, concerned.
I can’t help but laugh. “Yes. It’s about the only thing that still tastes the same.” I watch his face screw up in disgust. “Too much information?”
“Mmhmm,” he murmurs. “I’m going to have to get used to it.”
“Do you want to have lunch with me today?” I lick my lips and raise my eyebrows.
“Funny,” he chuckles, putting a hand around my waist and directing me away from the Pantheon.
“Don’t worry I’m well fed from this morning. I promise to not attack unsuspecting humans whilst in your company.” I giggle.
“Good to know.” He squeezes my waist.
“Can it really be this easy? This normal?” I wonder out loud.
“What do you mean?”
“Us—like this. Like two people who are human just having coffee and spending time together,” I explain.
“Why not?” What did you think it would be like?” He tilts his head as he says this.
“I don’t know.” I shrug as we keep walking amongst the tourists and locals.
I sniff the air, a familiar scent tickling my nose—a scent I cannot place. Dominic realizes what I am doing.
“What do you smell?” He stops mid-stride on high alert.
“Something familiar. Someone’s scent I’ve come across before. Do you smell it?”
He inhales through his nose. “I can’t smell anything familiar.”
“It’s probably nothing. I’m still getting used to all this.” I strain a smile.
Dominic’s eyes dart up and down the street, searching for the unknown. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”
We pile into a cab. Dominic instructs the driver in Italian. I do not understand a word he is speaking. The driver takes off into the manic traffic. We ride in silence for about ten minutes, holding hands in the back seat. Arriving at a small hole-in-the-wall coffee bar, Dominic pays the driver before pulling me out after him through his side of the cab.
“We can sit inside so no one catches us together.”
He leads me to a small table in the back corner before lining up at the counter to order. The coffee bar is empty apart from the few customers waiting for their morning espresso. The rich smell of coffee mixed with the sweet scent of baked goods makes my mouth water. I push the need to feed away as I watch Dominic carefully balance our coffees on a tray.
“This place is famous for making everything in coffee flavor.” He grins as he seats himself next to me.
I smi
le at his thoughtfulness. “You are sweet, and you know it.”
Breaking off a piece of a cornetto, he pops it in his mouth and smirks. “Only you would think that about me.” He wipes the crumbs off his lips before breaking off a small piece and holding it toward me.
“No, thank you.” I grimace.
“Just try it.”
I take it from him hesitating before placing it in my mouth. I block my nose to avoid the taste from being overbearing. As I chew I am surprised by the flavor, happily swallowing it.
“Good?” he asks.
“Yes.”
His smug face makes me laugh. We spend a good part of the morning in the coffee bar sipping coffee and eating everything coffee flavored. We leave with a goody bag, thanks to the owner with whom Dominic is good friends. The streets have become busy in the midday mayhem. I try my best to concentrate on Dominic and not on the disruptive noises from the traffic and people around me. Dominic holds my hand and we meander through the streets back toward the Pantheon. He pulls me into a small florist; the smell is divine.
“I’m going to miss this tonight.” He holds me tight against his chest.
“Me too.” I step up on my tippy toes and kiss his perfect lips.
The shop owner clears her throat and we both pull apart to turn to face her. A small bunch of sunflowers wrapped in brown butcher paper is nestled in her hands. She hands them to me.
“Gracie.” I thank her.
We walk out of the shop and into the bustling city to head back to the apartment. I stop and pull on Dominic’s arm to drag him into a doorway. “Thank you,” I whisper as I wrap my free arm around his neck.
Both his arms snake around my waist and he nestles his face into my hair. “What for?”
“For making this morning perfect. For pretending like I’m normal me again. For not mentioning my family or what I have become. For introducing me to coffee-flavored everything.” I smile.
“You’re welcome.” He kisses my forehead followed by a deep sigh.
“What is it?”
“Honestly?” He places his forehead against mine.
“Honestly,” I answer him and wait for his response. It does not come straight away. We stand holding onto one another like this for a few minutes before he speaks again.
“I wish you never had to go back home. I wish we could be together without it being a big deal.”
“Let’s ignore all the impossibilities in this situation and focus on the possibilities.” I smile.
Leaning in until his mouth is inches from my ears, he whispers, “We are being watched. Keep your eyes on me.”
I swallow and blink up at him, scared to move. “Who?” I mouth.
“The ruling family’s guards.” His eyes dart around the piazza and come to rest back on me. “Only three of them.”
“Donato,” I whisper, defeated. “What are we going to do?”
“Walk next to me and keep your eyes in front. Okay?” His face is tense. “They won’t approach us.”
I nod in acknowledgement before we step out of the doorway and start to head back toward the apartment. Dominic’s strides are confident and calculated; he shows no fear. I on the other hand am a bubble of nervous energy. I am certain the guards can hear my heart racing from where they are positioned. Rounding the corner of a crumbling building, I notice the street is nowhere near as busy as before and I feel the anxiety in me building as I know this is a bad omen.
“Can we go back the other way?” I whisper-shout up at Dominic.
“There’s a bridge at the end here. The guards will follow us to it and we can confront them, find out what they want.” His face is all business.
“No.” I pull on his arm. “We can’t.”
“It will be fine. This is what I am made for.” He glances in my direction.
“No, you can’t. They will hurt you,” I whimper.
“They can’t. There’s only three of them.” He stares ahead decidedly. I know I cannot change his mind so all I can do is tag along as the alternative of fleeing is unthinkable.
We wait underneath the bridge and before long the three guards arrive. I’ve seen them before. They are Donato’s right-hand men. “What does Donato want?” I spit.
“What is his…” The shortest one responds.
“And what’s that?” Dominic stands with one hand in his pocket.
It plays out in slow motion right there in front of me. Dominic takes out one guard who lands in the water and stays there not moving. My attempts to help become pointless; I’m restrained by some invisible force. There are no sounds around me, just deafening silence. I scream out Dominic’s name, but he either does not hear me or he is ignoring me. If I could just get to him to help! I am forced to watch as the two guards descend upon him, injecting some substance straight into his neck before he can fight them off. I scream again and again, but to no avail. Dominic is unconscious on the ground as one guard stands over him and the other checks on their friend in the water. I watch helpless, crying and unable to move my legs as Dominic is hauled over the guard’s shoulder and carried back up the road into a waiting car. It is there that I see her, standing to the side, eyes on me never wavering. Her small frame hidden by the back of the car, she watches me as the car takes off, a smile plastered on her face.
“Maria!” Tears stream down my face as I slam the door behind me. “Maria!”
She appears in front of me out of nowhere. “What is it?”
I suck air into my lungs between the sobs. “They took him. They took him.”
“Who?”
“They took Dominic.” I grab onto her arms. “You have to help him.”
“Who took him?” She looks disappointed.
“The ruling family’s guards.”
“What were you doing with him?” she chides.
“You have to help him. Please,” I cry.
“Tell me what happened.”
“We were walking back from some coffee bar and they followed us. Dominic stopped to confront them. They attacked him and injected something into his neck. I couldn’t move. She was there.”
Maria curses in Italian and paces back and forth across the lounge. “Who is she, may I ask?”
“The old lady from the plane.”
“What old lady from the plane?” she asks, confused.
“An old lady gave me two cupcakes on the plane. I was so hungry I ate them both. I went to thank her, but she was no longer there, and then she appeared at the car that Dominic was loaded into.”
“A witch no doubt. She immobilized you?” Maria sighs.
“I couldn’t move at all; everything around me was silenced. What are they going to do to him, Maria?” I slump into the nearest sofa.
“What does the ruling family want?” Maria mutters under her breath.
I stare at her, waiting for her to tell me Dominic will be okay. She doesn’t speak to me again before darting off into her room. I listen intently and hear her on the phone speaking in Italian. I have no clue what she is saying. I grab my phone, willing it to send me a text from Dominic, but of course it is silent.
“Donato’s guards have Dominic. Do you know anything about this?” It’s my only hope that Toby knows something. I wait for a return text. Nothing.
Frustrated, I heat a blood bag and make my way to the tiny balcony. I sit cross-legged on the floor, sipping the blood slowly through the thin straw and checking my phone every few minutes. Still nothing. I hear Sofia come home.
“Where is she?” she asks. I wait as her soft footsteps approach me. “What happened?”
“They took him.”
She sits next to me and grabs my hand. “I’m so sorry, Kat,” she whispers.
My phone buzzes finally. Snatching it up I see that the text is from Toby. “He should have stayed away.”
I drop the phone to my feet, anger rising from deep within.
“Who was that from?” Sofia’s soft voice shakes me from my rage.
“It was Toby.”
“What does he want?” she huffs.
“I texted him to see if he knows anything about Donato capturing Dominic. He can’t help.” I smash my fist against the railing and bend the metal bar.
“Why would Toby know anything?”
“He’s Allegra’s first son,” I reveal.
“Toviah,” Sofia gasps.
“The one and only.” I nod.
“Does Maria know?”
“I’d say she probably does now.” I shrug.
“Maria,” Sofia calls.
“Yes.” Maria is standing in the doorway.
“Toby is Toviah.”
Maria’s face slowly contorts until she looks like she is in pain. “Please say that again.”
“Toby is Allegra’s first son.” Sofia speaks as though she is speaking to a child, each word said separately.
Her eyes fall on me. “Did you know this?”
“I found out last night when I was waiting outside the club with Donato.”
“Why is he suddenly back?” Maria looks out across the rooftops.
I stare at her waiting for more information. “Does ‘first son’ mean that Allegra created him first?”
“Yes, he was Allegra’s brutal slaughtering machine. This was a very long time ago, long before our family came to live here in Rome, if not before our family became what we are.”
“Has he been in hiding?” I ask, confused.
“Toviah disappeared centuries ago, after disobeying a direct order. It is rumored that he went against Allegra when she ordered him to slaughter innocent humans—a whole town, if I remember correctly. He did not obey her orders; he did not want any part of her need to conquer neighboring towns simply to expand her territory. This left a bitter taste in Allegra’s mouth, and so Donato took his place.”
Bequeathed Page 23
