She looked down at her shoes. “I never believed in hell. But I’m beginning to change my mind.”
“Hell is knowing your fate and knowing there isn’t a damn thing you can do about it.” William pushed a lock of hair back from her forehead.
“Father Kavanaugh said he didn’t rule the Curia. He doesn’t think he has a lot of influence with them.”
A muscle jumped in William’s jaw. “That may be the case. But since the Curia is already interested in Florence, his pleas will not land on deaf ears. He’s given them a reason to march on my city, something they haven’t had since the old prince ruled.”
Raven turned her head and looked at the Duomo. She looked at the tiled rooftops and buildings, the starry night sky, and the solemn structure of the bell tower that stood nearby.
“I’m not Helen of Troy. The Curia won’t wage a war with you over me, not when they risk worldwide panic and exposure. All we need is one bystander with a cell phone, and video of the Curia killing vampyres will be all over the Internet.”
“You underestimate their power.”
“I don’t care how powerful they are. They can’t control everyone and everything. War means exposure, for them and for you. That’s why Father wants me to come to him voluntarily. He doesn’t want a war any more than you do.”
William scowled. “I wouldn’t compare me to him if I were you.”
She lifted her chin. “I may not be able to choose my death, but I can choose my life. And I choose to spend whatever time I have left with you.”
“No!” he snapped.
She gave him a look that was more wounded than irritated. “Why not? Don’t you love me?”
He rubbed his chin roughly. “Of course I love you. That’s the point. I’m trying to save you. You could return to America. I could send for you when it’s safe to return.”
Raven watched him for a few seconds, the expression on his face, his body language, and the strange emptiness that filled his beautiful gray eyes.
“You’re lying. You know that if you send me away, we’ll never see one another again. It would be too dangerous for me to return and it’s possible the Curia will kill you for outsmarting them.”
He sighed his resignation. “I am already dead. The human I was died years ago and this body took its place. I’ve lived a long life, long enough to hold hope in my arms.”
William caught a lock of Raven’s hair and tenderly wound it around his finger. His expression grew anguished. “But you, Cassita, you have your whole life ahead of you. If you stay, you could be killed.”
Her green eyes flashed defiantly. “Then we die together.”
“It’s suicide. You can’t—”
Raven interrupted him. “What would my life be like, knowing you were still alive but that we couldn’t be together? Worrying every day that they could be hunting you or torturing you. Worrying that they were going to kill you. I’d rather spend whatever time we have left with you, than to be safe somewhere across an ocean, suffering because I’ve lost half my heart.”
She gripped his biceps tightly. “You’re the other half of me, William. Please don’t send me away.”
William lifted his head to the heavens and closed his eyes. He clenched his fists and recited a litany of curses.
“I’m too weak to send you away. The night I found you, I saw a vision of what the world would be like without you. That was before I knew and loved you. Now that I do—it would be impossible.”
She buried her face in his chest. “I would go to the Curia to save your life.”
“I know.” He kissed the top of her head. “Defensa. But it’s possible they’d destroy me anyway. And what kind of life would I have without you? Without light? Without hope?”
Her lower lip trembled. “I was so afraid you would send me away.”
“No,” he whispered, enveloping her in his tight embrace. “I may as well walk into fire and let the flames annihilate me. That fate would be preferable.”
She shivered in his arms. “What are we going to do?”
He hesitated. “We can hope your priest has little influence on those in power. We can hope the Curia will direct its attention to a different principality.”
“Is that likely?”
William sighed. “I don’t know. I tried to organize a distraction but it seems to have failed.”
“I can try to delay Father Kavanaugh. I can say that I’m thinking about it.”
“I wouldn’t antagonize him, Cassita. That might hasten their arrival.”
“It’s so unfair,” she whispered, fighting back tears. “I waited my whole life to find you, and now that I have, I’m going to lose you.”
“Do not give up hope. I couldn’t bear it if the light of your hope was extinguished.” He held her tightly and she clung to him as if she were falling.
Chapter Forty-two
In the aftermath of their shared decision, William and Raven’s lovemaking took on a new dimension. William spent the evening hours slowly adoring Raven’s body, and in her turn, she did the same for him. They lay awake in each other’s arms almost until dawn, when Raven finally succumbed to sleep.
William spooned Raven, his eyes drawn to Botticelli’s depiction of Allegra while his mind whirred with preparations for war and for the protection of his beloved.
The following morning, Raven was seated on the balcony, drinking coffee and sunning herself, when her cell phone chirped with an incoming text.
I’m in Rome. Dan and I flew in last night. We’re staying with Fr. Jack. Come and see me and we’ll talk.
Raven nearly dropped her phone.
She stared at Cara’s message, reading and rereading it, a feeling of dread falling over her. She wanted to see her sister and reconcile with her. But not in Rome. Not now.
Could it be that Father Jack is using Cara to get me away from William?
The answer to her own question was clear.
She hadn’t expected this. She hadn’t expected any of this. And she had no idea what to do.
“I scent anxiety.” William spoke from the doorway, his nose wrinkled. He was dressed all in black, as was his custom, and his hair was still damp from the shower.
Raven looked up at him sadly. “Read this.” She handed him her phone.
He scanned the words. “And so it begins.” He returned the phone to her.
She looked down at the screen. “I can’t believe he’d use her like this.”
William didn’t comment.
Raven looked up at him. “What should I do?”
“I think it best to leave all talk of the Curia and of me out of it. Perhaps you could reply, saying that you’re just finishing up your project and you can’t get to Rome. Invite her to come here.”
“If Father is pulling the strings she’ll see through my excuses.”
William leaned over and kissed her forehead.
“And if Cara is anything like her sister, she’ll stubbornly insist on deciding for herself what to think.”
“That’s true,” Raven admitted.
She typed out a quick response and showed it to William.
Hi, Cara. Glad you and Dan are here. I can’t leave work this week. Could you come to Florence? Love, Rave.
He nodded tersely. She sent the text and placed her phone aside, turning back to her breakfast.