Chapter 9
Cosimo found himself outside of Marcella's apartment building in Santo Spirito the next day, a full fifteen minutes early.
His dragon side was more irritable than ever after a sleepless night wondering what Marcella could be searching for, and what she would demand of him in payment for helping him. The dragon hadn't liked it when she had left the night before either and had kept Cosimo up with its nonsense.
He stopped at a tiny hole-in-the-wall café and ordered two coffees, trying to kill time and get his thoughts in order. He didn't know how Marcella liked her coffee apart from the espresso she had at the café, so he ordered a double and hoped for the best.
You are being ridiculous, he told himself. He was nervous, excited, and sleep-deprived at the same time.
It wasn't that Cosimo didn't get along with women. He did. There was just something about Marcella Sforza that had gotten under his skin long before the clicking of her heels had set his dragon off at the gallery.
Professional curiosity and his competitive nature had Cosimo interested to the point of suspicion. Her magic was a delicious little thrum that charged whatever room she happened to be in, and he wanted to figure out just how powerful she was.
Cosimo had thought of her story about her marriage over and over again.
What kind of idiot would abuse such a woman?
How frail was her ex-husband's ego? The thought of anyone snuffing out a woman's light out of jealousy and pettiness rankled Cosimo.
His dragon had been very creative about the ways it would like to crush Carlo in return.
Cosimo shut his eyes and took a deep breath. He had no right to feel this overprotective of someone he barely knew or trusted.
Yes, you do. We have tucked her under our wing already, and we will make sure no one hurts her, the dragon reminded him. Cosimo had been over this argument with it for hours, and it wasn't about to let it go.
He wasn't sure she was someone who would welcome a strange man coming into her life and claiming he was there to protect her either.
Marcella had drugged her husband and mother-in-law and made her escape from Forli. She was powerful enough that they couldn't influence her to return with magic. She could take care of herself.
Cosimo was about to push the buzzer of Marcella's apartment when the door opened and the lady herself looked up at him.
She was dressed in high-waisted black jeans with a red sweater that left one brown shoulder bare.
Her hair was in a long, loose braid over the other shoulder, and her bangs were a riot of soft curls.
It was effortless and sexy in a way that made Cosimo want to sink into the stone under his feet.
"Buongiorno. You are right on time," she greeted and looked at the coffee tray he was holding. "Are one of those for me?"
"Yes? I mean, yes, I got you a double espresso," Cosimo stammered and offered her the bag he had over his other wrist too. "These are from Bas. He has found Roberto's mother's cookbook and has been baking."
Marcella took her coffee and the bag. "Ohh, Cantucci. He's definitely my favorite Greatdrakes now. Come on up."
She strode up the stairs barefoot, two silver rings on her toes and a delicate ankle bracelet that glittered with every step. Gods have mercy, he was like a crow with every bit of detail and glitter about her.
Cosimo prayed for strength. He hadn't ever reacted to a woman like this. When he had met Lisa, he had been her friend, and then the desire had come later, as well as the knowledge that she was his mate. His dragon instincts hadn't been so strong or wild back then.
"I have been going over my research this morning so I can be more concise with any questions you might have. I sometimes struggle to be able to understand the jumps my mind makes enough to talk about them," Marcella chatted happily and opened a door painted bright red.
"You sound like a magician. My son Reeve has a theory that we are all a blend of neurodivergent," Cosimo said, taking note of the pots of rosemary and lavender by the front door.
He could feel the protection around the threshold, not quite a ward, but still an energetic barrier to keep out unwanted guests and bad vibes.
"I can believe that theory. I've never been tested, but I see traits in myself. I suppose if you aren't, then the magic makes you a bit mad anyway," Marcella replied, heading into a small kitchen. "To do magic, you need to be able to live within paradoxes."
Cosimo nodded, his eyes taking in everything around him. He was in a sacred space, and he felt her in every part of it.
The apartment was very clean and orderly, and yet there was a creative flair around it.
Her kitchen was painted a sunny yellow, with a small shrine for Saint Lorenzo in one corner, and she had a Saint Joseph icon above her bread box.
Herbs were growing in a window pot, and everything smelled of cinnamon and roses.
"Are you okay? You have the strangest expression on your face right now," Marcella said, taking out a pretty glass bowl and tipping Bas's cookies into it.
"Apologies, I'm just... There are little things here that remind me a lot of my mother. She had Saint Joseph over our breadbox too, for example." Cosimo's eyes drifted over the art and antiques she had throughout the apartment. "I love your place. It's so you."
Marcella's ears went pink. "Thank you. I needed to have a sanctuary after...after everything. I tried to keep this area semi-normal for guests. The rest is really for me."
Cosimo could hear all the things she didn't say too: that she was feeling exposed, and letting someone in this far was a rare thing for her to do.
"Thank you for trusting me to see your home. I know what it's like to be private about space and passion projects. It's why the Greatdrakes mansion has towers so we don't get in each other's way," he said with a smile and sipped his coffee to give his hands something to do.
"Actual towers?" Marcella's brows shot up. "How does no one notice that?"
"Most of the mansion is invisible from the outside."
"Mio Dio, you magicians don't do things by halves," she teased and nibbled on a biscotto. She moaned, and Cosimo wished she hadn't. "Your son has missed his true calling in life as a chef."
"He sees his calling as feeding and nurturing everyone else and does it very well," Cosimo replied with an awkward laugh.
"It is a beautiful gift that more men should cultivate. Just feed me and tell me I'm pretty and I'm yours," she teased, taking another bite.
Cosimo had to look away to keep his thoughts clean.
"I suppose I had better stop procrastinating and show you what I'm working on," Marcella said and gestured at him.
"My curiosity has only gotten worse since meeting you. I thought you were after the Medici Grimoire as well."
Cosimo followed her down a hall and into another living area. It was lined with bookshelves and was her office and work area. He stared around at the wall, which featured a picture of Caterina Sforza, Cosimo Medici, and other notable figures from the Renaissance.
"You and my sister are going to get along well. She uses walls like this too," Cosimo said, eyes wide. "Can I look closer or..."
"It's fine, go ahead," Marcella replied.
He moved around a chaise lounge and a table with freshly cut flowers in a vase. He fought the urge to touch the threads on the wall and see what they led to.
"What... What is this?" he asked, unable to look away.
Marcella came to stand beside him and tapped on Caterina's portrait.
"It is about her. My ancestor. Everyone seems to know the stories of how she defied Cesare Borgia and knew every other powerful person of her time.
What's less known is her alchemy and stregoneria," she began, gesturing at photos of a manuscript.
"This is the Experimenti that is held in a private archive, but it is still only a copy of the real one.
It is filled with alchemy and recipes of what could be referred to as 'natural medicines.
' The church already had it in for her, so she carefully hid any aspects that sniffed too vigorously of magic.
Her originals were given to her son Giovanni and kept within the Medici family. "
"So how does Cosimo the Elder's grimoire come into this?
Because it's never been found or confirmed to exist. He was obviously a practitioner and a hermeticist to pay so much money for translations of the ancient texts," Cosimo said, staring at the picture of the great man.
"The rumors have been enough for me to follow. "
"He was definitely a magician," Marcella agreed and passed him a photocopy of a letter.
"I found this among the few things my family still had from Caterina's time.
There is very little because so much of it is in other private collections.
The letter is to her son, and they discuss the efficacy of different pieces of magic in the Medici Grimoire. "
Cosimo scanned the letter, the researcher in him brimming with excitement. "What a treasure, and it is another piece of proof that it exists."
"Yes, and it is my theory—my hope—that if the Medici Grimoire can be found, Caterina's true grimoire will be with it," Marcella said, her breath shallowing with excitement.
"I was in France trying to get Catherine Medici's books in the hopes there was some…
some hint of whether she knew their locations. "
"There are none that I've found," Cosimo murmured before realizing what he had said. "I mean…that is…fuck."
"So you did steal them! You were all very careful about talking about France and Apollo's kidnapping last night," Marcella said, hands on her hips.
"Valentine stole them, not me. He wanted to hide a crime within a crime.
If everyone were focusing on missing books, then they could sabotage their labs without it being detected so quickly," Cosimo replied, giving in.
"Considering what Valentine then did to the whole building, it was a good thing he took them. "
Marcella's eyes narrowed. "Took them from me. Do you have no morals?"
"Not when it comes to the people who kidnapped and experimented on my son. I'm sorry you got caught up in it, but they were fucking monsters, and your money is better off staying in your pocket than funding them," Cosimo growled. They eyed each other for a long moment before Marcella sighed.
"I didn't know that was what they were up to, and after meeting your children, I can understand why you wouldn't lose any sleep over taking the alchemists down."
"There is some good news about the books."
"Oh?"
"I meant what I said last night that I'm susceptible to bribery when it comes to sharing," he said, trying to lighten the mood. "And if you work with me to find Maria, I will, of course, be more than willing to give you access to my library."
"I don't just want that," she said, looking back at the board.
"No? What else? Because my library is very big and full of rare and wonderful things."
"I don't doubt it, but it's not what I want." Marcella shifted her weight on the balls of her feet. "I have hit a research dead end. If I help you find your sister, I want help to find the Medici Grimoire and Caterina's as well."
"And if we find them, you get them?" Cosimo guessed.
Marcella's smile was so sweet, it was almost savage. "Caterina's is mine. No questions. The Medici one? I am willing to let you look at it. I might even be convinced to let you read it."
Cosimo laughed. He couldn't help it. He was being made to choose between decades of research and his sister. It wasn't a hard choice, but it still stung.
"You weren't kidding when you said your price would be high, but considering what I am asking of you…" Cosimo sighed. "Deal. But I want to be able to study the Medici Grimoire properly."
"Just like that? You don't want to think it over?" Marcella asked, brows rising.
"I don't need to. If it means finding my sister, I'll let you pick through all my research willingly, and you never know, maybe if we work together for once, we won't be trying to outbid each other all the time," Cosimo replied and held out a hand. "Deal?"
"Deal." Marcella took his hand, and power burned between their palms. "What is that?"
"My magic likes you." Cosimo brushed his thumb over her knuckles. "I don't know why."
"One other thing." Marcella cleared her throat, the blush creeping over her ears once more. "You should know, I don't sleep with people I work with."
It was Cosimo's turn to raise a brow. "I don't recall asking you to."
"Please don't be offended, but every man I work with always tries to get me into bed. It's better to be upfront about these things," she said, removing her hand from his.
"I agree, so let me put you at ease," he said and folded his arms. "My mate died, and what's left of that part of me has been ashes ever since. You aren't in any danger of me falling in love with you, despite your many charms, because I'm not sure I'm even capable of it anymore."
"That's good to hear, because I'm not capable of it either since my divorce, and men just complicate my life too much," Marcella replied, her dark eyes filled with a loneliness he felt to his core.
She turned back to her research. "Besides, chasing grimoires is a much better pastime than chasing lovers in my opinion. "
"Agreed," Cosimo said, ignoring the strange pang of disappointment he suddenly felt. It wasn't the first time he had to tell a lovely woman he wasn't interested, but he had never felt this kind of unease afterward. He pushed the feeling away.
No, it was a good thing to know where they each stood and have it out in the open. Now that he knew Marcella was entirely off limits, he could squash any hint of desire he may have started to feel and focus on the job at hand. She wasn't interested, and he would never go anywhere he wasn't wanted.
Excellent plan, he told himself.
The dragon in him disagreed, but for the first time in weeks, it didn't fight him. It turned its back on him in disgust, leaving him cold and more confused than ever.