Chapter 1

CHAPTERONE

In the city of Florence, deep in a warehouse basement, Ezra Eliyahu swayed under the flashing blue and crimson lights. The music was pounding hard, and she was dancing, dancing, dancing. She needed this release like she needed her heartbeat. She had drunk considerably, and there was enough weed in the air that the week’s stress dulled down and her good vibes amped up.

Raising a hand as she moved, Ezra sketched an invisible sigil in the air. Golden stars rained down from the ceiling, making the crowd cheer and gasp. Every star that landed on skin glowed, and magic sent a natural high through the party-goers’ bloodstreams.

When you can do nothing else, you dance, her father’s voice whispered to her through the music. She had always thought it was one of his nonsensical sayings, but as she got older and life got harder, she recognized the truth in it. Her life could be a total garbage fire, but she would head straight to the dance floor. Somehow, everything would turn out okay.

Ezra missed her father every day, but she couldn’t bring herself to return to Venice. A few weeks before her twenty-eighth birthday, her mother, Lucia, had died, and for the two years afterward, Ezra and Judah had clung to each other in their grief. They had started doing magic together, and father and daughter had created wonders.

It had all gone wrong when her father made some new friends in a group of mages.

The Cabal of the Wise had creeped Ezra out from the minute Judah had mentioned them. She tried to warn him that they weren’t to be trusted, that they were only out to use him. They had fought for the first time, and it ended when Ezra had packed her bags and left Venice. Six months, and neither one had reached out, both too angry and proud.

Don’t think of it. Think of the music,Ezra told herself, the thorn still lodged in her heart. Blinking back her tears, she shouted a wordless sound amongst the music and noise and sent a bigger rain of magic over the crowd. It was a mere trick compared to what she could wield. It made people happy, and that was what she was paid for.

She had planned on using her degree in magio-history to work in some museum or academia. When she had gotten to Florence, her hopes had fallen apart, and she had ended up bartending before doing party tricks. It paid the bills. Her studies could wait. Everything could wait.

Two hours later, Ezra picked up her money that had been left at the bar and stepped out into the warm night. Summer was ending soon, and she wasn’t looking forward to it. Heat made her blood and magic feel like it could flow properly.

Ezra had no fear of thieves or miscreants on her walk home to her apartment in Santo Spirito. She was more than adept at self-defense and kept a thin spike of a dagger in her boot at all times. When that failed, magic was always burning on her fingertips.

You are made for more than party tricks, Judah’s voice echoed in the back of her head. Ezra knew it was true. She just didn’t know what else to do with herself. She had thought Florence would inspire her magic and the power of creation. Ezra was uninspired to even pick up a pencil. Until she could get herself together enough to work on more complex sigil designs, the dance floor would have to do.

Ezra instantly spotted the man leaning against the wrought iron gate that led into her apartment building. It wasn’t an unusual occurrence, but something about him made her wary. Under the glowing streetlamp, his pale eyes studied her.

"Excuse me, signorina. Are you Ezra Eliyahu?" he asked in a Veneto accent.

"Depends. Who is asking?" she replied, digging around her bag for her keys and slipping them between her fingers.

"I’m here representing your father’s lawyer," he explained, taking a step toward her. "I’m sorry to tell you like this, but your father is dead, signorina."

Ezra stumbled, all thought of her safety vanishing as disbelief, anger, and shock hit her body all at once. She couldn’t hear what the man was saying. His words were muffled as if he was talking underwater. She was still shaking her head when someone moved behind her. Sharp pain pierced her neck, and Ezra was out before she hit the ground.