Steal the Night (Thieves #5)(56)

“So this is one of your powers?”

Marcus’s nearly black eyes narrowed, but he laughed anyway. “You can’t blame a vampire for trying, cara. Here we are in the most romantic city on earth and the day is beautiful. Can you think of a more pleasant way to spend the afternoon? I can taste you here and not risk the addiction. After you’ve fed me, I would be more than happy to lift your skirts and allow you to ride me for as long as it takes, il mio tesoro. You haven’t lived until you’ve made love in a gondola on the Grand Canal.”

I rolled my eyes. He never gave up. “I’ll be sure to bring that up when Danny, Dev, and I discuss our next vacation. Now, want to explain why I’m here?”

Marcus sighed. “I thought it was better than you having to deal with Devinshea and that wolf of yours pulling the bullet out of your shoulder. You passed out in the limo. In reality, you’re on a table in Hugo’s kitchens with Devinshea carving up your shoulder. I’m sorry, but we felt it best to stay away from hospitals.”

Grimacing, I took a deep breath. “Okay, I’ll go along with that. So this is your version of anesthesia?”

“It’s taking you away from the pain,” the vampire allowed.

“Is this the same as the stuff Chad can do?” Chad was good with illusions.

“Not at all,” he explained. “This is not an illusion in the strict sense of the word. I joined with you on a mental level. Chad can make people see things that aren’t there. I’ve merely drawn you into my memory.”

“Vulcan mind meld. Nice,” I said with a grin.

Marcus laughed. “You and Daniel. You’re incorrigible—what is the word now?—geeks.” He leaned his head back and seemed to enjoy the sun. “This is my favorite place in the world. I thought I would share it with you.”

“And the people in costumes?”

“They aren’t costumes, Zoey,” he explained. “This is what we wore in 1593. You look lovely in a corset, by the way. The people on the street are all looking at you and wondering if a new courtesan has come to Venice. They’re thinking that Don Vorenus has always found the most beautiful of courtesans to keep him company.”

I looked up and sure enough, people were staring and talking behind their hands. “You have a vivid imagination, Marcus.”

“I need no imagination to come to this place.” The vampire smiled as he took in the bridges and streets and houses that made up his home city. “I merely need to close my eyes and the memory is ingrained on my brain. This city has been my great love. I was born in Rome, but I am a son of Venice. I helped to build her. I watched her stand up to tyranny and fight off invaders. I saw the plague take a third of our citizens in a three-year period and still she rose again. This is my heart and my home, Zoey.”

“It’s beautiful, Marcus.” I was touched by his passion for his home. “How did you manage to live here for so long without being detected?”

“Venetians are incredibly practical and tolerant. For a long time, the ruling class knew exactly what I was. I caused no trouble and actually helped make them money. I’ve always been good at knowing how to make money. At one point in time, the Inquisition came for me and the people of Venice hid me and my companion at the time. For months we hid, being moved from house to house and treated like honored guests in each home.”

“You must have been good to those people,” I commented as I enjoyed the sights. It was a marvel to think the city was built before modern technology.

“I was good to them and they were good to me. There are still many people in Venice who know exactly what I am and they would never betray me. Look up ahead, cara.”

We were turning down a narrow canal and suddenly we were in shadows. Marcus pointed to an ancient house. It was marked with a small engraved plate.

“This was the home of Marco Polo,” Marcus said. “He was a good friend of mine.”

Marcus was the ultimate name dropper. He enjoyed talking about the interesting people he’d met over his very long life. “He was the explorer, right?”

I could have mentioned he was also the inventor of the great swimming pool game, but Marcus would have given me that look he always gave me when I said something stupid.

“Oh, yes, it’s been my privilege to meet many important people over the years. It’s another of my talents.”

“How is meeting people a talent?”

“My talent isn’t in meeting them,” Marcus explained. “It’s in knowing who will be important and who will not. You see, most vampires’ skills lay in their strength…”

“You’re talking about warriors,” I interrupted, wanting to understand more about the different classes. I sure as hell wouldn’t be calling up Marini to fill me in. “Like Daniel.”

Marcus laughed at the thought. “Daniel is a warrior and so much more, cara. There is only one word for Daniel and that is king. Daniel takes all the good traits of each class and blends them to make a vampire of immense strength. Louis is a warrior. Most of the members of the Council are warriors. They are the most prevalent of the classes.”

“You’re an academic, right?”

“Yes, I am. It is the category they use for vampires whose talents are almost entirely mental. I’m stronger than a human, but I could never battle Daniel or Louis. My talents lie in persuasion and the ability to draw another person into my mind. I can usually tell when a person is lying to me, and I always know what a human is feeling. It makes it incredibly easy to find a meal and go undetected. I know who’s attracted to me and I can use that.”