Nicoletta Ch. 11

"Nicolette, please ... dress! Now!" She demanded before pulling her phone from her purse.

"No! I shouted back, snatching the phone from her. "You tell me what is happening first! What the hell is going on ... what do you mean we have to go? Go where Genève!" I insisted taking a step away from her. Her eyes narrowed as she held out her hand in silent request of her phone back.

"Tell me first..." I contended.

"Nicolette, please there is no ..."

"Time ..." I finished with a flippancy that punctuated that I was not going anywhere until I had some answers. "There is no time for what exactly Genève? Where is everyone ... wait, has Luca ..."

"He is safe ..." She interrupted snappishly.

"Then what?"

"You spoke with Paola last night?" She asked annoyed. I nodded my head in affirmation as I made to answer her, but I never got the chance.

"We are in danger Nicolette ... the parents are coming, and they mean to settle the dispute between the Rossi's and Azazel, and I fear it is not going to end well for you or for me. Now, give me my phone and get dressed so that we may leave!" She demanded through gritted teeth. I opened my mouth to speak again, but again, I did not get the chance.

"I will explain all once we are well away ..." She said holding up a hand to stifle the flood of questions ready to spew passed my lips. "Just, please Nicolette, you must trust me ... we-have-to-go ..." A slight softness had broken through her anxiety, but her words brooked no argument. Genève meant for us both to disappear as swiftly as possible.

"And what about Luca?"

"I've released him ... he is waiting for us! There is no time for inquiry Nicolette!"

Dumbfounded I handed over her phone and grabbed up the clothes she had gathered for me. As I dressed she made a few quick phone calls, but I could not make out to whom as each call was carried out in French. As soon as I had tied my last sneaker she thrust the shoulder strap of my bag at me while securing her own over her shoulder. She listened at the door for a minute before cracking it some to check that the halls were clear.

"We will take the servants stairs to the garden and go through the gates there ..." She whispered. "My car is parked around the side of the house. We need to be a good distance from this place before the sun completely rises lest we are seen ... follow me, and please Nicolette, we must go as quickly and quietly as we can." And with this, we headed through the silent hallways of the still sleeping house.

"They said you would try to run ..." a man's apathetic voice pierced the darkness. He stood leaned against a silver bullet of a car looking as indifferent as his tone sounded. "I on the other hand was certain that you were smarter than that Genève; I mean running has never worked out well for you in the past, has it?"

"Get the hell off of my car Giosuè ..." Genie seethed stepping in front of me. "Go now ..." she whispered over her shoulder to me while giving me a slight shove. "We will meet around the front of the house; go Nicolette! I will be right behind you!" Without question, I took a few steps backwards in preparation to run, but I never had a chance.

"Now, now ... why would she want to do that dear Genève?" He asked amiably. "We have not been properly introduced after all. I am Giosuè Carducci." He said placing a well-manicured hand on his chest while issuing a slight bow in my direction. "And this handsome gentleman ..." he said gesturing towards the shadows some distance behind me. "...is Silas Trencavel."

Silas said nothing. There was no need. Towering at well over 6"5' it was obvious that one would do everything possible to avoid getting into a scrape with the mountain of a man. I was shocked that such a big man could go completely unnoticed. Nonetheless, his piercing jade gaze fell onto me seeming to nail my feet to the ground; there was no way I would ever get past him.

"What are you and your lap dog doing here Silas?" Genève jeered. "I have no quarrel with you. Please, if ever I have meant anything at all to you, you will allow us to pass."

"Ahh but how could you doubt my love for you little sister. I know it has been a while since last we spoke, but truly Clarin, you know I have always adored you." Silas crooned, his thick French accent dripping with sweetness. "Nevertheless, my sweet girl, we do have a small bit of trouble between us..." Silas said, nodding in my direction. "Giosuè and I are here to help remedy it." His baritone voice seemed to emanate from all around us ... when Silas spoke it was as if we were in a bubble, his terrifying voice cutting us off from the world outside. "You know I cannot let either of you go Clarin."

"My name is Genève!" She retorted. If she was even a little nervous about our predicament, I could not tell, not right away. "... and there is nothing between any of us now, let-me-pass!" she commanded. But Silas was little stirred, pushing himself casually off of the column he had been leaning against.

"So, you are the little one who has caused all of this trouble?" He asked sauntering towards me, arms spread as if preparing for an embrace. "The little witch who can conceive immortals; the extraordinary vampire, who thinks she is but a girl ..." but before he could reach me Luca's voice sounded from the garden doors.

"Get the hell away from her, snake!" he snarled running full tilt at Silas. With a terrifyingly evil laugh Silas' relaxed demeanor dropped as if he were slipping out of a cloak and into a suit of malicious ferocity as he cut through the night at impossible speeds and time seemed to slow down as he and Luca collided. At first it seemed Luca had the upper hand, as he displayed unbelievable strength sending Silas crashing through a stone statue.

"Run, now!" He cried over his shoulder before Giosuè joined the melee as his friend shook off a concrete haze.

"Luca!" Genève sobbed.

"Go!" He growled as Giosuè crashed into him in a vicious embrace driving Luca into a wall. Luca tossed Giosuè off easily hurling him through a window just before Silas was on him again. Seeing finally that Genève had no intention of fleeing, capitalizing on a boost of adrenalin I scooped up our two bags, grabbed her wrist and dragged her to the waiting car.

"Get in Genie!" I demanded. Luca will be alright! He will find us!"

"We must wait! He needs me! Please Nicolette! We can help him!"

"No Genève, we can't!" I insisted finally shoving her in the car before I snatched the keys from her. Praying that she was too discombobulated to unlock the doors before I could get in, I auto locked the car while running to the driver's side. My prayer honored, I fixed myself behind the wheel, started the car, and before my door was closed well I peeled out down the long drive with a distraught Genève wailing beside me, but her voice had nothing on Silas'.

"Clarin!" he bellowed as we made our escape. Stealing quick looks in the rear view I saw that he and Luca both had a grip on each other's neck locked in a stalemate. I knew Luca was strong ... I knew that for my sake he had to be stronger than Silas, I counted on it. He just had to find Genie and I otherwise, we were both lost.

"No!" came Genève's blood curdling scream confirming Luca's fall. "Stop the car Nicolette!" she screeched grabbing onto the wheel.

"I said turn around you bitch!" she said, emotion betraying the bite of her words.

"No, Genève! We can't go back! It is too late!" I grunted while trying to regain control of the car.

"Please!" she beseeched attempting to turn the wheel herself causing the car to spin out. Completing a 180 degree turn we were facing Silas and Giosuè again. Silas still had a grip on Luca's neck, but Luca hung limp in the air like a dead bird, blood staining his clothes from neck to waist. Like an apex predator Silas peered through the darkness at us, chest heaving in his victory. His gaze seemed to say 'I'm still hungry, and you're next'. Smiling a sinister bloody smile his grip relaxed and Luca hit the ground like a blood-soaked rag doll.

"W-we must go back!" Genie whimpered, still with her grip locked on the wheel.

"It is too late." I muttered putting the car back into gear.

"Clarin!" Silas roared again breaking into a run towards us. Without thought I elbowed Genève right in the nose as hard as I could, and she too went limp, her hands falling from the wheel. It was the first time I had ever physically assaulted anyone.

"I am so sorry Genie." I whispered turning the car again speeding away into the rising sun.

Genie's phone rang off the hook as I sped down a winding road. We had been on the run for the better part of an hour, it would take another hour to get to Olbia, where we would catch the yacht Genie had arranged to Nice. Getting this information out of a distraught Genève was something like a magic trick in its own right. After about thirty minutes of her uncontrollable sobbing and begging me to go back I could not take anymore and was forced to pull over.

"Listen to me Genève ..." I demanded. My heart broke for her every time she said Luca's name, and afraid that if I looked at her I would break down too, I kept my eyes focused on the sea while trying to get her attention, but it was no good.

"Genève!" I forced out turning and grabbing her by the shoulders. "I know you are hurting, but right now, I need you to listen!" I chastised.

"H-he's gone, I mean, just like that, after centuries, Luca is just gone ..." She squeaked finally focusing on me.

"I know Genie, I know, and I am so sorry, but Genève, we need to move, now!" I said trying my best not to sound cold hearted. "We will grieve Genie, I promise, we will, but just, right now, Genie, there-is no-time. I don't know where we are, or where we are going ... I mean, we have to get off of this island, and out of the country, but we have nothing ... no money, no passports ..." The more I spoke the more frantic I became. After watching Silas rip Luca's throat out, I knew there was no way that I could go back but the island being so small it was only a matter of time until he found us.

"Keep on this road ... it's a straight shot to Olbia. They will not be searching for us yet, L-Lucas' ..." Upon saying his name, she became choked up and could not bring herself to admit that his death would have the house in so much disarray, that our absence would be an afterthought for at least a couple of hours. "O-our passports, they don't know that I have them ..." Genie sniffed. "They are in my bag. There are traveling checks and some cash in there too."

"You have my passport?" I questioned in disbelief. I just knew that Alessandro had had it tucked away somewhere close to himself. "I don't understand ... did he give it to you?" I pressed. "Did he know that this was going to happen?"

"Nicolette, please... I just got it, alright!" she spouted. "There is a boat waiting for us in Olbia, it will take us to Niece. I have a villa there no one knows about, we should be safe there." She said sniffling as she began to paw through her purse. Upon locating her ringing phone, she yanked it out as if she were trying to pull out the devil himself.

"What!" She shouted. "I-I don't care Alessandro! Luca is dead!" She exclaimed. "You are out of your mind! We are not going back to that house! No-no-no Alessandro this is all your fault, this entire situation is on you! You brought her here wrong and you know it! Yeah, good luck with that!" she screamed into the phone through tears before chunking the phone out the window. Even getting just one side of the conversation I pieced together the gist of the argument ... we had less time than we thought to make our escape.

"Drive!" Genie barked dropping her head into her hands. Seconds later her crying renewed, but this time as her tears fell she was silent and somehow seemed more angry than morose.

"Please, drive as fast as you possibly can Nicolette."