The Mosaic

Chapter 38 | Labyrinth

"I killed them all."

"I know," Alessandro said.

Giacinto laughed, raw and cold. "It gets easier, you know?"

Alessandro looked down at Giacinto. Something was very, very wrong. With every glance, every word from the other, he felt a chill shaking his insides, like a ghost passing through him.

"I didn't even think about it. I just ... did it." There was something uncertain in his voice, as if he had forgotten. "... it was so easy."

Alessandro's eyes flickered down to the dark bruises on his side. "Doesn't look easy."

"Oh, they tried. They were better than the others. Still, pathetic." Giacinto twisted the knife in his fingers, arm still keeping Alessandro against the wall.

Alessandro eyed the glinting blade. The others? Piero hadn't been a fight at all. The first assassin, back in Venice? No, Giacinto had said he had been poisoned and died on the chase.

"I killed them," Giacinto said, tasting the words.

Alessandro could only taste the burn of the alcohol, mingled with iron blood in his breath. "Giacinto..."

The arm pressed harder against his chest, squeezing Alessandro's breath out of him. A tremble ran through him, so light it took him several moments to realize it wasn't him. Giacinto had started shaking. Alessandro's eyes widened. "Giacinto."

Giacinto turned his head away, jaw clenched shut. The trembling grew harder, running through the small man like an earthquake. The blade tumbled from his fingers, a loud clang startling Alessandro. 

"Giacinto. Look at me."

The Greek sucked in a ragged breath. His eyes were wide, racing around the room. "I killed them. I killed them. I killed --"

"Giacinto!"

The Greek flung his head around so fast Alessandro was afraid he'd snap his own neck. His tongue darted out to catch the blood still dripping from his lip. The colour fled his face, a dead grey seeping under the rich brown. His eyes were gaping and empty, staring right through Alessandro. Cold seeped into his stomach, rising and turning dark as it flooded his mind. What was going on?

"I killed them." Giacinto's eyes flashed with realization. The next second, his knees gave out under him. 

Alessandro caught him. The man was shaking like a leave. Giacinto's hands clutched desperately at Alessandro, trying to keep himself upright. As if his own body was battling itself, caught between terror and madness.

"What have I done?" Giacinto whispered.

"What you had to," Alessandro said. He couldn't believe it. Was he accepting murder, just like that? He could recall the anger seething in him, the betrayal when Piero had slumped to the floor. But it was so far away, he couldn't grasp it if he tried. 

"I've killed them, killed them, I've -- dead, they're dead. I killed ... no, I had to. Could've run, no, dead. Dead, killed, I--"

"Giacinto!" Alessandro called out. He needed to snap out of it. Whatever had gotten into the Greek, it was devouring him from the inside out. Fast.

"They're dead. I've killed, I'm a murderer. A murderer, I've--" Giacinto did no longer breathe, just rapidly pressing out incoherent rambles. His head lolled forward.

"Giacinto! Look at me."

Giacinto's eyes kept racing away from him, jumping through the room.

"Giacinto." Alessandro wasn't even sure if the Greek heard him or if he had slipped too far into a mad world. Trapped in a cyclone of bloody letters ripping at his mind until everything that fell from his lips was no longer resembling words. Alessandro felt something terrified claw at the inside of his chest. "Giacinto, look at me!"