Blood-Born

Chapter II - Part 2

Early Summer 1767 / Rue de Chanteuses – Venice, Italy

The funeral service and subsequent burial had both been as well attended as she might have otherwise expected; mostly due to those who looked forward to the value of their various collections having improved considerably with Baba's passing.

The art world in general had always been prone to pay far more tribute to their dead rather than when they were alive and painting, chiseling or otherwise etching new works.

To blend in with the mourners she had dressed as a middle aged man right down to a beard, speckled gray hair, ruffled yet patched suit and smudged glasses – a tribute to Baba's efforts to help keep her as well hidden as he could from those that might otherwise have had more nefarious ideas.

A slight limp was just another artistic touch that completed the image.

She returned as quickly as she could to gather her materials, only to have found the locks had already been changed while she had been out; something their landlord would have undoubtedly been keen to accomplish as quickly as possible for his own benefit once the services had begun.

She had never quite trusted the man as much as Baba had.

Not one to be turned away by such simple barriers, she moved around to the back of the building where she quickly climbed the lattice to the lower roof where a few quick well placed steps crossed the peak before she carefully slid through the unlatched window of the upper floor.

She remained there, palms flat to the floor, toes curled and bent to hold the rest of her body up; not entirely unlike a cat that had crouched perfectly still while she held her breath, listened and waited in the muted gloom of the attic.

The enticing aroma of freshly boiled sausage, peeled cabbage mixed with fresh basil and pasta sauce had warned her that she was not entirely as alone as she had expected to be.

In the time that it took for her to have considered turning back, she chose instead to get a look at their visitor and perhaps find out why they were in her home.

There remained several things for her to gather before she left for good and she was not about to leave without them.

Gingerly and with great care, she crossed the attic with practiced precision in an attempt to avoid any sound as she moved further into the building.

Every so often she stopped to crouch and look down through the ceiling where cracks in the plaster allowed until she found what and who it was that she had been looking for.

A well dressed woman with long blond hair cut neat sat at the great table with an open bottle of wine and a goblet before her, while across from her was a single setting of silverware, napkins and a bowl of the mixed sausage and cabbage that steamed ready and waiting.

Apparently for her, she realized.

"I am not here to harm you but rather to talk about Baba and his estate." The woman offered just loud enough for her to have heard the words as Tessa contemplated her next move.