36. Matteo

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The sun rose above the horizon, breaking free of its nightly slumber just as Matteo lifted the hatch door. Climbing out, he extended a hand to Giovanna and assisted her onto the roof of the Doge's Palace.

"Words feel quite inadequate to properly thank you," she said, staring in awe at the sky smoldering in hues of the most vibrant oranges and pomegranates imaginable.

"There is no need for thanks," Matteo said with unfettered sincerity as a cool breeze rustled his cloak. No matter what would happen next, he wanted the girl to have this moment of happiness after everything she'd been through. "I had hoped your fondness of climbing would make you appreciate the view. And you had said something earlier about not having a clear enough vantage from your home?"

She allowed herself to smile, the small act enough to forgive his conscience for bribing the palace guards to get them here.

"That is true, but I wasn't just referring to this," she said before looking past the buildings toward the lagoon and beyond. "Ottavia couldn't have . . .." She trailed off, finishing only with a weak wimper.

The sudden change in her demeanor was heartbreaking. She'd need a lot more than a few minutes of respite—no matter how magical—to heal her soul. "Come. Let's sit," he offered with a nod to a proper spot at the base of a chimney stack.

Keeping a steady grip around Giovanna's fingers, Matteo led her across the clay roof tiles. Carefully lowering herself, she drew her knees to her chest and planted her feet firmly on the incline before tucking the billowing fabric of her skirt around her calves. More sure of his footing, he plopped down beside her and extended his legs, crossing them at the ankles. After leaning back, he put his weight on his arms spread out behind him. If she decided to lean backward or tilt to the left even a little, they'd easily touch. Whether that happened was up to her.

For a long while, they sat without uttering another word. Only the sound of the adjacent canal ebbing gently against the stone foundation or the bark of a dog somewhere within the hundreds of residences stretching to the easternmost point of the Castello neighborhood ahead of them occasionally broke the silence. The rooftops fit together like a puzzle, broken into distinct sections by a multitude of alleys, whether terrestrial or aquiferous. It was a rare sight indeed, one which few people ever got to experience. Although he'd been up here before—both alone and in the company of Simone after more than one night that saw wine flow freely—Matteo had never enjoyed the experience as much as he did now.

Giovanna lifted her head from where her chin had been resting on her knee, focusing her attention onto the lagoon. In the distance, two ships sailed eastward. They left smooth trails in their wake as they followed the route that three centuries earlier had carried one of Venice's most famous sons on his celebrated journey to the Orient.

"Could that be them? Ottavia and the Kemals, I mean," she asked, pointing at the barely discernible vessels. Their last glimpse of the merchant ship bound for Istanbul was still under the cover of darkness as they rowed across the Giudecca canal to return to San Marco's piazzetta.

Matteo straightened, his flexed arm grazing Giovanna's side. "That there?" he asked barely above a whisper, pointing across her body with his left hand while leaning into her.

She cleared her throat as his lips lingered near her ear. "Yes," she managed to finally croak.

He dropped his hand, but stayed close. "I would think not. Those ships are clearly traveling together while Hakan's vessel didn't have a companion. Plus the shape of the sails is different."

Giovanna pulled away. "Oh," she mumbled, looking down before turning her focus elsewhere.

Matteo curled his fingers into a fist, angered by his own stupidity. Living within the lagoon all her life must have introduced Giovanna to all types of seafaring craft, but anyone could have made such a misidentification. He shouldn't have sounded so brash. Now she had another reason to be angry with him and that wouldn't do. Not until he found out what had been her first reason. Until then, he needed to steer the conversation back to something closer to her heart.

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