With a bow, the assistant disappeared through the secret passage, leaving the Prince to contemplate his more pressing concern.
Raven.
By now, Ambrogio should have ensured that she’d returned to the villa, where she would be safe. Since the Prince was not in possession of a cell phone, he had no way of confirming this. In any case, cell phones did not receive signals in the underground passages.
He’d done his best to keep his relationship with Raven as private as possible, confident his brethren would view her as a temporary amusement. Given the traitor’s pettiness, however, even a toy was a potential target. Since he no doubt knew where her apartment was . . .
The Prince removed one of his swords from a weapons cabinet that stood at the far wall. He concealed the blade under his jacket and quickly exited the study, hoping his beloved Raven was already waiting safely in his bed.
Chapter Forty-nine
“Cara?” Raven stroked her sister’s face. “Can you hear me?”
When she’d seen Max holding the unconscious body of her sister, Raven hadn’t hesitated. She’d gotten out of the Mercedes and pleaded with him to leave Cara and take her instead.
The vampyre had grinned and taken her, too. Now they were in one of the private rooms at Teatro. It was the same room in which Raven had made love with William what seemed like an age ago; a room with dark purple walls and a large bed dressed in black satin. A mirror ran the length of one wall, reflecting the two sisters.
“Cara?”
She moaned in response. Raven interpreted this reaction as a positive sign.
The vampyre had carried them through one of the secret entrances, bringing them down the back hallway, which was empty.
Raven doubted anyone knew where they were. Despite the fact that her cell phone was still in her pocket, she hadn’t had a moment of privacy in which to use it. She comforted herself by thinking Ambrogio would use it to track her and that William would rescue her.
She hoped that Dan was all right. Tragically, she was fairly certain both Luka and Marco were dead.
She fingered the bracelet he’d given her. William would come for her. She was sure of it.
Cara moaned again.
“She needs a doctor.” Raven shifted her attention to their captor, careful to keep her body in between him and her sister.
“No doctor.” Max’s Germanic accent muddled his Italian, making him difficult to understand, but she understood his refusal.
Loud techno music thumped inside the club, but with the door closed the noise faded into a distant hum. If Max were to attack them, no one in Teatro would hear their cries.
Raven shuddered.
She tore a strip from the bottom of her T-shirt and began wiping the blood from her sister’s face. Cara was positioned on her back, eyes closed. Her nose was broken, her eyes blackened, and there was a large bruise purpling her jaw.
“You’re going to be okay,” Raven whispered. “I promise.”
Holding the soiled fabric in her hand, she glanced at Max. “My sister has a head injury. She needs to be in a hospital.”
“No doctor!” His hand shot out and he shoved Raven’s shoulder, sending her flying backward on the bed.
Instinctively, she crawled back to her sister and covered her body with her own. “Don’t touch her.”
The vampyre watched her display with undisguised amusement. “Your blood smells sweeter.”
He lumbered toward the door and placed his ear against it. Seemingly satisfied with whatever he did or did not hear, he put his back to the door and stared across the candlelit room.
His body had already begun to regenerate, but slowly. Skin was beginning to grow on his face and neck, closing over the open wounds. His injured eye was no longer swollen shut and he seemed to have regained full sight.
He was, however, still hideous.
Raven met his gaze. “Can I have some ice? It will help with the swelling.”
“No ice.”
“Ice would help your face, as well. Those wounds must hurt.”
The vampyre blinked. “You’d tend my wounds?”
“In exchange for ice? Yes.”
He stared. When he offered no further communication, Raven swung her feet over the side of the bed. She walked to a cabinet that held a small bar fridge. While keeping watch on the vampyre, she opened the fridge and was relieved to discover a few ice cubes. She wrapped them in the fabric she was still holding and returned to the bed.
Max watched her movements but did not intervene.
“Why don’t you let us go?” She held the ice to her sister’s face, alternating between her nose and her jaw. “The Prince will rescue us. Now is your chance to escape.”
The vampyre laughed. “The Prince is dead. A new one has taken his place.”
Raven froze. “Dead?”
“We seized control of the army. Not even an old one can defeat so many.” He chuckled. “Why do you think it was so easy for me to take you?”
Raven pressed her hand over her mouth.
William is dead?
She didn’t know if Max was telling the truth. But it would explain why William hadn’t come to her rescue. It would also explain why the other vampyre had been so bold as to venture inside her building.
He’s lying. William has powers they are unaware of; they won’t be able to kill him so easily.
Despite her positive thoughts, Max had introduced doubt into her psyche. She looked at her sister and tears filled her eyes.
A low chuckle came from across the room. The creature was laughing at her, mocking her pain.
Perhaps he spoke the truth and something had happened to William after she’d spoken with Ambrogio. Perhaps the creature was lying, toying with her mind. She didn’t have time to grieve. She had to save her sister.
“Rave,” Cara whispered, her eyes fluttering open. She slid her hand across the bedspread, her baby finger touching her sister’s.
Raven gripped her hand tightly, swallowing back tears. She held the ice to her sister’s face.
“If the Prince is—dead”—Raven shivered, barely able to pronounce the word—“there’s no reason to keep us. I’m sure the new prince needs your help. The Curia is watching.”
Max’s angry footsteps echoed in the chamber. “What do you know about the Curia?”
She tried to sound nonchalant. “I am the Prince’s pet. I hear things. He was worried the Curia would invade the city.”
“What else?” He leaned forward, bringing his hideous face inches from hers.
Raven racked her brain for something she could say, something that wouldn’t be too damaging to William, if he were still alive.
“He said there were spies in the city.”
Max straightened, stroking what was left of his beard. “Everyone knows that.”
“Yes, but these spies are reporting to the Curia. Every time a human is killed in a suspicious manner, the Curia hears about it. Those bodies you left by my apartment are going to attract attention.” She leaned forward. “Maybe it’s time for you to escape.”
“No escape,” he said angrily. “Now is time for sport.”
“There are beautiful women out there.” She gestured to the door. “Why don’t you leave us? We aren’t going anywhere.”
“Not yet. I’m going to enjoy you before I drain your heart. And then I’m going to dispose of your sister.”
Raven gritted her teeth. “Everything you could ever want is out there. You don’t want to waste your time with us.”