A Fall of Water (41 page)

And coming through the crowd, blue fire swirling over his body, Giovanni walked. He looked for her, and Beatrice reached out a hand to her mate. Their fingers twined with a hiss as water and fire met, then both of them turned to Livia.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Castello Furio, Rome

November 2012

As his fingers tangled with hers, Giovanni thought that there was no other time in five hundred years of life when he’d had so much to say and so little ability to say it. He linked his fingers with hers as their friends flanked him. Their amnis tangled together, twisting in relief that mirrored the sense of relief he’d felt as soon as he entered the hall and sensed her.

The room was frozen in shock for a few precious moments until Livia screamed out, “Arrest him!”

Giovanni glanced up at Tenzin. She nodded. He let go of Beatrice’s hand and shoved her behind him. Then he snapped both fingers, immediately bringing the fire to his hands. He threw out two streams of flame that Tenzin whipped into a circle, surrounding them, holding off Livia’s guards and causing the vampires in the hall to skitter back in fear. He could hear the few humans left in the hall weeping as Livia bared her fangs and hissed.

She raised her arms, calling the water in the room. It rose up, a glistening shower over their heads, the tiny droplets poised to spear down on them, but then Giovanni felt Beatrice’s amnis rise behind him and the water halted, suspended like a quivering chandelier, frozen as it scattered the light of his flames.

Matilda took to the air to face Tenzin. Bomeni crouched down in front of Livia. Giovanni recognized the Russian standing behind her, surprised to see Oleg in Livia’s company. He met his fellow fire vampire’s gaze and saw the other man’s eyes narrow to a calculating stare. Giovanni’s collar began to smoke as he caught the smell of the other immortal’s fire.

He looked back at Livia as the hall reached a standstill. The once beautiful woman had never appeared more animalistic. Her fangs had pierced her lips and blood dripped from her mouth and down her chin, staining her intricate gown. He stepped forward, the fire moving with him as Tenzin tracked his pace.

Livia pulled back her rage and spoke to him in a low voice. “Why are you here?”

To kill you.
Giovanni whispered to Beatrice. “Conti?”

“He’s ready,” she whispered. She held the water almost effortlessly above them.

Giovanni looked at Emil Conti, who stood at the edge of the crowd, eyeing Giovanni with suspicion. No doubt, the vampire was wondering if the fire vampire was there to take his place.

“Signore Conti,” he asked in a respectful voice. “I would like to address the immortals of Rome.”

Emil straightened his shoulders and nodded with a smile. “Please, Dottore Vecchio, the Roman court will listen.”

Giovanni looked back at Livia, who was curling her lips in anger. “Step aside, Livia.”

She bared her fangs. Giovanni could see black-clad guards pouring into the room from the two doors behind her. “Never,” she said. “This city is mine.”

“Admit that this ‘elixir of life’ is a poison.”

“You are as ridiculous and delusional as the Thracian. I seek only the good of my people; you seek to deceive. No one will believe your lies, murderer.” She raised her voice. “
Murderer
!”

Giovanni turned back to Emil. “Signore Conti, if you would send the humans out of the room?”

Emil nodded. “Immortals of Rome, this is a conflict among our own kind. Send your humans away. They are not welcome here.”

Giovanni could see eyes darting around the room. Many of the older vampires looked to Livia for confirmation, but she ignored them. Then the few humans left in the room were herded toward the doors near the back.

“Oleg!” Giovanni addressed the Russian. “I have had no quarrel with you.”

The Russian responded with caution. “Nor I with you, di Spada.”

“This water vampire has deceived you.”

Giovanni saw Oleg eyeing Livia with suspicion. The Russian had been sired from earth. He usually minded his own business and had never been the trusting kind. He had also been an associate of Lucien Thrax, who Tenzin had flown out of the hall earlier. The vampire was obviously reconsidering his alliance with the Roman aristocrat after seeing his ailing friend. Oleg looked up at Tenzin, then at Carwyn, and then over Giovanni’s shoulder where Beatrice stood holding back Livia’s water. Oleg looked to Emil Conti and nodded. “I seek no quarrel with Rome or those who dwell here.”

Oleg stepped away from Livia, and Emil called out, “Depart in peace, and consider yourself a friend of Rome.”

“Traitor!” Livia screamed. “I will have your head for this, Russian.”

Oleg only looked amused as he and his retinue headed toward the doors. “We shall see, Livia.” The doors opened one last time as the fire vampire headed out the doors, then they slammed shut and a low murmur began to fill the room. Livia’s guards surrounded them. Bomeni and Matilda guarded their leader. Swirling amnis charged the air, and Giovanni lowered the flames that surrounded him as he looked over the nearby vampires.

There were immortals from all over the Old World. Romans, but also those from the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe and Asia. Familiar, friendly faces and unfamiliar, suspicious expressions combined. Some of them had obviously cast their lot with Livia, and he could almost feel their anger floating in the air around him.

“Immortal brothers and sisters,” he said. “I am not your enemy! I come here as one of you. Not to lead. Not to conquer. I come seeking the truth. I am the only son of the great scholar, Niccolo Andros, and I am here to warn you of a great danger.” He reached over and grasped Beatrice’s hand and her amnis met his again. “One that could affect all of us and all those under our aegis.”

Emil Conti spoke. “Dottore Vecchio, your skills as a scholar are as renowned as your skills as a fighter. Please, tell us what you know of the elixir of life.”

Giovanni nodded. “I learned of this elixir years ago. I know that Livia has told you it is a cure for the bloodlust that stalks us. That it is an answer to humanity’s ills, as well. It is not.”

His eyes swung back to Livia. “Step down now, Livia.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she scoffed.

Beatrice squeezed his hand as he continued to address the crowd. “The vampire who leads Rome tells you that with this elixir, you will no longer be a slave to your hunger. She tells you that any humans you may care for will live forever, without pain or illness. We have all suffered from bloodlust. We have all lost human companions or friends that were useful or even loved. But I tell you now, this is no cure.”

Livia began to laugh as more guards entered the room. They lined the walls, and he could see the vampires around him start to tense. Some with anticipation. Some with fear. The guards blocked the door. All of them were armed with swords, though none of the crowd appeared to carry any weapons.

“Last chance, Livia.” Giovanni still wouldn’t let her live, but he might kill her in a more private location if she complied. The problem was, she knew it, too.

Livia said, “You are a murderer, a liar, and a thief. No one believes you, Giovanni di Spada.”

“You are right,” he said. “I
am
a murderer.” He heard the gasp that swept the room, but he continued. “I will hold back no truth! I admit that I killed my sire, Niccolo Andros, with the help of my son, Lorenzo, who stands behind you.”

“You forced him to help you with amnis, Giovanni! He was only a human.”

Giovanni laughed. “I did no such thing. Lorenzo knew of my father’s cruelty. As did you. Andros’s own sire had cut him off. It was only the rest of the world my father fooled.”

“Andros was not cruel.” She addressed the crowd. “He was a great immortal and my beloved mate. Let me kill this rebellious child who has admitted to taking him from us.”

“Niccolo Andros had no more use for you than he did for his money purse, Livia. You were a tool. Nothing more. We both know it.”

She screamed. “Liar!”

He narrowed his eyes and a smile curled the corner of his lip. “Perhaps you were deceived by him. Perhaps he fooled you, as well. Did Andros keep his secrets from you, as he did from us all?”

“Foolish child, Andros was my mate. We had no secrets from each other.”

She had stepped into the trap with such ease that Giovanni had to force himself not to grin. His face was a picture of sympathetic understanding. “There is no shame in being the victim of deception, Livia.”

“I knew him better than you ever did.”

Perhaps not even Livia knew the truth. She had created her own history, and Giovanni would not fight it. In the end, it did not matter; she would burn with the rest of his enemies. “Then, my dear, you will not be surprised by our guests! Emil?” He turned back to the old Roman, who was watching the exchange with a guarded expression. “I would like to invite to the court three of our most ancient brethren.” Giovanni angled his shoulders toward the door a second before they flew open. A few of the younger vampires rushed toward the open doors, only to be thrown back by a strong wind as Ziri flew into the hall.

The ancient wind vampire carried Giovanni’s grand-sire, who looked around the room with a slow blink. Giovanni had fed Kato his blood before they left Arosh’s mountain fortress, and the effects were immediately evident. The old water vampire was less aggressive and seemed to already have more awareness of his surroundings. Though he still did not speak, he seemed to exhibit a growing recognition of Giovanni and Arosh. He had even allowed Carwyn to remain in his presence.

The fire vampire strode into the room with a lazy gait and looked around in amusement. He ignored the whispers that began as he entered, and the crowd parted for him. He calmly walked through the circle of fire and came to stand beside Giovanni as Ziri landed behind him and set Kato on his feet.

Arosh looked around the room; then he nodded at Emil Conti and narrowed his eyes at Livia. His deep voice filled the silent hall when he finally spoke. “So, this is Andreas’s woman who calls herself the leader of Rome?” He curled his lip. “We shall see.”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Castello Furio, Rome

November 2012

At the mention of Andros’s name, the massive vampire next to Beatrice bared her fangs and hissed. She looked up with wide eyes. This had to be Kato. He looked like the statue of Neptune that ruled over the Trevi fountain in the center of Rome. His hair flowed over his shoulders. His beard was long and curling, and he wore only a loose pair of pants. She clutched Giovanni’s hand, but he calmly pressed her fingers between his own.

Despite everything, the blood in her veins sang.
He is back.
He was near! Her mate was next to her again, and her heart sped in delight and anticipation even as she looked at the frighteningly powerful immortal that towered over her.

The water in the air clung to Kato’s skin. She could even feel it wick away from her as she stood next to him. The delicate skin of her lips cracked, causing blood to spring up. She shivered, and a small breath escaped her, but as soon as Kato heard her small gasp, he turned his eyes to Beatrice, and they softened. His fangs disappeared, and he lifted a large hand to touch her cheek. Her skin immediately plumped with moisture again.

“Gio?” she whispered.

“It’s fine, Tesoro. He won’t hurt you. He smells his blood in you. Remember, you are of his line.”

“Isn’t Livia, too?”

At the mention of Livia’s name, Kato’s eyes swung back toward the front of the room and he bared his fangs again. Ziri placed a hand on the giant’s shoulder, and Kato calmed. Beatrice clutched Giovanni’s hand in hers, determined not to be separated from him. She heard the long-haired vampire with the crackling energy address the crowd.

“I am Arosh. The vampires of Rome know who I am. I need no permission to speak to this hall.”

Livia, as if sensing the situation slipping out of her control cried out, “This is
my
hall! And I do not—”

She was cut off as a sharp spear of fire shot out of Arosh’s fingers. Livia pulled a guard in front of her, who immediately turned to ash.

“Shut up, woman. I am speaking.”

Beatrice might have imagined the slight shake in Emil’s voice, but she didn’t think so. Still, Emil stepped forward with an outstretched arm that didn’t tremble once. Beatrice was impressed.

He said, “Though you need no permission, my lord, I would welcome you to my city. We had heard of your demise, but I am very pleased to hear that the rumors were false.”

Arosh waved a careless hand. “My thanks, Roman. I have come to your city in return for a favor granted by Giovanni Vecchio, the son of Andreas, sired of Kato.”

The low chatter began as Kato’s name moved around the room. This was the ancient king of the Mediterranean, she realized. As soon as he had stepped into the room, many of the vampires had probably recognized him. All of them had thought their legendary king was dead. And though he definitely wasn’t dead, there
was
something wrong with him. As powerful as he was, his amnis, when he had touched her, had felt very wrong.

Arosh continued, “I come here with my friend, Kato, your ancient king, and our friend Ziri, who is often among you, to tell you what I know of this elixir that the alchemist made for us.”

Beatrice held on to Giovanni’s hand and felt his warm energy run up her arm. He stepped back and put his arm around her shoulders as she breathed in the rich scent of his skin. Then, she caught the bobbing blond head of Lorenzo from behind Livia’s guards. He was watching them with narrowed eyes. She tensed for a moment, but then heard the soft, steady thump of Giovanni’s normally silent heart. He was poised, but calm, so she tried to relax.

Arosh continued his speech. “I will not stay long. This is not my fight, but I do know this elixir and it is no cure. It is quite harmful and has made my friend, this ancient immortal before you, sick. Though it nurtures the body, it destroys the very energy that animates us. Do not believe this deceiver who claims to lead you.”