Page 17 of A Madness of Crows

Not a no. Not a refusal.

My heart thumps inside my chest. “Luc was… stabbed, tonight. Before… before they took me. I don’t know if the others have found him. I need you to send the coordinates to Gio, just in case.Please.”

Stefano considers it.

“Youoweme this,” I breathe. “This is nothing to you. But it could mean life or death for him.”

He shakes his head, his words pitying. “Cat… it’s been hours. He’ll be dead by now.”

My eyes close. “He’s not dead.”

He’s not dead.

“Give me the coordinates.” My eyes blink open, and I press my lips together at the sight of the screen in his hands. He waits, typing them in as I reel them off before he hesitates.

“My phone is monitored. Bugged. Whatever I send him, Salvatore will likely see it. I’ll send the coordinates, but anything else will only go badly for you.”

I stare at him. They track hisphone.

“And what will he do to you? For sending them?”

He shrugs. “Nothing, I imagine. I’m hisheir, after all. But I would prefer not to push my luck.”

The word sounds… bitter, coming from his lips. As if, perhaps, he would prefer not to be the Asante heir at all.

My mouth opens, but he’s already pressing the screen, and I exhale as the message goes through. “It’s done.”

If I wasn’t lying down, I might have collapsed at those two words.

Please be enough. Please be in time.

I let him check the brand, flinching as he carefully dabs a strong-smelling ointment on the burns. “I’m sorry.”

The words are so quiet I think I’ve misheard him at first. He doesn’t look at me as he works, his fingers surprisingly gentle considering their size. I watch him steadily. “Who are you, Stefano?”

Thisman… this man is not the cold-eyed monster who pressed a branding iron to my skin without flinching.

I wonder if he’ll respond at all as he packs the kit away, but he does.

“I am exactly what they made me,” he says abruptly. “Do not trust me, Caterina. I cannot be your ally and his weapon at the same time. I can’t chooseyou.”

He stands as I take in his words. “Do you need the bathroom? Water?”

Slowly, I shake my head.

“Then I’ll be outside the door.” He pauses. “If anything changes tonight… I’ll tell you.”

It’s as much as he’s willing to give me.

An advance warning, if myhusbandintends to come to this room. Moments to prepare myself.

At my nod, he pulls the door open and closes it behind him with a softsnick.

I watch the closed door for long, tortuous minutes, watch it until my vision swims. Waiting for the punchline.

For Salvatore Asante to walk in.

My body is exhausted. Ineedto rest, need it desperately enough that it’s making the choice for me, dragging my eyelidsdown. I fight it as much as I can, struggle to stay awake, aware,ready—