Page 90 of Depths of Desire
I turn toward the door when it bursts open and Renzo races out. “We have to go,” he says. “Nico’s in trouble.”
I freeze. What fresh hell is this? “What do you mean? What trouble?”
Renzo stares at me. “He went to find Esme at the duomo in San Gimignano. He went in a while ago but hasn’t contacted anyone. He left instructions with his second, Kael, to reach out to us if he wasn’t out in an hour. But we were in the chamber, so Kael couldn’t reach us. He tried to check it out, but he immediately recognized that the duomo is surrounded by dark magick. He was afraid that if he went in, then he wouldn’t be able to come out again, and no one would know where they were.”
Julien bolted to his feet. “I’ll come with you.”
Renzo nodded. “Good.” He turned to me. “I’m going to have…” he glanced behind him in the hallway and then back at me, “somebody take you home.”
“No,” I say surprising myself. “If you’re going to find Nico, I’m going with you.”
“What’s the hold up?” Luca demands as he enters the room.
“Luna wants to come with us.”
Luca stares at me for a second. “Let her. She’s his wife. Imagine if it were Mia. Would you want to leave her here or have some stranger take her back over to the other side? Plus, we have no idea where Malrick is. I wouldn’t put it past him to try to kidnap her.”
Renzo growls but nods. “Fine but you’re going to have to keep up and keep out of the way.”
I nod but keep my mouth shut. If I say the wrong thing they could still send me back home.
Renzo and Luca head out with Julien and me in their wake. Leonardo joins us in the hallway. He glances at me but says nothing. “We need to leave. Follow me.” He turns and walks the opposite way than we came in.
We wend our way through what seems like a maze of hallways. I have to half-jog to keep up, and I am still a few steps behind. Julien stays beside me, although I’m sure he wants to be up with the others. I suck in oxygen and try to keep my mind blank. Panicking will not help. The hallways have been getting darker and creepier as we’ve been hurrying along, and I think we’ve also descended several stories. I am starting to regret not taking them up on the offer to go back to the human side. I could have used the lack of supervision to run. It would have been the best choice, but Nico is in trouble. I can’t leave until I know he’s all right. I may not forgive him for leaving me to deal with this tribunal, or whatever, on my own, but I don’t want to see him hurt either.
Finally, we halt in a small alcove. The stone walls are weeping some viscous liquid, and the dank smell makes me feel slightly ill. “You must press this stone,” Leonardo says, “then say the name of the duomo, and it will take you close by, but you have to say the name or you will be lost in between the worlds.”
“I’ve never seen a portal like this,” Julien comments, “and, as an older vampire, I feel I should’ve stumbled across something like this before.”
“It’s only used by the kings. I wouldn’t let you use it, but the circumstances are dire.” Leonardo points at Renzo. “You go first. Luca, you’re next. Then I will go. Julien, I want you to hold Luna so she doesn’t get into trouble.”
The men glance at me and then nod in agreement. Within second Renzo, Luca and Leonardo are gone. “It’s our turn.” Julien reaches out and pulls me to him. I am terrified. “He’s going to be fine, Luna. We’re going to get this sorted. Hang on tight.”
I wrap my arms around Julien, and then I’m once again falling and flying at the same time. My stomach churns and just when I think I’m about to be sick, the world stops spinning, and I find myself in an alley with the Valdicis and Julien.
We hurry to the mouth of the alley and meet another creature. “Kael,” Renzo says, “what do you know?”
Kael shakes his head. “Esme was tracking your mother and?—”
“What?” Leonardo snarls. “Esme was tracking Nerezza?”
“But she’s dead,” Luca blurts out.
Leonardo’s face goes cold.
“You knew?” Renzo confronts his father. “You knew Mother was alive and didn’t tell us.”
Leonardo lets out a long sigh. “I wasn’t positive she was alive, but I suspected. I’d tried to find her but failed. I thought if I told you she was dead, it would protect you from her actions.”
“Nico knew too?” Luca asks.
Leonardo shrugs, “I had no idea.”
Kael says, “If I may…Nico suspected and asked Esme to help him find her. They’ve been working on it for ages.”
“That’s why they’re always together,” Luca comments.
“Who the hell is Esme?” I demand, finally not being able to take the not knowing.
