City of Mirth and Malice (Order and Chaos, #2)

by Alexis L. Menard

Order . . . The word sparked something in my memory. Weeks ago on the bridge, the morning I met Gavriel and brought him to his knees, he had spoken of something similar. “Order will be reestablished when Chaos is destroyed,” I muttered.

said. “The desire to put an end to the cycle of injustice.” I shrugged, uncomfortable with the comparison. “All change starts with one person pissed off enough to get their hands dirty.” “Well, I’d say your hands are properly soiled, cousin.” By the time

the fucking island—the alleged impenetrable stone. The news swelled pride in my heart. “That’s my girl,” I murmured.

Remnant or not, there was value in everyone if one knew where to look.

would know, because it was currently in my end table, next to my bed. On the same side Milla had made herself comfortable that night she slept in my room. Meanwhile, I had been on edge, worried she’d look in the drawer where I kept Nonna’s engagement ring and spoil everything.

My heart

“Hold on.” She looked back at me over her shoulder. “Nico, why did you have Nonna’s ring?” The look on my face must have said enough. I sighed, that ache in my chest pulsing with the slow beat of my heart. “Just keep it safe, Esme.” She cleared her throat and answered with a quick nod, and I was thankful that, for once, she didn’t prod for once.

Ouch again

“Most important, I know that even a Remni of Chaos has her limits. You are not all powerful like I once believed. If I can drain you, I can kill you, just like your mother.” As if she’d planned it, all my fight ceased at the mention of her. “You . . . killed my mother?”

WHAT THE FCK

I slipped a logbook found atop his desk in the back of my leather waistbelt holding an arsenal of sheathed knives. The front was embossed with an eagle spread across my stomach—the sigil of the OIC. The same symbol

does nico have this tattooed? Curious abthe stomach bit

“Vesper, that’s enough,” Callow interjected. “We aren’t safe to speak of it here. They could be listening.” “She might be about to die, Callow. Shouldn’t she know?” I would not die. Not today, anyway, if my plans meant anything. “What are you two talking about?” “Your remnant,” she blurted. “We’ve been looking for you. It’s about—”

It was impossible, and yet despite the odds, there was no doubt left in my body as my skin felt the charge of his remnant, the way it slipped through my hair and filled my lungs with power. His power. He was here.

“Nico,” I whispered. He smiled. Steel-grey eyes settled over me. “Hello, princess.”

“Because you’re an Attano now, princess. The house has been entirely too quiet without you.”

“There isn’t a hell in the void that could keep me from you, Milla. I’d suffer for a lifetime to have another moment on your lips.”

“Don’t tempt me to find some, Nicolai. I’m not in the right mind to be merciful.” “She’s stunning when she’s homicidal, isn’t she, cousins?”

“It means . . .” He sighed, gripping my palm tight. “It means we need to figure out why the alchemist was working for the OIC and why they need to open Oblivion. Fortunately, you still have the key they desired. If you’re safe, they cannot proceed with whatever they have planned.”

“Rosa Bianchi.”

“This body might feel and look different, Milla, but every change reminds me of how much you fought their cruelty. This body got you through Hightower, and for that reason, I will worship every sign of its resilience.”

see you met the husband I threatened on everyone.”

“You did what?” Nico asked. I smiled and leaned my weight into his side. “I might have thrown your name around to strike some leverage. It didn’t work.” “That’s why I said your name sounded familiar,” Vesper said, looking at Nico.

“Do us all a favor and take a day off.” As nice as that sounded, shit still needed to be done.

She sucked a shaky breath, but her voice was firm as she spoke. “Don’t be a good man. Come back to me, Nico.” “Don’t worry about that, princess.” I placed a gun over the hollow part of her stomach. Her fingers wrapped around it. “There is no line I wouldn’t cross to be with you. I’ll be quick, I promise.”

The carriage slowed as the asphalt turned to gravel. Milla sucked a long breath when she saw the house, not bothering to wipe the tears that slid down her flushed cheeks. This. This moment made every sleepless night, every bullet to the back, every day full of plotting her rescue worth it. I grabbed her hand and kissed it, savoring the connection. “Welcome home, my love.”

She blinked and glanced at me, as if surprised by something I’d said. But before I could dismiss the slip, the car parked near the east entrance,

The first time he called her love! He never told her he loved her!!!!!

He grabbed my hands. “I know what Delilah was like, boss. She dug you a hole so dark and deep and without a single foothold to climb yourself out. But your family is here to pull you out, no matter how many times you fall back in. You just got to reach out, alright? You can do this.”

“Then you knew Chaos as well,” I said. The saint who gave me her remnant. She nodded. “Yes, Camilla. I knew your mother.”

Vesper had a strange look on her face. “Milla, can I ask you something strange?” I almost laughed. Because what could be more bizarre than the previous conversation? “What is it?” “Your husband,” she drawled. “What happened to his shadow?”

He rolled his eyes, a smile breaking his lips. “Go change into something dry. I’ll bring them up. Nonna will have a fuss if you walk in there looking like you pissed yourself.” I returned his smirk, even if I was still cross with him. “You spoil me, Attano.” “You’re already spoiled, princess.”

“Never better.” I licked the cinnamon glaze off my fingers, one by one, just to prove a point. A lie—but a point. He watched me hungrily, looking at me like I had looked at the pastry. “Do you mind if I speak, then? If you’re quite done.” I waved a sticky hand in invitation. “Grovel away, Attano.”

Something changed then, the sensation between

Not a vibrator hand! Omg

“Turn around.” His voice was a throaty growl. “Place your hands on the bench.”

“It sounds like you’re planning to keep me forever, Attano.” His hands slipped from my waist, drifting lower. “I’ve got lots of plans for you. They all end in forever.”

I slipped from his fingers to stand behind his desk, bracing my hands on the glossy varnish. The desk was wide and came up to my hip, which might be a little uncomfortable, but I’d manage. “Have you ever fucked on this?” The question visibly startled him, the way his brow rose. “I . . . No. Never.”

A knock. A fucking knock sounded at his door. “Mr. Attano?” Nico slid his tongue between his teeth. He then motioned for me to be quiet and positioned himself at my entrance. “What is it?” he called out, just before plunging his cock into me. I gasped, but Nico clamped a hand around my mouth. Looming above me, he thrust his hips in as deep as he could stretch me, filling me with a surge of pleasure before drawing out again. “Your appointment is here. A Mr. Abernathy on behalf of Sabina Bianchi.” Nico gritted his teeth. His eyes squeezed shut as he tried to control the raspy edge in his voice. “I’m almost there—done. Tell him I’ll be with him in a moment.”

“You. You were worth everything.” Everything that had happened. All the trials and difficulties we’ve faced. We—us, together—were worth fighting every damn day for. To one day have our forever.

Something wasn’t right. I headed toward the door to investigate further, but my brother blocked the way ahead. “Aramis, let me through.” He didn’t move. The rhythmic chug of the axel around the wheels shifted in pitch as we crossed the viaduct, gaining instead of slowing. “Aramis!” I made to slip past him, but he stepped in my path. “What are you doing? I need to get to Nico. I need to go check on our driver!” “There’s no time.” He pushed me, forcing me back a few steps. “We need to uncouple before it picks up too much speed.”

Ok hes gotta die.... I do not trust him

He nodded. “Either way, I went to help them. Found them both knocked out—not shot—on opposite ends of the room. The guard was messing with something on the floor.” “That’s where Milla was hiding. You think it was a set up?” I asked him.

I FUCKING KNEW IT

Something had bothered me since the explosion. Nico said the coupler was jammed, but my brother was the one that put the cars together. Why was our car fine and theirs not? Because if he was working against the Attanos his actions were even more sinister in their potential motivations.

“I’ll tell you every day, until our last sunrise. And even then, when we cross the veil, I’ll whisper it through the void until my voice fills Oblivion. I love you, Camilla.” Her smile softened. “Perfect.”

But I smiled behind the metal pretense; they had no idea what they had just allowed into this room. In a house full of rats, I was the snake from the garden they should’ve killed when they had the chance.

“Give the Marchese bastard all our fucking wrath, boss.”