by Tamsin Baker
“That’s his partner. Blond and blue eyes. He’s black, absolutely gorgeous, but not my usual type.”
“What’s his name?”
“Zev. Do you know him?” she asked.
“He was the toast of Rome in 79BC. Once he bought his freedom, that same night he went missing. No one ever knew why. Then his partner has to be Norse. Those two were inseparable once they met as slaves.”
ROME & MACEDONIA 179 BC Adonia (Nonna)
The already elderly widow Adonia had become the personal confidante of King Philip V of Macedonia. Some would say between them had blossomed a feeling of passion and love, but for a woman of the mature age of sixty-three, that was not acceptable. Her time had already passed and many would secretly ridicule the king for been so enamoured of a grandmother.
The king would spend a huge amount of time in Rome and the gossip was already out there in Macedonia that he was mentally unstable. They also believed that Adonia had placed a curse on him and he was incapable of making a break with her, and Rome. His arrogant son Perseus believed the worst of his father. His hatred for the Romans escalated when he realized the power the Roman woman had over his father.
Unfortunately, in 179 BC King Philip V died, and not only had Perseus succeeded his father, he proudly stirred feelings of hatred around Macedonia against Rome.
Adonia hadn’t been permitted to travel to Macedonia and say her last goodbyes to the king. She’d cried for days, and prayed to the Goddess of Love to have mercy on King Philip’s soul.
It was in that moment when she was giving offering in the temple that Adonia found herself taken prisoner by Perseus’ guards. She didn’t even struggle, she would have no power to escape. She let them drag her to the Macedonian ship, and then she knew her life was over. Though she would miss her children and grandchildren, she knew she would be with her king sooner than she thought.
She was brought to the feet of the new king, and she kept her head bowed.
“So, you are the old hag that my father was enamoured of?” She heard him laugh cruelly.
While on the floor, not knowing the fate of her future, she consoled herself with the thought of having met the most beautiful soul. Their passion had been a connection of the soul and mind. But how was she to explain to the man who hated his father and now her?
“Get her out of my sight. She still has some blood in that scrawny body of hers, I’m sure the vampires will appreciate her.” At first, she wasn’t aware of the meaning of those words, but understanding came when she saw they were taking her to the dark catacombs. At that moment she realized her life as she knew it would soon be over, and a life of darkness awaited her.
For many centuries Adonia existed in the dark. From a distance she watched her children die, her grandchildren procreating and living a normal life. Everyone except Hosidia. Powerless to do anything, she watched the evil Segana kill her beloved grandchild. Though she had been turned before Segana, Adonia had no power over her as her maker had made a pact with the high priestess. Segana promised him that she would spare the lives of his villagers as she was always hungry from new blood and Adonia had been powerless.
She watched Hosidia reincarnate just to be killed by Segana many times. It took many centuries to be able to live among her family again. She’d found the courage twenty-seven years prior, when Hosidia had been reincarnated again into Natalia. It had been difficult explaining to the young couple, Natalia’s parents, who she was. She was aware that some humans didn’t accept vampires, and she didn’t want her family to live with that fear. But protecting Hosidia, now Natalia, was her only concern. Initially, the young couple feared she would harm their child, but they were also concerned that if they wouldn’t let her in, she would harm them all. It didn’t take long for Adonia to become part of the family. Once Natalia’s parents died in a car accident, she took care of her, and to both their fortune Luigi and Irma Carosone took care of both of them. The Napoletano were known in the community to do many good deeds, but from neighbours they became family.
The world was changing and all creatures, human and not, were starting to live in the same space.
She raised Natalia with the knowledge that she had a vampire for a grandmother and that she should never fall in love with one, and most of all, to have the self-respect not to be bitten by any vampire. This, however, was just a ruse. In reality, she wanted to keep Hosidia, now Natalia, away from Zev, on the chance they would meet once again.
ROME 2019 Adonia (Nonna)
Adonia waited for Natalia to retire to her room and take a hot bath, which would lull her to sleep, then made her way to where Zev lived. As the personal security guard of the president, she knew he would be in one of the four apartments near Montecitorio. She would have to knock door by door until she was greeted by the right man. She only hoped that the murderous Segana wasn’t there with him.
She knocked at the first door, hoping she had the right apartment. When the door opened, she saw surprise on his face.
“Adonia, what are you doing here?”
He was as imposing and handsome as she remembered. She’d always had a soft spot for Zev, but she wasn’t going to jeopardize her granddaughter’s life.
“It’s lovely to see you again after so many centuries, Zev, but we need to have a serious talk.”
He moved from the door, inviting her in.
“That evil bitch is not here?”
Zev locked the door and invited Adonia to sit in the small lounge.
“Thankfully she went to an orgy tonight, so I am be free.”
Adonia caressed his face, then dropped her hand, her eyes teary.
“It hasn’t been an easy existence, I know, and thing are complicated again.”
Zev held back his own tears, though his lips quivered as he bit the lower one.
“You know? Since when?”
“I always knew. Every time, and like you, I have been powerless to prevent her dying. But not this time.” The hands resting at her thighs tightened into clenched fists.
“It’s been a hundred and forty years since I smelled her skin or heard her laugh,” Zev said with a smile.
“We must keep her alive. You can’t go down to the same path. We both know how it ends.”
“Your maker went to dust, Adonia. You’re the only one who can get rid of the evil bitch.”
“We still need to respect the laws of our kind. But with both of us on her side this time, we will make sure she stays alive.”
“I promise you, I am trying my hardest to stay away from her. She doesn’t know who she is, does she?”
“No, the two of us are the only ones who recognize all her incarnations. We both know that you two are soul mates for eternity, but avoiding her is the only way for you to keep her alive.”
He sank down onto the couch, his head in his hands. As he started shaking with emotion, Adonia placed her hand on his shoulder.
“Let it out, Zev, you’ve been keeping your feelings bottled up for too many centuries.”
At her words, he finally let go and tears started pouring down his face. When Adonia tried to console him, he pushed her away.
“I will ruin your pretty dress.”
“I care about you at this moment.”
At that, Zev hugged her with great might and let out the pain he must have felt for centuries.
Once finished, he raised his head, drying his tears with the back of his hand and looking at the streaks of blood left behind. “This is the reason I hate crying. We make a mess out of everything.”
“Let’s make sure neither of us shed any more tears.” With her thumbs, Adonia dried the rest of his tears, placed a kiss on his forehead, then got up.
“Let’s hope this time destiny will be kind to our sweet Hosidia.”
CHAPTER 5
ROME 2019 Natalia
Natalia wanted to know. She needed to know.
Soon there would be the shift change for the bodyguards, and she needed to talk to Zev. Though it was always
gratifying for a woman to be wanted, this was going to be a problem for her. She didn’t appreciate him invading her thoughts and dreams. Losing her privacy was just not acceptable. It had to stop.
Opening her office door, she popped her head out just in time to catch Zev before he exited the building.
“Zev, before you go, can I please bother you for a moment?” She moved back to sit behind her desk and watched him come into her office, shutting the door behind him.
“What can I do for you, Natalia?” His voice was soft, but strong at the same time.
She gestured for him to take a seat in one of the chairs facing her desk and swallowed hard. There was no other way to say it.
“I want to how you manage to invade my dreams every night. It doesn’t make any sense because when we’re here, you barely look at me.”
After weeks of dwelling on it, she’d finally gotten the courage to approach him and now it was finally out.
“What makes you think it’s me trespassing into your dreams?” he asked, moving closer to her desk.
“Though I’ve never dated a vampire, I am very familiar with your ways. I know that you have the power to infiltrate someone’s dreams and—you know the rest.”
“Natalia, I can assure you this time it’s not the case.” His half smile made her nervous.
“What do you mean?” she asked, holding his gaze.
“I didn’t wander into your dreams. You are actually pulling me in, and I can assure you, I definitely don’t want to be there.” He took a step back
When she absorbed his words, Natalia scratched her head. I don’t understand. My type is usually an Arvid lookalike. Why would I pull you into my dreams?
She looked up at him.
“No offence.”
‘None taken. We all have a type in mind.”
She cocked her head to one side and studied him for a moment. She’d always been good at resolving problems, but this wasn’t going to be an easy task.
“What is your type, Zev? I’m curious.”
“I find red-heads irresistible. And if they’ve got curly hair, it’s a bonus,” he answered, with no hesitation.
“Interesting. You choose your lovers by their hair colour?”
“That’s a personal taste, don’t you think?”
Obviously she was becoming obsessed with a man who wanted nothing to do with her. He had no hesitation in telling her what his type was.
“I need to ask you, are you just an apparition in my dreams or are you actually living them?” She needed to know this.
He seemed embarrassed and she already knew the answer.
“I am there with you. I am living any moment as much as you. Natalia, they have to stop.” His tone was firm and assertive.
She dropped her head onto her hands, humiliated and embarrassed. His calm, apologetic tone didn’t make her feel any better.
“I’m very sorry I can’t give you the answer that you’re looking for.”
“I really am stuck with this? I didn’t plan on thinking about you, much less dreaming of you in that intimate way.”
“You shouldn’t be thinking of me at all. That will help you have less intense dreams.”
“That’s the problem. For some reasons I can’t stop thinking about you. I don’t want to think of you. I want go back to be the carefree Natalia from before.”
“Carefree?”
“You know, not worrying about what’s on my mind. Just concentrating on my job then going out and having fun with my friends. Instead, now I find myself pining after a man who doesn’t want me, and dreaming of him every night.”
“I suggest you return to your old behaviours. By keeping yourself busy, you might have less time for other thoughts.”
How she was to snap out of this, she didn’t know. Saying she was mortified was an understatement.
She’d always had a tight wrap on her emotions. Natalia never chased men—she didn’t have to. Her work and friends kept her busy, and more often than not, she was turning down offers of dates because she just wasn’t interested.
“Are you okay?”
“I don’t know how to deal with this,” she whispered.
No answer came from him, not that she expected one.
“Please don’t take this the wrong way,” said Zev. “You are a very beautiful woman, but I’ve learned not to mix business with pleasure. It never ends well.”
“You are right, of course. I feel the same,” she said, letting out a sigh.
“This is one of those awkward moments, you know? It’s like stepping where you think it’s just a puddle, but instead it’s so deep that you can’t keep your head above water.”
She stood and walked around her desk. “Thank you for coming and talking to me.” Opening the door, she waited for him to exit.
Her love life hadn’t been the most active, but one thing she always prided herself on was keeping away from vampires and being the only one from her group of friends who wasn’t going crazy with yearning for that next bite.
Here she was now, lusting after one who didn’t even find her attractive. What was worse? Zev actually living her dreams as they happened. Looking him in the eyes, knowing that in an obscure way they’d had sex, made her feel uncomfortable but at the same time excited by the thought that this could have been real. She had lusted for his dark chocolate skin, his luscious, full lips, his strong arms embracing her.
Her thoughts were disturbed by the door opening.
“Are you ready to go, Natalia?”
She raised her eyes to look at Luigi.
“Yes, I was about to leave.”
“Good. We are having dinner at your place.”
“I see. You’re still in the doghouse?”
“I’ve done nothing for my wife to be so upset.”
“Let me put this in a different light. What if I had been that young girl dancing on one of the minister’s laps?” She laughed at the shocked look he gave her.
“What you did was as disgusting as that look you just gave me.” She got up and gave him a kiss on his check.
“Let’s go home and talk about what I should tell the media about this mess you’ve made.”
Luigi wasn’t a bad man. He was a big kid in an old man’s body. But sometimes he needed to put that kid away and think before acting. Not everyone who was close to him had his best interests at heart. Many were jealous of his position and his popularity with the people of the country.
At times Natalia had to behave like she was the parent.
This was one of those times.
CHAPTER 6
MILAN 2019 Natalia
It had been a busy week for Natalia. The president had been invited to a gala in Milan, and she had organised the trip to mix pleasure with business for President Carosone. An interview for one of the most prominent Italian television programs would hopefully smooth things over. But she would do most of the talking. She didn’t trust journalists because she never knew what their real intentions were. They arrived on Friday, accompanied by a squad of his bodyguards, including Segana. The plan was to stay the whole weekend.
She didn’t hold back on what she had to say. She knew the opposition had their own agenda, but she presented events from the side of the president in a way that she would be shocked if any of the newspapers printed a negative article in the morning.
The dinner had been a quick affair, for which she was grateful. She was dead tired and they still had to organise the security for the gala. She watched as Zev went to his room, opposite hers in the large luxury hotel suite, and for a moment wished she could go with him. She longed to speak with him, but since their last chat he had avoided her has much as possible.
She’d tried to approach him on occasion, but he was always busy or in the company of others. She felt like she was becoming his own personal stalker.
ROME 1579 Lavinia (Natalia)
Working on the Sistine Chapel was any artist’s dream, and being commissioned to work there was the greates
t honour bestowed upon an artist. It was especially gratifying for a female in a male dominated world. The only downside was Lavinia had to work at night, once everyone was sleeping, because it was important for the Vatican that no one knew she was there. Women were not allowed to be painters, women were not seen equal to men. They were barely allowed to breathe. To been seen but not heard.
Being an influential painter of the De Medici house alone guaranteed her a pass to the Vatican. For De Medici, she painted mostly male nudes. Orgies were her best work, but she promised to his holiness, Gregory XIII, that she would concentrate on angels. From the moment she entered the Vatican’s kitchen that first day, she’d noticed the butcher. His grey woollen tunic appeared so tight around his shoulders and chest that Lavinia expected it to tear at any moment. His beautiful, smooth black skin was almost an invitation for any woman to caress it. He looked more like a gladiator from the old days than a simple butcher.
For weeks she’d sat in silence, just watching him and sketching him in her book. She could pass for a man under her white shirt and doublet. The hat was plenty big to hide her long hair, and her legs were covered by colourful tights.
“Why do you work only during the night?” she asked.
He moved closer, his rich, dark skin flawless.
“And why do you?’
He’d answered her question with another question. When she took a few moments to answer, he asked another.
“Why are you wearing men’s attire?”
“I suppose we all have some demons to hide.” She wasn’t going to volunteer more than that. Their banter had been so natural, she enjoyed her time in the kitchen more than in the chapel where she had to be alone.
Night after night their attraction increased, until one evening when Livinia made the first move. She’d always been startled at how cold his body was. Even near the fire his skin never warmed. She had read a few medical volumes that spoke about a condition of the blood, but all that didn’t stop her from caressing the black, velvety skin of his face, neck, and shoulders with her fingertips. She stopped at his big torso, waiting for his reaction, either to stop her or encourage her. There was no reaction, until she raised her head and saw his closed eyes. His face looked so relaxed that the urge to paint him was almost as intense as her urge to be under his skin. His look of total submission gave her a sense of power, something that she struggled to find in everyday life.