Chapter 190 The Guardians
Alessias Pov
No one says anything as we all exchange looks. I have a brief flashback of the the first time I met Padre at the Ferrini Mansion, Alex mentioned he has vented interest in La Rosa because his father died trying to get it . At that time I honestly just thought it was a Rich Man's folly to have magical relics in his household. I didn't think that the proof is actually embedded in my history. Even though Alex has made some side remarks of it on our travels I didn't take him seriously. If this is the truth then it will change everything and he is wrong there is no way this will be settled in the mafia community without an outright war .
Sirrano x Ferrini
And I ? I am stuck between the two
My father is a Sirrano
My bond mate is a Ferrini
This will not end well ..
I stare into the vacant spot on the table as uneasiness fills my chest , turning to Alex I find his eyes staring intently at the crest , a look of victory and vindication flashes on his face before it disappears once more. Truth is I can't even fault him. He deserves this little chance to gloat; he mentioned it more than once .
Everyone is quietly assessing the revelation for a while . But Luca is the first to react leaning back he rubs his hands on his face
“Well.” he says slowly as he leans back in his chair “We learn something new every day."
Lucy looks at Alex first then Padre her eyes wide with shock.
“Do you mean what I think you are saying ?”
Padre pushes his glasses up his nose, unaware that he had just dropped an atomic nuclear bomb in our midst .He stiffens , puffing out his chest "I am a historian , a revealer of truth. I do not say things I am unsure off”
Angelicas gently collects the magnifying glass from Alex “Alex, let me also have a look.”
Alex gives her without uttering a word , she leans closer to the script , studying the small engraving for a few minutes then mumbles under her breath
“Dios Mio war is coming.” as her eyes widens in panic
Lucy leans over her shoulder to have a look
“Angelica do you see it ?
Angelica uses her pinkie to point at a mark on the paper “That's the Albatross wings, it's even in Alex family crest colours White and grey”
She turns to Alex “This is undoubtedly an Albatross.”
Luca mutters under his breath but I hear every work " Signore Marco Ferrini was right all along , the old geezer"
I want to smile at the endearment at the end but I don't my lips twitch involuntarily though ,Can't help that I have a sense of humour but I know now is not the time.
Alex seated by Padre's right has still not said anything , his face remains stoic, expression calm but I can see how rigid his shoulders are .My father speaks up he had been watching Alex for a while now.
“You already knew”
This is not a question but a statement again I feel a tingle of remorse I should have trusted him
Alex deeply exhales “My Father always spoke about it.”
Lucy turns to him “About the Albatross?”
Alex shakes his head “No that's our family crest it's been for centuries.”
“About the rightful owner of La Rosa.” he adds , his voice is low and cold.
Padre leans towards the scripts once more “Yes we had many conversations about it, May he rest in peace.”
Alex leans back folding his arms on his flat chest
“When I was younger , He told Me and My Mother that La Rosa was stolen from our family.”
Luca nods " I remember him telling you in front of me too a few times.”
Alex turns to him smiling sadly “You remember the day he was travelling for the last trip ?”
Lucas frowns “Yes, I do Alex”
No one asks about what they are referring to but we all know . His father died on that quest.He never came home.
Lucy tilts her head “So it was a known fact?”
Alex nods “Sure a family story that was told to all the Ferrini clan.”
My father drums his hand on the table probably feeling uncomfortable as this sheds his family in a bad light but then they are bad people nothing can be done about that.
“What do you think of the family lore now?”
Alex waves towards the parchment "Now it seems the story I grew up hearing might have been true all along.”
Angelica shifts in her seat still clutching the magnifying glass “Since we have established that is the Ferrini crest.” she returns her attention to another section of the script.
“The next part should expressly explain everything that happened.”
Padre gives her a look eyes shining proudly of his student.
“Once translated it should do exactly that.”
Selina who has been watching us all with interest quietly chips in .“There is still more on the other script”
More?
We all turn to her expectantly , she picks up the scripts with the crest and collects the magnifying glass from Angelica.
Her eyes narrows into tiny slits for a moment “It seems the script is revealing more as we read it , more than what you copied the magic is responding to someone's power”
“About that” I say facing Selina “Could there also be a curse attached if the script is tampered with?”
Selina pauses her eyes narrowing before she shakes her head “Magic reveales itself according to intent, if it didn't want you to have the information you would not have been able to copy it.”
Leaning back I let out a sigh of relief as My father raises a brow “That's a relief , thank you for pointing that out Alessia .” I beam smiling from ear to ear .
Then he continues “Selina,whose power could it be responding to ? Or is it because we have a lot of witches in the room?”
That makes sense though , Selina meets his gaze then turns to me for a moment ,I feel a shiver trail done my spine.
Of course
I am Natura’s descendant aren't I
But the funny thing is I don't even feel it brushing against me .Unless it was a magical spell set to respond to my blood when it's close that is the only thing that makes sense. She doesn't say anything but returns her attention back to the script
“Perhaps,or a bloodline.” she replies
Lucy folds her hand on her laps “That sounds, evasive”
Ha, trust Lucy to call a powerful witch out
Selina turns to her calmly "I can not confirm which it is yet I will keep monitoring it "
Padre settles down in his chair beside Alex clearing his throat he lifts up another page “Let's carry on.”
Angelica leans towards him again “What does this one say?”
Padre ignores her impertinence and studies the page slowly mumbling under his breath as he translates “The blood of the Albatross”
He paused for a moment grabbing a pen and paper then scribbles.
"The true blood of an Albatross is the guardian of the Rose.”
Lucy gasps "This is getting cleares as we go."
She stares at Padre in contemplation “But guard La Rosa from what?”
“Thieves probably.” I whisper silently
Padre doesn't lift his head from the script as he continues reading “Natura entrusted it the the first Male of the Ferrini Line as a gift.”
My breath hitches in my chest
My great great grandmother and bad ass witch extraordinarè
Natura - creator of La Casa
Angelica's hand trembles as she grips the table tightly knuckles almost turning white “this is like unveiling true history , it is incredible.”
I sneak a peak at Alex to see how he is coping with this and his hands remain folded on his chest calmly as he watches Padre work
I nudge him through our link-
“How do you feel about all of this ?” I ask as my mark flares and I brush it absentmindedly under the table. I notice it tends to flare when we communicate like this .
I feel his inner turmoil instantly as well as sadness his father is not here to be vindicated.
“I have known all of this my entire life it's just sad my father isn't here.”
“I know and I am sorry I doubted you when you told me.”
He laughs “It's okay Alessia but you know this changes everything now, even with solid proof like this we are going to have a war on our hands.”
I shiver, rubbing my arms up and down my shoulders, my father reaches for me petting me gently . Looking up my eyes meet Selina's sharp gaze as she stares at me for a few minutes longer than necessary then is distracted by something her husband is pointing to her on the parchment.I cannot shake of the feeling that she knew me and Alex were mind linking . I don't know how I know I just now and now I await her move.
Padre speaks up again “The Rose will remain under the protection of the Albatross alone until the second guardian comes into her full power"
"Second Guardian comes into her full power"
That word echoes in my head ,Since I am Natura's last living descendant and I have come into my full power now that I am bonded with Alex . Could I be the second?
Alex is an Albatross
Does this mean our match was predestined and not to Frederic like my mother wanted?
Did she read the scripts and decipher this hereby deciding to leave La Casa?
Is this why ?
Because it is beginning to make sense
Lucy looks confused “Which other guardian again?”
Padre says nothing for a moment as he reads further and shakes his head “The next part I can't translate. I will need to take a picture and reach out to some friends overseas.”
He lowers the scripts slowly to the table as Selina cuts in “The language there is different.”
We all turn to her again for clarification, she is till seated by Padre left hasn't moved an once since she sat down. But her eyes move to me once more
“You can feel it too though.” she says gently
My stomach twists in knots
This woman
“What are you talking about?”
She looks at me for a while “Open your inner eye , the magic?”
I shake my head “I don't know how to open my inner eye when I am not practicing, I don't feel it.”
Luca let's out a strangled laugh “Even better because this conversation is beginning to give me the heebie geebies.”
Everyone smiles except Selina ,Padre takes a photo of the part he couldn't translate and picks up another page.
“I can translate some here”
Angelica leans towards her tutor once more and He starts reading slowly
“The Rose will be taken.”
Every eye in the room turns to my father as he twitches in his seat his eyes darkening , I feel for him honestly because you cannot change your family even if they are the worst.
Padre carries on “It will be taken by those who crave its power, but it will never work for them at its full potential.”
Lucy smirks “No offence sir.” she turns to my father with a soft look he waves his hand dismissing it.
“Please speak freely.” he sighs in a resigned voice
“But that sounds like it's referring to the Sirranos.”
Luca mumbles under his breath
Alex doesn't say a word I presume in respect to me and my father which I respect . But he shifts in his seat clutching his hand tight , tension so palpable you can cut it with a knife
Padre puts the script down “From this we can say all our suspicions are correct.”
My father nods in acceptance “The Sirrano family.” he pauses, gulping hard “My family stole La Rosa.”
Angelica lets out a sharp breath “And they kept it for all these years.”
Lucy turns to Alex "So your family owned it and your father….”
“My father died trying to find a witch to help him get it”
I watch him. My heart clenches forAlex is really carrying a lot of unsolved hurt and baggage. Now he will hate the Sirranos even more and it is justified.
Luca sighs "Well that is that "
Padre slowly gathers all the parchment together “There is still a lot to be unraveled, this is only the beginning.”
Angelica looks as if she wants to jump for joy “How many pages are left to translate?”
My father answers quietly “We seem to have only done four, I counted about ten.”
Selina's eyes are on me again, what is it with this woman ?It feels like she sees me as a puzzle she needs to solve
Finally she speaks “La Rosa was always meant to have two guardians according to what I was taught.”
Lucy blinks rapidly “Two guardians, then who is the second?”
My heart pounds in my chest I know who it is
It is I...
I am Natura child...
Natura is in me...
But I will wait for them to translate it first..
Selina's eyes moves to Alex for a moment before turning back to me , again.
“The bloodline.”
She pauses...
“And the guardian ..”
An unknown feeling races up my spine as all the hairs rise on my arm.For one strange explicable moment , I feel like the script is not the only thing being studied in the room . Because I seem to have become part and parcel of the translation!