shorts. “Mac just called,” he said, putting his phone away.
“Something wrong?” she said, pulling up the covers around her chest.
“Yeah. They went back to the cavern to see if Arthur
was there, but he wasn’t. Hadn’t been for a while, apparently. The place was completely trashed, just like the Repository. I
don’t know if it was hounds or what, but they said it was a disaster. They think he’s alive, though—there was no blood anywhere. They don’t know what to do next, but we have to find him.”
“ We? But what about my friends?”
“I have to go with them,” he said. “They’re my pack. My place is with them. With the vampires missing, Arthur’s our only chance of getting back into the passages and the underworld for the rest of the wolves. I want you to come with me.”
“Lawson…” Bliss put a hand on his cheek. “I have to go to London. I can’t come with you.”
His face turned red. “Why not?”
“My friends…they need me. They’re counting on me. You saw that Silver Blood in the Repository. They’re your former masters; you know how strong they are,” Bliss said. “That’s what we’re fighting. The vampires can’t handle them alone.”
“But I need you too. Your pack needs you.”
“You don’t understand,” she said, sorrow in her voice.
“You’re right, I don’t,” he said, getting up and putting on his clothes. “You took an oath.”
“And you promised you would help me too,” she said quietly, reminding him of his pledge to her when she became one of his pack. “Lawson, please.”
He laced his boots.
“Lawson—” She struggled to stand up. “Where are you going? Lawson!”
He didn’t look back. Not once. Bliss knew before she heard the front door slam and the elevator doors open that he was gone, and she was alone again.
N INETEEN
Tomasia (Florence, 1452)
ne day the baptistery doors would grace the most beautiful cathedral in the world. Tomi was satisfied with her work for the day, and took a moment to admire the piece before she returned to her quarters. When she arrived at home, the door was ajar and the room was empty of servants.
“Gio?” she called. “Gio, are you here, my love?”
“In here.” That wasn’t Gio’s voice, Tomi thought, immediately putting a hand on the knife she carried around her waist.
“Who’s there?” Tomi walked inside the bedroom and screamed.
Andreas ran to her, and she screamed even louder. “Get away from me! Where is Gio?” she yelled, pushing him away. “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HIM?”
“Tomi, please, Tomi.” Andreas shook her. “Gio’s gone. He must have known I would return, and escaped before he
had to face me. Tomi—it’s all right. It’s me .”
“DEMON! Stay away from me!”
“Tomi, listen. I am so sorry—I have been trying to get back to you—but I was detained. I was sure you were safe with Gio…until I realized. He’s the one we’ve been looking for all along. He has been turning the Venators against me, spreading lies, alienating my men. He even tried to kill me in Verona.”
“The Black Fire,” Tomi whispered. “But how?”
“I contained the fire. It responded to my magic,” he said.
Tomi looked at him in confusion and fear. Unable to understand. But if it was true, then…She held her stomach, feeling sick all of a sudden.
“Lucifer had returned to us. He was alive…and his spirit was in Gio,” Andreas said. “I trusted him like a brother. I loved him like a brother. But he was not who we thought he was.”
“No! No! That cannot be.”
“He was with Simonetta. He was manipulating her all along. That child was not the first. There are others. He has bred a host of half-human demons, the Nephilim. He has kidnapped brides for the Dark Fallen. The trigylph is a symbol of their union—serpent and sheep.”
“No.”
“Tomi. I know he was your friend. He was mine as well.”
Gio had been more than a friend. Tomi turned away from Andreas, the sick
“Something wrong?” she said, pulling up the covers around her chest.
“Yeah. They went back to the cavern to see if Arthur
was there, but he wasn’t. Hadn’t been for a while, apparently. The place was completely trashed, just like the Repository. I
don’t know if it was hounds or what, but they said it was a disaster. They think he’s alive, though—there was no blood anywhere. They don’t know what to do next, but we have to find him.”
“ We? But what about my friends?”
“I have to go with them,” he said. “They’re my pack. My place is with them. With the vampires missing, Arthur’s our only chance of getting back into the passages and the underworld for the rest of the wolves. I want you to come with me.”
“Lawson…” Bliss put a hand on his cheek. “I have to go to London. I can’t come with you.”
His face turned red. “Why not?”
“My friends…they need me. They’re counting on me. You saw that Silver Blood in the Repository. They’re your former masters; you know how strong they are,” Bliss said. “That’s what we’re fighting. The vampires can’t handle them alone.”
“But I need you too. Your pack needs you.”
“You don’t understand,” she said, sorrow in her voice.
“You’re right, I don’t,” he said, getting up and putting on his clothes. “You took an oath.”
“And you promised you would help me too,” she said quietly, reminding him of his pledge to her when she became one of his pack. “Lawson, please.”
He laced his boots.
“Lawson—” She struggled to stand up. “Where are you going? Lawson!”
He didn’t look back. Not once. Bliss knew before she heard the front door slam and the elevator doors open that he was gone, and she was alone again.
N INETEEN
Tomasia (Florence, 1452)
ne day the baptistery doors would grace the most beautiful cathedral in the world. Tomi was satisfied with her work for the day, and took a moment to admire the piece before she returned to her quarters. When she arrived at home, the door was ajar and the room was empty of servants.
“Gio?” she called. “Gio, are you here, my love?”
“In here.” That wasn’t Gio’s voice, Tomi thought, immediately putting a hand on the knife she carried around her waist.
“Who’s there?” Tomi walked inside the bedroom and screamed.
Andreas ran to her, and she screamed even louder. “Get away from me! Where is Gio?” she yelled, pushing him away. “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HIM?”
“Tomi, please, Tomi.” Andreas shook her. “Gio’s gone. He must have known I would return, and escaped before he
had to face me. Tomi—it’s all right. It’s me .”
“DEMON! Stay away from me!”
“Tomi, listen. I am so sorry—I have been trying to get back to you—but I was detained. I was sure you were safe with Gio…until I realized. He’s the one we’ve been looking for all along. He has been turning the Venators against me, spreading lies, alienating my men. He even tried to kill me in Verona.”
“The Black Fire,” Tomi whispered. “But how?”
“I contained the fire. It responded to my magic,” he said.
Tomi looked at him in confusion and fear. Unable to understand. But if it was true, then…She held her stomach, feeling sick all of a sudden.
“Lucifer had returned to us. He was alive…and his spirit was in Gio,” Andreas said. “I trusted him like a brother. I loved him like a brother. But he was not who we thought he was.”
“No! No! That cannot be.”
“He was with Simonetta. He was manipulating her all along. That child was not the first. There are others. He has bred a host of half-human demons, the Nephilim. He has kidnapped brides for the Dark Fallen. The trigylph is a symbol of their union—serpent and sheep.”
“No.”
“Tomi. I know he was your friend. He was mine as well.”
Gio had been more than a friend. Tomi turned away from Andreas, the sick
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