Mare sat in a cafe in Italy, waiting for "her little angel" to arrive. She was very impatient. She wanted to tear him to pieces the moment he showed up. She'd been sitting there for two hours, and there was no sign of him. And now she had to wait for him. What a humiliation... They could have spent that time earning their keep long ago, instead of spending half a day searching for a place where we could spend three months. She wasn't happy that he had gone; he wasn't strong enough yet. Even though he was human now, he still felt the pain in his wing, or rather, in his shoulder blade. Mare herself, descending to earth, scraped her ankle and relieved herself for another week. She sat there, wondering how she could bother someone. She knew perfectly well what Mikael had said before he left: "Sit here and don't start anything without me, or we won't find this person later. Remember." She remembered very well. But wasn't she a devil? Devils can do whatever they please. She was now looking around for her victims. At first, she glanced at a certain handsome man who glanced at her from time to time, thinking she probably hadn't noticed. Mare took her third coffee with her and sat down. The boy seemed surprised but pleased.
"Excuse me," Mare said in the innocent tone of a sweet idiot. "Could I ask you something?"
The man looked straight into her eyes and nodded. She deftly avoided his gaze. She already had that reflex she'd learned with Mikael.
"So, do you have a girlfriend, a wife, a lover...?"
The man, somewhat pinned to the wall, denied her every word.
"Can I ask why you need this valuable information?"
"Because without it, I couldn't do a few things. I respect men in relationships and those women," she said, smiling ironically.
"What exactly do you mean?" he said, leaning in.
Mare grabbed him by the shirt and pressed her lips to his. The kiss was long and passionate. After a brief moment of pleasure, the boy was speechless.
"That was intense.
" "You think so?"
The she-devil smiled ironically. She already had him hooked. She'd caught him faster than she thought. Now she just had to find the right moment. She looked at him again, as if she wanted to remember him well after this encounter. He was still a handsome blond with brown eyes, but unfortunately, nothing more. She took his hand and allowed him to stand. Then, slowly, she led him to the café and then to the restroom. The man seemed to be becoming more and more animated. He didn't even deny it when she led him into the women's restroom. There were hardly any people around, no one seemed to be bothered by the two young people "in love." The only person watching the situation closely was Mikael. He had been observing them since the kiss. He was angry that he had left her. He knew he wouldn't last long. He moved away from the corner he'd been leaning against. He turned and walked toward one of the nearby schools for elementary-aged children. He took a few steps away from the café, when suddenly, in a split second, he heard an explosion. He stopped and sighed. He turned again and this time ran back.
"Mare!" he called from the distance. "Where are you?"
He looked around. The café was engulfed in flames. People quickly fled, as far away as possible. A woman and two men lay almost unconscious nearby; they clearly hadn't managed to escape. Mikael, however, was worried about "his little devil." Where could she have gone? As he pondered this, he decided to help the injured. He approached the young boy. The blue-eyed man pointed to his side, then handed the angel his cell phone. Mikael immediately called 911, immediately remembering the emergency number in Italy. The boy smiled hysterically as a piece of masonry pierced his left side. He was bleeding profusely. For the first time, the angel didn't know what to do. For the first time, he didn't possess angelic power. He left the boy and approached the woman; it was the injured waitress. She hit her head hard.
"The ambulance will be here soon," he informed her.
She smiled unnaturally, her eyes half-closed. She was exhausted. Mikael took off his sweater and offered it to the woman as a pillow. When he tried to approach the elderly man, the ambulance was already arriving. He ran to him and helped him sit down on one of the chairs that could still support someone. He still had the blond man, but where could he be? She led him to the café.
"She didn't leave him there, did she?"
He entered the ruined room. The flames were slowly dying down. As a final step in his search, he went to the women's restroom (or rather, what was left of it). He dug up the plaster and tiles. Beneath them lay the man. He was unconscious, and his pulse was almost imperceptible. The angel, ignoring his wounds, picked him up and carried him straight to the ambulance that was already parked in front of the blast site. There was nothing more he could do for these people. He wasn't worried at that moment whether they would be counted as a deed or not. He watched all the bodies being carried into the vehicles. He wanted to make sure they at least made it safely to the hospital. If he had wings, he would surely have flown.
As the last ambulance disappeared around the bend, Blomkvist dusted himself off and only now wondered where the devil had gone. He didn't even need to start searching, because from the corner, limping a little, she emerged in all her glory—Mare. She didn't need wings, horns, or a tail to look like a monster. It's enough that she laughed.
"Was it that funny? These people are in danger of death!
" "Yes? I somehow didn't notice her presence... Or did I miss something?"
Mare continued laughing. She was in her element. She'd done something despicable, and that was all that mattered. The frustrated angel clamped his hand over her mouth. He didn't like it when she laughed at him; it made him feel like he'd done something worse.
"We're going home and not another word," he said gently.
"Oh... you've found me a nest! Wonderful!
" "I don't know if it's so wonderful..." he sighed.
"What are you talking about?
" "You'll see for yourself. Aha! By the way, I found the perfect job for us. There are a lot of people there, including the little ones..."
They were passing by an elementary school.
"This is where...
" "Am I supposed to work with children?! You must be mistaken...
" "Children are very gullible. They can be easily tricked, hurt, and even reached." It's strange you didn't think of that...
With those words, he paid with his health. The angel clutched his heart and stopped. No angel is allowed to speak ill of his fellow man. But Mare could never help him. Without hesitation, she continued walking forward as if nothing had happened. She stopped for a moment and surveyed the school.
"You're right. Child abuse is a perfect idea," she replied, adding. "Are you finally coming? I won't wait for you forever.
" "Sorry, I'm going. It's good that you agreed, now come," he said, taking her in his arms. He had to make up for it with a good deed as soon as possible. "We have a very nice den."
As it turned out, the "den" was a small hotel. The only room left was reserved for Mr. and Mrs. Deed, Mikael and his wife. Upon hearing this, Mare glared at him. She wasn't most angry that he'd called them a "married couple," but that they'd be sharing the same room, and he'd been the one to plan and arrange everything, not her.
The receptionist looked at Mare, surprised by her behavior. The devil explained through gritted teeth,
"I'm very irritated today. I've had a very difficult day. Come on, honey, I want to see this nice surprise..."
The very thought of the surprise gave Mikael shivers, because he wouldn't be the one giving it to her, she would be giving it to him.
The room was basic by any hotel in Venice. A single bed by the window on the left, and a bathroom to the right. That was all there was in the room (well, maybe besides the lamp). Mare didn't care much at that moment. After closing the door, she lunged at Mikael and knocked him to the floor, going for his neck. Her look said it all: "I'll kill you! No, you're already dead!" She clenched her fingers even tighter. Mikael was glad she didn't have those long claws right now. Think what would have happened if she had.
"Couldn't you find a hotel with two rooms?!
"There were plenty of them...
" "So why here?!"
"Because we don't have much money and can't afford anything else right now."
Mare let go of his neck and finally slapped him hard on the chest.
"Fine, but I bathe first, and I sleep in the bed, and I decide when we go to bed..."
Mikael nodded, his expression growing increasingly thinner. He even considered whether it wouldn't be more convenient to live in the stairwell or under the bridge. Unfortunately, that option was out of the question, because he had to keep an eye on her.
Mare rose, not very elegantly (she was still limping), and sat on the bed. The room was quite large for a hotel. The only thing missing was some accessories to spice it up a bit.
"When we save up the money, we'll buy an apartment..." she thought aloud, sprawling on the bed.
"How long?
" "A month will be enough.
" "Excuse me? That's impossible!
" "Of course it's possible. Soon there will be a gondola competition for newlyweds. A large banner is right behind "our" school. The winner is a house.
" "Anything else?
" "Yes, if we don't make it in the gondolas, there are horseback riding competitions outside Venice. I think it's in San Marino, I have to check carefully.
" "I can't ride...
" "Who said you were going? I'm perfectly capable of that. The only problem is getting there, and that's exactly what I need you for.
" "If we win at all..."
"No problem. We're the best..." she replied with a sly glint in her eye. After a moment, she stole a glance into his and closed hers. She was tired from the new day. She lay down and fell asleep. Mikael, as he had been sitting there, remained there.
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