“More,” she breathed, supporting her weight with her hands. “Please.”
Saturnino growled above her, and gave it to her, his breath coming out in soft pants. His gaze roved over her, open and vulnerable. They moved together, their souls knitting into one being, one heart, one fate.
A fate that was doomed.
Ravenna let Saturnino sleep. She crept out from underneath the covers, pulling the fur around her shoulders, her body pleasantly sore. Twilight streamed in through the single window, dust motes dancing in the hazy lavender light. Outside, the piazza teemed with conversation and movement. Curiosity pulled her forward, the furs dragging behind her.
Her brother was out there, but she could not look at him again. Not without shattering. She placed the flat of her hand against the wall and gazed out the window, carefully keeping herself from looking at the tower. Guards marched from one end of the piazza to the other, stopping people at random. Conversation was impossible to hear, but Ravenna could make a guess at their words. They wanted information, answers to their questions and demands.
But then a curious pull drew her notice away from them. A sense that she was being watched. Saturnino had said it was impossible for them to be found. And yet…
Her gaze flickered from one corner of the piazza to the other, that curious feeling becoming stronger. Her attention landed on a hooded figure, tucked in the shadows of the alley street where the door to Saturnino’s tower hid. Ravenna gasped as recognition flooded her.The man lifted his hood, revealing his face, his chin tilted up. The courier met her eyes.
He used his chin to point toward the door.
The man was a wizard—of course he had found them. Hadn’t he warned her that he could sense magic? Ravenna turned away from the window and drew to her beloved’s sleeping form. She brushed the back of her hand against his cheek. He wakened slowly, leisurely, his palm sliding across the bed, instinctively reaching for her. The gesture worked like a balm, settling her nerves, the rapid-fire beating of her heart.
He blinked up at her, a small smile on his lips. “Buongiorno.”
“Saturnino,” she said. “Will you come with me?”
He immediately sat up, threw off the blanket, and stood, looking for his boots. “What is it?”
“There’s someone I need you to meet.”
He paused, his eyes searching hers.
“It’s important,” she said. “Trust me.”
He entwined his fingers with hers and squeezed her hand, once. They finished getting dressed and went down the curved staircase.
“I don’t like this,” he muttered. “It’s not safe to go outside yet when God and everyone are looking for us, and we don’t have a plan. Where are we going?”
“Not far,” Ravenna said over her shoulder. They reached the ground floor, and Saturnino darted around her, gently coaxing her behind him. He opened the door and peered outside, keeping the door half-closed. Ravenna pushed it all the way open and her lover turned toward her and glared.
Ravenna looked past his shoulder. The courier came into view, his countenance darkening at the sight of Saturnino, but at least he didn’t flee. He didn’t seem like the type who would. The two men stared at each other, equally guarded.
The narrow alley was deserted, but for how long? Just yards away, city guards crowded the piazza, going from home to home, searching for conspirators.
She spoke quickly, nearly stumbling over her words. “This is thepope’s courier—he won’t tell me his name—and it’s through him that I’ve received the pope’s messages.”
At this, Ravenna sensed a primal anger unleash from Saturnino. It radiated off him like a coal burning from a hearth, sweltering. She placed a hand on his shoulder.
“He’s helped me,” Ravenna said, low and urgent. “He’s as much of a pawn as I am.”
The courier flinched, and she sensed that he was far too independent a creature to accept being ruled by another. That hewasunderstandably rankled him.
Saturnino locked his jaw, considering, and then stepped aside, careful to keep Ravenna slightly behind him. “Then say what you must, courier.”
The courier looked up and down the street and then leaned forward, whispering, “The pope is bringing your family to Florence, Ravenna.”
She inhaled sharply, fear curdling in her belly. It never occurred to her that the pope would make such a move. She felt foolish for not having considered it, as if she’d forgotten who her true opponent was. A murdering hypocrite. “For what purpose?”
“You’re in hiding,” he said. “And he still needs you.”
She blinked at him, shock rendering her speechless for several beats. “Why?”
“He hasn’t shared that part of his plan with me,” the courier said coolly. “But even if he had, I wouldn’t tell you, not with what I have at stake.”
