The next morning, Alex's sock-clad feet slid down the carpeted landing of the hotel towards Maddie and Leah's room. His knuckles tapped the door for a moment before the door swung open. Maddie greeted him with an irritated glance, her hair thrown up in an unkempt bun.
"Be quiet, Alex. Leah's still sleeping." The words tumbled out of her mouth in a hushed whisper, her head tilted towards him so he could hear her.
A maroon sweatshirt hung on his chest, his legs clad in black sweatpants and his ruffled hair signaling slumber. Within a matter of seconds, a smirk curled onto his lips as he gestured towards the card in his hands. It was cream-colored, embroidered with golden lines on the borders of the page.
"Look what I found in front of my door last night," Alex let out with a slight chuckle. "It's our first renaissance party in Venice."
A small hint of glitter in Maddie's electric blue eyes shone in the shaded light. "You're joking. Show me!" she muttered, her fingers reaching towards the invitation.
It was sent from a foreign advisor of the government, who briefly wrote of his delight at the news that Sonia, a dear friend, had sent young American citizens to study his work on diplomatic affairs. Her eyes skimmed the printed text before she lifted her gaze expectantly at Alex.
"So that's her cover story? We're here to observe politics?" said Maddie, a concerned frown gracing her features. "I don't understand why we even needed one. They weren't supposed to know we were on official business!"
Alex sighed. "I said the same thing. She practically shone the light on us for all of them to catch, but she said-"
"Is she setting us up!?" Maddie hissed. A flash of concern crossed Alex's features.
"Listen to me, Maddie," he said in a hushed tone. "I asked her about it, and she said she didn't have a choice. They contacted her as soon as we arrived at the airport. I guess the lady at immigration must've tipped us off."
Maddie let out a weary sigh, a tinge of relief studding her prior suspicion. "Great, so now the officials know."
"No," Alex drawled. "They think we're studying negotiation, remember? All she saw was some angry American teenagers with bodyguards. They probably think we're living on trust funds from our cabinet fathers. Why would they suspect us?"
Leah suddenly peeked out from behind Maddie, narrowing her eyes at Alex. "What's going on?" she grumbled. Blush strands of hair escaped her feeble attempt at a ponytail and framed the sides of her face.
"We'll meet you downstairs in ten minutes. All of you." declared Alex. His words combined with retreating footsteps rung in Leah's skull, her eyes desperately avoiding any traces of sunlight that basked the halls.
In a matter of time, they were seated in a discreet corner of the dining area, munching on a zesty lemon tart named crostata.
It wasn't yet known if Leah was actually conscious, and Katya had been surprisingly tolerant when Alex'd demanded she met them all for breakfast. Annika remained silent, Violet and Asher engaging in faint conversation.
Maddie's fingers thrummed the edge of the table, sudden apprehension growing thorns in her lungs. She prayed they'd turn to roses, a wistful dream at the time.
"So," Katya addressed. "Why are we here?"
Alex cleared his throat. "We're going to an event," Asher intervened, his gaze lifting from his plate as he leaned back into his plush seat. "We've been invited to a gala."
"From who?" Annika wondered. "For what reason?"
"It's a friend of Sonia's who thinks we're here to study politics. As far as we know, they're not aware of what we're really here for. They might be suspicious, but it's not like we can hide it much longer." Maddie said.
Alex directed his gaze towards Asher with a smirk settled on his lips. "You weren't supposed to see it. Did you wake up earlier than me?"
"Hell yeah, I did. Sorry, but we're all equally in charge." Asher chuckled. Then, he returned his attention to his fruit tart, slouching down in his seat with his hood thrown over his ruffled platinum hair.
Once they'd wrung every single detail out of Alex, they spotted their entourage of two, (or their new nickname, the BSM) walking unflinchingly towards them with their fists clenched. If that had been anyone else, they would've assumed there was something wrong - but Maddie liked to think they were made of steel, so it didn't really matter to anyone.
"You got the invite?" the first man let out, his voice gruff and dismal. They nodded in response, and then the BSM was gone. Big Spy Men had some work to do, it seemed.
It was only at six in the evening when the BSM approached them once again, this time holding glossy shopping bags with crumpled, rose-colored tissue paper peeking out. They set them in front of Alex's door, and right behind this white door was the wreaking havoc of young magic.
They were practicing their abilities with Sonia on the other line of the phone, who'd just been informed of their invite to the gala. Apparently, it was intended for them to attend so they could soon master their physical disguise.
"I sent you around this time because it's the perfect opportunity to conceal yourselves. We begin with the baby steps, you see? Masks to glamours. This is your chance to acquaint yourselves with allies and then vanish in the glittering midnight. It's exactly the kind of reputation we want to achieve."
"Allies?" Annika asked, leaning closer towards the speakers on Alex's phone. "So the attendees will know who we are, and they'll aid us?"
"A fraction of them, yes - but they won't be directly involved in the mission. They'll be there when you need them, and they'll provide you with some of your resources. But no, they won't fight or flee. Men on political thrones don't do that kind of thing."
In response to the time, Alex hurriedly said goodbye and ended the call. They had to start getting ready, so the girls approached the door to leave, and this was when they discovered the bags of riches planted outside his door.
"Courtesy of the BSM, I'm guessing," Violet said quietly.
That was when the girls grabbed the bags and rushed to Maddie's suite. Alex and Asher took the two remaining, in which they found the lavish masks they'd use for the gala.
It must've taken a half hour for them to be done, and the girls left Maddie's room clad in black gowns and the same midnight masks for all of them to wear. There were small crows in mid-flight sewed on the lining, and a general motif of intricate glitter embellished onto all of them.
The boys had a similar get-up - the same masks, and pitch-black suits. They'd worn the cufflinks with poison inside of them just in case, and Katya had instructed the girls to take the lipstick-blades in their clutches for precautionary measures.
The last bewitching accessory fell down to their shoes: a small compartment hidden in the soles containing an endearingly-tiny yet lethal pistol. The ice-bullets were laced with undetectable poison and huddled in a cooling cushion.
Katya beamed, the presence of a knife comforting her on a spiritual level. Leah was more used to her converse, whilst Annika felt forlorn to the feeling of a heel lower than six inches.
But there was no time to admire - the BSM ushered them down the fire exit as soon as they were finished. The men insisted to take the back doors for discretion. After bursting out of the doors into the crisp air, they were lead towards another limousine.
The girls paused to breathe. Nevertheless, Big Spy Man number one had shoved a jar of Sakai in front of them, and Annika's exhale carried the barrels of dust towards the others, as well as the car. What happened next made Violet flinch.
All of them were engulfed in Sakai, and after screwing their eyes shut in concentration, they felt their feet thud against the pavement of another luxury hotel: the Hilton.
Upon opening their eyes, they spotted the diamond flashes of photographers outside the entrance. Maddie's crimson lips tugged into a smirk, her fingertips reaching towards the band fitted over her head as she adjusted her mask. The glowing of her eyes contrasted with its black lacing, adjusted to frame her prominent cheekbones.
Katya's copper hair tumbled down below her shoulders like a curtain, her emerald eyes lined with smudged coal and a beaded bracelet hugging her wrist. The slit of Annika's dress revealed her olive, lean legs, her toes wriggling in her stilettos. Leah's fuchsia locks were curled down the side of her face and her dress was sheer in the back. Violet's was long sleeved with tulle straight down to the floor. Her blonde hair was hung in a sleek ponytail.
Asher's Chesire grin could've lit the streets of New York, a chuckle escaping him as he and Alex appeared behind them. Alex's gaze was glued to the building before Maddie's gleeful smile distracted him for a second.
"After you, ladies." Asher laughed.
They strode down the pavement into the casting of lights, approaching the gate with the two BSM stationed at each side in front of them. The clicking of the cameras accompanied the click of Katya's heels. Her wicked smile almost mirrored the curve of the knife she had hidden in her clutch.
An uproar of shouts sounded at the gates. Alex leaned over to whisper their last names to the guard before they slipped through the doors and escaped the eye of the public. Photographers sighed wearily as they faded into the crowd of pompous elite.
Striding towards their table inside the hall, they gathered the attention of the other attendees seated at the front. Indignant glances were shot their way from the women in red. A woman in a dusty-rose gown leaned over to her blue-boy counterpart, whispering about a possible threat when Katya's gaze flitted towards her.
They took a seat, the seven of them on a single table as the BSM stood at either side. A few minutes later, the diplomat who'd invited them stood on the stage and welcomed everyone. It was a rather dull ceremony, celebrating negotiations that lead to the thriving of their economy.
For a split second, he looked as though he would approach them personally, but his wife wrapped her hands around his arm and kept him occupied chatting up members of Parliament. To Alex's relief, they soon realized they weren't of any priority to the other attendees. Their only flaw was dressing a bit too well.
That must've been why Violet was greeted by ancient-looking bastards on her way to the ladies room. They looked about seventy, with their fraying hair scruffed back and their lips soaked in booze.
When they jeered at her in the hallway, she disregarded their presence. The door to the girls' bathroom wasn't too far away, she thought.
But the slurred catcalls were unsettling her now, and she could sense their looming presence as they lumbered towards her.
The hairs on the back of her neck stood as she caught sight of a man's shadow towering over her figure. Fixing her gaze on the shiny floors, she fastened her pace.
"Darling, stop running," one man purred. "We only want to play, it'll take a few minutes at most,"
The words slipped out from his drenched lips in broken English, and Violet was tempted to leave him with a broken nose too.
"Stay away from me, before I scream," she warned lowly, clenching her fists.
The two men laughed. "Don't try, sweetie. No one will be able to hear you from where we're going..."
In her hands lay a lipstick that had been tightly screwed shut. Leah had crafted it along with everything else. If Violet wanted to, she could whirl around and stab those two trolls right in their pathetic little hearts...
Alas, there was no need. The first man had barely managed to lay a hand on the curve of her back before the BSM knocked him out in the same second.
A shrill scream left Violet's lips before she turned to face him in surprise. She felt his fingers slip from the rippling material of her dress, and there was a loud thud as he crashed into the wall behind.
Katya wedged her stilettos into the other man's stomach. "I don't think we need much magic for mortals," she said nonchalantly as she threw him onto the ground.
He attempted to grab her heel, writhing on the ground in her grasp. For a second he might have been successful - but Katya didn't take well to resistance and simply couldn't help but kick him in the face. Hard.
Violet's hand shot out towards her stomach as dreaded nausea rose in her throat. She knew those men. Worst of all, almost everyone in Italy knew those men.
They weren't just mortals... they were members of the Senate. Engulfed in a handful of scandals with lawsuits to cover.
And now their million dollar suits were stained with blood - all thanks to the kids from America.
AN: please read 🌻
Firstly, make sure to leave a vote if you enjoyed 💜
I'm trying to get my read : vote ratio just a little bit higher because more votes lifts my ranking, and of course, leave some feedback on your feelings about this chapter in the comments 💓
In all seriousness thank you so much for taking the time to read because my views have been going much faster lately and I'm so grateful! Let's try to hit 16k by the next update 🌸 See you soon, friends 💫