I extend my hand, a perfectly crafted mask of polite respect settling on my face as I approach Gabriel. My gaze, however, remains fixed on the woman beside him.
A black hair, pale skin, and slender frame dress in a dark gown ornamented with silver diamonds. And those eyes. Blue.
"Don Gabriel," I say, my voice smooth, betraying none of the seismic tremors that had just rocked my core. "A pleasure as always."
Gabriel's smiles, his eyes crinkling at the corners, a typical mask of old-world charm.
"Don De Luna. Indeed. A true pleasure to see you. Your party is... quite the spectacle." His gaze, sharp and assessing, flicks to the girl at his side for a fraction of a second, then back to me.
I clasp Gabriel's hand, a firm, brief shake. My eyes, though outwardly polite, bore into the older man's. You know who she is, don't you? And you know why I'm here. "I aim to please and satisfy my guests, Don Gabriel. And also to leave a lasting impression, don't you think."
I shift my attention to the girl, my smile widening slightly, a hunting gleam in my eyes that only she, if she were truly the one, would recognize. "And who is this lovely young lady? A new face in our esteemed circles?"
Her expression is neutral, almost blank. Her blue eyes meet mine, unflinching, showing no trace of recognition, no flicker of fear. She offers a small, almost slight curtsy. "Liach Cisco, at your service, Don De Luna." Her voice is soft, composed, utterly devoid of the husky breathlessness or any foreign accent I remembered from the club.
Cisco. Of course. Gabriel's daughter.
My jaw tightens as I search her face, her stance, her every small movement. Her posture is elegant, regal even, but lacks the coiled, lethal tension I remembered from my attacker. This girl is poised, controlled, but not the hidden weapon I'd encountered. A prickle of doubt, cold and unwelcome, begins to worm its way into my certainty.
Could I be wrong?
Gabriel places a hand on daughter's shoulder, a flex of ownership. "My daughter, Liach. She prefers to stay out of the family more... boisterous affairs. But I insisted she attend tonight. A coming-out of sorts." His eyes glint, a challenge hidden beneath the paternal pride.
I force a casual chuckle. "Indeed. A remarkable young woman as sure shouldn't be hiding, Don Gabriel. I trust she finds our little gathering sufficiently stimulating?" I maintain eye contact with her, searching, digging, trying to find the crack in the facade. But her eyes remain an unreadable serene blue. They are the blue color, yes, but they lack the furious, desperate intensity I vividly remembered. The ones that had promised death.
No. It's just the color. Almost the exact shade of blue. My mind is playing tricks on me. The thought is a bitter pill. I'd been so certain. My blood had sung with recognition. And now... doubt.
In that moment Serena speaks, a barely audible whisper in my ear, cuts through my internal turmoil. "Boss. Another anomaly. A female subject matching the previous profile, you ask me to find earlier, matches a figure; black hair, dark gown, slender build, is with Don De Santi and Don Ramirez across the hall."
My head snaps in the direction Serena indicated. Don De Santi and Don Ramirez. The very ones I was about to approach. My gaze sweeps, ignoring the Cisco's for a moment, and there she is.
Standing a few paces behind De Santi, cloaked in black silk dress. Her hair is a cascade of midnight, sleek and straight, falling just as Gabriel's daughter does. Her frame is undeniably slender, identical in build.
Another one? My earlier rage, which had momentarily dissipated into frustration, reignite with a cold, terrifying precision.
Two Butterflies? Or had my initial, scent-driven chase been misled? Had my instincts, usually flawless, been compromised by residual pain and fever?
My eyes, narrowed to a slits, fix on the new figure. I recall Serena's earlier report: "two females arrived with two family heads, and Cisco with a girl. "The De Santi and Moretti. Liach arrived with Gabriel. This new one arrived with Moretti and Ramirez.
"Serena," I murmur, my voice barely audible above the din. "Pull up everything on Gabriel's daughter, Liach Cisco. And get me a full, immediate background, however thin, on the female with De Santi and Ramirez. Cross-reference all known assassin profiles, focus on black hair, slender build. Prioritize the new one."
"On it, Boss. Sending data streams to your comms now."
I force my attention back to Gabriel and his daughter. And offer a polite, almost dismissive nod. "If you'll excuse me, Don Gabriel, Don De Santi beckons. My apologies for the interruption."
Gabriel simply smiles, a knowing glint in his eyes. He clearly noticed my sudden distraction, the shift in my attention.
I move, my steps regaining their earlier precision. I make my way through the crowd, my eyes never truly leaving the second black-haired woman.