Page 237 of Marcello

“Yeah, that’s probably it,” I said to Papa.

Then I went upstairs.

When I left tomorrow night, I wouldn’t be able to carry much, so I decided on what I would take.

My favorite outfit, which I would be wearing…

A picture of my family when I was a baby…

And a small silk bag I could carry my remaining jewelry in.

I would give enough to Eugenio to pay both him and Esmeralda, but I planned to take the rest with me. I hoped Romeo had enough money to keep us afloat until we figured things out, but I figured the extra diamonds and gold would be a nice insurance policy.

The money didn’t matter to me, though.

I had been trapped in a palace for two decades, where I had led a lonely and miserable life.

I would have gladly lived in a shack with a tin roof as long as I got to be with the man I loved.

After I decided what to take, I got dressed for bed, then lay down and watched a movie. The Witch had been scary enough; now I wanted the cinematic equivalent of comfort food, so I settled on an old favorite: Clueless.

After it was over, I went to sleep.

In the middle of the night, I awoke to a strange sound:

A muted pop pop pop, like someone bursting balloons under a heavy blanket.

The castle walls were made of stone, so vibrations didn’t travel through them – but sounds tended to bounce off the stone and carry for quite a distance.

I couldn’t tell where the pops were coming from, but it sounded like it was down on the second floor.

I sat up and reached for the lamp beside my bed.

It wouldn’t turn on.

…what?!

I tried clicking the switch several times, but nothing happened.

The power must be out!

I always slept late, so there were heavy curtains over my windows. As a result, the room was pitch black. Not even a sliver of moonlight from outside.

I was about to get out of bed when I heard muted voices in the hallway.

I froze and tried to make them out, but couldn’t.

Maybe it’s the foot soldiers trying to fix the power…

However, I had an uneasy feeling it wasn’t.

Suddenly, I heard my brother’s voice down the hall.

“Papa?”

Luciano?!

What the hell is HE doing here?!