All three of us sat in the automobile. This time we hadn’t acquired a driver as Carlo had refused to relinquish the driver position to a human. Alessandro sat beside him and bickered on which road to take while I sat in the backseat feeling nostalgic as this moment reminded me of my family. I was a bit unsettling though as we had a similar moment right before we had died. I still remember the searing pain from the flames. It made me feel ill. I forced myself to reminisce about what Alessandro and Carlo had just told me. A frown spread across my face as I realize something.

“Signor Borgia. Pardon, Alessandro.”

I changed to his name as I saw Alessandro’s frown. He didn’t want me to call him by a formal name.

“Earlier when you mention the Anarchists, you also mentioned that I needed to beware of the Magistrates. How are these two connected?”

“Remember when I told you that when Magistrates lost their purpose they started to call themselves Renegades in spite?”

“Yes.”

“The Renegades was rather rabid a while and became aimless rebels. Until they along with other outcasts among the Ascendants created the Anarchy. Most Renegades are members of the Anarchy with only a few exceptions like here in our city.” Alessandro explain. I was just about to ask why that was but he answered the incoming question before I had a chance to ask it.

“Umberto, kin of the current Sovereign, saw the rising danger of the Anarchy and to prevent that it could gain a foothold here he offered the city’s renegade a purpose. To become the Sovereigns personal enforces. The herald of the Renegades, Luca Da Nord, accepted and they started to call themselves the Magistrates again. There are still some renegades who refused to join the Magistrates and continued to support the Anarchy.”

I reacted as I heard the name and Alessandro chuckled. “Yes, I guess even a mortal would have heard of Luca Da Nord. He is the leader of the mafia in Torino after all.”

I shivered at the thought of the mafioso being inhuman but decided to abandon the subjects as I saw the festival in a distant. It was filled with colors, music, and entertainment. I held back a childish squeal as it wouldn’t have been proper for a lady of my status but at least I secretly did so in my mind.

We parked the automobile and Carlo helped me out onto the street which was filled with colorful people. We walked around and watched the artists, and musicians show their craft before going over to the stands. At first, I was overjoyed by all the different foods, some of them exotic to display the city’s connection to other countries. Unfortunately, I then recalled my reaction to food last time I tried it and my mood becomes far less hospitable.

Carlo gave me a sympathetic gaze as he told me that he had the same problems but he also taught me to relish the smells instead. We even tried to distinguish the different ingredients in different foods. I could still enjoy drinks though and Carlo bought me all lot of them, much to Alessandro’s amusement. I soon realized that Carlo found quite the gratification in pampering me. He bought everything I desired while Alessandro reprimanded him for it.

The scene brought a smile to my face as we moved on to dancing. Alessandro was fast to invite me to dance and he was good at it. He told me that in his human days, he had dance quite a lot with beautiful ladies which made Carlo raise an eyebrow at him. Alessandro shrugged and gave him an innocent look. Apparently, he had spent most of his life in Rome which was quite the lively city for a young man back in the day.

I then pulled the reluctant Carlo to dance with me under Alessandro amused smiles as Carlo was far from an adequate dancer. I tried to teach him the rhythm of jazz but he seemed to have two left feet as he stumbled on himself. He apparently finally had enough and grabbed onto my waist and lifted me up. I hollered and laughed as he spun me around.

A smile shone on my face and on his as I recalled my father’s face. He had done the same when I was younger though he stopped as his strength faltered in his elder days or maybe I had grown too large for such activities. Not that I would even consider such a thing as no lady want to be reminded of her size.

Carlo dropped me on my feet as the music ended and we applaud the musicians before returning to Alessandro who had laughed at our antics. The day continued on in similar matter as we walked along the white marble building, which all shone like they were new and the sky soon turned red.

I stood by the statue of Emanuele Filiberto on his stallion while Carlo and Alessandro stood a few feet away as they talked in mumbled voices. I could sense their worry and wondered if it had to do with the nightfall closing in. I turned to them in order to inform them I wanted to travel home but people had started to move with anguished movements as they fled from something they witness by one of the twin churches, Santa Cristina.

I heard dreadful screams and both Carlo and Alessandro’s eyes turned to the church. I couldn’t see and as my strength slowly forsake me as the light quickly faded I wasn’t able to resist the pull of the crowd. I lost myself into it and soon witness what they saw. A man was crucified on Santa Cristina, a man who appears to have his wings cut off. Blood ran down from the old baroque church and miscolored the white stone. The statues on the façade seem to guard the body which hung in front of the oval window which was now lit and gave the body an otherworldly aura.

“A monarch?”

My voice was faint and I glanced around in the hope of seeing Alessandro and Carlo. They had vanished from my sight and I felt dread fall upon the mind as darkness fell upon Piazza San Carlo. I could here a riot happening and I was pushed down Via Giovanni Giolitti with the crowd. In my desire to escape them I turned into a small, and dark alley on Via Giuseppe Luigi Lagrange. I froze in terror when I saw three acrimonious looking men standing in the alley.

The dark had already started to drain my vigor and I was pale, fatigued and dazed. I would have no opportunity to flee if I so desired so I could only beseech that these three men were of kind nature despite their demeanor. They turned to me and I notice their white eyes which had a silvery shine. I recognized these eyes as the same as the bouncer of La Sibilla and calmed myself.

The men watched me with suspicion and I spoke up even though I kept my distance. Carlo and Alessandro had mention that clans don’t necessarily get along.

“Pardon me, Signori! I needed to leave the eyes of the public as it had become rather dangerous at Piazza San Carlo.”

The men moved closer and seemed to circle me. Their eyes inspected me with interest.

“You don’t smell human.”

“I am not.” I pulled out the I Soli card from my purse and showed it to the men who didn’t have the courtesy to do the same. What clan had the bouncer been a member of?

“I Soli? I thought there weren’t many of them left in the city. If I remember correctly, the only one who was female was that broad… You know, the sister of the Herald.”

I felt uncomfortable around these men as they spoke in a rude manner and I wasn’t sure I wanted to be associated with that woman.

“She is my… She created me. I’m here with Signor Borgia, the Herald of my clan.”

“The I Soli has expanded. Better tell Il Capo.”

The head? I had never heard of the Head of a clan. What term is that?

“A Monarch has been slain.”

“Sí, rather gruesomely as well. The Monarchs are an arrogant bunch so it wasn’t surprising.”

“You should not speak ill of the dead,” I reprimanded them and they chuckled in response. They seemed far more serene as they saw me as no threat. Which, in my current state, I was not.

“I have heard that they are rather powerful. Who could have done such a thing?” I asked, more out of obligation than of curiosity.

“Maybe the Revolution has come to the city!” one of the men said with a boisterous voice. I tried not to go rigid as Alessandro’s voice echoed in my mind.

“They were created during the French Revolution and call themselves the Revolution.”

I started to back away slowly but one of the men grabbed onto me.

“Accidenti! Nardo, don’t use our name. She caught on to us being Revolutionists. They call us the Anarchy!” the man said and threw me into the other man’s arms.

“Sorry, bambina. You aren’t getting out of here. At least take heart that you will die for a good cause,” the man named Nardo said with a grim smile. I bit him with my sharp fangs and he roared in agony. He threw me into the wall as the others laughed at his dismay. One of the men grabbed onto my hair and pulled it back. He pulled out a lighter and pushed it closer to my face.

“Don’t make me burn, you-“

He never finished that sentence as the flame, despite not being close enough, started to burn my face. I let out a screech in horror and pain as the man laughed.

“Seemed you have a rather unfair private weakness there, bambina!”

“No shit, an I Soli who are harmed by the light from a flame. Isn’t that suppose to make them stronger. I’m surprised they haven’t left her for the dogs. Maybe she spreads her legs for someone in her clan.”

I felt tears burn behind my eyelids as the burn spread along my face as they mocked me. Then a high screech echoed in the alley. The man holding the lighter roared as something scratched his face. I fell shakily to the ground but refused to remove my gaze from the peculiar scene.

The men were being attacked by a giant bird of prey. It was colored bright red with white and dark brown spots. The yellow eyes glowed in the darkness. One of the men successfully hit the bird into the wall but to my astonishment, the bird transforms into a tall, handsome man with the same eyes as he had in his bird form.

The yellow bird eyes turned to the men and with an inhuman velocity, he slammed one of them into the wall beside me and wall cracked under the pressure. The men grabbed onto their partner and fled the scene. My savior turned slowly towards me. I gasped and covered my eyes. He was as nude as the day he was born.

“I-I should… Give you my gratitude for arriving when you did, Signor. It was most kind of you.”

I could not hear an answer and did not dare look. Then I heard a familiar voice.”Bambina!”

Leonide ran onto the scene and put himself between me and the man. He was just about to enter the fray when I stopped his rampage.

“He saved me! I was attacked by three Anarchists and he saved me.”

Leonide turned to the man again and gave him a frown.

“Is there a reason why he needs to assault your eyes with his lack of clothes?”

I felt my cheek blush and heard the other man clear his throat. I dared a little peek and saw him looking sadly embarrassed as he tried to cover himself up. He avoided looking straight at us. My heart bled and I assaulted Leonide’s arm.

“What?”

“Have some manners, give him your jacket!”

“Manners! I’m not the one running around naked. He is not getting my favorite jacket.”

“What is a jacket compared to a man’s dignity. Give it to him!”

Leonide mumbled something indistinguishable and threw the jacket at the man. I dared to look at him when he was covered. The man looked over at us with an unsure expression on his face.

“I thank you, signor. I will return your jacket, I promise.”

“Keep it. I don’t want it anymore,” Leonide mumbled as he stared at the man’s nether regions. I hit him again as I gave the man a reassuring smile.

“May I know your name, signor?”

The man’s unusual bird eyes turned to me and I just noticed that he doesn’t blink.

“My name is Lorenzo D’Amore, signora. And may I ask of yours?”

“Valeria Di Santis, signor. You can call me Valeria.”

The man nodded and I could feel my heart beat faster. He was rather handsome. He turned to leave the way the men had fled.

“Where are you going?” Leonide asked rudely and I frowned at his manners.

“I need to track those men. Hopefully, they will lead me to the Anarchists hideout,” Lorenzo replied and turned into a bird again. He flew off leaving the jacket behind. Leonide grabbed onto it and muttered that he needed to clean it with alcohol.

I looked wistfully after the bird and didn’t conclude my action until Leonide image came before my eyes.

“I would appreciate your attention, signora. I was sent here to get you by Signor Borgia and we need to leave. Though the night is my domain, I would not like to be caught out here if there are more Anarchists.”

We started to move but I couldn’t help but to have my gaze linger at the direction the bird had flown. “What is he?”

“A nuisance.”

I glared at Leonide who refused to speak of my savior. We soon got to the automobile where Alessandro and Carlo were waiting. Carlo looked grimly at the sky while Alessandro looked calm and the only thing that betrayed him was his fidgeting movements. They both looked relieved as they saw me and I collapsed in Alessandro’s arms as the dark had drained me.

Carlo looked morosely at the burn on my cheek.

“Who is responsible for your burn?”

“One of three Anarchists who captured me,” I answered shakily and Alessandro grasped me tighter.

“Anarchists? Are you sure?”

“I became suspicious when they said that the Revolution was here and when they noticed my wariness, they confirmed my distrust.”

Carlo cursed and Alessandro looked grimly into the darkness.

“Good work, Leonide!” Alessandro said at last and I shook eagerly my head.

“He arrived later. Another one saved me. A red bird of prey! It turned into a man.”

“A nude one I must add,” Leonide muttered and Alessandro cocked an eyebrow and gave me a slick smirk.

“Was he now? Is that why you are so elated? Did you get a good look?”

I made a dramatic gasp. “That would not be proper for a lady of my status, Signor!”

“But he was very well sculptured,” I added with a bashful smile.

Leonide rolled his eyes as Alessandro chuckled.

“Naked men aside, we need to leave the public’s eye. It’s not safe for us here,” Carlo said and we all agreed as we took the automobile to my home where we would be safe from insurgents.