The Roman

by Sylvain Reynard

  The former Prince of Florence sat on his throne in the great council chamber, sorrowing for his beloved city.

  A gentle hand rested on his, light as an angel’s touch. “There must be something we can do.”

  William lifted his head to look at Raven. “The Curia will level us. I’m considered a traitor now. Even if we were to flee, the Roman would hunt me.”

  “Would he hunt us in the United States? In South America?”

  “I don’t think I would make it out of Italy. The Curia will hunt me too.”

  “There has to be a way.”

  He shook his head. “My only hope is to see you escape to freedom.”

  “I’m not leaving you.” Her expression grew fierce.

  He looked at her sadly. “I disobeyed the Roman and refused to hand you over to the Curia. But they are going to take you anyway.”

  “I’d rather die with you!”

  “If you survive, a part of me will survive also.” He took her wrist, marveling at the slim arm that lay below the gold bracelet he’d given her. “Don’t let your death be added to my sins.”

  “Father is still inside the city. If I can get a message to him, maybe we can negotiate a truce.”

  “It’s too late.” He released her.

  She leaned against the throne, taking the weight off her injured leg. “I have to try.”

  “I will lead my troops into battle. My mind would rest easier if I knew you were safe. Go to Sarah.”

  “Listen to me, William.” She bent at the waist, her green eyes sparking with anger. “I’m not giving up. I’m not going to let you give up either. War with the Curia is suicide. You’ll die in battle, and I’ll die at your side because I won’t leave you.

  “You say there’s no way for us to escape Italy without being hunted by the Roman. So our only option is to try to make peace with the Curia and prevent a genocide.”

  William laughed bitterly. “They don’t want peace.”

  “Father does.”

  “He wants peace and he comes to my city with soldiers?”

  “I’m sorry about the citizens who were killed. But Father must have some influence if he was able to command a group of soldiers. I want to talk to him. I want to try.”

  William stood quickly. He touched her hair, her eyebrows, and her cheeks. “At least he can keep you safe. If you remain with me, you could be killed, or turned, or made someone’s pet.”

  “I’m not interested in making a deal with the Curia to save my own ass. It’s both of us or nothing.”

  William’s forehead crinkled. “They are marching three hundred soldiers here to destroy me. They will never spare my life. And even if they did, there’s the Roman to contend with. I am as good as dead, Cassita. Save yourself.”

  Her cheeks reddened with anger. “I am not giving up, William Malet. Don’t you dare give up.”

  William’s gray eyes searched hers for a long time.

  Almost imperceptibly, he nodded.

  She wrapped her arms around him.

  “It seems fitting,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to her hair.

  “What is fitting?”

  “That you should be my only hope.” He held her tightly, as if by his hold he could ensure their safety.

  He tipped her chin up and kissed her, cupping her face with both hands.

  William shouted for his guards and asked one of them to retrieve Gregor. When Gregor arrived, the Prince and Raven accompanied him to one of the communications rooms hidden in Palazzo Riccardi.

  “Curia troops are on their way.” Father’s voice could be heard through the speakerphone.

  “Yes, we know that.” Raven exchanged a look with William.

  “The Roman won’t protect him. We know he was ordered to surrender you, and he refused.”

  “War means death—death for the Curia and death for the Florentines. You don’t want the lives of all those people on your conscience. Help me stop it,” Raven pleaded.

  Father paused. “War is not in our interests. But my superiors will not rest until the Prince is captured and destroyed. I will not rest until you are safe.”

  “You offer nothing,” William said, shaking his head at Raven.

  “Wait.” Father cleared his throat. “My superiors want regime change. Our intelligence indicates the Roman wants the same. Surrender the city and Raven, and we will have peace.”

  “Once again you offer nothing,” William growled. “My people and I would rather die fighting than turn the city over to the Curia.”

  “There are agents inside the city. Even now, they have been assembled. War could break out at any moment. I am the only one standing between you and certain death.”

  William’s expression hardened. “This conversation is over.”

  “Wait! Let me speak to you directly.”

  William’s gaze moved to Raven. “Your folly, priest, is that you think you can divide and conquer. You speak to both of us or neither.”

  “Release her from your thrall, and we can have an open conversation.”

  “I can hear you, Father.” Raven threw her hands up in frustration. “I can hear, and I can speak for myself. I’m not in anyone’s thrall, and you need to listen to me. I’m trying to help you save countless lives.”

  “Very well.” The priest drew a deep breath. “I may have a solution that would benefit both of us.”

  The Prince scowled. “I thought lying was a sin.”

  “Tell us,” Raven interjected. “What’s your solution?”

  The priest mumbled part of the Hail Mary.

  “What do you propose?” the Prince pressed, his eyes fixed on Raven.

  “As I said, my superiors want regime change and so does the Roman. It’s coming, and there’s nothing that can be done to stop it.

  “But the Curia offers exorcisms on rare occasions, to return a vampyre to his former state. I believe I can persuade my superiors to exorcise you in exchange for the city.”

  “No.” Raven gripped William’s arm, an expression of horror on her face. “That means you’ll kill him.”

  “An exorcism is not an execution.” Father’s tone was insistent. “We can free you, William. We can return you to what you once were.”

  “You know as well as I that that is the same as an execution,” the Prince scoffed.

  “You’ll be human once again, free of the darkness. Free of the control of the evil one. You will have a normal life.”

  “This body should have died in the thirteenth century. What makes you think it could survive such a ritual?”

  “God.”

  “God?” Raven laughed. “You ask us to place our trust in God?”

  “Without him, we have nothing,” the priest replied stubbornly.

  “Have any of your members performed an exorcism on an old one?” William’s expression changed.

  Raven tugged at his arm. “You can’t be considering this.”

  William lifted a finger, waiting for the priest’s response.

  “I have no knowledge of an exorcism of an old one,” the priest admitted. “But the principle is the same.”

  “It’s too risky,” Raven concluded. “What if we were to agree to leave the city?”

  “Cassita,” William gently reproved her.

  “You would be able to leave after the exorcism,” the priest promised. “But Raven, your memories would have to be adjusted. And William would need to return to Rome with me, to be debriefed.”

  “Would that be before or after the black robes kill me?” William asked.

  Father ignored his barb. “Raven, you say you aren’t in his thrall. You say he loves you. But can’t you see he’s the one putting you in danger? Once the war starts, you could be killed. I’m the only one who can protect you.”

  “We want to be togeth
er.” Raven gripped William’s hand.

  William lowered his voice. “It’s too dangerous. If they’re offering you safe passage, you should take it.”

  “No,” she whispered. “I’m not leaving without you.”

  “If I abandon my city, I’m a coward.”

  “There’s no reason to see this as abandonment,” the priest interrupted. “You would be surrendering the city in order to avoid bloodshed. In exchange, we guarantee Raven’s safety and your life. You become human once again, and we will no longer be enemies.”

  “No,” Raven mouthed to William. “It’s too risky.”

  “What’s to prevent you from turning me over to the Roman once you’ve finished?” William asked.

  The priest raised his voice, as if he were in earnest. “You seem to forget who we are. Our goal is to save human life, not destroy it. We wouldn’t hand you over to the Roman or to any other vampyre, if you were human.

  “If you agree to these terms, you too will save life—the lives of your citizens and the lives of my men. And Raven will be protected. I swear to you, I will keep her safe. And I will not let my brethren destroy you.”

  The Prince rubbed his chin in agitation. “If I were to accept those terms, I’d want them written in a treaty that would be signed and circulated. I don’t want you marching on Florence after I’m deposed.”

  “No,” Raven objected. “You can’t put your trust in an exorcism. It’s like placing your life in the hands of a magic trick. What makes you think it will work?”

  “There will be no treachery,” the priest said, ignoring her characterization. “I will have the terms drawn up, and you may march a detachment of your soldiers to a neutral location. We’ll sign the treaty and end the war before the troops arrive.”

  “Allow me time to consider your terms. You shall have my answer in half an hour.” William ended the call.

  His eyes moved to his head of security. “Give us a moment.”

  Gregor bowed and left the room.

  “William, Father said himself they’ve never performed an exorcism on an old one.”

  “It offers us a chance, with the added value of saving my city.”

  “What if they kill you?” Raven’s body began to tremble.

  “Then I’ll be dead. But you will be safe and so will the city.”

  “It’s too high a cost.” She grabbed his arm.

  William hung his head. He covered his eyes with his hand.

  At length, he opened his eyes. “You were the one who taught me to hope, Cassita. The priest is offering me hope, hope that we can both survive this. I have to consider it.”

  Chapter Fifty-Three

  GENERAL VALE STARED at the Prince of Florence, his face impassive. The two leaders stood on opposite sides of a wide, wooden table, on which rested a few sheets of printed paper.

  The General had already signed the treaty, on order of the Superior General.

  The Prince held the pen in his hand. “If this treaty is violated, my troops have orders to strike.”

  “Noted,” the General replied gruffly.

  “You may have ousted me, but you still have the Roman to contend with. I’ve sent him a copy of the treaty. He will see it upheld.”

  “You’re escaping with your life, which is far better than you deserve.”

  “The opportunity to kill has not been taken away from you entirely,” the Prince growled. “I’ve revealed the identities of the vampyres responsible for the death of the policeman.”

  “General,” Father Kavanaugh interjected. He stepped forward, facing the Prince. “Peace is in all of our interests. The General knows this.”

  The Prince lowered his voice, addressing the priest. “And I have your word?”

  “On my soul.”

  The Prince stared at the priest. The other inhabitants of the room, which included the special forces unit and a detachment of Florentines, began to grow uneasy.

  The Prince glanced at Raven. Then he pressed pen to paper and signed.

  “I acknowledge your surrender.” The General inclined his head in the Prince’s direction. “Your soldiers may return to their barracks.”

  The Prince saluted the Florentine captain and shook his hand. “Thank you for your service. Report to Lord Gregor for further instructions. Remind him to notify the Roman if even the smallest part of this treaty is broken.”

  The captain bowed low, his hand on his sword. He and his detachment marched toward the door and exited.

  “Commander,” the General ordered.

  Commander Sullivan marched forward, holding a pair of manacles.

  “What are you doing?” Raven surged toward William and the commander.

  “It’s all right.” William’s tone was calm as he held out his wrists.

  “No, it isn’t.” Raven turned on the commander. “He surrendered. You can’t chain him!”

  The commander sidestepped her, keeping his eyes trained on the Prince as he shackled his wrists and another soldier shackled his ankles.

  One of the soldiers blocked Raven from touching William.

  “Father?” She tried to grab the priest, but he was already moving, throwing a rosary over the Prince’s neck.

  A hush fell over the assembled group as the rosary had absolutely no effect on him.

  Father Kavanaugh began reciting prayers in Latin and holding a cross out in front of him.

  “William!” Raven pushed past the soldier, but another caught her around the waist. “You’re humiliating him. He surrendered. Stop!”

  “It’s for our safety.” The priest gave what was intended to be a comforting look.

  “To the Duomo,” the General ordered, leading the commander and three other soldiers as they escorted the Prince out of the room.

  Father took Raven’s hand and they followed close behind.

  Chapter Fifty-Four

  “PLEASE LET HIM GO,” Raven begged, as she followed Father Kavanaugh through one of the underground passages that led from the Jesuit safe house directly to the Duomo.

  “We made an agreement. In exchange for his surrender, his life would be spared.” Father began removing the gold bracelet from Raven’s wrist.

  She snatched it back. “That’s mine!”

  “You don’t need it any more. You are no longer under his control.”

  She replaced the bracelet on her wrist. “It was never about control. It’s about love. Why are we going to the Duomo?”

  Father gave her an odd look. “It’s the safest place to exorcise the demon.”

  He assisted her as they ascended the staircase that led into the Duomo and passed through a set of doors into the sacred space.

  Raven lowered her voice. “You’re going to let us go after the ritual, right?”

  “We will require a few things from him first.”

  She looked at the priest in horror. “He’s already surrendered. What more could you want?”

  Father Kavanaugh averted his gaze to look toward an assembly of fifty black robes lining the aisle that led to the high altar of the Duomo. Each man was armed with a sword.

  Raven watched William pass through them, a lamb being led to the altar in chains.

  She grabbed Father’s arm. “You’re going to turn him into one of your soldiers? You’re going to make him kill his own people?”

  “If that is what my superiors wish, yes.”

  Raven cursed, loud and long.

  “Enough.” Father’s expression grew severe. “We are in a house of God. You speak with respect or you will leave.”

  “You deceived us,” Raven hissed. “You promised him freedom. Now you’re planning to make him a slave.”

  The priest removed Raven’s hand from his arm. “We don’t keep slaves. But the Prince knows secrets about the Roman. He must share what he knows. And yes
, I hope that after he tastes freedom, he will want to help us provide that freedom to others.”

  Raven pulled at her hair, frantically trying to keep her fury at bay. It was too late—William had already signed the treaty. But perhaps there was still time to warn him.

  The beauty of the great cathedral opened up before her as she walked with the priest over the elaborately decorated floors toward the altar.

  Raven ignored the artwork and Brunelleschi’s incredible dome that stretched over them. She was fixated only on William as no less than ten black robes dragged him across the floor.

  He submitted to their actions wordlessly, his heavy chains crashing and clanking.

  “William,” she lifted her voice.

  The Prince turned his head but couldn’t see her because she was too far behind.

  She approached more quickly, but Father blocked her progress. “It isn’t safe.”

  “I don’t care.” Raven sidestepped the priest, limping as fast as she could toward William.

  One of the black robes caught her arm.

  “William!” Raven shouted, struggling against the soldier who held her. “They lied to us. They’re going to turn you into a killing machine. Save yourself.”

  The black robes lifted their voices in disapproval. One of them moved to Father Kavanaugh’s side, whispering furiously in his ear.

  The Prince was finally able to make eye contact with her. His eyebrows knitted together at the sight of her being restrained by a black robe.

  “Don’t touch her,” he spoke through gritted teeth. His eyes moved to Father Kavanaugh’s. “You promised to protect her.”

  “All the promises are lies,” she cried, continuing to struggle. “I don’t want to be protected by him. I want you.”

  William’s expression grew pained. “Je t’aim,” he whispered.