Marcello lead men into battle, but he’d never really assumed the lord title, with Fortino being the older of the two. Now, as one of the Nine and with Fortino gone so long, I supposed it was what was expected of him. But again, I felt a little like he’d grown up a bit without me in the year we’d been apart.
“I thought we’d concluded our business the last time you visited,” Marcello said, frowning.
The main dude, Signore Salvatori, glanced my way and clasped his hands nervously in front of him. “We have further word, m’lord, of your brother.”
Marcello leaned forward. “What word?”
“My sources tell me he fares much worse.” He swallowed so hard I could see his Adam’s apple bob up and down. “The Fiorentini took one of his eyes, and they threaten his other.” He glanced our way. “They have learned, already, that the Ladies Betarrini have returned.”
Marcello’s frown deepened, as if their words were menacing swords.
“That did not take long,” Luca said.
“We knew it wouldn’t,” Marcello grumbled. He glanced toward me.
Maybe that was why he was all agitated last night. He was worried there were already agents from Firenze within the city, out to get us. Well, you’re gonna love what’s comin’ next…
“We have proposed, through our contacts, that we meet the Fiorentini in Sansicino. We are to bring the Ladies Betarrini, and they are to bring Lord Fortino.”
Marcello rose so quietly, so slowly, but with such power in every inch of movement, a shiver of fear ran down my back. He stepped over to Salvatori, looking like he wanted to punch him out. “That was not your place, ” he ground out. “Such negotiations are only for the Nine to make, and”—he shook his finger in the man’s face— “one we would never so foolishly dare. To say nothing of the fact that it would put the Ladies Betarrini in unprecedented danger, something I cannot condone.”
“You might not, beloved,” I said gently, stepping forward. I looked back at Lia and then reached out to tentatively take Marcello’s hand. His face held a mixture of fury and fear. “But we would. Well we know the pain of a family divided,” I rushed on, “a treasured member lost. And Fortino—we love him as a brother too. We cannot stand idly by when there is something to be done.”
Marcello’s eyes narrowed, and his gaze went from me to the men and back to me again. “You spoke with these men last night,” he guessed.
“I did,” I said, willing myself to not back down as a ripple of pain shot through his eyes. “Forgive me, m’lord, for not telling you of it sooner. But when they told me they had further news of Fortino, I knew you’d at least wish to hear them out.”
“Don’t you see?” said Signore Salvatori. “This is our opportunity. We’ve gone over plans, time and again, to steal into Firenze and try and free Lord Fortino. But there’s never a good way out again. Since your daring rescue of Lady Betarrini, our sources tell me that Firenze’s most prized prisoners are held behind several layers of protection. Our only chance is to draw them out, out to someplace where we have a fighting chance. And our only way to draw them out is to pretend to offer what they want most—the Ladies Betarrini.”
“He has a point,” Luca said, lifting a hand in Marcello’s direction.
Marcello sighed and shook his head, dropping my hand to put both on his head. He closed his eyes. “It is not what Fortino would want.” He looked at all of us. “Freeing Fortino would be a great honor for Siena. But what happens if we all die in the effort? Can you imagine what a blow that would be to our city?”
We were silent for a moment, absorbing the idea.
“No pain, no gain,” Lia muttered, so quietly only I heard her.
“M’lord,” I said, facing him. “Siena is a fine, strong city. Cities like this find their footing even after sustaining massive blows.”
Marcello studied me, his eyes peering into mine
“I thought we’d concluded our business the last time you visited,” Marcello said, frowning.
The main dude, Signore Salvatori, glanced my way and clasped his hands nervously in front of him. “We have further word, m’lord, of your brother.”
Marcello leaned forward. “What word?”
“My sources tell me he fares much worse.” He swallowed so hard I could see his Adam’s apple bob up and down. “The Fiorentini took one of his eyes, and they threaten his other.” He glanced our way. “They have learned, already, that the Ladies Betarrini have returned.”
Marcello’s frown deepened, as if their words were menacing swords.
“That did not take long,” Luca said.
“We knew it wouldn’t,” Marcello grumbled. He glanced toward me.
Maybe that was why he was all agitated last night. He was worried there were already agents from Firenze within the city, out to get us. Well, you’re gonna love what’s comin’ next…
“We have proposed, through our contacts, that we meet the Fiorentini in Sansicino. We are to bring the Ladies Betarrini, and they are to bring Lord Fortino.”
Marcello rose so quietly, so slowly, but with such power in every inch of movement, a shiver of fear ran down my back. He stepped over to Salvatori, looking like he wanted to punch him out. “That was not your place, ” he ground out. “Such negotiations are only for the Nine to make, and”—he shook his finger in the man’s face— “one we would never so foolishly dare. To say nothing of the fact that it would put the Ladies Betarrini in unprecedented danger, something I cannot condone.”
“You might not, beloved,” I said gently, stepping forward. I looked back at Lia and then reached out to tentatively take Marcello’s hand. His face held a mixture of fury and fear. “But we would. Well we know the pain of a family divided,” I rushed on, “a treasured member lost. And Fortino—we love him as a brother too. We cannot stand idly by when there is something to be done.”
Marcello’s eyes narrowed, and his gaze went from me to the men and back to me again. “You spoke with these men last night,” he guessed.
“I did,” I said, willing myself to not back down as a ripple of pain shot through his eyes. “Forgive me, m’lord, for not telling you of it sooner. But when they told me they had further news of Fortino, I knew you’d at least wish to hear them out.”
“Don’t you see?” said Signore Salvatori. “This is our opportunity. We’ve gone over plans, time and again, to steal into Firenze and try and free Lord Fortino. But there’s never a good way out again. Since your daring rescue of Lady Betarrini, our sources tell me that Firenze’s most prized prisoners are held behind several layers of protection. Our only chance is to draw them out, out to someplace where we have a fighting chance. And our only way to draw them out is to pretend to offer what they want most—the Ladies Betarrini.”
“He has a point,” Luca said, lifting a hand in Marcello’s direction.
Marcello sighed and shook his head, dropping my hand to put both on his head. He closed his eyes. “It is not what Fortino would want.” He looked at all of us. “Freeing Fortino would be a great honor for Siena. But what happens if we all die in the effort? Can you imagine what a blow that would be to our city?”
We were silent for a moment, absorbing the idea.
“No pain, no gain,” Lia muttered, so quietly only I heard her.
“M’lord,” I said, facing him. “Siena is a fine, strong city. Cities like this find their footing even after sustaining massive blows.”
Marcello studied me, his eyes peering into mine
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