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"I probably know better than you think," Stella replied, tapping her mask. "Tonight was a stolen dream, and alas, we must go back to reality with the dawn."
"Do we?" he asked, surprising her.
"What does that mean?"
"Give me your number, and it won't only be for tonight."
"You're only saying that because you're blissed out right now," Stella said, her treacherous heart pounding. She knew exactly who he was, and because of that, she knew that Stella Vianello didn't stand a chance with him in the light of day.
"It's not, but if you insist, we can do it the Venetian way and let Lady Fortune decide." Dom sat up and reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a deck of tarot cards.
Stella wanted to cry as she recognized the gold and red cards flashing between his hands as he shuffled. She had painted every single one of them by hand as a commission for the Aladoro family.
Lady Fortune was being a cruel bitch tonight, Dom just didn't realize it. He fanned the cards and held them out.
"Pick one."
Stella closed her eyes, knowing that the exercise was futile but wanting to believe that somehow this wouldn't be the last time she spoke to him or held him in her arms.
Her fingers skimmed over the cards until one snagged, and she pulled it out. She opened her eyes and laughed.
It was the Star card. The woman on it wore her face because she had used herself as the model.
"What's the matter?" Dom asked.
"Nothing. Do you have a pen?" she said. He produced one and leaning the card against his chest, Stella wrote her phone number on the golden pool that the woman on the card knelt beside. She blew on the ink before sliding it back into the deck.
"Still determined to be a mystery," Dom said, shaking his head.
"Always," Stella replied as she dragged her dress back over her head and zipped it up.
"Leaving so soon?" he asked softly.
"Stars disappear at dawn, don't you know?" Stella pointed to the lightening sky.
Once covered, she made for the door, but the little voice of her heart stopped her.Don't just leave like this.Stella hurried back to Dom, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him hard.
"Find me," she whispered against his lips, then she let him go and ran bare foot from the room.
She took the servant's passage again, not wanting to get stopped by anyone for being in areas of the house she shouldn't be. The kitchen was bustling with catering staff as she went out the back door and onto the still busy streets of San Marco.
The sun was rising and filling the streets with warm light as Stella crossed the Accademia Bridge.
She looked up, spotting a shedu flying high above her, and marveled at its powerful beauty. The shedu twisted gracefully in the wind, flashing black and gold wings as it glided towards San Samuele.
Stella smiled and breathed in the cool, salty air. It had been her favorite Carnevale yet.
