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L ysander leaped over Baal’s body to pick me up.

Barely in time, for the stampede I had feared ensued.

With one arm around me, and one arm and sword cutting a path through the fleeing disciplinati, he helped me into the safety of a doorway. He propped me up against the cool wall and stood guard in front of me, his bloodied blade at the ready.

Men ran in every direction, fought to get away, got knocked over and trampled. The shrieks of the downed men pierced the night, and a man’s voice shouted, “The prince is coming! Prince Escalus is here!”

“If the prince is here, he has no chance to restore order among this chaos.” Lysander spoke in a low voice, pitched to reach my ears.

“Agreed. The riot must run its course.” I wrapped my arm around my aching belly. “Do you see Nurse and Tommaso?”

“Not a sign. With luck, they are sheltering in a doorway, too.”

I so hoped and prayed. “How did you find me?”

“After I instructed one of the guards on how to light the lamps, I came down to ask if you wished to watch. You were gone. Princess Isabella was in tears, that mean-eyed Old Maria lamented your inevitable demise, Dion stood guard over Princess Ursula—”

“Who hasn’t roused?”

“No, she has not . Il mio cuore è spezzato. ” He put his hand over his broken heart, for he’d already declared his admiration for Princess Ursula. “I questioned Princess Isabella, discovered your companions and destination, and with my sword and knife, I hurried forth to—”

“Rescue me.” I began to breathe more easily; the pain in my gut slowly transformed into a deep, raw ache.

“I had hoped not to find you in need of rescue.” He returned to scanning the mob. “I had hoped simply to guard you.”

More and more of the rioters rushed past: bleeding, limping, crying.

“You arrived at exactly the right moment. Thank you. The way the lamps lit! I’ve never seen anything like it, and neither had the mob. When that man shouted, ‘The light of God!’ that was all it took. Scared them all into submission.”

“I shouted that.”

I gripped his arm. “Lysander, that was inspired!”

“You shouted, too. I heard you.”

“Nothing more than a riff off your brilliance.” My pain was easing, and I managed a smile. “How did you time the last lamp lighting?”

“I knew how long it took to drag the ladder around, climb it, put the flame to the wick, so I had an idea I could make it work for me. But mostly, it was luck.”

I’m a good Catholic girl, and I said, “It was God’s mercy.”

He crossed himself. “You’re on an errand to help Lady Juliet and you must not fall.” Suddenly he darted into the last of the men staggering past, and in only a moment, he returned with Nurse.

She, too, was bloodied and limping, but when she saw me, she burst into tears and reached out to embrace me.

Lysander stopped her. “Don’t. She was slapped and kicked. She’s in pain.”

“Ohhh.” Nurse’s cupped hands hovered close to my face. “My poor baby!”

“And you, Nurse?” I asked. “What has been done to you?”

“I’ve been thoroughly trampled, but I never lost my knife, and not one of those canaglia will forget me, I vow!” Her voice blared in fury.

“Shhh,” Lysander hushed her. “There aren’t many left, but let’s not attract their attention.”

Too late. We had attracted attention, for Tommaso bellowed, “Nurse? Have you found them?”

“Here!” she bellowed back.

He cut a swath through the dwindling mob, targeting each flagellant and taking him down with a well-wielded staff and sword. Not the sword he’d started out with, either. As he drew near, it was clear that of all of us, he’d suffered the most damage—and probably had inflicted the most.

He looked us over. “If you need help, say so and I’ll carry you, but let us flee now before the flagellants regroup.” He lowered his voice. “And before the vultures swoop in.” The people who would come to dispatch any of the living and pick over the bodies, he meant.

We pulled up our hoods and huddled in our capes. Tommaso led the way, weapons in hand. Nurse supported me. Lysander followed behind, sword out.

When we passed the body of Baal, Nurse tried to get me to turn my head, but I insisted. I stopped and looked at him.

Not a demon. Not a messiah. Those open, empty eyes stared at the stars, and I saw that he was nothing but a man.

“The Fallen will feast on his liver,” Lysander said.

“I hope it doesn’t choke them.” Tommaso obviously hoped the opposite.

“He’s burning in hell.” Nurse pronounced his eternal sentence.

“Yes.” I turned away. “Hurry. Mamma needs me.”