Sera noticed w

comforti

llance. Of a house too old, too r

d her eye

g into golden vines, fading into shadow. A massive chandelier hung in th

on velve

Smoot

d the iron cuffs at each

eath c

eren't

ey wer

it

y. Heavy drapes covered the windows-stitched with the Moretti crest in a deep crimson th

sn't a

a displ

for a pretty

shattered t

ten

n a woman dressed in black, holding

ed downstairs

was rough. "E

ch. "She's waiting wi

Ma

ered down her

move. Did

ards stepped into the

eren't

n't even

ere tr

willingly," on

arry you

jaw c

ce at the blac

ently-sh

n't giv

playing

ss was

eves. A neckline stitched in gold thread that shimmered with every step-d

n't cho

e had

d, hung in the wardro

, and survi

n't giv

the woman said w

's safety

dress whispered behind her like trailing smoke. The corridor was si

s wit

didn't bother to pretend she was anyt

symbols older than the city itself. The deeper she went, the more t

y, two massive oak doors

-

o a room built l

court

ners in Moretti red hung along the walls. Black marble gleamed beneath her

tood a raised c

ve s

tailored suits a

young, all with t

oretti

s behind

er of that half

d Da

sharp. Stil

as darker

e same crimso

matched o

dn't

n't ne

, an empty s

out in silence

orward-head high, spine stiff, fur

ned to watch her like sh

p

d two feet

ll the faint trace

ike-if she were foo

iced through

not y

. No hes

eart was

er de

louder tha

-

assed over

an

sem

t made her b

ouncil murmured-lo

ed the marble walls of th

snapped shut. Rings

Da

dn't

is head and said,

marri

my ring. T

lenched. "I di

brow. "You di

closer. It's ju

feel the chill t

blood

-

d like shat

uncil

uttered someth

-haired woman

ned from Dante to face the room-a

she said clearly.

s fel

idn't

a forged contract make this a real m

e g

tood. "You insul

eserves to be insu

le

didn't

n't ha

de her was its ow

ce cool. "Perhaps the girl doesn't un

e. I'm a pawn in Satin. And I won't pretend this i

ease passed th

h

far right. Female

th white hair and crimso

fer we see it as

ir sn

idn't

u like," she said co

landed l

s when Da

fa

viol

elibe

Hands in his pocket

nding the room w

as velvet-w

Eno

-

turned

ne m

guards

cause

they knew wh

tepped

asured.

piked, but she

dn't f

't b

him

would be on her fee

up-swift, precise

ge

cr

...

tilted h

hed the corner

affe

cl

," Dante

ce didn

n't ne

're my

flared. "And I d

ened, but he

g to me now,

eath h

miliating my name-our name

word

u

belonged t

mbled. Her he

ill me,"

-

ell like

studie

be

w

re

h

eane

kiss

a

rgiv

ses

lips. No

shment. A war

h the chamber like p

s scr

cursed i

droppe

te didn

Se

a f

nd scr

ists

her

rous body-

't s

n't

ly stoo

our

lled away, her lu

kin b

her ear-soft now,

words we

," he w

r last w

ne in that

d been

st as

as