Carpathian 10 - Dark Symphony

helped Don Giovanni to his room. He waved them away. "I'm not on my deathbed. I have no idea what happened tonight, but I'm cold, not hurt."
    Antonietta kissed his cheek. "Of course, Nonno, we'll explain everything tomorrow.
    Sleep tonight."
    "It's late for an old man," he conceded.
    As Antonietta and Tasha stepped out of Don Giovanni's bedroom, Marita hurried up to them, her face tear-streaked and pale beneath her olive skin. "He's gone after Don Demonesini. I told Franco everything. Everything. I thought he might throw me out, but I never once thought he would go crazy and go after the don. Demonesini will kill him. You know he will. Franco is a gentle man. What was he think- ing?" She wrung her hands together in agitation. "We have to stop him."
    "Franco is a Scarletti, Marita. Demonesini hurt you. Of course Franco would go after him. I should have been prepared for that," Antonietta said.
    "He took a gun."
    Antonietta's fingers curled in Celt's silky fur. "That's not good."
    "Shall I call Diego?" Tasha asked. "Maybe he could stop Franco before he gets into trouble."
    "No, don't do that," Antonietta said hastily. "Franco could be arrested and charged just for going over there with the intent to do bodily harm."
    "Ask Byron to go," Tasha said. "Franco would listen to him."
    "Please, Toni, please ask him. Franco is a businessman, not a gangster. He can't go
    Create PDF with GO2PDF for free, if you wish to remove this line, click here to buy Virtual PDF Printer
    file://C:\Documents and Settings\Danna\My Documents\Azureus Downloads\Christine Fe...
    9/13/2007

    Dark Symphony
    Page 179 of 188
    threatening Don Demonesini." Marita looked down at her hands. "What if something terrible happens? What if Franco gets hurt or is arrested?"
    Byron. Franco has gone to confront Don Demonesini. I know I can take apart their business. I can ruin them financially, and I should have told Franco my plans.
    It would not have been enough. Demonesini touched Franco's beloved wife. He tormented her for years. Your cousin needs more than stripping his enemy of his money.
    Will you go and make certain nothing happens to Franco? I know you're tired and you need to feed, but I have to ask you.
    There is no need to ask. The jaguar is dead. Have Tasha call Diego and tell him there were two cats, not one. I will talk to him myself about what happened.
    Byron looked up at the clouds. He was weary, and he did need to feed, but more than that, he needed to make Antonietta happy. She had gone through so much and handled it in her usual self-assured, unruffled way. It made him smile each time he thought of the way she had become distressed over a simple dinner when she took jaguar attacks and flying on dragons in stride. He would not allow Demonesini to hurt her family again.
    Byron took to the sky, the fastest and most direct method of travel for one of his kind.
    The fog bank he had so carefully constructed had nearly dissipated, leaving him a clear vision of the city below. The Scarletti estate was enormous, encompassing the area surrounding the palazzo, up to the cliffs and in the other direction, going up into the mountains. The city was some distance away, and the Demonesini villa was built on the edge of the sea, right in the center of the most prominent villas in the city.
    The water gleamed like glass, a silver layer over black obsidian. Byron reveled in his ability to see colors. Without conscious thought, he reached out to share his joy with Antonietta. You gave me this, cara mia. I will always remember the bleak days and know what you have done for me.
    Her soft laughter washed over his skin like a caress. Diego is here. He's searching Helena's room and then will search Esteben's room for evidence of involvement in the theft ring. He's hoping to find names.
    The villa's lights were just below him. Before breaking contact, Byron sent Antonietta kisses, enough to tide her over until his return. The verandah circled around the entire house.
    Byron shifted into human form and walked around the porch until he found an unlocked door.
    He entered the villa boldly, striding through the long hallway in the direction of the raised voices.
    "I'll bet the little whore told you she was innocent." Don Demonesini laughed, a wicked, ugly sound. "Look at these photos. She begged to pleasure me. Begged for my attention.
    Nothing could satisfy her." He threw the pictures in Franco's face. "Your Madonna, the mother of your children, with her legs spread for