TW in the description
Thank you to _Chooarts_ for this emotional piece!
Luca POV
They drove through the night and into the next day. About halfway, Mattias switched with Giulia after making sure Alberto was out of immediate danger.
Alberto hadn't stirred the entire drive, but Luca felt like he had a little color in his face after Mattias was done with him.
It was just before noon when Mattias turned off the main road and down a country path.
"Where are we going?" Luca yawned. Giulia was asleep in the back. Eshe was wide awake. She hadn't shown any signs of weariness the entire journey.
"One of my family's summer homes. It's a lake house by lake Como. It's been out of use for a few weeks since summer is over. Nobody will find us there." Mattias said, rubbing his temples. He looked more tired than anyone.
"Why would nobody find us there? What makes it so safe?" Luca asked.
"Because it's landlocked. You don't go hunting Sireni away from the ocean."
Luca was surprised to hear this. He had never been away from the ocean. Even Genova overlooked the sea. He wasn't sure how he felt about it.
"Won't your family realize you're there?" Luca said, realizing he knew very little about Mattias.
"I haven't spoken to them in years. And they have dozens of different vacation homes for the winter. Only the servants will be there."
"Servants!?" Giulia's voice piped up from the back.
Mattias sighed. He clearly wasn't a fan of his family's wealth.
After driving down a gravel path for thirty minutes, the summer home came into view.
Both Giulia and Luca gasped.
Luca had expected a small country house. Instead, they were looking at a multimillion-dollar mansion. The main house had giant glass walls and a perfectly manicured lawn.
Luca could see a pool balcony hanging on the second floor of the mansion. The grounds were just as impressive as the house. Vast gardens stretched all around. There was a tennis court, archery range, running track, and even a barn with what Luca suspected were horses inside.
"You said your family has more of these places?" Giulia asked, gaping out the window.
"Don't remind me," Mattias grumbled.
They parked the van in the garage where several sports cars sat unused.
Mattias immediately went to work, pulling the gurney out of the van and rolling Alberto inside. Luca didn't have time to appreciate the magnificence of the home's interior while they set Alberto up in an empty room.
Mattias pulled all the medical equipment from the van attaching Alberto to a heart monitor and a secondary IV drip.
"There are over a dozen rooms you can all choose from. Pick one you like and get comfortable. I think we will be here for a while." Mattias said, organizing syringes on the dresser.
"I'd like to stay here with him if that's ok," Luca said, already pulling a chair next to Alberto's bed.
"That's fine. I'll have someone bring another bed in here for you."
Luca had spotted a couple of the workers on the estate as they walked in. They all seemed delighted to see Mattias. Luca was impressed that Mattias was able to greet them all by name.
"I think I speak for everyone when I say we are all exhausted. Let's go to our rooms, get cleaned up, and tomorrow we will discuss what the plan is." Mattias said, addressing everyone in the room.
Giulia nodded, already looking like she was ready to sleep again.
"We need supplies if we are going to be staying here long term," Eshe said, pointing to her blood-stained tank top.
"I'll ask one of the staff to get everything we need."
Without further argument, the two girls left to find rooms. Despite the mansion being huge, they all chose rooms close to one another. Eshe insisted on the room right beside Alberto's. Giulia took one a few doors down the hall and Mattias the one across from hers. After being separated for so long - nobody wanted to be alone again.
Luca stayed with Alberto, listening to the heart monitor beep. Someone brought in a small bed a few minutes later.
He looked around the grand room. It was massive, with a giant window overlooking the grounds. Every piece of furniture screamed of luxury. There was a private bathroom attached with a tub built into the floor. However, 'tub' might not have been the right word since it was the size of a small swimming pool. It had two faucets and bubble jets. It took over an hour to fill entirely, but when it was full, Luca undressed and gingerly stepped into the steaming water. It was glorious to float in the hot liquid.
After thoroughly cleaning himself, Luca returned to Alberto's side. He threw away the tattered cloth he was wearing and simply wrapped himself in a towel until one of Mattais's workers brought them new clothes.
Luca just had time to consider the filthy clothes on Alberto when a woman came in to change him. She was a member of the local hospital staff that Mattias had called over. Luca stepped out of the room while the nurse washed and redressed Alberto.
"Mattias has people everywhere, doesn't he?" Luca thought to himself. He couldn't imagine what situation they would be in without the doctor's help.
Luca thanked the nurse as she left and returned to Alberto's side. His skin was free of grime, but he still looked gaunt.
"You're ok now, Alberto. Everything is going to be ok." Luca said, holding his friend's bony hand.
There was a tension in Luca's chest that wouldn't go away. And Luca knew it would only get worse until he heard Alberto's voice. Saw Alberto's eyes. Until he knew without a shadow of a doubt that he was going to be ok. Until then, this tension in his body would never ease. Never let go.
Luca would never give up on Alberto.
~.~.~.~.~.~
A few hours passed when Mattias entered the room. He looked washed and refreshed. His long curly hair was pulled back in a ponytail. He carried two giant bags.
"Clothes. Take your pick."
"Thanks," Luca said, holding his towel around this waist and picking out a simple pair of underclothes, shorts, and a t-shirt.
"I know you don't want to. But I need to check you out, Luca. You aren't well."
Luca sighed but nodded. He took off the t-shirt and left Mattias to check him. The doctor took his temperature and a blood sample. With the help of a nearby hospital, Mattias was able to turn the room into a mini doctor's office with all the supplies he could need to care for them.
As Mattias checked Luca over, he kept shaking his head and mumbling to himself. Finally, after listening to Luca's lungs for the tenth time, he sat down.
"Just from looking, I can guess what happened to you, Luca."
Luca didn't say anything. He wasn't ready to talk about it. To face that hell again.
"You don't have to tell me now. But sometime within the next week, I need to know so I can treat you the best way I can. Right now, I'm going to put you on an IV for some fluids."
"Thank you," was all Luca managed to say. Even thinking of recounting his ordeal made him tremble.
Mattias put an IV in Luca's arm, setting it right beside Alberto's. The doctor walked over to a monitor that was processing Luca's bloodwork. Mattias suddenly froze as the data came up on the screen.
"Wait. That can't be right."
He rechecked the numbers.
"What's wrong?" Luca asked, worried.
"No. My instruments must be off. I'm sorry, I'm going to have to do another blood sample." He said and proceeded to draw more blood from Luca. He then did the same for Alberto.
They sat patiently for the next twenty minutes while the blood was processed.
"How...how have things been?" Luca asked to break the silence.
"About as well as you can imagine," Mattias replied, rubbing his eyes. "Giulia was a wreck. I was very worried about her for a while. She stopped eating. Wouldn't sleep. Massimo wasn't much better."
Luca bowed his head sorrowfully.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't you dare apologize. That was nothing compared to what you...." He stopped. "Well, we are all just glad to have you back."
Luca didn't reply. It was too soon. Too raw to discuss anything in detail.
"I have a lot of questions for Eshe," Mattias said, leaning back in the cushioned chair.
"Me too," Luca admitted. He knew hardly anything about their rescuer. She was strong, and Luca got the distinct feeling she was a good person. But beyond that, he knew nothing.
The computer beeped, and Mattias rose to check the results.
"No. It's exactly the same. That's impossible." He looked from Luca's to Alberto's results over and over.
"What's wrong?" Luca asked, more concerned for Alberto's results than his.
"You wouldn't understand... but it shouldn't be possible."
Luca looked over at Alberto's still face worriedly. He took Alberto's hand in both of his own, rubbing it tenderly.
The heart monitor beeped louder.
Mattias's head shot up. He looked from Luca to the monitor and back again.
"What?" Luca asked innocently.
"Luca, take your hand off Alberto," Mattias ordered.
Luca obeyed without question. Instantly the strength of the heartbeats fell. They became more shallow and less frequent.
"Now, take his hand again."
Luca did as he was told.
The heart rate increased, the spikes reaching higher on the screen.
Mattias's eyes grew wide with shock, and for the first time, Luca saw the doctor at a loss for words.
"What does that mean?" Luca asked, looking at the monitor then at his hands.
"It means...."
Then Luca saw Mattias.... smile? It was too fast to tell.
"I'll have to run a few more tests to be sure. But for now, try to keep your hands on Alberto as much as you can. It'll help."
And the doctor left the room with a stack of papers in his arms.
Luca repeated the experiment on his own a couple more times, watching Alberto's heart rate rise and fall as Luca touched him.
"What does this mean?" Luca wondered, his mind perplexed.
But if all Luca had to do was keep contact with Alberto - he would do it gladly. He let go of his hand only for a moment to drag over the bed so that it was right beside Alberto's. He moved both their IV drips just behind the headboards before lying down. He reached across the two beds and took Alberto's hand, an IV sticking out from the top.
Luca smiled, looking at their matching IV drips as he interlocked their fingers.
"It's going to be ok. It's going to be ok." He repeated the words in his head over and over again.
Until he fell asleep, dreaming of Golden fish and brilliant light.
~.~.~.~.~.~
Giulia POV
Giulia woke early the next morning. She didn't bother with breakfast before she rushed to Alberto's room. She gave a small sigh of relief to see her brother and Luca asleep in the center of the room.
Until she saw them with her own eyes, a part of herself couldn't believe they were here, that they were alive.
Luca had pushed a second bed against Alberto's, and the pair lay asleep with their thin hands clasped together.
She sat down on the empty sofa by the window, taking in the view. Then she admired the room. The dark hardwood floors, molded ceiling, and...
Giulia nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw a pair of green eyes watching her.
"What are you doing here!?" Giulia said breathlessly as she tried to slow her racing heart.
Eshe was sitting in a chair in the corner of the room. She was so silent Giulia hadn't noticed her presence at all.
(Song: я тебя найду by Green Apelsin - "Eshe's Theme")
"I've been here for hours." Eshe spat. "Making sure you humans don't do something foolish."
Giulia took in the Sirena's dark hair as it fell over her shoulders. A floral tattoo with a serpent spread across Eshe's chest and shoulder, clearly visible under an army green tank top.
"I'm sorry if you haven't noticed, but we are trying to save their lives." Giulia retorted.
Eshe huffed. Giulia scowled and continued.
"And if I remember correctly, Mattias saved your butt last night. You were about to be shot, and he risked himself to save you. He doesn't even know you."
At this, Eshe stiffened. There was no doubt she remembered, and it bothered her.
The door opened, and Mattias walked in carrying a tray of blood-filled vials.
"Oh. Good morning. Seems I am the last to join the party." He said, closing the door behind him.
"We were just talking about how you saved Eshe's life yesterday, even though you're human," Giulia said, shooting the Sirena a dirty look.
At this, Eshe stood, shoulders tense and hands balled into fists.
"Why did you do it?" She asked Mattias. "Why didn't you let him shoot me?"
Mattias didn't turn, keeping his back to Eshe.
"Because I've seen enough death in this world to want to stop it at all costs. No matter who it is. Sireni or Human. It doesn't matter to me."
"But your kind kill us. And we kill you." Eshe said.
"Maybe where you're from. But before Portorosso fell, we found a way to live together. I'd like it to be that way everywhere."
At this, Eshe didn't say anything else. She sat back in her chair, looking thoughtful. Giulia wondered what must be running through her mind.
~.~.~.~.~.~
Luca POV
Luca woke to the sound of a heart monitor. He blinked his eyes open and was glad to see his hand still holding Alberto's.
"Dobroye utro, Lyagushka," Eshe said from the corner of the room, flipping aimlessly through a book.
"What?" Luca mumbled, rubbing his eyes and sitting up.
"Good morning Lyagushka." She translated.
"What does that last word mean?" He asked.
"Little frog. That's what you remind me of." She said, smirking to herself.
Luca smiled. If she was teasing him, that meant she liked him.
The door opened, and Mattias and Giulia walked in carrying armfuls of breakfast sandwiches and orange juice.
"Oh, you're awake! Good." Mattias said, offering him a sandwich and a glass of juice. He then leaned over Luca's hand and withdrew the IV, placing a band-aide over his skin to stop the bleeding.
Giulia began talking at once, telling him more about the estate and all the luxuries it offered. Luca listened quietly, picking the ham off his sandwich. Meat never sat well with his stomach, but he gulped the juice eagerly. He noticed Eshe sniff the juice, then, with her nose wrinkled in disgust, set it on the counter far from her.
After everyone had eaten, Mattias cleared his throat uncomfortably.
"I know it's unpleasant, but we need to all get on the same page. It's time to talk."
He turned to Eshe and Luca.
"We need to hear your stories if we are going to have any chance of figuring this mess out."
Luca's chest felt hollow. He knew it was coming, but he dreaded the idea of having to talk about it. About all he went through.
But once he dove into his tale, he didn't pause even once. It was easier to keep talking - if he stopped - he might not have the strength to get started again. He told them about the capture, the imprisonment... then the torture. He told them about being allowed to drown over and over, only to be resuscitated at the last second. About being starved and how they were kept in darkness.
He didn't tell them everything, though.
He didn't tell them how he and Alberto clung to each other, how they had become each other's world in the blackness. How if Alberto weren't there, Luca didn't think he would be sitting with them in that moment. He didn't tell them about the screaming when they woke from nightmares or the sounds of choking as he listened to Alberto suffocate beside him. He didn't tell them how they told stories to keep each other sane.
He didn't tell them.... any of it.
Luca finished by recalling his last memory of drowning and then waking up on a bed of seagrass with Eshe by his side. By the time he finished speaking, he could tell Giulia was doing everything in her power to keep her composure. She looked close to hysterics.
"Thank you. I know that was unpleasant." Mattias said before turning to Eshe. "Your turn."
Eshe rolled her eyes but sat up straight, diving into her story.
"I wasn't in captivity as long as Luca and Alberto. I had only been a prisoner for five days before my guard made a mistake, and I took advantage."
"Why did you get captured, to begin with? You weren't in Portorosso that night." Mattias asked.
"No, I wasn't. I was on a mission with ten members of my tribe to destroy the mercenary ships. They surprised us with electrified nets and captured us just as we were disabling their motors."
"I've heard of you," Mattias said. "Your people call themselves Rusalka, right? You're a warrior tribe. Hunters rather than gatherers like the Sireni in Portorosso."
Eshe nodded, "That's right." She eyed the doctor for a moment. "I am surprised how much you know about my people."
"I have made it my life's work to study you. And to help you." He added.
Eshe huffed before continuing.
"We have been hunting the mercenaries for months now. And we had been successful in slowing their progress until the night we were captured. My companions all perished in the explosion." She said, and Luca caught the slightest hint of mourning in her voice.
"Tell us about the explosion." Mattias urged.
"Once I escaped, I damaged the ship's pressure system. I was about to make my escape when...." Her voice trailed off. Luca watched her hesitate like she was debating how much to reveal.
"I got a feeling. To check a room." She finally managed to say.
"A feeling?" Luca asked, joining the conversation. He wanted to know more about why his life was saved.
"Yes," Eshe said. "A feeling. A voice."
"A spirit," Mattias said, and Eshe rounded on him. "I've also learned that your tribe are very spiritual people."
"We are, but it is not something we discuss so openly." She bit back.
Mattias raised a hand. "I apologize. Continue."
"I followed my prompting and found Alberto in a pool of blood. His guard was dead beside him."
"Wait..." Luca said, a sinking feeling building inside him. "Did Alberto... kill him?"
"That's what it looked like." She said unconcerned. "Once I found him, he had just enough strength to tell me you were still in the tank. I grabbed both of you and cleared the ship just before the explosion." She said, finishing her tale.
"Thank you," Mattias said. "Now that everything is cleared up, I have a better picture of what we need to do moving forward. First," He said, taking out a needle, "Eshe, I will need a blood sample from you."
Eshe jerked back suddenly, alert. "Why?"
"Because if Alberto needs a blood transfusion, I need to know if we have someone with a compatible blood type. It's not like Giulia or I can donate blood for him. And Luca is too weak."
Luca was about to protest that he felt fine and wouldn't mind giving blood, but Eshe beat him to it.
"Fine. But only if that's all you're using it for." She snarled as he tied a band around her arm.
Giulia came and sat on the side of Luca's bed.
"When you're feeling better, we can go check out the Lake." Giulia offered. "It's huge. It's not the ocean, but you might feel better after a swim."
"Yea, that sounds great." Luca smiled. "I've never swam in a lake-"
His sentence cut off.
Just then... he felt something like an echo but inside him. He looked around, confused.
"Luca? What's wrong?"
"I-I don't know. Do you feel that?" He asked, still looking for the source.
Then again. Stronger this time. A pull - like a rope tied around him. But it wasn't tied around his body. It was tied around - something else. Something more. It tugged again like it was trying to get his attention.
"What?" Luca said out loud, a bit startled.
It tugged, again and again, growing impatient.
"I'm here!" Luca called out, making Giulia jump.
"Luca, what's gotten into you?" She asked in alarm.
But before he could answer, Mattias practically dove at a monitor, watching numbers move and graphs change shape. The doctor looked from Luca to Alberto.
"I think he's waking up," Mattias said, checking Alberto's pulse.
But Luca wasn't listening. The tugging was becoming more desperate like it was hanging on for dear life. The grip was squeezing him so much he audibly gasped.
"I'm here!" He cried out. "I'm ok!"
Luca didn't know who he was talking to. Only that the person tugging the rope was mad with concern. Worried about Luca. Luca put a hand to his chest, finding it difficult to breathe. The grip was suffocating.
"I said I'm ok!" Luca called again, not realizing how insane he looked, talking to nothing.
Then the tugging eased. Calming inside Luca. But it maintained its grip. Not letting Luca go for even a moment.
All the while, Mattias watched him with both fascination and concern.
"Luca? Are you ok?" The doctor asked.
"I don't know." Luca looked around the room. He was disoriented, looking for the source of this feeling inside him.
Then Luca felt fingers tighten around his hand. He turned, his heart racing.
Alberto's hand squeezed Luca's. Then his chest filled with air as he breathed in a large breath. His green eyes opened, blinking at the light.
"Alberto?" Luca said, leaning closer.
Alberto blinked a few more times; then, his eyes focused on Luca's.
Then he smiled.
"Luca." He said.
That was all it took to send Luca over the edge. A sob burst out of him as he threw himself from his bed and onto Alberto. His body convulsed as he cried harder than he had ever cried in his life.
(Credit to: _chooarts_ on Instagram)
All the horror. The pain. The fear. It spilled out with every painful gasp. Every tear. Alberto's frail arms wrapped around Luca, holding him. Reassuring him.
Luca didn't know how long he cried. Only that Alberto held him the entire time. The room was empty. Everyone left to give them privacy. Luca felt Alberto's hand patting him on the head. Running down his back. Holding onto him.
Finally, Luca sat up, looking at Alberto.
"I-I missed you so much." Luca sputtered.
Alberto reached up, wiping away a tear from Luca's cheek.
"I missed you too." He said with a sad smile.
Then Luca felt that grip inside him finally loosen. It was calm, at peace. But Luca didn't ponder it.
He ran his fingers through Alberto's hair. Then with his hand, touched Alberto's prominent cheekbones. Luca let his hand feel the smooth skin, and he traced Alberto's jawline, his brow, his nose... his lips.
Alberto's eyes never wavered as Luca confirmed that this was real. That Alberto was really here. Really awake. Really alive.
Then Luca felt that same sensation. A tug coming from inside him. But this time, it wasn't desperate or panicked. It was gentle. Like sunlight breaking through still water. A pull - like an embrace.
Luca didn't need to think. To wonder if it was a mistake. He knew without a doubt that this was right. Luca let himself be pulled by the connection. He looked at Alberto's green eyes.
And Luca kissed him.
Italian Translations
Sireni - Merpeople (Plural)
Sirena - Merperson (Female)
Sireno - Merperson (Male)
Other Translations
Rusalka - Merpeople (Plural)
Rusalkess - Merperson (Female)
Rusalk - Merperson (Male)