Read Online Cascade by Lisa Tawn Bergren - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lisa Tawn Bergren
Ads: Link
them.”
“Indeed,” I said. “Will it not soothe Lord Rossi’s ruffled feathers to have us join the festivities? Give him a semblance of deference and power, to have us all there? Reorient things?”
Chin in hand, he studied me. “It has not taken you long to absorb our politics, m’lady.”
I smiled, basking in his praise. So I was right. It was important we be there. For his long-term security, if not our own. We needed to win Lord Rossi’s support again, despite what had transpired for Romana. Politics trumped pride, even in the twenty-first century.
And while I was there, I could do some digging, surveillance of my own. I wanted to know if Romana was really okay being with Fortino, make certain I was just being a paranoid chick.
I looked down the road, to Captain Rossi, now a half-mile away with his troops. A shiver of foreboding ran down my back. Just what was up with the Rossi family? I remembered the doctor talking in hushed tones with Lord Rossi, even as he was poisoning me. Lord Rossi was frightfully clever. A leader of all of Siena. So how had such a man—and Foraboschi, too—wormed his way into Rossi’s circle of confidence?
Maybe everyone else was ready to dismiss the connection. But I wasn’t. My hand went to my belly. Maybe it was because I had almost died. The pain was not too old—stitched up just days ago, from my perspective—for me to remember it well.
And I was determined that none of my loved ones would be touched by such treachery again.
CHAPTER 5
We made the journey to Siena with none of the drama that had accompanied us before. No one attacked our heavily fortified troops. No swords were even drawn. But Lia and I both traveled with our weapons at our backs and our mother between us. We’d gained enough knowledge of this territory to know we were best served to be always at the ready.
Little girls at the city entrance were our first hint of what was to come. Dressed in flowing gowns, with crowns of daisies on their heads, they threw sunflowers before us. The horses trampled them, leaving the sweet smell of sunflower oil wafting up behind us. The boys were next, heralding the heroines of Siena, the She-Wolves. They cried out, howling with great smiles on their faces and waving wildly. They scurried ahead of us and behind us, as if beside themselves, they were so excited. Ultimately, the villagers on the outskirts of the city gathered, waving and throwing more flowers before us.
“Can you believe this?” Lia asked me, eyes wide. Mom looked similarly stunned, shaking her head and smiling. I liked it that she was seeing us—really seeing us—anew. Capable. Strong. Honored. I glanced at Marcello, but neither he nor Luca seemed to be sharing our glory. Their eyes were constantly scanning the crowds, their brows furrowed.
The guys flanked us when the road was wide enough, politely bending to accept the proffered flowers for their charges but grimly aware of the danger that the people brought us. Might there be an assassin within their ranks, waiting for just such an opportunity as this to close in and attack, then disappear?
“We must hasten to the Rossis’ as quickly as possible,” Luca said to Marcello.
Marcello nodded once, fast.
I hated that their paranoia was making me paranoid too. Suddenly I was all air-marshall-on-a-risky-flight, checking everyone out, watching to see if people were acting weird, moving in a way that stood out. A shiver ran down my back. “So much for our homecoming queen glory,” I whispered to Lia.
“Yeah, that’s over before it began,” she returned. “We get to pretend we’re the homecoming queens and worry someone will stab us at any moment.”
“Or shoot us with an arrow.”
“Or poison us. We’ve seen, firsthand, how well that works.”
Marcello reached over and touched my elbow. “Please. Do not jest. It is quite serious.”
Yeah, I get that. I heaved a sigh. “Just trying to ease the moment with a little humor. You
“Indeed,” I said. “Will it not soothe Lord Rossi’s ruffled feathers to have us join the festivities? Give him a semblance of deference and power, to have us all there? Reorient things?”
Chin in hand, he studied me. “It has not taken you long to absorb our politics, m’lady.”
I smiled, basking in his praise. So I was right. It was important we be there. For his long-term security, if not our own. We needed to win Lord Rossi’s support again, despite what had transpired for Romana. Politics trumped pride, even in the twenty-first century.
And while I was there, I could do some digging, surveillance of my own. I wanted to know if Romana was really okay being with Fortino, make certain I was just being a paranoid chick.
I looked down the road, to Captain Rossi, now a half-mile away with his troops. A shiver of foreboding ran down my back. Just what was up with the Rossi family? I remembered the doctor talking in hushed tones with Lord Rossi, even as he was poisoning me. Lord Rossi was frightfully clever. A leader of all of Siena. So how had such a man—and Foraboschi, too—wormed his way into Rossi’s circle of confidence?
Maybe everyone else was ready to dismiss the connection. But I wasn’t. My hand went to my belly. Maybe it was because I had almost died. The pain was not too old—stitched up just days ago, from my perspective—for me to remember it well.
And I was determined that none of my loved ones would be touched by such treachery again.
CHAPTER 5
We made the journey to Siena with none of the drama that had accompanied us before. No one attacked our heavily fortified troops. No swords were even drawn. But Lia and I both traveled with our weapons at our backs and our mother between us. We’d gained enough knowledge of this territory to know we were best served to be always at the ready.
Little girls at the city entrance were our first hint of what was to come. Dressed in flowing gowns, with crowns of daisies on their heads, they threw sunflowers before us. The horses trampled them, leaving the sweet smell of sunflower oil wafting up behind us. The boys were next, heralding the heroines of Siena, the She-Wolves. They cried out, howling with great smiles on their faces and waving wildly. They scurried ahead of us and behind us, as if beside themselves, they were so excited. Ultimately, the villagers on the outskirts of the city gathered, waving and throwing more flowers before us.
“Can you believe this?” Lia asked me, eyes wide. Mom looked similarly stunned, shaking her head and smiling. I liked it that she was seeing us—really seeing us—anew. Capable. Strong. Honored. I glanced at Marcello, but neither he nor Luca seemed to be sharing our glory. Their eyes were constantly scanning the crowds, their brows furrowed.
The guys flanked us when the road was wide enough, politely bending to accept the proffered flowers for their charges but grimly aware of the danger that the people brought us. Might there be an assassin within their ranks, waiting for just such an opportunity as this to close in and attack, then disappear?
“We must hasten to the Rossis’ as quickly as possible,” Luca said to Marcello.
Marcello nodded once, fast.
I hated that their paranoia was making me paranoid too. Suddenly I was all air-marshall-on-a-risky-flight, checking everyone out, watching to see if people were acting weird, moving in a way that stood out. A shiver ran down my back. “So much for our homecoming queen glory,” I whispered to Lia.
“Yeah, that’s over before it began,” she returned. “We get to pretend we’re the homecoming queens and worry someone will stab us at any moment.”
“Or shoot us with an arrow.”
“Or poison us. We’ve seen, firsthand, how well that works.”
Marcello reached over and touched my elbow. “Please. Do not jest. It is quite serious.”
Yeah, I get that. I heaved a sigh. “Just trying to ease the moment with a little humor. You
Similar Books
