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As he was once again standing before the vast mansion in Cairo, Pucci was feeling very eager, impatient even, at the idea of seeing his dear friend again. The sun hadn’t set yet, but he couldn’t wait for another hour. He knew that Dio was already waiting for him anyway.
He easily got past the tall iron fence and walked up to the front door then ringed the bell. But unlike the other times, where ringing once was enough to have D’Arby answering the door, Pucci had to wait for a long moment, before deciding to try again. Perhaps Dio’s butler simply hadn’t heard.
After ringing the bell for the fourth time, Pucci sighed and tried to open the door himself. Fortunately, it wasn’t locked so he pushed the heavy wooden panel, opening the door wide enough to enter the building. The setting sun came streaming in the hall, illuminating the tiled floor with warm beams of crimson light.
Pucci had barely taken a few steps inside that a tall and menacing figure rose from the shadows. Before he had the time to see who it was, the front door was slammed shut, a loud bang resonating through the sudden darkness.
“How dare you enter this place uninvited?” a deep voice growled.
Vanilla Ice. Even in the near-total obscurity, he couldn’t have been mistaken for any of Dio’s other servants.
“No one was answering the door so I came in,” Pucci said matter-of-factly. “Dio is expecting me.” That was true. He had nothing to feel guilty about.
“Lord Dio is expecting you to arrive at nightfall,” Vanilla Ice snapped aggressively. “You should know better than to disobey his orders.”
“It was hardly an order,” Pucci answered in a collected voice, still facing Vanilla Ice’s shadow near the door. “I know he usually prefers for us to meet after the sunset, but I’m sure that he won’t mind if I arrive a little earlier ─”
He’d barely finished his sentence that Vanilla Ice closed the distance between them, his large frame looming over Pucci.
“Oh but you definitely should’ve done as Lord Dio wanted and arrive on time today,” he snarled.
The sudden movement startled Pucci, and he took a step back in surprise.
Now that his eyes were used to the darkness of the hall, the faint source of light coming from the end of the long room was enough for Pucci to notice the menacing expression on the other’s face.
Although he wasn’t completely sure why, he was starting to get worried.
“W-Where is D’Arby?” he asked, trying to hide his growing nervousness and taking another step back.
“Didn’t you just say yourself that you were early?” Vanilla Ice replied, taking a step forward. “That good-for-nothing slacker is dealing with some business that was assigned by Lord Dio,” he went on, the anger he was so prone to now evident in his voice. “If you’d arrived on time, he would’ve been there to open the door. But since you decided to do as you pleased, don’t come whining about things not going your way!”
As the other was speaking, Pucci kept walking backwards and further down the hallway.
His worry had turned into actual fear by now. He knew he had no reason to be afraid, as Vanilla Ice would never dare harm a friend of his master’s. But it was the first time that Dio’s most loyal servant was acting in such a threatening way with him.
2… 3… 5…
Pucci started counting off prime numbers in his head while Vanilla Ice kept advancing towards him, the two of them slowly approaching the large staircase.
7… 11… 13…
He didn’t understand. Should he really have waited a bit more before coming in? And if yes, then why?
17… 19… 23…
Perhaps Vanilla Ice was only toying with him, scaring him on purpose. After all, he knew the other had always been jealous of his closeness with Dio, of the mutual trust between them.
29… 31… 37…
His train of thought was interrupted when they reached the staircase, as Vanilla Ice spoke again. He seemed to have calmed down a little, but his voice was still menacing.
“Lord Dio probably wouldn’t have wanted you to see this. But because you failed to follow a simple rule, it’s your own fault if this is happening.”
Pucci was about to ask what he meant by that when something on his left caught his eye.
He stopped moving and thought about going back to the dark hall, pretending he hadn’t seen anything.
But then he thought that maybe he hadn’t seen it right, that maybe the dreary candlelight of the room was playing tricks on him, so he slowly turned his head towards the stairs.
He wished he hadn’t.
There, on the steps, laid the corpse of a young woman.
Her skin was livid, almost glowing in the dim-lighted atmosphere. Her clothes were torn around her chest, revealing the white column of her neck.
For a long moment, Pucci couldn’t tear his gaze away. He barely heard what Vanilla Ice told him next.
“I was supposed to get rid of that before you arrived, but you interrupted me when you came in.”
Pucci didn’t answer. He was too busy observing the two small, perfect holes in the woman’s neck. A chill ran down his spine as he was slowly starting to understand.
He was shaken out of his trance when Vanilla Ice suddenly appeared before him and spoke again, much louder this time.
“Didn’t you hear me?” he screamed, making sure that Pucci was looking right at him. “You’re the reason why I couldn’t complete my task and I failed Lord Dio because of you! I’ll make sure that next time, you’ll know better than to disrespect him, you little ─”
“Vanilla Ice.”
Pucci had never been happier to hear Dio’s voice. Even though his friend was nowhere to be seen, his presence was now palpable, and Pucci felt all his dread from a while ago disappear.
Upon hearing his master call his name, Vanilla Ice immediately dropped on one knee and bowed in respect.
“My Lord…”
“That’s enough. Leave us now,” Dio ordered, his voice echoing through the wide staircase.
“Yes, my Lord,” Vanilla Ice said quietly before going back to the hall, still facing the stairs with his head bowed.
Pucci watched him leave then turned back towards the corpse, wondering what would happen to it now.
“Pucci.” Dio’s voice echoed again, but much softer this time. When Pucci looked up towards the top of the stairs, he could see Dio standing there, extending an arm towards him. “Climb up to me.”
Pucci started climbing the stairs obediently but slowed his movements upon reaching the steps where the dead woman was lying.
“Please, don’t pay attention to that.”
Pucci meant to ask a question but when he looked up a second time, he found that Dio had already disappeared into the shadows. He hurried to reach the top, then headed for Dio’s room, as they usually had their meetings there.
The only source of light in it was a single candle placed on a table, against the wall facing the door. That created a very peculiar lighting, one small bright point surrounded by darkness. Pucci looked for Dio in the part of the room illuminated by the candle, but he couldn’t find him there.
He wondered if what had happened at the bottom of the stairs was actually his own fault. He was even starting to regret having given in to his own impatience and curiosity. But it was too late for repentance now, so he tried to ignore those thoughts and focus on his friend instead. Would Dio accept to give him answers or would he prefer to leave him in the dark?
“Dio, um, I wanted to ask you…” he started, unsure of what to say.
“I’m sorry you had to witness that,” a voice said towards the right, in a corner of the room that the light couldn’t reach.
Pucci turned in the direction of the voice, trying to discern Dio in the shadows. “Well, I shouldn’t have been there in the first place, so I guess it was my fault if ─”
“None of that was your fault,” Dio interrupted.
“But wha─”
Before Pucci could finish his question, there was a rush of air and the candle went out. Out of reflex, Pucci pressed his back against the door and it closed shut.
He found himself pretty much in the same situation he’d been in a few minutes ago. This time, however, he wasn’t scared at all. He couldn’t have been. Because this time, he knew that the tall figure that was slowly approaching him was that of his friend.
“Are you afraid of me Pucci?”
His friend who, as Pucci had just discovered, was not human.
“Are you afraid that I might… harm you… or even worse?”
It was a strange question to Pucci.
He knew for a fact that Dio was extremely powerful, probably the most powerful person he’d ever met in his life. But every time he’d found himself by Dio’s side, Pucci had never felt like his life was in danger. Quite the opposite. He’d always felt safe around Dio.
Did it change anything to know that the person he trusted the most was also a bloodthirsty monster?
When Pucci sensed that Dio was standing right in front of him, he didn’t move. When he felt strong fingers wrap around his throat, and a cold breath upon the side of his neck, he didn’t move either.
He trusted his friend so why should he be afraid?
As Dio’s long teeth scraped his skin a little, Pucci kept breathing normally.
He realised it was merely a test, a way to prove his unwavering loyalty to Dio. What he heard next only confirmed his thoughts.
“I’d never harm you, Pucci. And I can see you already knew that.”
Pucci could feel Dio’s lips caress his skin. Such closeness felt strangely intimate.
“So it’s true then… You really are one of those creatures…” he whispered, aware that his own mouth was just beside Dio’s ear.
“Yes…” Dio said in an equally low voice, tracing his lips upwards Pucci’s neck slowly. “I knew you’d find out sooner or later. You’re very smart after all, and very observant. I’ve always admired those qualities in you.”
The hand that had been around Pucci’s throat was now cradling his head in an affectionate manner, which had Pucci raise both his arms around Dio’s large shoulders. Dio responded by placing his other hand on Pucci’s hip, bringing their bodies even closer together.
“And I admire your self-control,” Dio went on, murmuring his words into Pucci’s ear. “Very few people in this world would’ve reacted in the same way as you did.”
Pucci was touched at those words, at the idea that Dio regarded him as a very special individual. Dio was the only one able to make him feel worthy of being praised.
“I’ll always be loyal to you, Dio,” Pucci said softly but firmly. “What I saw today doesn’t change that. Nothing will ever change that.”
As he spoke, he felt Dio’s arms tighten around him, making him feel safer than he’d been in a very long time.
“I know.”
They stood in each other’s embrace for a while, enjoying the silent darkness around them.