Into the Shadows

Chapter 28: The Uncle

Italy out a train window is one of the most beautiful and scenic landscapes I have ever had the pleasure of coming across. I was sure that I would get bored starting at the mountains, ocean, valleys, and fields, but nine hours and a stop later we were disembarking the train and I hadn't read a page of the book in my lap. 

"Lili, let's go," Thomas was the last one still in the compartment, standing in the doorway with my bag in his hand. 

"Sorry, I'm coming." I shoved my bookmark back in it's spot and closed the book, slipped my phone into my pocket, and pulled my hoodie back over my head.

When we stepped onto the platform, the wind was a pleasant surprise. It wasn't frigid and unpleasant, but a soft, cooling breeze. I clasped my book to my chest in one hand as I tilted my face into the full force of the wind. 

"It's so nice out." I was smiling ear to ear as Tommy linked his arm through mine and we headed towards the baggage claim area. We hadn't been able to fit all our luggage with us in the compartment so the conductor kindly took a few of our hard sided suitcases to the baggage car. 

"It is." he agreed. He seemed much happier than me to be out of the train car. I had enjoyed the whole thing, he seemed to have tolerating it.

"Amelia! Amore!" I saw Uncle Leo waving like a mad man. He was dressed in his casual clothes, black dress pants and his collar. 

"Uncle Leo!" I let go of Tommy's arm and ran over to give him a hug, "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too, amore! It is so good to see you!" He held me tight in his arms and kissed my cheeks. 

I giggled and just let it happen. He seemed eccentric to most people, but Uncle Leo is one of the most caring people I have ever met. 

"Tommy Andrews!" Uncle Leo was all smiles as he gave Tommy a hug and a pat on the back, "You used to be this tall, now you are bigger than me! Look at you!" 

"Hi, Uncle Leo," he laughed, "It's been a long time. 

"And where is your sister?"

"Uncle Leo!" Laura ran over for a hug. We had gone our separate way from Nath in Nice. We boarded our train and he went to the airport to head home to Paris. Laura had been a gloomy since then, but she was much perkier now. 

"Laura!" He wrapped Laura up in a hug looked her up and down, "At one least one of you stay shorter than me!" 

Uncle Leo stood next to Laura on his tip toes and tried to make himself seem taller. We all laughed and he started talking to Tommy in Italian. 

"I'm going to find the guys, I'll be back in a minute." I headed off in the direction Laura had come from and found the four of them sitting with all our bags by the door. 

"Lia, there you are!" Jake noticed me first. I waved. 

"Sorry about that, Uncle Leo was waiting for us on the platform. Tommy, Laura, and I got a bit caught up talking to him. Let's go meet up with them. Knowing Uncle Leo, he's got a car somewhere for us." 

"Great!" Sam stood up from the bench and started collecting bags. We all grabbed one or two and headed back towards the platform. 

We bumped into Laura, Tommy, and Uncle Leo along the way and they each took a bag as well. 

"Follow me, I have a car for us." We exited the Termini on Via Marsala where Uncle Leo's assistant, Giovanna, and another priest were waiting for us. 

Uncle Leo didn't just have one car, he had three. The other priest, Father Ivan, drove a Renault Clio; Giovanna drove a Fiat Panda; and Uncle Leo held the keys to an Alfa Romeo Stelvio. I knew I did not want to ride with him the moment I saw the Quadrifoglio symbol. I love Uncle Leo, but whoever though he should have a car that goes 0 to 100 km in less than 4 seconds is psycho.

We fit most of the luggage into the large trunk of Uncle Leo's car and climbed into the cars. Corey and Jake rode with Father Ivan. He thought the two of them were very funny after watching them joke around on the side walk and do bad accents for the last twenty minutes. Laura and Tommy rode with Giovanna as Tommy babbled on to her in Italian and I got stuck with Uncle Leo, plus Sam and Colby. 

My knuckles were white and I had locked my seat belt. I tried closing my eyes, but that only made it worse. The ride was only 20 minutes long, but it felt like hours of torture as we squeaked around corners and screeched to a halt at stop signs and red lights. 

Sam and Colby were pretty calm, asking Uncle Leo some questions about Rome, Vatican City, and the demonology program. 

"So Lia said she thinks we're dealing with Satan." Sam said. 

"Everyone is dealing with Satan, every day all through their life. Living a moral life is how we combat him." Uncle Leo replied.

"Jewish Theology." I said. 

"What?" Uncle Leo gave me a look.

I grabbed the handle above my head and braced myself. 

"Satan the Tempter."  I told him. 

I thought Sam might get launched out the window, instead he just fell against the back of the passenger seat, seat belt locked, as Uncle Leo slammed on the brakes. We were lucky there wasn't another car behind us, they definitely would have hit us. 

"WHAT?!" Uncle Leo started yelling in crazed Italian and I didn't even try to get a word in. Eventually he calmed down enough for me to talk. 

"I was hoping that Danny would have told you." 

"Is this why you didn't tell me on the phone what had happened?!"

"I just-"

"I told you, Amelia!" he yelled at me, "If anything like this ever happened again you were to call me immediately! I can not believe you would be this reckless!" 

He continued to yell and scold me and I felt like a child again, like the day Dad scolded me for sitting up on the roof of the shed. 

"I'm sorry!" I yelled back at him, "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you!" 

I was crying and I knew that Sam and Colby were beyond confused. 

"Do you want us to step out?" Colby asked. 

"No!" I told them and wiped my cheeks, "I'm sorry, I screwed everything up for you guys. And I didn't tell you everything in London. I just told you the part I was okay with you hearing."

"Meaning?" Sam's forehead crinkled as he looked at me. 

"This all might be my fault." 

"Amore, no-"

"Yes!" I yelled, "You all thought you were dragging me along on a paranormal adventure, but the truth is that I put your lives in danger by joining." 

"Amelia-" Uncle Leo seemed sad now, but I didn't care. They needed to know. 

"Satan the Temper killed my dad."