The last passenger car of the train was quiet with sleeping passengers who were worn out from their journey. Several of them were poor people, probably hoping to find a better way of living by moving closer to the sea. The towns near the sea were rich and prosperous with so much fish as the rumor says, not to mention the legendary, growing self-governed town, Regalo. Many of the passengers gossipped about it endlessly, but some spoke of things more dark and grim. The Arcana users in the car didn't really paid much attention to it, simply minding their own business. They, too, we're worn from the journey, but their anxiety kept them awake during the long night. They were all silent, not speaking a word to the other. But their faces were filled with so much emotion as they pondered on so many things.

The only woman among the four stared at the night sky. The stars were twinkling brightly while the beautiful sun glowed, illuminating so much gentle radiance. Indeed, the scenery was beautiful. And because of the Ekundayo couldn't think of a way to relax her troubled mind. Her amber eyes often glanced at her companions, because they were estranged men. She barely knew any of them, and they felt the same way. With her arms crossed across her chest, the woman let's out a loud sigh.

"How long have you known Angelica?" Ekundayo asks the men with her as she leaned back against her seat.

Alfieri shrugs his shoulders. "I've been with her for a year now. Enzo, Pietro, Abelle, Azad, and Jahan only knew her for only about over a month. Then the rest of you lot are mere acquaintances in two days."

"All suspicious now, woman?" Connor asks, smirking at her.

She sighs. "I'm just surprised you're following her all the way to Regalo without questioning her. I can't help but ponder guesses. Has any one of you slept with her?"

Both Alfieri and Enzo blushed with bafflement at her question.

"No!" Enzo yelled.

"I tried, but I almost died trying," Alfieri confessed jokingly. 

Connor simply chuckles. "I don't think that woman would pick us up just to allow us to get a night with her. Besides, even you and Miss Black Vixen followed her most obligingly. Following her at once so willingly is not what any one of us did."

"Didn't you simply drop by and tell us you'll join the company?" Enzo asks Connor quizzically.

"I SAVED you. And I may have done that, but only because I found out I'll be dropped out from the security," the ex-assassin replied, this time seriously.

His companions exchanged perplexed expressions. "What do you mean?"

"It's confidential information but I guess that doesn't matter anymore. But that day we picked up Angelica was also going to be the day special assassins and spies were having their heads cut off. As unreasonable as it sounds, but there were rumors of an enemy spy acting as one of the guards. Sasori didn't care whether ninety-nine percent were innocent; he was furious," Connor replied. "The Plan B was to put up an excuse, that is if Angelica ever escaped, and she did, to pin the blame on the guards. So not only will the special security be executed, even the guards' lives are put on the line."

"Why would they do that?" Enzo asked. Then suddenly his expression darkens, turning towards Alfieri. "Angelica may have quieted us from interrogating you, but what exactly did she share with you she hid from us?"

"Ohoho, yes," agreed Connor, folding his arms.

Enzo slowly moves towards a baffled Alfieri, sustaining a threatening demeanor with hostile air around him. His piercing red eyes locked onto Alfieri's green ones. "Now, start talking. You shouldn't hide anything from us anymore. We're not just friends, we're comrades with a mission. Angelica already told us that we're in constant danger, and we won't be safe any time soon. And for the sake of the team, you have to tell us everything you know."

The man contemplates for a moment, taking a glance at the other two faces with them. Despite Connor being their enemy at first, the redhead seemed serious and sincere. Even Ekundayo who was completely new. Their leader, a mysterious fortuneteller, trusts everyone so much to even dare pick them up from wherever they first met. Her eyes, while she still had them, never had a hint of doubt and always seemed to know what to do in the most complicated of situations. The team she formed were people from different backgrounds and she gave them her full trust. She never questioned anyone, she never judged, and she never gave a hint of disgust or discrimination. It was almost as if she considered everyone a part of her family. And this was something that everyone found hard to believe. Especially the six men who were with her since Tiburio. She clothed them, fed them, and gave them personal training. Whatever she did for them was something they should all be grateful for.

Letting out a loud sigh, Alfieri rubs the back of his neck thoughtfully.

"I guess there's no use hiding. Ann didn't tell me to hide it anyway. She's probably going to explain to us all why," he hesitantly replied. "Alright, I'll tell you. But so that you'd get the whole picture, I'll explain everything."

Alone in his humble shed, Alfieri simply pounded hot metal on an anvil. He seemed to be creating a sword from the shape the iron was taking. And from time to time he would dip that piece of iron into water before letting it heat up in the burning hearth again. This process he repeated countless times during the day until he finally got the product he wanted. And with a satisfied smile, he let it rest while he stared at the gentle, beautiful sunset.

After freshening up the handsome young blacksmith heads towards his simple abode, where he took a cool drink and rested close to the fireplace, watching the flames of fire dance along with beautiful embers. The man enjoyed this warmth, the peace of mind he had. Regardless of having a tough life he was happy, because he had someone whom he loved and cared for. That someone soon came home afterwards, giving him a tender kiss on his lips.

"Tired from work, love?" the woman asks as she placed her arms around him. She had taken a seat on her lover's lap, nuzzling him with her nose.

He kisses her forehead. "Yeah. I wish I could take a break and just stay all day with you," he said, placing a lock of her hair behind her ear.

The girl laughed. "Great minds think alike, huh? I was thinking the exact same thing, Alfieri."

"Marie, I love you," Alfieri told his lover suddenly, kissing her passionately without warning.

The woman was surprised, but kissed him back. Musters of giggles escaped her lips, letting her fingers comb through his hair. Her wavy, black locks covered his face as she raised herself a little, letting his fingers slide on her sides. Their eyes were locked together, daring not to look away. His green ones loved those beautiful, dark amethysts of hers. The man loved her teasing smirks, and there was nothing sweeter than her laughter. And together, the couple swore never to be apart, to be together forever until they reach their graves.

They were happy.

But that happiness was cut short one night when Alfieri was taken from his work by force. He struggled to escape the mysterious men's grasps, and when he had a chance to he proved to be a very fierce fighter. He took the lives of several men, and put some to sleep. The man was no doubt angry at this treatment. He didn't even know who they were until later when they finally were able to take him down. His unconscious body was dragged into a carriage with a mysterious man who appeared to be the master of the men. He was rich, clothed with expensive garments made from rare beasts. Leopards in particular, and rings made of gold with precious stones adorned his fingers, even his cane bore a massive diamond. He was apparently satisfied with the sight of the captured man, nodding at his men.

When Alfieri came to, his eyes widened to see himself in solitary confinement. A bright light blinded his eyes, making him squint. Like a prisoner in interrogation, the man was seated on a chair with his arms tied behind the chair. There was no chance of escaping. Before him was a smooth, wooden table, and beyond it stood a suspicious, black suited man. Due to the blinding light, the man's face was perfectly hidden from sight.

"So you're finally awake, blacksmith," said the man, tapping his finger impatiently on the table.

Alfieri narrows his eyes. "What do you want from a simple blacksmith like me?" he asks.

"Young man, I believe your father used to be a spy working for the Italian Spy Bureau. We wouldn't be surprised if you inherited some of his skills," the man calmly replied.

"Are you part of the government?"

"Fortunately for you, we're not. But us being an underground organization might be unfortunate for you."

"Damn. And what would you guys want me to do?" Alfieri asks, feeling a sickening feeling his stomach.

Sliding a drawing towards Alfieri, the man displayed an incredibly beautiful woman. The sketch was realistic enough to capture the aura around her. She appeared mysterious—and dangerous. The depth in her eyes were so mesmerizing, and the smile on her lips were teasing, no doubt. Alfieri took time to memorize the entire picture in his head, memorizing the curls of her black hair, the shape of her nose and lips, and the look in her eyes. He took note of everything before lifting his gaze towards his kidnapper.

"That woman goes by the name of Angelica. Apparently she doesn't use surnames, and is currently stationed at a town called Tiburio, working as a fortuneteller," the man patiently explains.

"What about her?" Alfieri asks.

"We want you to be our spy. Find out what she's capable off. We're already aware that she's associated with the Arcana Famiglia, its headquarters is in a small town called Regalo. If you haven't heard of them, they are an organization who self-appointed themselves as the town's government. At first they were never thing but a bunch of vigilantes. But that changed after the Mondo, the famiglia's current head, became leader," the man further explained.

Alfieri frowned. "And if I say no?"

Turning his head towards the door, the man snaps his fingers. Clanging metal followed, along with ear-piercing scrapes of two metal pieces grating together. Soon afterwards two men came into the room with a woman in their arms. It didn't even take a second for Alfieri to realize who it was. Immediately the man cried out her name, snarling at their kidnappers angrily.

"You damn dogs!" roared Alfieri, quickly struggling to escape his chair.

"Now, now, blacksmith. You're in no position to be rude, especially when it comes to negotiations. We have your love here; one rude word out of you, we'll hurt the one treasure you hate to lose," the man continued calmly. "Now, you can't say no. You'll have to be our spy and we'll take care of Marie for you. Did you not think we wouldn't know that she's suffering from a rare disease?"

"You've been having your eye on me for quite a while, huh?"

"Yes we have indeed. So, are you complying? Or will you sacrifice Marie?" the man asks.

Lowering his head, the man let out a long groan. Without a doubt his kidnapper was telling the truth. He had been working hard to find a medicine for the girl, and being a blacksmith was not enough; being a single man in the shop was worse. Even if he took a lot of orders, people tend to be impatient and want their orders done quickly. No matter how hard Alfieri would try, it's useless trying too hard when his body wouldn't cooperate. He didn't have his father's bulky body build; he was born lean and he grew up to be a lean man. He had strength, but even so, his body did not have the required endurance.

Lifting his gaze, the man with a determined look in his eyes hesitantly nods. In the next moment he realizes that he is released from the chand, and so was his lover who ran to him. She embraced the man whom she loved so much, crying tears and while crying for him not to go. Her sweet, gentle, melodious voice begged. But soon she lost her voice in her sobs. Alfieri hugs her tight as well, as if never to let her go. He didn't want to let her go, but his love for her was too much.

"You don't have to go this far for me!" Marie cried.

"No. I said, 'I love you' didn't I? I'll do anything to make you well again," said Alfieri. "Anything."

"I was told all the information needed to get close to Ann. But I couldn't get to see Marie before I left. So for the first few months while I traveled to Tiburio, you should know that I was a drunken waste. Supposedly this was supposed to create a poor, pitiful man that Ann would take pity on. I concealed who I was, and soon managed to get Ann to take me in. I tried testing her, and nearly got myself killed. But despite my shameful act, she never asked what I did for a living in the past. Who I was. Who my family was. Nothing. Not even a question about where I came from. But I never realized she never bothered to ask because she already knew," Alfieri explained.

Ekundayo's eyes widened. "Then the reason you were crying was because—"

"Marie was never actually taken cared off since I left her in their hands. She succumbed to her illness before I even reached Tiburio," interrupts Alfieri. "Ann was kind to not tell me, but I eventually realized it when I confronted her once. When I asked her, she told me that Marie had died a long time ago."

After hearing his friend's story, Enzo couldn't help but feel bad for being so mean and rough to him. Everyone couldn't trust Alfieri after he came back to them in Colosseum. Angelica didn't defend him though, which puzzled Enzo and the other two. They gave the man comforting pats on his shoulders with kind, understanding smiles.

"I'm sorry for that," said Enzo. "We didn't know. ."

Alfieri lets out a reassuring chuckle while smacking his hand on his friend's back. "No need for apologies! At the very least Marie's in a far better place right now."

"What about you, Ekundayo?" asks Connor as he turns to the woman.

She cocks her eyebrow at him. "What about me?"

"I've been wondering how old you were and where you came from," he grinned. "It's the perfect opportunity to find out."

She sighs. "Well, one thing for sure is I'm older than you," the woman replied calmly, shocking the three.

"What? How old are you?" asks a shocked Connor.

"I'm thirty-three. Married. And I have three kids," said the woman. "I came along because the plantation my family are stationed in is close to Regalo. I feel bad doing this, but I want to be with them again."

Enzo places his hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure you would. I believe this is probably why Angelica spared you at Colosseum."

Ekundayo smiles. "Angelica seems to be very kind and loving at heart. I would hate to see her broken. Although she seemed rattled when that whiplasher mentioned a name. ."

"Bernardo was it?" asks Connor.

"Didn't Angelica mention him when she told us about her past?" asks Alfieri.

Connor nods. "Bernardo was her past lover I believe," the man explains.

"Have you ever wondered why Angelica never said yes to anyone yet? She probably still has an attachment to this man. As long as she's attached, she will probably reject all of you when the time comes. She also probably is trying to let go, that's why she has you on the waiting list," Ekundayo further explains. "I don't know about you, but under that tough shell of hers is soft flesh. Angelica is probably trying to be strong for everyone, including the ones who are waiting in Regalo."

Sighing profusely, the men gave sad smiles. "I've been selfish, huh? Asking her to marry me repetitively."

"Yeah, you have been," Alfieri bluntly remarked, giving his friend a hard slam on the shoulder.

Suddenly though their smiles disappeared when they heard a commotion in the back. Suited men emerged from the cargo car right behind the car the four were in. There were several, but there were three men who were distinguished. One was smoking a cigar, apparently the eldest among the entire team. The other two appeared to be younger and seemingly reckless, telling by the vibe around them and the arrogant grins they had on their lips. One was wild looking, the other was more goth. The leader, without a word, snaps his fingers and signalled the men to move forward. They did and frightened many people, irritating the vigilantes. Telling by the number of intruders, they may not have a chance of escaping; people might get killed in the crossfire and there were those three men as well.

Keeping composed, the four waited for the men to pass and move on to the next car before leaving. They observed those black-suited men while wondering if they were after Angelica, or at least associated with the mysterious fake Arcana users, or even simply terrorizing mafia. They played it safe, thus pretended to do their own thing. The men in black peered at everyone's faces, scrutinizing their appearances to see anyone suspicious. When they found nothing, they took a glance at their green-haired leader, who snapped his fingers as if commanding. Immediately they began looking through the passengers' belongings which horrified the people. They resisted and protested the act, catching the attention of some conductors.

"What's going on here?" called a conductorbad he approached the black suited men. Then looking over at them the man narrowed his eyes. "May I see your ticket?"

"With pleasure," said one man, lifting his gun to the man's chest and pulled the trigger.

People screamed instantly at the scene as the man dropped to the ground lifeless. Many rushed out of their seats to leave the car, but the sound of gunshots froze them into place. Clapping, the ringleader takes the stage as he grinned evilly at everyone in the car.

"Alright, folks. No one will get hurt if they inform us which car a certain woman is in. She has eight other companions with her who act as her bodyguards. So if you would tell us where this woman is, you'll all be able to reach your designations safe and sound," boomed the man.

His announcement made everyone mutter and whisper amongst themselves while they were fearing for their lives. The children whimpered as they buried themselves in their mother's arms. Sure enough, the spectacle they've seen involving the death of the conductor moved them to wondering amongst themselves about this woman. Fear could clearly be seen in their eyes, displaying their clear weakness regarding the whole situation. Some were fervently praying for their safe travel, while some tried to come up with something.

The man with them could only let out an amused laugh. "She's blind and has ebony black hair. Have you seen her?" he asks again.

But the passengers couldn't say anything to him, which made him impatient. Then much to their horror, he roughly grabbed a child closest to him and lifted the gun to his head. The child instantly began bawling in fright, but the man roughly shook him to silence the boy.

This angered the members of the Arcana Famiglia, and they wondered how they will get the child back to his parents' arms safe and sound.

"So, is anyone going to talk?" the cruel man belowed once more.

Without hesitation, Alfieri stood up.

* * * * * * * *

"Lady Adelline?" Luciano repeated quizzically.

He turns to Angelica for more details, but he saw the discomfort look on her face. The gun in her hand shook in intense anger, almost as if the woman was contemplating It surprised him, but he continued on.

"Who is this woman you speak of?" the redhead asks, this time more stern.

The injured man could only grunt and groan in pain for a moment, but he managed to muster some strength. "S-She's. . She's responsible for all this! She's the woman who brought up the entire plan about those cards! She's the mastermind of all this!"

"Explain in better detail, man!"

The injured man wails.

"I only know little of the details regarding Lady Adelline, but I do know that her league is traveling to Regalo, the town you lot are headed to," he replied warily.

Luciano frowns just as Angelica stiffened at his words. "What do they have in mind for Regalo?"

"I have no idea! All I know is that they're headed to Regalo, that's it!" cried the man.

Putting her pistol away, Angelica gritted her teeth angrily as she looked out the window. Then suddenly grabbing Luciano's wrist, she quickly lifted the window pane and placed her foot on the windowsill. Glancing to Luciano behind her she gave a quick nod and a word of thanks to the bartender once again.

The wind rushed against her face in full force. It made her hair flail wildly and the same went for her dress' skirt. It flapped wildly as air rushed into the car, and the wind slapped the men's faces as they quickly covered their faces. They were surprised that their eyes were wide like platters, and their hearts throbbed wildly when they suddenly heard the door pound loudly. They could hear the voices of angry, insistent men behind the bar door. Putting her finger to her lips, she ushered Luciano and the bartender to follow, but the latter quickly declined.

"I'll cover your backs, Miss Ann," he told them calmly with a grin as he pulled out a machine gun from under the bar. "Let us meet again, but this time to share drinks together."

Angelica smiled. "Let's meet again."

Without another moment of hesitation, she stepped out and Luciano followed after her. Her hands held tightly on the bars as she was heaved herself up, and behind her, Luciano did the same, but he felt nervous as to see her rear end. But he was seeing was not was currently important, and it furthered more when he and Angelica heard the sound of gunfire below them. He didn't stop, nor did Angelica. They simply hurried to the top where they felt the wind even stronger pushing against them. They quickly rushed off the roof as bullets shot through it.

"Luciano! Run ahead of me and get to the others! I'll remain here and wipe of these rats," commanded Angelica, just as glowing tattoos appeared on her bear skin. They shone brightly with the colors white and aquamarine, and the sight of it surprised Luciano so much. It amazed him and he couldn't help but gape at the sight. Angelica looked so amazing with the beautiful color she was emitting. She was smiling warmly at him as well, while her eyes shone like the stars from the power the cards were giving her.

"Luciano," her voice called to him. It was strange though. She sounded like more than one person. "You have to take care of them for me. I'll be gone for a little while after this; I have some unattended business to attend to."

The redhead's eyes widened. "What are you talking about?! Aren't you coming back to Regalo with us??"

"No. Time is running quickly, and I have to finish something or else everyone at the famiglia will perish. This is all happening due to my parents' weakness. .  and mine."

"How does this have anything to do with you or your parents??" Luciano cried angrily.

Chuckling sadly, the woman turned her gaze away slowly. "You see. . . Lady Adelline is. . ."

Luciano's eyes widened.

"She's my stepmother."

~~~

Number of words: 4080

Hey guys! Yes!! I finally updated! Woohoo! I am so sorry for the long wait I have been terribly busy the past month, and I guess this chapter sucked as hell, but I hope it was satisfactory, hehe ^^;

- R