For the Stolen Fates by Gwendolyn Clare

Author:Gwendolyn Clare
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

11

ARIS

1891, Napoli

ARIS CAN’T HEAR much over the chug of the excavator’s engine as he methodically scoops volcanic debris off Napoli’s main rail lines. They can’t make real progress on the task of unburying the city without a way to remove ashfall by the thousands of tons, and for that they need the trains to be running. Is it a waste of his valuable talents to spend the whole day scooping tephra? Probably. Would he trust anyone but himself and Elsa to correctly operate the excavator? That’s a definite no—not anyone readily available in Napoli, at least.

He’s just traded off with Elsa, reclaiming the driver’s seat, when Vincenzo approaches, shouting inaudibly and waving his arms to grab Aris’s attention, a shovel in one hand. Aris eases off the fuel intake and lets the engine calm to a low idle, then climbs down to investigate what all the fuss is about.

“What is it?”

Vincenzo arches an eyebrow at him. “I take it you haven’t noticed who just arrived?”

Aris huffs. “Don’t tell me you’re now upset that I’ve been too focused on my—Oh.” He cuts himself off as his gaze lands on Elsa speaking with Leo not twenty paces behind Vincenzo.

“Yes. Oh,” Vincenzo imitates, a teasing grin pulling at the corner of his mouth. “If you’re really committed to changing your ways, maybe you could start by having a civil conversation with Leo, huh?”

Aris narrows his eyes, still focusing past Vico at his brother, and trepidation stirs in his gut. “What does he want?”

Vico reaches a hand out and brushes at a lock of dark hair hanging against Aris’s forehead; his hair isn’t quite long enough to get in his eyes, but apparently that doesn’t prevent Vico from feeling the urge to fix it. Aris’s heart does something uncomfortable in his chest that he really doesn’t have time to analyze right now, what with the sudden appearance of Leo.

Vincenzo says, “You don’t need me to point out the obvious way to get an answer to that question. Do you?”

Aris throws a quick scowl at him. “Don’t mock me.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you uncertain before. It’s sort of endearing.”

“I will stab you.”

“You don’t have a knife,” Vincenzo points out, entirely unconcerned.

“That’s never stopped me before.”

Vico’s nascent grin breaks into a wide smile. He tosses an arm over Aris’s shoulders and gives him a little shake; Aris tolerates it only because Vico is touching him, and the contact seems to short-circuit something in his brain. Was he wrong to think Vico is beyond his reach? Today he is touching Aris again, like he hasn’t since Aris screwed everything up in Trentino—and like no one did in the five years before that. What does it mean?

“… Aris?”

“What?” He blinks and tries to replay the moment in his mind, scouring for words, but he missed whatever Vincenzo said.

“You ready to go talk to your brother?” he repeats.

“Oh.” Right, yes, that. Aris reluctantly slides out from under Vico’s arm and marches himself over to where Elsa and Leo stand, both of them now watching him approach.

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