The Immortal Greek Read Free Page A

noticed the vampires now leaving in throngs. She suspected it wasn’t just the incipient dawn scaring them away, but her own presence. Although both the Immortal Council and the Peace Pact had several enforcers at their beck and call, Ravenna was known as the Enforcer with a capital E . She liked it. She had worked hard to be taken seriously in a society where men still held positions of power over the women and was ready to fight for it.
    “To the gardens.” The majordomo held the French doors opened for her, then resumed his slow walk among topiary lanes, green alcoves, and olive trees.
    Lots of olive trees. Ravenna particularly liked olive trees. They reminded her of her parents’ Tuscan country house. She had known Drako owned one of the most coveted lots in the Coppedè neighborhood, but she hadn’t realized he had enough space for an Italian garden, what looked like a small amphitheater, and an infinity pool where the party seemed to be still in full swing judging by the crowd.
    The majordomo pointed ahead toward the illuminated pool. “Master Alexander is there.”
    Ravenna’s legs felt like lead. She hadn’t expected the playboy to stay behind and wait for her. She had taken for granted he was busy partying with his guests, maybe even in another location. Meanwhile, she had fallen behind and the majordomo was announcing her to his employer, who sat on the tiled floor by a covered form.
    Alexander Drako raised his head and looked at her, recognition playing in his green eyes. He said something to his majordomo, then stood on his legs in a slow but gracious movement, and walked toward her. “Miss Del Sarto, I’m glad they sent you.” He extended his right hand for her to shake. The playboy wore an open, tieless, light-gray shirt under his black suit jacket.
    His hand was warm when she took it, and she was taken aback by both his seriousness, so at odds with his public image, and his statement. She remembered she had been imparted the best education money could buy and shook his proffered hand. “Mister Drako.”
    “The boy—” Drako gestured toward the still shape on the floor. “I don’t know how this has come to happen in my house—” He passed his suntanned hand over his blond curls.
    “I’m deeply sorry this has ruined your big night, Mister Drako.” She moved around a suddenly stiff Drako and headed toward the corpse. She was about to bend to raise the linen covering the dead, but he preceded her.
    “Let me.” He crouched and unveiled the body for her.
    She stared at Drako a moment too long before lowering her eyes to the boy.
    “He was so young.” She heard Drako say while her mind played a trick on her. She went back in time. Before her eyes, Tommaso, her beloved younger brother, lying dead on a floor. Tommaso too had looked peaceful in death. She blinked and was back to the present.
    “Is everything all right?” Her worried host looked at her with a puzzled look on his freckled face. “I know it must be late for you and—”
    She blinked again to focus back on the corpse. “Nothing to worry about, Mister Dr—”
    His lips turned up in a small smile. “Alexander, please.”
    “I’m here to investigate a suspicious death. Mister Drako .” She gave him her best frost stare.
    He raised his hands in the air, then hugged himself and let her work. She would have preferred for him to leave her alone, but it was his house after all, and he was being a gracious host so far, so she tried to ignore him. She looked around and saw a marble table a few steps to the left. She laid her briefcase on it and opened it to retrieve her recorder and her gloves. After turning on her recorder, she began taking notes about the condition of the body.
    “The victim is an immortal. A youngster. His facial traits date his change around the seventeen hundreds. His fair complexion and height make him Eastern European. Possibly Czech.” She crouched lower, balancing herself on her heels, and uncovered the