by Anna Hoghton
‘Exactly.’ Rodolfo smiled. ‘She creates a copy of all the notes put into the Lion’s Mouth. Nymeria, would you care to demonstrate?’
The lioness rose on to her four paws and stretched lethargically. She was taller than the reception desk, and Aribella again had to resist the urge to take a step backwards. She began to cough. Aribella had seen Luna cough up hairballs in the same way. But out of the lioness’s throat came a balled piece of paper that fell with a puddle of spit on to the floor.
Rosa sighed. ‘I do wish you wouldn’t do that on the Persian rug, Nymeria.’
The bat flew off the desk, picked up the paper and dropped it into Rodolfo’s hands.
‘Thank you, Io.’ Rodolfo unballed the paper and straightened it out on his knee, not seeming to care that he was getting gloopy lioness spit all over his trousers. ‘“My brother is a stinky troll,”’ he said. ‘Another wind-up. Don’t think we need to worry about that one.’ He balled up the paper again and tossed it into the fireplace, where it burst into flames and disappeared up the chimney.
‘Want some lioness spit on your fingers?’ he asked, holding out his slimy hands to Aribella. ‘Great for wounds.’
Aribella blinked at him in disbelief. ‘Er, no, I’m all right – thanks though.’
‘Suit yourself. Your fingers should be healed by tomorrow morning anyway.’ Rodolfo slathered the goo all over his head. ‘Still hoping it will help the baldness.’
Nymeria snorted as if she did not think anything could help with that, then settled back in place at the bottom of the staircase and promptly fell asleep again. Aribella watched the rhythmic rise and fall of her furry body and felt her own eyelids drooping.
‘I think we’d better hurry up so we can get you to bed.’ Rosa said it so kindly that Aribella felt the tiniest bit lighter. It felt wonderful to have someone care for her. Papa hadn’t been able to do that properly for years.
‘What about my papa?’ She couldn’t think about sleeping until she was sure he was safe.
‘I will speak to the Elders tomorrow,’ Rodolfo said gravely, ‘and then I should be able to go to the Doge—’
‘Tomorrow? But I can’t stay here tonight when Papa’s stuck in prison!’ Aribella blurted. She knew she sounded ungrateful but she did not know what else to do.
‘Your kind heart is admirable, child,’ Rodolfo replied. ‘I’ve no doubt your papa would be proud of you. But I assure you that if anything could be done tonight, I would have seen to it already.’
‘But you must be able to do something?’ Aribella persisted. ‘You have a gondola that goes faster than any boat I’ve ever seen, a mask that can make you invisible—’
‘Unwatchable,’ Rodolfo corrected her.
‘A hotel that . . . changes, a lioness that . . . spits,’ she floundered.
Rodolfo sighed. ‘The Elders have rules when it comes to Inbellis affairs.’
‘Inbellis?’
‘Non-Cannovacci. Humans without powers. But I promise, I will do everything I can to help your papa tomorrow.’
Aribella opened her mouth to protest again.
‘You have to trust me,’ he said firmly, echoing his words on the lagoon.
Rodolfo had saved Theo, hadn’t he? He’d taken him home, just as he’d promised. So if he promised to help Papa, did that mean he would? She longed for someone she could trust.
‘You promise?’
‘I promise.’ Rodolfo met her gaze, his eyes steady.
And so Aribella decided, for the second time that night, to trust him.
‘Now, I’ll leave you and Rosa to it if that’s all right. The night is already escaping and I must read the stars,’ he added, as if he was talking about reading a book. Could he really be a star-reader? It was almost too wonderful. What did the stars tell him?
Aribella removed his cloak and handed it back to him.
‘Thank you. Sleep well.’ He seemed suddenly exhausted as he headed upstairs, his mask in his hands, his star cloak over his arm, and Io flapping behind.
Aribella watched him go. When she turned back to the reception desk, a leather-bound book had appeared and Rosa was looking down at it.
‘May I take your age, Aribella?’
‘I’m thirteen . . . tomorrow actually,’ she added awkwardly. Or was it today? She’d completely lost track of time.
‘Oh, happy birthday!’ Rosa beamed, picking up a peacock-feather quill and dipping it into a pot of blue ink, both items materializing before Aribella’s eyes.
‘Thanks.’ Aribella stared at the inkpot and quill, then watched enviously as Rosa made a note in her book, the quill flicking back and forth. Aribella had always been fascinated by writing. Papa had taught her how to read and write a little, which was more than most children on Burano, but she still wasn’t very good.
‘And your power?’
‘My power?’
‘What can you do that makes you . . . extraordinary? You know, like Rodolfo can read the stars, and I can create things.’ Rosa waved her hands and the bouquet of flowers on the desk doubled in size.
Aribella blushed, unsure what to say. ‘I can . . . make fire. I mean, I think I can. It’s only happened today . . .’ She trailed off. It felt ridiculous saying this out loud, when earlier she thought she’d be imprisoned for admitting anything of the sort.
Rosa nodded, as if Aribella had just said she was good at swimming. She put her head on one side and a shimmering mask appeared, covering the top half of her face. The mask had tiny white moonstones arranged in intricate swirls round the edges and a large multicoloured opal in the centre. It was silver-blue – at least at first – before it caught the light and changed, turning deep purple then bright pink . . .
After everything else that had appeared in the last twenty minutes, the mask should have been the least impressive thing but something about it felt very special. As with Rodolfo’s star mask, there was something about Rosa’s that suited her perfectly. It was clear the mask belonged to her.
‘Can you read?’ Rosa asked, handing her a large sheet of parchment.
Aribella nodded, feeling a surge of gratitude towards Papa for teaching her.
Rosa smiled. ‘You’re lucky. Reading is the greatest power there is.’
‘What do you mean?’ Aribella asked, thinking that after Rodolfo and Rosa’s powers, reading didn’t sound that impressive.
‘Because reading is magic! It is can transport us into other worlds or allow us to understand our own better. If I read out these rules to you, for instance, I could add whatever embellishments I liked, but you can read them for yourself and know the truth of the words. That is power. Go on, the sooner we do this the sooner we can get you to your new bedroom.’
My bedroom . . . Aribella looked down at the page.
Greetings, Novice,
Welcome to the Halfway Hotel for the Secret Society of the Cannovacci, Protectors of Venice. We kindly ask that you observe these house rules to ensure a safe and peaceful stay for all. Failure to comply may be punishable by seizure of a guest’s mask and check out from the Hotel:
1. Powers must be declared at check-in.
2. Novices must not use their power without training or permission.
3. Gondolas may only be used with their owner’s permesso. Novices may not use gondolas.
4. No animals other than authorized companions of Elders may enter the Hotel.
5. Secrets of the Cannovacci must not be shared with Inbellis, excepting blood relatives and the Doge of Venice.
We hope that you enjoy your stay at the Halfway Hotel.
The Elders of the Cannovacci
Rosa passed Aribella the peacock quill and pot of ink. Aribella had never had to write a signature before and wasn’t entirely sure how it was done. She just wrote her name but wobbled her hand a bit to make it appear more grown-up. It didn’t look quite right but Rosa swept the parchment away before she could change it.
‘Now, I’ve a hot bath waiting that you should get into before you c
atch a chill,’ she said, bustling her through a door on her left.
Aribella wasn’t usually a fan of baths. However, this bathroom would have converted even the biggest bath-hater. Like the lobby, it was decadently decorated, with walls covered in mosaics of shells and coloured stones. Instead of the tin bucket Aribella had been expecting, there was a free-standing oval copper tub full of steaming water fragranced with lavender. Aribella had not smelt anything so sweet in a long time.
‘I’ll leave you to it,’ Rosa said. ‘Take your time!’
Aribella put her throbbing fingers into the warm water and the pain eased a little. She unlaced her boots, peeled off her wet socks, trousers, jumper and underwear, and slid into the water. The heat immediately soothed her aching limbs, and she lay there a while just enjoying the sensation. Then, using a scrubbing brush, she dislodged some of the dirt underneath her fingernails, and yanked a comb through her knotted hair until her eyes were stinging. Eventually she climbed out and rubbed herself dry with the thick, soft towel hanging on the stand. There was also a frilly nightgown that Theo would have laughed to see her in, but as Aribella’s old clothes were damp and dirty and the nightdress was clean and dry, she put it on, along with a pair of fluffy slippers and a thick purple dressing-gown. She gathered up her damp clothes and padded back into the lobby, feeling as if she was floating on air.
Nymeria was still asleep at the base of the staircase and snoring loudly.
Rosa looked up and smiled. ‘Who’d have thought there’d be a pretty face under all that dirt? You can leave your old clothes here and I’ll get them laundered.’ She turned and took a gold key from one of the hooks on the row marked ‘Third Floor’. It seemed to glow slightly and her fingers lingered on it briefly, as if she were uncertain. She frowned then seemed to make up her mind and held it out to Aribella. ‘Third floor. The key will take you to your room. Hand it in whenever you leave the hotel so you don’t lose it.’
Aribella took the heavy key. It had an orange velvet tassel and felt warm in her hand. ‘Thank you.’
Rosa smiled again. ‘Sweet dreams. I’ll see you in the morning.’
Wary of the sleeping lioness, Aribella tiptoed towards the sweeping staircase. The enormous crystal chandelier that hung in the centre must have been made on Murano for a hefty price. Above it, a slice of dark sky was visible through a hexagonal window in the ceiling.
Oil lamps lined the staircase, lighting her way as she climbed. Aribella was too exhausted to take much in, except for soft carpet, portraits and seemingly endless stairs. This was a world away from Papa’s tiny cottage. She hoped he would be safe tonight. She hoped everyone on the islands would be safe too, and that there were no more of those ghastly spectres. She thought of that horrible mark on Theo’s skin. Thank goodness Rodolfo had saved him. What if he hadn’t been there with that vinegar stuff? She didn’t want to think about it.
She reached the third floor and stopped in surprise. A boy stood on the landing. Half-stood, she realized with shock. For while half of the boy was in the hallway, the other half seemed to be on the other side of a closed door.
Aribella gasped and the boy’s eyes snapped open.
‘What? What is it?’ he cried. The other half of his body appeared through the door as he whirled round. Now all of him was visible, Aribella could see that he was lanky, with blond hair that stuck up at odd angles like straw. The sleeves of his nightshirt were too short. He looked about her age.
‘Hello,’ she said nervously. ‘Er . . . are you all right?’
The boy groaned and slapped one hand to his forehead. ‘Oh no, I was sleepwalking again, wasn’t I? I keep trying to stop but I tell you, being able to walk through walls makes it ten times worse . . .’ His eyes narrowed. ‘You’re new, I presume?’
‘I, er . . . just arrived.’
‘Well, you gave me quite a fright.’
‘You gave me a fright too!’
The boy grinned. ‘Welcome anyway. I’m Fin.’
‘Aribella.’
‘Nice to meet you, Aribella. Looking forward to meeting you properly in the morning. We’d better head to bed before Rosa catches us, or worse, Jacapo. See you tomorrow.’ Fin dissolved through the door, leaving Aribella alone on the landing with her mouth hanging open.
For a moment, she stood there staring. Then she went to the door and ran her fingers over the wood. It was solid. She felt as if her entire world had been flipped upside down. Nothing made sense. But a small voice in her said: You always thought there was magic in the world and now you’re seeing that it’s true.
The key buzzed in her hand, as if to remind her that it was bedtime. It swung like a compass needle and she followed its direction down the hall until it buzzed in her hand outside a door. She put the key in the lock. It was a perfect fit and turned easily with a click. The door swung open.
Aribella blinked at the beautiful bedroom beyond. A single candle flickered on a nightstand, illuminating light blue wallpaper intricately patterned with ornate silver flowers, trees and birds. There was more furniture in the bedroom than in Papa’s entire cottage: two nightstands either side of a grand four-poster bed, a large oak wardrobe, a mirrored dressing table and two elegant armchairs that flanked a fireplace. The bedroom was enormous. Was all this space really just for her? Giddy excitement filled Aribella’s chest. To think that she – the daughter of a lacemaker – would be sleeping here, in the grandest palazzo on the Grand Canal! But where was Papa sleeping? This thought dampened her happiness but she tried to tell herself that all would be fine once Rodolfo had been to the Doge. He had promised.
Aribella shook off the slippers and dressing-gown, and hauled herself up on to the mattress. Tugging back the heavy quilt, she slipped gratefully between the soft silk sheets. She barely kept her eyes open long enough to blow out the candle, and soon she fell into a deep sleep.
When Aribella woke she was confused. Instead of looking up at spiders’ webs in her dusty bedroom in Burano, she found herself staring up at a beautiful silk canopy. Her heart leapt. So, it hadn’t been a dream! In her exhaustion, she hadn’t thought to draw the curtains last night, and the morning sunlight bathed everything in a warm glow.
Aribella stared around the room in dizzy happiness. The blue-and-silver wallpaper was even more beautiful in the daylight, and there was a large cuckoo clock above the door she hadn’t noticed the night before. The vase of freshly cut wildflowers that had appeared on the night-stand in place of the candle must have been Rosa’s work, she thought.
Aribella stretched and found the stinging in her fingers had reduced to a dull ache. She felt the edge of something hard under her pillow and pulled out a chocolate wrapped in gold paper. The chocolate was squashed but Aribella unwrapped it excitedly and popped it in her mouth, groaning aloud at the rich, gooey sweetness. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten chocolate. Untangling herself from the quilt and sheets, Aribella pressed her feet into the slippers again and padded towards the grand window to peek out.
It was a glorious autumn morning. The sky was brilliantly blue and the Grand Canal sparkled. On one side, the indigo flags that marked the San Marco district waved, and on the other, the yellow San Polo flags puffed back. Market barges slid along the water below, but none of their passengers looked up or even gave the hotel so much as a second glance. They probably still saw the Halfway the way she’d seen it last night: broken and dilapidated. If only they knew!
She gazed across the rooftops of the floating city. The Republic’s domes, spires and towers glittered in the morning sun, like jewels in a crown. Between them were countless canals, bridges and boats, and windows gleamed like the lagoon itself, so that the sea seemed to be inside every house. Aribella strained her eyes towards the distant horizon. Burano lay there somewhere, too far to see.
The sound of her door slamming open made Aribella jump and spin round.
A short, fierce-looking girl with curly hair ran into the room, and crouched beside her bed, looking undern
eath it. Aribella was about to ask her who she was and what she was doing when the girl made a loud mewing sound. She sounded exactly like a cat . . . Aribella took a step backwards and knocked into the window.
At the sound, the girl sprang up at once and glared. She had beautiful green eyes that were orange-flecked, with gold edges. ‘What are you doing in here?’
Again, Aribella was taken aback. ‘Rosa said it was my room.’
The girl wrinkled her nose. ‘Well, don’t look under the bed!’
‘I wasn’t planning to . . .’ Aribella muttered, confused by the girl’s hostility. Wasn’t this meant to be her room? Again, the feeling of being out of place niggled at her.
All of a sudden, a black ball of fur shot out from under the bed and launched itself at Aribella’s ankles. It was a cat! And not just any cat . . .
‘Luna!’ Aribella exclaimed joyfully. ‘How in the lagoon did you get in here?’ She picked Luna up and hugged her, so delighted to see her that for a moment she forgot the other girl was there.
‘She’s your cat?’ The girl sounded surprised.
‘Oh no, not really! She’s a stray from Burano. Me and my friend named her Luna as we only used to see her at night.’ Aribella stopped because thinking about Theo made her heart ache.
The other girl raised an eyebrow. ‘How did you get her in?’
‘I didn’t,’ Aribella replied quickly, remembering Rosa’s no animals rule. ‘I’ve no idea how she found me.’
‘You didn’t smuggle her in?’
‘No!’
The girl sank down on to Aribella’s bed with a sigh. ‘I wish you had. Then I’d know how to do it. No animal has ever got into Halfway without Rosa’s permission. She’s so funny about Novices having pets but I keep telling her I should be an exception. My power is being able to talk to animals, after all, and how can I do that if there’s only snoring Nymeria and Io. My room’s next door and I heard a meow so I knew there was a cat in here. You must have been asleep.’