Page 29 of The Don's Deadly Assassin

I lied, straight to his face.

If the Handler finds that out, the consequences are just as unimaginable. Asking for his help to break the arrow’s spell is out of the question.

My only option is to continue his little game of hide and seek. I must pretend, even if he suspects because maybe he will let slip some piece of information that could be my salvation.

“What does this arrow look like?” trying to act my curious self.

He leans forward, eyes gleaming. “It is slim,” he marks the narrow girth of the arrow between his fingers. “Made of the most ancient gold in the world. The tip bears a ruby, an inverted heart that catches the light like drops of blood. If cast far and strong at the hands of a scorned lover, it can kill. But a gentle prick can make one putty at the hands of another. Long, but a paradox, it can turn minuscule, enough to slide into a glass of wine, to prick a tongue into love.”

“You’ve seen it before?” I drawl, pretending to wipe off some dust from a chair. “Can’t you simply replicate it? With whatever poison or drug it’s laced with?”

This is the question I’ve been leading up to. I just need to know what compound it could be made of and then learn if I can reverse it. Simple.

He laughs, throwing his neck back. “Perhaps I taught you to be too cold, too calculative, too naïve,” he murmurs. “Not everything is as simple as causation and effect, Camela.”

I say nothing, realizing he’s trying to remind me of my place. I’m still a fool, still a child, still at his mercy to learn more only when he deems me worthy.

“Thousands of years ago, Neptune, the god of the sea, made love to a mortal woman and sired a son with her. Pelagios, like hundreds of other demigod children simply played their role in the battles of the gods. The mothers were of no further use to the gods, so when Pelagios’ mother lay dying, none of the gods showed up to save her. He sought revenge and plotted to steal one of Cupid’s arrows. He aimed to prick the favorite daughters of the divine beings who wronged him, casting them under the spell of the arrow. But, along the way, he met a mortal woman named Calliope.”

Get to the point already. I need to know how to reverse this.

I try not to swallow the gulp forming in the back of my throat, for he’ll notice my nerves. Instead, I lean forward, grab his bottle of water and then sit back against my chair as I drink, letting the coolness trickle down my throat.

As he speaks, my mind begins to wander. I hear his voice drone on about how their love was so powerful that it shook heaven and earth and their romance so tragic that it cost her her life. He speaks of ancient records and of those who believe the legend to be true.

I come to when the Handler clears his throat. "The arrow was lost to history until news surfaced of the discovery of an ancient shipwreck off the coast of Italy.

I’m certain that foolhardy professor Julian Castellano claimed the arrow for himself, keeping it a secret from the world. Now, I believe, he gave it to Consolini for safeguarding.”

As he speaks, I no longer doubt the existence of the golden arrow, for I’ve seen it, held it, and fallen in love with it. I also no longer think it’s a poisoned tip with a cure in tow.

I do know that the arrow has weakened me with emotions, causing me to care for Vincenzo when I should have been focused on fulfilling my mission.

But now is not the time for doubt or introspection. The Handler is watching, and I must maintain my facade at all costs.

The flickering single bulb hanging overhead casts eerie shadows across the Handler's face, accentuating the cruelty in his eyes, the scar on his chin, the gash on his cheek as he watches me closely.

I hold back a swallow, keep my trembling hands in the pockets of my coat, feeling a bead of sweat trickle down the back of my neck as I try to accept my new reality – there is no escape from Cupid’s divine will.

"Now, Huntress," the Handler says, leaning forward and placing his hands on the table between us. "I have received word that another party will be hosted by Vincenzo tomorrow night. It is crucial that you attend, complete your original mission, and gather any intel you can on the arrow." His voice leaves no room for argument.

I now swallow before I speak, forcing my voice to come out strong. "Of course," I reply steadily, even though my heart’s being crushed in my chest. I thought I’d ignore the invitation, stay as far away from Vincenzo as possible, loving him from a distance. I thought I could protect him that way. But it seems I have no choice but to go.

"When and where?" I lie again, remembering very well the details of the invitation I received this morning.

"Tomorrow night at seven sharp, at his estate in Catania. You must go, find out what he knows, kill him, and if you get the chance, retrieve the arrow once and for all." The Handler's gaze bores into me.

“Retrieve the arrow?” I tilt my head, frowning.

I can’t be tasked with that responsibility. I’m the one who has that god-damned arrow. Instead, I cock my head and shake it. “I’m a trained killer, Handler. Not a common thief,” I spit out.

The Handler breaks out into a smile, like he’s proud of me. “I was wondering where that fire went earlier today,” he mumbles. “That’s fine. The kill’s all I need, and I’ll take it from there.”

I roll my eyes at the first statement and nod at the second, but my heart hammers in my chest. So, I couldn’t completely fool him. He has suspicions.

And now he wants me to kill the man I love.

A strange sensation fills my sight. My vision, it blurs, it stings. It reminds me of something in my childhood, but the memories aren’t complete.

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