Page 27 of Forbidden Knots

She nodded and walked away. I quickly pulled on a white dress and slipped into my slippers; the towel still wrapped around my head as I walked out. Grandma was in the kitchen, preparing a lemon tart. I dipped my finger into the bowl, scooping up some lemon cream just like I did when I was a child. I licked it, savoring the taste. "This is amazing."

"I knew you would love it," she said, smiling. "I overheard that you’re going to the carnival."

"Sophie is taking me," I said, sitting down. "Do we have a mask?"

She smiled, leaving the bowl of cream as she walked towards her bedroom. From the wall, she took down a white porcelain mask. It was old-fashioned,Italian-style, with red cheeks and red lipstick, decorated with gold and a red crown. She brought it to me, holding it close to her face.

"It belonged to your mother," she said, smiling as she took it off. "She wore it when she turned sixteen."

"It’s so beautiful," I said, taking the mask. "It’s perfect." I smiled, feeling a connection to my mother through this piece of history.

"Enjoy, dear," she said, walking back to the kitchen and mixing the cream.

I took the mask and hurried down the stairs to Sophie’s house, calling out a quick "Thank you" to Grandma as I left.

FIFTEEN

Shadow

Icouldn't shake the words from my mind: 'He will break her.'

It felt like karma was mocking me as if the universe was reminding me of everything, I had done to Thalia that Christian was now doing to my sister. The thought haunted me, especially when I saw him the other day, smiling at her. Christian was the kind of man who would go to any lengths to make someone suffer, and I knew he would hurt Sophie. I couldn't let that happen.

I had promised my mom and dad I would protect Sophie. I would do everything to keep her safe, even if it meant never speaking to Thalia again. But just as this thought crossed my mind, I saw Thalia climbing the stairs with Sophie, holding a carnival mask. A mask that seemed so familiar.

I sat in the living room, a glass of whiskey in my hand, fingers on my jaw as I recalled the night Thalia had been here. I had every opportunity to claim her as mine, but I didn't want to force her, even though I could feel her wanting me just as much as I wanted her.

She was like a magnet, pulling me to her each time I saw her. Knowing she was in the room next door, undressing and putting on that mask, made my desire for her nearly unbearable. All I wanted was to rip her apart and make her mine, hoping that would quench this insatiable thirst for her.

I left the glass on the table and walked back upstairs. I intended to get ready in my bedroom, but the sound of her in the next room awakened my curiosity. I wanted to watch her, to satisfy my craving for her presence, even if just by looking at her.

I peeked through a crack, watching her silhouette as she pulled on a red dress. Sophie moved beside her, helping her with a black corset. She pulled the strings tight, making Thalia’s waist look so small that I imagined it fitting perfectly in my hand.

Her long blonde curls cascaded down her back, and the images racing through my mind fueled an idea I knew I would regret.

Tonight, she would be mine. I vowed this to myself as I watched her. The sight of her ignited a fierce hunger in me, a need to possess her completely. I knew that by the end of the night, I would do whatever it took to make Thalia mine.

Every year at the beginning of August, there is a carnival inLa Maddalena.Locals celebrate the sailors' return home and another successful season. It’s a day where anything can happen, and they would still celebrate.

"Dolce far niente,"the sweetness of doing nothing, and Italians know best how to make the most of it. Even though thiswas my first year here, I was becoming one of them, though I knew I could never fully blend in. I would always be different. But tonight, I needed to be the same as them. I needed to pretend.

The streets were full of locals and tourists dressed in long vintage dresses and suits, wearing porcelain masks. Tonight was the night they could be anything they wanted, escaping from their lives just for a moment.

I could hear their laughter, the already drunk sailors, the clinking of bottles, and the thuds as the inebriated ones fell. Peeking through the shutters, I saw Thalia and Sophie leaving the house, holding their masks close to their faces as if no one would recognize them even though everyone knew who were.

I even heard them in the next room, drinking limoncello our neighbors left us last night, getting ready for the night.

I turned around, walking to the closet where a suit as black as midnight with woven gold edges hung. I took it and tossed it on the bed, pulling on the pants. My black shirt was unbuttoned and I put on a vest, leaving my chest bare.

The mask I would wear was porcelain black, with a skeleton jaw painted in white and gold lines around it, topped with a crown of the court madman in gold.

Even though it was a hot August night, I had to wear a blazer to match the ensemble. Some even wore gray wigs, but I decided to skip that part.

I picked up the mask from the bed and walked outside. As I descended the stairs, I noticed Chiara at the bottom. She wore a mask that covered only half of her face, with a very long beak adorned with purple details. Her dark hair was piled on top of her head, her shoulders bare in a gorgeous purple dress. She looked pretty, as usual, but she wasn’t what I wanted.

Some would be satisfied with what they have, but this was not enough for me. I did everything to push her away, but she keptcoming back. It was as if she suffered from needing to possess me, unable to stand the idea of anyone else having me. She had the same deranged syndrome as me, but she didn’t know my dark side. She didn’t know that by pushing my limits, she would only make things worse.

"You look handsome," she said, coming closer as I brushed past her.

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