“Thank you.” Raven hazarded an appreciative look at the commander.
He bent toward her, his expression unchanged. “Curia whore. If I had my choice, you and your sister would already be dead.”
Raven took a step back, surprised by his sudden show of anger.
She quickly collected herself. “We want the same thing, commander. We both want to get to Rome as soon as possible.”
“You know nothing of what I want.” He jerked his chin in Cara’s direction. “Attend to the girl and get ready to move.”
Raven returned to Cara’s side just as Stefan concluded his examination.
He stood and brushed off his hands in distaste. “She’s unconscious, but that’s likely a side effect of the blood. Aoibhe is a powerful vampyre.”
“Will she wake up?”
“Yes.” Stefan didn’t bother looking in Raven’s direction. “Don’t ask me when. I don’t know how much blood she ingested or what her injuries were. Some humans have this reaction to vampyre blood—their systems shut down, and they sleep for hours. She could awaken at any time.”
“Thank you.”
Stefan’s upper lip curled.
“You’d better hope the Curia actually wants you.” He dropped his voice. “I wonder what would happen to you and your sister if they change their mind.”
Raven’s hands curled into fists.
Her curse was drowned out by the clanging of steel as the soldiers drew their swords, faces set against the perimeter. A few vampyres positioned themselves around the tree under which Cara lay.
“What’s happening?” Raven’s gaze moved from soldier to soldier, finding their faces uniformly tense.
Something rustled amongst the trees and pounded against the earth. Then, all of a sudden, an animal leapt into the clearing, knocking one of the soldiers to the ground.
The animal roared.
“Ferals!” a soldier cried, lifting his sword. “To arms!”
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.
“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.