Page 74 of Devoted

I ground my teeth together as they disappeared, but I didn’t have time right now to play chaperone. “So. Back to my uncle. Any ideas? It’s not like him not to bask in the glory of sitting in the Don’s chair. Something feels off.”

“Maybe Blackwood killed him off.” Dante shrugged. “What? It tracks. I mean, we all want the greedy asshole dead, and Blackwood doesn’t seem to suffer fools.”

“He’s not dead.” I ran through all the possibilities, and that one came in dead last. “My uncle’s too clever to leave himself vulnerable, especially with Blackwood around. No, he’s holed up in the palazzo where it’s safe. Where his wards are the strongest. Running his spy network day and night, searching for the only leverage he has. That damn Basin.”

“So, we’re back to that.”

“We’re back to that,” I sighed. “I’d feel better if the thing was gone, but that’s not an option so…”

So what? I had no delusions the Basin would go undiscovered forever, and moving it would only attract attention. What had begun as our greatest victory was quickly turning into our Achilles heel.

“We can’t let this drag on any longer.” Gabriel’s head was tipped forward, tension written all over his face. “Blackwood and Giovanni are the real threats, not the Basin. Given what Blackwood’s guards are capable of, we have to end this. Fast, before he has a chance to become more deeply entrenched.”

Nobody argued, but… how?

“I believe we should…” Gabriel sent a sidelong look at Nico, his posture instantly stiffening. “Perhaps we’ll discuss strategy later.”

Nico jerked as if he’d been struck, and something inside of me crumbled.

I would do anything to get rid of that haunted look on his face. To make the cruel words his father had thrown at him just… disappear. Gods only knew what he’d endured at that bastard’s hands, yet here he stood, shoulders squared, facing his best friend’s judgment as if he deserved it.

I didn’t think I’d ever loved him more.

“We’re discussing this now.” Dante turned to Nico with exaggerated calmness. “I’ve kept my own secrets, but this is Blackwood we’re talking about. Our enemy. Your father. The fact you chose not to tell us who you really were. Let’s start with that, then we’ll move on to why your magic is exactly like the guard’s.”

I stepped forward, body vibrating with anger. “You have no right to treat Nico like he’s…”

“No, Dante’s right, Emberline, they deserve answers. I always knew this day would come.” Nico unclenched his fists and lifted his chin. “Yes, I kept my bloodline a secret. Given my father is a raging douchebag, I never knew quite where to start. I’m not rehashing my shit childhood, but I will say this. Walking away from Blackwood was the easiest thing I ever did, even if leaving came with a hefty price tag. But I would do it again. And again.”

“Spare me,” Gabriel snapped. “You kept the truth from us because if we knew you were related, we wouldn’t have let you anywhere near me. I never would have let you get so close.” His lip curled. “And what will your precious Draconi Master say when he finds out who you are?”

“Gabriel,” I hissed, “don’t you dare…”

“Severin knows,” Nico admitted, his shadows quiet. “He’s known all along. After I got to Venice, I snuck into the Brotherhood fortress one night to get off the streets. Severin was impressed I’d circumvented his wards. Instead of sending me back to the city, he let me stay. But sure,”—a hint of bitterness crept into his voice—“threaten to take that away from me, too.” Nico looked brokenly between the two males he considered brothers.

“I’m going for a walk. Feel free to discuss your plans in my absence.” Then he slipped through the glass doors and was gone.

I whirled on both of them. “How dare you? Nico’s saved me, and you and you.” I stabbed my finger viciously in their direction. “There’s no plot, there’s no fucking grand conspiracy here for you to pick apart. You two are butt-hurt because he kept something from you because he was afraid of exactly this reaction. And you know what? If Lord Blackwood was my fucking father, I wouldn’t admit it, either.”

“This situation is more complicated than that.” Gabriel pinched the bridge of his nose. “And you know it.”

“No,” I said flatly, “I don’t. What I do know is this. We can trust Nico with our lives. He would die for you both. And if you’re too blinded by pride to see that, then I feel sorry for you.”

I turned on my heel and left, heading for the kitchen.

I needed a godsdamned drink. Several, in fact.

When I came around the corner, I caught the briefest glimpse of Valeria up on the counter, her hair down around her shoulders and my brother—my sweet angelic brother—kissing her like he meant to devour her alive. I groaned and kept going, heading for the bedroom.

“I swear to the fucking gods, this day cannot possibly get any worse.”

27

EMBERLINE

Ibarely closed the door when Dante crowded through it, followed by Gabriel.

“What’s the matter? Can’t you find anyone else to take your anger out on?” I split my glare between them. “A small puppy perhaps? A tiny, defenseless kitten?”