Chapter 7 - The Gathering Storm
Emma lowered the phone, her hand trembling so violently she nearly dropped the device.
"Who was it?" Clara asked, her voice entirely devoid of panic, as if she had already foreseen the exact words spoken over the line.
"Moretti," Emma breathed, the name of their most vicious rival tasting like ash in her mouth. "Victor Moretti. He knows. Or at least, he suspects enough to make a move."
"He doesn't just suspect," Clara said quietly, walking over to the grand staircase and resting her hand on the polished banister. "Victor was the one who supplied the poison that killed Luca's aorta. It wasn't natural, Emma. Luca knew it. That's why he was preparing you for this night."
Emma stared at her sister-in-law in absolute horror. "Poison? The doctor said it was a natural dissection!"
"A rare synthetic agent," Clara corrected smoothly, turning back to face Emma. "Undetectable by standard autopsies unless you know what chemical markers to look for. Victor wanted the Voss empire, and he knew he could never take it while Luca stood in his way. But now, he thinks the throne is empty."
Emma gripped the Beretta hidden behind her back, a fierce, protective rage replacing her initial terror. Her brother was dead, murdered by the very snakes he had kept at bay for decades. And they thought they could waltz into his home and take Clara.
"They won't touch you," Emma said, her voice hardening into steel. "Luca left me his keys, his books, and his guns. I am a Voss, too. And I know how to use them."
Clara shook her head gently. "You can't shoot an entire army, Emma. Victor Moretti has half the city's police force and a hundred armed men waiting at that railyard. If you go down there alone, you will die."
"Then what do you suggest we do?" Emma demanded. "Just hand you over to them?"
"No," Clara said, stepping into the moonlight, a strange, terrifying light crossing her unseeing eyes. "We don't go to them. We let them come here."
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Emma stared at her, stunned. "Here? Clara, this house has massive perimeters, but we are outnumbered!"
"We aren't fighting them with bullets, Emma," Clara whispered, stepping closer and grabbing Emma's hands. The moment their skin made full contact, Emma felt an electric jolt shoot up her arms, a sudden rush of cold air swirling around them in the warm foyer. "We are going to use Luca’s ledger. And my gift. Victor Moretti thinks he is hunting a blind girl. Tonight, we are going to show him what happens when you wake the oracle."
