Chapter 32 #2
“He’s not a prince—it’s just a nickname. And yes.” Laurent turned toward Marco. “Assemble a small team and we’ll pay him a visit. I’ll join you once Lily is settled—“
“I’m going with you.”
A laugh burst from Marco’s lips. Laurent glared at his second and barked, “Now, Marco.”
“Yes, sire.” Marco was gone in a blink.
“Little flower—“
“Don’t ‘little flower’ me, Laurie. That demon ordered my capture.
This is my business as much as it is yours, and I’m not staying behind while you handle it without me.
Besides, you said you’d keep me close.” I gave him a challenging stare.
“Was that just a lie? Now you’re racing off to meet with him and leaving me here?
How do you know someone won’t come and take me while you’re gone? ”
Laurent pinched the bridge of his nose, looking up at the coffered ceiling.
“Gods grant me patience,” he murmured. I crossed my arms, unwilling to concede.
“When I said I’d keep you close, I meant for general society events, meetings, things like that.
Not when I’m confronting the demon who tried to steal you from me.
” His voice dropped to a growl on the last words.
“You’ll be there with me,” I argued. “Besides, I’ve been working with Hassan in case anything happens.”
“Two days of training is hardly enough—“
“I’m going.”
Laurent’s expression darkened. He wasn’t used to being challenged. I waited for him to argue further. His next words surprised me. “Fine. Go and get changed. Dark clothing you can easily move in.”
A thrill skittered down my spine. I pressed my lips together to keep from smiling triumphantly. Even still, I was certain Laurent smelled the change in my scent, the eagerness pouring off me.
“Should… Should we share blood before we go? So you’re at your strongest?”
He frowned, then shook his head. “It’s a public place. I highly doubt he’d challenge me.”
“Okay.”
“Besides—“ He licked his lips and I couldn’t help but watch his tongue. “There isn’t time for what I wish to do to you—with you. It will have to be later.”
Ten minutes later, I joined the small group of vampires waiting in the hall.
Catina stood in the shadows, her arms crossed with a disapproving expression forcing her lips into a thin line as she watched the others.
I’d chosen a pair of black leggings and top, braided my hair tightly to my scalp, and donned a comfortable pair of tennis shoes.
Laurent looked me over and nodded. We piled into an SUV.
Vittorio drove, with Marco in the front beside him.
Laurent sat beside me, his hand splayed possessively over my thigh. Zola and Hassan sat in the back seat.
Laurent kept his voice low as he told me about the night market and Drazgus. “You’ll stay close to Zola and myself. You must not allow yourself to get distracted. It’s easy to wander off in a place like this.”
When we emerged from the SUV, Hassan was at my side. He spared Laurent a glance, handing over a belted dagger. Laurent crouched to attach it to my thigh, his fingers lingering.
I was too distracted by my surroundings, searching for signs of the market. We’d parked along the street near the middle of the city. A glance revealed an intersection and beyond that, a massive cathedral. A shiver raced down my spine. Something about it wasn’t quite…right.
“Is that it?” I whispered.
My question went unanswered.
“Remember everything I taught you, Lily,” Hassan instructed, pulling my gaze to him. “If anything happens, use every tool available to you, yes? Your body as well as your voice. Stay close to us, as Laurent instructed.”
“I’ll be fine,” I assured him, uncertain as to why everyone was making such a big fuss. Overprotective vampires. I refrained from rolling my eyes.
“There,” Laurent said, giving the sheathe at my thigh a final tug before standing. “Come.” He took my hand and led me along the sidewalk to the busy intersection. We waited for the pedestrian cross sign, then moved straight toward the giant cathedral.
I was mesmerized. It looked like something out of the renaissance era.
But an otherworldly quality clung to it too, a sense of power that had nothing to do with faith and everything to do with magic.
Constructed from stone, with giant towering spires that ended in sharp points, its windows glittered with stained glass.
Tonight, they were dark. It was surrounded by a tall, decorative iron fence, sealing it off from pedestrians and onlookers.
It looked deserted inside, but outside, tourists lingered snapping photos before continuing on their way.
“Saint Viggo’s Cathedral,” Laurent murmured, his voice tickling my ear. “One of the oldest cathedrals in all of Italy. During the day, it is open to the public for tours, but at night, it is transformed.”
I frowned up at it, trying to understand how that worked. “How will we get in?”
“You’ll see.” We rounded the block. The edifice took up so much space that traffic was diverted around it. Modern buildings had been constructed adjacent, but none of the skyscrapers that could be seen in other cities.
The iron fence gave way to a massive stone wall circling the back portion.
We stopped in the shadows and Marco stepped forward.
I watched as he created a small slice on his thumb, using his pointed canine tooth.
He swiped it across a brick that, even in the darkness, was clearly stained beyond recognition.
Whatever magic governed this place seemed to accept his offering.
A rumble sounded, then a portion of the wall moved inward.
Marco and Vittorio stepped through first.
“Only creatures of magic may enter,” Laurent explained when he witnessed my confusion.
“Blood allows the enchantments of the doorway to recognize our kind. The night market is open to all but humans, though that does not mean you won’t see a few here and there. ” Laurent took my hand and we followed.
I took in everything with parted lips.
“There are many entrances,” Laurent explained as we descended a set of stairs that glowed with torchlight. “Tunnels that lead into it from under the city. This entrance will be the least dangerous.”
After that, we walked in silence as a tight group.
I didn’t miss the way everyone surrounded me, pressing me between the safety of their bodies.
We traversed several corridors, a maze of passages beneath the cathedral.
When they opened wider, we passed a few market-goers coming and going, some carrying cloth bags and other wares.
Beyond a curious glance, they gave us a wide berth and paid us little attention.
I heard the market before I saw it. The air itself seemed to thrum with magic, making my skin tingle with anticipation. My excitement rose. I was nearly trembling.
We ascended a wide staircase that deposited us into a massive space of glittering torchlight.
It looked nothing like the inside of a cathedral.
I staggered to a stop, hit by a cacophony of noise, smells, and sights beyond my imaginings.
Cool nighttime air licked my skin, and I was vaguely aware of the night sky overhead.
I didn’t do more than glance up in disbelief, too taken by everything else.
So many colors, and movement, and scents.
I couldn’t decide where to look first, so I simply stared, open-mouthed.
Laurent brushed his lips against the shell of my ear. “Welcome, little flower, to the night market.” Then he tugged on my hand and pulled me into the chaos, into a world I never could have imagined existed.