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his voice gruff. “When I was told the black candle had been lit, I was sure it was my friend Dante coming to reassure me of his continued good health. But you must be his first son, Rafeo.”
    He shook his head and walked to the other side of the desk, taking a seat.
    I pushed my mask to the top of my head, then slipped it off, my newly shorn hair coming to rest against my cheeks and chin. “Actually, it’s Lea.”
    He blinked and leaned back in his chair. “I apologize again, then. I must have confused your masks.”
    â€œNo, you weren’t confused.” I turned the mask in my hands and examined its design and the crack across itssurface. “This was my brother’s mask. I couldn’t save him, so I wear it now, to honor him.”
    He ran his fingers through his dark hair. “Then Dante and Bianca?”
    â€œI searched . . .” I paused, my breath suddenly heavy in my throat. “I searched but could find no sign that anyone else escaped.” My fault. It was my fault they were dead.
    He nodded as if he expected this news.
    â€œIt doesn’t mean anything, though,” I added. “They could have gotten out before me. They could be safe. . . .”
    He folded his hands in front of him on the desk. “Truthfully, I’m surprised to see any Saldana remaining. I was told the whole Family had been destroyed in their home.”
    I leaned forward. “Told by whom?”
    He waved his fingers at me. “I cannot divulge that information.”
    â€œI need to know who killed my Family!”
    His eyebrows arched in surprise. “How is it you do not?”
    I settled against my chair. “It was dark, there was so much smoke. I couldn’t make out their masks. Rafeo, before he died, said it was the Da Vias. Is this true? Please tell me if this is true.” Please let it not be true.
    He didn’t respond, but the dark look on his face was all the confirmation I needed.
    My stomach dropped. To know, to actually know it was the Da Vias who had killed us . . .
    Yes, there were the Family politics and the struggle for rank and power. Objectively, it made sense that the secondFamily would destroy the first when the first was low in numbers and wealth. But Val . . . didn’t he love me? Had it all counted for nothing?
    I closed my eyes. What hurt more? The death of my Family, or the cold betrayal?
    I needed to breathe. In and out. Just like that.
    We were the first Family, and yes, the Saldanas and Da Vias shared Ravenna as a territory, but that had been the way of things for generations. There was bad blood because of the failed marriage between Estella Da Via and my uncle Marcello, of course. But that had happened decades ago, and they hadn’t moved against us in all that time. What had changed to make the Da Vias decide to end us now?
    The plague, of course.
    The plague had weakened the Saldanas, almost crippled us. And the plague had put Estella Da Via in charge. She wanted change, while the Saldanas followed the old ways, and as long as we were the first Family, we made the decisions. With us gone their territory would be larger and they would become richer and none of the other Families would be strong enough to face them alone. No one would punish them for what they’d done to us. They could take what they wanted—and Estella wanted to be in charge and wanted the Saldanas gone. It had taken her only two years to work out a means to do so—using Val to get to me.
    I looked back at the king, who was watching me thoughtfully.
    â€œWill you help me destroy them?” I asked.
    Surprise flashed across his face. “No. No, I can’t do that.”
    â€œBut you were friends with my father. And they murdered him! Murdered him while he slept!”
    â€œLea, I cannot interfere in Family politics. I cannot show bias. The other Families would come for my head, and then where would the country be?”
    â€œIt wasn’t