Lord Of Reticence

2

His eyes were fixed on me, as he slowly descended the stairs. My throat constricted. A thousand questions in my head, a billion butterflies in my stomach.

Kiara rose from the chair and tried to speak, but he raised a hand to silence her. She was almost petrified, and stayed motionless. A deep, unnaturally dark aura surrounded him.  I could feel it through the air.
"Arsenio", Tristan's voice cut through the silence and I could see how everyone released the breath the held. Kiara sighed so heavily, her sound made everybody's head turn. Embarrassed she took her seat back.
"Arsenio, that is Camilla" he put a hand on his son's shoulder, and gestured towards me, "Yesinia's daughter".

He just nodded, his hand still in his pocket, the free hand holding a cigarette.
Kiara slowly pushed an ashtray towards him, as he took his seat, on the right of Tristan.

"Isn't he handsome?" Maria whispered yet again.

"He shot at my car" I told her, managing to get my voice back.

"Camilla, sweety, as I said, it was a mess created by some idiots. Arsenio was just trying to clean it. He just has his ways. He never misses target. Be assured, he wasn't intending to hurt you" Tristan reassured me.
I looked at him then. The smile on his face was genuine.
"It's alright, uncle. We understand", mother replied for me.

"You would have to stay with us till all this is dealt with. We have talked to your seniors for your leave. Be assured, you will be safe here"  Tristan added.
"Thank you Uncle" I managed a weak smile, looking at the food. I was safe in the house of the man who shot at my car. Yeah, right!

Nobody spoke a word after that. Arsenio finished and left without a glance. Tristan soon followed with a goodnight greeting.

"Phew", Kiara breathed, "It's hard
to keep our composure in front of them, isn't it? Especially, Arsenio, he is just.. Impossible. I can't believe I have to deal with him for so long now".

I saw how she had barely eaten, and was only getting started now. This man was so dangerous that his step mom couldn't even eat with him sitting across. And he shot at me. My car. He didn't mean to hurt me. Whatever.

"She just hates him", Maria whispered to me.

"Why and how do you know so much about them?" I asked her, trying to keep my voice down but now I was annoyed and done.

"We keep visiting. We are connected to this side of the family more then you and your mother." she  gave me a pointed look, not wanting to explain further, and I decided to drop the matter. At least until the next day.
___

After dinner Maria and I went up to our room to talk. I sat on my bed while she perched herself on a chair. She smiled brightly at me like nothing had happened earlier.
"It's alright, he was just trying to protect you, from the cops. And probably save his stuff too",  she winked.
"That's not the point!" I exclaimed angrily.
"Look" she stood up and walked over to where I was laying on the bed. She sat next to me, and took one of my hands into hers.
"Camilla", she paused for a moment, searching for the words to say, "This is going to sound very silly but I am worried about you".
"About me?", I asked in confusion. What else did she think I needed protecting from?
"Not just you, for all of us, actually. Uncle Tristan has summoned us all to live here until he thinks it's safe to leave. Nothing of this sort has happened before. And, Arsenio, he hates this house, because, you know, his step mother. He doesn't even stay a night. But, now we are all under this roof together and I don't know what is going to happen "she trailed off, looking straight at me.
My heart skipped a beat. I knew she was right; something was definitely wrong.

" I think, I need rest. We can discuss this later. I am too burnt out "
Maria agreed and we both fell asleep within minutes.
___
I woke up with a pounding headache, and a terrible smell that immediately made me want to throw up. My mouth felt dry, like I hadn't drank anything in days. I looked for water, but there was nothing.

Walking out of the room, in an unknown house, at 3 am, is definitely a bad idea. But I was too thirsty to think all of this through. Stepping out, I head towards the kitchen, briefly recalling the way, as large as the house was, it was easy to get lost.
By the second turn in the corridor, I was sure I was.

What I saw there, my fingers curled in fear.
Someone, with a pistol, headed towards a room. It's a house of criminals, this should be a norm. And I should not be bothered at all. But I am stupid and reckless and hate my own self, and so I tried to follow the person, on my tiptoes.

His or hers phone glowed and they put it on their ear.
"Yeah, he's asleep. Today would be his last night", the voice was of a man.

Who was he talking about? Tristan or Arsenio? Could it be someone else? But uncle Tristan had his room downstairs, Kiara had mentioned. So, this was definitely for Arsenio.

I know nothing of the house, I know nothing about him, but I know one thing, and that is, saving lives is my duty and I shall do it even if I have to die in the process.

So, after sneaking around like a ghost, I reached the doorway of the room the man entered. I hid behind the corner and watched.
The man entered the room cautiously, making his footsteps light and slow. He stopped at a door near the wall. He turned the knob, opened the door and stepped inside, closing it quietly behind him.
In a flash, I ran towards the door and threw it open. The room was empty, except for Arsenio standing near his window. He looked at me confused.

"Someone,.. Someone just entered this room, he was planning to kill you..." I stammered, breathless.

Arsenio's eyebrows lifted, he rushed to me, grabbing my hand, he pulled me and we both landed on his bed with a thud, with his long, heavy body crushing mine. In a blink of an eye, he had his pistol out and aimed at, what possibly that person was, and there were gunshots , loud enough to wake everybody in the mansion. A scream erupted from the other room, and I realised that someone had been shot. The man lay on the floor, bleeding all over the spotless carpet.
I tried to push Arsenio away from me, but he tightened his grip. His eyes met mine and I saw something new in them, pain, anger, sadness, surprise. He put his hand on my mouth, and next he shot someone else, coming out of his restroom. The windows of his room burst with gunshots piercing them from everywhere.

He pulled me with him to the ground and rolled me below the bed. Getting up, he aimed at whoever shot from the other side.  Another bang and another scream rang out. I tried my best to crawl beneath the bed, but I bumped against something hard. Looking up I saw Arsenio's gun on the bed. Without thinking, I grabbed it and stood up. The noise made him come out of hiding and shoot the guy.

Tristan, Kiara, my mother and all others with a lot of security guards entered the room.

"Camilla!", Tristan stormed towards me, and I realized I was holding a gun pointed at Arsenio.

"No!", I heard his voice for the first time, "she saved me life" he said calmly as if nothing had happened, as if a man wasn't bleeding to death just next to us, "she tried to"

Tristan eyes me suspiciously and snatched the gun from me, "Don't play with things you can't handle".

"She has nothing do to with this", Arsenio stepped in front of me, shielding me from his father, his teeth gritted as he spoke, "everyone, leave!" he yell. I was frozen at my spot and he looked at me with his icy eyes that emitted fire, "you too!".

Nodding, I rushed out, suddenly remembering the itch of my throat.

"Camilla?" my mother cupped my face.

"I need water", is all I managed to say.