The Forgotten Locket (31 page)

Blood streamed from Zo’s mouth and nose. Even unconscious, his hand curled protectively around his broken fingers. Since Dante had inflicted those wounds, I knew they would be permanent. Still, I had a hard time finding any sympathy for Zo’s pain.

Dante straightened to his full height, shaking out his hand. He stepped over Zo’s body and reached my side in a moment.

“Abby,” he said, touching my arm. “It’s time.”

I blinked. Things had happened so fast, I felt caught in a whirlwind, my mind still reeling from Zo’s attack and Dante’s rescue.

The pressure of his fingers increased, adding to the urgency of his voice. “You have to get the door—now—before it’s too late.”

“It’s time?” I repeated. Dante had warned me that it would be time for me to go to the dungeon soon. But now?

“When we were on the bank, I saw events start shifting, moving into place. I knew it was time, but when I turned around to tell you, you were gone.” He glared at Zo’s body on the ground. “I came as fast as I could. I’m sorry—”

Suddenly, Dante caught his breath and a grimace twisted his features. He clenched down on his jaw so tightly the skin turned pale.

“Dante?” I reached for his arm, feeling the pull of his muscles as a concentration of pain passed through him. “Is it your eyes, your heart?” We had worried that my healing effects might be only temporary, but I hadn’t imagined they would wear off so soon.

He shook his head and exhaled slowly; I could see the effort it took him to maintain his control. “No. I can feel the river moving into place. Our window of opportunity is closing. The pressure is building. It’s time,” he said again. “
I
need help too, Abby, and you are the only one who can do it.”

I knew I would have only one chance to save Dante and thereby save the river as well. It was why we had come all this way, endured so much. If I didn’t go, all our sacrifices would be in vain.

I buried my face in Dante’s neck. “I wish you could come with me,” I said.

“So do I,” Dante agreed, gathering me into his arms, his hands locking tight against the small of my back. “But it’s not possible. I can’t risk seeing my other self. And I can’t risk leaving Zo alone—even unconscious. You’ll have to go alone.” He leaned back to look me in the eyes. “It’s like you said: The me inside the dungeon can’t wait to see you for the first time—he just doesn’t know it yet. Go. I’ll be here when you get back.”

I kissed him hard and fast. “I’ll see you soon,” I said with a fierce smile.

I hurried out of the cemetery to the edge of the courtyard outside the cathedral. I looked in the direction of the courthouse as though I could see through the buildings that separated us. A few people milled through the streets. A nearby vendor called out to passing customers, offering to show them his wares. Two children ran in circles, laughing and shrieking in a game of tag. The whole town was filled with people, and not a single one of them understood what was going on, the danger they were in. Their lives were in my hands too.

I took a deep breath and squared my shoulders. After all we had been through, all we had seen and done, I knew this was the moment that mattered. The fulcrum on which the future balanced. Stay or go, it was time. And time wouldn’t wait for me anymore.

I turned my face toward the courthouse.

And I ran.

• • •

I ran across the plaza without a passing thought as to who was around me or what they might think. The important thing was to get to the dungeon before it was too late. I kept my focus fixed on the courthouse. The sooner I got there, the better. I could feel time slipping away with every breath.

My heart threatened to beat out of my chest, so I counted my steps, pacing myself, forcing myself to find that still space of calm in the heart of the adrenaline storm raging inside me.

I remembered my midnight escape from this very same courthouse with Orlando, though it felt like it had happened to another person. Maybe it had. My trip through time had certainly changed me.

Thinking of that escape, though, made me slow my steps from a run to a dash to a walk. Domenico had said that the guards were not looking for me anymore, but still, I didn’t want to draw too much unnecessary attention to myself. I still had a long way to go to reach the lowest basement of the courthouse, and although part of me wanted to run all the way to the door, through the hallways, and down the stairs to the dungeon, I couldn’t afford to be stopped or caught or delayed by anyone.

Still, when I reached the front door of the courthouse, I walked through without hesitation.

A handful of people were in the hallway, but no one gave me a second glance.

Keeping myself close to the wall, willing myself to be invisible, I counted off more steps, keeping time with my measured breathing.

I turned a corner and was heading toward a staircase that would lead me down when I saw Domenico exit a room a little farther down the hallway.

He looked up and saw me, a smile appearing on his round face. “My lady, I had not expected to see you here today.”

“I had not expected to be here today,” I replied, trying to catch my breath. I brushed my hair out of my eyes, scrubbing off a line of sweat in the process.

His smile faded into concern as he took in my disheveled appearance. “Is everything all right? What’s wrong?”

I didn’t even know how to begin to answer him. “Would you be able to do a favor for me?” I asked instead.

He bowed. “I am at your service.”

I hesitated, then said, “I need to go to the dungeon.”

“The dungeon?” he exclaimed. “Why are you going there?”

“It’s a long story,” I said with a sigh. “But I need to see someone there and I can’t afford to be late.” A pair of guards walked past, their swords gleaming at their sides. “Though I’d rather not be seen along the way if I can help it,” I muttered.

Domenico followed my gaze, his face drawn in thought. “This thing you need to do, it won’t hurt anyone, will it?”

I shook my head.

“It will break no laws?”

I shook my head again. I was tired of things breaking. It was time to start fixing a few things instead.

“Follow me.” He led me back into the main hallway and toward the last door in the row.

“Where—” I started, looking back in the direction of the staircase.

“This is faster.” Domenico opened the door. “You did say it was urgent, didn’t you?”

• • •

“Are you sure about this, my lady?” Domenico asked. “Certainly I could help you with this task so that you wouldn’t need to enter this place.”

“No, it has to be me,” I said. “But thank you for your help.” Domenico’s shortcut had been a single staircase that led from the main floor of the courthouse directly to the back door of the dungeon. It had saved me valuable time, and now I was where I was supposed to be
when
I supposed to be.

“The guards will not be pleased to see you,” Domenico warned.

“This will only take a moment,” I said. “I promise.”

My heart quickened. Dante was so close. He was right there, on the other side of the door. I felt like if I closed my eyes, I could point directly at him even through all the layers of wood and stone and darkness that separated us. I pressed my hand to my chest, feeling the cloth packet that contained the broken locket. It was time.

I opened the door carefully; I didn’t want to alert the guards by accident.

As my eyes adjusted to the dim light, I studied the layout of the dungeon. Not that there was much to see. So far beneath the surface, the only available light came from a row of torches on the wall and a few fat candles that did little to mask the scent of old food, dirt, and rot that hung in the air like an invisible cloud. I could hear the sound of dripping water from somewhere in the shadows.

The dungeon was one large room lined on either side by cramped cells, each one blocked with bars across the front. There were two guards standing at the far end of the room where there was another staircase leading up.

I stepped through the door, hesitant to touch the walls. I prayed I wouldn’t slip in something unspeakable.

I shook out my hands, trying to still the trembling in my fingers. I wanted to take a deep breath, but I knew I didn’t want that foul air inside my lungs. I wanted to be as clean—inside and out—for Dante’s first look as I could be.

Everything hinged on this moment.

I took a step forward.

“Look here!” a guard shouted at me from down the row of cells. “What do you think you’re doing?”

I could feel the river flexing around me as the broken spiral slowly began twisting into a healing circle.

The moment was here. The moment was now.

There was no going back.

And then everything happened at once.

I saw the guard heading straight for me, his partner rushing behind him.

The prisoners closest to the door noticed the activity and a wave of noise rose up and crashed over me. Voices yelling, whistling, begging. To me it sounded like the roar of the river falling over rocks.

A third guard trailed after the other two. I saw a blanket clutched in his fist.

The river shivered and shook as it bent back into place.

There wasn’t much time left.

I scanned the cells along the wall, looking for the one that was the third from the end. Dante’s cell.

One.

The light from the torches danced on the walls, casting long shadows of bars on the floor. Goose bumps lifted on my arms. I could see my breath in the cold air that was trapped in the dungeon along with the prisoners.

Two.

The wild cacophony of voices ebbed and flowed in the dungeon. Demands for freedom. Declarations of innocence. Sobs from broken hearts; screams from broken spirits.

Three.

My heart hurt from the relentless pressure of time closing in on me. My throat clogged with anticipation. My bones creaked with the strain of holding my body upright.

I rose up on my toes, holding onto the door frame for balance, and scanned the faces of the prisoners that I could see. They all looked so much alike. Dirty, ragged, worn out and worn down. They all sounded alike.

Wait—

Through the din, I could hear one voice offering up a litany of numbers.

Dante’s voice. I would know it anywhere.

My eyes swung back.

There. That one was Dante’s cell. He was there.
Right there.

The sound of his counting cut off suddenly, and I could imagine him standing by the bars, his long fingers wrapped around the dull metal, his eyes ready to meet mine for the first time, for always.

I looked for a pair of gray eyes the color of stars at dawn, a face that I knew as well as my own, a mouth that I ached to see smiling at me.

What I saw instead, though, was Dante sprawled on the floor of his cell, his arms flung wide, his wrists bare and unmarked by chains.

My rising euphoria collapsed into a broken cry of horror.

Standing over Dante’s unconscious body was Zo, his golden chains cuffing his wrists, his wild, black eyes burning with pain and anger and hate. Blood streaked down his nose, over his mouth.

He looked at me for a split second before lifting a swollen and bruised hand in greeting. His two broken fingers were bent at odd angles; they looked like talons beckoning me to come closer.

In his other hand, he held a knife.

And in his grin, I saw a declaration of war.

I watched, frozen in terror, as Zo thrust down and plunged the needle-thin blade directly into Dante’s heart.

And then he vanished.

Chapter 24

I was vaguely aware of the guards rushing toward me. One of them wrapped me in a blanket and bustled me out the door.

All I could see frozen in my mind was that moment when Zo’s blade pierced Dante’s heart. Every detail felt like it had been etched into my soul with acid. This was worse than when Zo had cut Dante’s eyes and blinded him. Worse than when Zo had broken the locket and punched a hole in Dante’s life. This was worse than anything I could imagine.

If Dante died, he would never go through the door, and it wouldn’t matter if he had seen me or not. If Dante died, the circle we had sacrificed so much to close would break beyond repair, pulling the river—and everyone in it—into darkness.

I closed my eyes, but I could still see the way the torchlight lined the blade like fire on its journey downward. I could still see Zo’s black eyes staring at me and the blood on his skin. I could still see Dante’s unconscious body lying limp and still, the hilt of the knife standing upright in his chest.

The river shuddered and groaned with a sound like cracking rocks. I had been so close, but not close enough. One more moment, one more breath. One look. That was all it would have taken. Just one.