Chapter 18 A History Unlocked
A History Unlocked
Nico pulls me against his chest, tucking my head under his chin. “I will miss you, Bello. Please be careful while I am gone.”
I tighten my arms around him. “I will. If you’re really going to be back soon, then I’ll wait here.
If it’s going to take longer than a few days, I’ll contact Kenji and see if they have anything for me to do.
” I hate goodbyes. I’m not good at them, and I practically fuss over Nico like a mother hen.
“Watch for bandits. Keep your knives close. Don’t forget your training.
” I turn my face up, and he devours my lips in a searing kiss.
Sighing, I lean into him. “Are you sure you have to go right now?”
Nico squeezes me and grins. “Do not start. You know I would stay if I could.” He kisses me again and steps into the translocation circle.
“I will speak with you tonight through the mirror and hopefully be able to tell you how long I will be gone. Stay safe, Bello.” He grasps the moonstone around his neck, and the magic surges right before he disappears.
Being here without Nico makes me melancholy, and it grates on my nerves. In no mood to be cooped up inside, I wander into the garden to indulge in my favorite pastime—figuring out what happened to his mother.
My initial inspection of the garden when I first arrived confirmed that many of the plants are medicinal and found in most household gardens throughout Amagi.
But, like the plants at the Panah City house, many of those growing here are poisonous.
And there are too many varieties for it to be a coincidence.
As far as I’m concerned, it confirms that Nico’s mother was poisoned.
Most likely by her own plants. But I still have no proof.
Sitting on a stone bench in a shady area, I ponder possible next moves and almost miss the approaching footsteps.
I reach for my daggers, but it’s Emilio who rounds the corner.
His expression is serious, and for a moment, I wonder if something has happened to Nico.
Before I can ask, Emilio gives me a slight bow.
“Please excuse me.” I sheath my knives, sit down again, and wait for whatever it is he’s going to say.
To my utter shock, he draws his blade from his belt, bends on one knee, and lowers his head, offering the weapon to me on open palms. “Master Zayd, I offer you the support of House Durov.”
I thrust to my feet and stare at him as if he’s grown three heads.
Durov? There are Shades in the Shabah from House Durov—all low in rank and long-time supporters of Lorenzo Medina’s political ambitions.
If Emilio is making this pledge, he must be part of the Shabah.
And if that’s the case, he must have known exactly who I was all along.
“Of course, you will require proof.” Emilio pulls aside his collar, revealing the small onyx sigil of the Guild over his left clavicle.
He is part of the Brotherhood, and he hadn’t turned me in, even though the reward would have been staggering, especially after Cosimo’s death.
My brain flies through options and possibilities as fast as lightning.
I pin him with my gaze, adding a command spell to my words. “By whose authority do you make this offer?”
Emilio doesn’t struggle against the compulsion. “Nikita Durov himself.”
I have no idea who that is, but file the information away and take the offered weapon.
“I accept your services and those of your House, but I’m no longer part of the Brotherhood.
You’re pledging yourself and your House solely to me if you wish to continue.
Though I have no clue why you’d want to do that.
The Durovs have supported Lorenzo Medina for decades.
” Emilio stands, and I return his knife, hilt first.
“May I speak plainly, Master Zayd?” I nod.
“There are too many coincidences surrounding recent events and your reappearance in Amagi. Since your return, there was a break-in at the Vault, though no one could determine whether anything was taken. Guild Master Cosimo was murdered—the method was poison, though the type remains as much a mystery as who administered it. Both of these occurrences indicate that a Specter was most likely involved. And on the very night of Cosimo’s death, you fled here. ”
Giving nothing away, I wait expectantly until Emilio continues.
“Assassinating a guild master is quite an accomplishment and would gain someone immense respect and power within the Brotherhood. But assassinating the Onyx Guild’s guild master goes against our tenets.
So the very act itself is a double-edged sword.
” I still say nothing and let him finish.
“Nikita Durov and I believe you are the person who accomplished these feats.”
“Does Durov believe that because you planted the seed in his mind?”
He doesn’t answer the question. “The Onyx Guild has yet to name a new guild master. The infighting is vicious. No one can gain the majority vote.” His lips curve into a devious smile.
“If word gets out that you have returned, there will be speculation that you are the one who has eliminated Master Vitorio. Nikita Durov and I believe this is not the time to make that announcement. Not yet.”
I debate what to say and decide to take the risk. Durov might be helpful with information. “There are more on the list to eliminate before I even consider taking credit.”
Emilio nods as if he suspected as much. “This has to do with the assassination of Kasimir then. You are eliminating those who contracted to kill him.”
It makes complete sense that Emilio knows about the contract on Kas. His House is affiliated with the very man who initiated it. I eye him warily. “Why is Durov willing to help me? Why haven’t you turned me in? Why abandon House Medina after all this time?”
His reply is quick, as if he’s been expecting the questions.
“We are not abandoning House Medina. Only Lorenzo. And there are two reasons. House Durov has been trying to advance within the Shabah for years. At every turn, our opportunities are blocked by those in power, our achievements credited to others. We are tired of working and waiting and gaining nothing while others advance because of our accomplishments. We look to you for a new way.”
That makes sense. Political machinations within the Shabah are an everyday occurrence. “And reason number two?”
“In similar fashion to Kasimir’s death, House Medina took someone as dear from House Durov.” I raise an eyebrow and nod for him to continue. “At one time, the Durovs hoped to advance their position within the Shabah through the marriage of Nikita Durov’s daughter to the second son of House Medina.”
At my blank expression, he continues.
“Sofia Durov met and fell in love with Stefano Medina, and he with her. He was the second son of the House, so a marriage for love instead of political advantage could be entertained. They were allowed to wed, and after many failed attempts, they were blessed with a healthy baby boy whom they named Nicolas. There were no additional children who survived.”
I cut in. “And is this marriage how House Medina took someone dear from House Durov? A match made from love hardly seems an offense worthy of abandoning decades of loyalty.” He shakes his head, and my suspicions deepen.
“The children who didn’t survive?” It’s a thin excuse, but at least it’s plausible.
Emilio shakes his head again. “When Nico was born, Stefano was still heavily involved with the Shabah. He and his brother Lorenzo were never close, and they often found themselves on opposite sides on most things. Some believe that if Stefano had wanted it, he would have been as influential as Lorenzo. More, perhaps, because he was less overtly manipulative. But Stefano was not interested in politics, leaving all of that to his brother. He much preferred running the family business. But that also meant he controlled a large portion of the family purse strings. Being a second son with no heirs made Stefano a minimal threat to Lorenzo, and the disagreements only went so far. Then their father passed and left the estate and business to Stefano. And when Nico was born, things changed.”
Once again, I glance around the garden, taking in all the toxic plants around me. “How?”
Emilio clenches his fists at his sides. “Stefano had an heir. Someone besides Lorenzo to inherit the family wealth.” His sigh is full of sadness.
“Nico has told you how his mother died.” I nod.
“We have always told him that she became severely ill, and a fast-acting fever killed her. He was very young when it happened and was not aware of his family’s connections within the Shabah or the conflict between his father and Lorenzo.
But Stefano suspected the truth about Sofia’s death. ”
With Emilio all but supporting my theory, I cut to the chase. “Who poisoned her?”
“Lorenzo took out the contract. He had an assassin working in Stefano’s kitchen.
They placed certain herbs into Sofia’s food which would inhibit conception.
And if by chance she became pregnant, they slipped different herbs into her food to end the pregnancy.
She was never able to carry a child to term. ”
My mind races through possibilities. “So how did Nico survive?”