Shivers

Chapter 1

               The cold had set in again. For Arianna, it was a good sign. It meant she could go out in full gear without anyone knowing. Her dark brown hair was braided back behind her, and her forest green eyes darted across the snow speckled yard. In her hand was a mug filled with bourbon. It had been the only thing keeping her warm this fall.  Arianna placed the mug down on the counter beside her and went for her book on the nightstand. It was her mother's favorite classic  "Pride and Prejudice". Her mother used to read it on the swing in their front yard. Arianna grinned and imagined a warm summer when she had been a girl. 

             ***flashback***

Her mother, with olive skin and dark ebony hair, held a book in her hands. Reading quietly as an impatient little girl swung from the branches above her. It was summer in Lago Di and the warm breeze was contradicted by the breeze coming off the coast not too far from their home. Her mother gazed up at her daughter who teetered precariously on a large branch as she tried to see past the trees and for her father's car coming down the road. 

         "Piccolo uccello, come down. He won't be home until later." She called up to the high branches. 

        "But what if I miss him?" the stubborn girl called back. Her toes dangling over the bark as she leaned for a better look. "I want to be the first thing he sees when he comes home." 

        Her mother grinned. She knew the bond between her daughter and husband was strong and that would mean she would need to be kept close in the years to come. She returned to her book and waited patiently below her impatient daughter. Her attention was grabbed when blossoms began falling onto the pages of her book. 

"He's home!" the girl jumped down, landing on her skinned hands and knees and ran for the approaching car. Her baby blue dress bounced as she ran. The car stopped in the drive and from the back seat her father stepped out. His brown hair was well tamed and his beard trimmed in a business look. He wore his everyday business clothes. Black undershirt, black overcoat, black slacks and black loafers with a red tie. On one hand was a red ruby ring and around the band was two lions fighting. It was Arianna's favorite ring of her father's whole jewelry.

"Baba," she yelled. Burying her face in his stomach. His arms came around her and kissed the top of her head.
          ***end flashback***

    Arianna turned to face her white room and reached under her bed. The black leather case was soft and inviting under her thin fingers. She could almost feel it's melodic voice calling her back to The Table. Her green eyes darted to the door just as it opened. In the doorway was a man, his blue eyes found hers and his black hair had been tousled from sleeping very hard.

"Arianna, Iolev wants to speak with you." He spoke. His voice was solid and strong even though  he feared the man he just spoke to on the phone.

"I'll be with him in a moment, Lukas." She smiled kindly at the young man.

He left the room and Arianna grimaced. She didn't like having to talk to Iolev and she didn't like that he had struck fear in her apprentice. Lukas had come to her from The High Table, Hammon wanted the boy to know the ins and outs of survival under The High Table.

       Hammon was a good friend and partaker in the practice of the contracts. He used to take as many contracts as possible until he had taken his predecessors place at The Table. After he took his seat, Arianna was held in high regard for all of his contracts. Before any of them was made public, they went to her first. Rarely did she turn them down, and when she did Hammon knew whoever took the job next would die within the first three hours. He was never wrong. Arianna was patient, she waited until the dead shook up the target and took them out when they were paranoid. There are few contracts made by Hammon that are still left open.

Arianna wanted to test Lukas, assuring him that this would decide if she was ready to let him go or not. Iolev found out that Lukas had taken a contract on his old business friend and put a target on the kids back. But then again, he was the one who put out the contract. Lukas never made it to the kill, and Arianna had to bail him out. Arianna killed the target and swore she would keep the boy under her wing for a while longer. That scared the boy to his wits, he didn't want to mess with Iolev ever again.

Arianna stood from her floor and slowly slid her phone out of her back pocket and dialed up operations. The phone rang twice before someone answered.

"Operator, how may I help you?" The woman asked.

"Ciao amico, il tempo è sul ghiaccio e così anche il liquore." Arianna said with elegance.

"One moment please." The woman replied and there was a pause. "Hello, how may I help you and The High Table?"

"I need to speak with Iolev Shakrovk." She confirmed.

There was a longer pause and finally she heard his voice come through. "Arianna de Antiago, I have been waiting for your call."

"I would expect you would. I am a very busy woman." She sneered into the phone. "What is it you are wanting me for?"

"I have something for you to do. My nephew, my successor, needs protection. The High Table has become aware of my recent actions. I would like for him to be well preserved until I hand him over my position. I was hoping you would be willing." He disclosed.

"I'm sorry, Iolev, I don't do protection." She was just about to hang up when she heard what she never thought she would hear again.

"Your uncle will take you back if you do this." He implored.

Arianna froze. Her uncle. Arturo de Antiago, member of the high table. Traitor of the Antiago clan. "He what?"

"He and I want to see Alessio at The Table. He swore on his own mark that if you keep my nephew alive until the coronation then he will accept you back."