Page 39 of Light Me Up

Still no surprises, but the evening was young.

There were blocks of chairs set up in the center of the room, though nowhere near enough for everyone. Noah had opted not to get near them. He and Caro needed to stay in the shadows, in the throng, on their feet and close to the exits at all times. He’d calculated the best possible spot for hiding in plain sight; out of the camera’s way, out of the spill of lights, but with a good, unobstructed view of the cross once they pulled back the curtain that concealed it.

Noah had his back to the wall beside a cool marble pillar, his left arm wrapped around Caro’s supple waist. His right hand kept clenching, longing for a weapon.

Caro leaned back against him and gave him an encouraging smile. He nodded back and gave her waist a squeeze. They’d get through this. So far, so good.

And the time spent in the amorous count’s secret fuckpad had been very, very good.

Stefano Morelli had spotted them the minute they walked in. Not much got past that guy. Noah wondered briefly about Asa’s history with Morelli, then focused in on the speech again. One of the organizers of the economic conference had the mic and was going on about how the unveiling of the cross was a journey from the storied past into a dazzling future of unlimited possibilities for…something something.

After crashing applause, Gianfranco Folti himself came up onto the dais, beaming. He bowed to the crowd and blew them all kisses, applauding back at them. “Ladies and gentlemen,signore e signori,” he said, in a big, booming voice. “You have been too kind, waiting so patiently for the highlight of the evening.”

A swell of chattering. Murmurs of appreciation. Scattered applause. A loud, impatient sigh from a heavy-set dude checking his solid gold Rolex. Noah zeroed in on Folti, as much as he could through the shield contacts.He got nothing.

After all he’d read, he was looking forward to seeing this cross for real. He was an amateur sculptor himself, so he could well appreciate the incredible investment of time and artistry that had gone into the legendary object which Orazio had then sheathed with pure gold and set with pearls and gems. He wanted a closer look at those carved roundels that depicted events in the life of Jesus in almost microscopic detail, but they weren’t likely to get one tonight. This place was a zoo.

The things he did for love.

Caro nudged him. Her inquisitive look asked if he’d picked anything up from Folti. Noahshook his head.

“It is my delight to reveal to you, my honored and exclusive guests, this shining gem of artistic passion and religious faith which has at long last been unearthed from the rubble of history!”

More applause.

“For more than five hundred years it lay hidden, miraculously intact, preserved by divine providence.” Folti’s voice rose dramatically. “But its time has finally come! Ladies and gentlemen,signore e signori, I give you now… the Cross of Orazio di Coronna!”

The black curtains swept open.

* * * *

Caro got no warning as the crowd’s collective gasp of admiration went up. The exclamations of awe and the swell of excited chatter suddenly distorted in her ears, as if it were underwater. Her body went ice cold. Her heart thundered, deafeningly loud.

Folti’s eyes were gone. Like they’d been torn out of their bleeding sockets.

Not real not real just a vision just a stress flashback not real not real

Grotesquely, Folti’s mouth kept smiling and talking into the mic, but she barely heard what he said over her pounding heart. He was introducing the next speaker, a famous academic. The big screen lit up with an image of the cross as the scholar mounted the dais, embraced Folti and gave him a both-cheeks kiss. She was a tall, skinny woman. Black beaded dress, big, toothy smile.

She was eyeless and drenched with blood, just like Folti.

Oh fuck not real not real just wait it out

“…the matter? Caro!” Noah’s urgent whisper was in her ear. “What is it? What the hell is wrong with you? Talk to me!”

She dragged in some air, trying to relax her constricting throat.

“Folti. He’s…like Tim.” She forced the words out. “The eyes. Just…give me a second.”

Noah’s arms circled her, and he tugged her back against himself. The contact helped. So did closing her eyes and blocking it all out while she repeated her familiar old mantra.Not real notreal not real…

Tim had been an old friend of hers. He’d tried to help while Mark was stalking her. Mark had torn out Tim’s eyes before he killed him. She had found his body herself.

She gathered up her courage. Opened her eyes.

Her knees went weak with relief. Folti and the scholar had their eyes again. The woman’s low-cut beaded gown was no longer drenched in blood. Her voice was normal.

It was over. She was so grateful for Noah’s solid warmth. His strong arm around her waist.

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