a pejorative sense. I mean that quite literally. He suffers from mental…cracks. He believes he and Hugo are brothers. We entertain this lie for his sake.”
“Wait…what?”
Viktor sighed. “What has he told you?”
“That he and Hugo share a father. That Morten killed his family and whisked him and Hugo off to be raised to be the next Cardinals of the West and South.”
The East Wind sat silent for a moment. “I will tell you this out of respect to you and what you will suffer in his…care. That is false. Hugo and Nero are not related. Nero’s family was indeed killed by Morten’s forces, because they were insurgents. He was given to the South Wind Cardinal at the time, Pompei, as his personal slave. Hugo and Nero did not meet until they were already Cardinals.”
Hope sat there, stunned. Her goblet nearly tumbled from her hands. She set it down, her hands shaking.
He paused before he continued. “By all accounts, Pompei abused Nero until one day, he could take it no longer. Nero killed Pompei. Brutally bashed his head open upon the steps of his atrium pool. During the act, the power of the Cardinal transferred to him. The power of the South Wind transfers by violence, as it is the aspect he represents. We do not…advertise this fact for several reasons. I tell you this as it may help you protect yourself. I trust you will keep it in confidence.”
“Y…yes, thank you…” She felt numb. Empty and strange.
He had lied to her. Or he was delusional. She didn’t know which was worse.
And he had been a slave, once. He had been a slave—had known cruelty at the hands of a cruel master—and he let the practice continue. Not only that…but he had bought her.
She stood. She needed to leave. It was impolite, but she didn’t know what else to do. She was going to cry, and she had vowed never to cry in front of another person again in her life.
A hand caught her wrist over her bracer and stopped her. “Beware of him, please. He is a madman. Take care of yourself.”
“I will do what I can, Cardinal. I…I thank you for the warning. I do not know that we will meet again. But I thank you.”
“I hope we do, Ms. Hope. Goodnight.”
“And you. Lady Cardinal? It has been a pleasure.” She didn’t know where Rose was, but she turned her head in the general direction where the other woman had been. “I wish you both safe travels back to your Dominion. And I hope your honeymoon was lovely.”
“It…it was. Thank you.” Rose sounded worried and forlorn. As if she sympathized with Hope. It was a charming notion. “I should like to speak with you again. If you ever need to call—please do.”
Hope smiled and bowed her head in thanks. She didn’t know that she could form any more words without blubbering over them. She needed to get out. She needed to get away. She needed to find something glass that wasn’t terribly expensive and shatter it against a wall. She turned and left without another word.
“Hope?” Kema called after her. She must have been waiting nearby. “Hope, what’s wrong?”
“Stop. Just stop.”
A hand on her arm spun her around to face the Egyptian woman. “What happened? What did Viktor say to you?”
“The truth about Nero’s past.”
“Oh, that little shit,” Kema snarled. “I’m going to take that cane and shove it up his ass back where it belongs, that—”
“You knew?” More betrayal added to the pile this week.
“I…I’m the only other person who does, besides them. It’s not…it’s not public knowledge, Hope. I didn’t know how to tell you.”
Kema was right. Hope sighed and let her frustration at Kema go. It was Nero’s lie. Or his delusion. Not Kema’s. Hope pulled her arm out of Kema’s grasp. “It isn’t your fault. I’m not angry at you. I just need space. I am going to my room for the night. Tell Nero I am not well.” She sighed. “No. Tell him the truth. Enough mistruths have been spoken.”
“I…okay.”
And with that, she went back to her room. Or rather, she tried. She made it about halfway there before she heard someone running up behind her. She retreated toward the wall, but someone grabbed her with both hands and spun her around violently to face them. “You do not run from me!”
Nero.
And he was furious.
“I did not run. I was walking.”
“Don’t sass me, Hope. Not right now. You don’t run, and you don’t hide.”
She