Stolen Fury by Elisabeth Naughton Read Free Book Online

relief from its careful wrapping.
    Maria’s eyes took on an excited gleam. He didn’t even need the analysis he’d traveled so far to obtain. The look on her face confirmed his speculation.
    She reached behind her on the table and grasped her glasses. Eyes riveted on the piece, she slipped the small round spectacles onto her nose and leaned closer. “May I?”
    “Of course.” He gently placed the marble in her hands.
    She examined the relic from every angle, running her fingers over valleys and ridges, looking closely at the way light played over the surface, holding it back to get a better view. Long minutes passed while she studied the relief with unbridled interest.
    “Alecto,” she said softly.
    “That was my guess.”
    “The first of the three Furies.” Awe filled her voice. “Conceived when the blood of Uranus dripped onto Mother Earth after he was castrated by Kronos. The three sisters of vengeance were powerful divinities who punished crime by hounding their victims until they died in a furor of torment and madness.”
    “Lovely way to go,” Rafe muttered.
    She didn’t seem to hear him. Her focus was intent on the relief in her hands. “Alecto was the oldest, unceasing in anger. Magaera was next, retaliator of jealousy, and Tisiphone, the last, regarded as the avenger of murder.”
    Rafe had heard it all before; he didn’t need another lesson in Greek mythology. But the woman adored the lore surrounding each piece, and he’d learned early on to let her have her moment before diving into the business behind the legends. “Three women you wouldn’t want to run into in a dark alley.”
    She smiled at his comment and tipped her eyes up a split second before refocusing on the piece. “No, most definitely not.”
    “Is it real?”
    She set the relief on the table, leaned over and continued to examine it with a keen eye. “You’re asking if it matches the one you brought in three months ago. Magaera.”
    “Yes.”
    She crossed her arms over her chest as she stared at the aged marble. “I would have to do an in-depth analysis of the stonework, compare the chemical structure to that of the other piece, conduct a search of all work done before and after our target date.”
    “Gut reaction. Is it the same age?”
    She leveled her gaze on his. “Upon initial examination, I’d guess it dates close to 450 B.C. .”
    Tiny tendrils of excitement raced through his veins. “Is it done by the same artist?”
    “I won’t know for sure until—”
    “Best guess,” he cut in.
    She let out a breath. “There’s no record Kalamis even created the Furies. Speculation has swirled for centuries, but—”
    “Just tell me, Maria. Is it his work?”
    She dropped her arms with a heavy sigh. “I think when we examine it in more detail, we’ll find it’s one of Kalamis’s lost pieces.”
    A smile curled Rafe’s mouth. “Thank you.”
    “I haven’t done anything yet.”
    “Believe me, you have.” He reached for the relief and slid it back into the velvet pouch.
    Her gaze followed. “What are you doing?”
    “Taking it with me.”
    “But I thought you brought it here for inspection?”
    “I did.”
    “Rafael—”
    He locked the briefcase and looked up. “All I needed was a cursory examination. You and I both know this is exactly what we think it is.”
    “And for that reason, you need to leave it in the hands of professionals to safeguard its authenticity.”
    The only professional he trusted was himself. He lifted the case off the shiny table. “When I have the third piece, I promise I’ll bring them all back for your review. You can examine the hell out of them then.”
    Her eyes sparked. “You know where Tisiphone is located?”
    Not yet. But he would. Soon. “I’m a man of many connections, Dr. Gotsi.”
    She followed him to the door. “The Art Institute would be interested in acquiring the two pieces you already have.”
    Gee, surprise. Fighting back a laugh, he turned the knob and