A Lesson in Ashes

Vittoria

The smell of smoke lingered in the air, thick and acrid, clung to my clothes, my skin—my body. Behind me, the remains of my family home smouldered and burned, but the fire that raged inside me burned hotter than anything the Visconti or Giacomo could. Then the phone rang.

I already knew who it was before I even glanced at the screen. My hand closed over the device, clutching tight until m