sun and stepped into the shade cast by a lemon tree that stood next to the front doorway of a beautiful cream-colored stone villa. The house itself was gorgeous - with a dark tile roof, green shutters, and elegant Gothic archways, not to mention extensively landscaped grounds - but situated on a hill overlooking Florence, it had a view that took my breath away. "Is the rest of the house as pretty as the outside?"
"Yes. Ring the bell, would you?"
I pressed a discreet bell that lay flush against the stone wall, warmed by the morning sun. "You did tell them we were coming, didn't you?"
Before he could answer, the door opened, and a plump blond woman smiled expectantly and said something in Italian.
"Hi," I said. "Are you Pia?"
"Yes, I'm Pia. Er . . . have we met?"
"No, but Alec described you as being very pretty and having a lovely smile, so I guessed it must be you."
"Alec? " She looked startled. "You're a friend of Alec's? "
"Yes. Um . . ." I slid a glance over to where Alec stood in the shade of the tree, leaning against the trunk, obviously waiting for me to give him the go-ahead to dash through the sunlight. "You're not still mad about him seducing you, are you? Because if you are, you don't have to help us. Not that I mean that to sound ungrateful or jealous or anything like that. I mean, what happened in the past is no business of mine, obviously. But he seemed to think that you guys weren't still angry with him. . . ." A tall man with dark curly hair and brilliant blue eyes loomed up behind her. His eyes narrowed on me, raking me from head to foot. I sighed. "You are still angry, aren't you?"
"Who is this? " A second man pushed his way out past Pia. He was shorter than the first, very thin, with a narrow face and pinched expression, as if he smelled something nasty. He gave me a once-over that made me faintly uncomfortable.
"My name is Corazon Ferreira," I answered, embarrassed as hell. Dammit , Alec, your friends are still pissed at you!
They are?
"She's a friend of Alec," Pia told the tall man, who I assumed was her vampire. The two of them gave me a strange look. "This is Brother Ailwin. He's . . . uh . . . he's going to help us out with a little problem we have concerning a friend."
I murmured a polite nothing, feeling horribly in the way.
"Perhaps you wish to conduct this business another time?" the skinny man asked, turning his sour face on Pia.
"No, no, we want it done as soon as possible. Er . . ." She shot me a hesitant look. "I'm sure we can come to some arrangement regarding the terms of your summoning a lich for us."
"I will, naturally, be obligated to charge more since the lich in question belongs to an Ilargi." The man gave me a considering look, his eyes filled with speculation.
"I'm sorry," I apologized. "I'm interrupting. I'll come back - "
"No, please, don't leave, we'd love to talk to you about Alec, wouldn't we?" She turned to the large man behind her.
"Yes, we would. We are finished here. We will expect the ceremony to take place this evening, Brother Ailwin," Kristoff said.
What is taking so long? Who is that man who keeps looking at you?
Some priest, I think, and we're in the way. Just so you know.
We are not. And that is no priest.
"That is too short of notice," the man said, biting off the words as if he was reluctant to let them go. "But assuming you will pay for my time, I will make the arrangements."
Maybe he's a monk? I asked as the man, with one last look at me, got into a small car and drove off. He seems kind of ascetic to me. Although he's wearing jeans and a shirt like anyone else. Do monks still wear robes?
That is no monk, either, querida. I do not like the way he kept looking at you.
Jealous? I asked with a smile.
Not in this case.
The grim tone to his words had my mental smile melting away to nothing. I had to admit that Brother Ailwin was making me more than a little nervous.
"So, you're Alec's friend," Pia said as both she and Kristoff examined me again.
"Was a friend," I growled, "if he keeps up pulling this sort of stunt on me. Look, I'm