I slid on a dressing gown that lay at the foot of the bed and left the bedroom. “Is anyone here?” My voice sounded coarse. So I cleared my throat and said again, “Hello?”
Everything was narrow here, even the corridor. A door was flung open. My heart gave a thump of anticipation before taking a dip to my stomach. It was Detective Norton. His eyes widened when he spotted me.
“Miss Fitzwilliam, how are you?” he asked, hurrying towards me.
“Spectacular. Where’s Rennie?” I put a hand on the wall not to fall.
“It’s complicated.” He adjusted his glasses.
All the blood flowed down from my head. “What happened to him?”
“Why don’t you sit down?” He took my elbow and led me back to the bedroom. “We are in a hospital of sorts. A small practice that offers rooms to the patients as well.”
“Fascinating. Where’s Rennie?” I was growing tired of asking the same question.
The detective didn’t speak until I was sitting on a stuffed chair and—if I’d been more relaxed—I would have appreciated how soft and silky it was.
“You’ve been sick for days.” He started. “The doctor on board theFlorentiadidn’t know what to do. So we had to disembark you here in Venice. Rennie and his friend Oliver had a furious brawl. They came to blows. Then Rennie sent a wire to your parents?—”
“Oh, no!” I clamped my hands over my mouth. “What did they do to him?”
He opened his mouth, but the door was pushed inwards, and my mother rushed inside. Her face, so similar to mine, was stricken with grief. Lack of sleep clouded her dark eyes.
“Monia.” She held me in a tight embrace, caressing the top of my head. “I left your side for a moment, and you woke up.”
“Mother.” I clung to her with all my strength and wept on her shoulder.
She didn’t say anything but let me cry while stroking my head.
When Mother wiped my tears with her handkerchief, Norton wasn’t in the room. I hadn’t heard him leave.
“We were so worried.” She took my face and studied it, peering into my eyes with clinical interest. “You could have died.”
“Mama.” I took her hands. As much as I was happy to see her, I needed to know Rennie was safe. “Where’s Rennie?”
Her face straightened. “He knew the consequences of putting you in danger.”
“It wasn’t him.” Pain burst within me as I raised my voice. “It was Oliver who unlocked my memories. Rennie tried to protect me. Mama, please don’t tell me he was hurt.”
“He’s with your father. Here in Venice, there’s an occult department called the Demonic Unit. Rennie is in a cell there, waiting to be judged.”
“Mother!” I thumped a fist on the armchair, sending a fresh shot of pain up my arm. “He didn’t do anything. I demand to see him. Immediately.”
“You need rest.” She gave me the stern look she always wore when I was about to disobey. “The process of making your memories resurface caused your skin to burn, and your body to weaken. It needs time to recover.”
“Sod the rest.”
A gasp left her as she stepped away from me. “Monia! Manners.”
I folded my arms over my chest, sending a fresh shot of pain up my arms. “I want to see Rennie. Now.”
VENICE WAS INDEED the most elegant and beautiful city in Europe. I could easily believe it. The architecture was stunning with all those palaces, balconies, and cathedrals that looked like wedding cakes. But holy smoke, the smell wasn’t impressive. Some canals smelled of mould. Others filled the air with heavy humidity that hung on my hair and skin. Thank goodness the sea breeze refreshed the alleyways.
The knot of worry in my belly didn’t ease when Mother and I entered St Mark’s Basilica. The church was truly stunning. The gable shone with blue enamel and was dotted with golden stars. The inside was an explosion of light with rays of sunshine flooding in from the windows and the soaring ceiling. It was like being engulfed in sunlight and colours.
“Is Rennie here?” I asked, admiring the frescoes.
“This is the entrance to the Venetian Demonic Unit. There aren’t many underground tunnels here, obviously. The Demonic Unit stretches on the rooftops, and every church allows you to enter it.”
