"Wonderful," Marcella said, smiling up at him. "The night is off to a great start."
20
The Red Carnationwas a ten-minute walk from their hotel, through the main piazza of Forli. Marcella kept her arm around Cosimo's, needing the feel of his presence to ground her.
It was surreal to be back in Forli at last, the familiar and the new all mixing together with her memories.
"Is the city talking to you yet?" Cosimo asked curiously.
Marcella took a deep breath of the cool night air. "It's trying to. I can't listen, or I'll be swamped by it. I've missed it so much." She hated that her voice cracked a little.
"We can stay as long as you need. I won't let them try to run you out if there are things you need to do here," he assured her.
Marcella squeezed his arm and thought of what she wanted to do most. It would be a good time to show him her magic too.
"I would really like to visit my parents' graves. It's been too long since they have had fresh flowers, and I would like some of the soil. Would you come with me?" she asked.
"It's a date," Cosimo replied without any hesitation.
"Another strange idea of a date," Marcella said, laughing softly.
"Something tells me you aren't a wine and dine sort of woman."
"No? And what kind of woman do you think I am?"
"The kind that has a more refined taste in tokens of affection," Cosimo replied. He lowered his head a little and whispered, "You are the kind that appreciates old manuscripts and magic you have never seen before when being courted."
Marcella raised a brow. "Is that what we are doing now? Courting?"
"I would say we are having more of an adventure hunting lost family members and stirring up other magic users," he said, and the side of his mouth ticked up. "But if you want to see it as courting, I certainly won't object."
"Now is not the time to confuse me, Cosimo Greatdrakes," she chided gently. "You make it hard to think clearly as it is."
"Mi dispiace,signorina," Cosimo apologized, his smile widening. "Once this meeting is over, I will be more than willing to provide you with some clarity on the subject."
Butterflies burst in Marcella's stomach, and she knew she was gone on him. It wasn't going to matter what he wanted from her. She was sure that she wasn't going to have any willpower to deny him.
All of Marcella's good feelings shrivelled up asThe Red Carnationcame into view. The front facade had been repainted recently, and the sign was new, but there was no stopping the roaring tide of emotion that seeing it brought up in her.
There were threestreghesitting at the small tables outside, even though the sign on the door was still turned to closed. Marcella felt the snapping feeling of their ill intentions bouncing off her as her protective charms repelled them.
Cosimo said nothing, but he slipped into her mind with a warm, silky brush of scales.We are all with you, Marcella.
Somehow, it was all she needed to push back the tide of sudden fear that had been clawing at her. She wasn't alone. The family behind her all took up positions around her, and Renata'sstreghe's eyes widened as they felt the force of the Greatdrakes' family.
"We have a meeting with Renata. She is expecting us," Marcella said coolly, refusing to show that she had been rattled for a second.
One of the women got up and opened the door to the restaurant. "She was expecting you alone."
"Too bad. I'm not alone anymore, and you don't have the power to stop us, so move aside or I will move you," Marcella snarled softly.
Thestregalooked at the looming figures behind her and was smart enough to do as she was told.
Inside, the restaurant had been given a recent facelift, but nothing could mask the smell that tormented Marcella's memories—the sour red house wine on Carlo's breath as he screamed at her and the cloying lavender perfume Renata had always worn. Five other members of thecongregasat at the bar, but Marcella ignored them. Her eyes were fixed on the woman who was sitting at her usual table.
One look at Renata, and Marcella knew exactly what she had been using Juliette's life force on. She would be close to seventy and barely looked older than Marcella. Her hair was black and full in its perfect beehive, and she only had the faintest lines around her eyes. Those cold black eyes looked Marcella over like she was shit on her shoe.
"I see you have gotten fat," Renata said, firing her first volley. "Suppose it happened to your mother, too, when she hit her forties."
