Oddone limped around the laboratory as he inspected Dr. Coda’s work. Angela fidgeted behind me but I refuse to look at her, still bitter at her for previously putting me and Signora Karlovic in danger.

I had told Signora Karlovic to wait upstairs as we scour Dr. Coda’s work under the order of Oddone as I didn’t want her to go down into her torture chambers again. Even if I was far better than I was before, I still hate dark dungeons similar to that cellar who haunts my mind. I can only sympathize with what Signora Karlovic goes through when she view this site.

But, much to my astonishment, Signora Karlovic refused to be left behind. I commend her for her bravery as she didn’t show any fear on her face while we walked down the stair one last time. Her valor inspired me to follow her example. Maybe one day, I will dare go down into my place of nightmares.

“Principe… I mean Signor Oddone. Did you find-“ Angela stuttered but Oddone answered her before she could finish her question.

“There is no cure. He abandons the search for a cure during the Second World War and started to direct his effort to find the weaknesses of clans and maybe even find the source of their power.”

“That… Can’t be. There has to be here somewhere!” Angela began to rummage among the papers, desperate to find what she was looking for. I heard Signora Karlovic mumbled that she was as insane as Dr. Coda.

“Angela…Angela! What are you doing? Why are you so direly to find a cure? It certainly isn’t for you, you love this life, so who-“

I halted my sentence when I noticed tears streaming down her face.

“It must be here! It was my only lead!”

Oddone watched her from his corner with pondering eyes. “Who do you want to cure, bambina?”

Angela succumbed to despair and fell onto her knees while trying to find a cure among the rubble.

“He… He will… I need to find a cure!”

Oddone turned to Signora Karlovic. “Let’s give the two ladies some privacy.”

Signora Karlovic looked unsure, she didn’t seem to trust Angela enough to want to leave her alone with me, but she also had no intention of going against a Monarch. That would be unwise. So both of then moved into the office next door while I walked over to Angela. I fell onto my knees and looked into her tear filled eyes.

“Why are you doing this, Angela? This isn’t like you. You work voluntarily as a nurse for homeless people and goes down into the catacombs to care for the daemons who can’t get any medical attention any other way. You are a kind soul so why did you do all this?”

Angela closed her eyes and tried to collect whatever kind of strength she could before she answered me with a voice broken by sorrow.

“When I came to Torino, I was all alone. No one wanted to befriend a girl from the country and I was called horrendous things. Then I met a kindred spirit. His name is Santo Gallo. He was born in a small village outside of Torino as well and once was a soldier during the last war. He now worked as a factory worker. We became friends.”

I listened patiently though I wanted to inquire about the man as she never mentioned him before now.

“Then… He was turned. That’s how I was introduced to the world of the Ascendants. Unlike me, he had not been turned by his own accord. They attacked him in order to turn him in a dark alley one night. As a former soldier, he was considered a good candidate.”

“Which clan?” I asked carefully.

“The beast clan,” Her voice was bitter as she uttered the world. I have noticed before in our conversations that she didn’t seem to like the beast clan but I always assumed that it was because of her clan.

“Is he well?”

“No, he is far from well. He’s… The turn was successful but-“ Tears furiously steamed down her face as I waited but I started to comprehend what the problem was. Their weakness.

“The beast clan needs to devour human flesh or their animal will take over. He refused to kill humans, he said that he already had too many lives on his conscious. He didn’t want more. I started to work night shifts at the morgue to get him human flesh. But he still refuses to eat, even if it comes from the dead. He doesn’t want to become a monster!”

I nodded as she spoke. The beast clan had a dreadful flaw, eating human flesh wasn’t something anyone could do.

“I’m losing him, Valeria. Every day, he becomes more and more animalistic. His eyes… He couldn’t even recognize me the last time I visited him. If I don’t find a cure…”

Angela is trying to save her friend. That was in character for her. It’s just a pity that it seems to be in vain. “Angela, you might have to accept things as they are.”

“I will lose him!”

“You already have. Consider the possibility that he might have died that night in the alley. What you are caring for now is merely the spirit seeking access to heaven. He wants to die,” I said as carefully as I could but she merely shook her head.

“No, I just need to find another option.”

I sighed as I left her in the debris of her own desperation. This was something she needed to come in terms with on her own.

I entered the office where Signora Karlovic sat on a close by chair trying to look strong to it was clear that she was fatigued. She needed blood to heal her wounds but…

“Can you drink blood?” I asked her but she shook her head.

“No, that injection he gave me made me for all I know temporarily human. I will have to wait until it wears off until I can drink blood. I tried recently as I found some blood bags but I threw them up,” she muttered and looked far to pale for me not to worry.

“When did he inject you?” Oddone asked reading some documents with a frown.

“Does it matter?” she asked.

“Yes, this document describes how long the injection takes effect. It differentiates depending on your age and when you were injected. So I would like to know when you were injected and your age,” Oddone explained briskly while Signora Karlovic gave him a slight smile.

“Signor, I might not know too much of your culture but I’m fairly sure it’s rude to ask a lady’s age in any culture.”

“Signora, with your beauty it won’t matter what age you are.”

Signora Karlovic raised her eyebrows at Oddone’s flirtatious response. “I didn’t think that Monarch’s knew how to flirt.”

“They don’t. They are far too rigid for such a thing. I’m the black sheep of the family,” Oddone responded.

“Wait, you’re an angel?”

I immediately covered my mouth but the words had already escaped my mouth. Maybe my bother was right, I’m far too rude for a lady of my class.

“As far as I know, cherubs are also angels,” Oddone huffed and I tried but failed to hold back a giggle. Well, he did look like a cherub.

“Since a cherub asks, I guess I have to answer. I was turned 1846 and I got my last injection two days ago,” Signora Karlovic chuckled.

“Well, the bad news is that you are older than me. The good news is that the injection should wear off after three days after you get one. That means, it should be a question of hours before it wears off,” Oddone mused and signora Karlovic rolled her eyes.

“Good, I will take her to my mansion. I have blood stored there so when the time comes I can feed her,” I sighed in relief. If it had taken days for her to return to her original form then there would be a risk of her dying but with the blood, she would heal quickly.

“That’s good. As there is no Moon Clan in Torino she should fall under your kin’s jurisdiction so you should contact him immediately,” Oddone suggested and I nodded in agreement. Well, I always contact Alessandro anyway so it wasn’t much of a bother. He is probably already in my mansion waiting for my return.

Signora Karlovic looked over at me with a frown.”Your kin’s jurisdiction? Who might you be, signora?”

“I’m Valeria Di Santis, kin of Lucretzia Borgia, heir of Alessandro Borgia, who is the kin of Ardashir Babakan. Alessandro Borgia is the Herald of the Sun Clan in Torino,” I presented myself in the way Charon had instructed me to introduce myself.

“Ardashir Babakan is a well-known name among my clan as well but. Kin of Lucretzia Borgia? Why are you then heir to Alessandro Borgia?” signora Karlovic mused.

“I don’t consider Lucretzia my kin. Alessandro took me in and made me his heir to repent for his sister’s lack of care for me,” I said bitterly.

“He didn’t have to make you his heir,” signora Karlovic persisted but Oddone intervened.

“It is fairly known that Alessandro Borgia isn’t able to sire his own kind so I am not surprised that he adopted his sister’s kin.”

Signora Karlovic finally relented and nodded as she understood the situation. “Pardon me for my rude inquiring. I merely wanted to make sure that you were who you truly said you were.”

“No apologies needed. After your ordeal, it’s only natural to be suspicious,” I replied gently with a smile. She seemed surprised by my word but once again Oddone supplied her with an answer.

“She is a newborn. Not even a year old from what I have heard.”

Signora Karlovic looked like she was about to fall off the chair. “I was saved by a newborn?!”

“There is one last thing we need to clear up,” Oddone commented and limped with his cane towards me. He handed me a case with serums.

“This is what he injected the Ascendants with. The serum which temporarily turns them into humans. I give them to you.”

“Signor?”

“They might be incomplete, but still a formidable weapon. I hope that you will never use them as such but I still entrust them to you. What do you want to do with them?” Oddone asked and seemed to test me.

I looked at the vials with the serum before taking one and putting it in my bag. “Angela! Come here. I might have another solution to your problem.”