Chapter 2 #2
Emberline’s exhaustion went deep, a worry that hadn’t been apparent last night on the beach, and that ache squeezed tighter until I could barely breathe. Her brother’s attention flicked constantly between his sister and Valeria, mouth set in a disapproving line.
Ah, so that’s what this was.
Jealousy or something even deeper.
Then Valeria swept to the center of the room like a queen in her castle, a serene smile on her face that even Luca’s venomous glare couldn’t diminish.
“You’re safe here,” she announced, lifting her hands as if she was conducting an orchestra.
“This villa is warded by spells even more ancient than our Dynasty, and no one outside my bloodline is aware this island exists. Giovanni and Blackwood won’t find you as long as you stay within my protections.
” She paused, letting that information register.
“However, there are conditions for your safety.”
Everyone’s attention sharpened at the veiled threat.
Especially mine.
I didn’t appreciate threats, and I wasn’t about to be backed any further into a corner.
“I want my father returned to me,” her attention bounced between Dante and me. “The Sala del Giuramento is your territory… or at least, it was. You know the layout better than anyone. Rocco has his faults, but he’s still family, and if I don’t try to save him, I won’t be able to live with myself.”
“You mean if we don’t try to save him, don’t you?” Nico said lazily, from over by the window. “Unless you’re planning to lead the charge into enemy territory?”
“Those are my terms.” Much like her eyes, Valeria’s voice hardened to ice.
“You wish to shelter here, then bring Rocco home, and in return, every resource I have is yours. Every soldier, my entire spy network, our ships, our weapons, and our warehouses. All of it is at your disposal once you deliver my father. Alive.”
Silence. Beyond the glass, the sea continued rolling up on the sand as I considered Valeria’s offer.
A suicide mission in return for… everything.
With the full Demente network at my disposal, taking back Dynasty control was not only possible, it was also inevitable. My gaze landed firmly on Emberline. And protecting the people I loved… yes, I already knew I’d accept her terms.
So did Nico and my brother, both of them instantly alert, both of them considering Valeria’s offer for the same reason as me.
Ensuring Emberline’s survival.
Still, no reason to look too eager.
“La Sala is impenetrable,” I pointed out carefully, walking the razor-thin line between cooperation and caution. “Every Dominico guard has been replaced with Blackwood’s thugs. And Giovanni will have every inch refortified, especially your father’s cell.”
I traded a look with Dante.
We both knew the manner of fortifications roaming the halls, and the Ashbound were hard to destroy. In fact, my brother was the only one who could manage it, which meant this wasn’t a simple in-and-out mission.
More like a burn the city to the ground mission.
“I am well aware of the challenges,” Valeria confirmed. “I received word from my spies that those black-uniformed guards watch every entrance. But I’m sure you will come up with something clever.”
Clever. Like she wasn’t asking us all to risk our lives to save her piece of shit father.
But I would crawl through broken glass to keep my family safe.
“I can get us inside,” I confirmed. Ember’s gaze snapped to mine, her lips pinching tight, her spine rigid. “But we’ll need a way into Venice without being noticed. And we’ll need a boat.”
“Of course, you do,” Nico chuckled, but Emberline glared in my direction as though I was stabbing a dagger in her back.
This is the only way I know how to save you, I wanted to shout, but the full attention of the room was on me, and I had to see this through.
Still, the hurt on her face haunted me, and the idea that she believed—even for a second—I didn’t have her best interests at heart… I swayed toward her, drew a shuddering breath.
I had to stay on task.
Had to keep her safe, the only way I knew how. Later, I’d explain how helping Valeria was our only way to survive.
Later, I’d make amends.
“La Sala has a secret entrance, accessible only by boat. Centuries ago, my father used it to smuggle prisoners and brandy in and out of the city. Nobody knows the dock exists, and I’m probably the only living person who remembers where the entrance is located.”
Valeria’s expression didn’t change, but her eyes brightened. “You’re sure of this?”
“Completely sure. And I can get us inside.” Hand in my pocket, I ran my finger along the edge of the cipher, the relic that would circumvent every magical protection on La Sala, even Blackwood’s.
“The dock is close to where they’ll be holding your father.
Should be an in-and-out operation, so long as we don’t arouse suspicions when we make our approach. ”
So long as my brother doesn’t burn the entire fucking thing down.
Valeria studied me for a moment, then nodded once, precisely, like a handshake.
“Then I’ll leave you to make your plans. Let me know what you need from me,” she said. “Money is no object, and given we run a smuggling ring, we have many fast boats at our disposal.”
The rest of the day became a blur of strategy—timelines and options and contingencies and margins for error that narrowed down to nothing but chance.
To no one’s surprise, Emberline insisted on going, and Luca wouldn’t be left behind, and every rational argument I made was shot down. So instead of a stripped-down operation of me, Nico, and Dante—we were all going.
A nightmare of epic proportions, according to Nico.
As much as I didn’t like the risk, with Nico’s tactical experience and Luca’s ability to read minds, our mission had a higher probability of success.
Once we were inside, Emberline’s skill at hand-to-hand combat—not that I intended for her to get anywhere close to the Ashbound or the fighting or those fucking soldiers—would be invaluable, while my brother…
Dante was our secret weapon.
But there were still variables to work out, and while I knew every inch of that building, if we were separated…
I curled my hand into a fist. Forced myself to focus.
“Once we secure Rocco, we either dematerialize out, or we’ll use the boat. We can blend in with the canal traffic,” I leaned back in my chair, my spine cracking. “The approach will be the trickiest part.”
“I’m not sold on these ridiculous costumes,” Dante grumbled. “Why can’t we just dematerialize inside and start slaughtering? Seems like a lot of planning to accomplish the same thing.”
“Because there will be wards, and we need to evaluate the situation, and there’s a chance Rocco will be too injured to dematerialize out,” I explained for the tenth time.
“The boat’s our contingency plan. We need it on-site in case we need emergency transport.
Valeria promised us a fast craft, powerful enough to outrun anything else on the canal. ”
“I think you’ll look handsome dressed as a rich human,” Emberline teased softly. “And if we play this right, the guards won’t pay a bit of attention to us.”
“The costumes are still a stupid idea,” he grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest, even though there were two spots of color in his cheeks now.
“I don’t mind dressing up, as long as it helps the cause,” Luca said with a bit too much enthusiasm. “I’ll scan every soldier and warn you if any of them suspect us.”
“I don’t want you going at all.” Emberline laid her hand over her brother’s. “We’re already risking too many lives.”
“Luca’s not the only one who could stay behind.” I shot her a pointed look. “In fact, Nico and I are perfectly capable of getting Rocco out by ourselves.”
“Oh, just try to keep me out of this,” Emberline’s tone took on that too-calm edge that told me I was pushing my luck. “I dare you, Gabriel.”
“And what about the Ashbound?” Dante slapped his hands down on the table. “Last I looked, brother, the entire place was crawling with them.”
“And who will warn you if the soldiers suspect something?” Luca hooked both thumbs at his chest. “Me. I’m the only one who can read minds, and just ask Dante, I can handle myself in a fight.”
Dear gods, save me from heroes.
I rubbed my throbbing temples. “Fine. We all go, but once you step into that boat, once this is underway, I’m calling the shots. If I sense anything out of place, we abort mission.” I glared at the lot of them and finally got a smattering of reluctant yeses.
“We’ll shoot for two nights from now. I want to run through the plan a few more times. And we need to do recon. Nico, check out La Sala. Give me new numbers on patrols, guards, and whatever else those fuckers have in place. I don’t want any surprises.”
Which gave me—and Dante and Nico—two days to convince Emberline and her brother to stay here.
Afternoon faded into evening.
The Adriatic turned darker, the table became littered with coffee cups and crumb-filled plates, hand-drawn sketches of the palazzo’s layout, Nico’s rendering of our approach along the Grand Canal, and for some inexplicable reason, a cat wearing sunglasses that looked suspiciously like Dante.
We were just finishing up when Valeria rushed in, a paper crumpled in one shaking hand, her eyes red-rimmed. She drew a shaking breath, then stopped, shaking her head, as if the news was too terrible to be spoken out loud.
We all waited, tension spreading through the room like the shockwave before an explosion.
“Rocco is to be executed at dawn,” she said hoarsely. “Those bastards aren’t even giving him a trial.”