The Plague Doctor's Daughter

35. Giovanna

Not one of them slept the rest of the night.

With their hands on their weapons and their eyes fixed on the shadows, Ottavia's would-be rescuers kept vigil against an unseen enemy. But thanks in part to the nearby church bell, each strike of the hour brought them closer to the awaited daybreak without further incident.

"It's nearly time," Simone said as the dawn chorus of seagulls—never far away no matter where one went in the lagoon—began their morning ritual of noisy squawking. After standing, Simone propped his sword against the cart and stretched his arms toward the sky with a sleepy yawn. When he turned back around, he addressed Dilara. "Are you sure your brother's ship will be waiting for you?"

"Positive," she said with a nod. "Bring out Ottavia and I will make sure that she leaves these shores safely."

"Very well," he said, picking up his weapon before sheathing it.

Matteo also stood. "Is that a wise move?" he asked, thrusting his chin at the idle sword now dangling on his friend's hip.

Simone innocently turned his palms upward and grinned. "Would you expect me to knock on a convent's door with my blade drawn?"

Matteo slapped him on the shoulder and laughed. "You are right, my friend." Pulling Simone into an embrace, he continued in a much lower voice. "Godspeed."

Simone patted Matteo's back. "Worry not. The sisters don't bite," he joked.

Giovanna stifled a yawn as tears welled in her eyes. The closeness between the two men that their witty banter revealed only reminded her of the bond she shared with Ottavia, one that would soon be broken when the girl sailed off to distant lands. Although her friend's happiness was paramount, Giovanna already mourned her own impending loneliness.

"I see Hakan's ship in the lagoon. You must go, now!" Dilara whispered as she looked down the alley that led to the water. There, in the distance, bobbed a dark spot that hadn't been there before.

The men parted and Matteo returned to the cover the cart provided. Those left behind could only watch as Simone slowly advanced, his figure increasingly blurred in the fog with each step.

Giovanna's heart thumped in her throat as she nearly lost sight of him until Simone suddenly stopped, his black cloak gently swinging from side-to-side the only indication of his presence.

"Who's there?" he asked, the fear in his voice palpable. A brief pause followed. "Oh, signora! You had snuck up on me. Where had you . . . oh!"

As though her own source of air had been cut off, Giovanna held her breath for the question to conclude. It was unfortunate enough that Simone had run into some woman who'd herself ventured out before the curfew had been lifted, but for him to end his inquiry so abruptly felt ominous.

Flexing her gloved fingers around the hilt of her dagger, Giovanna slowly exhaled and looked to Matteo, who'd been observing the same scene from her left, for guidance.

"Wait," he mouthed before his eyes darted back to find his friend, now completely invisible in the thick fog. "Simone!" he called out, barely above a whisper.

Silence.

"Simone!" Matteo exclaimed once more, a bit louder.

The shuffling of footsteps made Giovanna's shoulders relax and she mentally scolded herself for almost overreacting. But when the sound of struggle was followed by an animalistic growl, she gasped.

"What . . . what are you doing?" Simone asked, the panic in his tone evident even sight unseen. "No! Get away! Get away, I said!"

Not waiting any longer, Matteo ran toward the source of the commotion. A beat later, Giovanna and Dilara followed. When they were halfway there, a gust of wind caused the fog around Simone and the stranger to clear.