Map of Fates (The Conspiracy of Us 2)

“But it says ‘one twin,’” I said hopefully. “Maybe this one is actually pointing to the next bracelet.”

Elodie was staring at the carving with narrowed eyes. “‘Only through the union’ . . . ,” she said to herself. “‘Union forged in blood.’” The three of us looked at her, but she just bit her lip and paced across the room, muttering to herself. “Fate mapping. Fates mapped together. Fates.” She looked up, her eyes wide. “Fates.”

I snapped a quick photo of the carving with my phone. “What about fates?”

“You said the clue in India was near a carving of the Moirai, right? The Greek Fates?” she said.

I nodded. I hadn’t realized who the three women in the bas-relief were at first, but we’d seen it later while looking at the photo Jack had taken.

“And this one is, too.” Elodie smiled triumphantly. “The bracelet will be in a place that’s important to Alexander that also has to do with the Greek Fates. This clue says ‘spirits of the priestesses.’ It’s obvious. It’s at the world’s most famous oracle—Delphi.”

CHAPTER 10

“How are we going to convince the Saxons to let me go to Greece?” I said to Jack. We stopped under the portico surrounding the Piazza San Marco. A cheerful, brightly lit cafe called to us, the smell of the slabs of pizza in the window wafting through the open doors. “We can’t wait until after all these visits are over. We have less than eight days left.” And when the visits were over, I’d be expected to choose someone.

“Tell them you need a break,” Elodie said. “Tell them you’re going to a resort. Colette’s there right now, on her yacht. We can stay with her.”

Colette LeGrand. She was a Dauphin cousin and also one of the world’s most famous actresses. It was her boyfriend, Liam, who had been one of the Order’s first victims.

“I don’t think telling them I’m going to a resort will work,” I said.

Elodie wrinkled her nose. “You’re not thinking of telling them the truth, are you?”

I looked at Jack. “We haven’t exactly told them everything.”

“Because you’d give it all to the Order in exchange for your mother.” Elodie leaned against one of the arches, surveying the square. The tourist traffic had thinned out for the night, so it was even easier to see the reflections of the buildings in the mirror surface of the water. Elodie turned to Jack. “And you’re okay with that?”

He didn’t answer, but his mouth pressed into a hard line. He had never liked the idea much, but he knew it was what I had to do.

“I guess we should go,” I said, changing the subject.

“Sneaking back into the hotel will be harder than getting out was,” Jack said. I’d just been thinking the same thing.

“The Dauphins have a staff apartment here,” Stellan said. He handed me the bracelet with a small shake of his head. He’d been twisting it absently, trying new passwords.

“How nice for you,” Jack muttered.

“Obviously what I meant was that you can stay there with us,” Stellan said patiently. “There are plenty of beds at the apartment.”

“And plenty of cameras.” I slipped the bracelet on my arm as we headed back into the labyrinth of narrow streets. “That’d be really smart to let the Dauphins see us, with you.” I turned to Elodie. “How are you even here, anyway? They think Stellan’s spying on the Saxons—”

“And so am I,” Elodie said. “In case you hadn’t noticed, you’re the most important thing going on in the Circle at the moment.”

The light dimmed as we walked deeper between tall buildings and the sidewalk narrowed. Our feet, damp now, squished on the cobblestones.

“The only cameras at the apartment are at the door,” Stellan continued. “So you’ll hide your face until we get inside. If they care enough to be watching right now, which they don’t, they’ll just think . . . well, let’s just say I’ve brought girls back there before.”

Of course he had.

“So you can sneak me in,” I continued. “But—” I shot a look at Jack.

Stellan followed my gaze. “Elodie’s staying there, too. Or maybe they’ll think I’m having an especially wild night.” He gave an exaggerated wink. “The Dauphins have more important things to worry about right now, I promise. I was just trying to be nice, but by all means, have fun sneaking back into your gilded cage.”

It only took a quick consultation with Jack to decide on the Dauphins’ apartment. It would be much easier to get back in in the morning in the rush of tourists checking out. We stopped in front of a four-story building, its facade a crumbling but colorful fresco, and Stellan punched in a door code.

I pulled the collar of Jack’s coat up and hunched my face down into it, and Jack ducked his head, and we followed Stellan and Elodie into a hallway that was well lit but still so damp that I wondered if anything in this city ever really dried.

We got to a door on the third floor, and Elodie paused outside. “There’s one more thing I probably should have told you—”

Before she could finish, the door flew open. Luc Dauphin stood in the doorway, with messy hair and red-rimmed eyes.

Stellan cursed. “Elodie, what is wrong with you—”

Luc cut him off with a stream of chatter in French that, as far as I could tell from the looks passing between Stellan and Elodie, was something along the lines of it was my idea to come and she couldn’t stop me.

“Okay, everybody inside.” Jack bundled us in and locked the door.

“It’s horrible.” Luc scrubbed a hand through his hair. “Eli Abraham and Takumi Mikado both. It’s—oh, cherie.” He cut off and swept me up in a hug so tight he pulled me right off the ground. He set me back down and planted a loud kiss on each of my cheeks. “You had to be there. I’m so sorry. I was going to—” He gestured behind him to where a sumptuous buffet of desserts was set up. “I wanted to apologize, and I know you like pistachio ice cream”—he nodded to Jack—“and I thought I might be able to say I’m sorry my family tried to arrange our marriage against your will with dessert, but then this happened. And now . . .” He sighed dramatically and led me into the living room. “And now my party is a wake.”