Hurricane - Book 2

Chapter 19

TW in the description
Thank you to Inkendz for the art! The lighting in this one is my favorite!

Alberto POV

Alberto woke with Luca's head on his arm. He smiled.

"Finally, I woke up before you."

Luca's hair was a disheveled mess, his mouth was open, and he was snoring softly. And Alberto couldn't think of a better way to wake up.

But he didn't get to enjoy his morning very long when he heard angry yelling coming from downstairs. Luca stirred.

"What's going on?" He said, blinking.

"I don't know." Alberto listened.

The yelling started again; he recognized Eshe's voice.

"I better go see what's going." He said, standing up quickly reaching for his shirt-

He stumbled, landing hard on his knees, his head dizzy and a black tunnel forming in his vision.

"Alberto! Are you ok?" Luca called from the bed.

"Yeah yeah - just overdid it last night. Got lightheaded."

He stood, slower this time, and dressed. He pulled on the black sweater Giulia had given him the night before.

"I'll see you down there." He said, opening the door and taking the steps two at a time in his haste.

Eshe stood on the kitchen table, half transformed in her Rusalka form. Her fangs bared, claws out, looking ready to rip out someone's throat.

"Eshe, you have to settle down." Mattias coaxed. Giulia stood a little ways behind him, looking anxious.

"What is going on?" Alberto said quickly, putting himself between Mattias and his sister. More for Mattias's safety than anything else.

"Ask the human!" Eshe hissed.

Alberto raised an eyebrow.

"Well?"

"Eshe was sitting on the fountain. My gardener was doing some work on the pipes; a little water was left inside, she got splashed."

"Tell them what happened next." She said with a reptilian growl.

Mattias sighed.

"My gardener was startled when she transformed. He went after her with a shovel."

"Are you ok?" Alberto asked his sister, looking for signs of injury.

She 'humfed.'

"As if a human could harm me."

"My gardener is the one that nearly lost an arm," Mattias said, a little heated. "I broke them up before she could do anything more than dislocate it."

"Is he ok?" Alberto asked.

"Yeah yeah. Just startled, I got him in a brace and explained things to him. Should be fine."

"Fine!?" Eshe screeched. "How long until he talks? How long until we are discovered here?"

"He won't say anything. I trust him." Mattias sneered.

"A human trusting another human, that's rich." She laughed. "You humans have been killing each other for thousands of years. Do you want to know how many wars my people have fought against one another? None!"

Mattias turned to Alberto.

"She won't listen to me."

"But she has a point," Alberto said. "What if somebody finds out we are here. Is it safe?"