Dante’s breath shuddered out of him. “I was already planning to leave after Divorando, so you don’t have to worry about me tarnishing her further.”
A hole tore open in Alessa’s chest. “Once people see—”
He shook his head. “If you let me out, everyone will think they were right about you. I’m not worth it.”
“You’re worth it to me.”
Renata’s brows drew together. “You think they’ll stand by you if you ally yourself with a ghiotte? You’re too smart for that, Alessa. When Divorando is over, you two can run away with each other, for all I care. I’ll commission a ship for you, and … I’ll train the next Finestra. Right now, you need to focus on saving Saverio. If you don’t, he’ll be dead anyway.”
“I’m afraid she’s right.” Tomo took Renata’s hand. “We’ve asked far too much of you, dear girl, but right now, Saverio needs you more than you need him. No offense, young man.”
“He’s imprisoned, not dead,” Renata said firmly. “Now, Tomo and I will take what we’ve learned from our interrogation and persuade the Consiglio to keep it that way. In the meantime, you will visit your bedridden Fonte and make sure our little stunt didn’t kill him once and for all.”
* * *
The Cittadella buzzed with soldiers whispering about the monster in their midst and servants breathlessly relaying the news to every person who crossed their path, as though anyone in Saverio hadn’t already heard it ten times over.
Alessa saw more concern on their faces during her walk through the building than she had while grieving all her dead Fontes combined.
Their fear and anger had a new target now, a shared enemy, and everyone swelled with righteous fury that a monster had tricked their beloved savior.
One young soldier blocked her path to the stairs, blubbering and taking a knee.
Alessa fumbled her way through absolving the young man, acutely aware how many people were watching to see if she’d offer mercy.
After so many years wishing for a bit of sympathy, she finally had it—because the man she loved was taking the blame for every harm she’d ever done.
Kaleb’s eyes fluttered open as she cracked the door to the Fonte suite.
“You’re awake,” she said, coming in. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what happened. Everything was fine. Good, even, but … it fell apart.”
“Yuck. Apologies are so awkward.” Kaleb wrinkled his nose. “Besides, it looks like I might have a heart thing. Doctor says it wouldn’t usually be a big deal, but that power flare-up of yours set it off.”
A heart condition. Not her fault. But he’d endured her touch so many times before without collapsing.
“Sorry,” she said. “I mean, not sorry.”
“The secret’s out, huh?”
She nodded miserably.
“Please stop crying. I can’t take it.”
“All this time thinking Dea’s gift was my greatest weapon, and tears are even more effective at destroying men.”
“You have quite the arsenal,” Kaleb said. “Where is he?”
Alessa plucked at the sheets on the side of the bed. “They’re moving him to an empty crypt while the Consiglio deliberates.”
Kaleb shuddered. “How very gothic. Pour me a glass, will you?”
Alessa reached for the pitcher of water beside his bed, but hesitated before handing it to him.
“Oh, stop. I’m not scared of you,” Kaleb said. “What happens now?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t decided who’s going to take your place, yet.”
“Why choose?” Kaleb asked. “Bring them all.”
“That would be a sight, wouldn’t it? A whole passel of Fontes on the Peak. We’d run out of room.”
“Nah, one group hug and you’d vanquish the scarabeo with a bigger version of that snowflake tornado you nearly killed me with. Other than backfiring on me, it was pretty awesome.”
Backfiring. Something prodded the back of her mind, disconnected thoughts trying to fit together, but they were interrupted by Tomo and Renata before she’d finished assembling the entire picture.
“It was unanimous,” Tomo said, grave faced. “We persuaded them to wait until after Divorando, but they intend to hold a trial.”
Alessa leapt to her feet. “You said—”
“I said we’d try. And we will. This isn’t over.”
A week earlier, Alessa would have been mortified to weep in front of Kaleb, Tomo, and Renata, but no one seemed disgusted or disappointed, not even Kaleb with his aversion to crying.