My breath caught in my throat.
“They’ve certainly had plenty of practice,” the second woman scoffed.
The room on the other side of the door fell silent. No one was laughing now.
Suddenly the small hallway was closing in around me. The breath expelled from my lungs as my mind raced to comprehend what I’d just overheard. Dante had returned from the First Trial to receive a beating from his grandfather. I’d known Cosmo was hard on him, incredibly so, and I knew how it affected Dante’s moods, but I’d never considered he might have been violent toward him. I’d never seen a single bruise or scrape on him he hadn’t earned from training. He’d never said a word or indicated the abuse in any way. I knew he feared his grandfather and hated himself for that weakness, but I’d thought it was simply a resultof Cosmo’s authority and attitude, not any real threat looming over him.
I pressed back against the wall and took a shaky breath. I remembered that morning. Meeting up on the Deck to get in line to take our Oath, bowing our heads together in line to discuss potential strategies for the First Trial we’d been training all our lives to enter. I remembered the moment I’d come face to face with Luca in those disjointed halls, the disappointment that had stabbed into my gut and twisted so thoroughly I knew I’d never be free of it. I remembered looking for Dante after and not finding him anywhere. I remembered running off to House Viper after my commitments to Avus and Lynx were finished. I remembered finding him in his room, all the lights off and his back to me as he laid in the dark. He told me to leave and shouted at me when I reached for the light. Now I knew why. He hadn’t wanted me to see.
Some fragile part of my heart broke at that realization and I marveled at the fact that I had anything left within me to break. He’d suffered. Maybe just that once but probably not. Probably so much more than I’d ever known. I could remember other times then. Times when he wore long sleeve shirts for training when it was scorching outside and refused to take them off. Times when he wouldn’t leave his room no matter how many times I asked or tried to entice him with promises of parties and teenage debauchery. Times when Myrine told me he was sick and couldn’t train even though I’d seen him earlier in the day and he’d been fine.
I balled up my fists and pressed them into my eyes. He was supposed to be my partner, my best friend, my everything. Our lives revolved around one another’s day and night and I hadn’t known. I hadn’t even suspected. He’d suffered in silence right before my eyes for years and I’d been completely oblivious.
Unable to stand and listen to any more, I stormed back through the hallway and out of the garden shed. The door slammed against the stone hard, sending a loud crack reverberating into the night. I didn’t care. If I didn’t get out of here soon, I was going to start hitting things and that might start a war.
Where are you?I hissed through the mental connection I’d vowed never to use again.
It was late but Luca was Luca. I knew he’d be up.
My room,he replied.
I changed course, turning sharply toward House Lynx. I fought to maintain control over myself, tried to focus on remembering everything else that had been said and to determine who might have said it. I had a job to do and nothing I’d overheard this evening would be of any use to my grandmother. I should have stayed, but my temper wouldn’t allow it. I was having difficulty concentrating on anything other than the rage building in my gut. I wanted to kick something or scream or find someone willing to fight me. I wanted to tear House Viper down brick by brick until my hands were bleeding and I couldn’t feel anything anymore.
My control was slipping. I needed to get it back. Though Luca had never been successful in helping me do so before, at least hetriedand right now, I needed someone to remind me why it wouldn’t be a good idea to storm straight through the halls of Viper until I found the old man and slammed his head against his own desk as hard as I could.
I made my way through the hidden tunnel in the cellar before taking the path I knew led directly to Luca’s room. I sent out the warning as I stormed through the halls toward him.
You’d better be alone or so help me Geist–
I’m alone.
My palms were bleeding from the force of my nails clenched against them, cutting into the skin, but I didn’t care. Breathing hard, I managed just enough composure to knock quietly on Luca’s door.
“So first, you want nothing to do with me and now you’re requesting permission to join me at two in the–” Luca spoke as he opened the door but his words fell off immediately when he saw me standing on the other side. “What happened?”
“He beat him,” I spat, storming into the room and bumping into my former partner as I did.
Luca took it in stride, shutting the door behind us with a click before turning to face me. His hair was disheveled and he was shirtless with only a baggy pair of sweatpants resting low on his hips for coverage but he was alone, even if that solitude was rather recent. He frowned with furrowed brows as he watched me pace across the room.
“Who?” he asked slowly.
“Cosmo,” I said. “He beat Dante.”
“When?”
“All the time. I just never knew about it until now. Geist! How could I have been so ignorant? All the signs were there but Dante never said anything and I thought–”
“Slow down, Olympia,” Luca interjected, crossing the room and scooting the plush burgundy arm chair toward me. “Sit.”
I frowned but obeyed. The nervous energy was only feeding my anger even more. Perhaps sitting still for a minute or two would help stifle it.
“How did you find this out?” Luca asked, settling onto the edge of his bed across from me and leaning forward, elbows on his knees
“I went to Viper,” I told him. “I was hoping I’d get a chance to sneak into Cosmo’s office the same way I did Raghnall’s butthose people don’t sleep. I overheard some of Dante’s aunts and cousins or whatever talking about Myrine and then…”
I trailed off, not wanting to revisit what they’d said, but Luca understood. His frown deepened.
“He hit his own Heir?” he asked, stunned.
