I felt slumber crawling into my body as we drove home. Only by perseverance were I able to fight it off before we got home. We entered the house which was quite as the most servants had gone home or to bed. Only the butler welcomed us as we entered the lounge. During the way, I spoke with awe about my savior’s ability to transform.
“Will I be able to do the same?” I asked as I sat myself down. Alessandro and Leonide did the same but opposite of me. Carlo had gone to a close by cabinet to grab a medical kit as he walked closer to me and cared for my burn.
“Well, no. Not the same at least. Shifting is an ability which only The Beast clan has. They call themselves Therians. From what you describe, your savior must be an Avian therian. A rare sight in Italy. They are more common in Egypt and the Middle East,” Alessandro said while he prepared wine glasses with blood for us to drink.
“I have heard of an Avian shifter, though I do not know his name. He is a Red Kite which sounds like what you describe. The sovereign has called him from Messina on Sicily. The Sovereign of Messina is from his tribe,” Carlo explained with a frown of concentration as he cleaned the wound on my cheek.
“Sì, I remember that a Red Kite avian took over after the city had been destroyed by a tsunami back 1908. Many Paramours died and left a vacuum in the power struggle in the city. The Red kite tribe went over from Monastir in the French colony of Tunisia. It has become very poor and many of our kind seek new harbor to put down roots. The Red kites moved to Sicily from what I have heard,” Alessandro mused as he sipped his sanguine liquid.
“Then what is he doing here?” I asked out of curiosity for my mysterious savior.
“From what I heard, the Red Kite was summoned here from Sicily to help track the Anarchists. He specializes in tracking and hunting those who opposing the Sovereignty.” Carlo finished his cleansing my burn and frowned at it.
“Why doesn’t your burn heal?”
“I noticed that as well,” Leonide conceded and I touched the wound before remembering my assaulter's words.
“What is a private weakness?”
All in the room froze except me who looked bewildered by their grim expressions.
“How do you know of such a word, bambina?” Alessandro asked gently but seem to know the answer.
“The Anarchists told me it was a pity an I Soli had such an unfair private weakness. One of them had threatened me with a flame but it burned me as the light of the flame hit my face.”
“The light of the flame? Not the flame itself?” Alessandro clarified and I nodded in response.
“Hivno!” Leonide hissed angrily.
“Language! There are ladies in the room,” Carlo replied grimly but Leonide merely showed his fangs to him in a threatening manner. Alessandro wearily shook his head. “That is an unfair private weakness for an I Soli to have.”
“What is a private weakness?” I asked again as no answer came.
“Something that needs to be hidden. Those Anarchists knows her weakness. We need to silence them,” Carlo said bitterly. Leonide nodded and got up.
“That I can ensure. I’ll try to find them before the night is gone. You two need to talk to her about this before she gets herself killed.”
Carlo said that he would aid Leonide and left the room with him. It was just me and Alessandro left. He looked so tired and mournful.
“Have I done something wrong?”
“No, never think so. But firstly, I have mentioned the weakness of clans, have I not?” Alessandro replied and I nodded. Yes, he had. I Soli was weak against darkness and the Moon clan was weak against light. I wasn’t sure about other clans weaknesses but I knew they had one just as we did.
“A private weakness is something only that Ascendant have. It is not a common weakness among the entire clan. Turned Ascendants have more weaknesses while the closer the lineages are to the Primordials the fewer weaknesses they have. I need to ask you an uncomfortable question but I require an answer. How did you die?”
I flinched at his question and turned pale. “How-“
“It’s important. How did you die?”
“In an automobile accident.”
His eyes met mine as I knew that wasn’t the answer he wanted. He wanted what specifically killed me.
“Fire… I was burned alive along with my family.”
Alessandro sighed and leaned back. I winced as his glass was thrown into the wall with a clatter. It was the first time I saw rage on Alessandro’s face. He forced himself to suppress his anger as he saw my frightened expression.
“Has… Has my weakness something to do with how I perished?”
“Indeed, we have studied private weaknesses for ages as the Moon and Sun clan can only reproduce by turning humans which means we have plenty of them. We noticed that there is a connection between private weaknesses and previous life as a human. Some are directly connected to who you were as a person. A person who only loved himself would have that traced enhanced and become a true narcissist. A person who was pacifist may be unable to drink human blood and so on.”
Alessandro took a deep breath and continued with a grim look on his face.” But the most common weaknesses came from how they died. A Sun or Moon clan member who died of poison will die when being poisoned even as an Ascendant even though we are mostly immune to such thing. You… You died by fire and as such cannot even walk in the light of fire without burning. A true weakness for an I Soli who draws power from light during the night. We know this happens and has forbidden killing our new members by fire. We often give them too much medicine, so they die peacefully. That often leaves no weaknesses.”
I looked at Alessandro with a bewildered expression. Not because of the thought of being killed in the process of turning. I already had figured that out, no, what confused me was why Lucretzia had killed me in such a way.
“Didn’t Signora Borgia know that?”
“Of course, she did! This is taught to all our members. She just ignored that in order to ensure that you would have such a fatal weakness. That way-“
“She could control me,” I whispered, and Alessandro sighed in affirmation as he put his face in his hands to cover his guilt.
“Maybe she did it to assure that you never would get any status among our clan.”
“What do you mean?” I asked with confusion and Alessandro looked at me before his eyes turned to determination.
“But I will teach you.”
“Alessandro?”
He raised his hand and I went silent. Seconds ticked away as Alessandro seemed to consider his next words.
“My father, creator, Ardashir Babakan is a respected member of I Soli. He belongs to our clan's faction in the Middle East. What he is most acclaimed for is to create a unique technique which helps us conquer our weakness at night. It is an advanced version of our ability Solaris, which allows us to absorb light to enhance our body to make us immortal during the day. This technique, Coronalux, allows us to gather all light in close vicinity of us during the night to enhance our abilities. It doesn’t compare to Solaris but it does help us fight off the weakness of the dark.”
“Coronalux is only taught to Ardashir’s bloodline and most of all. Only to those acknowledge as the heir of that bloodline.”
“Then why would my weakness be a way to ensure that I wouldn’t be taught this technique?” I asked as I carefully watched Alessandro’s expression. He looked at me mournfully.
“My sister doesn’t know this technique as she wasn’t accepted by Ardashir as an heir. I know it and can teach you but it is dangerous for you. It would be a gamble as almost all light during the night comes from either the moon or-“
“From fire?”
“Yes, if you gather the light with Coronalux, and the only light in your vicinity is that from fire then you will be burned alive. I would have to teach you that technique knowing that it might be your end.”
I waited for a while before asking the obvious question. “But you will teach me this technique.”
“Yes, my sister has taken everything from you. She will not take this as well. You are my heir. I decided that the first time I saw you.”
“But wouldn’t you want to leave it for a person you have turned?” I could feel the room become heavy and Alessandro gave me a weary expression. I felt guilt creep into my body as I realized that this must be a sore subject.
“Carlo and I wanted to have a child. To expand our clan. It took us so many years before we found a perfect candidate. A descendant of my brother as a human. A young orphaned girl who wanted nothing more than to become a part of our world as the human one had abandoned her.”
“What happened?” I asked carefully and waited patiently for a reply.
“The year was 1630 in Milano. She became ill during what would be called the Great Plague of Milan. Carlo was away on business in Spain. I panicked. I could not let her die. So, I started to process in turning her.”
Alessandro’s voice broke and he refused to look at me but I saw a glimpse of tears hiding behind his eyelids.
“I found out my weakness as I waited for her to wake up after she had taken her last breath. I waited patiently holding her body close to mine as I didn’t want her to be alone when she woke up. Minutes became hours, hours became days as I waited. Carlo came home to find me still holding her half rotten corpse as I was afraid that she would wake up alone.”
“You weren’t able to turn her?” I said softly as I was too afraid my voice would harm him more.
“No. I was infertile as a human. My father, Ardashir, had forgotten to tell me that it would carry over as a private weakness. I am unable to turn humans. It’s quite common among Sun and Moon clan. Unfortunately, you won’t discover that weakness until it’s too late.”
The room fell into silence as I gave him room to breathe. “Isn’t Carlo able to turn someone?”
“Yes, but after we lost her… After I found out about my weakness, he never did as he feared it would remind me of what I cannot accomplish. The silly man cared more for me than of the future of his line.”
Alessandro’s eyes finally met mine and there was a light in them. A pride.
“Then I saw you. So weak and helpless. I felt you and I knew that you needed me as I needed you. You were mine. It was my duty and honor to care for you. You are my heir! I waited so long for you and my sister will not take that from you or me.”
“I promise you, I will protect you.”
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