Page 116 of Fratelli: Eternal Bloodlines

“This won’t take long,” she smirked.

Stepping out into the cool night, Darlene closed the car door behind her and began the long walk. Though the ground was rocky, she glided along without issue in her six inch high-heeled shoes. The forest seemed to close in around her the deeper she went. The only sounds were the crunch of her footsteps on the gravel and earthy path, the faint rustle of leaves overhead. She felt the presence of something far greater than herself in the darkness. It watched. It waited.

In the heart of the dark forest, Papa Legba appeared—his figure barely more than a shadow among the trees. She ignored him. His presence was as familiar as it was haunting to her now, and for the first time, the full weight of their bargain settled over her like a shroud. As she continued, she saw a youthful version of a slave girl standing alone in the forest, watching her. Who was she? Could it be her ancestor—Julia Brown? The young woman shook her head and said something Darlene could not hear. She waved her arms as if in a warning, before she disappeared.

Darlene continued. She didn’t allow Papa Legba’s tricks to confuse or delay her. She was smart though she knew the deitybelieved she wasn’t. She was born for this moment not Dolly. And in this destiny she intended to fulfill.

Lucio could still be saved. Domencio was the key to everything. That was what they did not know. A truth that was her destiny.

The Sicilian forest seemed to close in tighter. The ancient trees towered above her like silent sentinels. Their twisted branches reached out like skeletal fingers and blocked what little moonlight could penetrate the thick canopy. The ground beneath her heels was uneven, the rocks sharp and unforgiving, as if the land itself resented her presence. Each step felt heavier than the last. The oppressive weight of darkness settled over her like a shroud.

There was no sound but the rhythmic crunch of gravel underfoot and the occasional flutter of wings from unseen birds. But Darlene could feel it—eyes on her, watching from the shadows. The trees whispered, or maybe it was the wind. It carried voices that didn’t belong to this world. The deeper she ventured, the thicker the air became, laden with the scent of decay, of something old and forgotten.

Up ahead, through the skeletal limbs of the forest, the silhouette of the old villa loomed. Its jagged edges pierced the sky. It was no simple villa; it looked more like a castle, its turrets rising like crooked teeth against the night. The stone was blackened with age; the walls cracked and crumbled in places, as if the very structure had absorbed centuries of malice. Darkness hovered around it, thick and palpable, as though the night itself was drawn to the place to feed on whatever sinister energy pulsed within.

The closer Darlene came, the more the forest revealed its secrets. Bones littered the path—old, brittle things half-buried in the earth, remnants of those who had wandered too close to the vampires’ domain and never left. Some were human,others unrecognizable, twisted into grotesque shapes by years of neglect. Ribcages jutted out of the ground like broken sticks, and skulls peered from the shadows, their hollow eyes forever locked in expressions of terror.

The villa itself seemed to breathe; its ancient stones groaned under the weight of oppression. Vines crawled up its walls like veins. The veins choked the life from the structure. Windows, cracked and dark, stared out like empty eyes, reflecting nothing but the abyss within. There were no lights, no signs of life, only the ever-present sense of something malevolent that waited in the dark. This was a place where death had been welcomed, where the living was merely prey.

At the massive front door, carved from wood so dark it looked like it had been burned by time itself, Darlene hesitated. The door bore intricate designs, and twisted symbols that slithered with a faint, otherworldly energy. Her hand hovered over the handle for just a moment, the sense of dread grew stronger, heavier, until it felt as if it would crush her.

She pushed open the door. The heavy wood screeched in protest.

The darkness inside was impenetrable, thick, and suffocating. It swallowed the dim light from outside the moment she stepped through. The air was cool, damp, like a tomb sealed for centuries. Shadows shifted and twisted in the corners of the vast entryway, moving as though they had lives of their own. The door creaked shut behind her with a finality that echoed through the hollow hall.

Darlene stood still; her senses heightened. The villa was alive in a way that had nothing to do with the living. She could feel the weight of eyes upon her, something lurked just beyond the reach of her vision. And yet, she wasn’t afraid.

She moved forward, deeper into the shadows, where Vittorio and Domencio waited—her steps steady, determined. Whatever darkness this place held; she would meet it head-on.

The prophecy had brought her here, but her love for Lucio and Domencio is why she intended to win the fight.

Chapter 48

The Awakening

Vatican City - Syracuse

April 20, 2018

(Night Before Death)

Dolly gasped. She shot upright on the sofa as if ripped from the depths of a nightmare. Her throat burned, and an invisible hand squeezed tighter. It choked the breath trapped in her esophagus and blocked in her lungs. She clawed at her neck, desperate for air. Her vision blurred, but slow and steady, the room sharpened around her, and that’s when she saw her—a young, beautiful black girl, doe-like eyes wide with fear. She stood before her in tattered clothes from another time. The girl’s eyes mirrored Dolly’s, haunted and lonely. Then, as quickly as she appeared, the girl evaporated into nothing, mouthing a warning.

Dolly collapsed forward. She inhaled sharp and astute, aware as the invisible grip released her. She gasped. She sucked in the air. Tears burned her eyes. It was dark in the suite now. Shadows danced up the walls and spread like thick cobwebs. She remembered ordering food, the quiet of the evening, andthe google searches for the history of the Vatican. They were supposed to leave for Lucio in two hours, but now—now everything felt wrong.

“Darlene!” she shouted. She scrambled off the couch, and her heart thudded in her chest. She ran to her sister’s room, but it was empty. The bathroom too. The vanity mirror had been shattered, and shards of glass glinted like tiny knives scattered across the floor. Dolly stood frozen. She tried to make sense of it. She closed her eyes, and reached out for Darlene with her mind and her power—nothing returned. Only silence.

“Darlene!” Her voice cracked, and desperation clawed at her gut. She tore through the other rooms in the suite, frantic in her search. Each she found empty. Panic surged as she bolted into the hallway.Tristan.She ran to his room and paused before she blasted the door open with a burst of her power.

Inside, the air stunk of death with the metallic scent of blood. Charmaine and Tristan lay tangled in sheets, blood smeared on their skin, both naked, both still. Neither of them breathing.

Dolly’s stomach lurched.

“How... what happened?” She stumbled forward, shock rooted her to the spot. Her mind screamed at her to act, but for a moment, she was paralyzed by the sight before her. Then, instinct took over. She rushed to Charmaine’s side; her hand pressed against her breast. With a chant on her lips, she summoned the light of Liora. She called on her guardian with everything she had.

Liora’s eyes flew open. Each glowed, then dimmed as her body surged with the healing power of light. And then she changed. Charmaine gasped and sat up, spitting up black bile. She grabbed Dolly. She clutched Dolly as she sobbed in relief.

“Thank the heavens. Thank you, God!” Dolly said.

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