Page 27 of The Rebel and the Rose
‘Eh, the fact you lookexactlylike your ancestor Hugo?’ She glanced at Bibi. ‘How did we never know this? Seriously,how?’
In his portrait, Hugo was standing on the front steps of the Grand Versini. Though he was clearly several years older than Theo, he had the same light hair and keen eyes, a hard-edged jaw and lips that curved as though he was about to tell a joke. It was uncanny. Unnerving. If there weren’t hundreds of years between them, they could have been twins.
‘It’s not exactly something I brag about,’ said Theo, turning the paper over. ‘Thankfully, Armand was far vainer than his older brother. There aren’t many portraits of Hugo floating about and that’s how I like it.’
It belatedly occurred to Sera that while she had grown up hearing horror stories of Hugo Versini’s ruthless grip on the underworld, she had never seen his face before. They knew Armand well enough. His portrait hung in the dining room at House Armand, his tousled dark hair and expressive brown eyes making him seem handsome. And more than that – human.
‘Good thing you’ve kept your hood up tonight,’ said Bibi, sneaking the paper towards her to take another peek. ‘The last thing we need is for the people of Fantome to think Hugo Versini has risen from the dead. Things are bad enough here already.’
Theo frowned. ‘It’s notthatuncanny, is it?’
They exchanged a bemused look.
‘It’s not like he was ugly,’ reasoned Sera. ‘There’s no need to be so upset about it.’
‘I don’t want anything to do with him.’ Theo took another generous slug of wine before slamming the glass down. ‘I hate him. Who he was, and what he did to the city. To our family. Our legacy. Every time I look in the mirror, I have to see his face. It’s like some kind of cruel joke.’ Lips twisting, his voice quietened as he glanced away. ‘And what if it’s worse than that? What if I share more with Hugo Versini than the slope of his nose and the shade of his hair?’
Sera frowned. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean, what if the same darkness that moved inside him lives in me too?’
Sera’s frown deepened. Of course Theo was ambitious. He was quick and clever, a natural-born artificer with a whirring mind and a desire to leave his mark on the kingdom. They wereallambitious. They had vats of Lightfire, a brand-new Order and a missing Aurore Tower to prove it. But that didn’t make them bad-minded or dangerous.
It made them hungry for change.
And change was good.
Wasn’t it?
‘That’s not how it works, Theo. You are not destined to become Hugo Versini, just as I am not going to become my father.’
‘I don’t evenknowwho my father is,’ Val was quick to point out. ‘So, if you ask me, we all get a clean slate.’
Bibi clinked her glass. ‘It’s not about what’s in your blood. It’s about what drives your spirit. We make our own choices. Carve our own paths.’
Sera smiled. ‘For the better.’
‘For the better,’ the others echoed.
To Theo, she added, ‘And don’t worry, if you start showing signs of moral decay, I’ll knock some sense into you.’
He managed a smile. ‘Thank the saints for good friends.’
‘And big schemes.’ Val drained her glass. ‘Speaking of, I believe it’s about time for a little breaking and entering.’
They set out for House Armand as the clock tower above the Marlowe struck nine, making their way there on foot. The Hollows was more alive than Seraphine had ever seen it, revellers spilling out of every tavern and bordello, where they crowded the streets, singing and dancing and vomiting.
‘Rebellion abounds in the north and south quarters but everyone still parties in the Hollows,’ mused Theo as they crept along the shadowed streets.
‘The folk here never really had anything to root for. What do they care about who rules Valterre?’ said Val. ‘It’s not like the king ever cared about us.’
When the streetlamps winked out and the midnight ruckus died away, Sera knew they were getting close. She drew her cloak tighter, trying to stave off the sudden chill. Nerves fisted her stomach, a rush of her anxiety stoking the magic inside her.
‘Careful,’ hissed Bibi. ‘Your eyes are glowing.’
Of all the inconvenient times… Closing her eyes and counting out her breaths, Sera shoved her magic down.Not now. Go away.
Up ahead, the ivy that hugged the invisible façade of House Armand flickered into view. Moonlight danced along theyellowed leaves, tracing the contours of the towering manor house. According to her note, Alaina had left a key under a flowerpot in the back garden.
