Chapter Forty-Four
RAVEN SCREAMED and nearly dropped the flashlight.
The thing that had crawled over her foot retreated, its own feet making a scratching noise against the hard dirt floor.
She shone the light ahead in the tunnel and saw a large rat trotting away. It turned and stared back at her.
She shivered.
The tunnel was damp, and the scent of earth and decay filled her nostrils.
She kept her flashlight pointed toward the ground in front of her as she leaned on her cane, her eyes darting warily to and fro.
When she’d gone a thousand feet, she pulled out the cell phone. It was different from her own, but simply arranged. There were only a few applications visible on the screen.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t get a signal.
It took patience and a few minutes to check out the different applications, but eventually she discovered a compass. She found north, which meant she could walk in the direction of the city center. She doubted the tunnels were dug in straight lines. That, coupled with her disability, made the journey from the Piazzale Michelangelo to the city center seem interminable.
Raven put the phone away, since it was impossible to hold it, the flashlight, and her cane all at once.
She continued walking through the tunnel, pausing from time to time in an effort to hear whether someone was coming. All she could hear was the occasional scurry of rats or the distant sound of dripping water.
A few times she passed other tunnels that branched off. On each occasion she stopped to check her compass, continuing to travel north.
She’d been on foot for almost an hour when she felt the hairs lift on the back of her neck. A sudden gust of wind swirled past her.
Something yanked the flashlight out of her hand and switched it off. She heard it thud to the ground.
A low laugh sounded nearby.
She was bathed in absolute darkness, completely disoriented. Something cool grabbed her wrist, toying with the bracelet William had given her.
“Here is the Prince’s pet. Where is your master?”
She pulled her arm away, shrinking from the direction of the voice. “He’s right behind me.”
The voice sounded amused. “I doubt that. It seems the Prince has left his precious pet all alone. How careless of him.”
“Who are you?”
The voice laughed again.
Raven’s heart began to pound. She held her hand out, attempting to locate the wall so she could inch along it. “Show yourself.”
The voice moved closer. “Reveal the spider to the fly? This is far more entertaining.”
“If you’re weak.” Raven’s hand found the wall and she began moving, tightening her grip on her cane.
“Weak?”
“If you’re a vampyre, you can see in the dark. I thought such a powerful species wouldn’t need an advantage.”
The voice growled.
Raven lifted her cane, wielding it as a weapon.
Out of the darkness, the flashlight switched on, shining in Raven’s direction.
“I know what I look like,” she complained, squinting against the bright light. “Who are you?”
The light swung away, and Raven saw the figure of a male vampyre with thick, dark hair and glittering, dark eyes.#p#分页标题#e#
He smiled, arms stretched wide. “I am the resurrection of the dead.”
Chapter Forty-Five
AT THE SIGHT OF HIS LIEUTENANT, the Roman tossed the man he’d been feeding from aside, unhurriedly arranging his imperial robes to cover his lower body.
The naked man fell to the floor and was quickly removed from the throne room by a pair of Praetorian guards.
The Roman wiped blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. “Am I never to have pleasure without interruption?”
He turned his back on his lieutenant and ascended the steps to the throne. He arranged his robes leisurely, licking his lips.
“I beg pardon, your excellency, but you gave permission for me to enter.” Cato walked briskly toward the throne.
“Cave,” the Roman growled.
Cato prostrated himself before his ruler.
“Why are you here?” The Roman’s voice resumed its normal tone.
“There are disturbing reports from Florence.” Cato’s voice was muffled, as he spoke against the mosaic tile floor.
“Get up.”
Cato struggled to stand, his toga catching beneath one of his feet. “A policeman was found dead, naked, and drained of his blood in a piazza in the city center.”
“And?”
Cato frowned. “Panic has ensued, your excellency. Photographs of the body have been sent around the world. There are discussions about the existence of vampyres in Florence and the suggestion that the policeman was murdered by one.”
The Roman’s gaze fell on one of the frescoes. He studied it intently, but offered no comment.