The Shades of Time Read Online Free PDF Page A

difficult though that was given the
dense water traffic.
    His eyes
strayed periodically toward the woman, backlit from the setting sun
with her features in shadow. She was a difficult read, more than
normal. The sad fact was that most women tasked his powers with
unnecessary emotion and volatile temperaments. He preferred the
company of his squad and the simplicity of their camaraderie and
shared missions.
    The woman— Veluria …
    Why did he have
such difficulty calling her by name? Because names had power as his
father so often reminded him? Names—her name— made it personal,
intimate. But connecting with her on any level was beyond stupid, a
thing he recognized, yet seemed powerless to avoid.
    Tonio shifted
in his seat and allowed his fingers to trail through the warm
waters, thinking back to discussions with his brother, Nico, when
they'd had far too much to drink and way too much time on their
hands.
    Nico had said, To intimidate and
instill terror requires detachment, Tonio—a calculated neutrality
that denies your victims hope and bends them to your will. And when
they refuse to bend, there are other, more permanent solutions. Are
you willing to step down that path, my brother? Are you so willing
to sacrifice your soul in service to the family? Will you become as
a statue, sightless and remote?
    If thrusting my
blade deep into an opponent's gut isn't the ultimate act of
intimacy, what is?
    That's not
intimacy, Tonio, that's … indifference. Would you sell your soul so
cheaply?
    I have no soul,
Nico. I never did. And you are not one to talk. You use that golden
tongue of yours the way I use my blade. Often with the same
results.
    Touché,
Brother. You may be right. May God have mercy on us.
    I fear mercy is
not what He has in mind…
     
    With an effort
Tonio roused himself from his self-indulgent musings and refocused
his attention on the French woman. She sat gazing out over the
expanse of water, outwardly calm and composed despite the inner
turmoil roiling just below the surface. That kind of self-control
was admirable. Though slight of build she conveyed a haughty
demeanor, clearly the result of her reputed years in the French
court.
    A few tendrils
of silky blue-black hair escaped the intricate braids, the wisps
framing a heart-shaped face. He could see how his impressionable
younger brother would be enraptured of such a siren. It was forever
the young man's curse to follow his cock after every piece of
attractive ass.
    Tonio knew
without a doubt that Stefano had bitten off more than he could
chew, a sentiment shared with their father. How the family managed
this potential new resource was none of his business. His only task
was to see the woman to the palazzo where Cosimo would determine
the next steps, that and try to protect his brother as best he
could. The state of the boy's heart was the least of his worries.
There were other matters afoot that would reveal themselves all in
good time.
    A French
courtesan with Charles' ear … and unspecified 'abilities'? With
events unfolding at breakneck speed across the continent, her
presence at their court could be no accident. That she had selected
Stefano for her particular attentions was both an easy solution,
and a brilliant choice. The problem lay in determining exactly how
she planned to move her chess pieces. He had faith in his family,
in Cosimo and Pope Leo, but what if they were not the ones pulling
the strings? What if…?
    Damn, I just
want to go home to Florence and leave this wretched city to wallow
in its endless drama.
     
    Veluria gathered every stray bit of energy, willing it
contained and at her command, not an easy task given the fractured
state of her psyche. The episode in the tunnel had caught her by
surprise and she still had no firm grasp as to why a Council
operative would take such risks when engagement offered nothing in
return. Whatever had transpired also seemed unrelated to her
current situation. Her mind raced through probabilities