Starling (76 page)

He removed the needle from Minerva’s neck and more blood
dribbled out of the wound. The courtesan’s whole body seemed
limp. If Cass hadn’t been able to see her chest moving, she would
have thought Minerva was already dead. Piero returned her to her
cell, bending over to drop her wilted frame unceremoniously onto
the pile of blankets.
Cass pounded a fist against the bars of her cell as she stared at
Minerva’s crumpled form, checking repeatedly for the rising and
falling of her chest. “Minerva. Are you all right?” she asked.
Minerva’s eyelids fluttered and one hand slowly opened and
closed, but she didn’t speak. Blood continued to ooze from her
wound.
Cass bowed her head and prayed. When she had no more breath
for prayer, she made the sign of the cross over her chest and leaned
back against the wall of her cell. She had to focus, to be smart. Starting now she would keep track of everyone she saw. She would keep
track of when they came and went. Eventually there would be a
chance for escape, and when there was, Cass would be ready.
Piero returned later to check on Minerva. Cass watched through
the bars as he knelt down to examine the unconscious courtesan.
“Still want me to take you instead?” Piero asked with a crooked grin.
Cass didn’t respond. Her eyes smoldered with hate.
“I’ve nothing against you, Signorina Cassandra,” he said. “We
just need your blood.”
“I have a lot of money,” Cass said suddenly. “My aunt hid it. If
you let us go, I can make you rich.”
“Wealth doesn’t buy immortality. And it doesn’t buy protection
from people like Bella. If I set you free, she’d kill me.”
“The way she killed Angelo de Gradi?”
Piero’s lips twitched. “I heard he was attacked by vampires.”
Cass decided to try a different strategy. It wasn’t like she had anything to lose. “What if I told you I have the Book of the Eternal
Rose?” she asked. “And that I’ll give it to you if you let me go.”
Piero’s eyes narrowed. “How do you even know about that?”
“Because I stole it from the armoire in Belladonna’s bedroom.
Then I followed you to the chapel and watched you pour blood all
over your mistress.” Cass didn’t know if she could convince Piero,
but she could try. At least if he and Belladonna thought she had the
book, they might be willing to negotiate.
“You’re a clever girl,” he said. “But Bella has already located the
book. The only thing you have to offer me is flowing through your
veins, and when I’m ready, I will take it whether you’re willing to give
it up or not.”
So Belladonna had recovered the Book of the Eternal Rose. Cass
wondered if it might be somewhere in the workshop. Piero would
never tell her. She had to escape while she was still strong enough,
before Piero began taking her blood. She had to find the book.
“What’s wrong, Cassandra? You look so pale.” Piero grinned.
“I’ll be back to see you tomorrow, all right?”
Minerva stirred gently. “Will you stay awake for q while?” she
murmured. “So that I’m not alone if I die?”
“You’re not going to die,” Cass said sharply. And then, more
softly, “But of course I’ll stay awake with you.”
Minerva fell silent, and for the longest time it was just the two girls
in the little hollowed-out room of cages. Cass lay back on the floor
and looked up into the blackness.