Blood.

Chapter Thirty: Hers.

Maddie looked at Alina as she held a struggling Vince against her shoulder, blood everywhere, croaking out her final words. A lone tear dripped down Alina's face as she made a promise to herself, knowing the cost it would come at, and shook her head as she denied her aunt's last wish. With every bullet Elijah had shot, every person he had killed, tortured and stabbed in front of her very own eyes, Alina built a component of her plan, with every life leaving the body, the will to follow through got stronger. She would protect. She would sacrifice. She would avenge. Alina Madeleine Black would make history and leave the world crying in her wake.

Aurora's P.O.V:

After Nico let me rinse my mouth, there was silence in the house. We didn't sit back down, nor did he. Nico stood against a counter like Dustin. I had long lifted myself onto one of the counters to sit. Dustin's hands were in his pocket, he was staring at Nico's shoes. I had my arms tucked to myself. Nico's hung loosely at his sides. I looked at his arm every now and then. The tattoo that held my name on it. 

I wondered for a moment if Dustin too had the same thing anywhere, not mine in particular but anyone's in general. 

"How do you deal with it?" Dustin finally asked after twenty minutes of us sitting in silence. 

 Nico shrugged.

"You can't do it in Italy, you know," Dustin continued, "You might be shot on spot."

"I'll handle it."

"What? Being shot? Overdosing?" Dustin asked incredulously. Nico sighed heavily. Something he didn't often do.  

"Come here," Nico waved him over. Dustin walked muttering and then stood in front of Nico. I pushed myself further against the wall. The taste in my mouth not leaving still. 

"Did anyone know?" He grumbled to Nico. Our big brother simply pulled out his wallet, there was a picture I suppose, Dustin's eyes softened a little. 

"That's all I have to look at to stop," Nic admitted, I peeked at it, it was a picture of our parents with all of us and Titli. Nic was holding her hand with a smile, she was squeezing it to hurt him I think. It was funny. Everyone was there. Uncle Percy, Dad, Mom, Uncle Dexter, Alina, Vince, Austin, everyone, "It's not easy but I'll be fine."

"You can't die either you know," Dustin said quietly after five minutes of silence. Nico nodded with the slightest of smiles and his fingers ruffled Dustin's hair before holding him by his neck for a minute and nodded. 

"I know."

~o~O~o~

Alina had called and told us to come by the hospital, that we could tonight. Nico and Dustin were not in the house but turns out Landon could give me a ride. I was not entirely sure I wanted to normally talk to Landon. I wasn't mad at him or anything. I think it was just nervousness. A lot of nervousness. But I wanted to see Austin even more and I had a question I needed to ask Alina.

I walked down to the front gate, Landon was in his car, I opened the door and got in. 

"Seatbelt, angioletto," Landon immediately reminded putting his phone down before I even had a chance to close the door. 

"What does that mean?" I asked him, as he started the car, driving through the driveway and out into the forest roads.

"Little angel," He answered, glancing at me, and smirked despite the mood he was obviously in, "How does the soap taste?"

"How do you know?"

"Happened to walk by," Landon glanced at me again, "Did Dustin not try to fight against it?"