“I don’t care why they went after him, only that they did.” Zo set up a tray of food and tea and headed for the door. “I won’t lose my son to a fucking war the way I lost my wife.”
Penelope took a bite of eggs, even though she didn’t particularly want to. Alexis hadn’t told her that he had people watching over her parents. Probably because he didn’t want you to worry about their safety any more than you already are. Halfway through her breakfast, she pulled out her phone and found Constantine’s number. She’d programmed it in after their trip to Badija, and even though Alexis probably wouldn’t agree to it, she gave him a call.
“Doctor Bryne, what a pleasant surprise.” He didn’t actually sound surprised at all. “Seen that bad side of Alexis, have you?”
“I didn’t call to talk about Alexis. I’m calling because I—I think you should come to Venice, for your own safety.” She was trying not to think about what effect his presence would have on the palazzo, which was why she wasn’t asking anyone before inviting him.
Constantine laughed a deeply rich sound that made Penelope’s lips twitch. “What makes you think I’d be safe sleeping under the same roof as Aelia and Phaidros? Have they agreed to this visit?”
“I don’t need their approval to extend an invitation to one of my friends.”
“Is that what we are? Friends? Does Alexis know you’ve called me?”
“I don’t need his permission either.” Penelope tried to keep her temper in check.
There was a long silence, then Constantine asked, “What’s happened to spark this concern for my well-being?”
“The attack on Florence was Thevetat’s doing.”
“I’m nowhere near Florence.”
“They used the attack to distract us while they went after Elazar.”
“Dear God.” Constantine’s tone had gone from amusement to despair in seconds. “Please tell me he’s—he’s not—”
“Elazar is wounded but not fatally. They burned his house down with him inside, but Alexis got there in time to rescue Elazar and his books.”
“Is Zo okay?”
Penelope put her fork down, thinking of Zo’s furious cooking. “He’s devastated. Angry in a way I’ve never seen before—”
“I’ll come. Zo needs to talk it out with someone who knows what it feels like to be a father. Alexis and Phaidros lack the experience to understand what he’s going through. I’ll settle things here and leave in a day or so. Those fuckers went after that sweet boy to pick a fight? Fine. We’ll give them one.” Constantine hung up before Penelope had a chance to respond.
Penelope finished her eggs, wondering if she did the right thing and what would be unleashed when Constantine arrived. Her phone pinged, and she read through a message from Marco. He was checking in on her and the others. It seemed he and his family were enjoying his unexpected holiday. It was good to hear but also a reminder of her own predicament. It was only a matter of time before the police dragged her in for questioning about the Florence bombings.
“One day at a time, Penelope,” she whispered and hoped Gisela Bianchi could hold them off as long as possible.
IN THE library, Elazar’s books had been left where they’d fallen. Penelope considered how horrified Elazar would be to see them that way and began to sort them into piles and take them down the elevator to the Archives.
“If you could make a spare shelf to store them, I’d really appreciate it,” Penelope whispered to the Archives. She still didn’t exactly know how the magic of the Archives worked; she simply asked and hoped for the best. On the third trip down, the Archives shuddered. Penelope carried an armload of manuscripts through the stacks. Instead of a few new shelves, she found a completely new room, filled with shelves, desks, and lamps. The books she’d already carried down were now arranged in a way that made sense to the Archives, if no one else.
“Thank you. I’m sure Elazar will be very happy to have his books stored here.” Penelope brushed her hands against the olive shelves. She carried on, and each time she returned with more books, the previous ones had placed themselves neatly away.
As Penelope worked, her mind pulled at the Gordian knot that was the past few weeks. They needed to find out who the priest was that the Teutonic Knight smuggled out of Acre. She needed Alexis’s help to go through all the books in the astrolabe in order to find out how Nereus’s experiments worked and how she’d managed to stop Poseidon from being raised from the dead.
If she hadn’t seen Nereus bring the hit man who attacked her back from the dead for questioning, Penelope would have scoffed at anyone for suggesting such a resurrection was possible. There was a part of it that made Penelope’s skin crawl on a visceral and ethical level. Nereus had known how to do necromancy and had sabotaged the process somehow without anyone else knowing. As always, Nereus had been the smartest person in the room, and the men around her hadn’t known any better to question why the experiment had failed; though Abaddon had suspected enough to risk an attack on the Archives to get the information.
Once all the manuscripts, jars, and scrolls had been safely stored, Penelope took some photos of the organized shelves and went in search of Elazar. She’d never been to Zo’s part of the palazzo. The magicians were protective of their space, and Penelope had gone out of her way to respect that. It was hard enough for all of them to live under the one roof—something that hadn’t happened since they’d left Egypt—and as Alexis explained, magicians were as territorial as cats and would fight anyone with the least provocation. It made Penelope wonder how the Citadel of Magicians had operated.
The palazzo didn’t seem to have a problem showing Penelope to a set of dark gray doors with maroon trim. She knocked tentatively, feeling like a ten year old waiting to see if her friend could come out and play.
Zo opened the door. “Penelope? What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to see if Elazar is awake. I thought he might like a visitor.”
Zo looked like he was about to say no when Elazar’s strong voice called, “For the Almighty’s sake, let her in, Abba.”
Zo gave her a stern look. “Try not to work him up. He’s meant to be resting.”
“You look like you need a rest too.” She felt Zo’s wards release and grant her entrance. “I’ll stay with him if you’d like some sleep.”
Zo’s rooms had a neat kind of chaos about them and were filled with lifetimes’ of mementos. Art hung from the walls, stuffed bookshelves lined the rooms, and wherever there was space, small scraps of paper with poetry written on them were tacked into place. Elazar was propped up on a high-backed day lounge, a small table beside him with steaming tea and books atop it.
“You’re going to have to forgive my father. He’s acting like an overprotective lioness,” he said as Penelope bent down to kiss his cheek. “He’s already healed all my wounds, but still he won’t let me move.”
“You’re my son. I have a right to be upset,” Zo snapped.
“Go and sleep, Abba. I want to talk to Penelope. I’m not going anywhere.” Zo mumbled something but headed for his bedroom. “Ani ohev otcha,” Elazar called as the door closed. “I swear, Penelope, he’s driving me insane already.”
“He was frightened he’d lost you, Elazar. Surely you can understand that.”
Elazar patted his shoulders and chest. “But I am here, and I’m well. He can stop being so upset now. I’m far too old to have my father hovering around every second to make sure I’m still breathing.”
“You know what these moody magicians are like better than anyone.” Penelope took a seat opposite him. “Stay in bed for the day, and let Zo sleep. I’m sure he’ll ease up tomorrow.” She didn’t want to point out that it was precisely because he was an old man that Zo was so panicked. Being mortal and having a mortal son would be hard enough. Penelope couldn’t imagine what Zo was going through.
“Let’s hope so. I’ll go mad if he tries to make me sit still for days.” He settled back amongst his pillows. “It is nice to
be back in Venice. It’s been too long.”
Penelope pulled her phone out and passed it to him. “Here, I wanted to show you that your books aren’t scattered all over the floor anymore.”
“Would you look at that? The Archives has made space for them. Do I have you to thank for this?”
“I helped. You know me—I can’t handle improperly stored books either.”
“Thank you, Archivist. As much as it pains me, my house can be rebuilt, the books replaced, but these were the treasures, the irreplaceable things.” He passed Penelope’s phone back to her. “Where is Alexis? He’s the one who saved them when he didn’t have to. I’ve never seen him use magic like that. It was an inspiring sight. I’ve spent my entire life around these Atlanteans, and I’ve never gotten used to the wonders. I suspect you will be the same way.”
“Oh, you know, if I don’t smother them all in their sleep before then.” Penelope smirked. “I don’t know how Nereus did it. I now understand why she made a haven for herself that’s impossible to enter without permission.”
At the questioning look in his eye, Penelope updated Elazar on inheriting Nereus’s rooms, the astrolabe library, tracking down Constantine, and Kreios’s visit.
“I’m exhausted just listening to all of this. Constantine is a remarkable man. It doesn’t surprise me that he’d have a storehouse of relics hidden away. By now, you should realize that immortals are pack rats who hoard their treasures like demented old dragons.” Elazar laughed.
“I could really use your help finding Solomon’s ring. Zo isn’t going to let you return to Israel until this mess with Thevetat is over, and I need all the help I can get. I’m split between finding the ring and trying to undo the magic Thevetat is going to use to fuse himself with his new body. I’m not too proud to admit I need help.” Penelope ran a frustrated hand down her face. “That’s not even mentioning this magic inside of me that I have no idea what to do with.”
“These things have a way of becoming clear in time. If you find the ring, you might not need a way to sabotage the magic as Nereus did.”
“I can’t rely on the ring actually working for me. Constantine confirmed that it does work, but he never performed an exorcism with it. If he, an absolute believer, couldn’t get it to work for him, I can’t expect it to work for someone like me.”
“The prophecy said that it would, so I suppose you’ll just have to have faith—in yourself more than anything else. Find the way to unravel the magic. It’s always better to be overprepared than underprepared when going into battle.” Elazar took her hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze. “I’ll help you in any way that I can, Penelope. We’re family now, and I’m eager to get back at the bastards who burned my house down.”
Penelope looked over her shoulder to make sure Zo’s door was still closed. “We’ll start tomorrow.”
THE SUN was setting when Penelope put together a plate of croissants, fruit, and coffee and went back to the citadel rooms in search of Alexis. She couldn’t think of them as her rooms—though she was becoming more inclined to stay there for the lack of disruptions—and they had changed too much to be called Nereus’s rooms anymore, so she’d started referring to them as the citadel rooms.
Alexis was awake and wrapped in a purple robe with golden Byzantine embroidery. He was studying the books she’d been puzzling over, and he’d taken over her journal, writing down notes like he couldn’t help himself.
Penelope placed the tray on the table. “I thought you’d still be asleep.” She kissed the back of his exposed neck.
“I was coming to see you, and then a diagram caught my eye. I thought I’d see what it meant and became a little stuck,” Alexis said. He looked at his watch and cursed. “That was two hours ago. I’ll get you a new journal.”
Penelope smiled at him—her crazy, book-obsessed magician. She passed him a croissant. “Here, eat this and tell me what you’ve been reading. I couldn’t make sense of it, even with the Living Language to translate.”
“This is how the citadel’s magic was contained within the walls and prevented from leaking out into the rest of the city. I’ll admit, I never gave it much thought as an apprentice, but it really is ingenious what Poseidon came up with. Nereus figured it out. It seems like much of this book is focused on how Poseidon did things.”
Alexis flicked through the pages, showing Penelope the complex wardings. Once again, most of it sailed over her head, but she didn’t interrupt because Alexis nerding-out over magic never failed to cheer her up. After ten thousand years, he still loved magic with a wild, childlike innocence.
“You said there are more of these books, didn’t you?” he asked, eyes bright.
Penelope spun the astrolabe on the tabletop. “Enough to keep you excited for the next hundred years. You need to stay focused. We need to figure out the details of her resurrection experiments, remember?”
“Yes, of course. I can’t help but be excited. Nereus kept all of these to herself and probably wouldn’t have guessed her old experiments would be of interest to anyone. It’s like I’m a student all over again—a heady thought for someone as old as I am.” Alexis smiled.
Penelope kissed him soundly. “Okay, magician. Let’s go through this pile first, then I’ll show you the rest.”
ZO MANAGED TO keep Elazar bedbound for a whole day before Penelope found him out in the center courtyard drinking coffee with Alexis.
“I see you’ve sprung the prisoner,” Penelope said as she joined them.
Alexis’s eyes glinted with amusement. “I sent Zo to the markets to distract him for a few hours.”
“Thank you for your intervention, Uncle. I don’t know what he healed, but I haven’t felt this good in years.” Elazar breathed in the salty summer air. “It’s good to be back. As much as Israel has my soul, there’s nothing quite like Venice.”
“We’ll have to go on some walks together. There’s still so much I haven’t seen.” Penelope reached for Alexis’s coffee, and he relinquished what was left to her.
Elazar rubbed his hands together. “An excellent plan. First, I’d like to see my books.”
“Of course, and I’ll have to show how far we’ve gotten in deciphering Tim’s visions.”
Alexis chuckled. “Be careful, Elazar. She’ll recruit you into the hunt before you know it, and you won’t get to see any of Venice at all.”
Penelope whacked him on the arm. “Hey! You’re meant to be on my side. I’ve lost you to Nereus’s Atlantis books, so I need a new study buddy.”
“There will be plenty of time for me to do both. Searching for a mystical Near Eastern relic like King Solomon’s ring would be hard for any scholar to pass up. Especially when the search is being led by a beautiful woman.” Elazar winked in Penelope’s direction.
“Be careful of his charm, Penelope. He learned all his best tricks from me.”
Penelope rolled her eyes. “I’ll have to keep that in mind when we’re discussing wandering priests—the sexiest topic I know.” She was less concerned with charming men and more concerned with running out of Tim’s clues before they reached the last hundred years. That morning, she’d been alarmed with how many parts of his manuscript were left unhighlighted.
“Have you heard from Phaidros and Lyca?” asked Elazar.
“They’re on their way home. Lyca found the apartment where the bombs were made, but it had been abandoned, much to her disappointment. Gisela texted me this morning to say they hadn’t found any more bombs, so let’s hope that Kreios will back off for the time being.” Alexis frowned. “Despite his warning about the attack on Elazar, we can’t see him as anything but a threat.”
They all knew Kreios wouldn’t stop, especially with Thevetat controlling his movements, but Penelope breathed a sigh of relief to know that Florence was safe for the moment. She twisted the silver-and-lapis lazuli ring on her finger, wondering if she’d be able to connect with Kreios again. Maybe she could get some insight into where they were going next.
Alexis’s long fingers closed over hers. “Don’t even think about it, cara. If he’s as much of an ally as he claims, he’ll find a way to get a message to you.”
“Alexis is right. Don’t borrow trouble, Pen. You have enough worries.” Elazar drained his coffee and got to his feet. “Now, let’s go and see my books.”
“THIS VIEW never gets old, no matter how many times I see it,” Elazar said as they gazed out of the glass elevator at the Archives beneath them.
“As much as I hate the circumstances, I’m glad you’re here, Elazar. These magicians are so jaded when it comes to the wonder around them,” said Penelope.
“They’ve lived very long lives of incredible wonder and loss. It takes something truly unique to get them excited. Like Alexis and the intensity of his love for you. The poor old bastard never saw it coming. You’ve woken him up, and it pleases me greatly.” Elazar patted her shoulder. “You’re going to be good for all of them.”
“I’ll try my best, though I think they’ll get sick of my enthusiasm sooner or later.” Penelope laughed. She led him through the twisting paths between the stacks to where the Archives had constructed the new office.
“Ah, my babies,” Elazar crooned. He ran his fingers over the spines and checked for damage.
“They’re all here, although I can’t tell you how the Archives chose to arrange them.”
“That doesn’t matter. I’ll move them about to how I had them at home.”
Penelope bit down a laugh. The Archives had its own ideas about arranging books, and she’d given up trying to move the ones in her office. It took Elazar half an hour before he was satisfied that all his treasures were stored correctly. He looped his arm around Penelope’s, and she took him to her office.
“Dear Lord, you’ve been busy.” Elazar stared at the windows covered in their makeshift timeline of quotes, historical figures, sticky notes, and maps.
Penelope grinned. “Sit down and get comfortable. I’ll run you through it.”
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