The Shadow (The Florentine 2)

He cupped her face in his hands. “But I’m not. I’m here and you’re safe.”

He kissed her firmly, his cool breath commingling with hers.

“The city has fallen into the hands of a traitor. We must return to the villa.” William’s gaze moved to the woman on the bed. “Is that your sister?”

“Yes.” Raven turned on the bed, examining her sister’s pale form. “I think her nose is broken. Will she be all right?”

“Her heart is beating and she’s breathing well. She’d do better with vampyre blood.”

William turned to look at Aoibhe, who shook her head. “I’ve discharged my debt. It’s time for me to leave before someone realizes we’re here.”

“She’ll heal more quickly if you help.”

“Then feed her.”

“Aoibhe.” His voice was just over a rumble.

A long look passed between the two vampyres.

“If I do this, I want a favor in return.” Aoibhe sniffed.

“A modest favor in exchange for what will be a modest amount of blood.” William’s expression grew threatening.

“Do I have your word?” she asked, still holding Max’s severed head.

“So long as your request is modest, I won’t refuse.”

“Fine,” she snapped. She walked to the bed and held out her wrist.

“Wait.” Raven held her hands over Cara protectively. “William, I’d rather she had your blood.”

“No,” he said firmly.

“Why not?”

“Because he doesn’t want your sister to bond with him.” Aoibhe gave Raven a withering look.

“Is that true?” asked Raven.

William nodded.

“I don’t like the idea of Cara bonding with her.” Raven grimaced.

“You’ll like it well enough when her wounds are healed,” Aoibhe retorted. “You ungrateful wench.”

“Aoibhe,” William rumbled.

He took Raven’s hand and passed his thumb over her palm. “It will be all right, I promise. I’ll only feed her a little—enough to heal her wounds and perhaps her mind. She’ll probably sleep peacefully for several hours.”

“Okay.” Raven squeezed his hand.

William looked up at Aoibhe, and when she nodded, he took his thumbnail and sliced open her wrist. Opening Cara’s mouth, he positioned Aoibhe’s wrist over it.

Raven turned her back on the scene.

“Now that’s done, I’ll be taking my leave,” Aoibhe announced a few minutes later. “You’re welcome, pet.”

Raven turned and found Aoibhe looking at her contemptuously before she swept out of the room, carrying her prize. Cara was still on the bed, eyes closed. Slowly, her bruises began to fade and her breathing deepened.

William examined her. “She’s healing. The blood will continue to work for some time. She may not remember what happened, but that’s probably a mercy.”

“Thank you.”

“I understand why you didn’t want Aoibhe’s blood in your sister’s system, but it’s best this way.” He pulled Raven into his arms. “I’ve never shared my blood with anyone but my maker.”

“Why?”

William’s brow wrinkled. “The exchange of blood bonds the pair. I’d be hesitant to share my blood even with you. We already have an extraordinary connection. I think if you tasted me, you wouldn’t be satisfied until you’d drunk enough to transform. I would be unable to refuse you.”

Raven looped her arms around his neck, resting her chin on his shoulder. “Being separated from you is worse than the thought of becoming a vampyre. But I can’t resign myself to a life of hundreds of years. I just don’t want to live that long.”

William held her more tightly.

Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. “I was so afraid I wasn’t going to see you again. I was more afraid of that than of Max killing me.”

William crushed her to his chest. “Every bruise, every wound is my fault.”

“Don’t take on the faults of others, but please, don’t ever leave me alone. We have to stay together.”

“I will protect you. I swear it.” He reached down and kissed her, their lips melding together until she was breathless.

Raven leaned against him. “My sister’s boyfriend was with us at my building. Is he all right?”

William looked at her gravely. “I saw the police there, removing bodies.”

Raven covered her mouth with her hand, her gaze moving to her sister.

“Both Luka and Marco were killed. I don’t know about the boyfriend.”

“They were going to get married.”

William squeezed her hand. “He may be alive. I shall find out. But right now, we need to get you and your sister to the villa. Can you walk?”

“Slowly, but yes. What about you? Where will you be safe?”

“The traitor has taken control of the army. I’m going to have to fight him to regain the city. But I’m not doing anything until you’re safe.”

William lifted Raven off his lap and they both stood.

“There’s a secret tunnel. It’s a long walk but it will lead us straight to the villa.” He lifted Cara into his arms.

William walked toward the door, waiting while Raven turned the doorknob for him. As they stepped into the hall, they saw Aoibhe, flanked by several vampyres dressed in uniform.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Chapter Fifty-two

“Aoibhe betrayed you,” Raven whispered as she marched at William’s side down a long corridor. “She summoned the soldiers.”

He was holding a sleeping Cara in his arms and had been divested of his sword. “I doubt it, unless they were posted at Teatro. There was barely time to summon them from the underworld. Besides, the traitor tried to have her killed earlier this evening. It’s not in her interest to be caught.”

“Why didn’t you fight?”

William held Cara more tightly. “I couldn’t dispatch them and save you and your sister at the same time.”

“I’m sorry.”

William gave her a sharp look. “Don’t be. Stay close, but if we’re separated, remember what I told you about Sarah. Take your sister with you.”

Raven hesitated. Then she remembered their previous conversation. She nodded.

The soldiers marched them through the underworld, along with Aoibhe, to a set of large wooden doors, which opened to reveal an immense, cavernous space. Raven had seen glimpses of it from beneath her blindfold on the single occasion William had brought her into the council chamber.

Only this time, someone else sat on the throne. Someone who had stood at Raven’s apartment door hours earlier, asking to be invited inside.

“At last, the traitor is apprehended.” Lorenzo applauded slowly.

The soldiers accompanied the captives to the base of the steps that led to the throne, then half their number moved to flank Lorenzo.

“Humans aren’t allowed at council meetings unless they’re part of the catering,” he announced.

“Sitting on a throne doesn’t make you a prince. I am the Prince of Florence and you are a traitor.” William growled.

“My control of the army says differently.” Lorenzo gestured to the troops. “And I am prince by birth. I am a Medici; you’re only an Englishman.”

Raven stared with shock at the pretender to the throne.

“You’re a right bastard, whatever spawned you,” Aoibhe spat out. “Why did you try to kill me?”

“I’ll deal with you later. Don’t think you’ve escaped execution; you’ve merely delayed it.” Lorenzo spoke over her sputtering. “Where’s Max?”

“Dead.” Aoibhe lifted Max’s head triumphantly. “I’m going to use this as a door knocker.”

“I doubt that, since you’ll be dead also.” He gestured to the soldiers who were guarding William. “Remove the pets to Palazzo Riccardi. I’ll dispose of them later.”

“That would be unwise.” William’s voice was deceptively calm.

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“I think you overestimate your strength. With a snap of my fingers I can have the entire army assembled in this chamber. Not even you can defeat them singlehandedly.”

“Perhaps. But these human beings belong to the Curia.”

Silence rang out in the large room.