“Durinn wasn’t always an idiot, you know.”
I was in the living room of Finocchio’s mansion, listening to him sigh. After shutting down the Hammerhead family’s attack, I had delivered its leader to Luciano family’s new don. It was now Finocchio’s duty to judge the misconduct of his board. Durinn’s sentence had already been decided.
It was just Finocchio and me in the room. I’d sent Leon and the others home.
“Yes, he was a horrid man even back then,” he went on, “but he was a fearless and rugged gangster too. That’s what earned a dwarf like him the trust of the family and, eventually, a seat on the board. For my big brother to end up the way he did, it simply breaks my little princess heart.”
Finocchio’s eyes drooped, and he took a sip of tea. His pinky finger pointed up as he did so. I drank some of my own before nodding in sympathy.
“I know how you feel,” I said. “Nothing more tragic than betrayal by those you put your hopes in.”
“You’ve been through tough times of your own, haven’t you?”
“When I look back on it, I realize it only made me stronger.”
“I wonder if I’ll come to see it the same way someday.”
“You will. It’ll just take time.”
Finocchio giggled. “You’re awfully kind today. You’re getting this big sis all excited.”
I chuckled. “Any more of that kind of talk and you’ll make me sick. This tea will come straight back up.”
The two of us shared a smile. Then an otherworldly shriek snapped through the quiet of the living room.
It was Durinn.
“Stooop! Please, stop it! It hurts, it hurts, it hurrrts! Someone save meeeee!”
Durinn was in the basement, where he was…being dealt with. The pain must have been unbearable. I got the feeling he was going to tear his own throat to shreds with his screams. Even with the distance between us and the basement, and all the walls and doors blocking the way, Durinn’s voice reached us clear as day. I could only imagine the excruciating agony.
But that pain was unavoidable—anyone would rather die than be skinned alive.
“Stuffing that dwarf and turning him into a mount, though… You’re even crazier than I imagined. I respect that,” I said.
“Don’t be daft,” Finocchio retorted. “I’m not putting that dirty thing anywhere near my house.” He shuddered with revulsion and waved me off with a hand. “I have a client who collects bodies. They said they’d like a dwarf. He may be disgusting to us, but Durinn was a former member of the Luciano family board. He’ll fetch a fine price.” He then changed the subject. “After everything you said, we couldn’t avoid bloodshed.”
“We had good reason. You were made the rightful don, and everyone agreed. Durinn’s attack on me—your advisor—was a clear act of betrayal. I defended myself, as is my right, and you had the right to decide his punishment now that you’re the don. Nobody can say there was any foul play, right?”
“So all of this was as you predicted, right from the start? You are literally the last person I want to make my enemy, Noel.” Finocchio laughed and fell back in his chair. “That said, we have disposed of the most likely threat to my position. With Durinn out of the picture, the rest of the board will fall in line.”
“No, there’s still one looming threat,” I said, my eyes narrowing. “The former don’s son and current number two, Alessio.”
“Alessio? But Alessio agreed with the others to elect me, didn’t he?”
“He did, but at some point he will make a grab for your position.”
“What do you mean?” asked Finocchio, leaning forward.
I lowered my voice and told Finocchio what I’d learned from the Seeker I’d recently encountered: Keith Zappa.
“Based on the circumstances, there’s no doubt—he has some kind of deep tie to Alessio. From the way he reacted to my verbal trap, I’d say he’s an illegitimate son.”
“Now that’s a surprise. To think they’d be related by blood… Oh, the information broker you asked me to deal with—that was related to Keith too, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah. I did my best to manage the brokers, but Keith outplayed me. Defense is a harder game to play than attack. I knew that, but still…” I chuckled to myself. “We have to stay on guard. Alessio is an entirely different ball game. We won’t be able to get rid of him so easily.”
“Even if we do get rid of him, we’ll suffer great losses. He’s been doing all the work of the number two with the expectation that he’d be promoted. He knows the family business inside and out, and he’s got a wealth of connections in all of our industries—more than I do, considering I’ve just been promoted. I doubt he’ll make the same mistakes as Durinn.”
“A most terrifying father-son combination. So much to look forward to, don’t you think?”
I laughed, and Finocchio responded with a confident nod. “We’ll show them that the power of our bond outweighs even theirs.”
“And when that time comes, I intend to make sure I’ve got life in me yet.”
A flash of confusion flitted through Finocchio’s eyes. “Noel, my baby Noel, whatever do you mean?”
“I have ten years left to live,” I said. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier.”
Finocchio flew into a panic. “Ten years?! B-but how?! You tell me right this second!”
“You know of our battle with Lorelai, and my fight with Johann, yes?” I asked.
“Er, yes… I don’t know all the details, but I heard about it.”
“I pushed myself past my own limits, and in doing so I carved a hefty chunk out of my remaining life span.”
“No…”
“According to the doctor, I have ten years. And that’s only if I don’t put undue stress on my body. That’s if I keep myself in a safe, stable state. If I keep up my work as a Seeker, I’m looking at closer to three years.”
Finocchio listened intently, his face suddenly devoid of emotion as he stared at me. “And there’s really nothing more that can be done?”
“Nothing. This is as good as it gets.”
He was at a loss for words. In fact, he didn’t even try to speak. We sat in silence, time ticking by until even Durinn’s screams trailed off and then went completely quiet. Finally, the hint of a smile appeared on Finocchio’s face.
“Noel, I-I always wondered if a day like this would come,” he began. “Of course it would, right? You live your life like a candle burning at both ends. Like a shooting star, lighting up the sky for an instant before it disappears. That’s who you are. I always thought that if you told me something like this, I’d feel nothing… I really believed that.”
A single tear ran down Finocchio’s cheek. The man who was feared as the mad clown, the most powerful gangster in the entire empire, wept so quietly.
“Finocchio, I—”
The clown held up a hand, then covered his face. “Don’t. Not now. Just…not now. I need some time alone. Tomorrow, I’ll be ready to fight again.”
I nodded, then rose to my feet and left the living room without another word. Finocchio’s men accompanied me to the front gates, where I noticed a man I recognized.
“Koga? Is something up?”
The gates opened, and Koga walked toward me. “You need protectin’, right? I’ll bring ya to your lodging.”
“What brought this on all of a sudden?” I asked curiously, but Koga didn’t reply. Left with no other choice, I told Finocchio’s men I’d be fine and let Koga take over as my bodyguard.
The streetlamps cast a dim glow on the evening streets. Koga said nothing, and I smoked as we walked. I felt no desire to speak. Once the Stardrop Inn came into view, I stopped and turned to Koga.
“Here is fine,” I said. “You may leave.”
“Gotcha.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing you in the finals. Until then.” I turned and began to walk away.
“Noel!”
I looked back and met Koga’s eyes. He stared at me with a firm, serious expression.
“I don’t wanna see you die. Even if it’s a short life, I’m gonna be your sword until the end. So promise me that if I win the tournament, you won’t do nothin’ reckless again.”
“Think you can do it?”
“I can! That’s what I’ve been workin’ so hard for!”
Koga was a simpleton, but he wasn’t a fool. He knew full well that there were no easy fights in the finals. Even then, he believed in himself enough to declare he could win. In the face of that resolve, I—as the clan master of Wild Tempest and his friend—had faith in him too.
“Fine. Then I swear to you, on the name of my grandfather Brandon Stollen. Seize that victory, Koga.”
“Yeah! Jus’ watch me!”
Koga grinned and nodded, and I smiled back.
Strong emotions—hopes and desires—made miracles. People carved their names into history as heroes by forcing the kinds of miracles that ordinary people could only dream of. And as for which star in the sky glimmered the brightest of all, among the countless numbers that covered the blanket of night, that answer would soon become clear.
Don’t blink, world. The history of the true Seven Star Cup is about to be written…