Manners with the Devil

54

G I A V A N N A          AM A T O 

It commenced as faint tapping sounds tapping on the glass, to then harsh pounding. Which then formed a drenched window, droplets drizzling down, assembling a blur to view out on. Added on with the menacing shadows swarming above in the night sky, cancelling out the twilight blue.

I drove my attention out of the gloaming wonders, leaning myself back in the car seat before I heard my name being said by one of the guards.

"Giavanna."

I looked over at Zwilling beside me.

He was already staring directly at me with his fingers brushing slightly against my shoulder.

I looked at his hand and then back to his eyes.

"Yes?"

Removing his fingers from me, he quickly spun his head around at Gerald, then, turned back to me.

Looking at me deeply, he still never responded.

"Yes?" I repeated, arching a brow, "You said my name?"

For the second time, he acted as if I hadn't spoken, turning around and looking at Gerald. He curved his arm around too.

"Zwilling?" I tugged at the cuff of his clothing.

This time when he twisted around, he looked horrible.

A white mask gushes all his raw skin colour away, leaving him looking oddly pale.

"It looks like you're about to throw up..." I grow more concerned, but at the same time, I inched my body further away from his.

I will not have vomit covering me. Not today.

I looked around the area of the taxi to see if I could catch sight of anything he could do his business into, but nothing caught my eye.

"Zwilling?" I shifted my eyes back to him, "Did you eat something bad or..."

He shakes his head, brushing it off, and again, turning his head to Gerald. "I-I'm alright."

"Why are you looking at Gerald? Does he feel the same too?"

Delicately, I pushed his arm backwards, causing his body to fall back with it as I look over at Gerald.

A dark casted shadiness laid across Gerald's body, however, I saw what I needed to see.

His skin was abnormally pale, almost like Casper the ghost. His pupils were dilated, breaking off any green colour iris he had before. And finally, the last obvious mark was his jaw hanging open with the event of his cheeks sagging down.

I stretched my arm over Zwilling, finding my fingers to travel across Gerald's seat. My fingers pressed against his wrist.

I couldn't feel a pulse.

I pulled my arm back whilst checking the driver, who seemed distracted by the road, and then I turned my attention back to Zwilling.

"Check his pulse." I whisper-hiss, "Now."

Zwilling did as I asked him to, as he placed his two fingers against the chilled skin. On his wrist and neck.

He pulled his fingers back whilst quivering his head around. "I can't find it either."

Exhaling deeply, I pulled myself back on the seat, rocking my head back in exhaustion. And with my eyes closed, I asked in a low voice, "Tell me why the fuck he is finished."

In return, I received a mindless boy retort.

"I had to. But I never thought he was going to die," he whispered.

Dramatically - but needed - I hauled my body forward, my eyes widening, looking back and forth at the two men.

"What do you mean... You had to?" I roll my eyes, "And how did you accidentally kill a man." my voice quietens at the end.

His tongue rolled in his mouth, as he leant his body forward, his elbows resting against his knees, and his head in his hands. "He was German, okay? And he died from an injection."

"You're a fucking German?" I hiss, maybe a bit too loudly, my face scrunching up in confusion.

"I'm surely not one of them." amusement adds to his voice.

"But you're a German Guard." I roll my eyes.

He leaves me lingering on my own words for a while, as he rubbed his eyes, slowly lifting his head to meet his eyes with mine.

"I wouldn't call myself that." his eyes tense, "I would say... A spy."

A chuckle defects from my lips, "A spy?"

A long sigh exhales from his mouth as he leans back.

"Yes. A spy." 

I hold my laughter together, "So you're telling me you are spying on the Germans and helping me to find my mother now? Are you in the Italian M-"

"No." he holds his hand out in indication for me to shut up, "I'm not in the Italian Mafia."

He holds the silence again.

"I work with allies to the Germans. We are not necessarily allies with Italians. And I shouldn't even be telling you this."

I lean closer to him. "Russia?"

He disregards my guessing and resumes, "I was sent to spy by someone who isn't involved that much in individual Mafia." he takes a breath, "What they asked me to do, worked anyway. I'm with you. Took another try but I'm here."

My skin pinched at his words.

"Who? Who asked you to get me?" I asked, staying surprisingly composed.

A slight twitch occurred in his eyes as he turned to stare at me more deeply.

"Who?" I recited.

"Who? Tell me."

"Zwilling tell me."

"Tell me Zwilling otherwise I'm turning this damn car round and we can talk in Italy. At my place."

The vehicle came to a harsh stop and the driver whipped his head around his seat, "We are here."

"Guess you'll find out now," he mumbles.

I gripped firmly on his wrist, dragging him out of the vehicle and standing us both outside in the soaking downpour. After seconds, I was already drenched.

I went to veer around, however, my vision caught the silent corpse still sitting in the car.

"Shit, his body." I hit Zwilling's arm, pulling his attention.

Yet, he paused me from going further back inside the car, bringing my body back with his hands on my waist.

"The driver works for who I work for, Malady," he uttered.

I glare at him, gritting my teeth. "And? Who do you work for? Still haven't given me a clear answer." my arms crossed over my chest.

"As I said before, you'll find out now."

I spun around to view some extremely familiar front gates.

The words lodge inside my throat, coming out as a small whisper as I continue to stare. "Sebastien's Mansion."

After a long moment, my eyes travelled back to Zwilling. "I'm not going in there. I'm not going to meet with Thomas Auclair. He made you bring me here to kill me. I don't give a fuck if you work for him. We came to find my mother."

He steps closer. Leaving an inch between us.

"I never said I worked for that man." he loiters on his words for a moment too long. "I work-"

"My mother. The Demon." I exhaled.

He nods.

He took my hand and walked me to the gates.

A/N - not a fan of this writing tbf and sorry for the late upload!!