Venomous
A Secrets of the Eternal Rose short story
By Fiona
Paul
The year
is 1600 and the streets of Venice, Italy are ripe with intrigue and danger. In
this introduction to the world of Venom,
eighteen-year-old Mariabella has recently elevated herself from the rank of
common prostitute to the status of courtesan, a respected high-class escort for
those men in Venetian society who can afford them. Mariabella steps out to
attend a party on the arm of her powerful new patron, certain that the night
will be filled with glamour, secrets, and adventure.
--
As the
gondola slows to a stop, I adjust the neckline of my dress and emerge from
behind the leather curtains of the felze. Arabella, my friend and roommate,
laced my stays extra tightly and the stiff framework presses against my rib
cage as I stand. The private dock of Palazzo Domacetti is crowded with other
guests. All of Venice seems to be watching me as I take the gondolier’s hand
and alight from the boat.
Slowly, I step onto the dock, reveling in the
stares of desire and jealousy. For the first time in my life, I am the girl
that the other girls wish they could be. It’s not because I’m the prettiest or
the youngest, or even the most talented. It’s because one of the richest and
most powerful men in Venice went looking for a new companion, and he chose me.
Someone tugs sharply at my dress and
I wobble in my chopines, stepping sideways to regain my balance. I turn around.
A toothless woman with a stooped back is gripping the emerald-green satin of my
top skirt in her gnarled hand. Her other hand clutches a leather canteen. She’s
not wearing a hat, and snarls of gray hair hang like storm clouds around her
pale face.
“The mark,” she rasps. She is rank
with the stench of ale and worse things. Filth. Death. I grew up around these
smells and I will never forget them.
Tugging the fabric free of her bony
fingers, I glance down at my bodice and skirts, at my sleeves and lace gloves,
looking for a spot or stain. I’m clean, but I pull my cloak tight around me
anyway, attempting to cover my entire body with the soft suede garment.
“What mark?” I ask, even though she’s clearly
drunk or mad. Perhaps both.
“The
Devil’s mark,” she hisses. One crooked finger lifts toward my face. “You are
chosen.” She throws back her head and cackles.
Around me, nobles and other
courtesans watch the exchange with curiosity, but no one steps in to help. My
new patron, Joseph Dubois, is just now alighting from the gondola, having
stopped to pay the gondolier. He moves immediately to my side and gestures
quickly at a pair of men clad in the red and black livery of Palazzo Domacetti.
They step forward to seize the woman.
“Off with you now,” one says. A
heavy club hangs from his belt. “You’ve no business in this district.”
The
old woman allows the men to lead her away from the palazzo, but she continues
to cackle, a sound that makes my skin twitch and crawl as if I am covered with
cockroaches. “Chosen,” she shrills once more. And then she disappears around a
corner, safely out of sight.
--
Isn't that AMAZING! I can't wait for the next posts to find out what happens next! The next part will be on The Compulsive Reader on Oct 3!
Venom Blurb
Cassandra Caravello is one of Renaissance Venice’s lucky elite: with elegant gowns, sparkling jewels, her own lady’s maid, and a wealthy fiancé, she has everything a girl could desire. Yet ever since her parents’ death, Cassandra has felt trapped, alone in a city of water, where the dark and labyrinthine canals whisper of escape.
When Cass stumbles upon a murdered woman—practically in her own backyard—she’s drawn into a dangerous world of courtesans, killers, and secret societies. Soon, she finds herself falling for Falco, a mysterious artist with a mischievous grin... and a spectacular skill for trouble. Can Cassandra find the murderer, before he finds her? And will she stay true to her fiancé, or succumb to her uncontrollable feelings for Falco?
Beauty, love, romance, and mystery weave together in a stunning novel that’s as seductive and surprising as the city of Venice itself.
Fiona Paul lives in St. Louis, MO where she's managed to persuade prestigious universities to award her degrees in psychology and nursing. Between her studies, she traveled around five continents and spent time living in Thailand and South Korea (which is probably why she finds the idea of wearing shoes in the house a little weird.)
When Cass stumbles upon a murdered woman—practically in her own backyard—she’s drawn into a dangerous world of courtesans, killers, and secret societies. Soon, she finds herself falling for Falco, a mysterious artist with a mischievous grin... and a spectacular skill for trouble. Can Cassandra find the murderer, before he finds her? And will she stay true to her fiancé, or succumb to her uncontrollable feelings for Falco?
Beauty, love, romance, and mystery weave together in a stunning novel that’s as seductive and surprising as the city of Venice itself.
Short Author Bio
Fiona Paul lives in St. Louis, MO where she's managed to persuade prestigious universities to award her degrees in psychology and nursing. Between her studies, she traveled around five continents and spent time living in Thailand and South Korea (which is probably why she finds the idea of wearing shoes in the house a little weird.)
In addition to writing, Fiona is somewhat obsessive about coffee, music, and adventure sports. Her future goals include swimming with great white sharks and writing a whole truckload of novels, not necessarily in that order.She also writes contemporary YA under the name Paula Stokes.
Fiona Paul's Website
Fiona Paul's Blog
Fiona Paul's Twitter
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