That single-minded focus on protecting my family may have blinded me to the threat right in front of me.
One of the five heads of the D’Immortali Dynasty was dead, and just like that, my perfectly ordered life came crumbling down around me, my heart breaking as I let my uncle steer me into our palazzo.
2
EMBERLINE
Three days after father’s death and we were no closer to finding his killer.
Tonight, on our private island, his soul would be sent to the Underworld.
I shifted my weight from foot to foot, cursing the male—because I fucking knew it had to be a male—who’d invented high heels as me, my uncle, my brother, and a crowd of two hundred vampires waited for Enzo’s funeral boat to arrive.
My father—ever the optimist—would have had a pithy saying ready tonight.
Although he could have chosen something appropriately macabre, like, “Mark my words, Ember, no matter how fast you run, fate follows your scent and Death will always keep her promise.”
Right now, I didn’t give a shit about fate or promises.
But Death… that I cared about a great deal, given we were saying goodbye to our last remaining parent.
Luca and I were orphans.
The thought hit me out of nowhere, followed by a pitiful sort of gloominess that kept haunting my footsteps these past days. A wonderful addition to my personal little pity party about my ruined future.
“Em, are you holding up?” Luca bent his dark head to mine, his brown eyes spilling over with so much emotion, I might as well be staring straight into his heart. Ever since hewas born, Luca was too much like our father—kind to a fault.
And in our world, kindness was a death sentence.
My twin’s long, dark hair was gathered into a tail, showcasing his high cheekbones. His dark golden skin was set off by the charcoal gray suit, which hugged his rangy body a little too tightly every time he shifted position, something every mafia princess in attendance took note of, tracking his movements like a flock of circling crows.
“I’m fine, Luca.” I touched his hand. “Let’s just try to survive these next few hours.”
He straightened, mirroring my rigid pose—shoulders back, head held high, hands clasped in front of him. The breeze off the lagoon picked up, carrying the unforgiving Italian summer heat and, beneath that, the limey scent of the ancient city looming beyond our island, glowing like the jewel set in a crown of gold—Venice.
Finally, the parade of black boats knifed toward us in silence. I ignored the urge to reach up and rub my aching chest. I’d gone old school tonight, choosing a demure black dress with a high collar because this was not a day to show weakness.
And I had a reputation to uphold. They called meprincipessa del ghiaccio, the Ice Princess, and tonight, that lethal calm was on full display.
Besides, today ofalldays, I would not dishonor the family code.
Not at my sire’sBruciore Notturno.
Eternal Power, Immortal Gracewas the family motto, drilled into me from the day I was born, which meant I had to act every inch the DiRavello princess, and Luca the prince, and besides… tears were a luxury I’d long denied myself.
I remained dry-eyed as our guards unloaded the funeral boat, carried Enzo’s ebony casket past us, then set the torch to my father’s funeral pyre. I shivered in horror when the flames licked at what was left of him, lifting his soul to the Pale, where he’d hopefully meet my mother in the afterlife. They’d finally be together, after meeting such violent ends—Duke Enzo DiRavello, at the edge of an assassin’s blade, and my mother...
Well, they would finally be together again.
That was the pretty lie I told myself.
Power hung over the crowd like a threatening blanket, tendrils of magic creeping out like the deepest shadows of night. Some, like the DiSangue family’s, were tinged with red, some green, others blue. Almost all vampires possessed some form of innate magic running in their bloodline. My uncle could read minds. Like our father, Luca had an uncanny ability to predict the future.
I had been born barren of magic.
Forced to compensate in other ways, to sharpen every sense and skill at my disposal so I could hold my own against my more powerful peers.
“We should head back to the palazzo, Ember,” my brother nervously scanned the crowd, golden flames reflected in his dark eyes as the pyre roared, throwing sparks into the dark sky. “The family is being targeted, and we’ve been out in the open for too long.”
