Scream

Enzo King

 It wasn't easy to get my mother to help Reyna. Actually, Kellin threatened to burn the house down and Maren said she'd get her dad involved in the situation. The only way she agreed to work on her was as if she did so alone. Hell no, I didn't trust my volatile failure of a mother with my fiancé. But I had no choice. She was the only hope I had to save Reyna. 

 "It's been an hour," Maren notes, nervous, chewing on the ends of her hair. "Is it supposed to take this long?" 

 Calmly, I nod. On the outside, I seem composed and relaxed. But on the inside, a storm is raging. Was she okay? Were we too late? Why poison Reyna of all ways to murder? Who did it? What did she intake that contained poison? When did they have the opportunity to insert the dose? Where were they when they did it? 

 "It's Reyna," Kellin assures. "She survived a direct confrontation with this killer...or one of them. She can survive this, too." 

 "Reyna's got an iron will," Makai agrees nostalgically. 

 "If she can put up with me, she can put up with poison," I joke, trying to relax. 

 "Yeah, because you're basically the same thing," Makai bites, eyes narrowed my way.
 I need to calm down. I sigh and head upstairs, where I hear Maren whisper to give me a chance. I don't deserve a chance, but I would sure like one. I find my room and lay down. I close my eyes and clear my head. In my head, I picture the meadow and the willow tree. Before I chose a darker path, I used to go to that spot and think. I'd be alone with my thoughts, where I would try to sort them out. There was nothing there to judge me or make me feel more miserable than usual. 

 But now when I see the tree in the meadow, Reyna is there; her smile is as bright as her eyes. I focus on the energy of the scene. Everything here is light and warm and happy. Here, everything is figured out and makes sense. 

 When he was still alive, my uncle would take me to this spot. He was the one who showed me the area in the first place. I wonder if he would've liked Reyna. I try to remember what he was like and imagine him meeting her.

 I feel myself smile. He would've loved her.

 There's a knock on my door that interrupts the vision. "What?" I call, sitting up. I expect it to be Makai for more digs, or Maren asking more questions; or Kellin offering some sort of deep and universal wisdom. Instead, I get my father. He looks so much like Aero that it pains me. 

 "I want you to have something," he said, sitting beside me. He extends a fist over my open palm and drops something there: a gold ring. "Does it fit?" 

 I slide it on my ring finger. It's like it was customized for me. "When did you get this?" I ask. 

 "A while ago," he hums. "Never did I ever think I would be giving this to you," Enzo admits. "I always thought Aero would get it." 

 "Wow, thanks." 

 "It was your uncle's," he tells me. "I got it before he was buried. I guess you should have it now."

 I grin. My dad was always on the apathetic side. Giovanni was the one with all the heart. When my dad was busy, or when my uncle thought he didn't teach me the right life lessons, Giovanni would take the reins. We were pretty close. It's still a mystery to me why he killed himself. Maybe all that heart got to him and he felt overly guilty for the death of the King twins. 

 I nod. "I'm glad I got it." 

 "You're glad your brother was murdered?" Ezio twists, blue eyes flaring with anguish. 

 I roll my eyes. "Of course not." 

 My father grunts. "That's what they all say..." With that, he gets up and leaves.

 Again, I lay down and try to relax. I manage to sleep, though lightly.

 I hear a voice somewhere along the way. They echo my uncle's words about picturing the willow tree. I feel bubbly hearing his exact words, even if they aren't really being said. But then I heard something weird. "Your uncle was smart," a voice says. "Our paths did cross." 

 My eyes open to see two grey ones peering into mine. Startled, I jump up and bump heads with Reyna. "Ow," she grumbles, rubbing her forehead. Her skin colour appears to be back to normal even though she still seems dehydrated. 

 "Sorry!" I apologize. "How are you feeling?"

 I move over so that Reyna can sit next to me. "A lot better," she assures, nestling into my side. Her eyes scan the area. "So this was your room?" 

 "Yep." "It looks...empty," I admit. 

 "It was." 

 Reyna chews on her lip, brows furrowed like she's concentrated on something. "When I was out, I had flashbacks to when I was three."

 "And?"

 "You look a lot like your uncle did," she tells me. "And I know about the willow tree and the meadow." 

 I feel my cheeks burn bright red. "You do?" 

 "I feel really special for you to have taken me there," she tells me. 

"It means a lot." 

 "I'm glad," I reveal. 

 "But Enzo..." Reyna sits up and crosses her legs to face me. She grabs my hands and looks almost through me. "I know you and your uncle were really close. He talked about you a lot before he –" 

 "Yeah," I cut off, turning away from her. I don't want to be reminded. "I know." 

 "No, you don't," she protests. "Enzo, your uncle didn't kill himself. He was murdered." 

 "How do you know?" I doubtfully ask. 

 "I heard him being strangled in my sleep," she explains. "There were two voices in the room down the hall. He didn't abandon you. Someone took him from you." 

 "Who said I thought he abandoned me?" I bite, feeling harsh with the topic. 

 Reyna puts her arms around my torso and wraps her legs around my waist. "I can tell."

  I stand, feeling odd with being comforted in such an escalating moment. I've never had someone to calm me down or assure my safety. 

 "Do you want some space?" Reyna inquires, voice meek. 

 "I..." I run my hands through my black hair. "I don't know. This doesn't change the situation now, but...I never thought I felt abandoned until you said so."

 "I'm sorry," Reyna apologizes. "I'll come back to check on you. Thanks for saving me...again."

 She opens the door to leave but I shut it. Wordlessly, I pull her into a hug and bury my face into her head, breathing in her vanilla scent. All the emotions and revelations from tonight build up and flow out. Tonight was rough. But tonight only contributed to the tears that wet Reyna's hair. My whole childhood and life decisions have been terrible and I've paid the price for them. The only family member who genuinely cared about me didn't abandon me, but he was killed by the same bastards killing people now. I've done terrible things to keep the one I love safe and I know I'll pay the price later. 

 But I finally release all the pent up angst and terror and guilt and emptiness, to absorb the fulfilment and abundance and new life Reyna brings me. 

 "My uncle said we would meet?" I ask her. 

 "He said we might."

 We pull apart and she grabs my hand. Puts hers up to mine. My hands are much larger than hers and I point it out. "I'm so thankful for you, little one."

 "Your uncle used to call me that," she tells me. 

 "Me, too."