Votive (55 page)

‘You were just in time,’ said Katina, softly. All the confused affection she’d held for this gentle man rushed to the surface. She touched his beard, ran her fingers through his filthy grey hair. ‘Oh, Pillar. Grazie. Grazie.’

Pillar bent his head to kiss her. She stopped him. ‘Pillar, mi dispiace. But you … you smell terrible.’

For a moment, hurt flared in his eyes, but then he laughed.

‘You’re probably right. I have lived with this odour … this state for so long, I am no longer aware.’ He cupped her chin. ‘When I am clean again, perhaps?’

‘Perhaps,’ she said. ‘But there are more important matters.’

His eyes narrowed and his hand fell away. ‘Tallow,’ he said hoarsely. ‘I was too late to save Tallow.’

‘No. No. That’s not true,’ said Katina hurriedly. Disregarding the bloodstains, the stench, she grabbed Pillar’s face between her hands. ‘She lives, Pillar. She’s going to be all
right. She’s in the Limen. Dante has taken her, and Constantina, another Estrattore.’

‘She lives?’ Pillar’s face broke into a smile. The sadness that cast his features sloughed away. He laughed. Softly at first, but then with greater abandon. ‘Thank God. Oh, thank God.’ He looked deep into Katina’s eyes again, his hands rising to cover hers and press them into his skin. ‘There’s another, you say? Another Estrattore? Is this possible?’

‘Sì, Pillar. It is. There are many more and I have to find them. It’s part of my Bond, part of my duty to Tallow. I must find the rest of her people. Terrible things are happening in the Limen. There are dreadful forces mustering and we have to stop them. The Bond Riders are not what they seem,’ she glanced at Santo. ‘They have been corrupted, lost their way. That’s why I cannot stay with you. I have to go, Pillar. That’s what I wanted to tell you. Mi dispiace, You understand? I must work with Tallow and give her a chance to do what she was born to.’ She dropped her hands and stepped out of reach. She held his regard a moment longer before turning towards Birrichino. She found her sword among her things and sheathed it.

‘But I can help as well. I must,’ said Pillar, following her.

‘No, you don’t understand.’ Katina paused and spun to face him. Already the light was changing and she could see Pillar’s face more clearly. A cold wind gusted through the clearing, rustling the trees, loosening the moisture collected on the leaves that surrounded them. ‘You cannot come with me, Pillar. I have to return to the Limen. What happened here tonight, in Serenissima, and this …’ She gestured to where Santo’s corpse lay, wincing at the sight. ‘This is only the beginning. I have to see it through to the end.’ She swung herself up into the saddle.

‘No,’ cried Pillar, and grabbed the reins. ‘It’s you who doesn’t understand.’ Birrichino pulled against him, neighing in protest. ‘I’m coming too. You can’t stop me.’

‘Pillar, you of all people know that’s not possible. Only Bond Riders or those without souls can breach the Limen.’

A strange look passed over Pillar’s face. ‘Esatto,’ he said, and shoved his palm towards her.

In the cold light of the new dawn, Katina saw the long, jagged cut filled with dried blood that crossed his flesh.

Katina gasped. ‘No!’

‘Sì. I am pledged, Katina. I have made a Bond as well. To Tallow. I have forsaken her once but I’ll not do so again. I promised.’ He let go of the reins and, instead, used the edge of the saddle to heave himself up behind Katina and wrapped his arms about her. ‘I apologise for the condition I’m in, but the sooner we breach, the faster I’ll be able to do something about it. And the faster we’ll be able to help Tallow.’

Katina froze for a moment, trying to comprehend what had just happened.

‘What are we waiting for?’ cried Pillar. ‘Take me with you, my Bond Rider.’

After the horror of the last hour, Katina felt the release of laughter bubbling up inside her. Pillar was right. What were they waiting for? The time had come to set things right.

‘For Tallow!’ she shouted and, swinging Birrichino around, galloped towards the beckoning veil of the Limen.

A
LL THE WHILE, HIGH ABOVE THEM
, a pair of mournful, dark eyes watched and waited …

Z
ARALINA’S EYES FLEW OPEN
and she sat bolt upright in her bed. ‘Shazet!’ she cried.

Never far away, the Morte Whisperer materialised beside her.

Without acknowledging him, she addressed the darkness. ‘She is in the Limen.’

Shazet released a long, triumphant sibilation.

‘Bring her to me.’ Zaralina lay back down slowly. ‘Bring her to me now.’

There was a slight disturbance in the air as Shazet went to do his mistress’s bidding.

T
HESE TERMS ARE EITHER
I
TALIAN
or Venetian, or sometimes fantasy variations of the two. I have, on occasion, taken liberties with meanings and spellings.

allora:
an expression used to start a conversation. For example, ‘So, …’

altana
: roof top terrace

amica mia:
my friend (female)

amico mio:
my friend (male)

amore mio:
my love

anche:
also

aspettare:
wait

barnabotti:
a group of impoverished nobiles or degenerate young men

basilica:
church

bells of Serenissima:
bells in the campanile or tower in the main piazza that all rang to mark time and/or occasions. Nona sounded at midday, the Maragona rang to mark the beginning and the end of the working day. The Renghiera was sounded to denote an execution, while the Trottiera called Council to a meeting and the Mezza Terza summoned the Senate.

bocca di leone:
literally, ‘the mouth of the lion’. In Serenissima, citizens (of any rank) are encouraged to reveal the names
and behaviours of those who are breaking the strict laws and doing anything untoward by depositing a slip of paper with the details in the mouth of a carved lion. These lions, or repositories, are situated in different locations on the islands and the notes found in them are taken very seriously and investigated by the Signori di Notte.

Bond Rider:
a person who surrenders his or her soul to a pledge stone for keeping in order that he or she may fulfil a specific task – a
Bond

broach:
wooden rod from which wicks are suspended, then dipped repeatedly in either tallow or wax to make candles of varying thicknesses and lengths

buon fortuna:
good luck

buon giorno:
good morning

calle:
alley

campo:
local marketplace or square, plural is
campicandles:
used for both heat and light. The cheapest are formed from animal fat (mostly beef) and render, often a mixture of different types, while more expensive candles are made from beeswax and even different types of oil. The most popular types are: long, slender
tapers
; small, squat
votives
placed in glass containers, often used for religious purposes;
pillar candles
, thicker and taller than votives.
Rush lights,
lumps of tallow rolled around a basic wick, are popular with the poorer classes because a one-metre homemade rush light burns for about an hour. Wicks can be made from any flammable fabric that maintains a consistent burn and temperature, e.g. hemp or cotton. Additives can also be applied to the wax to sweeten the candle’s scent.

capi:
collective name given to the three nobiles who head of the Council of Ten. The positions are rotated among the Council.

capisce:
you understand

capisco:
I understand

capiscono:
they understand

capite:
you (plural) understand

casa:
grand house owned by a member of the aristocracy

Castana:
means ‘chestnut’; is the name of Cristoforos’ horse

cavola:
literally ‘cabbage’, but also slang for ‘bitch’

certo:
certainly; sure

ci vediamo:
till we see each other again (pronounced
che
)

colleganza:
a short-term business partnership

Commedia dell’arte:
term for a particular type of theatre with distinct characters that relied on humour (usually satire and irony as well as slapstick) to tell the story

Council of Ten:
elected nobiles who advise the Doge on matters of governance and security. They have extraordinary powers of veto and often work without the Doge’s knowledge to protect the interests of Serenissima.

Doge:
elected ruler of Serenissima

dorata
: golden (feminine)

dorato:
golden (masculine)

dottore:
doctor

esattamente:
exactly

esatto:
exactly

Estrattore:
someone who has the ability to extract specific emotions and feelings from a person, animal or object and alter and transfer this emotion/feeling, positive or negative and
distill
these in different ways

Factotum:
general servant or person who fulfils many functions in a household – mostly, administrative

felze:
small passenger compartment on a gondola

fondamenta:
paved path that runs beside the canal

forcola:
the oarlock on a gondola

fortuna:
fortune, chance, good luck

grazie:
thank you

grazie mille:
thank you very much (literally: thank you a thousand times)

homicidi:
murder, homicide

insegnante:
teacher

Limen, the:
a peculiar space that divides countries and, according to legends, worlds. Within this space, time stands still. Only Bond Riders and their horses or those who have partial or no souls can dwell in these parts.

maestro della casa:
literally, master of the house; a Major Domo

maragona:
see ‘bells of Serenissima’

mercato:
the market

Morto Assiderato:
a plague, literally means ‘frozen to death’

Mortians
: wraith-like beings whose specific origins are unknown but who currently have an allegiance with the Queen of Farrowfare, Zaralina. They are able to breach the Limen and can move mostly undetected. It is also believed that they have formed a treaty with a Bond Rider faction to enable them to navigate the Limen more readily. Also known as
Morte Whisperers.

naturalmente:
naturally

nobile:
noble; aristocrat

non è possible:
it’s not possible

nona:
see ‘bells of Serenissima’

nonno/a:
grandfather or grandmother

ombretta
: small glass of wine

paean
: song or poem of joyful praise or exultation

palazzo:
palace

paline:
red-and-white striped poles in the canals to which personal watercraft are tied

piano nobile:
main floor of a palazzo or casa

pianterreno:
ground floor of a palazzo or casa

piazza:
main central plaza in Serenissima – the Doge’s palazzo and the Cardinale’s basilica face onto the piazza

piazzetta:
small square for markets or concerts, often
linked to other parts of the quartiere by bridges and calles. Casas, businesses and local basilicas usually line piazzettas.

pledge stones:
name given to the strange monoliths that absorb the souls of Bond Riders. Each is named after a major Serenissian nobile’s house or casa.

ponte:
bridge

Ponticello di Mille Pietre:
Bridge of a Thousand Stones

portego:
main room in some casas

porteghi:
a covered walkway generally formed when houses meet or through deliberate design

puttana:
bitch or whore

quartiere:
a district; plural is
quartieri
. In Serenissima, quartieri are named after the major profession or trade of the area.

ragazza:
adolescent girl

ragazzo:
adolescent boy

rami:
very small, often dead-end, alleyways

Redentore
: the Redeemer

salizzada:
main street; means ‘paved’

scion:
a descendent (of a notable family); a son or daughter

scuola:
school or trade group. In Serenissima, scuola are non-religious establishments based in areas where master craftsmen live. The group decides on tithes, training and the general rules by which craftsmen and women should live.

senta:
literally, ‘listen’; a common way to start a conversation

La Serenissima
: republic formed by a group of islands nestled in the lagoon area of the Mariniquian Seas and surrounding mainland areas, between the Jinoa and Vyzantian pensinulas

Serenissimina
: a conquered island off the coast of Hibernya. Forms part of an important trade route between Moroko, Hibernya and Serenissima. Literally ‘little Serenissima’.

sestieri
: the six major areas of Serenissima, which are then broken up into
quartieri
named for the dominant craft in each area

signor:
mister, sir

signori:
gentleman; lords

Signori di Notte:
Lords of the Night. A band of elite soldiers/police who answer usually to the capi (three heads) of the Council of Ten, but also, in Serenissima, to the Cardinale.

Signorina:
unmarried woman

sottoporteghi:
passageways through the city; tunnels formed when buildings meet over open spaces

squero:
boatyard

stazione:
jetty where passengers wait for sandolis or traghettos, also known as
fermata

ti amo:
I love you

traghetto
: a gondola ferry

vero
: it’s true

vi amo:
I love you (plural)

Zia
: Aunt

Zio
: Uncle