“They gave me some clothes and some food. They gave me a place to sleep. It was clear they had no idea what to do with me, and I think several of them wanted to send me back to the hospital. But the old Dominican was adamant that I stay with them. Whatever they thought I was or what I was suffering, they knew I wasn’t a vampyre. There were relics all over the house.”
“Relics never bothered you anyway.”
“Not much, that’s true.”
“Why do you think that is?”
“I think the relics that belonged to my teacher never bothered me because he never rejected me.” Emotion colored William’s voice. “He prayed for me, hoping I would find my way back to God. He never lost that hope.”
“You believe, then? You believe in God again?”
“Yes, but I can say that I never stopped believing in him completely. You were the one who told me you thought my teacher would have compassion for me for reaching out to the Roman when I was in despair. Even as I took what he offered me, I regretted it. It wasn’t what I wanted; I just wanted my teacher. I begged him to help me, and I know now that he did.”
Raven shifted in her seat so she could see William more clearly. “The voice we heard during the exorcism, it said despair. What was that?”
“I’m not sure,” William hedged. “From the moment I transformed into a vampyre, I felt the darkness of despair surround me. It was like drinking what I’d thought was the water of life only to discover it was poisoned.”
“So vampirism was your punishment for giving in to despair?”
“No.” William shook his head emphatically. “The Roman offered me power, and wealth, and sonship. Because I had given up hope of having a good life without my teacher, I willingly took what the Roman offered. But I regretted the choice immediately. My teacher said the transformation was incomplete. Perhaps that’s why I could walk on holy ground and handle relics. I didn’t give in to despair entirely, and because of that and the prayers of my teacher, I never acquired the full nature of a vampyre.”
Raven pondered what he’d said. “I guess it wasn’t a coincidence you were found by a Dominican.”
William smiled. “I don’t think so. The brothers could have sent me back to the hospital. I’m sure the Curia was looking for my body. But the brothers kept me while I regained my strength. Then, several weeks later, they took me to Fossanova.
“I had no memory beyond 1274. One of the Dominicans thought it might help to bring me to the monastery where my teacher died. A few of the brothers traveled with me.
“When we arrived, it was as if I’d never left. I was so convinced my teacher’s body was there. I was so convinced my brothers were still there. Of course, they weren’t.
“I spent a lot of time in the monastery and praying in the chapel, trying to figure out what had happened. I’d always had a good memory. I’d always been strong. I felt so weak, so powerless.
“One night I climbed to the top of a nearby hill.” William cleared his throat. “It was the same hill where the Roman found me.
“I was there for some time, trying to figure out what to do. That’s when everything flashed before me. I fell to my knees, overwhelmed by my memories. I remembered the Roman and my transformation. I remembered traveling to Florence and deposing the old prince. I remembered you.”
He brushed Raven’s knuckles with his thumb. “As soon as I remembered you, I wanted to leave. I’d made arrangements before Machiavelli’s coup for you to have safe passage out of the city. I chose Prague because I thought it would be the safest place, away from vampyres and Curia alike. But even though I paid Sarah’s network well, I was worried they’d failed. What if the Curia had you? What if they’d already erased your memories? I had to find you.
“I had nothing—no passport, no money. I went to the brothers and explained that my memory had returned. I was a businessman, I was married, and I urgently needed to get to Geneva so I could locate you.”
“You lied?” Raven poked him in the side.
“You and I pledged ourselves to one another—first on the Loggia some months ago and again in the Duomo.” He thumbed the ring she wore on her left hand. “We are married.”
“Agreed.” She lifted his hand and kissed the skin above his gold band. “What did the Dominicans say?”
“I think some of them continued to believe I was disturbed. Or they thought I was deceiving them. But the others believed me, and they secured a train ticket to Geneva and gave me money to travel. I didn’t have a passport, but the Swiss rarely check passports at the border with Italy. I took the night train and made my way here.” William exhaled loudly. “You know the rest.”
Raven leaned her head against his shoulder. “How do you feel now?”
“Different.” William passed a hand over his eyes. “I’m still adjusting to this body. It’s strange to feel my heart beat regularly. It’s strange to have to breathe. I have memories of my human life, long ago, as well as memories of when I was a vampyre. Sometimes I get mixed up.”
“You don’t feel the urge to drink blood? Or climb the sides of buildings?”
William pressed his lips to her temple. “No. The first human food I craved was roast venison. I still haven’t had it yet. The Dominicans seem to subsist on fish and chicken.”
Raven pondered his words as the warmth of his body radiated to hers.