Starling (91 page)

Falco clenched his right hand. “Why don’t you come in here and
we’ll see if I can swing a fist?”
“Falco,” Cass said. “Ignore him. He’s not worth it. He only wants
to upset you into doing something foolish.”
“What I want is to be immortal.” Piero winked at Cass. “Just
think if your poor old aunt had consumed some elixir. She might still
be alive.”
Cass ignored Piero even though she wanted to spit at him again.
She wanted to shake the bars of her own cell and scream that he had
no right to mention any member of her family. But she wouldn’t waste
her strength. She would hold back, save everything she had. And she
would escape. Belladonna would be so furious, she would probably
kill Piero. Cass almost hoped that she did.
After he left, Cass turned to Falco. “We need to go over the plan,”
she said.
“The plan to make him sorry he ever—”
“Stop,” she said. “Piero is not the real enemy here. Belladonna is.
Dubois is. The Order is. Piero is just their insignificant little tool.
Remember that.”
Falco kicked at his cell bars again, but he nodded at Cass. “You’re
right,” he said. “If Bella is at a function, then after Piero leaves, it
should be only us and the guard. We just need a way to get his keys.”
“I have an idea.” Cass told him about Seraphina, about pressing
on the guard’s neck to render him unconscious.
“Or I could just press my fist into his skull to render him unconscious,” Falco offered.
“Be serious. You’re not strong enough to fight anyone right now,”
Cass said. “And he won’t expect
me
to attack him.”
“How are you going to get him to come inside your cell?”
Cass leaned in even closer, until her lips whispered straight into
Falco’s ear. “I thought you and I might stage a bit of a disagreement.”

Cass sat next to Falco in the dark, mentally preparing herself, waiting
for exactly the right moment. Twice, the room brightened a bit as the
guard patrolled with his lantern. He ducked his head just far enough
inside the doorway to ascertain that the prisoners were still in their
cells, but he did not speak. She’d heard no noises, no muted voices.
She felt certain that Piero had left and the guard was the only one in
the workshop.

“Excuse me,” Cass called out, the third time he came by. The
guard held up his lantern. “Yes?”
“I wish to speak to Dottor Basso,” she said. “Or Belladonna. I’m
not ready to die. I want to negotiate.” She said a silent prayer that she
was right and neither of them was present.
Falco immediately began to play along. “Cassandra. You mustn’t.
Don’t give in to them.”
“What choice do we have?” Cass said, hanging her head low. “If
I give my blood willingly, at least I won’t die.”
“They’re not here,” the guard said. “I’ll inform them of your request when they return.”
“Do you know when that will be?” Cass asked.
The guard shook his head. “I do not know their schedules.”
Cass nodded, and the guard disappeared through the low doorway. She glanced over at Falco. “It seems to be just the three of us.
Are you ready?”