Page 110 of Devoted

My knife in his throat, if I had my way.

“Gabriel. I watched those things today. Once I was over my initial fucking shock…” He shook his head, and the hand resting on his weapon was shaking. “None of my soldiers—even the best trained—can stand against those things. They’ll wipe us out. I counted over a hundred, and I expect they have more in reserve.”

“I’m going to need you and Emilia at the villa before nightfall.” I tucked the shoe into my pocket. “Bring me any ideas you might have, no matter how unorthodox. If taking Blackwood out is the only way to eliminate the threat, then…”

“You can’t kill him,” Severin interrupted. “Besides the fact it will destabilize Rome for years to come… given his age, I don’t believe any of us can kill him single-handedly. Except perhaps Emilia.”

“Then I expect options,” I snapped. “I’m to the point where Rome is not my fucking problem. We’ve been dragging our feet for weeks, and now…” My gaze tracked over the bodies, guilt swamping me. “Now we move. We stamp out the rot. And we rebuild from whatever is left.”

“He’ll start with the families who are loyal to you. Anyone who spoke in your favor, anyone connected to you or Emberline.” His voice went flat, like he was reporting a tactical situation, not an extermination. “I’ll do what I can. Send word to all your allies to evacuate, offer help where we can.”

“Use Valeria’s smuggler friends to get people out.” I nodded, watching a plume of black smoke float across the countryside. “As far as exposure, speed is more important than secrecy at this point. I don’t want one more vampire hauled in front of the council.”

“Understood. I’ll get this cleaned up, and speaking of exposure, you should head back to the villa. Soon enough, there will be plenty of attention on this place.”

He turned to leave, and I stopped him.

“Can I ask you a question, Severin?”

“Of course.”

“Is the Dynasty even worth saving?” I paused, the sight of that tiny shoe making it impossible to breathe. “What I mean is, would it be wiser to just start over again? I was thinking… as evil and corrupt as this empire has become, I wonder if we should get the decent vampires out and let the rot collapse upon itself.”

Severin’s expression tightened, but his attention wasn’t on me. It was fixed on something beyond me. “This Dynasty was built on the will and the resolve of two of the strongest people I’ve ever known,” he said quietly, his voice thrumming with emotion. “The bones are good, Gabriel; it’s the greed that’s eaten into the mortar and the brick, but beneath that rot… the foundation is still solid. Starting over would require you—all of you—to sacrifice everything you are. Your futures. Your love.” He shook his head slowly. “You’ve spent your entire life believing in the Dynasty. Don’t give up now, not when there is still something worth saving.”

“Get everyone out you can. By any means necessary,” I murmured, Severin meeting my gaze steadily. “And be at the villa by nightfall. We have work to do.”

I looked back at the courtyard, bile clogging my throat, swamped by guilt. “Make sure they all have a pyre. I want them properly sent off. Especially the… children.”

He dipped his head. “I’ll file a report stating the fire was reported by nearby humans, and I had no choice but to cordon off the area. That should satisfy the council paper pushers.”

“I need to tell Valeria.” I swallowed. “I’ll keep details to a minimum.”

“That would be for the best. The poor girl was traumatized today. She’s seen a lot, given she’s Rocco’s daughter, but today was…” He sucked in a breath. “The less she knows, the better. There’s nothing she—or any of us—can do for them now.”

“Don’t forget the pyres.”

“Already arranged. Emilia’s priests will take care of them.”

Of course, they would. Severin had served this Dynasty longer than most, had served my father for his entire rule as Don, and I wondered, not for the first time, what he truly thought of me.

“You told me something once,” I turned away from the carnage. “When I was young. You said power is a mirror, reflecting the soul of whichever person wields it. Do you still believe that?”

A faint smile dug those lines deeper into his rugged face. “Oh, I believe it even more now. True power is not the ability to bend others to your will, but the wisdom to know when your will must bend to the needs of others.”

“Then that is what we will do. Bend to the needs of others. Protect who you can, Severin. No more playing politics,” I said. “No more holding back. Spread the word, use Valeria’s network to get the word out. War is coming. Any vampire capable of leaving the city should get out as soon as possible.”

“And the humans?”

“There’s still a perimeter in place around La Sala, correct?”

He nodded.

“Then for the moment, we watch and learn everything we can about what we’re up against. The best scenario would be to draw our enemies out of the city. We’ll work on a strategy for that.”

“It will take me a few hours to get soldiers in place and lock this estate down.”

“I need to go back,” I said heavily. “Tell Valeria what happened to her family, and then we’ll get started on a plan. I will become the Don this Dynasty deserves. Even if it’s only for a few days or a week. So long as when this is over, Giovanni is dead and Blackwood is gone.”