Chapter 6
Conrad crossed the greenhouse before anyone stopped him.
He grabbed Nicola’s shirt.
“Where is Julian?”
Nicola did not resist.
“Alive the last time I saw him.”
“When?”
“Four months ago.”
Conrad nearly collapsed.
Domenico caught his shoulder.
“Where?”
Nicola looked at him.
“Not yet.”
Conrad’s rage returned.
Domenico stepped between them.
“You came here voluntarily.”
“Yes.”
“You gave Eli the ball.”
“Yes.”
“You knew Conrad would react.”
“I knew Miriam would.”
Miriam stared.
Nicola smiled sadly.
“You still mistake cruelty for preparation.”
Her face hardened.
“You disappeared.”
“I survived.”
“You let everyone think you died.”
“Our family has always confused those two things.”
Domenico almost smiled.
Then remembered why they were there.
“Julian.”
Nicola looked toward Eli’s football.
“He was taken by Shepherd.”
“You know Shepherd.”
“Yes.”
“Name.”
“No.”
Domenico’s eyes hardened.
Nicola continued:
“Because one name would be a lie.”
“Explain.”
“Shepherd changes.”
A role.
Again.
“Who current?”
“Unknown.”
“Then how did you see Julian?”
“Julian found me.”
Conrad stared.
“What?”
“Four months ago.”
“Where?”
“An old church in Maryland.”
“What did he want?”
“You.”
Conrad’s face changed.
“Me?”
“No.”
Nicola looked toward Domenico.
“Him.”
Domenico frowned.
“Why?”
“Julian believes Shepherd is preparing Eli.”
The greenhouse became silent.
Domenico’s voice lowered.
“For what?”
“Replacement.”
Conrad looked confused.
“Replacement for who?”
Nicola looked at him.
“Julian.”
Conrad’s face emptied.
The logic was brutal.
Julian had been taken as a possible Ravello heir outside Domenico’s line.
Raised.
Trained.
Maybe refused.
Now Shepherd wanted another child from the ruling branch.
Eli.
“What did Julian say?”
Nicola looked at Domenico.
“That the boy must never answer when someone calls him Little Wolf.”
Domenico’s stomach tightened.
Eli’s nanny used the nickname sometimes.
So did staff.
“Why?”
“Trigger phrase.”
“Training?”
“Yes.”
“When did they reach Eli?”
“I don’t know.”
Domenico thought of Conrad’s words.
Get your filthy hands off my child’s things.
Maybe the ball was bait.
Maybe the entire backyard scene had been designed.
But who expected Conrad to swing a steel rod?
Miriam.
She had known the ball.
She had encouraged hostility.
Domenico looked at her.
Nicola followed.
“No.”
Miriam frowned.
“What?”
“You still think Shepherd instructed Miriam.”
Domenico waited.
Nicola continued:
“Shepherd didn’t need to.”
Miriam’s face changed.
“Shepherd only had to return Julian’s football.”
Conrad would feel ownership.
Miriam would see danger.
Eli would refuse to give up the ball.
People would act according to old wounds.
Exactly.
Domenico felt anger at how easily his family could be moved.
Nicola continued:
“That is how Shepherd works.”
“Manipulation.”
“No commands?”
“Rarely.”
“Then what?”
“Return the right object. Whisper the right name. Put two wounded people in one room.”
Miriam looked at the ground.
Domenico stared at Nicola.
“Why help us?”
The old man’s expression changed.
“Because I helped create it.”
Silence.
“You were Shepherd.”
Nicola nodded.
“First one.”
Conrad stepped forward.
“You took children.”
“Yes.”
Domenico’s face became lethal.
“How many?”
“Eleven.”
“Julian?”
“No.”
“Then?”
“I left decades before.”
“Why?”
Nicola looked toward the glass roof.
“Because I watched one child become exactly what we trained him to become.”
“Who?”
“My son.”
Domenico froze.
“You had a son.”
“Yes.”
“Name.”
“Rafael.”
Domenico knew no Rafael Ravello in family history.
Nicola continued:
“Your grandfather erased him.”
“Why?”
“Because Rafael became more loyal to Shepherd than Ravello.”
“Who trained him?”
Nicola looked ashamed.
“I did.”
Same disease.
Parent believing conditioning was protection.
“What happened?”
“He took my place.”
Domenico’s eyes narrowed.
“Rafael became Shepherd.”
“Yes.”
“Alive?”
“I don’t know.”
“Age?”
“Seventy.”
Conrad laughed bitterly.
“Another dead relative waiting in a garden.”
Nicola looked toward him.
“Rafael had a daughter.”
Domenico stopped.
“Who?”
Nicola’s eyes moved toward Miriam.
May you like
She became pale.
“Miriam.”
