at the sight. ‘This is only the beginning. I have to see it through to the end.’ She swung herself up into the saddle.
‘No,’ cried Pillar, and grabbed the reins. ‘It’s you who doesn’t understand.’ Birrichino pulled against him, neighing in protest. ‘I’m coming too. You can’t stop me.’
‘Pillar, you of all people know that’s not possible. Only Bond Riders or those without souls can breach the Limen.’
A strange look passed over Pillar’s face. ‘Esatto,’ he said, and shoved his palm towards her.
In the cold light of the new dawn, Katina saw the long, jagged cut filled with dried blood that crossed his flesh.
Katina gasped. ‘No!’
‘Sì. I am pledged, Katina. I have made a Bond as well. To Tallow. I have forsaken her once but I’ll not do so again. I promised.’ He let go of the reins and, instead, used the edge of the saddle to heave himself up behind Katina and wrapped his arms about her. ‘I apologise for the condition I’m in, but the sooner we breach, the faster I’ll be able to do something about it. And the faster we’ll be able to help Tallow.’
Katina froze for a moment, trying to comprehend what had just happened.
‘What are we waiting for?’ cried Pillar. ‘Take me with you, my Bond Rider.’
After the horror of the last hour, Katina felt the release of laughter bubbling up inside her. Pillar was right. What were they waiting for? The time had come to set things right.
‘For Tallow!’ she shouted and, swinging Birrichino around, galloped towards the beckoning veil of the Limen.
ALL THE WHILE, HIGH ABOVE THEM, a pair of mournful, dark eyes watched and waited …
ZARALINA’S EYES FLEW OPEN and she sat bolt upright in her bed. ‘Shazet!’ she cried.
Never far away, the Morte Whisperer materialised beside her.
Without acknowledging him, she addressed the darkness. ‘She is in the Limen.’
Shazet released a long, triumphant sibilation.
‘Bring her to me.’ Zaralina lay back down slowly. ‘Bring her to me now.’
There was a slight disturbance in the air as Shazet went to do his mistress’s bidding.
THESE TERMS ARE EITHER ITALIAN or Venetian, or sometimes fantasy variations of the two. I have, on occasion, taken liberties with meanings and spellings.
allora: an expression used to start a conversation. For example, ‘So, …’
altana: roof top terrace
amica mia: my friend (female)
amico mio: my friend (male)
amore mio: my love
anche: also
aspettare: wait
barnabotti: a group of impoverished nobiles or degenerate young men
basilica: church
bells of Serenissima: bells in the campanile or tower in the main piazza that all rang to mark time and/or occasions. Nona sounded at midday, the Maragona rang to mark the beginning and the end of the working day. The Renghiera was sounded to denote an execution, while the Trottiera called Council to a meeting and the Mezza Terza summoned the Senate.
bocca di leone: literally, ‘the mouth of the lion’. In Serenissima, citizens (of any rank) are encouraged to reveal the names and behaviours of those who are breaking the strict laws and doing anything untoward by depositing a slip of paper with the details in the mouth of a carved lion. These lions, or repositories, are situated in different locations on the islands and the notes found in them are taken very seriously and investigated by the Signori di Notte.
Bond Rider: a person who surrenders his or her soul to a pledge stone for keeping in order that he or she may fulfil a specific task – a Bond
broach: wooden rod from which wicks are suspended, then dipped repeatedly in either tallow or wax to make candles of varying thicknesses and lengths
buon fortuna: good luck
buon giorno: good morning
calle: alley
campo: local marketplace or square, plural is campicandles: used for both heat and light. The cheapest are formed from animal fat (mostly beef) and render, often a mixture of different types, while more expensive candles are made from beeswax and even different types of oil. The most popular types are: long, slender tapers; small, squat votives placed in glass containers, often used for religious purposes; pillar candles, thicker and taller than votives. Rush lights, lumps of tallow rolled around a basic wick, are popular with the poorer classes because a one-metre homemade rush light burns for about an hour. Wicks can be made from any flammable fabric that maintains a consistent burn and temperature, e.g. hemp or cotton. Additives can also be applied to the wax to sweeten the candle’s scent.
capi: collective name given to the three nobiles who head of the Council of Ten. The positions are rotated among the