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THE HUNTERS—Humans who hunt and kill supernatural beings for commercial purposes.
IBARRA—A Basque member of the Consilium and head of security for the principality of Florence.
FATHER KAVANAUGH—Former director of Covenant House in Orlando, Florida, and friend of Raven Wood.
LORENZO—A member of the Medici family and second in command in the principality of Florence. Also a member of the Consilium.
LUCIA—Ambrogio’s wife and servant to William York.
LUKA—Servant to William York.
MARCO—Servant to William York.
MARCUS—Also known as the Prince of Venice. Former ruler of the underworld principality of Venice, now deceased.
MARIA—A young girl with special needs who lives at the Franciscan orphanage in Florence. She is introduced in Gabriel’s Redemption.
MAXIMILIAN—A Prussian member of the Consilium.
THE MEDICI—Famous ruling family of Florence during the Renaissance.
GINA MOLINARI—Friend of Raven Wood, employed in the archives of the Uffizi Gallery.
NICCOLÒ—Famous Florentine and member of the Consilium. Head of intelligence for the principality of Florence.
OLD ONES—A special class of supernatural beings who, by virtue of having attained seven hundred years in their supernatural state, enjoy tremendous power and special abilities.
GIUSEPPE PACCIANI—A professor of Dante at the University of Florence. His backstory is given in the Gabriel’s Inferno series.
KATHERINE PICTON—Retired Dante specialist and former professor at the University of Toronto. Her backstory is described in the Gabriel’s Inferno series. Friend of the Emersons.
PIERRE—A French member of the Consilium. Oversees security and liaises with the human intelligence network as well as the police services.
THE PRINCE—Ruler of the principality of Florence, the underworld society of supernatural beings.
RECRUITS—New supernatural beings, formerly human.
THE ROMAN—Ruler of the principality of Rome and also the head of the kingdom of Italy, which includes all the Italian principalities.
AGENT SAVOLA—Interpol agent assigned to Florence.
SIMONETTA—Th e Princess of Umbria.
STEFAN—A supernatural physician of French-Canadian origin.
PROFESSOR URBANO—Director of the restoration project working on the Birth of Venus. Raven Wood’s supervisor.
THE VENETIANS—Supernatural beings living in the principality of Venice.
DOTTOR VITALI—Director of the Uffizi Gallery. He appears in the Gabriel’s Inferno trilogy.
PATRICK WONG—Canadian citizen and friend of Raven Wood. Works in the archives at the Uffizi Gallery.
CAROLYN (CARA) WOOD—Raven’s younger sister. Carolyn is a real estate agent in Miami, Florida.
RAVEN WOOD—American citizen and postdoctoral restoration worker at the Uffizi Gallery.
WILLIAM YORK—A wealthy Florentine and patron of the Uffizi Gallery. He appears briefly in Gabriel’s Redemption.
YOUNGLINGS—Supernatural beings who have yet to attain one hundred years in their supernatural state.
Acknowledgments
I am indebted to Sandro Botticelli and the incomparable space that is the Uffizi Gallery. I’m also indebted to the citizens of Florence, who gifted me with hospitality and inspiration.
I’ve used poetic license in locating Raven’s restoration lab at the Uffizi, since it would have been undertaken at one of the labs operated by the Opificio instead.
Quotations from Lucius Apuleius’s “The Golden Ass” are from William Adlington’s translation, as presented in Project Gutenberg.
I am grateful to Kris, who read an early draft and offered invaluable constructive criticism. I am also thankful to Jennifer and to Nina for their feedback and support.
I’ve been very pleased to work with Cindy Hwang, my editor. Thanks are also due to Tom Guida for his wisdom and energy. And thanks to the copyediting, art, and design teams who worked on the book and its cover at various stages.
My publicist, Nina Bocci, works tirelessly to promote my writing and to help me with social media, which enables me to stay in touch with readers. I’m honored to be part of her team.
Elizabeth de Vos, Bee W., Elena, Becca, Ellie, Heidi, Tiffany, and Chris all contributed in their areas of expertise. Thank you.
I would also like to thank those who have offered support, especially the Muses, Erika, Argyle Empire, and the readers from around the world who operate the SRFans social media accounts.
Finally, I would like to thank my readers and my family. Your continued support is inestimable, especially as we return to Florence for a new adventure.
—SR
ASCENSION 2014
Books by Sylvain Reynard
GABRIEL’S INFERNO
GABRIEL’S RAPTURE
GABRIEL’S REDEMPTION
THE RAVEN
Novella
THE PRINCE
Keep reading for an excerpt from
the sequel to The Raven, the second
book in the Florentine series.
Coming soon from Berkley Books
William leaned over, bringing his lips to Raven’s ear. “Happy birthday.”
Raven stood, staring at the man in the cell, a feeling of horror paralyzing her.
William noticed her pale face, her pounding heart, and the obvious scent of fear that lifted from her skin.
“That is not the reaction I was hoping for,” he said dryly.
She lifted a shaking finger, pointing toward the cell.
“What’s he doing here?”
William frowned. “I should have thought that would be obvious.”
Raven’s eyes met his. She blinked. “What?”
“I swore I’d give you justice.” He extended his hand in the direction of the prisoner. “This is justice.”
“How?” she asked, her breath hitching.
“I brought him here so you can kill him.”
“Stelle Su Firenze”
An Outtake from Gabriel’s Redemption
“I think if we sat here long enough, the whole world would walk by.” Julia’s voice was wistful as she rested her head on Gabriel’s shoulder.
It was their last night in Florence. They’d spent the evening dining at a romantic restaurant overlooking the Arno River. Then they’d wandered the narrow streets before arriving at the Loggia dei Lanzi. From this vantage point, they could watch the Piazza della Signoria come to life after dark.
Tourists and locals milled about the Piazza or enjoyed a drink at one of the cafés. Nearby, a string quartet played Verdi, filling the square with a beautiful melancholy.
Julia watched in fascination as s
treet vendors launched glowing cylinders into the air, the toys sparkling like firecrackers against the inkblack sky. But always, the objects would fall to the ground, their brief foray into the heavens ended by gravity.
A strange sadness crept over her. “We try to touch the stars, but we always fall back to earth.”
Gabriel drew her closer, wrapping his arm around her waist. “That’s true, but it isn’t like you to despair.”
“I’m not in despair. I just don’t want to go back. Not after . . .” Her voice trailed off.
“I don’t want to go back either, but summer has to end eventually.”
He brushed a light kiss against her dark hair before pulling her to her feet. As the music continued, he walked her to the center of the piazza. Then he took her in his arms and began to sway to the music.
She closed her eyes, floating over the stone beneath their feet as he expertly moved them.
He tightened his grip on her waist. “I’m sorry we’ve been fighting.”
Julia opened her eyes. “Me too.”
“I promise I’ll make it up to you.”
“You brought me here.”
“I’m the reason you’re constantly falling back to earth.” Gabriel’s blue eyes were earnest and searching. “I drag you from the stars—from where you belong.”
She gave him a sad smile. “It’s the human condition. We’re bound to fall.”
He stopped dancing, his eyes boring into hers. “You should never have to fall, Julianne.”
He kissed her gently and they continued dancing, stopping only when the last strains of Verdi no longer echoed through the night.
They returned to the loggia, sitting side by side on the stone bench. His fingers traced the folds of her silk dress in what he hoped would be a comforting manner.
“I wish I could sit in this piazza forever.” She gazed at the elaborate fountain nearby, and the elderly couple who were standing next to it, holding hands. “We could grow old here.”
Gabriel followed her gaze, the edges of his lips turning up.
