Page 25 (1/2)

PROLOGUE

Outside, wind rattled the wooden chiainst the shore; the frantic whispers of water growing louder as if the sea was aviolence On this date—for nearly a decade now—the storm followed the same pattern Next, thunder would roll in quicker than the tide with lightning cracking electric whips across an unforgiving sky The devil demanded retribution A blood sacrifice for power stolen

It wasn’t the first time he’d be cursed by witches, nor would it be the last

Fro chair near the fire, Nonna Maria monitored the thile they chanted protection charhtly in each of their little fists Pushing the howling gusts from her mind, she listened closely to the words Vittoria and E dark heads bent in concentration

“By earth, moon, and stone, bless this hearth, bless this home”

It was the start of their eighth year and Nonna tried not to worry over how quickly they were growing She pulled her shawl closer, unable to ward off chills in the small kitchen It had little to do with the te it, sulfur snuck in through the cracks along with the fa hair she’d swept up frorand on her knees in the cathedral, rosary clutched close, praying to saints

The devil was on the prowl Or one of his wicked brothers was

A sliver of worry slid in as quick and s itself near Nonna’s heart It had been an age since the last sighting of the Malvagi Hardly anyone spoke of the Wicked any in their beds at night

Now adults laughed at the old folktales, all but forgetting the seven ruling princes of Hell Nonna Maria never would; their legends were burned into herher with a bone-deep sense of dread The area between her shoulders prickled as if theirfrom the shadows It was only a

If they hadn’t begun to already One didn’t steal froo unpunished

Her focus darted back to the twins Like the churning Tyrrhenian Sea, there was a restlessness about theht One that spoke of unseen trouble to come Vittoria’s char to keep up

A twig popped in the fire, quickly followed by another The sound like wishbones snapping over their spell books; a warning in its own right Nonna gripped the ar the color of the blanched al on the counter

“Calin again if you don’t do it correctly Do you want to gather grave dirt alone in the dark?”

Much to Nonna’s dishtened as she should have The thought of wandering around a graveyard under the light of a fullto the child She pursed her lips before offering a slight shake of her head

It was E look “We’ll be more careful, Nonna”

To prove her point, Eotten fro one drop to sizzle over each Silver and gold An offering of balance between light and dark A gift for what had been stolen all those years ago

As above, so below

Pacified, Nonna watched as they finished their charm, relieved hite sparks rose in the flames before

burning red again Another year, another victory They’d tricked the devil once more Eventually there’d come a day when the charms wouldn’t work, but Nonna refused to think of that now She glanced at the sill, pleased by the dried orange slices laid out in even rows