For Cra, this was an opportunity to quickly get to the market. As she moved across a few more buildings, carefully hiding between the roofs of the houses to wait and heal, she noticed that her healing ability had started to slow down compared to before.Cra remained hidden in the shadows between the roofs. Once she felt her body had healed and was certain the priest had lost track of her, she moved closer to the market to pick up Isabel and escape the city as fast as possible.As she traversed a quarter of the city, Cra was just a step away from the market when she sensed that the entire area was saturated with silver.
So, the bastards from the church are hiding among the peasants, waiting for me? This will be fun, Cra thought, considering the priests’ pn. When she spotted Isabel with Antonio, she felt relieved that the priests hadn’t done anything to them yet.Cra watched Isabel selling food to customers while Antonio refilled the stock. Both were working diligently, and as Cra observed, she noticed Isabel happily chatting with the customers. It was clear to Cra that Isabel enjoyed working all day, unlike herself, who spent her time sleeping and allowing Father Gregorio to teach her how to read.
Cra thought about Isabel, wondering if she should leave her behind and escape the city on her own. But it was because of Isabel that they had come to Florence in the first pce, and abandoning her now would only deliver her into the clutches of the church. Thanks to the vampires sparing Allesio, he knew everything and could expose them.As soon as Isabel sensed Cra watching her, she looked up and felt a rush of emotions from Cra.Though she couldn’t discern everything, Isabel sensed the danger emanating from the people around her.Unlike Cra, who could detect the presence of silver, Isabel cked this ability and couldn’t tell which of the people nearby were members of the church.
Isabel quickly grasped the situation, silently closed the shop, and left with Antonio.Cra watched them patiently as they exited the market, but a few individuals who reeked of silver from miles away began to follow them discreetly.Cra stayed close behind, and as soon as Isabel and Antonio turned into a side alley, priests appeared on both sides, trapping them.At the far end of the alley stood a priest in white robes, the same one Cra had seen in front of the Bianchi household, coordinating the attack on her.
“As a servant of the devil, I, Matteo di Sanctis, sentence you to death!”His voice rang out, and the priests surrounding them rushed forward, despite Isabel and Antonio being unarmed and outnumbered. Isabel felt desperate, knowing Cra was nearby but doubting she could save her in time.Meanwhile, Cra maneuvered around the blockade. Just as the hunters were about to strike, she attacked a simple-looking man standing at the back of the group. His slightly hunched back, slow movements, and leather armor made him utterly useless in a fight.The young man didn’t even notice as Cra crushed his neck, killing him silently. She didn’t waste any more time and swiftly flew through the crowd to save Isabel.
At the same time, Isabel and Antonio were caught by the priests. Matteo di Sanctis, accompanied by two other hunters standing beside him, observed the scene. Unlike the other priests, these three remained calm as Cra tore through the fanatics. The lesser priests, already aware of what was happening, quickly cleared a path for Cra. Unlike the priests, who cimed to be messengers of God but held no real power over her, Cra didn’t bother with threats, she killed them outright.
“It took you a long time to get here, vampire,” Matteo di Sanctis said, his focus unwavering. He seemed to know everything about Cra, despite her being active only at night and having been in Florence for just a few days.“So, you were expecting me? How did you know I was in the Bianchi mansion?” Cra demanded.“Surrender, and I will execute your familiar right here instead of in front of the entire city,” Matteo replied coldly.“You can try, but I’ll kill all of you if you even attempt it!” Cra shot back.
A tense atmosphere quickly arose. Unlike before, the priests didn’t immediately attack her. Those who weren’t true believers—merely common people who pledged allegiance to the church for personal gain—trembled like trees in the wind. They hadn’t expected the situation to spiral into a standoff between Cra, who was ready to sughter everyone, and Matteo di Sanctis, who showed no regard for any life, not even his own men’s.“You can try, but I’ll kill this filth first,” Matteo decred. He grabbed Isabel by the hair, lifting her into the air, and plunged a dagger into her side. The two hunters beside him rushed toward Cra, drawing their swords.
Cra could sense that their power was beyond ordinary human limits, comparable to that of vampires. She didn’t waste a moment and darted into the shadows of the alley to block their frontal attacks, though she wasn’t entirely successful.The hunters didn’t hesitate. As Cra stepped into the shadows, one of them threw a bottle after her. The moment she moved, she circled the hunters and lunged toward Matteo, who was still holding Isabel.Matteo, holding Isabel so openly, made himself an easy target for Cra. She emerged from the shadows to strike, but in doing so, she exposed herself to the hunters. The bottle one of them had thrown contained oil mixed with silver, which ignited into a wildfire as soon as it hit the ground. The fmes consumed everything in their path, extinguishing the shadows Cra had been using for cover.
Cra was now right next to Isabel. Before she could save her or Antonio, who y nearby, she instinctively dodged a sword that missed her by a hair, nearly decapitating her.
