I flung myself from my horse, skirts billowing, heart thundering in my chest. Without waiting for permission, I burst into Signor Zampa’s estate, screaming through sobs.
“Something awful has happened, Signor Zampa!” I wailed, stumbling into the drawing room. “Balthazar—he’s killed my entire family!”
Zampa looked up from his armchair, startled. The dusty old book in his lap snapped shut with a sharp thud as he rose, urgency flashing across his features.
“My God,” he breathed. “Are you certain?”
I collapsed in the doorway, tears streaking down my cheeks—real ones now, mingled with the ones I forced.
“Yes,” I cried, letting hysteria tremble in my voice. “I—I barely escaped with my life!”
He crossed the room in seconds, pulling me into a firm embrace. His arm wrapped around my shoulders as he stroked my hair in gentle, paternal comfort.
“It’s alright now, child. You’re safe here,” he murmured. “Tell me. Tell me everything.”
I shivered in his arms, reciting the tale of the massacre Balthazar had wrought, layering truth with exaggeration, carefully painting myself as the terrified survivor. I described blood on the walls, limbs torn apart, my mother’s lifeless body slumped in her rockingchair. Zampa’s expression darkened with each embellished detail, his jaw tightening in fury.
When I finished, he stepped back and clenched his fists. “This is… unspeakable,” he said, voice low with rage. “But you’re safe now. I’ll see to it you’re protected. Justice will be served.”
I forced a sob, collapsing into his chest. “Justice won’t stop him, Signor. You don’t understand. I’m still in danger. He’s going to come for me. He’ll find me.”
Zampa drew in a breath, then cupped my face in his hands, his eyes serious.
“Yes, you are in danger,” he said softly. “Balthazar has power—too much power. He slips through the cracks of the law like smoke through fingers. The only way to truly escape him… is to leave this time altogether.”
I blinked, my breath catching. “What do you mean?”
He looked over his shoulder, then leaned in closer. “Time travel.”
My heart slammed against my ribs.
“The full moon is six nights away,” he whispered, his voice barely more than a breath. “You must be ready by then. You must memorize the scripture—the rite. If you perform it correctly, the moment the moon peaks… you’ll be gone. Somewhere new. Somewhere safe.”
His words struck something deep inside me.
Fear, yes.
But also, something else. A flicker of power I hadn’t known I was missing until now.
His intense gaze bore into me, waiting for my reaction. I drew in a shaky breath and nodded. My voice failed me, but my resolve didn’t.
“You must leave in six days, or you’ll never escape,” he continued. “Balthazar will find you—no matter where you run. He has eyes everywhere. He sees the threads of your movements before you even pull them. If you’re going to survive, you need a plan.”
I nodded again, more firmly this time, though I still felt lost inside.
But not helpless.
I would find a way. I would start over.
“I want you to stay here,” Zampa said. “Until the ritual. He can’t reach you under this roof. I’ll keep you hidden.”
I met his eyes. In them, I saw no lies. No hesitation.
Just protection.
Genuine and undeserved.
Gratitude swelled in my chest. Signor Zampa didn’t truly know me. He didn’t owe me anything. And yet, here he was, offering sanctuary without condition.
