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Extra Chapter #3 Giovanni

Note: Rewritten but not triple checked for spelling and grammatical errors. If you see any feel free to comment. 

Giovanni

"Mother?" I called into the dimly lit study.

Maybe it was more than their lengthy absence, the lack of presence of not only my family but also the staff hustling to fulfill my parents demands. Maybe it was more than the unnatural feeling screaming out to me from the shadows that swallowed my unusually vacant home. Maybe it was more than the aching of my racing heart, a sharp slashing accompanied with a twist in my stomach. Maybe it was more than all of this pounding on top of  my soul, fueling the fire to my panic.

Renee was not at my side and hadn't been for far longer than ever before. If it hadn't been for wake up this morning to the abrupt applause parading around our bedroom in traditional celebratory waking of a birthday, I would have thought I were trapped in a nightmare.

Renee and I had been eagerly awaiting this day for so long, excitement building with every thought. We had dreamt about precious friends and family coming together in one place, something that rarely happened. Kana laughing, chasing after us, the pure light of her being soaking into everyone around her, Dominik sitting aside attempting to hide his yearning to join us as he pretends to read, these were a few of the things we held our highest hopes to.

I had nearly given up until I heard voices coming from my parents bathroom. The thick wall that separated us, muffled their words making it impossible to know what they were arguing about. Pushing the heavy wooden door open, I could now hear the thrashing of water. But it wasn't until I peeked inside the room that my stomach twisted into an agonizing knot.

"Stop fighting!" I heard my father roar.

Looking inside, I found my fathers mighty hand wrapped around my precious brothers throat as he held him down beneath the water of the bathtub. As for my mother, she held Renee's arm as high as she could and brought her knife down, slicing into his skin, all the way to the bone. She brought the knife from his wrist to his elbow, then attempted to make it all the way to his shoulder without removing the blade once. I had never seen so much blood in my life. I was stunned to the point my bones ached. I watched in terror as blood continued to pour from my brothers arm as if it were a red river.

"Giov-" Renee screamed as he broke free for merely a second. Struggling against the wicked monsters that dare drain him, he was no match. If I didn't do something he would-

----

"Renee!" I screamed shooting upright in bed. I found it hard to breathe as the agonizing pain in my chest began to take over my entire body. Not even seconds later, he came barging through the door in alert.

"Yes?" He didn't give it a moments thought before coming to my aid. Laying me back down, I felt the cool air fill my aching chest. His presence was enough to chase the terror from my veins.

It has been a while since I was last sucked back into the past. Lately the remedies that Vera concocts hadn't been working as affectively. Haunting glimpses and snips of my parents voices or a call from Renee's strained voice, all things that shouldn't be seen when we close our eyes, have been leaking in slowly. The purpose of these remedies was to block all of it out.

Yet again, Dominik was robbing me. It filled me with rage at just thought of him. My hand trembled against the blankets, shaking as my blood began to boil.

"Troubled?" Came a amused purr. I didn't even have to look to know it was Amaria. "Maybe I can be a little more help then that nanny wolf."

"Out!" Hissed Renee with such venom it sent a bucket of ice down my spine.

Her response was the mere slapping of her thigh and a laugh. It filled the room and painted her as a fool. Renee was stepping towards her, ready to bring her the death she had asked for, when she threw something across the room. It fell on my stomach, plopping down and rolling down into my hand.

I held it up to the light and found that it was blood.

"Now," she smiled grimly as she sauntered in around my brother. "That's not a remedy, per-say, but it might help you sleep better. Can you guess what it is?"

I looked at her for a moment, contemplating how likely it was that she would end up stabbing us in the back. It was high but we were nearly out of options.

Uncorking the bottle, we all could smell it in an instant. My eyes grew wide, my mouth watering. It was Rozalina's blood. There was no mistaking it.

"How?" Sitting up, I tore the blanket from me.

"Lets say, I have a few friends in very important places." Her smile told us she was worth the risk. And I believed it.

I stood up and quickly dressed in my robe. It hard to keep the jitters of excitement at bay. My hands wanted to tremor with it, my fingertips screamed with pins and needles. This was all too good.

And when I rose the glass vial to my lips and drank its velvety contents, I saw the future, I saw our victory. We were going to tear apart everything Dominik loved and stomp on it.