Starling (150 page)

swum currents, and shed blood to find her way back to him.

And she would do it all again, if need be.
When the priest pronounced them married, Luca kissed her and
the crowd cheered. The courtesans threw rice and everyone headed
inside, up the stairs toward the portego where presumably the wine
would flow.
Everyone but Cass.
She felt the tears brimming and hung back from the group for a
moment. Blotting at her eyes with one of her lace cuffs, she accidentally left a smudge of kohl behind.
Santo cielo.
Narissa would see
and scold her twice. Once for being slovenly and once for damaging
someone else’s dress. Cass bit her lip.
Maximus appeared out of nowhere. He clapped his hands together and produced a red handkerchief. He pressed it into her
hands.
“
Mi dispiace,
” Cass said, accepting the square of shimmery cloth.
“I don’t mean to cry.”
Maximus tucked a strand of hair back behind her left ear. “It’s
your wedding day,” he said. “You may do anything you wish.”
The wind blew. Needles of freshly cut grass danced on the current. Cass wiped at another rogue tear as it escaped and cut a wet
path down her cheek. She balled the handkerchief in her hand.
“
Grazie,
” she said. “For everything, Maximus. You befriended
me when I was scared. You helped Luca find himself when he was
lost. And then you brought us back together. If there is ever any way
I can repay you—”
“You already gave me the one thing I needed. A chance to say
good-bye to the woman I loved.”
After the soldiers had taken Cristian away, Cass had told Maximus about what had happened in the spring—about finding Mariabella’s body in the contessa Liviana’s tomb, about Cristian admitting
to her murder. Then she told him about the room at Palazzo Viaro.
Maximus had gone there and removed Mariabella’s corpse. He had
found her mother and together they had arranged a proper burial.
“I’m sorry she’s gone,” Cass said.
“Signorina Cassandra, there is too much darkness in the world
for you to personally apologize for all of it. Go forth instead with
your new husband and make light.” Maximus took the damp handkerchief from her hand, folded it into a square, and squeezed it between his palms. He clapped his hands once, and the handkerchief
was gone.
A single red rose sat in its place.
“Not to sound ungrateful,” she said. “But I’m not sure I’ll ever be
able to appreciate roses again.”
Maximus nodded as he closed his fingers around the bloom. “Do
not worry. This one is not eternal. It is ephemeral, as flowers should
be.” With a flourish, he opened his hands once more to reveal a single dove. The bird flapped its wings once and then took to the sky.
And then Cass felt it inside of her—light.
Hope.
Maximus was right. She had borne her share of darkness. It was
time for a change.
“Someday you are going to have to tell me how you do that,” she
said.
“I’ve already told you,” he said with a wink. “Magic.”
Cass watched the dove fade into the horizon. “Tell everyone I’ll