(SASHA)
After they've all trooped by the bed, kissed my ring, muttered words for my long life, and given blessings, the master bedroom begins to feel a little cramped. Luigi, Giulio, and Miles are on one side of my bed. Marco is taking up more of the room than the others seem to, even standing on his own at the foot of the bed.
"Thank you all for coming here," I begin. "I'm aware of the tempting target we make, all of us here together, so I'll be brief. First of all, I wanted to say thank you to my brother, Marco, for coming back to me in my time of need."
There's a murmur of agreement, and Marco grins proudly. "But Marco will be leaving us again," I say, holding Marco's eye. "He has a wife and a child who depend on him. He needs to get back to them. It's asking far too much to keep him here. He's his own man."
