The night was cold with the stars out in the dark night sky. They twinkled brightly as they led the fortuneteller below them who measured them. She used strange devices to measure their distances, pointing at them like some map but in the sky. All the others could do was watch her, although most of them could pretty much read the stars as well. In fact, they had chances and choices to help her out. But to see a blind woman directly point at stars in the sky was more than they could comprehend.

The group sat around a fire to keep themselves warm. Long finished dinner, all they have to do in the meantime was rest and meditate. Their bottoms rested on their cloaks and spare cloth Alfieri had managed to steal from the storage. But even after his return, none of the other members gave him any sense of trust. Due to that, he isolated himself and kept to himself on a nearby tree.

While he was left alone, the rest of the group stared at the fortuneteller in awe, watching her with so much intensity in their eyes. She sensed them immediately and stood down after they have traveled twenty kilometers from Colosseum.

"Azad, Enzo, take over," she immediately instructed, handing them her devices.

"Why'd you stop?" Celestina asks incredulously as Angelica passed by.

She smirks. "I could sense your stares behind my head. It was getting somewhat irritating," she chuckled.

"Eh?!" Jahan and Pietro cried in unison.

"How are you able to see?" Ekundayo asks, furrowing her eyes at their leader.

Angelica just smiles as she headed towards Jahan, waving her hand at the woman. Her eyes were not covered when she lifted her head to the sky. It allowed her companions to take a peek into those black sockets, and it made their bones tremble to the core. Not only were they afraid, they were terrified. Inside those sockets of hers were something that resembled the universe. Yes, there were black, but the little light that resembled stars also were in them.

"Believe what you want to believe," said Angelica. "I'm not here to convince you of anything, but rather to bring you to a place where you could learn and amplify your abilities and use them for a better use. The enemy we're currently facing may be the greatest threat so far, but our journey does not end here. We may face other enemies, even deadlier even. By then, I may have lost a finger or two, or maybe not my fingers but an arm and a leg, whichever. I won't stop my duty as the emissary of the Arcana. And perhaps, you will find out how I am still able to see even without my eyes."

With those words, she took her bag with Shandor quickly hopping onto her shoulder. She wasn't too far from them when she suddenly wailed and sank to her knees. "Oh, my god! We've left Tzipporah behind!"

The woman wailed and mourned for the lost of her feline friend, and no one could console her. The cat was with her and Alfieri at the tavern; she had no telling whether Tzipporah survived the fight which was the cause of the stronger tension of anxiety in her heart. It made her feel a bottomless guilt weigh in her heart for actually forgetting about her cat. She cried and clutched her face and shook those closest to her, crying that she was too careless and caught in the action. She kept raving that she shouldn't have forgotten Tzipporah, a cat who's been with her for a good a many years.

"C-Couldnt we get you a new cat, Miss Ann?" Pietro asks, feeling beads of his sweat roll down his forehead.

Jahan nods. "Indeed! As compensation, I shall send for the finest feline in my kingdom to be given to you—"

"No! Tzipporah is the finest cat I've ever had and will only have!" she sobbed.

"Has she been with you for a long time?" Azad asks, patting the woman's back.

Angelica nods. "She's been with me for a very long time. ."

Taking hold of her hand, Alfieri heaves her up from her knees and laughed loudly. Everyone was immediately surprised, wondering why he was mocking her. He was more than amused, actually stealing a kiss from the woman. Angelica was surprised as well, her eyes widening to show her empty sockets. "What's so funny, Alfieri? Should I blame you for my loss?" she asks.

"No, no, no. I simply forgot to tell you that I have Tzipporah under one of the seats," he chuckled.

Alfieri should have told her that the moment they left Colosseum. He couldn't possibly survive her rage. But instead of yelling at him or slashing his cheek, she struck him hard across the face with a deadly glare. "You dare make me worry and put up a scene?" she seethed.

Connor chuckled while the others consoled the woman, although Celestina resented her for being so casual around men. Ekundayo was reserved especially with the men, but Angelica was patting them on the cheeks, her face close to theirs, smirking at them, and smoking her pipe while chatting with them. She wondered why she was so casual, isn't a woman supposed to be wary around men? The fortuneteller absolutely didn't seem to be wary.

Like what Alfieri said, Tzipporah was under the one of the seats sleeping. And her master didn't bother to wake her, and simply struck Alfieri once again for the embarrassment. She looked worried though, the falcon still hasn't returned, which made her wonder of how she was going to communicate with the head of the Arcana.

Sitting by the fire beside the isolated Alfieri, she smoked her pipe in silence. She could feel everyone else stare at her and the man. But she ignored it. Before her, Alfieri bore a hurt look on his face as if he was guilty. His bright green eyes stared at the dancing flames before him, dancing like those free gypsies. He clutched his shirt tightly, feeling pain in his heart. He could feel his tears brim his eyelids. He fought to keep himself from crying, but he soon began to sob.

He cried.

Quickly placing her pipe down, she embraces him tightly. She let him cry into her chest, allowing him to wail in agony. She could feel her eyes fill with tears, which surprised everyone else. With wide eyes, they stood up from their seats. They were about to head towards the two until Angelica stretched out her hand towards them. She shook her head at them, an indication not to come forward. Reluctantly they stood down and returned to their seats around the fire. They were alarmed, and they wondered what was going on.

Caressing Alfieri's head, allowing her fingers to comb through his curly locks, the woman plants a gentle kiss on his head. She had a compassionate expression on her face, and lifted his face to face him. Her eyes were closed so that he wouldn't see the darkness in the empty void. She gives him a reassuring smile and kisses him on the forehead before embracing him once again. With her arms tightly wrapped around him, she told him in the gentlest and most loving way possible, "Alfieri, you did well. I'm sure, she would have been proud of you."

The man hugs her back and just continued to cry until he fell asleep in her lap. And while he slept, Angelica continued to comb her fingers through his hair before taking her satchel and drew out a flute. With it, she began to play a soothing, peaceful melody. The others listened to it as they were lulled to sleep with just Angelica left awake under the stars in the sky.

* * * * * * * *

"You don't seem to be planning to sleep," Abelle remarks when Angelica finally stopped playing.

The woman smiled at him. "Neither are you," she replied.

The sky was still dark, but the moon shone so brightly almost like the sun. The songs of crickets could be heard throughout the entire valley, joined by the sound of a river and the hooting of owls. Light seeped through the tiny openings between leaves and branches. With the fire now in gentle flames, its light had dimmed but the warmth still emitted like a warm embrace to those close to it.

The bespectacled man was seated upright on his beddings, staring at Angelica who remained awake, watching her surroundings vigilantly. He gets up and walks towards her where Alfieri had cried himself to sleep like a wee baby. He takes a seat close to her and glanced at the man on her lap. Abelle felt jealous, and Angelica saw right through him.

"If you want to lie on my lap, you could do it tomorrow night," she suddenly told him in a gentle voice.

Abelle furrows his eyebrows at her. "Woman, you are as inappropriate as always!"

She smirks. "And yet you desire for it. I could see it in your eyes. The way you look at me when I am with another man."

The man felt his cheeks heat up in embarrassment, quickly averting his gaze away. "How are you able to see? You've lost your eyes, and yet you seem like you could still see. It's as if you aren't blind at all!"

Angelica smiles gently, beginning to caress Alfieri's hair like before. "So that you guys will no longer be disturbed for my ability to still see, I'll tell you why. It's because of La Stella."

"How does your card have anything to do with your eyesight?" the man asks.

"It's no longer eyesight. My Arcana allows me to see what I want to see. Not in the sense of the past or future, but the present. For example, I could see that Enzo is actually awake, and he cannot bear having another man sleeping on my lap," she chuckled, startling Abelle.

Without a second thought, the bespectacled man brags a small stone and hurls it towards Enzo's head. In a flash, he avoids it, proving Angelica's claim correct. "Ann, you sure are full of surprises," he remarked without even taking a glance at the woman.

She chuckles.

"Well, naturally. A woman without surprises will not be interesting at all," Angelica told them sarcastically. "But really, I simply have no desire of anyone being able to read me. It makes me feel vulnerable."

"Is there a reason for you to feel vulnerable?" Enzo asks, finally turning his head towards her.

"I believe Connor has told you someting without my permission?" she asks. "If you are wondering why I know, it's because I used one of my Arcana to see if you were alright. When Alfieri and I were captured, the first thing I thought of was your safety. I saw you, arguing, dreading to hear what that man was going to say. I'm ashamed of it I confess. But I think the time has come for me to confess my past so that when someone comes our way claiming that they know me, at least you'll know the truth and your trust in me will not waver."

She glances at the others who actually were wide awake, listening to their conversation. The fortuneteller was far from surprised; she knew that they were far from succumbing to slumber. Even Connor was interested to hear her story.

So she began her little tale. She began with her childhood, telling them that she lost her beautiful mother at an early age. She told them she was wonderful and so beautiful that her father was always amazed to see her as if he saw her for the first time. But when she came to the age of twelve, her father remarried himself to another woman who was also beautiful, but had a heart of stone, far from her mother whose heart was softer then flesh but stronger than iron. Her stepmother had four children to spare, three sons and a daughter. At first, life was good but her older stepbrothers lusted for her, and tried in every way to woo her despite her being their stepsister.

"They were irritating, always giving me flowers from my mother's garden, serenading to me, frequently asking me to marry them," Angelica told them. "One time, the eldest tried to kiss me on my sixteenth birthday. I resisted, and he tried to force himself on me. I was terrified, but Romeo, the youngest among the four, saved me. He and I were close ever since we met. We were both alone."

She continued and finally told them of her stepsister who was the same age as she was. At first they are close friends, but in time Annabelle grew to hate Angelica. She hated the fact that the raven was beautiful and was always with a partner at balls, the fact that almost every day she had a suitor, that she was talented with the arts: both in paining and in music, that Angelica was a skilled swordsman despite her being a girl and girls were not expected to be trained for combat. She hated the fact that Angelica's father had an unwavering favoritism for his real daughter. The fact that Angelica was far more beautiful than she was. Soon enough, Annabelle began to compete over every little thing, but she was always at a loss.

Her stepmother, like her, hated Angelica. She wished that her new husband would at least pay attention to her children, but he was always too busy for them. He may send them gifts, but they are nothing compared to the love he had for his daughter. And time soon came when Angelica's stepmother struck her with the worst cruelty possible. But the girl did not complain, she refrained from complaining and never failed to be kind and gracious.

When she turned sixteen, and her father was reported dead, her stepmother quickly sold her to the blackmarket as a slave. Romeo tried to help her, but he was thrown into the dungeon where his older siblings mocked him for his incompetence. Of course, the boys didn't want their beautiful stepsister to leave them, but they couldn't bear the wrath their mother would unleash upon them if they were to defy her.

All hope was lost for Angelica.

She then explained to them what happened: she was bought for a brothel and there she felt the most vulnerable and dirty. She told them that she nearly had a different customer every night and it was hell for her. She didn't describe what they were like, but they understood what she meant. The one who bought her was Bernardo, and strangely after two years, they fell in love. They planned to escape together, and everything seemed going as planned. But one of her last customers, got her impregnated and she was unable to work and unable to leave. She killed him after he forced himself on her and she was isolated for her murder. After nine months she gave birth to a child, but that child whom she called her treasure despite him being unwanted was taken away from her. She had no knowledge of what has become of him.

After being through so much pain, she and Bernardo finally makes their escape. But they barely made it. They may have freed a lot of the prostitutes, but it caused Bernardo's life. She was forced to leave on her own. Along the way she met a caravan of gypsies and they welcomed her with open arms. She was given a rune to hide her real face. And there she met Jael who became her teacher in the arts of fortunetelling, refining her skills to see the future, past, and present. With her amazing teacher, she knew all the art about fortunetelling: from palm reading all the way to reading the stars in the sky. And in the group, she fell in love once more with a man who taught her how to throw daggers and acrobats. But after four years of being with the group, the owner of the brothel and his dogs were actually still after her.

In the dark of the night, she told Jael that she would leave to ensure the gypsies' safety. She refused to have her lover come along with her, knowing that he would just die just like Bernardo. She left, but the gypsies were not left alone. Everyone was slaughtered, not a single soul spared. That night, men, women, and children died for keeping Angelica with them. It enraged Angelica and in turn, she left not a single man alive for their deed. With her hands bloodied, she left the scene, left to wander alone.

After months of wandering as a lone fortuneteller, she finally stumbled into Regalo. But even then, her pursuers were hot on her trail. Nearly caught again, she was saved by the Arcana Famiglia. With a selfish reason, Angelica denied to stay with them for her protection. But even then, the famiglia was not spared with her karma and some were nearly killed. To keep them safe, the woman ran away to wander again. But the head of the famiglia went after her despite the lies she spewed, the secrets she hid away, the smile that hid her pain, Mondo told her that they were family. He told her that everyone in the famiglia had something to hide. Everyone had the dark and light in their past, so like them, she is still part of the famiglia.

Overjoyed, she renewed her contract and swore to serve the famiglia until her death. And now, her mission was to look for contractors to fill the empty slots and save the dying Mondo. "And now, all we have to do is return to Regalo. I know that you're all unfamiliar with all these kinds of power, but I shall teach you everything I know. Well, maybe almost everything. I will leave the rest for you to learn. If you want out though, you're free to walk away from this fight. I know I was wrong to trick you into becoming contractors, but I was simply obeying the Arcana."

"What do you mean?" Abelle asks.

Smiling mischievously, the woman touches her empty eyes. "The loss of my eyes was my gain. Take it as making a deal with the devil, pay something important to gain something of power. My eyes was my payment to fully take away Mondo's pain. He has been in pain for many years and because I connected myself to him, I could feel it too. And now the pain is gone. . . we shall make our escape and return to Regalo as soon as possible. We will warn them of these hooligans who dare claim the powers of fake Arcana!"

Getting up, everyone who pretended to sleep looked at Angelica with resolved expressions. Enzo and Abelle were surprised, but Angelica, as always, was far from it. Alfieri turned out to be awake as well. He reaches out to Angelica and pulls her down towards him, planting a passionate kiss on her lips. When he lets her go, she too gives him a kiss, but on his forehead.

"I will remain here," said Jahan. "I know I never made a deal with an Arcana, but I will yet prove myself useful!"

"If my master shall remain, so will I," said Azad.

Pietro chuckles nervously. "I guess I've always wanted adventure despite me being a worrywart. I'll stay, too."

"I shall stay too, Angelica," Abelle told the woman beside him.

"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't going to stay all the way," said Connor, winking at the fortuneteller.

Ekundayo sighs. "There's no helping it. You saved me, and I shall return the favour by remaining here."

"I'll stay as well," said Enzo.

"Me, too!" declared Alfieri.

Celestina was the only one left without an answer. Everyone stared at her, and she the same. But when she met Jahan's persistent eyes, she felt a mysterious throb in her chest. She was hesitant, but she told them that she will stay. "I don't any other plans anyway," was her excuse.

Grateful, Angelica smiled brightly. "Thank you. . everyone."

* * * * * * * *

"Let's hurry!" yelled Abelle as they arrived at the next town.

It was clearly very busy. People scurried around to do their businesses. Cars and carriages kept nearly colliding into each other due to the drivers' impatience. This fact was far from strange. The town after all had multiple stations was will lead them to other towns, cities, and even countries. It was a lifesaver to those who were traveling a lot. This included Angelica and her group who hurried to get tickets to get board the train.

They all had changed their garments into the normal suitable ones. Shirts, trousers, suits, dresses, whichever they preferred. They had to make sure that they had no chance of being recognized for the sake of the safety of the other passengers onboard the train. Angelica insisted that they, as much as possible, avoid any demise. It was enough that countless women had died in the bloodlust in Colosseum, there were children and old people in the train. They saw families off for vacation or immigration to another unknown land. Either way, they bore the burden to keep everyone safe.

After they bought their tickets, they were greeted by someone unfamiliar. It alarmed everyone to see a redhead hurry towards them, waving his arms wildly. Of course, Angelica couldn't see who it was unless she wanted to. But when she recognized who it was, she thought she would faint.

"Luciano??"

~~~

Number of words: 3625

Hi guys!! OMG, Damsel In Distress is almost ending!! Sweet! Thank you all so much for reading this book even though it isn't perfect, but I hope you enjoyed it to the limit! Okay, so, we have seen that at least three guys are in love with Angelica: Enzo, Abelle, and Alfieri. I don't know if you have your ships but you all better start commenting whom you ship with Angelica!

Please comment your opinions and critique on the story. I really wanna know what you guys think so far! Tell me what you think of the characters, the plot, how things go, who you're shipping. The best comments gets the honor of having a chapter dedication! The next chapter will be exciting I promise! I am practically giggling just thinking about what will be happening next!

- R