Raven heard noises from above—loud footfalls and raised voices.
She quickened her pace, walking with as much speed as she could muster toward the door at the far end of the corridor.
She heard more footfalls above. Something began to thud loudly and repeatedly.
As she approached the door at the end of the corridor, she saw a numbered keypad.
She put her cane aside, fumbling for the piece of paper Lucia had thrust at her. She shone the flashlight on it so she could see the numbers.
Someone shouted above her, and she heard the clatter of things being thrown to the library floor.
With shaking fingers, she punched in the code. The keypad beeped at her and…
Nothing.
She tried the door and was surprised to find it opened easily.
Blocking out the sounds from the library upstairs, she grabbed her cane and passed through the door. She closed it quickly and leaned against it, taking a deep breath.
Something slithered across her foot. Without thinking of the consequences, she screamed.
Chapter Forty-Two
“WE COULD BLOW THE DOOR.” The commander of the Curia’s special forces unit banged his fist against the secret door he’d uncovered. “But the local police are probably on their way. We don’t have much time.”
Father Kavanaugh stood next to him in the Prince’s library, holding Raven’s cell phone. “She left her phone. I have no way of tracking her now.”
“We came prepared to storm Palazzo Riccardi.” Commander Sullivan’s tone was testy, his New York accent more pronounced. “You didn’t provide schematics for this building.”
“Our sources told us there was a secondary residence, but no one believed it could be this one. There are relics here.”
The commander shrugged. “You’re the Padre.”
“Nothing at the seminary prepared me for this,” Father muttered.
“We agreed to a simple extraction, Padre, off book. I can give you until an hour before sunset and then me and my guys are packing up and getting out, with or without the girl.”
Father stared at the soldier incredulously. “We can’t leave her.”
“I’m not getting hemmed in here after dark with only nine guys.”
Father tugged at his beard. “What do you suggest?”
“We traced the SIM card in her cell phone. She was in this room until we came over the wall. Behind the door there could be a safe room or access to a tunnel. We can enter the tunnel system outside and do a sweep. But we aren’t armed for a large-scale engagement.”
“Do you have time to locate the relics?”
“Negative. We need to vacate before hostiles get the drop on us.”
The priest glanced around the room. It was in chaos. Papers and books had been flung on the floor as the soldiers searched for a hidden exit. They’d succeeded in antagonizing the Prince without securing Raven.
He’d failed his mission and was probably about to be ousted from the Curia, if not defrocked.
But he wasn’t going to give up.
“Let’s find the tunnels,” he told the commander, who ordered his team to retreat.
Father took one last look around before pocketing Raven’s cell phone.
Chapter Forty-Three
AOIBHE TOUCHED HER SHORN LOCKS, comparing them with the longer strands of her hair. She’d been stripped of her position in the Consilium and barred from her usual seat of honor near the throne. She’d been forced to stand by the wall, guarded by two soldiers, while the Prince attended to the business of state.
Ibarra hadn’t informed her of his plan to kill a policeman and hang his body for the world to see.
She had to admit, it was a devious and ingenious way to destabilize the principality. She should have gone into hiding to see how it played out.
Now she was the Prince’s prisoner and assured of death, since she’d been unable to lead him to Ibarra.
She cursed him. If she ever set eyes on Ibarra again, she’d destroy him herself.
Her poor hair.
A vampyre’s nails and hair grew terribly slowly. It had taken decades for her to grow the long, lustrous locks that were her crowning glory. Now her hair was horribly asymmetrical. She wanted to weep.
“My Lord?” A hesitant voice came from the door to the council chamber.
The Prince gestured to Theodore, one of his servants from Palazzo Riccardi, to come forward. “What is it?”
“An urgent message from the villa, my Lord.” As he approached the throne, Theodore glanced at Aoibhe.
“Come closer,” the Prince beckoned.
The servant moved close enough to whisper. “The villa has been breached. I’m told your pet was able to escape into the tunnels.”
William gripped Theodore by the shirt. “When?”
“Within the hour. It took time for the message to be relayed because the intruders held Lucia and Ambrogio hostage.”
“What news of my pet?”
“None, my Lord.” Theodore blinked rapidly. “She must still be in the tunnels.”
“Find out from Ambrogio if there’s any way for her location to be determined. Report back immediately.”
Theodore nodded, and the Prince released him. “What is the state of the villa?”
“The servants are trying to repair the damage done by the intruders.” Theodore cleared his throat. “Ambrogio reports that one of the men wore a clerical collar and spoke of intelligence sources.”
A strange kind of silence filled the council chamber as both the Prince and Aoibhe absorbed the servant’s ominous revelation.