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“Fieroooo!”
I jolt awake with a scream, his name on my lips, my breaths coming out in short gasps as sweat coats my trembling body. It’s a dread I’ve never felt before. My heart hammers wildly in my chest, and I frantically scan the dimly lit room for any lingering bats.
I realize I’m awake. I’m in Fiero’s bed. I look at the clock beside me. It’s almost five a.m. The significance of the time isn’t lost on me. Rafaele’s coming tonight, and I got so swept up in making the most of my one last night with Fiero that I fell asleep when I was meant to stay awake and get Fiero to speak about the diamond.
I shudder at what would have happened had I not woken early. Rafaele would have come and, on finding me not an inch closer to completing his mission, would have killed Fiero and me and ransacked the house to find his diamond.
I breathe short, raspy breaths. What was that dream? Who was that god-like man who appeared at the end, warning me to awake? I think of Sybil and his vision and thank whoever is our guiding angel for keeping me on track.
Fiero stirs beside me, sensing my distress, his hazel green eyes blinking open. He sits up, concern etched across his handsome features. "Romola, what's wrong? Are you okay?" His gentle touch on my arm is like a lifeline, grounding me in the present.
"Fi-Fiero, I had this... this nightmare," I stammer, still shaking from the vividness of the dream. The terror it evoked remains fresh, and my thoughts can't help but return to the image of the diamond that’s brought me to this mess – so beautiful and yet so deadly.
"Tell me," he urges softly, his eyes never leaving mine.
I take the plunge. For so long, I’ve made Fiero believe I see things others don’t. I know he believes in a higher truth, and perhaps that is my trump card to get him to show me the wretched stone Rafaele's willing to kill him for. Seeing no other way, I embellish my dream.
It’s tonight, or never. I take the diamond tonight for Rafaele, or I show Fiero to his grave at Rafaele’s hands. It’s not really a choice since the latter isn’t really an option.
"It was... indescribable," I murmur, struggling to find the right words. "There was this... this stone, a diamond, I think, so radiant and mesmerizing. But it felt... dangerous, somehow." I shudder at the memory of seeing it at Rafaele’s.
"Romola, it was just a nightmare," Fiero reassures me, gently squeezing my arm. You're safe here with me."
I take a deep breath, trying to steady my trembling hands as I form ways to get him to tell me about it. "It wasn’t just dangerous, Fiero. It seemed impossible. This large blue rock, as big as the palm of my hand, is unlike anything I've ever seen before. And you were there, holding it. But something was wrong, Fiero. I could feel it in the air, thick and suffocating like a noose around my neck."
My voice breaks as I continue, my very real fear for his safety pulsing through me, lending authenticity to each word. "You were in danger, Fiero, and I couldn't do anything to help you. I just... I just need you to promise me that you'll be careful, that you won't let anything happen to yourself. Maybe Sybil’s words scared me, but this stone I saw … it was trying to tell me something."
Fiero's gaze locks onto mine, his hazel green eyes appear to search my face for something. All he sees is the raw, genuine terror for his precious life that has burrowed its way into my heart. His expression grows serious as he listens to my words, his brow furrowing in concentration.
"Impossible," he murmurs, more to himself than to me. "The Heart of Italy..." He trails off, leaving the thought unfinished.
My heart races. This is it. Fiero’s opening the door gave me the very access I needed to rid us of Rafaele’s looming presence in our lives.
"What do you mean?" I ask slowly.
Fiero hesitates as if deciding whether or not to share his secret. Finally, he speaks, his voice low and somber, giving me goosebumps.
"There is a legend in my family, passed down through generations. It tells of a powerful diamond, one that holds the very key to Rome within its core. This gem is said to possess unimaginable power – the ability to control the fate of our nation from this."
"But that's just a story, right?" I play the part of the naïve fool, my heart pounding against my ribcage as I try to convince him to tell me more.
"A legend to most," Fiero admits, his eyes never leaving mine. "But the fact that you dreamt of it... I can't help but feel that there's more to this than mere coincidence. And if there is even the slightest chance that your dream is a warning, then I must do everything in my power to listen to what Sybil said. Romola," he says now, almost frantically, as he reaches over and takes my hand in his own. “If my doom is without you and success with you, there’s something I have to tell you.”
His tender touch sends shivers down my spine and almost brings me to tears. Once I ask this favor, there will be no going back. Rafaele will get what he wants, and I’ll disappear, never seeing Fiero again. My heart aches.
But I will have memories, and memories of a safe, vigorous Fiero are worth a lot more than memories of one buried under the ground.
“What is it, Fiero?” I whisper, eyes wide. “Tell me.”
“The Heart of Italy exists. There are only two pieces. One’s lost to the world, and I… I have the other.”
Fiero’s words sink in and, with it, kill any dreams of a future together. From this point onward, I’m just the thief. I crush my heart in my chest and look up at him, holding back tears.
"Can I see it?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper. "The diamond? If it's not too much trouble... It might help me understand my dream better."
Fiero studies my face for a moment as if trying to determine my true intentions. Finally, he nods, his curiosity clearly piqued by my connection to the fabled gemstone. "Alright," he says softly. "I'll show you it."
He rises from the bed and offers me his hand, which I readily accept. We get dressed, and together, we walk out of the bedroom and into the dimly lit corridors of his expansive mansion. The silence is eerie, our footsteps echoing off the high ceilings and ornate walls.
