Read Online Byzantine Heartbreak by Tracy Cooper-Posey - Free Book Online
Authors: Tracy Cooper-Posey
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arrested for molesting women in a public lavatory?” Ryan grimaced. “That would really round the night out perfectly. Leave it, Cáel. Nayara will be back in a while.”
“You could have warned me about the bloody medallion,” Cáel complained.
Ryan turned his chair around and sat on it properly. “How was I to know you’d ask her about it?”
“She wears it every bloody day!” Cáel pointed out. “Of course I was going to ask about it. Who wouldn’t?”
Ryan drew back a little, surprised at Cáel’s vehemence. “I suppose we’re not used to strangers amongst us on a regular basis. It hadn’t occurred to me you might be curious about it.”
“Aren’t other vampires curious?”
“Other vampires know not to ask. We volunteer information about ourselves when we’re ready. It’s the way of things.”
“So Brenden may not know anything about you and he’ll never ask? Even if he’s been at the station for fifty years?”
“He has been at the station at least that long, as it happens.”
Cáel tried to encompass that sort of personal privacy. “Well, it’s a different way of looking at things. It explains why you both bucked so hard over the book.”
Ryan lifted a brow. “We’re trying, Cáel. We’re trying. It’s a steep adaptation for us, especially after so long.”
“I’m beginning to appreciate that.”
“Please excuse my rudeness on the dance floor, Cáel,” Nayara said, from behind him.
Cáel stood and turned. She was hovering just behind him, looking glorious and pristine in her dark green velvet and sequins, with not a hair out of place. Her flesh seemed to glow. So did her eyes.
“Nothing to forgive,” he said. “Ryan was just explaining why I was an insensitive asshole. I think I’m the one that should be apologizing.”
Nayara shook her head. “Ryan and I need to become accustomed to questions. To...probing. It will happen more often now.” She motioned to Cáel’s chair. “Sit. Please. I thought I would try to make up for my lapse right away.” She gracefully lowered herself onto the chair next to him.
“How?” Cáel asked curiously.
“I thought I would tell you about how Ryan and I met.” She lifted the champagne bottle and topped up Cáel’s glass. “Would you like to hear that story, Cáel?”
“More than life itself,” Cáel said truthfully.
Ryan settled himself on his chair. “I can help,” he added, his fingers resting briefly on her wrist.
Nayara smiled at him. Her smile, Cáel noticed, trembled. This wasn’t easy for either of them.
Nayara frowned down at the tablecloth. “I don’t know where to start,” she confessed.
“What year did you meet?” Cáel asked, although he already knew the answer.
“Fourteen forty-two,” Ryan replied instantly.
“Was it an accidental meeting?” Cáel asked curiously. “Nayara, you were passing as a noble woman. And Ryan, you had just arrived in the city. You were a stranger. Meeting and socializing with one of the city’s high born women would have been unusual.”
Ryan nodded. “Unless you had business dealings with her husband...or the man who was generally acknowledged as her de facto husband at that time.”
Cáel forced himself to speak the name that he knew was painful for both of them. “Salathiel.”
Nayara’s full lips pressed together.
Ryan glanced at her. “Do you want me to do this, Nia?” he asked softly.
She started at the name. Nia .
Cáel wished he could spare them this pain, but he had spoken nothing but the truth. This was the best way to get the public to open their hearts to them both and to vampires in general. To know them was to accept them, even love them a little.
Nayara shook her head. “I can do this. I will do this.” She sat up straighter. “Fourteen forty-two...
* * * * *
Constantinople. 1442 A.D. Mid-summer.
“Nia!”
Salathiel’s booming voice echoed through the house, making Nayara smile. She picked up the hem of her tunic and hurried
“You could have warned me about the bloody medallion,” Cáel complained.
Ryan turned his chair around and sat on it properly. “How was I to know you’d ask her about it?”
“She wears it every bloody day!” Cáel pointed out. “Of course I was going to ask about it. Who wouldn’t?”
Ryan drew back a little, surprised at Cáel’s vehemence. “I suppose we’re not used to strangers amongst us on a regular basis. It hadn’t occurred to me you might be curious about it.”
“Aren’t other vampires curious?”
“Other vampires know not to ask. We volunteer information about ourselves when we’re ready. It’s the way of things.”
“So Brenden may not know anything about you and he’ll never ask? Even if he’s been at the station for fifty years?”
“He has been at the station at least that long, as it happens.”
Cáel tried to encompass that sort of personal privacy. “Well, it’s a different way of looking at things. It explains why you both bucked so hard over the book.”
Ryan lifted a brow. “We’re trying, Cáel. We’re trying. It’s a steep adaptation for us, especially after so long.”
“I’m beginning to appreciate that.”
“Please excuse my rudeness on the dance floor, Cáel,” Nayara said, from behind him.
Cáel stood and turned. She was hovering just behind him, looking glorious and pristine in her dark green velvet and sequins, with not a hair out of place. Her flesh seemed to glow. So did her eyes.
“Nothing to forgive,” he said. “Ryan was just explaining why I was an insensitive asshole. I think I’m the one that should be apologizing.”
Nayara shook her head. “Ryan and I need to become accustomed to questions. To...probing. It will happen more often now.” She motioned to Cáel’s chair. “Sit. Please. I thought I would try to make up for my lapse right away.” She gracefully lowered herself onto the chair next to him.
“How?” Cáel asked curiously.
“I thought I would tell you about how Ryan and I met.” She lifted the champagne bottle and topped up Cáel’s glass. “Would you like to hear that story, Cáel?”
“More than life itself,” Cáel said truthfully.
Ryan settled himself on his chair. “I can help,” he added, his fingers resting briefly on her wrist.
Nayara smiled at him. Her smile, Cáel noticed, trembled. This wasn’t easy for either of them.
Nayara frowned down at the tablecloth. “I don’t know where to start,” she confessed.
“What year did you meet?” Cáel asked, although he already knew the answer.
“Fourteen forty-two,” Ryan replied instantly.
“Was it an accidental meeting?” Cáel asked curiously. “Nayara, you were passing as a noble woman. And Ryan, you had just arrived in the city. You were a stranger. Meeting and socializing with one of the city’s high born women would have been unusual.”
Ryan nodded. “Unless you had business dealings with her husband...or the man who was generally acknowledged as her de facto husband at that time.”
Cáel forced himself to speak the name that he knew was painful for both of them. “Salathiel.”
Nayara’s full lips pressed together.
Ryan glanced at her. “Do you want me to do this, Nia?” he asked softly.
She started at the name. Nia .
Cáel wished he could spare them this pain, but he had spoken nothing but the truth. This was the best way to get the public to open their hearts to them both and to vampires in general. To know them was to accept them, even love them a little.
Nayara shook her head. “I can do this. I will do this.” She sat up straighter. “Fourteen forty-two...
* * * * *
Constantinople. 1442 A.D. Mid-summer.
“Nia!”
Salathiel’s booming voice echoed through the house, making Nayara smile. She picked up the hem of her tunic and hurried
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