Our Lady of the Ice

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

ELIANA

Eliana walked down to the sculpture garden. It was colder out than usual, even for the amusement park. Still, she had promised she would meet Luciano for a morning walk, and she was looking forward to it, despite the strange experience of sharing a memory with him. That memory was still inside her head. It belonged to her now, like a gift.

Luciano sat on his usual bench, reading a book, something for children, with pictures. Eliana didn’t recognize it. She sat down beside him, and he looked up at her and smiled.

“Good morning.” All prim and proper like always.

“Morning.” Eliana reached into her coat pocket and pulled out the scone she’d wrapped up in a cloth napkin for her breakfast. She’d slept late this morning, because of the cold and because she didn’t have anything else to do. Her stomach rumbled. She nibbled at the scone. Too dry. Araceli wasn’t much of a baker.

“Did you sleep well?” Luciano asked.

“As well as ever.”

Luciano smiled at her. Eliana took another bite of her scone. She wondered if he was waiting for her to ask about the walk. If he was still programmed to let humans make the decisions.

The thought left her unsettled.

“Should we go?” She stuffed the rest of the scone back into her pocket. He nodded, and they stood up and made their way out of the garden, following the usual path to the part of the park devoted to rides—the roller coaster, a broken-down Ferris wheel, assorted flying swings with broken cables. They didn’t say much, although it was a companionable sort of silence. Eliana liked it.

They came to the wall that blocked the park from the city.

“I’m worried about Marianella,” Eliana said. “Ever since that thing with the ag dome, I haven’t seen much of her. I thought she was holed up in her room.” She paused. “I mean, the ag dome was a big deal. I just hope she feels better, you know?”

“I believe she does,” Luciano said. “She left her room last night.”

“What?” Eliana blinked at him. “Really?” All this time, Eliana had taken Marianella’s absence for grief. After what happened with Diego, Eliana thought she was doing good, forgiving her. But maybe Marianella didn’t need that forgiveness after all. Maybe she didn’t even want it.

And now she’d left her room?

“Yes,” Luciano said. “I’m not sure what time, exactly. But I saw her with Sofia, after you had already retired back to your cottage. And I saw her this morning, too.”

“This morning?” Eliana frowned. “And she wasn’t in her room?”

Luciano didn’t answer. Eliana poked him in the arm. “Well?” she said. “Was she feeling better?”

There was something off about Luciano’s expression. An awkwardness that made him seem less human. Eliana didn’t like it.

“Come on, Luciano. It’s not like I —”

“I wasn’t supposed to say anything.” He looked over at her. “Sofia made me promise. But I don’t think it’s right, keeping it a secret from you.”

Eliana stopped in place. They were at the petting zoo now, empty cages looming around them. Luciano stopped when she stopped. He put his hands into his pockets.

“What’s going on?” she said. “Luciano?”

He watched her with that u

“A right to know what?” A desperate fear clenched at Eliana’s heart. “What are you talking about?”

“They went to kill Ignacio Cabrera and all his men.”

The world went dead. Luciano’s expression was slack. Eliana couldn’t breathe.

“Oh God,” she said, heart pounding. “All his men. Diego—”

She shouldn’t be thinking this way. Diego was a killer. Diego’s eyes were empty.

Except when they weren’t. Except when they were looking at her.

“Eliana?” Luciano’s voice sounded far away. She was aware of a hand on her back, and then she was aware that she was sitting down on the cold stones of the path, gasping for air.

“They didn’t want to upset you,” he said. “But it felt wrong to me.”

“They’re going to kill Diego!” Her voice ricocheted out into the park, echoing against the cold. She slapped her hand over her mouth. Tears brimmed at her eyes. “When?” she whispered.

Luciano looked at her. That awkwardness was still there, but now it was veiled with concern. He dropped his hand away from her back. “The plan is scheduled to be implemented in an hour’s time—”

“An hour! Where, at the Florencia?” Eliana stood up, dizzy from the sudden movement. “It is, isn’t it?” She felt as if her mind, her reason, had been detached from her body. She didn’t know exactly what she pla

But she couldn’t stand the thought of him dying. She kept seeing him the way he’d been before the gala, smoking cigarettes on her patio and lying beside her in bed.

He couldn’t die. He couldn’t.

Luciano nodded.

“I’m going there.”

“You can’t.” He tried to grab her by the arm, but she pulled away. “It’s dangerous for you. You could be caught in the cross fire.” He paused. “And with Cabrera dead, you’ll be safe again, and able to return home to wait for your departure in the spring. This is for the best.”

“I don’t want to save Cabrera!” The dome light was too bright. She felt blinded. She pulled away from Luciano and ran toward the train station. She’d have to follow the tracks out, catch a taxi to the Florencia.

At first all she heard was her breath and her heartbeat, her blood rushing in her ears.

And then she heard footsteps. They weren’t her own.

Luciano. He was following her.

But he wasn’t trying to stop her.

*  *  *  *

The Florencia was silent when Eliana arrived, out of breath from having run the two blocks from where the taxi had dropped her and Luciano off. The driver had refused to go any farther, muttering about how he didn’t want to be there when she handed an andie over to Ignacio Cabrera.

She stood on the street outside the building, staring at those darkened windows and trying to decide what to do next. It was a force of will that had brought her here, some primeval desire to see Diego safe.

“We should not be here.” Luciano’s voice was right next to her. “This is dangerous for you.”

“Nothing’s happening,” Eliana said in a flat voice. She walked away from him, her footsteps echoing up and down the narrow street.

“Eliana!”

She wasn’t thinking. Her feet moved independent of her mind, compelling her over the cement and up to the big double doors. She pulled them open and breathed in the scent of the Florencia, grilled meat and women’s perfume. It was dark inside. She would have thought the place was closed down, if it weren’t for the music playing in the background.

“Eliana.” Luciano was at her side again. He put his hand on her arm, but she jerked away.

“I have to warn Diego.” Her voice came from somewhere outside herself. She hadn’t warned him at the gala, and Marianella had almost beaten him to death. “Not Cabrera. Just Diego.”

“You can’t. She has it all pla

Eliana ignored him and stepped inside. She shoved the door shut, but Luciano caught it. He didn’t say anything more, his voice evaporating as he stepped into the foyer. No one waited at the podium. Over the music, Eliana could hear someone talking. A man, his voice smooth and liquid.

She crept forward, her heart pounding in her throat. Luciano moved with her, grabbing at her hand. She kept pushing him aside. Someone stood in the doorway of the dining room, a man in a dark suit. His eyes blossomed with dark bruises; his lip was scabbed over. And he was staring at her, his face full of sorrow.

“Diego!” Seeing his injuries made Eliana’s chest hurt. “Diego, you have to—”

Suddenly the music changed to some old tango, the volume turned up too high.