Bloodbath of the Fallen Crown

32

Nicolas nodded, opening the door wider. "I agree. But you need to see something first."

I frowned, feeling confused as I walked past him and into the living room. There was a box by the doorway. I stopped upon seeing it, Nicolas crashing into me from behind. I turned to him. "That was here?"

"Yeah. When I opened the door there was no one. Just this box." He gestured forward. "Go on."

I moved up to the box, but hesitated to touch it. "What if it's--"

My sentence stopped midway when Nicolas showed me a card. "It was on top of the box. I don't know if I should believe or not, but it was there nonetheless."

Not a bomb ;) -K.M.

I read and reread the words a dozen times. My eyes seemed to gravitate more towards the initials. K.M. Katerina Mussolini.

I gave Nicolas the card back and walked to the box. "You're opening it?" He asked in panic.

"It says it's not a bomb." I told him, grabbing a piece of tape and pulling it back.

"And you believe it!?"

I looked at him over my shoulder. "Looks to me like they have no reason to lie. If they wanted to blow us up, a bomb this size would've turned us to stew."

"Still..." He said, walking over to me. I could tell he was panicked, but he stayed by me despite it.

I finished pulling the tape, ripping it off the box. I pried the box open. Nicolas helped me, taking whatever was inside, out. It was coated in plastic and Styrofoam. A part of me suspected it was less for the safety of the contents and more for the sake of stalling.

We removed the plastic and Styrofoam, leaving it bare. Once I fully recognized what it was, my heart broke at my feet. I took a step back and another, and another until I tripped over my feet and fell on the ground. I didn't breathe for a full minute, just then realizing Nicolas had crouched down next to me, trying to get my attention. When I fully became aware of my surroundings and the realness of the little gift that was left at my doorstep.

"Sia?" Nicolas grabbed my face, forcing me to look at him. "What is it? What's wrong?"

I tried opening my mouth but nothing came out. Just empty exhales that left me even more breathless.

"Sia?" He tried again. "Breathe. Come on, nena. Breathe in and breathe out."

I followed his instructions, taking small breathes in and out. When the shock had died down and the fear made way for words, I looked him in the eye.

"That's." I swallowed hard, feeling bile rise up my throat. My eyes went back to the present. "That's the cage I was held in. When Mussolini kidnapped me. That's my cage. The cage."

Nicolas looked over to the cage, his face paling at the sight. I followed his gaze, staring at the cage. "There's a gift box inside," he stated.

I swallowed again. "There is."

"You want me to get it?"

When I didn't say anything, he crawled over to the cage and opened it, the squealing of the oxidized steel bringing tears to my eyes. I blinked them away.

Nicolas showed me the note that was taped to the box.

Not a bomb either. -K.M.

"Open it," I whispered.

He pulled the ribbon and lifted the top of the box, carefully removing the pink decorative paper from inside. He frowned upon seeing it before pulling the contents out.

A big plastic bag with something red inside. I knew what it was immediately.

A cassette tape that brought one too many terrorizing memories back. I sucked in a breath upon seeing it.

Last was a birthday card.

"Give me the card," I told him.

He handed it over and I opened it, biting my lip hard at the picture inside. I sucked on the blood that came out. Nicolas scooted over to me and cursed the second he saw the picture.

It was me, in the cage. My eyes looked dead as I stared at the camera. My hands and forearms were covered in blood at my sides. That blood wasn't mine. It was Armando's.

My eyes trailed to the note on the card. Happy birthday, Sister! May today be filled with beautiful memories and wonderful people by your side.

But below that was a handwritten note. That one made the blood on my face drain.

Remember this? Exactly three years ago. We have yet to have a proper discussion, little sis. I believe it's time we put our differences aside, no? -K.M.

And below that, one sentence that I didn't understand fully, but somehow caused goosebumps on my skin.

Welcome, Anastasia, to the Nine Circles of Hell.

-O. T. T. F. F. S. S. E. N.

***
Hiya. Sorry for not posting yesterday. This book is slowly coming to an end so i might just post all the remaining chapters at one point. There's one more book in this series. I'll post more about it near the end of this book.

Happy reading!