27. Luna
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
LUNA
Benedetto was gone when I woke.
I sought out Rose and Sofia, who were already awake and in the midst of a lesson.
I waited until Sofia paused. Then I said, "If my sorceress-to-be sister is amenable, and you as well, I thought we could indulge in the purely normal activity of shopping today. I have to be leaving soon, and I want to stock up on supplies that I’ve chosen, rather than trusting someone else to pick."
Rose and Sofia readily agreed, their laughter mingling as we set for the market district of Kalion, two guards trailing discreetly behind us.
The air was heavy with a coming storm, clouds scudding across the sky. We hurried to the market, veils and clothing tossing in the gusting winds. The cobbles were slick with rain from earlier in the day, and we dodged puddles as we walked in an intricate dance with all the other people on the street.
Rose darted into a shop to admire a display of delicate glass figurines. For just this moment, everything felt normal. Peaceful, even.
The casual set of Sofia's shoulders made me relax a little. Maybe we were safe here. At least for the moment. As safe as we could be in this life.
"Look at these." Rose held up a pair of painted glass birds. "Aren't they lovely?"
I laughed, reaching out to touch one gently. "They're beautiful. You have an eye for pretty things."
The peaceful moment shattered as a tall, broad-shouldered figure stepped into the shop, blocking the door. A familiar chill of dread crawled up my spine as I turned to meet the cold, furious gaze of our father, Emiliano. No. Not here. Not now.
The relaxed atmosphere of the day vanished. Emiliano stepped closer, sneering.
"Look who's pretending to be a lady of the court. And your little sister, too. How quaint."
Rose instinctively moved nearer to me, trembling, her expression fearful. "Father."
The shopkeeper had vanished, probably sensing a fight between noble families, where he and all he owned could be crushed.
The guards, as was normal, had remained outside the shop, probably hindered now by Emiliano's men.
He'd cornered us on purpose.
Anger flared alongside my fear. "What do you want?"
I moved in front of Rose, shielding her from his gaze.
Emiliano's lips curled into a cruel smile. "I’ve come to collect my property and deliver it to its new owner. Remember your place and hers, Luna. My daughter is mine to give to whom I want. And no pervert, a woman who wants to be a man, will stop me."
He twisted around me and grabbed Rose's arm, yanking her forward. She let out a small cry of pain, and I saw red.
"Let her go," I snarled. He had no rights if he were dead, and I’d live with the stain of kinslaying on my reputation and soul.
Pip leaped from my shoulder with a hiss, landing on Emiliano's arm. The drake snapped at his face, drawing blood just below his eye. Emiliano cursed, slapping Pip away as he released Rose.
"Void blast and rot you," he said, clutching his bleeding cheek. The very air cringed from the force of his oath. “Stupid bitch! That drake has a taste for forbidden magic, does it?”
Let him bleed. Let him feel some of the pain he'd caused us. I’d make him bleed more if needed.
He focused on me, blazing with fury. "The right is mine!"
Sofia watched, silent, as Rose retreated to huddle against her.
"Might makes right," I said. "That’s your code, isn’t it? Strength is on my side right now. And you won’t take her to feed your own twisted ambitions?"
Emiliano's face contorted with rage as he stepped forward again. "You insolent girl! You think you can defy me and get away with it? I am her father, and I will be obeyed!"
Never again. I'd never let him control me, control us, again.
I unfurled my fan. "I am not your property. I won’t give you Rose. One more step and you bleed more."
Could I really stand against him? Was I strong enough to protect Rose, to protect myself?
But looking at Rose's frightened face, at the way she clung to Sofia… I had no choice.
Who had he sold her to? That enemy needed to be added to my list.
Emiliano raised his hand. The air around us chilled, magic flooded the shop. My own surged to consume it.
"You will know no restful sleep," he whispered, pointing at Rose. "Not as long as you defy me. You will know nightmare and fear, until you honor your duty."
The air sizzled with the tension of our magic clashing. I didn’t feel any get by me, but Rose gasped, clutching her head as if in sudden pain. "No! Luna, make it stop."
My hands shook with fury.
"You think you've stopped me?" he said. "You have no idea what's coming. I have powerful allies now. Vivaldo knows the value of loyalty, unlike you. He’s divorced his wife and agreed to take Rose."
I stared at him, stunned. "You're working with Vivaldo? You've aligned yourself with him?"
And good thing he was out of Kalion for the foreseeable future.
Emiliano's smile was sharp and cruel. "Why not? He's willing to help me regain the proper standing for my clan. He understands power, unlike that useless husband of yours. Do you imagine he could love an ugly skinny bitch like you? He’s a fool and a madman."
This tangled the politics even more. If Father married Rose to Vivaldo’s, then we needed to be even more careful to keep Rose free.
"Go away, Father," I said steadily despite the fear churning in my gut. "Know this, we will never stop fighting you. Rose will be free, no matter what you, or Vivaldo, or anyone else tries to do to us."
Emiliano bared his teeth in rage, but there was a flicker of unease on his face. He wasn’t used to being challenged.
"You'll regret this," he said. "You'll regret ever defying me."
Sofia stepped forward, her expression icy. "Enough," she said. "You've made your point. But remember, part of my job is to guard Rose from threats. Up to this point, everything you have achieved has been within your rights as her father. Past this point, I will consider you a threat if you continue."
Emiliano glared at her. "You wouldn't dare."
Sofia stepped closer and smiled at him. "Try me."
I held my breath.
Emiliano clenched his jaw. For a long, tense moment, he stared at Sofia, the air thick with unspoken threats.
Then, a breeze swept through the shop, carrying with it the scent of roses and decay. It ruffled Emiliano's hair, tugging at his cloak, and he shivered.
I looked around me, trying to find its source. I would have thought Sofia, but it didn’t have the texture of her magic.
Then he turned and stalked out of the shop, his guards surrounding him as he walked away.
He backed down. Relief washed over me in a dizzying wave. Thank the absent gods.
I let out a shaky breath, my knees suddenly weak. We did it. We stood up to him, and we won.
Rose sagged to the floor, her face pale and drawn. I joined her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, holding her close.
"It's okay." I pressed a kiss to her hair. "You're safe."
Sofia turned to us, her expression like stone, fingers flexing. "There are days that I wish that noninterference in discipline clause had not been written. Are you two all right?"
I swallowed past the lump in my throat. "We will be. Thank you. May the absent gods keep you."
She reached out to squeeze my hand. "No debts are owed between us, no thanks are needed. Let’s go back to the villa."
The walk back was a blur, my mind still reeling from the confrontation with Father. Pip curled around my neck, his warm weight a comforting presence as his tail brushed against my cheek. But even his presence couldn't chase away the echoes of Father's cruel words.
He called me a sneak, an ugly pervert with forbidden magic. He said no one loves me. Even though I hated him, even though I knew he hated me, the words stung like salt in an open wound, and the old, familiar ache of insecurity rose in my chest.
Did Benedetto really care for me? The thought he might not made my throat tighten, and I swallowed hard, trying to push it away. But it lingered, insidious and relentless.
Since he’d visited his brother, Benedetto had been different. Distant. Quieter. He hadn't touched me the same way. Was it because he'd realized I wasn’t good enough?
"Stop it." I clenched my fists so tightly my nails bit into my palms. "You're stronger than this. He chose you. He loves you… doesn't he?"
But what if he doesn't? The thought slammed into me like a physical blow, the pain stealing the breath from my lungs. What if he's only convinced himself to love me because I'm useful in his quest? Because I'm part of his plan?
We reached the villa, and Rose headed straight for her room, her face still pale and drawn.
Sofia paused, her brow furrowed with concern. "Are you all right, Luna?"
I forced a smile, nodding. "I will be. I just need some time to myself."
Sofia hesitated, looking like she wanted to say more. But she simply squeezed my shoulder before retreating down the hall after Rose.
And then I was alone, standing in the entryway as the shadows of the afternoon crept in around me. I hugged myself tightly as I sank down onto a bench. The thought wriggled in my head, intrusive. Shutting them out was impossible. Maybe Father was right. Maybe no one really loves me, not even Benedetto.
I hurried to my room, hanging on to my fragile control until the door closed behind me.
The sound of it shutting still hung in the air as the first tear slipped down my cheek, hot and bitter. I buried my face in my hands, my shoulders shaking with silent sobs as the old, familiar ache of loneliness and doubt clawed at my heart.
Once again, I felt truly, utterly alone.