The Immortal Greek (21 page)

“I’m starving.” She looked at the restaurants they were passing by.

He gave the clock on the dashboard a glance. “Well, it is dinner time and you haven’t eaten since breakfast.”

“I wasn’t hungry.” She tapped her nails on the glass.

Alexander remembered they were close to a bistro he liked. “Have you ever been to the Well & the Moon?”

Ravenna shook her head.

“I know the chef, Marco, and he’ll prepare for you a dinner fit for a queen in no time.” He waited for her approval, but she kept silent. “Are you okay?”

She finally turned and gave him a smile. “I’m fine.”

Alexander called Marco and ordered. He knew their menu by heart. “Barolo Monfortino to accompany the
pappardelle
?” The homemade pasta with a boar sauce was one of the delicacies the bistro offered. It only seemed fair to pair the dish with an excellent vintage.

Ravenna shook her head. “No wine for me. I want to be at my sharpest later tonight.”

“There’s my enforcer.” He leaned sideways to kiss the tip of her nose.

Dinner was ready by the time they sat at the private corner reserved for them. The selection of dishes he had chosen was excellent, but what made the meal special was Ravenna sitting at his side, her black eyes looking at him, devouring him with the same desire that was consuming him. The moment the door of her house was closed behind him, he pounced on her, undressing her in record time.

Later, under the shower, he professed his undying love for her in all the languages he knew. It took a while. Then he made love to her again. Eventually, they made it to her bed.

Ravenna rolled toward the nightstand, trying to escape his hold. “I barely have time to change.”

“I think you’re perfect the way you are.” He passed his knuckles over the side of her breast.

“Stop this or we’ll be late—” She whipped around, head canted, eyebrow raised. “That was your plan all along.”

He grinned and opened his hands in surrender. “It was working though, wasn’t it?”

She jumped out of the bed and reached the armoire in two steps. “I can’t believe I was falling for it.” She laughed. She retrieved a black dress and donned it before him.

It was his turn to raise an eyebrow. “Aren’t you going to wear any underwear?”

As an answer, she turned slowly on her feet to show him the back of her dress or the absolute lack of it.

He almost sputtered, then composed himself. “I don’t understand how you can manage so easily to bring out the absolute worst in me.”

She gave him a puzzled look, but her lips were turned up.

“I’ve never had homicidal urges before meeting you. Now, I feel the need to kill any man looking at you the wrong way. Or just looking at you.” Perched on the edge of the bed, he reached out his hand for her to come closer.

She took it and sat on his lap. “Aren’t you a tad too naked to go to a gala?”

His hands were already reaching inside her ridiculous gown, but she stopped him. “We need to drive to your house, so you can change.”

From her tone, Alexander knew he had lost the battle.

The Immortal Council Gala was hosted inside Castel Sant’ Angelo. For the occasion, the outer walls of the fort had been covered with LED displays that changed images every few minutes. It had been sold to the humans as a contemporary light-art exhibit.

Ravenna was nervous. Despite the air of bravado she had worn as a mask since the morning, she was shaking inside. Never in her life had she had so much to lose.

“Are you sure you want to go inside? We can always drive back home.” He gently pressed at the small of her back, now covered by a long silk shawl he had found in his dresser of all places. He had said the dark gray of the shawl matched his tie. She hadn’t had the heart to fight him on that and wore what she had nicknamed her new burka. Also, he had looked too handsome in his anthracite-black three pieces suit and left her speechless for a good ten minutes.

“I love you.” She leaned on his shoulder and looked ahead at the majestic entry, decorated with floral compositions. “Let’s do this.”

Despite Alexander’s attempts at diverting her, they had arrived perfectly on time. The majority of the paranormals were yet to arrive. Vampires were always fashionably late, and the weres—due to their pack mentality—normally arrived all at once. Elves, fairies, angels, demons, and the other species were unpredictable as a rule. The big dance hall was half full when they exited the elevator that opened directly into it. They waited to be announced by one of the official representatives, usually a venerable immortal chosen among the oldest of their race.

Ravenna couldn’t help but notice the way heads turned to look at them when the imposing immortal announced their names to the crowd. Rumors spread fast among humans and even faster among paranormals. And everyone read gossip magazines, no matter the species.

“Don’t mind them.” Alexander slid his arm under the burka and circled her waist, pressing his fingers on her naked skin.

“Is it possible to find a single person in this room who hasn’t seen Malina and I supposedly kissing outside of your house?” She sighed.

“That was my favorite pic.”

She playfully swatted his chest. “I bet it was. Not going to happen though.”

He had the decency not to say anything. Instead, he steered her toward Samuel.

“How do you feel?” The angel looked at her with worried eyes.

“Fine.” She noticed he kept tapping his feet. “What is it?”

Samuel caressed his chin.
“Alberto Giudici hasn’t arrived yet.”

“He’ll be here.” She gave the room a thorough look. The place was filling in, and the atmosphere was vibrant.

The Gala was a much-anticipated occasion throughout the rest of the year. Paranormals flew from the most remote locations to be there. Friendships and alliances were renewed and forged. Singles came to find their love matches. Several notorious scandals had happened at previous galas.

“The Vampire Nation is showing up in throngs.” Samuel’s eyes darted to her right to the hall’s entry, where a conspicuous contingent of vampires was walking in.

Alexander had taken her hand and was massaging the inside of her wrist. “So far, everything is going according to plan.”

A waiter passed to their right holding a tray with beverages. He offered them a selection of champagne and Prosecco. The three refused.

When the waiter left, Alexander frowned. “Is it safe for people to consume what’s being served?”

Samuel nodded, as he kept taking glances at anything and anyone that moved in their vicinity. “It was a nightmare to find two different companies who could provide on such short notice. All the food and the drinks have been prepared here under the direct surveillance of cameras and people who have never left the kitchens. And the company that was originally hired doesn’t know we aren’t serving their food and beverages.”

An immortal wearing a small, auricular device in his left ear approached Samuel and whispered something to him, then left. “Excuse me, but I must check on a brawl down in the garage. It’s probably nothing. But we have already taken care of two attempts against two immortal women. The vampires working with Giudici don’t know that no one has drunk the Immortal Death and they’re still following his orders. Hopefully, by the end of this gala, all the conspirators will be held responsible for their actions.” The angel bowed to Ravenna and nodded at Alexander before walking away in the same direction the immortal had gone.

Alexander, who had been searching the crowd with the same intensity Samuel had, waved at a couple as they entered. “I’d like to introduce you to some of my friends.”

Hand in hand, they met the couple halfway across the room. Alexander released her to bow to the small vampire who had the beauty and elegance of her race.

She smiled at him when he took her hand and kissed it. “Alexander. As charming as ever.”

He then took both of her hands and raised them. “And you, Diana, are radiant as usual.”

Ravenna amusedly watched as the big, moody immortal accompanying the vampire snorted out loud, then talked directly to her, skipping all the pleasantries Alexander was taking his time to make.

“I’m Marcus and you must be Ravenna. This is my wife, Diana. We’re both very sorry for you, but you look like a smart woman and should soon recognize you can do so much better.” He took her hand in both of his and gently squeezed. “You’re welcome.”

Marcus’s speech prompted three different reactions. Diana shook her head and looked heavenward. Alexander swatted his friend’s shoulder. Ravenna burst into a sonorous laugh, then realizing every guest in their proximity had stopped talking, she brought her free hand to her mouth, but kept snickering. By the time she finally managed to calm herself, she had tears in her eyes.

“A pleasure to meet you, Diana. Marcus.” She wiped her eyes with a silk handkerchief Alexander promptly provided.

“The pleasure is ours.” Diana hugged her and kissed her twice on the cheeks. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

“Have you?” Ravenna’s first thought was about the damned magazine’s articles, then she realized there wasn’t a hint of malice in the vampire’s words.

Diana motioned for her to lean closer. “Alexander cried on Marcus’s shoulder a day or two ago.”

“Did he now?” She gave Alexander a look and he blew a kiss at her.

Diana caught the interaction and smiled at them, then turned toward her husband. “Can I tell them?”

Marcus’s face lit with joy. “Sure.” He walked behind his wife and dropped a kiss on her head.

Diana let her husband envelope her in his embrace, tilted her chin up to smile at him, then looked back at Ravenna and Alexander. “We’ll be parents in a few days.”

“Congratulations!” Both Ravenna and Alexander hugged the couple.

“We are so happy. And it’s all thanks to you, Alexander. I don’t know how we can repay you for everything you’ve done for us.” Diana’s green eyes filled with dark red tears. “I’m sorry, but I’m so emotional these days.”

“I’m so happy for you, my friends. You both deserve all the happiness in the world.” Alexander hugged Marcus, who was visibly moved, but was trying not to show it.

****

“Whenever you say the word, I’m ready to take Ravenna away from here,” Marcus whispered to him as Diana engaged Ravenna in conversation.

Alexander patted his friend’s shoulder. “Thank you.”

As soon as he and Ravenna had reached his house, he had called Marcus from his bathroom and explained what was about to happen. He then called Samuel to inform him he had to add two names to the list. When the angel heard to whom those names belonged, he had paused long enough for Alexander to think the call had dropped. The conversation had then continued on a different tone.

“I can’t let a renegade in. You know the rules.”

“I need Marcus by my side.”

“But—”

“Please.”

Silence for several interminable seconds.

“I suppose since he’s married to a vampire…”

“Thank you. I owe you one.”

He had hung up before Samuel could change his mind.

He showed Marcus the men patrolling the room. “The Council has already taken all the necessary steps to ensure nothing happens. The order is to keep the whole thing as quiet as possible. They don’t want the rest of the paranormal society to know one of us is behind this mess. And they want to deal with the Vampire Nation with the same caution.”

Marcus scoffed. “Yeah, I know. Dirty laundry shouldn’t be aired outside of the house.”

They stopped talking because Ravenna and Diana were looking at them with interest. Alexander moved back to Ravenna’s side and took her hand. “I can’t wait to go back to my house and—”

She tilted her head, her lips curved in one of those half-smiles that so intrigued him. “
My
house.”

“My house. Your house. I don’t care. We can buy a new one.” He noticed how her shawl had slipped down her back, revealing more than he was comfortable with. He didn’t have time to readjust it over her shoulders. His immediate attention was diverted by sudden movements somewhere to his right. A waiter was pushed aside by someone in a hurry to leave the premises, and the tray he was carrying fell on the marble floor with a loud clash of crystal glasses.

At the same time, Samuel entered the hall followed by several immortals who hastily spread out among the guests. Samuel’s men acted stealthily. The room had almost filled to capacity in the last ten minutes, and they meshed with the crowd. Alexander was able to see them only because he knew what to look for. Samuel shot him a warning look as he passed, but despite his bulk, he was swallowed by the paranormal throng in a moment. As he turned, a second vampire had tried to run, and he was immediately surrounded by immortals. A moment later, they were gone, vampire included.

The situation seemed under control. The immortal guests weren’t in any real danger from the vampires. Yet, he had a gut feeling he couldn’t ignore and made the signal to Marcus. Once Ravenna was safe and far away from there, he would be free to look for Giudici and hand him to Samuel. Only then, he could finally breathe.

“Time to leave the party.” Marcus extended one arm toward Ravenna who looked at him with a frown.

“I’m not going anywhere.” She pivoted on her high heels to give Alexander a stern look. “Really?” Her shawl fell to the floor.

“Please, don’t be so stubborn.” Alexander noticed several eyes widening at the sight of her naked back and automatically reached for her shawl to raise it. He lost his focus on the rest of the room for only a moment.

When Alexander looked up, a vampire he hadn’t seen approaching was beside Ravenna. To anyone looking at the scene, the vampire was just talking to them, the syringe he held against Ravenna’s side barely visible from a few feet away.

“Follow me.” The man smiled and nodded to his left, toward the other end of the hall. “Only you.” With his free hand he made a sign for Alexander to come along, while he halted Marcus.

His head slightly tilted toward Marcus, Alexander mouthed, “Samuel,” then fell in step with the vampire who was leading Ravenna away from the floor. He knew better than to ask questions that would have only irritated the man, and forced himself to calm his nerves.

Alexander could have sworn the crowd had swollen since he had last checked a mere moment ago. They passed through the sea of people, and besides several heads whipping around at Ravenna’s passage, nobody seemed to notice the look of terror that must have been evident on Alexander’s face. The vampire had wanted him to his right, obstructing his view of Ravenna who walked on the man’s left. He tried to take a small step forward, enough to take a look at her. The vampire reminded him it was in her best interest to behave by showing him the spot where the syringe had poked Ravenna’s bare flesh on her side, just under the swell of her breast. Alexander saw red and his heartbeat, already through the roof, increased. Besides the drumming of his blood, he couldn’t hear anything else.

They finally reached the end of the hall, and the vampire guided them to one of the doors opening outside to the large terrace overlooking the Tiber. Several couples looking for fresh air and privacy were milling about, but not one noticed them.

“This way.” The vampire, who had slowed his pace to look around, took a sharp right, as if he had just located what or whom he was looking for.

Alexander saw the metal gazebo decked with fresh garlands and the flickering lights of a wrought iron chandelier holding dozens of candles. The gazebo was partially screened by flimsy drapery that billowed out, revealing someone waiting for them inside. Even at a distance, Alexander recognized the leonine white mane framing Alberto Giudici’s head.

The man stood when saw them approaching, then, when they were at the gazebo’s entry, gave the vampire a nod.

Alexander turned on his heels to hit the vampire as Ravenna was pushed forward inside the gazebo, where Giudici grabbed hold of her.

When the immortal grabbed her elbow and moved her sideways, Alexander saw the red drop of blood marring her skin where a moment earlier the needle of the syringe had been. He launched himself at Giudici, but the man was fast in drawing a gun and pointing it at Ravenna’s temple.

Giudici canted his head toward her, but kept his eyes on Alexander. “Stay where you are.”

Ravenna stared at Alexander, shaking her head slowly. He froze on the spot and raised his hands.

Giudici turned slightly toward the vampire. “We need some privacy.”

The vampire hesitated.

Giudici let out an exasperated sigh and waved the man away. “Consider your debt fully paid.”

“A pleasure dealing with you, immortal.” The vampire bowed and left.

Giudici’s attention shifted to Alexander once again. “Come inside and close the curtains behind you.”

Without looking away from Ravenna, Alexander hooked the curtains to the metal posts and waited for instructions.

Giudici sat on the bench and lowered Ravenna with him, then gestured for Alexander to follow. “Such a beautiful night for a farewell party.” He looked up at the transparent canopy over their heads.