WALPURGIA ✔️

Chapter 32 - The Weaver's Godfather

☽

Venezia, La Serenissima

Italy

Davide Fiori

Davide Fiori stared at the heavy storm from his open window, watched the white curtains sway in the hasty wind, until his wife reminded him to close the window.
"The rain will get inside ...", Maria Fiori shook her husband's shoulder, leaning against his back.

She rested her head against him. Maria didn't like the stern expression on his face, the tight lips, the tightly pulled skin around his eyes. He wasn't his usual quirky self - no laughter lines, no shining eyes, no too loud jokes.

How she hated when he was quiet.

Maria shook him again. "Vide, tesoro, ..."

His old nickname, Vide, got him out of his trance, and he complied, still keeping a thoughtful gaze at the Chauvette manor.

Ever since Rebecca had gone to the past, all life had been sucked out of the house. No alive plants, the front of the house, the once proud and lively green of her garden, had withered. Alexander nor Lysandre had been around lately to water them.

The house looked abandoned. The paint was fading, scraping from the wall.

Her servants had been released by Andrea, who occasionally returned to the house to look for after it.

"They'll return. I know it. We know it", Maria knew what was on his mind. As the priestess, it was natural for Davide to look after every witch of the city – they were like a family to him.

And he was worrying about his youngest sister.

Davide took his wife's hand, kissing it thoughtfully.
Maria smiled weakly. "Mi scusi I'm pulling you into this mess."
"Va bene", Maria kissed her husband's back, causing him to smile. "Your problems are my problems, after all."

"You already have the children", Davide joked. "Leave the community to me."

Maria wanted to tease him back, but a thunder clash made her jump. Davide drew her into his arms.

The green witch shook her head she had jumped in fear. She really was still scared of storms.

Their children sounded in the back, as they played with each other.

"They couldn't have known, non possono saperlo", Davide cryptically murmured.
"Know what?" Maria reached out for her husband's hand. "You are shifting between visions again – you know that scares the kids."

"Scusi ...", Davide lastly averted himself from the window, after one ultimate glance. "Let's join the kids before they destroy something."

The vision that he had seen had left a bitter taste in his mouth.

The door to the room flew open by itself - a small bundle of witch jolting into the room seconds later.

"Papa, what's wrong?", his daughter stormed into his arms, touching his face.
"Nothing, Emilia, papa's just tired", he kissed her small hand. "What have you been doing the whole day long, Principessa?"

His other daughter, Mariella, followed after her younger sister. She smiled at her parents. "Where's Serafina?", Maria patted her daughter's hair, the same red shade of Davide. Mariella's twin sister flew to the door as she heard her name.