“Ermanno!” Thandie shouted.
“I must find Azzurra! She will be close to the escape route. This is where we come to kiss!”
Oh my God. Azzurra!
We took another sharp turn, the pops and explosions fading into the background, and then it seemed like we all slid to a stop. It was so sudden, Uncle Tito went flying out of his wheelchair. He made a frail noise as he hit the ground. None of us could move to help him, though. Ita stood in the woods with a gun pointed right at us.
“A trap!” she screeched, her voice high-pitched and as crazed as the gunfire and explosions. “I led you toooo a trap,” she sang. “He told me it would work, and it did!” She pointed the gun directly at me. “What do you have to say for yourself, you tramp? Any final words? This is what they say in the movies, no?” She grinned at me, and my blood ran ice cold.
Thandie’s weapon was out, but she was keeping it hidden. I knew she was hesitant to use it, though, because Itacould get a shot off before Thandie could get a shot at her. Rustling from the ground made me look down. Uncle Tito was using the strength of his arms to get to his feet.
Itadidn’t even look when he rose to his full height, which wasn’t all that tall, especially since he was hunched over. He called Ita “girl” and said in a voice so sharp, it reminded me of the cold wind, “You will not hurt Avelina!”
He wanted Ita to shoot him. He was welcoming death. He had his arms spread, and his entire body trembled. Not with the strain of old age, but with pure rage.
Ita laughed at him but didn’t take her eyes from me as she spoke to him. “Sit down, you old geezer, before you hurt yourself.”
Uncle Tito was about to move in front of her, but he slipped and went down, cursing as he did. At this moment, Ermanno tore away from the scene, heading toward where he said he and Azzurra went to kiss. Ita didn’t even flinch. Her parents stepped out of the woods, and they were holding guns, too. It was a frigging family affair!
“We serve our chosen king.” Nik Novak spat a loogie toward me.
Irena Novakkicked at Uncle Tito. “You were loyal to the most ruthless king,” she whispered with venom, turning the gun on him. “Marzio,” she said in a mocking voice. “He killed my father!” The gun was trembling with her rage. “Now you will lie with the dogs you saved and be eaten by the worms and turned into dust.”
“Dust to dust we all shall return,” Uncle Tito said. “Even you,Irena.” Uncle Tito looked up at her with acceptance on his face. He opened his arms to her, as if to say,take your shot, you are doing me a favor.
Irena screeched just like her daughter had and kicked him in the ribs. Thandie held my arm. The instinct to protect the weak was so ingrained in me, I hadn’t even realized I’d moved until she applied pressure to my arm. She was still holding her gun up, one-handed, after she reminded me not to move, but she couldn’t use it.
Irena went to kick Uncle Tito again, but her husband’s next words froze her cold, her gun swinging to us.
Nik nodded toward Thandie’s gun. “Set it down,” he said in broken English. “Slowly.”
“Or what?” Thandie breathed out. “You’re going to kill us?”
“We will kill you,” the father said. “The rightful king and his child will begin a new reign!”
Ita smiled at me, and in that moment, I truly felt the craze that was locked up inside of her. Rosaria and her sister, Abree, had nothing, not a damn thing, on these people. Absentmindedly, I wondered if the air was ice cold because of their mania. I felt it like a physical thing, sticking to my skin and burning. The only warmth about me was the baby in my womb, reminding me that I would fight to the death to protect…her.
Gunfire was growing closer.
“Now!” Nik nodded to my stomach. “Take your shot now, daughter! Do not allow the future king’s wife or spawn to live. We must end this line!”
Three things seemed to happen at once—Irena went to shoot Uncle Tito in the head, but she was shot down before she could, and Thandie shot Ita, then took out Nik, but Ita seemed indestructible. I was knocked to the ground as Ita opened fire on me, even being wounded.
At first, I wasn’t sure if I had been hit. I only knew that gunfire was erupting all around me, and Massimo’s heavy body was on top of mine.
My husband’s voice seemed to come at me through a tunnel filled with fire. My ears were ringing, and there was a burning in my lungs. I instantly smelled the coppery scent of blood. Maybe my nose had been broken as it hit the ground. I couldn’t breathe, and it felt like the cold was descending, piercing needles on all the spots that hurt the worst.
The weight was lifted suddenly, and I felt frozen to the ground. I was gasping for breath. My husband was frantic, feeling over me and feeling over Massimo at the same time, ahand on each of us. He was roaring, the sound almost exploding the inside of my eardrums, as if the bass of his voice was stuck inside of the tunnel, and it was beginning to echo inside of my head. My trembling hand came down to my stomach, wondering if this was the end for all of us.
My other hand came up and touched my husband’s face. He took my hand, and it felt like he broke every bone in it. He was kissing my pulse, repeatedly, and he was roaring out orders.
A beam of light seemed to pierce through the overhead branches, and when my eyes found it, I couldn’t look away. My husband, as violently as he was shouting, turned my face toward his. Our eyes met, and his mouth moved, just like Uncle Tito’s. I could’ve sworn I heard the chanting, though.You will not leave me. You will not leave me. Oh God, do not allow her to leave me!
My husband was on his haunches next to me. Sweat ran down his face in charcoal covered ribbons, and I felt it splash my face in warm droplets before the salt seemed to freeze on my skin.
Maybe I had been shot and was in shock.
The smell of blood was making my stomach turn, it was so strong. And I was feeling warmth, even though I was freezing cold.
