Текст книги "The Raven"
Автор книги: Sylvain Reynard
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Текущая страница: 25 (всего у книги 26 страниц)
Chapter Fifty-five
From the terrace atop the Loggia dei Lanzi, one can see the Palazzo Vecchio, the Uffizi, and the beautiful and spacious Piazza Signoria. One can also see Brunelleschi’s dome rising in the distance.
Not that Raven and William were looking.
They were in one another’s arms, passionately kissing against a wall.
“I can’t believe you’re in my arms,” he murmured, stroking her neck.
She hummed at his words, returning his embrace with eagerness.
William’s tongue teased her mouth, slipping inside before retreating. He enjoyed reciprocity, the way she responded to his touch.
Her back was to the wall, his body flush with hers. His hand paid homage to her collarbone, smoothing across her skin and tracing the neckline of her dress.
She shivered in anticipation and need, her mind and heart full of everything that was William—the one who truly loved her, all of her, as herself.
She tried to pour her love and affection into her eager touches, exploring his broad shoulders and the muscles that rippled from underneath his shirt before dropping down to appreciate the planes of his chest.
Growling, William brought their hips together.
She scratched his scalp, smiling against his lips at his guttural reaction.
He nipped her lower lip and kissed along her jawline, pressing himself more tightly against her.
“Are you cold?” He moved so he could see her face.
“It’s July.” She grinned.
He placed his palm to the wall beside her hip. “I don’t sense temperatures as well as a human. The stone must be cool against your back.”
“All I feel is you.”
With a tilt of her head, she exposed her neck. He brushed her black hair aside and pulled some of her flesh into his mouth, sucking gently.
“Feed from me,” she whispered.
His lips descended her throat, kissing a path to her shoulder. “No.”
“Why not?”
William lifted his head. Even in the semidarkness Raven could see he was conflicted.
“You’re exquisite. I want you. But what we share tonight is a different kind of sustenance.” He toyed with her hair, watching as the long strands spilled over his fingers.
“But I love you. I want to give you this.”
He kissed a lock of her hair before releasing it. His arm wrapped around her waist and he lifted her, winding her legs around his hips.
“Let me love you, Raven, with my heart.”
She blinked hard, if only to keep the rising emotion at bay. Now was not the time for tears, not when he was gifting her with everything she had ever wanted.
She kissed him deeply as his hand slid from her breast to her ribs and down to her backside. Raven held her breath as he lifted her skirt and placed his palm against the outside of her thigh.
He made a circle against her skin before squeezing her hip. A single finger traced the top of her panties before descending between her legs.
She moaned her appreciation as he touched her over the silk. In an instant, her underwear was gone and he was stroking her, testing her.
Her mouth found his ear. “Please.”
His hand moved between them, removing the barriers. Then, with eyes fixed on hers and an animalistic sound, he plunged inside. Raven clutched at his shoulders, focusing on the pleasurable sensation.
His movement wasn’t slow. He thrust deep, his hands underneath her backside, lifting and squeezing her. Raven flexed her hips, trying to bring him farther inside her.
She clung to him, their chests rubbing against one another.
He was rumbling in her ear. Her pants and cries spurred him on.
Deeper and faster, he moved at a feverish pace.
She couldn’t keep her eyes open, focusing only on the feelings he elicited from her, the way every stroke, every movement, sent her ascending higher and higher to bliss.
Her heels dug into his ass as she gripped him with her thighs, well beyond words.
Suddenly she was gasping and crying out.
Her body stiffened in his arms and still he continued, thrusting and swirling inside her. When she grew limp and buried her face in his neck, only then did he allow himself to climax.
Her name was the first word on his lips.
Raven was breathing heavily, her heartbeat racing.
William listened to the foreign and rhythmic sounds of his lover’s body, knowing with pride that he’d caused those reactions.
They stood for what seemed like an age, the young woman and the centuries-old vampyre, holding one another desperately on a rooftop that overlooked the Uffizi.
They were the most improbable of lovers. Yet it was manifest to both they were indeed a perfect match.
Raven’s heart was full, her mind relaxed, her body sated.
“Now that you’ve given me your gift, I must give you mine.” He stroked her cheek, his eyes alight.
Raven placed her hand flat against his chest, over his heart. She felt the strange rhythm under her palm, and the almost frightening silence.
“This is the only gift I want.”
“You have it.” He lifted her fingers and kissed them, one by one. “But you’ll want the other gift I’m going to give you.”
He extricated himself from her body, placing her on unsteady feet.
He righted his trousers and withdrew a handkerchief from the pocket. Supporting her with an arm around her waist, he lifted her skirt to press the linen between her legs.
Raven leaned into him and sighed. “This is my gift,” she said quietly. “The way you touch me, I can tell that you love me. But I’m still happy to have the words.”
“I love you,” he whispered. “Defensa.”
She smiled against his shoulder. “That’s a new name. I’m no longer wounded; I’m a protector.”
“You’ve always been a protector.” He kissed her forehead before tracing the faded scar that marred it. “You told me once that no one ever defended you. Tonight, I will.”
“What?” She pulled back, confused.
William tossed the handkerchief aside.
“I promised to give you justice. I keep my promises.”
A wave of anxiety passed over her. “William, what have you done?”
He smiled at her slowly. “It’s what I am going to do. Come.”
He pulled her tightly against him and they climbed to the roof, their bodies disappearing into the night like a wisp of smoke.
Glossary of Terms and Proper Names
(NB: This list contains spoilers)
ALLEGRA—Fifteenth-century woman and lover of the Prince.
AMBROGIO—William York’s servant.
ANGELO—Homeless man and friend of Raven Wood.
AOIBHE—Pronounced “A-vuh.” An Irish member of the Consilium.
ISPETTOR BATELLI—Police inspector in Florence.
THE CONSILIUM—The ruling council of the principality of Florence. It consists of six members: Lorenzo, Niccolò, Aoibhe, Ibarra, Maximilian, and Pierre. The Prince is an ex officio member.
THE CURIA—Enemy of the supernatural beings.
GABRIEL EMERSON—The professor is a Dante specialist who teaches at Boston University. He is the owner of a famed set of Botticelli illustrations of Dante’s Divine Comedy, which he lent to the Uffizi Gallery in 2011. His story is told in the Gabriel’s Inferno trilogy: Gabriel’s Inferno, Gabriel’s Rapture, and Gabriel’s Redemption.
JULIA EMERSON—Doctoral student at Harvard University. She is married to Gabriel and the co-owner of the Botticelli illustrations.
FEEDERS—Derogatory term for human beings who offer themselves up as a food source to supernatural beings.
FERALS—Supernatural beings who live and hunt alone. They display brutal, animalistic behavior.
GREGOR—Personal assistant to the Prince.
HUMAN INTELLIGENCE NETWORK—Human beings who are contracted to provide information to the supernatural beings. They also provide security and perform specific tasks.
THE HUNTERS—Humans who hunt and kill supernatural beings for commercial purposes.
IBARRA—A Basque member of the Consilium and head of security for the principality of Florence.
FATHER KAVANAUGH—Former director of Covenant House in Orlando, Florida, and friend of Raven Wood.
LORENZO—A member of the Medici family and second in command in the principality of Florence. Also a member of the Consilium.
LUCIA—Ambrogio’s wife and servant to William York.
LUKA—Servant to William York.
MARCO—Servant to William York.
MARCUS—Also known as the Prince of Venice. Former ruler of the underworld principality of Venice, now deceased.
MARIA—A young girl with special needs who lives at the Franciscan orphanage in Florence. She is introduced in Gabriel’s Redemption.
MAXIMILIAN—A Prussian member of the Consilium.
THE MEDICI—Famous ruling family of Florence during the Renaissance.
GINA MOLINARI—Friend of Raven Wood, employed in the archives of the Uffizi Gallery.
NICCOLÒ—Famous Florentine and member of the Consilium. Head of intelligence for the principality of Florence.
OLD ONES—A special class of supernatural beings who, by virtue of having attained seven hundred years in their supernatural state, enjoy tremendous power and special abilities.
GIUSEPPE PACCIANI—A professor of Dante at the University of Florence. His backstory is given in the Gabriel’s Inferno series.
KATHERINE PICTON—Retired Dante specialist and former professor at the University of Toronto. Her backstory is described in the Gabriel’s Inferno series. Friend of the Emersons.
PIERRE—A French member of the Consilium. Oversees security and liaises with the human intelligence network as well as the police services.
THE PRINCE—Ruler of the principality of Florence, the underworld society of supernatural beings.
RECRUITS—New supernatural beings, formerly human.
THE ROMAN—Ruler of the principality of Rome and also the head of the kingdom of Italy, which includes all the Italian principalities.
AGENT SAVOLA—Interpol agent assigned to Florence.
SIMONETTA—Th e Princess of Umbria.
STEFAN—A supernatural physician of French-Canadian origin.
PROFESSOR URBANO—Director of the restoration project working on the Birth of Venus. Raven Wood’s supervisor.
THE VENETIANS—Supernatural beings living in the principality of Venice.
DOTTOR VITALI—Director of the Uffizi Gallery. He appears in the Gabriel’s Inferno trilogy.
PATRICK WONG—Canadian citizen and friend of Raven Wood. Works in the archives at the Uffizi Gallery.
CAROLYN (CARA) WOOD—Raven’s younger sister. Carolyn is a real estate agent in Miami, Florida.
RAVEN WOOD—American citizen and postdoctoral restoration worker at the Uffizi Gallery.
WILLIAM YORK—A wealthy Florentine and patron of the Uffizi Gallery. He appears briefly in Gabriel’s Redemption.
YOUNGLINGS—Supernatural beings who have yet to attain one hundred years in their supernatural state.
Acknowledgments
I am indebted to Sandro Botticelli and the incomparable space that is the Uffizi Gallery. I’m also indebted to the citizens of Florence, who gifted me with hospitality and inspiration.
I’ve used poetic license in locating Raven’s restoration lab at the Uffizi, since it would have been undertaken at one of the labs operated by the Opificio instead.
Quotations from Lucius Apuleius’s “The Golden Ass” are from William Adlington’s translation, as presented in Project Gutenberg.
I am grateful to Kris, who read an early draft and offered invaluable constructive criticism. I am also thankful to Jennifer and to Nina for their feedback and support.
I’ve been very pleased to work with Cindy Hwang, my editor. Thanks are also due to Tom Guida for his wisdom and energy. And thanks to the copyediting, art, and design teams who worked on the book and its cover at various stages.
My publicist, Nina Bocci, works tirelessly to promote my writing and to help me with social media, which enables me to stay in touch with readers. I’m honored to be part of her team.
Elizabeth de Vos, Bee W., Elena, Becca, Ellie, Heidi, Tiffany, and Chris all contributed in their areas of expertise. Thank you.
I would also like to thank those who have offered support, especially the Muses, Erika, Argyle Empire, and the readers from around the world who operate the SRFans social media accounts.
Finally, I would like to thank my readers and my family. Your continued support is inestimable, especially as we return to Florence for a new adventure.
—SR
ASCENSION 2014
Books by Sylvain Reynard
GABRIEL’S INFERNO
GABRIEL’S RAPTURE
GABRIEL’S REDEMPTION
THE RAVEN
Novella
THE PRINCE
Keep reading for an excerpt from
the sequel to The Raven, the second
book in the Florentine series.
Coming soon from Berkley Books
William leaned over, bringing his lips to Raven’s ear. “Happy birthday.”
Raven stood, staring at the man in the cell, a feeling of horror paralyzing her.
William noticed her pale face, her pounding heart, and the obvious scent of fear that lifted from her skin.
“That is not the reaction I was hoping for,” he said dryly.
She lifted a shaking finger, pointing toward the cell.
“What’s he doing here?”
William frowned. “I should have thought that would be obvious.”
Raven’s eyes met his. She blinked. “What?”
“I swore I’d give you justice.” He extended his hand in the direction of the prisoner. “This is justice.”
“How?” she asked, her breath hitching.
“I brought him here so you can kill him.”
“Stelle Su Firenze”
An Outtake from Gabriel’s Redemption
“I think if we sat here long enough, the whole world would walk by.” Julia’s voice was wistful as she rested her head on Gabriel’s shoulder.
It was their last night in Florence. They’d spent the evening dining at a romantic restaurant overlooking the Arno River. Then they’d wandered the narrow streets before arriving at the Loggia dei Lanzi. From this vantage point, they could watch the Piazza della Signoria come to life after dark.
Tourists and locals milled about the Piazza or enjoyed a drink at one of the cafés. Nearby, a string quartet played Verdi, filling the square with a beautiful melancholy.
Julia watched in fascination as street vendors launched glowing cylinders into the air, the toys sparkling like firecrackers against the inkblack sky. But always, the objects would fall to the ground, their brief foray into the heavens ended by gravity.
A strange sadness crept over her. “We try to touch the stars, but we always fall back to earth.”
Gabriel drew her closer, wrapping his arm around her waist. “That’s true, but it isn’t like you to despair.”
“I’m not in despair. I just don’t want to go back. Not after…” Her voice trailed off.
“I don’t want to go back either, but summer has to end eventually.”
He brushed a light kiss against her dark hair before pulling her to her feet. As the music continued, he walked her to the center of the piazza. Then he took her in his arms and began to sway to the music.
She closed her eyes, floating over the stone beneath their feet as he expertly moved them.
He tightened his grip on her waist. “I’m sorry we’ve been fighting.”
Julia opened her eyes. “Me too.”
“I promise I’ll make it up to you.”
“You brought me here.”
“I’m the reason you’re constantly falling back to earth.” Gabriel’s blue eyes were earnest and searching. “I drag you from the stars—from where you belong.”
She gave him a sad smile. “It’s the human condition. We’re bound to fall.”
He stopped dancing, his eyes boring into hers. “You should never have to fall, Julianne.”
He kissed her gently and they continued dancing, stopping only when the last strains of Verdi no longer echoed through the night.
They returned to the loggia, sitting side by side on the stone bench. His fingers traced the folds of her silk dress in what he hoped would be a comforting manner.
“I wish I could sit in this piazza forever.” She gazed at the elaborate fountain nearby, and the elderly couple who were standing next to it, holding hands. “We could grow old here.”
Gabriel followed her gaze, the edges of his lips turning up.
“If you remained in this piazza, you’d be cold when winter comes.”
“Not if I had you to warm me.”
A smile pulled at his mouth. “I’m glad you find me useful, if only as a warming device.”
“You’re also an excellent tour guide.”
“Another way in which I’m useful.”
“And since your Italian is better than mine, you’re an effective translator.”
He brought his mouth to within inches of hers. “Shall I translate my favorite words? Labbra? Lingua? Seno?”
She traced the fullness of his lower lip with her middle finger. “Lips. Tongue. Breast. You’re very provocative this evening.”
“You’ve forgotten the most important way in which I’m useful.”
“And that is?”
His gaze grew heated and he lowered his voice. “As your lover.”
He nipped at her finger slightly, before drawing it into his mouth. He toyed with her for a moment, laving her skin with his tongue, before releasing her.
“I’m afraid that if you persist in staying in this piazza, my capacity as a lover will be sorely diminished.”
She lifted her eyebrows. “Diminished?”
“For example, I couldn’t possibly do this in a piazza.” He brought their lips together.
Julia hummed her appreciation and Gabriel deepened their connection, his tongue stroking hers.
His hands moved to her face as Julia’s slid to his shoulders, pressing him closer.
“And I couldn’t possibly do this.” Gabriel spoke against her mouth as his thumb glided down the side of her breast.
She shivered.
“Or this.” His hand slid over the curve of her waist and around to her lower back. He ran a single finger just above the waistband of her panties, almost as if he were contemplating their removal.
“Or this.” His eyes suddenly alight, he covered her bare knee with his palm before coaxing her legs to part.
Julia’s skin grew warm at his touch.
“Move your hand any higher and we’re going to get arrested,” she whispered.
His eyes appeared to darken. “It will be worth it.”
She placed her hand over his, stopping the slow, teasing ascent.
“I think we’ve been the subject of enough scandals, Professor.”
“Then you’re going to have to leave this piazza before I slip my hand under your dress and show you what comes next.”
“Where would we go?”
“I know a much quieter piazza nearby.”
She stifled a laugh. “Is that the best you can do?”
“There’s always the hotel. I have a view.”
She cocked her head to one side. “A view?”
He lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm.
“The only sight worth seeing in this city is you. But the view from my hotel room isn’t entirely unfortunate.”
She lowered her eyes and blushed.
He squeezed her hand. “Florence has exceptional architecture and art. But Brunelleschi’s dome lacks your compassion. And no painting in the Uffizi could ever capture the beauty and warmth of your love.”
She lifted her gaze to meet his.
“Are you flirting with me, Professor?”
Gabriel brought his mouth to her ear. “This isn’t flirtation, Julianne. This is seduction. And I won’t rest until I enjoy the wonder that is your body, lying underneath me again.”
He kissed the shell of her ear, before moving down to the side of her neck. He pressed unhurried kisses against her skin, brushing against her collarbone.
“This is just the beginning,” he whispered, his hand caressing her side. “Think of the delights that await you.”
She hummed softly. “I’d like to hear more about that.”
He stood, holding out his hand.
“I’ll do more than tell you. But I’m afraid you’ll have to leave this piazza.”
Julia glanced over his shoulder at the fountain. She sighed.
“It’s hard for me to leave, knowing what awaits us at home.”
“But we’ll be together.” He tugged her into his arms. “Tonight I’ll help you touch the stars. And when you fall back to earth, I promise to catch you.”
She looked up him, at his tender, intense expression, and lightly cupped his angular jaw.
“What about you, Gabriel? Don’t you want to touch the stars?”
He smiled his slow, sweet smile.
“You’re the only star in my sky.”
She kissed him fiercely, before taking his hand and walking hurriedly toward their hotel.
Fin.
“An Umbrian Swim”
An Outtake from Gabriel’s Redemption
July 2011
At a house in Umbria…
“Julianne.”
Gabriel’s voice startled her and she sat bolt upright at her desk.
He was standing in front of her, watching her hungrily. He was clad only in a pair of black swimming trunks, a towel slung over his shoulder.
“Oh, I didn’t hear you come in.” She admired his bare chest over her laptop, her fingers poised over the keyboard.
“It’s time for a swim.” His voice was a throaty whisper.
She gave him a guilty look. “I have so much work to do.”
“Ah, yes. I do recall having to work now and then when I was a graduate student.” His lips twitched, as if he were resisting a smile. “And what is Signora working on this evening?”
“I’m brushing up on my French.”
His blue eyes fixed on hers. “Pourquoi?”
“Because it’s one of the languages I need for my research.”
Gabriel nodded and walked toward her. “This is very good news.”
“It is?” She looked up at him, for he was tall.
“Yes. Not only do I speak French, but I’m proficient in their kissing style as well.” He lifted his hand to sweep her dark hair behind her shoulders, running the backs of his fingers down the column of her throat.
“I seem to remember that. I think I needed to ask you for a translation.”
“No translation necessary. I know you speak the language of love.” He brushed their lips together.
Their mouths met, innocently at first. Then the moment Julianne parted her lips, his tongue teased hers, retreating backward until she followed.
“Come on.” He spoke against her mouth.
“I’m working, Gabriel. I can’t.”
“You can’t kiss me like that and go back to work.” He frowned. “Have mercy on me.”
“I don’t mean to tease you.” Julia glanced down at her French dictionary. “But there’s so much to do.”
“Just a few minutes. A midnight swim will clear your head of all the regular and irregular verbs and you’ll parles français in no time.” He kissed the palm of her hand, his eyes darkening slightly.
When she didn’t move, he continued. “Paris wasn’t built in a day.”
Gabriel leaned forward, bending at the waist. His eyes focused on hers. “And I want my Julianne back for a few minutes.”
They exchanged a long look.
Julia nodded.
He kissed her hand once again and led her to the master bedroom. She changed into a purple bikini while he retrieved another beach towel. Then they walked hand in hand to the outdoor pool.
Julia watched as Gabriel eschewed the outdoor lights and instead lit a series of candles, placing them around the perimeter of the pool. Soon the area was dappled in a warm, flickering glow.
“Bathing suits are optional.” Gabriel smirked, placing their towels over a chair.
“I don’t think so.” Julia lowered herself into the warm water.
“Our nearest neighbor is over a mile away. I think your modesty is safe.”
Julia tilted her head to one side, regarding him in the semidarkness. “My modesty is never safe when you’re around.”
Gabriel joined her, swimming to her side in three short strokes. “Oh really? I’d like to hear more about that.”
“You—do things to me.”
“Let’s explore that. What kinds of things?”
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply, delicately exploring her mouth.
Julia wrapped her arms around his neck just as he pulled away.
“You amaze me.” A look of admiration softened his features.
“By my ability to stand in the shallow end and kiss you? I don’t think I’d qualify for the Olympics.”
He chuckled and kissed the end of her nose. “I was referring to the way you are—the way you kiss with abandon, and laugh easily. The way you accept me.” His expression grew grave.
Julia pushed a lock of his hair back from his forehead. “I love you, Gabriel. Of course I accept you.”
“Not everyone would be as forgiving as you. Not after what I did.” He grimaced, lowering his gaze.
She pressed her hand against his stubbled jaw, forcing him to look at her. “Love is hearing the truth and still choosing to love. You chose to love me despite what I did.”
“I can’t imagine my life without you.”
“Good.” She smiled.
She stretched out in his arms, lying on her back on top of the water. She looked up at the stars as they winked at her from an ink-black sky. The moon was a sliver, its light pale and remote. She moved her hands lightly over the surface of the water.
“I love this time of night—when everyone is asleep and the world is quiet.”
His hands moved to her hips, cradling her.
“I like it, too. It reminds me of my birthday.” His thumbs stroked her hips, just under the band of her bikini bottom.
“What about?”
“Our hotel in Rome. The balcony.” He brought his mouth to the side of her neck.
Julia closed her eyes and hummed. “I remember the balcony. There wasn’t a moon that evening.”
“A good thing, too. We were lucky we weren’t arrested.”
Julia’s eyes popped open. “Arrested? You told me no one could see us.”
Gabriel’s eyes glinted and his attractive mouth widened into a self-satisfied smile.
“No one could see us, Julianne, but they could damn well hear us. You’re… loud.”
Julia abruptly moved to stand, the water swirling about her. “Do you think someone heard us?”
“I think the Vatican heard us. And they were miles away.”
“Gabriel!” She reached out to catch his bicep. “That’s embarrassing.”
“Why?” He trailed a finger over her collarbone, back and forth. “You’re a healthy young woman who obviously enjoys sex. I should think the moans would be inspiring. Probably the best sex sounds Rome has heard in a millennium.” He winked, pulling her closer.
She covered her eyes with her hands. “I can’t believe you didn’t say anything.”
“What should I have said?”
“I don’t know—stop?”
“Never.” He moved to whisper in her ear. “It was hot.”
She was quiet for a moment, and he began to regret telling her. Then her shoulders started shaking.
“Julianne? Don’t cry.” Gabriel’s voice sounded slightly panicked.
She removed her hands so that he could see she was laughing.
A wave of relief washed over him.
“We put on a sex show.” She spoke through her laughter, trying to catch her breath.
“Yes.”
“I can’t believe I did that.”
“You seem to have gotten over your embarrassment rather quickly.” He gave her a puzzled look.
“I wouldn’t say that.” She closed her eyes, tipping her face to the sky above them. She shook her head slowly.
“I’m sorry, Julianne. I should have said something. But I was enjoying myself too much. I love hearing you—knowing that I’m the one pleasing you and causing you to cry out.”
“Don’t be sorry.” She brought her lips to his ear and lowered her voice to a whisper. “It was hot.”
He kissed her firmly and she wrapped her arms around his neck. When he pulled away, he spoke against her mouth.
“I know something that would be hotter.”
She pressed herself more firmly against him. “And what would that be?”
“Skinny-dipping. With me.” He began tugging at the tie around her neck.
“Gabriel!” She protested halfheartedly, resting her hands on his shoulders.
“Our nearest neighbor is far away. I’m going to have to do an extraordinary job of pleasing you this evening, Julianne, otherwise no one will hear you but me.” His lips turned up into a half smile. “Now drop the bikini.”
