They were soon out of the park, deep into the narrow streets of Rome. Her steps resonated on the stoned floor. The woman in black was not far, and she started running.

The immortal might have not been able to feel fear, but she was running fast enough to make her believe she did. Her beautiful gown was making her slower.

Victoria jumped on her and grabbed her clawed hands before she could scratch her. She raised her own poisonous fingers to her chin and the woman stopped fighting.

-Looks like I found my murderer after all - she said without releasing her.

-The exiles are dangerous - she recited like a machine. -I cannot trust anything you say. -

She put her nails closer to her face. -What about anything I do, uhm? Will you trust me when I say I will slice you inside out until you tell me where your meeting point with the mist people is -

After every mission, the path-changer was collected by the mist people in a specific location. Following the immortals is impossible as they use magic to travel. They only way for them to find it was to get the information from the immortals themselves.

-The brother will build the machine anyway, his path has to be changed. - she answered simply.

-You can change his path by explaining it to him, not killing him! - she blurted out. -Give me the meeting point. -

The woman kicked her in the stomach, forcing her to release the grasp on the face. She screamed and went for her face again, managing to scratch the collar of her stupid dress. The woman started to scream in fake terror and a few men come to their road.

-Leave her alone! - someone shouted.

Two new came from behind and grabbed both her wrists. She instantaneously retracted her claws for fear of scraping them. Another held her kicking legs.

She twisted her body to escape their grasp and kicked a fourth in the crotch. A common mortal could have never done those things. Valeria would have fallen after the first man.

But all of her masks were down, and for the moment she was only herself. Fury and longing and fear mixing together in a twist of emotions.

She run again for the woman, but she was too far ahead. She pushed her limits and moved her legs faster than she had ever trained. This was her revenge, she would finally get back home.

A shot was fired in her direction and she felt a burning feeling in her tight. She would have kept going, but her legs crumbled under her weight. She screamed in pain and the woman in black turned towards her. A smile crossed her face and a flicker of satisfaction sparked at seeing her falling down.

Great, now she felt something.

Two powerful hands scooped her up despite her pushing away.

-Valeria Menotti, you are under arrest for attempted murder of Flavia Mugagni and suspected murder of her husband Gianni. You have the right to remain silent. -

A pair of handcuffs were tied to her hands. The police man stared at her with fear. Valeria recognised his blue eyes and blond hair from the many times she greeted him during her long walks.

-Pietro! - she remembered. -You have to believe me, it was her! She killed her husband and is going to kill her brother too! -

The hold on her hands didn't diminish. She didn't want to hurt the man, but others were coming to his rescue, and she had already lost too much time because of her wounded leg.

Valeria ordered the handcuffs to open, putting magic in her thoughts.

Nothing happened.

She tried again, tears mixing with sweat falling down her neck.

Nothing.

She looked at the handcuffs again, and shivered.

There had been legends, about fairies trapped in iron cages, unable to use magic to free themselves and kept forever by mortals as toys. Valeria had never believed it, but now ... this could be their one way of trapping the mist people.

-I need to speak with my husband, Isaac Menotti. You cannot keep me from him - she said.

-You will meet your husband during the process, Madame- he picked her dead weight up.

Valeria panicked. There could be no process, because her fake identity would be put under scrutiny and they would find nothing. No school she went to, no marriage licence, no past.

The woman in black was long gone and the girl was trapped.