Undesirable

Chapter 31

We don't waste any more time in getting to the Lower Tier. With Kanan and his men hot on our tails, we have to move quickly, or we're dead. I follow closely behind Cesare. Speranza doesn't stray away from the tracks set out by his horse, and neither of us speaks for the rest of the journey. We just ride in silence. My mind is too consumed with thoughts of my family to think of anything else - Ana's death, Christina's banishment, Luca's sacrifice to cover us, and Karissa and my parents' painful end. None of that would have happened if I'd just accepted my fate and gone down to the Lower Tier when I had the chance. I wouldn't have survived by myself, but at least then everyone else would still be alive.

By the time we cross the Tier border, the sun has been and gone, leaving the air as cold as ice, and the moon sitting high up in the sky. We haven't seen people for hours, and I pray no one has seen us. We are so close to safety now; I can practically taste it.

We emerge out of the forest terrain and reach the edge of a river. On the other side is a field, full of tents that form a small village, presumably the one that Matteo runs. People saunter about, tending to animals and collecting water from the river, getting ready to head inside for the night. These people are far from the criminals and thugs that I was told about; they look like normal, simply villagers getting on with their lives. It reminds me of my home, just smaller and more thrown-together. If that is even possible.

"Matteo lives here?" I ask. I don't mean to sound rude, but this place is rundown, and its people appear to be struggling to keep themselves alive. I'm hesitant to accept that they can be any help to us.

"Everyone who lives here owes him their lives," He tells me, as his eyes scan over the makeshift village. "Without him, these people wouldn't have a home."

The river is shallow enough for our horses to walk through, it barely grazes their knees. We draw the attention of the villagers as we cross to the other side. They stare at us as we ride along, some even look scared by our horses, like they have never seen such creatures before in their lives. You'd think living in the hunting grounds of Hell Raisers, a horse would be a welcomed sight.

As we make our way further into the village, wooden huts begin to appear, all in different shapes and sizes. They're poorly constructed, not built to withstand any harsh weather conditions or force. Still, I'd choose them over the tents any day.

Cesare stops outside a hut in the village centre. It's old and shabby, the rain has rotted most of its walls, and the hay on the roof is wearing thin. It must have been one of the first ones built. Cesare jumps off his horse and knocks on the hut door, while I clamber down to join him. We hear grumbling coming from the inside, and something gets knocked over, before a small hole cut out of the door slides open.

Two black eyes stare back at us, bloodshot and angry. The man grumbles once more, before opening the door fully. Even though I can't imagine they get much food down here, his clothes hug him firmly, as if they are several sizes too small. His hair and beard are scraggy and long, and his skin wrinkled beyond belief. He doesn't look like the most welcoming person in the world, so it's surprising so many have flocked to his aid.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" He barks, dragging the two of us inside. He leans out the doorway, checking outside to see if anyone is watching, before slamming the door shut behind him. "Are you mad?"

"Matteo, I can explain..." Cesare starts, but the man quickly cuts him off.

"Half of the Higher Tier is out looking for you two," He snaps. "And now you have led them down here."

"We had to leave. Someone blew up the Bianchi villa, and..." Cesare tries to explain, but he's interrupted once again.

"The Bianchi's? What do they have to do with all of this?" Matteo grumbles, unimpressed with any of the excuses we have given him so far.