A Price to Pay

Prologue

June 15, 1854

Florence, Italy

 Prologue

"Norah?"

Nicole stared at the girl in front of her, her best friend, and following the upcoming wedding her sister-in-law. The girl seemed to be too invested in polishing the apple in her hand to pay any attention, after sighing Nicole sucked in a breathe, "Norah, I'm pregnant." The words seemed to come out in an inaudible jumble.

Norah snapped her head up, finally concentrating on something besides the apple.

She narrowed her eyes, "What?"

Nicole felt the words get caught in her throat, "I said... I-I'm pregnant." 

The petite girl set the apple back on top of the others in the fruit stand, the bustling people around them seeming to disappear.

"Are you sure?"

Nicole nodded, her lengthy chestnut hair moving in the wind exaggerating the waves that were already there. Norah's catlike eyes seemed to be searching Nicole's, as if they held the answer. Nicole couldn't tell what her silence ment, she bit her lip waiting for a response.

"Look-" Nicole started but was interrupted by her friend's embrace.

"Have you told Dimitri yet?" Norah said smiling into her friends shoulder.

"N-"

"Told me what?"

Nicole twirled around leaving her friends arms, her long burgundee dress twirling with her. Her eyes widening in shock at the tall man in front of her, his bright smile standing out against his tanned skin.

"Nothing!" She snapped.

He cocked an eyebrow, "Oh, is that so?" he chuckled his smile never wavering.

"Because I heard someone say they're pregnant. And if it's not you then it must be Norah," he directed his stare towards his sister. "I hear you've been sneaking around with Postoolio." He said with a joking tone.

Norah narrowed her grey eyes, looking as if she might kill him, instead elbowing him in the ribs.

"I'm not the pregnant one you ass!"

He grunted and grabbed his side, "So, I'm just that good in bed huh?" He said turning his stare over to Nicole.

She felt her cheeks getting hot as the crowd around them seemed to reappear, it felt as if all eyes were on her. "Dimitri!" She scolded, how could he say something like that in public!

He smiled embracing her, "I'm so happy, I hope it's a boy."

She sighed in relief, "good, lets go home and celebrate."

Norah smiled, "I'll get the wine." the busty blond said clapping her hands together.

"Norah!" Nicole scolded looking at her as if she were crazy. "You know I can't drink!"

Norah snorted, "It's not for you, it's for me!"

Nicole rolled her eyes as Norah skipped away, turing to walk home with her fiance. Dimitri wrapped an arm protectively around her as they passed through the bustling streets, their voices resounding off of the towering brick buildings above.

"How about Christoph, or Emilene if it's a-" Dimitri was stopped short as a man who was being grabbed by the city's guards shoved him away from Nicole, in an attempt to slip between them. At that moment everything seemed to slow, he watched as the guards went to stab the fleeing man. The man panicked grabbing Nicole's arm and pulled her in front of him as he dodged out of the way. A scream stopped short in her throat as the blade pierced through her cream colored skin.

"D-Dimitri..."

"Nicole!" he cried out in horror. 

"Hey I'm back lets celebrate-" Norah stood paralyzed, a sound of shattering glass echoed throughout the market as the wine bottle dropped.

________________________________

"I've brought food." Norah smiled weakly, knocking on the door.

"I'm not hungry." Dimitri grunted, keeping his empty gaze to the floor.

She sighed, "You haven't eaten in days, you have to eat something."

"Mmm..." 

She set the trey of food down beside him on the bedside table, leaving him to sit in the dark room alone.

"Jesus, Postoolio, you scared me!"

"How's he doing?"

"Not well," she averted her gaze to the floor. "He's getting worse." She felt tears build in her eyes as he pulled her into a comforting hug, running his fingers through her long blond matted hair, her thick lips trembling.

"You need to sleep, you look tired." he said pulling her downstairs.

        Dimitri gripped a rosary to his chest as he felt all emotion within him drain away. "I'd give anything to have you back, damn it! Please just let me see her again."

"Anything, huh?" Dimitri snapped his eyes open to see a young man with a devious grin plastered to his face.

"Who are you? And what are you doing here?" Dimitri growled, narrowing his eyes as the moon came out from behind the clouds to give him a glimpse of the figure. The mans dark eyes almost hidden behind his shaggy tousled black hair, almost spiking.

"Me? Why I'm the one who can grant your request." he said his tone matching his grin.

"G-grant my request, how?" Dimitri almost shouted, hope spurting through him.

"You see, I have powers no mere moral can understand, and with these powers I help those who have deep sorrow within them." he said his grin growing wider.

"You can make it so I can see her again?!" Dimitri gasped sitting forward.

"For a price, yes. After all, nothing in this world is free." he said his grin turning into a sly smirk.

"I don't care about the price, I'll give you anything to see my beloved Nicole again!"

"Well, I can't argue with that kind of determination." Dimitri watched as a piece of paper formed in the mans hands.

"This is a contract stating that you, Dimitri, will give me, Dag, anything I wish for. In return I will grant you the ability to see your Nicole again." He mewed his smirk still playing on his lips.

Dimitri was too excited with the thought of seeing his beloved again to wonder how the mysterious man knew his name. Dag slouched toward Dimitri, a pen forming in his hands.

"Sign here." he purred, placing the pen on top of the paper, handing it to Dimitri.

Dimitri snatched the paper and signed it hastily, jumping back in shock as the it began to glow. He crawled back until he hit the rough wall, his eyes widening at the still floating paper. 

Dag looked on smiling at his work, a look of hunger in his eyes as he began to chuckle in a crazed way. Dimitri watching as the paper vanished just as quickly as it had appeared.

"I'll go collect my pay now." he grinned, disappearing like the paper.

"Wai-" Dimitri lurched forward. What was he going to collect?

"Guh!" he bent over in paralyzing pain making his twin sized bed groaning under his weight, gripping his wrist he waited for the wave of pain to stop.

"What's happening?" he groaned. It seemed like an eternity before the burning pain subsided. Sitting still on the edge of his bed, he tried to control his trembling breaths. Slowly he moved his hand away from the source of the pain as he did the clouds parted again letting the moon shine it's light through the curtained window and into the otherwise dark room illuminating the new mark on his wrist. Dimitri's eyes widened at the darkened brown tribal looking picture, the skin around the mark red in irritation.

"A scorpion?"