The Prince looked at Gregor and smiled. “It appears your mission was successful. Tarquin has apologized and, according to his letter, sent double tribute. I take it you have the tribute with you?”
“It has already been deposited with Lorenzo, my lord.”
“Excellent. Are the Venetians worried about the Curia?”
“They made no mention of them.”
“Did you note anything amiss in the city?”
“They resent being under the control of Florence, my lord. But other than that . . .” He shrugged.
The Prince placed the message on his desk, regarding his personal assistant carefully. “You seem no worse for wear.”
“No, my lord.” The Russian shifted his weight from foot to foot. “Tarquin and his advisers considered killing me, but since I wasn’t a member of the Consilium they said the injury to them would be greater than the injury to Florence.”
“Wise words, but I would be sorry to lose you, Gregor.”
The assistant seemed taken aback by the admission. “Thank you,” he stuttered. “I have prided myself in my loyalty and service.”
“I take pride it in as well, which is why I am sending you on another journey. One that you must keep secret.”
“Of course. Where shall I go?”
“Switzerland. I wish you to visit Cologny, near Geneva. I’m interested in knowing how a particular family acquired a set of illustrations by Botticelli a hundred years ago.”
“Yes, my lord.” Gregor hesitated.
“Out with it,” the Prince ordered impatiently.
“It is not for me to question you, my lord.” Gregor fidgeted, his gaze on the floor.
“No, it is not. But in this case, and in view of your loyal service, I’ll volunteer that I am trying to solve an old mystery, which I hope will aid in solving a new one.”
Gregor appeared confused. “Of course, my lord.”
“I shall also mention that I sent someone on a similar journey many years ago. He returned empty-handed. Let’s hope you return with something more.”
The Prince dismissed his assistant with a wave of his hand, before contemplating the shadow that first fell over his city at the time of the theft of his illustrations.
The shadow must be destroyed.
Chapter Twenty-five
On Sunday evening, after spending the day together, William and Raven stood outside his villa next to his prized Triumph motorcycle.
“I can’t.” Raven backed away. “The last time I rode with you, I was sick.”
His eyes locked on hers. “This will be different. I swear.”
“You like to drive fast.”
“Yes.”
“But I have trouble holding on. Sometimes it’s painful for my injured leg. I may have to ask you to stop so I can stretch.”
“Then we’ll stop.” He moved closer and caressed her face with the back of his fingers. “I won’t let harm come to you. I swear by the relic.”
Heat flared in Raven’s middle at the sound of his words. “You must respect the relic very much. It’s the only thing you swear by.”
He nodded, his gray eyes dark and very intense. “We don’t have time for the story tonight. I need to be sure you’re deposited in your bed early enough to rest before work tomorrow.”
“I’d rather listen to your story.”
He brushed a kiss across her lips. “Another time.”
She pressed her cheek to his chest and listened to the strange sound of his heart. “The restoration project is almost finished. I’ll be on vacation until the beginning of September. We could go somewhere.”
“I would like that.” He nestled his fingers in her hair. “I would like to take you to York, where I was born. But I can’t leave the principality when the Curia is watching and there’s a traitor in our midst.”
“Traitor?” Raven pulled back, alarmed. “What traitor?”
A muscle jumped in William’s jaw. “For some time, a person or a group of people inside the principality have been trying to destroy me.”
Raven’s eyes widened. “What? You never told me that.”
“I did, actually, during one of our conversations about Aoibhe.”
Raven wrinkled her nose. “You’ll forgive me if I’ve blotted out most of that conversation.”
“I believe someone betrayed my location to the hunters, which is why they were outside Teatro waiting for us. If Aoibhe was the traitor, she would have avoided that area.
“Additionally, two years ago, I was attacked by would-be assassins. They came from Venice but were aided by someone inside the city. I haven’t discovered whom. Yet.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about this?”
“It happened before I knew you.”
Raven shook her head. “What happened to the assassins?”
“I destroyed them.”
“What, all of them?”
“There were only ten. After the assassination attempt, we went to war with Venice and defeated them. Since then, the traitors have been too cowardly to risk open conflict. They colluded with the hunters to try to kill me. Now I believe they’re trying to use the Curia.”
“You defeated ten vampyres? What, at once?”
William smiled. “I am an old one.”
“Why would the traitors use the Curia? If they come, they’ll kill all the vampyres.”