Page 45 of Devoted

“You worry too much. The upside is intel. Access. Even if he doesn’t trust me, I’ll be on the council, privy to discussions, gossip, all the whisperings that surround power. Someone will let information slip, parts of plans, names, locations. This is a fucking gift.”

“This is a fucking curse. A death sentence masked as temptation. Blackwood was ready to execute your father; he will not hesitate to execute you in his stead.”

“Or I can sit on the council as a family head. This is politics, Dante. And politics are nothing but a game. Life still goes on. The daily grind of negotiations and tedious business decisions. There is power in predictability. No, Blackwood—or Giovanni—needs things to look normal from the outside. A fully functioning committee is one of those things.”

I paused for a moment to consider.

She might be right. That travesty vote where Gabriel lost was comic theater at best, but why go through the motions when they could have hunted us down in the streets and executed us?

No, they wanted a sitting council, if not a functioning one.

A show of political organization.

If not for us, then for the other two dynasties in Rome and Florence. Chaos caused panic, and panic was bad for business, and Blackwood and Giovanni were both pragmatists. They needed the money to keep flowing their way.

“Life goes on,” I repeated. “But Blackwood is trying to use you.”

“Of course he is.” She grinned, looking more than a little bloodthirsty. “Which is why I’m going to use him right back. I’ll accomplish far more in Venice than I can marooned on this island. No offense.” She motioned to the messenger, sank her fangs into her index finger, and scrawled her initials on the paper.

Elegant, even in blood.

“Make sure this goes through the proper channels.” Valeria folded the paper and shoved it back into the envelope. “I want my response in Lord Blackwood’s hands within the hour.”

The messenger dipped her head and scrambled off the terrace.

Far below us, my gaze returned to the beach. Emberline was stroking Nico’s face, and he was smiling, saying something that had her laughing. The hair on the back of my neck rose.

Secrets had a way of coming back and devouring you whole when you least expected it.

And whatever Nico was hiding had to be the darkest secret of all.

16

EMBERLINE

Iwas heading for bed when I stopped at my brother’s door, holding my breath, listening.

Nothing.

Not so much as the sound of breathing, but it had been more than twelve hours since I’d last seen Luca. I pressed my palm flat to the door, torn between giving him his space and sisterly worry.

Worry won out in the end, and I rapped my knuckles hard on the wood, “Luca? Are you alive in there?”

“I’m fine, Em, just… sorry, I didn’t mean to sleep the whole day away. I guess everything just caught up to me.” Relief flooded my veins, turned my knees weak, and I sagged against the wall, closing my eyes.

No wonder, given he wasn’t used to fighting monsters. Although, were any of us?

“You missed dinner, but there might be something left in the kitchen.” I paused. “I need to see you, Luca. Can I at least come in?”

“Only if you want to see things no sister should ever see.” I heard a distinct yawn. A bed creaking. “Don’t worry, my stomach is grumbling enough I’ll take a shower in a minute and find some food. Then probably go straight back to bed, if I’m honest.”

“Okay, well… I expect to see you first thing in the morning.”

Fine.

My brother was fine, and I was worried about nothing. My imagination was working overtime. Luca was a grown-ass male, not the little brother I’d always felt needed protecting. I had to keep reminding myself of that.

A few minutes later, I slipped into my own bed and sleep claimed me faster than it should have.