The Roman (The Florentine 3)

Raven shaded her hand against the sun in order to make out his features.

He was very handsome; it was true. But he wasn’t William.

She stopped in the square and watched as the man in black was joined by a group of friends.

As the clock finished striking, she wondered how she could know that William was dead and still be convinced she’d seen him in a square in Prague.

That evening, Raven lay awake, watching the light and shadows play across the ceiling and walls of her bedroom.

“You were the shadow on my wall,” she whispered, a sharp pain piercing her chest.

The shadows didn’t reply.

Chapter Fifty-Nine

A WEEK LATER, Raven was returning to her apartment late at night.

She’d indulged in an evening at the opera, losing herself in the magic of Verdi. Her building was only a short walk from the National Theatre, where the opera was performed. She took her time walking home, her heart and mind filled with music.

As she turned onto her quiet street, she felt a prickle at the back of her neck.

She looked over her shoulder. The street was empty.

She hastened her steps, leaning hard on the brace. Her mind began to play tricks on her, as memories of walking home after Gina’s party flashed before her eyes.

She ignored the pain in her leg as she moved as fast as she could. A sudden gust of wind blew past.

Some distance away a figure stood in the shadows of the building across the street.

Raven reached her front door, fumbling in her pocket for her keys.

“Stop,” a voice commanded in Italian.

Raven pretended she didn’t understand, as she’d been cautioned by Sarah.

“You are in danger.” The voice came closer.

Raven found her key and put it in the lock, struggling to open the door.

“Wait!” The voice switched to English. “You’re wearing a relic. You know I can’t harm you.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Raven replied in English.

“I come to pay a debt. The Prince would have executed me. You stayed his hand.”

Raven turned to see the figure move out of the shadows and into the light shining from one of the windows next door.

She opened the door and held it, preparing to flee inside. “What do you want?”

Borek lifted his hands, showing he was unarmed. “It’s dangerous for me to be here. The presence of the Cu—our enemies—in Prague is small, but exists nonetheless. It’s only a matter of time before they realize I’m here.”

Raven scowled. “You’ve put me in danger. Now they’ll hunt me.”

“They’re hunting you already.”

“What do you mean?”

Borek surveyed the area quickly. He lifted his noise and sniffed.

“A body was found matching your description, but it was cremated before anyone could examine it. Aoibhe and our enemies are curious.”

Raven leaned against the front door. “Aoibhe? I thought she fled with Ibarra.”

“The black robes put in place a puppet prince. Aoibhe returned two weeks ago. She killed Gregor and seized the principality. Now she wants revenge.”

“Won’t the black robes depose her?”

“They have found another enemy nearer home.”

“What about Ibarra?”

Borek shrugged. “He never returned.”

“The Roman betrayed us,” Raven couldn’t keep the bitterness out of her voice. “He promised William his support but withdrew it.”

“Cato has too much influence. An old one’s madness has finally caught up with our king.”

“You think he’s mad?”

Borek nodded. “When we were in Rome, I heard a few things from the guards. Cato had all the old ones in the principality slain because they were a threat to him. He mediates everything, controlling the information the Roman receives. But the Roman is paranoid and uses the guards as spies. Even so, his memory is unreliable. He’ll give an order and when a guard carries it out, he’ll punish the guard for acting without approval. The palace is in a constant state of terror.

“The Prince was the only credible threat to Cato. So he manipulated the Roman into having the Curia destroy him.”

Raven rubbed at her eyes. “How did you find me?”

“Aoibhe sent me to track you, but we thought you were in Geneva. When I didn’t find you, I continued the hunt on my own. Budapest and Prague were obvious choices. Both cities have been cleared of vampyres for years, so our enemies feel little need to police them. I was hesitant to return here because of my history. I went to Budapest first.”

“You’re here to kill me.”

Borek didn’t blink. “That is my mission.”

“You’ve failed. I’m wearing a relic and I won’t take it off.” Raven entered the building and prepared to shut the door.

“Wait!” Borek stretched out his hand, still maintaining his distance. “If I can find you, so can she. You have to leave. Tonight.”

“So you can track me to my new destination? I don’t think so.”

“Aoibhe may have sent others. She may have sent Ibarra and he’s far more powerful than me.”

Raven examined Borek’s face. “At any time, I can call my priest and tell him where I am. He’ll send agents to rescue me.”

“I wouldn’t be too sure of that.” Borek gave her a knowing look.

“What do you mean?”

“The black robes may come, but it won’t be to rescue you. Aoibhe told me there was a report your priest had quit the black robes and returned to America.”

“I doubt that. He only just arrived in Rome.”

“Perhaps he acquired a conscience.” Borek’s tone was sarcastic. “Clearly I’m wasting my time here.” He turned to go.

“Wait,” Raven called. “If I could, I’d start a war between the Curia and the Roman and watch them destroy each other. They murdered my William.” Her voice broke. “I hate them all.”

“Finally, something we agree on.” Borek faced her once

again.

“Will you help me?”

“Help you do what?”

“Start a war.”

Borek laughed. “That’s madness. You’d never get near Rome; Aoibhe has too many spies.”

“Help me. We have common enemies.”

Borek paused, almost as if he were tempted. “I’m not committing suicide for a human’s revenge.”

He stood very tall and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. “I’ve paid my debt. May fortune smile on you.”

“What will you tell Aoibhe?” Raven asked, trying to keep the anxiety out of her voice.

“Nothing. She’s a tyrant. I won’t live under her yoke.

“Much as I had reason to dislike the Prince, he gave his life to save Florence when the Roman betrayed us. The Prince died for all of us.” The expression on Borek’s face shifted, as if the realization haunted him. “The entire principality is in his debt. It pleases me to honor his sacrifice. And yours.

“Farewell, Lady Raven.” With a ceremonial bow, Borek melted into the shadows.

Chapter Sixty

WHEN RAVEN ENTERED HER APARTMENT, she didn’t bother calling the number she’d memorized. Instead, she reached for the guidebook Sarah had given her, which provided her with instructions and advice, along with a list of safe houses scattered around the world. Raven didn’t know how wide Sarah’s network was or who precisely it was for, but she knew all its resources were at her disposal, ostensibly because William had paid Sarah for a comprehensive relocation plan.

Raven made note of the guidebook’s instructions on how to escape by train and packed a small carry-on bag. She took the SIM card out of her cell phone, as instructed, and flushed it down the toilet, replacing it with a new, unused SIM card. She left behind most of her clothes but took her passport and all the cash she’d been hiding in a container in her freezer. Once the sun had risen above the horizon, she took a taxi to the central train station.

Using cash, she booked a ticket on the first train to Moscow and sat in one of the busy waiting areas in the station, staying alert to her surroundings.