Page 27 of Devoted

“At least we agree on something.” The slimy bastard shrugged. “Now, you have something of mine, Signora Dominico. I’m a reasonable male. I’m sure we can come to an understanding.” He flicked two fingers and his henchman—Romulus—stepped forward.

“That Basin belongs to me. Give me the location, and I’ll let you live. All of you. I’ll even offer you the same deal I gave your uncle. I’ll let you run this Dynasty however you see fit and pretend you’re in charge, if that makes you happy.”

“Like I would trust a single fucking lie that came out of your mouth. Hard pass.”

“Or I can sew your mouth shut and feed you to the Drax,” he said pleasantly. “They are hungry, and you are an uncooperative little bitch. Your choice.”

Black liquid splatted down onto the council table, splashing up the front of Blackwood’s immaculate waistcoat. He didn’t even flinch. Ever so slowly, I looked up at the hand-painted, ancient ceiling. The entire thing was covered in spiders.

Too many to even count.

Luca’s shaking fingers found mine, his grip tightening as Blackwood watched us with infinite patience.

You can’t give him the location, Em. He’ll use it to enslave everyone.

Yeah, no shit, but we’ve got to get out of here, Luca, before…

A plume of black smoke exploded through the chamber, billowing until I couldn’t even see Blackwood’s face, so thick I was choking, trying to breathe through the sharp tang of ozone.

I couldn’t tell where the smoke came from, but I wasn’t arguing with good fortune. I hauled Luca sideways, dragging him toward the hidden door behind Severin’s chair, and we sprinted, thigh muscles straining toward the escape.

Twenty feet.

Ten.

Five.

The door was in arm’s reach when spiders dropped from the ceiling, landing all around us. Jointed legs moving, the second they hit the ground, skittering straight toward us.

Move, Luca. Move.

We blasted through that door, my shoulder taking the brunt of the impact, skin tearing, bones shifting in their sockets. We were halfway down the hall—little more than a tunnel of stacked stone—when behind us, Blackwood lifted one hand.

Darkness coiled from his fingertips, turning shadows into a blade forged from liquid night.

And like a sharpened spear thrown true, those shadows rocketed straight at Luca. I knocked my brother to the side and sent him stumbling. Instantly, the blade disintegrated into a floating puff of smoke between us, leaving a reek of spent magic staining the air.

“Fucking go,” I hissed, shoving him toward the exit. “Get through that fucking door.”

We burst out onto the empty fondamenta and were gone, nothing but disorganized particles speeding over the sleeping city towards the safehouse.

But the last thing I remembered was the gloating expression on Lord Blackwood’s face as he stood surrounded by a host of eyeless spiders, watching our escape with the satisfied expression of a male who had gotten exactly what he wanted.

10

DANTE DOMINICO

The rendezvous point—a sheltered, secondary canal just off the Grand Canal—was confined enough to ramp up my panic every time I thought about my wife.

The only bright spot in today’s clusterfuck of epic proportions?

I was no longer naked.

My borrowed shirt was too tight and smelled like another male’s sour sweat. The pants didn’t reach my ankles, the too-small boots pinched my feet, and yet I sent the unnamed Demente soldier another silent thank you.

The male hadn’t argued when I’d rematerialized and demanded he give me his clothing.

No, he’d taken one look at the flames burning all over my body and stripped bare, throwing everything in my face before fleeing in his silk boxers.