Chapter 5

I felt a warm hand rest itself on my shoulder and I blinked a bit, trying make my fuzzy vision clear itself. “Did I fall asleep?” I asked, startled to find that I couldn’t remember any dream.

“No,” Zane whispered as her brushed my pale blonde hair out of my eyes, “you were in a daze.”

I let my hair fall forward into my face to hide my rosy cheeks, how long had I been day dreaming?

I didn’t have to hide for long because soon enough the boat pulled itself to a halt and everyone around me began exiting. Just like the last time, Zane gracefully lifted me up into his arms and lightly stepped off the ledge, landing softly on the pavement below. Looking up, I saw Stephanie nervously sticking a Bontoni designed green stiletto apprehensively over the ledge.

“If I die, it’s on your hands,” she said in a voice that she tried to portray as cold but came across as shaky and anxious. Without another moment to rest, Lance lifted her up by her thin waist and jumped down off the ledge then lifted up a hand to help Sierra climb down. My mother came last, her blonde hair spiraling out behind her as she leapt, her cat like green eyes observing the scene around us, instantly preparing for an attack.

“This is where you wanted to come?” she asked and I felt my heart sink as I looked around at the surrounding scenery. The land was barren and ruined, soot and ashes covering parts of the dirt and crumpled buildings lie in the gravel roads.

“Maybe you got the directions wrong…” Lance let his voice trail off as Stephanie walked over to stand next to a large sign. Some parts of the black ink scrawled across the front were faded out in places but a map of Italy stood clearly visible and sure enough a bold, singular black dot stood right outside of Milan.

“No, we’re here,” I replied as I walked over and ran my fingertips over the sign then pulled them back to stare at the soot present on my fingers.

“Kind of a downer birthday party place,” Stephanie said before Sierra quickly elbowed her in the ribcage. “What, it is!?” she exclaimed and I silenced them with look.

“Let’s head that way, I think there might be houses there,” I said and headed off, the rest of my friends trailing helplessly behind. Zane rested a hand on my shoulder and bent down to whisper in my ear but I never heard what he had to say because he lost his way of words when we rounded the corner and came up to the largest cemetery I’d ever seen. The tombstones seemed too gone on for miles and each one had delicate designs and Italian script printed across them.

There was nothing living in sight except for a young woman hunched over a tombstone. She had beautiful auburn curls that spilled over her shoulders and striking gray eyes that darted about frantically when she heard us approaching. “Who are you? What do you want?” she asked, her voice thick with a Italian accent as she stood up and brushed her dress of.

“You speak English?” Stephanie asked and the woman shot her a disbelieving look.

“Do I look stupid, no? Do you think you can outwit me with your phrases and slang?” Lance gave the back of Stephanie’s arm a pinch and she refrained from one of her usual snappy remarks but shot the woman a death glare.

“I ask what you want, now you answer,” she said, glancing at me with expecting eyes.

“I’m looking for Alonzo Monclatzo; he’s a friend of mine.”

At this, the woman stared at me hard with scrutinizing eyes, “I think you may have the wrong name,” she said with a start and I shook my head definitely.

“No, I’m quite sure that’s his name. Why, do you know him?” I asked and she nodded slowly.

“The Monclatzo’s were indeed a legendary family, rich beyond rich, and happy beyond content. They always had the best interest of everyone in mind, which was why they were well liked.”

“But where are they now?” Lance asked and the woman’s face became nervous.