The Roman (The Florentine 3)

The former Prince of Florence sat on his throne in the great council chamber, sorrowing for his beloved city.

A gentle hand rested on his, light as an angel’s touch. “There must be something we can do.”

William lifted his head to look at Raven. “The Curia will level us. I’m considered a traitor now. Even if we were to flee, the Roman would hunt me.”

“Would he hunt us in the United States? In South America?”

“I don’t think I would make it out of Italy. The Curia will hunt me too.”

“There has to be a way.”

He shook his head. “My only hope is to see you escape to freedom.”

“I’m not leaving you.” Her expression grew fierce.

He looked at her sadly. “I disobeyed the Roman and refused to hand you over to the Curia. But they are going to take you anyway.”

“I’d rather die with you!”

“If you survive, a part of me will survive also.” He took her wrist, marveling at the slim arm that lay below the gold bracelet he’d given her. “Don’t let your death be added to my sins.”

“Father is still inside the city. If I can get a message to him, maybe we can negotiate a truce.”

“It’s too late.” He released her.

She leaned against the throne, taking the weight off her injured leg. “I have to try.”

“I will lead my troops into battle. My mind would rest easier if I knew you were safe. Go to Sarah.”

“Listen to me, William.” She bent at the waist, her green eyes sparking with anger. “I’m not giving up. I’m not going to let you give up either. War with the Curia is suicide. You’ll die in battle, and I’ll die at your side because I won’t leave you.

“You say there’s no way for us to escape Italy without being hunted by the Roman. So our only option is to try to make peace with the Curia and prevent a genocide.”

William laughed bitterly. “They don’t want peace.”

“Father does.”

“He wants peace and he comes to my city with soldiers?”

“I’m sorry about the citizens who were killed. But Father must have some influence if he was able to command a group of soldiers. I want to talk to him. I want to try.”

William stood quickly. He touched her hair, her eyebrows, and her cheeks. “At least he can keep you safe. If you remain with me, you could be killed, or turned, or made someone’s pet.”

“I’m not interested in making a deal with the Curia to save my own ass. It’s both of us or nothing.”

William’s forehead crinkled. “They are marching three hundred soldiers here to destroy me. They will never spare my life. And even if they did, there’s the Roman to contend with. I am as good as dead, Cassita. Save yourself.”

Her cheeks reddened with anger. “I am not giving up, William Malet. Don’t you dare give up.”

William’s gray eyes searched hers for a long time.

Almost imperceptibly, he nodded.

She wrapped her arms around him.

“It seems fitting,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to her hair.

“What is fitting?”

“That you should be my only hope.” He held her tightly, as if by his hold he could ensure their safety.

He tipped her chin up and kissed her, cupping her face with both hands.

William shouted for his guards and asked one of them to retrieve Gregor. When Gregor arrived, the Prince and Raven accompanied him to one of the communications rooms hidden in Palazzo Riccardi.

“Curia troops are on their way.” Father’s voice could be heard through the speakerphone.

“Yes, we know that.” Raven exchanged a look with William.

“The Roman won’t protect him. We know he was ordered to surrender you, and he refused.”

“War means death—death for the Curia and death for the Florentines. You don’t want the lives of all those people on your conscience. Help me stop it,” Raven pleaded.

Father paused. “War is not in our interests. But my superiors will not rest until the Prince is captured and destroyed. I will not rest until you are safe.”

“You offer nothing,” William said, shaking his head at Raven.

“Wait.” Father cleared his throat. “My superiors want regime change. Our intelligence indicates the Roman wants the same. Surrender the city and Raven, and we will have peace.”

“Once again you offer nothing,” William growled. “My people and I would rather die fighting than turn the city over to the Curia.”

“There are agents inside the city. Even now, they have been assembled. War could break out at any moment. I am the only one standing between you and certain death.”

William’s expression hardened. “This conversation is over.”

“Wait! Let me speak to you directly.”

William’s gaze moved to Raven. “Your folly, priest, is that you think you can divide and conquer. You speak to both of us or neither.”

“Release her from your thrall, and we can have an open conversation.”

“I can hear you, Father.” Raven threw her hands up in frustration. “I can hear, and I can speak for myself. I’m not in anyone’s thrall, and you need to listen to me. I’m trying to help you save countless lives.”

“Very well.” The priest drew a deep breath. “I may have a solution that would benefit both of us.”

The Prince scowled. “I thought lying was a sin.”

“Tell us,” Raven interjected. “What’s your solution?”

The priest mumbled part of the Hail Mary.

“What do you propose?” the Prince pressed, his eyes fixed on Raven.

“As I said, my superiors want regime change and so does the Roman. It’s coming, and there’s nothing that can be done to stop it.

“But the Curia offers exorcisms on rare occasions, to return a vampyre to his former state. I believe I can persuade my superiors to exorcise you in exchange for the city.”

“No.” Raven gripped William’s arm, an expression of horror on her face. “That means you’ll kill him.”

“An exorcism is not an execution.” Father’s tone was insistent. “We can free you, William. We can return you to what you once were.”

“You know as well as I that that is the same as an execution,” the Prince scoffed.

“You’ll be human once again, free of the darkness. Free of the control of the evil one. You will have a normal life.”

“This body should have died in the thirteenth century. What makes you think it could survive such a ritual?”

“God.”

“God?” Raven laughed. “You ask us to place our trust in God?”

“Without him, we have nothing,” the priest replied stubbornly.

“Have any of your members performed an exorcism on an old one?” William’s expression changed.

Raven tugged at his arm. “You can’t be considering this.”

William lifted a finger, waiting for the priest’s response.

“I have no knowledge of an exorcism of an old one,” the priest admitted. “But the principle is the same.”

“It’s too risky,” Raven concluded. “What if we were to agree to leave the city?”

“Cassita,” William gently reproved her.

“You would be able to leave after the exorcism,” the priest promised. “But Raven, your memories would have to be adjusted. And William would need to return to Rome with me, to be debriefed.”

“Would that be before or after the black robes kill me?” William asked.

Father ignored his barb. “Raven, you say you aren’t in his thrall. You say he loves you. But can’t you see he’s the one putting you in danger? Once the war starts, you could be killed. I’m the only one who can protect you.”

“We want to be togeth

er.” Raven gripped William’s hand.

William lowered his voice. “It’s too dangerous. If they’re offering you safe passage, you should take it.”

“No,” she whispered. “I’m not leaving without you.”

“If I abandon my city, I’m a coward.”

“There’s no reason to see this as abandonment,” the priest interrupted. “You would be surrendering the city in order to avoid bloodshed. In exchange, we guarantee Raven’s safety and your life. You become human once again, and we will no longer be enemies.”

“No,” Raven mouthed to William. “It’s too risky.”

“What’s to prevent you from turning me over to the Roman once you’ve finished?” William asked.

The priest raised his voice, as if he were in earnest. “You seem to forget who we are. Our goal is to save human life, not destroy it. We wouldn’t hand you over to the Roman or to any other vampyre, if you were human.