Page 66 of Vendetta

I pick up a glass. It’s half full and I take a sniff. The poison is odourless, colourless, tasteless. Completely undetectable.

I tilt the glass, letting the wine pour out dramatically onto the floor where it splashes.

I can tell Roman wants to say something. A few others do too. I see Emerson’s eyes flit to his cousin and then across the table to my brother.

“Tonight you came here to witness a downfall.” I say. My voice echoes around the space and I wait a moment until it goes quiet. “Like vultures you thought you could sit at my table, enjoy my hospitality, and then pick at my carcass.”

Eleri shifts, narrowing her eye. I can see from her expression that she is more than ready for this to get going. That clearly they didn’t treat my queen with the respect she is due.

“Only that’s not how this is going to go.” I murmur. “Six years ago my family was betrayed. By my own brother.” I state.

A few of the men I’ve saved react. Not many people know the tale, and I guess it’s a fault on my part. I allowed my pride to taint my judgement, and I allowed my childhood love for my sibling override the actions of what the man grew up to be.

And now we are all here witnessing the consequences. Suffering. Just as my mother did.

“Maria Morelli was murdered by that man.” I say pointing to him. Pointing to Roman. “He thought in killing her he could stage a revolt, place the blame on me and take over as head.” I state looking at each of their faces, seeing in whose eyes the shock is, and in whose there is no reaction beyond complicity.

“He lured her here, to her own home, and he had his henchmen butcher her like a dog.” I snap.

“Rosa was the reason she came here.” Constantine says and I shake my head.

“Rosa was as fooled by him, as were many others in this room. But tonight you will pay for your crimes.” I reply.

Roman makes a noise, the tiniest impartible sound but it’s as if he’s choking. I narrow my eyes.

“I believe my brother would like to speak.” I say walking over to him and slowly I pull out some ties, binding him to his seat.

As I kneel beside him I look up, for once not seeing the boy I climbed trees with, not seeing the boy I would play fight with, the boy I would race against around the house. I see the man, the monster, the murderer.

When his ties are tight I stand up, taking the vial once more and let a tiny bit of antidote grace his lips.

His face relaxes, he starts to regain movement and then he jerks against his restraints.

“No little brother.” I murmur. “There is no escape this time. No reprieve.”

“I didn’t murder her.” Roman shouts. “It was Rosa, she did it.”

A few of the men hiss. Roman glances at them and I glance too. Perhaps Roman forgets everyone that he invited, perhaps in his absence he has forgotten the bloodlines because Rosa’s family are here. Her father is here. Sat right opposite Roman and though the two of us share an uneasy alliance since his daughter’s demise I’ve given him the antidote nonetheless.

“Rosa would never do such a thing.” He snarls.

“She did it. She said she would unite our families. That together we would run them.” Roman says.

I shake my head. “Rosa was not like that. Rosa would never have said those things.” I state. “She betrayed me only because of you. She died only because of you.”

“And yet you’ve replaced her so easily.” Roman taunts looking at Eleri who even now is sat, silent, observing everything without needing to speak.

I look at her. At my queen. I wonder what she must think of these revelations. Does she even know who Rosa is? I’ve certainly never spoken about her, in truth not thought about her in years and yet here she is being openly discussed as if she were the love of my life, as if Eleri means nothing.

“Eleri is nothing like Rosa.” I say.

Carla snorts. “She looks like her. Same shape body…”

“She is nothing like her.” I snap. “Eleri has never betrayed me. Eleri will never betray. She was the one who poisoned the wine. She drank it herself, knowing exactly what it was, knowing that it could kill her and trusting that I would save her.”

A few people react to that. To the fact that Eleri was the one who poisoned them. And that she willingly put her life on the line. Willingly sacrificed herself for me.

Eleri shifts in her seat, meeting each and every one of their glances. My perfect fucking queen.

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