Assassin's Heart (Assassin's Heart, #1)(77)

We armed ourselves with every weapon we could carry and traveled to Les’s boat a few alleys away.

Les steered us north while I kept my eyes open for movement on the roofs. We were probably ahead of the Da Vias, but I refused to trust my luck. Better to assume they were scouring the city, looking for Marcello.

Yvain rested quietly. The moon was new and the bright pinpricks of stars filled the dark sky. I saw no ghosts and no Da Vias as Les quietly poled us to Marcello. Even if we reached him unmolested, we’d still have to somehow escape Yvain. Now that the Da Vias knew Marcello was here, they would send for reinforcements, and they would watch the city day and night. But perhaps this could work to our advantage. If Les and I could escape to Lovero, we might have a better chance of destroying their Family home. And if we were successful, then Marcello needn’t worry about the Da Vias anymore. At least most of them, anyway.

Les docked the boat and we got off, heading toward the tunnel entrance. We’d made it safely. I allowed myself a breath of relief. Safraella had been watching over us.

We turned the corner into the dark and empty alley. It stank, an acrid, smoky odor. I stopped. “Do you smell that?”

He sniffed the air. “Smells like smoke.”

Something about the smoke . . . I had smelled it somewhere before.

I sniffed my leathers and found the same scent. The gallows. The smoke bombs when Les had rescued me.

“Where did you get the smoke bombs?” I asked.

“What?”

“When you rescued me, at the gallows. Where did you get the different smoke bombs? Yours didn’t smell like that before.”

Les stopped and stared at me. “Lea, I didn’t rescue you.”

From above, someone jumped into the alley. My sword was out instantly, my dagger in my left hand. Another figure climbed down the roof to stand beside the first. Nik and Grape Leaves, with his rope-bludgeon and noose tied around his shoulders and waist.

Beside me Les twirled his cutter in his hand, prepared to fight. It wouldn’t only be the two of them. I spun. Four more Da Vias stood at the entrance of the alley, blocking us in. The Da Via on the left wore a mask with red checkers. Val.

Les and I stood back to back, our weapons at the ready. I could feel the tension in his body, pressed against mine, his muscles tight like viola strings.

Behind Val, a man approached. He stood to the side, but his cylindrical hat and wooden staff caught my attention. Val paid him no mind. He was with the Da Vias.

“Sloppy work, Lea.” Val stepped forward. I could smell the smoke from the gallows still clinging to his leathers. His voice held no wryness or sarcasm, only a controlled fury. “You thought you’d beat us to him, but we’re not some lowly Addamos. We’re Da Vias.”

“You saved me from the gallows.” I glanced over my shoulder. Nik and Grape Leaves had taken out their swords but hadn’t moved closer.

“I wasn’t going to let you hang. And I figured you’d lead us right to Marcello.”

I had to get the upper hand here. If I didn’t, Les and I were dead. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Gods, Lea, shut up!” Val screamed. I flinched against Les’s back. He stirred but continued to watch Nik and Grape Leaves.

I’d tipped him over the edge. I had to keep him there. “Who’s your lapdog?” I motioned to the man in the hat.

“A friend of the Family,” Val said. “Don’t worry about him.”

“He was in Fabricio’s the night of the fire.” And just like that, I knew which restaurant housed the entrance to their home.

Val shrugged. “He gets around. He helps us get around. That’s really all you need to know.”

“He’s the reason you’re here?” I asked.

“No. We know Marcello Saldana is here,” Val said. “It’s the only reason you’d flee to Rennes. The only reason being in Yvain makes you no longer feel like an orphan. After all these years of searching for him and all we had to do was follow you.”

“And you thought you’d bring Marcello to your lunatic of a Family head, hoping he’d prostrate himself before her, beg for her forgiveness?”

“I don’t give a shit about any of that. I just do what I’m told.”

I laughed. “Yes, that’s been clear since the night of the fire.”

Val jerked his sword out of its scabbard. The metal rang sloppily in the dark night. The Da Vias beside him followed his lead. “Fine then. If this is the way you want it, you have no one to blame but yourself.”

I tightened my grip on my sword. Val charged. Les pushed off from me to defend against Nik and Grape Leaves. He was outclassed, but I couldn’t think about him now. I could only help him if I survived.

Val lunged at me, the other clippers swinging left and right. I raised my sword to defend myself, but he feinted to the right and let another clipper rush in. It was a new move for Val. He’d always relished being in the center of the fight. He’d changed.

I barely had time to switch my stance. My sword blocked the attack of the Da Via with red diamonds on her mask. Our swords rang against each other. The echo bounced off the brick walls of the alley. My ribs roared in pain. My grip on my sword faltered. I twisted to protect my back from another Da Via with red splashes of color on his mask, like spattered blood.