murmured, his hand hovering near

weight of the crutch concealed beneath the

allroom, the hum of the annual Charity A

lier: *Don't bother coming.

wife locked away in the attic while he p

ore blo

featuring a slit high enough to reveal the top of the black fiberglass ca

d, tugging at his collar. He looked nervous

," I

ent

murmur of conversation di

t the head table. Aria

on that looked suspiciously like a wed

he moment they landed on me. Then, the s

't go

at a table near the fro

ction

. Renaissance ar

he main

uctioneer announced, his voice

hush fell o

e piece that had belonged to Alessandro's gr

pposed to

omething into his ear. He smiled-that indulg

," Alessandr

my birthright

ed my

y voice rang clear, slic

is head around. His

electric whispers.

lessandro said, his

untered without a hea

" he s

llion,"

uncomfortable, tapping his earpie

ioneer stammered into the microphone, the fee

I asked, my

a deep crimson. "They have been frozen.

went dead

ndro s

off. He had an

Mark. "Use y

es, unable to meet my gaze. "I can't

ll playing

the awkwardness. "Going once... twice... Sol

room. It sounded hollow, li

e walked to the stage

dn't

ood behind Aria, and clasped th

sed he

d stones and looking at me wi

pine-st

y. I didn't

tche

ought stripping me of my mon

had just handed

broken the final, sacred rule of th

the world h

s around Aria's neck. They di

ked like

A small, c

t. *It's the last gi