ago?”
Niccolò shrugged. “How should I know? He’s un vecchio . Maybe he forgot something.”
From the corner of his eye, Niccolò saw her wrinkling her nose. “I do not like the looks of this.”
Niccolò tried to appear serene. He would do anything to disrupt her “ mondo perfetto .” But as things were, he was confined to uselessness. There’s nothing he would have liked better than turn back time and correct his mistake, but it was already too late for his soul. He knew he was way past redemption, but there might still be a glimmer of hope for the rest. Yes... the fact that the plane was flying over the same area twice was a sign that something unexpected had happened. In all these years, the old man had never made that kind of mistake.
Niccolò felt a surge of excitement. Could it be possible? Had someone else found the portal? Or better yet, had the little brat, Emma, awakened to her powers? There was one way to find out, and that was to pay a visit to Lili.
The icy woman’s voice broke his thoughts.
“What are you smiling about?” she asked, drilling him with her violet gaze.
Stradivarius, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly stood up and snarled.
“Stay still,” the woman commanded. “What is the matter? You do not like your new collar?”
The new collar was an elaborate design made from many tiny violins studded with amethysts. The sharp fingerboards were probably sticking into the dog’s neck. The witch was pazza , completely deranged, thought Niccolò.
Suddenly the woman screamed. “Where did that beast come from?”
Niccolò turned in surprise to see an innocent-looking black rabbit hop onto the terrace.
Stradivarius barked ferociously, broke free of his mistress’ hold, and jumped after the rabbit.
The rabbit leaped and flashed across the terrace and down the steps leading to the back bridge. The dog ran after it but clearly was no match for the quick ball of fur. Both headed toward the woods.
The woman jumped to her feet. “Stradivarius!” she screamed. “Stradivarius! Come back here this instant!”
“ Non ti preoccupare . If the dog doesn’t handle it, the wolves will.”
She turned on Niccolò. “You insolent fool. What is the meaning of this? A beast from the upper world? How did it manage to get in here? I want you to conduct a search immediately.”
“And how do you suppose I do that? You and I and that beastly dog are the only ones in this paradiso ,” he said sarcastically. “That is, without counting your prisoners.”
“This is outrageous.” She spun on her stiletto heels and stormed inside. “I must consult with the dark forces.”
Pleased by the commotion, yet curious at the surprising developments, Niccolò followed her inside and headed to Lili’s chamber.
Chapter Twenty-Five
O NCE AGAIN, ELIZABETH’S ATTENTION WAS DRAWN to the window. “It’s the plane.”
From the bed, Lili’s brows furrowed. “So soon again?”
“It is a little strange, isn’t it? Father should be cutting wood at the moment. His plane passed a little while ago, didn’t it?” She glanced at her watch. A silly reflex. She knew very well that watches didn’t work here, that time didn’t exist. She only had to look at her sister to be reminded of it. They were twins, yet Lili looked— was —almost ten years younger than herself. “How are you feeling?”
“Much stronger,” Lili said. “What’s more…”
Elizabeth sat by her side, on the edge of the bed. “Yes?”
“I don’t know… but I have this strange feeling Emma is close to us.”
“That’s impossible.”
“What’s impossible?” a man asked. His voice was deep and had a strong Italian accent.
Startled, Elizabeth and Lili looked to the door. Niccolò, smug and palely mysterious, stepped into the room.
There was a moment of silence as Elizabeth and Niccolò regarded each other with a mixture of respect and hostility.
“Well? What’s impossible?” he asked again.
“Nothing,” Elizabeth
Niccolò shrugged. “How should I know? He’s un vecchio . Maybe he forgot something.”
From the corner of his eye, Niccolò saw her wrinkling her nose. “I do not like the looks of this.”
Niccolò tried to appear serene. He would do anything to disrupt her “ mondo perfetto .” But as things were, he was confined to uselessness. There’s nothing he would have liked better than turn back time and correct his mistake, but it was already too late for his soul. He knew he was way past redemption, but there might still be a glimmer of hope for the rest. Yes... the fact that the plane was flying over the same area twice was a sign that something unexpected had happened. In all these years, the old man had never made that kind of mistake.
Niccolò felt a surge of excitement. Could it be possible? Had someone else found the portal? Or better yet, had the little brat, Emma, awakened to her powers? There was one way to find out, and that was to pay a visit to Lili.
The icy woman’s voice broke his thoughts.
“What are you smiling about?” she asked, drilling him with her violet gaze.
Stradivarius, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly stood up and snarled.
“Stay still,” the woman commanded. “What is the matter? You do not like your new collar?”
The new collar was an elaborate design made from many tiny violins studded with amethysts. The sharp fingerboards were probably sticking into the dog’s neck. The witch was pazza , completely deranged, thought Niccolò.
Suddenly the woman screamed. “Where did that beast come from?”
Niccolò turned in surprise to see an innocent-looking black rabbit hop onto the terrace.
Stradivarius barked ferociously, broke free of his mistress’ hold, and jumped after the rabbit.
The rabbit leaped and flashed across the terrace and down the steps leading to the back bridge. The dog ran after it but clearly was no match for the quick ball of fur. Both headed toward the woods.
The woman jumped to her feet. “Stradivarius!” she screamed. “Stradivarius! Come back here this instant!”
“ Non ti preoccupare . If the dog doesn’t handle it, the wolves will.”
She turned on Niccolò. “You insolent fool. What is the meaning of this? A beast from the upper world? How did it manage to get in here? I want you to conduct a search immediately.”
“And how do you suppose I do that? You and I and that beastly dog are the only ones in this paradiso ,” he said sarcastically. “That is, without counting your prisoners.”
“This is outrageous.” She spun on her stiletto heels and stormed inside. “I must consult with the dark forces.”
Pleased by the commotion, yet curious at the surprising developments, Niccolò followed her inside and headed to Lili’s chamber.
Chapter Twenty-Five
O NCE AGAIN, ELIZABETH’S ATTENTION WAS DRAWN to the window. “It’s the plane.”
From the bed, Lili’s brows furrowed. “So soon again?”
“It is a little strange, isn’t it? Father should be cutting wood at the moment. His plane passed a little while ago, didn’t it?” She glanced at her watch. A silly reflex. She knew very well that watches didn’t work here, that time didn’t exist. She only had to look at her sister to be reminded of it. They were twins, yet Lili looked— was —almost ten years younger than herself. “How are you feeling?”
“Much stronger,” Lili said. “What’s more…”
Elizabeth sat by her side, on the edge of the bed. “Yes?”
“I don’t know… but I have this strange feeling Emma is close to us.”
“That’s impossible.”
“What’s impossible?” a man asked. His voice was deep and had a strong Italian accent.
Startled, Elizabeth and Lili looked to the door. Niccolò, smug and palely mysterious, stepped into the room.
There was a moment of silence as Elizabeth and Niccolò regarded each other with a mixture of respect and hostility.
“Well? What’s impossible?” he asked again.
“Nothing,” Elizabeth
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