Out of the corner of her eye, Raven saw something move. Before she could scream, a great hulking beast emerged from the tree behind her sister.
Chapter Three
August 2013
Cambridge, Massachusetts
“HOW DID HE KNOW?” Julia whispered to a lightless room, her hand low on her abdomen. She lay in bed with her husband, long past the hour at which they’d retired.
Still sleeping, Gabriel grunted and rolled toward her.
She examined him in the shadows—the curl that clung to his forehead, his beautiful features and stubbled face, his naked chest and shoulders.
“How did he know?” she repeated, pressing her hand to his face.
Gabriel drew a deep breath and leaned into her touch. A moment later, his eyes opened.
He blinked. “Huh?”
“The man from the Uffizi. The one who came to you in Umbria and told you I was sick. How did he know?”
Now Gabriel was awake.
A muscle jumped in his jaw. “I don’t know.”
“Dr. Rubio says it was a good thing we demanded an ultrasound. One of the fibroids has grown so large.” Julia shuddered.
Gabriel lifted her hand from his face and kissed it, lacing their fingers together. “You’re going to be fine.”
“Dr. Rubio wants more tests, but the fibroids explain so many things—the pain, the low iron, the bleeding.”
Gabriel winced. “I should have paid closer attention.”
Julia pressed their conjoined hands to her heart. “I thought the symptoms would go away.”
“You need to take better care of yourself.” His dark brows knitted together. “You have a husband and a daughter who love you. Who need you.”
He brushed his lips over hers.
She sighed appreciatively. “I promise I’ll do better. But I don’t understand how a stranger could know something so personal.”
Gabriel pulled back. His blue eyes studied hers. “I don’t know who or what he is. I’m glad you and Clare are far away from him.”
“I’m grateful he warned us. My symptoms were worsening. I can only imagine what would have happened if things had continued.” Julia shuddered once again.
Gabriel’s hand slid to her abdomen. “It’s all right now. Let’s not worry about what might have happened.”
He leaned over and kissed her, his tongue tasting the curve of her lip.
Julia responded, looping her arms around his neck and drawing his body atop hers.
The baby monitor on the nightstand crackled, and a low cry was heard.
Gabriel froze, as if he were an animal trying to avoid a predator.
“I’ll go.” Julia shifted from beneath him.
Gabriel grabbed her wrist. “Wait. Let’s see if she goes back to sleep.”
Julia laughed. “You always say that, but she never does.”
He huffed grumpily, running his fingers through his thick, dark hair.#p#分页标题#e#
“I’ll go.” He kissed her forehead. “Mummy needs her sleep.”
Julia smiled and sank under the covers, watching as her husband pulled on a pair of boxer shorts and padded toward the nursery.
She toyed with the cross she wore around her neck, wondering why the man who had threatened her husband had gifted them with important information about her health.
She had no answer to this question.
Chapter Four
RAVEN MOVED INSTINCTIVELY, covering her sister with her body. Animalistic snarls and hoarse vampyre cries filled her ears, along with the thundering of footsteps from all directions.
She heard a growl by her elbow and an Italian oath, accompanied by the whistle of something metallic slicing through air. A heavy object thudded to the ground some distance away.
A hairy paw grabbed the ankle of her injured leg and pulled, almost yanking her hip out of its socket. She released her sister and kicked, twisting violently.
“Let go!” she cried. “Help. Help!”
The grip on her foot tightened, and she felt the bones in her ankle groan in protest. She rolled to her stomach and clawed at the ground, trying to catch hold of something. The stench of blood and unwashed flesh filled her nostrils.
She retched.
Something flipped her to her back. She looked up into dark, insect-like eyes.
Raven screamed, lifting her uninjured foot and kicking. The feral howled as she made contact with its face.
It grabbed both of her ankles and squeezed.
She yelped in pain and began to flail, fearful the creature would crush her ankles.
Then, all of a sudden, the feral released her.
Raven scrambled toward her sister. She huddled over her, examining her for injuries.
Borek stood a few feet away, his broadsword dripping black blood onto the body of a headless feral.
Their eyes met.
“Stay here.” He kicked the corpse aside and strode into the fray.