Souls Through Time (EzioxOC/DesmondxOC)

Chapter 17 - Amelia

They retraced their steps through the catacombs, emerging into the cool night air in a garden area outside. La Volpe was waiting for them, his figure barely visible in the shadows of the overgrown greenery. He raised an eyebrow as they approached, noting the tension in their expressions.

"I know where Francesco will be and when," Ezio said, his voice clipped with urgency. "But..."

La Volpe's eyes narrowed. "What is it?"

Ezio's expression darkened as he continued, glancing at Amelia before speaking. "I overheard something... They have weapons, enough for a battalion. Even the Pope has given support!"

La Volpe cursed under his breath, shaking his head. "Typical of Sixtus, but... What the hell are they planning?"

"It involves the Medici," Amelia spoke up, her voice edged with tension. "They're going to strike at the Duomo. During Sunday service. Tomorrow morning."

La Volpe's face went pale as he absorbed the implications. "The Medici will all be there for Sunday service... along with the rest of Florence. They're going to do it right in the middle of High Mass..."

Ezio's expression hardened, his jaw set with determination. "It's also a chance for me to blend with the crowd, get close, and stop this madness."

La Volpe's frown deepened, his worry clear. "If they succeed... if we lose Lorenzo, and Florence falls to the Pazzi..."

"It will not come to that. I promise," Ezio said, his voice filled with steely resolve.

La Volpe's eyes lingered on Ezio for a moment, then flicked to Amelia, who met his gaze with equal determination. Finally, he nodded. "I hope you're right..."

As La Volpe disappeared back into the shadows, Ezio turned to Amelia. She noticed the scrape on her cheek from earlier, a small reminder of the fight in the catacombs. Before she could brush it off, Ezio reached out, surprising her with a gentle touch. He cupped her cheek, using his thumb to wipe away the dried blood.

"You're hurt," he said softly, his voice carrying an unexpected tenderness.

Amelia blinked, caught off guard by the shift in his tone. Her heart skipped a beat at the feel of his touch, warmth spreading through her despite the chill in the air. "It's nothing," she murmured, but her voice came out softer than she intended.

Ezio's eyes held hers, a hint of something deeper flickering there before he let his hand drop. "It's not nothing to me," he replied, a rare gentleness in his voice that left her momentarily speechless.

She offered him a small smile, one that carried a flicker of gratitude and something unspoken. "Thank you, Ezio," she said quietly, her voice barely more than a whisper in the stillness of the night.

He nodded, a small, almost shy smile crossing his lips before he turned his gaze back toward the city. "Come on," he said, his voice returning to its usual confidence. "We have a lot to do before morning."

They moved together through the darkened streets, side by side, their steps echoing against the cobblestones as they prepared to face whatever awaited them at the Duomo.

The streets of Florence were filled with the echoing footsteps of the fleeing crowd, the air thick with tension as dawn broke over the rooftops. Amelia's pulse thrummed in her ears, her focus sharpened to a razor's edge as she and Ezio hurried through the shadowed alleys. After two years away from the city, the familiarity of the streets felt like a ghost from another life, but there was no time for nostalgia. They had returned with purpose, hunting down Cesare's movements and gathering Leonardo's decoded secrets, yet today their mission was clear: to protect Lorenzo de' Medici and prevent the city from falling into the hands of the Pazzi.