A PERFECT BEAUTY

ISBN: pending
Publisher: pending
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Photo: © Vincenzo Chiofalo

Set in the romantic country of Italia, this beautiful love story begins in Rome, amid terror and bloodshed, and betrayal. An ancient Prince of Sicily, Sebastiano Diadema is the voice of law and order among the immortal Tribes of the undead. When a newly made vampire stumbles into their midst, the victim of a renegade among them, will the Prince’s self-imposed, centuries-old solitude finally be ended? In the stranger’s frightened eyes, Sebastiano discovers a kindred spirit more truly his than any of the brethren who serve his every desire at a single gesture, and his heart begins to wake again…

Read an excerpt:

The tilt of the painting gave him an excellent view of it, and a quiver of uneasiness created an unconscious frown between his brows. The background of the canvas was a swirl of crimson fury, shades of scarlet and raging fire flowing into a whirlwind; at the centre of the maelstrom, the glory of vampire hunger, bared fangs, luminescent eyes, and ecstatic prey embraced in eternal bliss.

Gino felt a shudder ripple through his being, part cold dread, part excitement. He forced his gaze from the painting and looked up, some sixth sense aware of another presence in the room. He met the impassive blue eyes of Sebastiano Diadema across the room, and he gestured for the ancient Prince to join them.

Regal in bearing, ageless in manner, Sebastiano radiated power and mystery. He was an enigma even among their kind, and had the respect of all, though in many cases it was matched with fear. Lilli took a step closer to Gino, and he smiled. Like so many women, she was in awe of the eternal Prince, drawn and afraid at the same time. For just a moment, Gino allowed his thoughts to mingle with hers, seeing Sebastiano through her eyes. What she saw was complex, but compelling. He was over six feet tall, thick brown hair the colour of earth, while his eyes were the morning sky their kind so seldom dared to look at. He was dressed as he always was, in shades of the night, black and deep grey. The imprint of power was in every slight motion he made, and there was a sensuality embedded in his being that stirred hearts long dead, as well as those still beating. Contained passion and fury, tempered with the wisdom of a man who had seen everything of life, and death.

He shook off the almost cloying sense of being drawn into Sebastiano’s being by Lilli’s desire to touch the ancient Prince.

“What do you think of this, Sebastiano?” he asked in a soft murmur when his friend was at his side and able to view the painting properly.

For several moments, Sebastiano stared in silent contemplation of the work, his mind and heart searching past the obvious for the subtle layers of mood and thought that lay beneath the brilliant, vivid colour on the canvas. The backlash of rage, and fear, and pain made him suck in an unnecessary breath as he fought the urge to slump into the nearest chair.

“She’s in great pain,” he finally spoke, his low, rich voice soft and more alive with compassion than anything else. “She’s vampire,” he went on quietly, “but not in the same way as our Tribe. This was not done to her by her choice, Gino,” he stated with certainty, his eyes meeting the steady gaze of his old friend.

Gino nodded, expression somber. He looked at Lilli, who’d been watching the exchange with real interest.

“Has she returned to the club?”

Sebastiano was surprised. “You know who painted this?” he asked, gaze moving from Gino to Lilli, then back.

“Yes,” Scala answered honestly. “Her name is Isabella DuVeaux. She runs an art gallery called—”

“La galleria d'Arte dell'angelo nero,” Sebastiano supplied, his eyes distant with thought. “I know it.”

“Really?” This time it was Gino’s expression that filled with startled speculation.

“She’s showcased a number of promising artists in recent years,” Sebastiano replied, meeting the slight smile in Gino’s eyes with his own. “She’s not afraid of controversial material,” he added, a fleeting tilt of his head indicating her own painting.

“Could she endanger the Illusion?” Gino posed the question carefully, sensing that it would not be a welcome doubt to the Prince who was again staring at the evocative painting with something akin to enchantment in his pale, expressive features. Despite his almost death-like outward appearance, Gino knew that Sebastiano was probably a great deal more human than the rest of them. While very capable of blood-chilling violence and ruthlessness, Sebastiano also possessed a capacity for gentleness that frequently humbled Gino and others of their kind.

Sebastiano smiled slightly at the query, and the care with which it was voiced.

“She doesn’t even know what she is, Gino,” he said softly. “How could she endanger us?”

“She could go on a killing frenzy without understanding why she was doing it,” Lilli pointed out, her beautiful features colder than ice.

Sebastiano merely gazed at her, his look unflinching. She turned away from his direct scrutiny in less than a minute, and he transferred his attention back to Gino.

“What do you want me to do, my friend? Advise you, or destroy her?”

There was a note of inflection in the rich, velvety voice of the reclusive Prince, something Gino couldn’t readily identify, and he was silent for several moments, considering Lilli’s assertion against what he instinctively felt would be objectionable to Sebastiano.

“We do nothing for the moment,” he decided quietly. “We’ll watch her, but not interfere until it becomes necessary.”

Sebastiano inclined his head in acceptance then peered a moment longer at the young man who ran his business interests.

“You assume it will be necessary to approach her,” he noted in a murmur.

“She’s family to us, at least in some fashion,” Gino nodded. “If she doesn’t understand what she is, she’ll have to be told. Otherwise, she’s a danger to us.”

Sebastiano considered the words, then nodded a small bow before leaving the luxurious decor of the Scala mansion’s sitting room.

“He won’t let you order her death,” Lilli said, voice low and soft with disbelief as she considered the possibility.

“Sebastiano is a survivor, Lilli, he’ll make sure I do whatever is necessary to ensure we all remain living,” Gino snapped, irritated that she was speaking aloud the sense of foreboding that had settled into his heart the instant he’d seen the painting, and his friend’s response to it.