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.