you afraid to refuse him?”
“No. He claims that if I do, he will release me to live in a villa without him. I trust his word.”
“Do you, now.” The way he said it was foreboding and dark. It sent a shiver up her spine. It might have also been the fact that she was nearly naked. At least the skirts were long and reached the floor.
“What’re you wearing on your wrists?” Rose asked cheerfully in the pause, not realizing what had just happened. Or not caring. She must be used to such dark and terrifying statements from her husband. Or he was different with her. Hope knew Nero was different with her.
“They come from the East Wind Dominion, actually.” She lifted her wrists and turned them over to show off her bracers. “They vibrate in different places and at different strengths to let me know when objects near me have moved or if my proximity to them has changed. They can tell me the rough size, and sometimes even the shape, of whatever I’m near. They let me get around without sight.”
“Far better than a cane. Can you imagine how annoying it would get listening to something like that tapping all the time on the stone?” Nero snickered, taking a clear shot at Viktor.
“Be nice.” She slapped him in the side with the back of her hand.
He grunted and muttered, “Ten.”
That one shouldn’t have counted. But she was pretty sure she didn’t get to decide.
“They’re very pretty,” Rose chirped.
“Thank you. Honestly, I don’t know how I’d get around without them. You have wonderful technology in the east.”
“That we do.” Rose chuckled.
The conversation lagged. This was an awkward bunch. Nero took the opportunity. “Well, this is all grand and all, and I do so much love having you all as company. Blah blah blah, and so on. Hugo, didn’t you have an announcement for us? Isn’t that why we’re all sitting here? Or are you just so concerned over where I dip my wick that you had to come and meet my new future-fiancée in person?” He was a little drunk, and it made him rather cutting and vicious. Or perhaps that was what he was like all the time around everyone else.
Hugo cleared his throat. “Ah. Yes. Well. Yes. That.”
“Get on with it, man,” Nero groaned.
“Well. Ah. I am heading north after this to talk to Morten to tell him in person, but…I thought I should tell you two first. I am…I’m retiring.”
“You’re what?” Viktor and Nero shouted in unison.
“You can’t retire,” Nero whined. “You’re the only one I like.”
“Who is to replace you?” Viktor asked.
“Oh, Hugo,” Rose interjected, her voice sad. “But why?”
“I don’t know who will replace me. It doesn’t matter. There’s nothing to be done about it, I’m afraid.” Hugo stood from where he was sitting and walked away from them. “I’m dying.”
The room was silent. Nothing but the crackle of fire filled the air.
“My experiments. They’ve…I went too far, and now I fear I’m dying because of it. I don’t know how long I have, but I can’t reverse it. So, I’m going to retire to my island and live out the rest of my days in peace. As much as I do love to sit here and listen to us bicker like children, I think I’d rather sit with my books at the end of it all.”
“Oh…Hugo…” Rose stood from her seat and went after Hugo.
Hope wished she really understood more about these people. She felt like a fish out of water.
“Don’t cry, Rose. It was so wonderful to get a chance to meet you. You make Viktor so happy. He really doesn’t deserve you,” Hugo said to her gently. “You’re such a sweet girl. Don’t let him get too serious.”
“I promise.”
“Hugo. You and me, a word.” Nero pushed up from next to her and went after Hugo. “On the balcony. Let’s go.”
That left Rose, Viktor, and Hope alone together. She wondered if he would swing his cane and take her jaw out for her harsh words. She looked over in the direction of the East Wind. “I am sorry we got off on the wrong foot.”
“I was out of line. You were correct in putting me in my place. No hard feelings were caused. All the opposite, in fact. I can see you are a strong woman, Ms. Hope. It is for this reason that I feel the need to tell you something.”
Oh, no. “Yes?”
“Nero is delusional. And I do not say that in