“So, do you have an idea on how to get the three of us out in one piece?” asked Erik as he helped Nico into his pirate costume.
“Not really, the biggest problem is that Prospero will have Lady Francesca practically attached to him, like a dog on a chain. And no, don’t bring it up.”
“It didn’t even cross my mind, that is, until you said not to bring it up.”
Nico rolled his eyes. “Of course.”
“But seriously, cats and dogs in particular are more used to the smell of death than most other animals. They do need to eat.”
“Erik, we have more important matters at hand.”
“I know, I would just like it if you kept the notion open, just in case we come across an animal in the streets that catches our fancy.”
“Whatever. Ugh, if it was just the two of us, we could just shadow-travel out of here.”
“Unless . . .”
“Erik?”
Erik quickly threw on his costume, that of a cloaked and masked wizard.
“Maybe we will need some magic to help us make the lady, ah, shall we say, disappear?”
Nico’s lips widened into a grin. “Erik, that’s ingenious!”
Erik gave a little bow. “I’m glad you think so. Perhaps we shall suggest it as the entertainment to mark the end of the masquerade?”
“Yes, but we shall have to suggest it first,” mumbled Nico. “And I really don’t want to talk to Prospero.”
“But maybe we can also use it as a sign to the Lady Francesca that we have a plan. And while you do that, I shall figure out the escape route.”
“Alright, but you’ll have to make it quick, it’s already . . .” Bong . . . bong . . . rang out the clock. “Midnight.” Nico let out a gasp. “And someone just died.”
The two rushed out the door, just as someone let out a series of ear-splitting screams. The two glanced over the bannister and saw a small crowd gathered, though none dared approach the body of Lady Juliana besides Prospero and the lady who apparently found her.
“I beg you, do not mourn for Juliana,” Prospero said. “We should celebrate, she’s just married a friend of mine.” Nico began to feel sick as both anger and disgust raged within his mind. Was this to eventually become Lady Francesca if Prospero had his way with her? “Let the masque begin!”
“Where is Lady Francesca?” whispered Erik.
“Prince Prospero’s not really in a costume, is he?”
A guard approached the prince, and the two walked away.
“Go find that escape route,” Nico urged. “Maybe I can speak with the lady real quick before he returns.”
Erik nodded. “Right.” He walked steadily yet quickly down the stairs while Nico made a quick dash towards Francesca’s room and knocked on the door.
A maid answered it. “Yes?”
“I need to see Lady Francesca; please let her know it is Lord di Angelo.”
“But Prince Prospero said that only he will escort her . . .”
“I am not here to escort her; I just need to speak with her for a minute.”
“Oh, alright.” The maid closed the door, leaving Nico to pace the short distance in front of the door before it reopened and Lady Francesca appeared.
“You wanted to see me?”
“Yes, we might have a way out of here. Erik knows a few magic tricks; you just be ready for anything. We don’t know how far we’ll be able to go before Prospero figures it out.”
Francesca took his hands. “Thank you so much.”
“I, I’m sorry I wasn’t able to save your father. If I had spoken earlier . . .” Nico paused. How many more would die this night?
“You were able to save Gino, and now you’re trying to reunite us; that’s more than I had ever hoped. Thank you, again, I will be ready.”
“Good, see you at the masque.”
Francesca nodded and went back into her room while Nico briskly walked away. He reached the mid-landing of the stairs at the same time Prospero was coming up.
Prospero stopped him. “You have yet to reveal the real reason why you are here.”
Nico gave him a sly smirk as he resisted the urge to yank his arm free from Prospero’s grip. “How about after the unmasking? I don’t think you’d want to interrupt your masque for something as insignificant as my reasons for being here.”
Prospero let go of his arm. “Very well, and I also expect the unmasking of your butler.”
“Are you sure about that, your majesty?”
“Yes.”
Nico shrugged. “Alright, if you insist.”
“I do, very much.”
“Very well, may I make a request?”
“Yes?”
“Might Erik put on a magic show at the end of the masque?”
“I think that’s a good idea, after Esmeralda’s dance. Now, if you’ll excuse me,” Prospero stated before heading up the stairs.
Nico’s smirk grew a bit wider; that is, if they were there for the unmasking. If all went according to their hastily put together plan, they would be out of the castle by the time that occurred. He stuck to the walls and walked around the dancing, keeping an eye out for both the return of Erik and of Prospero with Francesca.
Erik was soon at his side, but didn’t speak until they had passed into another room. “I have our escape route,” he began.
“Wonderful, and Lady Francesca has been informed. And I did speak with Prospero; he says it’s alright, as long as we reveal our true intentions for being here, and show your true face at the unmasking.”
“That won’t be necessary . . .”
“I know,” began Nico, but Erik raised a hand.
“The Red Death shall come this night,” was all he said before Prospero’s voice echoed through the hall.
“Gifts, gifts for everyone!” Erik and Nico had walked back into the main room just as Prospero tossed several jewels and golden trinkets. Everyone who had been dancing paused and made a mad rush towards the pieces. “Diamonds! Rubies! Emeralds! Pearls! For my friends! For my guests!”
“They already have riches, why do they act as if they were starving after bread?” Nico said in disgust.
“That is the way of the world, I’m afraid, my liege. Though, Prospero was wrong. If you really wanted to test a man, give him riches and power, and see what he does with it.”
“If that’s the case, then I’d say everyone here has failed.”
“Except for you, of course.”
“That’s debatable. Ow.” Nico rubbed his head as Erik plucked a few jewels from his pirate hat. “He can stop throwing fake candy now,” grumbled Nico.
“I give you reason for real rejoicing, my friends,” Prospero announced. “The only survivors of the village have just come to the castle walls.” Nico’s eyes widened as he gasped, oh no. “Only six – the Red Death has claimed the rest of them. But as I promised you, all of you, within these walls, under my protection, are safe. So rejoice!” His guests let out a cheer before the couples went back to dancing.
“He killed them, he killed those six survivors,” Nico whispered angrily. “And after I just explained to him why he needed to stop abusing them!”
“Pardon the phrase, my liege, but you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Some men are evil through and through, and have no desire but to seek their own pleasure to the demise of those unfortunate to be around them. But he has made me quite glad.”
“What, why?”
“Because the Red Death asked me to leave a crack in one of the doors. He will strike at the last of the survivors, tonight.”
Nico sighed. “Yes, and Prospero, out of all of them, deserves to die. I only hope that we can escape with Lady Francesca unharmed. I did not give her a rose petal, because I thought I’d be able to do so as we escaped. I didn’t know the Red Death itself would appear at the masque.”
The two watched the dancing continue on, not at all interested in taking part. Their only reason for staying now was to keep an eye out for the Red Death. The snap of a whip caught their attention as two figures came down the stairs.
“Have no fear, I can control this monster!” stated Hop-toad as he gave another crack of the whip. Nico rolled his eyes and sighed; the monster in question was rather mild, nothing more than a man in a gorilla suit. “He only wants a game!” The gorilla growled and chuckled as he picked up a lady and brought her to the middle of the room before setting her down.
Erik promptly placed a hand over Nico’s eyes, and Nico made no move to remove it; the raucous laughter and the fake growling was enough to grate on his nerves.
“He is too playful. I will tie him up and make him helpless.”
Nico let out a groan as Erik removed his hand, Hop-toad was tying up the ape to a chandelier.
“Come on,” Nico began, “let’s . . .”
“Help, help, let me down, you fiendish oaf!! Let me down!”
“Of course, Lord Alfredo speaks and I get a splitting headache,” grumbled Nico as he walked into the adjacent room.
Erik followed. “But you must admit, this is kind of funny. I’ll wager this is Hop-toad’s way of getting back at him for what he did to Esmeralda.”
“Yeah, well, if those greedy pigs get any louder, I’d be tempted to welcome the Red Death in myself.”
“You need to learn to partake in mirth . . .”
“But not this kind of mirth. Seriously, Erik, they’re acting like, like, wild animals! What am I saying? Alfredo’s dressed like an animal!”
“No doubt Hop-toad’s idea . . .”
Several screams made them pause and rush back to the scene. Nico knew what was happening before he saw it; the smell of fake fur burning wafted towards him along with the sound of a crackling fire and the agonizing screams of a man dying. Nico sensed his passing right as the chandelier fell, the burning body buried beneath its weight.
“Guards! Clear that out of the way. How can my guests be expected to dance around that? And when you find Hop-toad, give him five pieces of gold for his entertaining jest.”
Nico glanced at Prospero with a bit of shock. Alfredo wasn’t the best, sure, but he deserved a little better than that. Prospero and Francesca paused in front of Nico and Erik.
Prospero turned to Francesca. “You please me very much, my dear.” He turned to Nico. “The cruelties of life no longer bother her, though I am surprised that you feel for Alfredo’s passing.”
“He was by no means a good man, but he was still a man, nonetheless, though he was dressed as an ape in his final moment.”
“Yes, a fine jest, don’t you think?”
“What I think is that Hop-toad went a little too far in his revenge.”
“Oh, come now, do you never smile, Lord di Angelo? Life is full of fun and excitement, especially for one your age! And what better way to celebrate life than with a party!” A flash of movement caught his eye. “What was that?”
“What is it?” asked Francesca.
“A costume I have never seen before, someone wearing red, and I forbade them to wear red!” Nico and Erik shared a quick glance before Prospero led Francesca after the figure. “Come!”
Nico wasn’t sure if Prospero had wanted them to follow as well, but he decided to stay put. He was grateful for the distraction as he had managed to sneak a rose petal in the folds of Francesca’s dress. He just hoped it wouldn’t fall out.
“Go upstairs, do not come back out until after the stroke of one.” The red figure startled them with his words, but he quickly walked away, Prospero and Francesca following him through the rooms of color to the black room.
Nico and Erik immediately went up the stairs and into their room, changing out of their costumes into traveling clothes. They packed a bag with a few things while they waited for the toll of the clock. When the hour chimed, Erik grabbed the bag, and the two walked back towards the main hall, only to be greeted with a strange sight. Everyone was dancing ever so much more slowly than before, and all were covered in blood, everyone but Prospero, who looked at them with surprise when they appeared at the top of the stairs and walked down.
“You! Let me see your face!” Prospero reached out and snatched Erik’s mask off, recoiling in horror at the skeletal face before him.
“Now do you see why the son of Hades is the only person I could ever serve?” Nico asked.
Astonished, Prospero glanced at Nico. “The son of Hades?”
Nico snatched Erik’s mask from Prospero. “Yes, the son of Hades. The Greek gods are real, and your Satanic rituals may have kept my father and his servants at bay, but it did not keep me out, nor the Red Death.” Nico glanced at the red-cloaked figure now standing next to him. Prospero’s hand repeated the same action of ripping off the mask right before he recoiled in horror at seeing his own face covered in blood.
“Yes, Prince Prospero,” spoke the figure, “your hell, and the moment of your death.”
“No, No! NO!” Prospero turned and ran through the crowd, which began to slow his progress by reaching out and grabbing at him.
The Red Death turned to Nico and Eric. “Go to the battlements; I told Francesca that I would send you there when I saw you.”
“She was worried about us?”
“She begged for your lives.”
“That . . . that was kind of her.”
“It was your kindness that gave her hope in this den of animals,” Erik pointed out.
The Red Death nodded. “If you can, help her and Gino start a new life in Venice.”
“I will.”
“There are two others, a young girl and an old man still in the village; take them as well. Now go, I must tend to Prospero.”
“Of course, thank you.” Nico and Erik were able to slip out by sticking close to the walls, the crowd focusing on Prospero, keeping him from escaping his inevitable fate.