The Elemental Mysteries: Complete Series (176 page)

The water in the air clung to Kato’s skin. She could even feel it wick away from her as she stood next to him. The delicate skin of her lips cracked, causing blood to spring up. She shivered, and a small breath escaped her, but as soon as Kato heard her small gasp, he turned his eyes to Beatrice, and they softened. His fangs disappeared, and he lifted a large hand to touch her cheek. Her skin immediately plumped with moisture again.

“Gio?” she whispered.

“It’s fine, Tesoro. He won’t hurt you. He smells his blood in you. Remember, you are of his line.”

“Isn’t Livia, too?”

At the mention of Livia’s name, Kato’s eyes swung back toward the front of the room and he bared his fangs again. Ziri placed a hand on the giant’s shoulder, and Kato calmed. Beatrice clutched Giovanni’s hand in hers, determined not to be separated from him. She heard the long-haired vampire with the crackling energy address the crowd.

“I am Arosh. The vampires of Rome know who I am. I need no permission to speak to this hall.”

Livia, as if sensing the situation slipping out of her control cried out, “This is
my
hall! And I do not—”

She was cut off as a sharp spear of fire shot out of Arosh’s fingers. Livia pulled a guard in front of her, who immediately turned to ash.

“Shut up, woman. I am speaking.”

Beatrice might have imagined the slight shake in Emil’s voice, but she didn’t think so. Still, Emil stepped forward with an outstretched arm that didn’t tremble once. Beatrice was impressed.

He said, “Though you need no permission, my lord, I would welcome you to my city. We had heard of your demise, but I am very pleased to hear that the rumors were false.”

Arosh waved a careless hand. “My thanks, Roman. I have come to your city in return for a favor granted by Giovanni Vecchio, the son of Andreas, sired of Kato.”

The low chatter began as Kato’s name moved around the room. This was the ancient king of the Mediterranean, she realized. As soon as he had stepped into the room, many of the vampires had probably recognized him. All of them had thought their legendary king was dead. And though he definitely wasn’t dead, there
was
something wrong with him. As powerful as he was, his amnis, when he had touched her, had felt very wrong.

Arosh continued, “I come here with my friend, Kato, your ancient king, and our friend Ziri, who is often among you, to tell you what I know of this elixir that the alchemist made for us.”

Beatrice held on to Giovanni’s hand and felt his warm energy run up her arm. He stepped back and put his arm around her shoulders as she breathed in the rich scent of his skin. Then, she caught the bobbing blond head of Lorenzo from behind Livia’s guards. He was watching them with narrowed eyes. She tensed for a moment, but then heard the soft, steady thump of Giovanni’s normally silent heart. He was poised, but calm, so she tried to relax.

Arosh continued his speech. “I will not stay long. This is not my fight, but I do know this elixir and it is no cure. It is quite harmful and has made my friend, this ancient immortal before you, sick. Though it nurtures the body, it destroys the very energy that animates us. Do not believe this deceiver who claims to lead you.”

The low chatter in the room grew louder, and Giovanni stepped forward to speak.

“Vampires of Rome, I was trained by my sire to be the most rational of our kind. He desired that I exhibit knowledge and reason alone. I did not subscribe to superstition or magic. I believed only in what could be tested and tried.” Giovanni looked around the room, then down to meet her eyes. “But some things, I have learned, have no rational explanation. Some things are far greater than what can be seen.”

He looked around the hall. “We are not only creatures of the elements. Though these elements preserve our bodies, they are
not
the eternal energy of our souls. We are
more
. All of us. We are more than creatures of the physical world.” Giovanni turned to his grand-sire, placing a hand upon the giant’s shoulder. “We are creatures of the heart and the spirit. Of energy and things unseen. If we seek to preserve our bodies without accepting our need for humanity and what they offer us,
we will be lost
.”

He turned to Arosh, who gave him a respectful nod. Giovanni said, “We are
not
all-powerful, my friends. Even the greatest among us have been forced to acknowledge this.”

Arosh spoke again. “Be rid of this poison and be rid of your foolish pride. Though the great Kato grows strong again...” He glared at the vampires who surrounded them. “And will soon be as strong as ever—not even he could heal himself. Giovanni Vecchio has helped to heal him.”

A brave voice called from the back of the room. “But Giovanni Vecchio killed his own sire!”

Arosh frowned. “If he hadn’t, I would have. Andreas refused to grant me a favor.”

The room fell silent again. Beatrice wanted to ask why refusing a favor was such a big deal, but decided that it wasn’t the best time. She finally heard Livia speak. The favor thing must have been serious, because for the first time, the scheming water immortal’s voice held a note of calculation.

“My lord Arosh, forgive my ignorance. And forgive my earlier outburst. I was enraged by the thought of my mate’s murderer standing before me. But if you say Giovanni Vecchio has your good will—”

“I did not say he had my good will,” Arosh scowled. “That is not easily bestowed. I said he had granted me a favor, one that his sire would not.”

Livia nodded respectfully, her face a picture of accommodation.

Unbelievable, Beatrice thought, she was actually trying to get out of it. Livia continued in an ingratiating voice, “But if you would only forgive my earlier surprise. I had no idea that my husband had displeased you, or that his sire was in need of—”

“But Livia”—Giovanni stepped forward, still holding Beatrice’s hand—“you just finished telling this court that Andros had no secrets from you. Arosh, did you not tell me that Andros knew of the elixir and its effects?”

The ancient king shrugged. “Of course. I told him when I asked him to help his sire. He knew exactly what the elixir did. And, I’m assuming he would have told his wife when he stole the book containing this formula from my library and brought it back to Rome.”

Giovanni looked around the room. “Then surely Livia knew as well! For she and Andros had no secrets. Surely her ‘dear friend’ Lorenzo knew when he gave Lucien Thrax the fatal dose. They have deceived you, Rome. They hope to profit from this formula. To become rich as their enemies grow weak. They would use this elixir, not to cure bloodlust, but to kill us. To kill the humans we value. It is not the elixir of life. It’s the elixir of death.”

The water in the air that Beatrice had been holding began to shake again, as Livia quaked with rage. Beatrice pulled away from Giovanni and held her hands out, forcing the water away from the ring of flame that protected them from the multitude of black-clad guards. She eyed the one nearest her, measuring how quickly she could take his weapon from him.

Giovanni’s skin began to heat, and she saw the smoke rise above his collar. Arosh was looking around the room in amusement. “I see great fear on many of your faces. I believe some of you have taken this elixir already. Foolish vampires! Is your sire alive to heal you? I hope so, for your sakes. Come, my friends, you have wise immortals among you.” Arosh gestured toward Emil. “You are the people of the great sea! Kato’s heirs. Rid yourselves of this poison she has spread and appoint a leader worthy of you.”

Beatrice’s eyes flew to Livia. She was livid. The appeasing expression on her face had vanished and her arms were raised over the crowd.

Beatrice felt Giovanni’s hand tighten around hers and knew he had seen the insane glint in Livia’s eyes, too.

Not good.

The water in the air crept along her skin. The flames around her surged. And Beatrice’s heart sped for a moment, then fell completely still as Livia whispered, “Kill them all.”

Chapter Thirty

Castello Furio

November 2012

As if they had choreographed it, Ziri grabbed Kato and Arosh, then took to the air in front of Giovanni as soon as the words left Livia’s mouth. He looked up and caught the other fire vampire’s eye, and Arosh grinned as the room erupted in violence.

“Do not get yourself killed, Giovanni Vecchio! Remember, we have a deal.”

So they would fight Livia and her guards without the help of the ancients. Giovanni wasn’t surprised. Arosh and Ziri had their own agenda, and risking their lives in a fight that was not their own was not part of it. Giovanni could see Emil calling to those vampires loyal to him as they rushed Livia’s allies.

His eyes swung toward Beatrice, but she had already leapt through the circle of flame, bashing in the head of one guard with a swift kick before she grabbed his weapon and the weapon of another guard she quickly beheaded. He felt a spray from overhead and looked up to see Tenzin with her scimitar out, locked in struggle with a ferocious Matilda. A moment later a long, pale leg dropped to the ground between Giovanni and Carwyn, and the earth vampire bared his fangs and grinned.

“Can’t let the girls have all the fun, can we?”

“Never!” He dropped the circle of flames that protected them a moment before the water Beatrice had been holding showered around him, soaking him to the skin and dousing his flames. Carwyn rushed Bomeni, and the two crashed together like twin boulders before they rolled across the floor and the ground buckled beneath them.

Giovanni scanned the room. Where was Livia? The front of the room was a mass of swirling black as Livia’s guards protected their queen. He cut through the crowd, slashing with the dagger he had brought, the same one she had plunged into his body in rage. He felt a sword slash at the small of his back before a spray of blood hit him. He turned to see his wife grinning with bared fangs as she took down another guard.

He took two strides to her and grabbed his mate in a fierce kiss.

Beatrice bit his lip and said, “Hey, handsome. Nice to see you.”

He elbowed a guard that tried to attack them, grabbing the vampire’s sword as the guard fell to the ground and Beatrice cut off his legs. Giovanni licked the blood from his lip and smiled. “I missed you, Tesoro.”

“Same here. Now let’s kill this bitch so we can go home.”

She pulled him down for one more swift kiss before she spun away, slashing with the twin sabers she had stolen.

Giovanni headed toward the front of the room. He had a sword but no fire. His hair was wet and moisture clung to his body. Giovanni looked up for Tenzin and yelled, “Bird girl? A little wind, please?”

Tenzin curled her lip, but grabbed Matilda by her long blond hair and swung her across the room where the vampire was bashed against the wall and slid to the ground. Tenzin directed a strong gust that dried him as he walked toward Livia’s position. The flames sparked on his skin, and Tenzin’s wind fanned them higher as he looked for his prey.

A streak of red darted by and he saw Donatella Conti rush toward the back doors where she battled the guards who were cutting down those running to safety. Many of the younger, weaker vampires were desperately trying to escape the battle, so he abandoned his search to help Donatella. She saw him approaching and shouted, “The doors! They’re oak!”

He nodded and summoned two streams of flame. With one, he blasted back Livia’s guards. The other, he aimed at the giant arched doors that sealed them in. The smoke began to fill the room as the lacquered oak caught fire. Within a few moments, the doors were crumbling, and the drapes in the room had been set aflame. Donatella flung water from the fountains to douse the flames and quell the growing panic.

“Go!” she yelled, and the younger vampires ran from the room. Donatella plunged back into battle, her brilliant red cocktail dress slashed and ragged. She grinned at him as she ran past, grabbing a sword from the ashes near the door.

“I like your wife, Giovanni.
Fantastic
boots.”

He gave a hoarse laugh. “I’m fond of them, myself.” Donatella disappeared into the melee of vampires still battling, cutting toward her husband who was in the center of the battle. They were greatly outnumbered once the younger vampires had fled, but were still holding their own.

Tenzin was battling in the air. He didn’t see Matilda, but some of her entourage were keeping his old partner occupied. Sprays of blood rained around him as Tenzin cut them down, one by one. Carwyn and Bomeni were evenly matched, and the floor buckled as each tried to best the other. Though Carwyn was as occupied keeping up the support pillars in the room as he was trying to best the other vampire.

Beatrice was cutting down the guards that swarmed near the front, slowly but surely making her way forward. Most of the guards were water vampires, but were no match for his mate’s power. She slapped at them with the water from the fountains and spun gracefully. Giovanni saw her take out two guards with one slash of her sword.

But he still didn’t see Livia.

As he walked through the room, he sent out his fire, trying to avoid allies while killing enemies. Battling in enclosed spaces had always posed a problem for him, unless he wanted to kill everyone in the room. He cut back a few guards with his sword as he searched. He caught a flash of blond hair and saw Lorenzo dueling with Emil Conti.