Huntress of the Fallen

Vittoria was slim of form and taller than the average Italian woman at 5'9''. She overemphasized her height through regular wearing of a tall pair of trusty stiletto-heeled boots. While Vittoria dressed sensibly modest during teaching hours, outside of work she enjoyed wearing clothes that flaunted the classical Greco-Roman slope of her perfectly proportioned medium-sized breasts and her plush posterior which had only added more jiggle and suppleness after Vittoria passed the age of thirty.

Today Vittoria wore a long, knee-length blue skirt, her usual black boots, and a professional, academically appropriate white cotton blouse. While the modest overshirt demurely covered Vittoria's upper body except for her neck and forearms, it cut a tight enough fit to reveal the soft contours of her braless chest. With good looks befitting a magazine cover model, the stunning body of a woman who'd just reached the very peak of her attractiveness, a sharp fashion sense, and a wicked smile and devilish look to her eyes like she'd been caught doing something naughty, Professor Soriano dominated the sexual fantasies of the male student population. Unfortunately for them, Vittoria only had eyes for their female classmates. Every semester she picked her favorites among the girls enrolled in her introductory freshman course and if they stayed with the university program long enough they might assume the great privilege of becoming Vittoria's next temporary girlfriend.

Vittoria moved to Venice when she was a girl then went to school in Rome for her post-secondary education before transferring to England to achieve a doctorate from Oxford University. Vittoria spent the next few years bouncing around different regions of Europe performing field research and teaching as an adjunct. Shortly after her first book was published, Vittoria returned to Venice as a distinguished professor employed at the local university in the Department of Architecture and Arts. She had authored countless scholarly essays as well as three books on the history of architecture in Renaissance Europe with Venice serving as the focal point.

Vittoria soon became regarded as one of the foremost experts in her field. Her published works were praised by critics as being highly organized, detailed, and deliberate but also humorous and well-written with language readable and engaging to laymen uneducated in architecture or European history. Unfortunately, organized the exact opposite of how Vittoria's office looked at the moment.

Afternoon sunlight spilled through the elegant window panes over masses of documents and dusty blueprints laying scattered across the professor's oaken desk. Multiple stacks of thickly bound tomes piled so high that they stood in danger of toppling over at any second. Though Vittoria set her briefcase on the entropic pile as carefully as possible her elbow still managed to knock over the climbing tower of books that Vittoria kept promising she would return to the library. Vittoria had dozens of ideas or thought fragments flitting around inside her brain at any given moment and after finally cleaning and organizing her workspace it was never long before inevitably her office descended into chaos once again.

Vittoria shoved a portfolio of ancient schematics aside so she could lean back in her swivel chair, cross her ankles together, and rest her feet on the desk. She unfolded the sheets of today's newspaper edition and caught up on some local news while waiting for her guest to arrive. Vittoria was an old-fashioned woman at heart and she despised reading books or periodicals on a computer or tablet. She needed to hold the pages in her hands and rub the thin paper between her fingers before feeling comfortable absorbing the knowledge held within.

Today's newspaper contained the usual dross, mostly opinion pieces bemoaning the number of tourists in the city. Every year millions of vacationers flocked to Venice, stretching city resources to their limit and driving up the cost of food and housing for local residents. Vittoria was more intrigued by an article reporting on the sharp uptick in the number of disappearances and unsolved murders over the last six months.

The writer of the article interviewed a prominent member of the Carabiniery and asked him whether there may be a new serial killer on the loose. The police detective pointed out that other than the totally random selection of victims and the brutal eviscerations inflicted on their still-living bodies there was nothing connecting the murdered other than bad luck. The slayer's behavior did not fit the profile of a traditional serial killer.

In answer to this threat, the polizia promised to increase the frequency of nighttime patrols but concerned citizens were already clamoring for the mobilization of a larger police force that wouldn't be afraid to undertake more punitive, uncivil measures.

"Bah, some of us can't wait to live under the thumb of the Partito Nazionale Fascista again," Vittoria muttered as she flipped over the page to the next section.

Vittoria had difficulty focusing on the news, especially knowing her reading was merely an attempt to distract from an encroaching sense of nervous, giddy anticipation. She was far too intrigued by the secrecy of this mystery woman who would soon be calling on her.

Who is this Bryana Pearson and why would she donate millions of her fortune just for the opportunity to meet with me? Vittoria wondered over and over.

A short while later, the intercom speaker on Vittoria's desk phone buzzed loudly then broadcast the voice of the departmental secretary who said, "Signora Pearson here for Professor Soriano."

Vittoria pressed the hands-free button on her phone and said into the speaker, "Please send her in, Contanzia."

A moment later, Vittoria heard a knock on her office door just before it swung open. She would never forget her very first time seeing the infamous Bryana Pearson. Bryana was an athletic-looking woman of average height who appeared to be nearly a decade younger than Vittoria. The professor nearly cursed Dean Lucca out loud when the sight of the woman stole her breath away.

Signora Pearson turned out to be an absolutely gorgeous dream with a short, cute haircut that descended her neck in shaggy blond waves before the very tips of her hair curled back up the nape of her neck. The casually beautiful way Bryana's long bangs hung across her forehead was simply adorable. Despite the slightly butch haircut and a certain brutality to her characteristics and mannerisms, Bryana possessed a disarming feminine beauty.

Bryana's pink lips were luscious and full, her nose small and slightly hooked, and the rest of her facial features were all in perfect proportion to each other. Even from the far side of her office, Vittoria noticed a long scar crossing Bryana's right cheek which could only have been created through violence. This disfigurement did nothing to tarnish Bryana's beauty. The wound rather contributed to her entrancing mystique by lending the woman an intense and dangerous edge.

Bellissimo, Vittoria thought as her heart stopped and all of a sudden time moved in slow-motion. Mio Dio, una bellissimi ragazza.

Bryana didn't possess a large body but still looked hard and solid with deadly muscles and broad shoulders. If she were a half-foot taller Bryana would have nailed the Amazonian goddess look. She wore a plain, tan-colored silk blouse tucked into tight denim jeans that topped a pair of large, utilitarian black boots. Despite her muscled physique, Bryana boasted a sensual, womanly form with a set of large, gravity-defying orbs bulging heavily from her braless chest. Bryana's voluptuous shape curved inward below her breasts until her waist where her sides snaked outward into wide, flaring hips. The sleek legs and muscle-toned thighs Vittoria detected hiding beneath those jeans were simply to die for. A sudden wicked image formed in Vittoria's mind where she imagined those glorious tits flattening underneath Vittoria while Bryana's powerful thighs wrapped tightly around the professor's midsection. Those remarkable lips tasted incredible against hers in Vittoria's fantasy. The professor shook her head to swiftly get a hold of herself.

However, the feature which most compelled Vittoria were Bryana's eyes which had been afflicted by some disease or deformity. Bryana's pupils and irises had melded together to form depthless pools of black that consumed any light entering her corneas into an infinite oblivion. The condition didn't seem to affect Bryana's sight however; she stared intensely at the professor and with plain interest. Vittoria felt herself being drawn deeper inside those dark pits the longer she stared into them and finally she forced herself to turn and look away. Though Bryana held a guarded but friendly expression, through their briefly formed connection Vittoria sensed Bryana's demeanour hid overwhelming pain from some lingering, unimaginable tragedy.

Who hurt you, Bryana Pearson? Vittoria wondered. Who would dare?

Vittoria felt glad now that Lucca hadn't spoiled this first appearance for her. Bryana Pearson had yet to open her mouth and already she was the most fascinating woman Vittoria had ever met.

Bryana seemed equally taken aback by her first impression of Vittoria. Perhaps the professor was not what the wealthy philanthropist had expected either. Vittoria supposed Bryana could have found her photograph on the university website but Bryana's behavior indicated this was her very first sight of Professor Soriano. Bryana's mesmerizing dark eyes widened with surprise when she ventured inside the office to find a brown-skinned Italian beauty with her feet propped up high enough on her desk to lift her skirt and reveal a flash of thigh.

Vittoria smirked when she noticed Bryana's gaze slide towards her center to verify whether the professor's underwear was visible from this angle. They were visible indeed and Vittoria reveled in knowing that Bryana just discovered her preference for black-and-white polka-dot undies. Only the barest amount of sexual interest was shown but that was all Vittoria needed before pursuing Bryana further.

"Signora Pearson, please come in," Vittoria said in her warmest and most welcoming tone. She dropped her feet from the desk and leaned forward to extend a hand to Bryana in greeting. "I am Vittoria Soriano, distinguished professor here at the Università iuav di Venezia."

"Call me Bryana," the blonde woman insisted in a clumsy Italian dialect as she gripped the hand offered by Vittoria.

Bryana's hand felt rough and calloused, hardly what Vittoria expected from a woman of such fabulous wealth that Vittoria could hardly imagine. Vittoria wondered if Bryana possibly felt the very same sparks as she did the first time their skin made contact. Now that she had her, Vittoria never wanted to let go of Bryana but after a few seconds she reluctantly loosed her grasp on Bryana's hand.

"I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Vittoria."

Bryana spoke Italian fluently enough though her speech sounded halted and awkward as if she had only recently learned the language. The blonde woman's voice was tinged with a slight accent, Eastern European if Vittoria hazarded to guess.

"Would you be more comfortable speaking English?" Vittoria asked.

Bryana's face expressed relief as she switched her mode of communication to the more common language between them. "That would be much easier for me, thank you."

"I'm speaking at a conference in London next month," Vittoria explained. "I need to brush up on my Anglican and you've given me the perfect excuse to practice."

"Do you know many languages?" Bryana wondered.

"Oh my, yes," Vittoria said as she lowered her glasses to the bridge of her nose and stared pointedly at Bryana. "Just one of the several talents of mine that I'd love to demonstrate to you."

"I didn't come here for tutoring on foreign languages," Bryana replied with a dismissive wave of her hand.

Vittoria's jaw nearly dropped with surprise at how casually Bryana brushed her off. The inscrutable woman seemed totally oblivious to Vittoria's rather blatant flirting, which both infuriated and excited Vittoria in equal measure. Even straight women were susceptible to Vittoria's smouldering gaze but her usual tricks had no effect on Bryana which only made the impregnable woman more desirable in Vittoria's mind.

"Why exactly are you here then, Bryana?" Vittoria wondered as she sat back in her seat. "You've awarded the university the largest donation it's received in over a decade and the only precondition was a meeting with me. Please help me understand because I'm just not getting it."

Bryana pulled out a photograph from the portfolio tucked between her arm and her torso. She slammed the picture down onto one of the few unoccupied spaces atop Vittoria's desk and slid it toward the professor.

"Do you know this building?"

Vittoria adjusted the glasses hanging over the bridge of her nose before going in for a closer inspection of the photo.

"Romanesque architecture, late 11th century judging by the style," Vittoria remarked as she studied the picture in finer detail. Bryana snapped this particular photograph during the sunlight hours of yesterday's reconnaissance mission but Vittoria imagined the stark, sinister-looking black structure appeared far more imposing at night. "Istrian stone of course, common to the period, though of a darker hue than other buildings constructed during that era. This house is near the Giardini Papadopoli, yes? I think I've seen it before during a walk through the more untended portion of the park. Why, this building has to have been abandoned for centuries."

"By all appearances it is abandoned," Bryana grumbled. "Though appearances can be deceiving. Do you know of any more houses like this one in the city?"

"Certainly there are," Vittoria said. "Venice has buildings from the Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic, and Renaissance periods all smashed together. This diversity in architectural style is one of the things I love most about the city. I would need to research whether any houses of a similar style still remain intact. I'm all for preserving history but when buildings become this decrepit and no one assumes responsibility for their upkeep they become a blight inhibiting the city's progress. I'm frankly shocked this building hasn't been demolished yet."

"What about underneath the city?" Bryana wondered. "Are there any tunnels? Hidden entrances? I investigated the interior of this house and discovered no basement though I'm certain a lower level exists. I suspect there are underground passageways connecting this house to others of its kind."

Bryana's face turned a furious red as Vittoria burst with laughter.

"A secret network of tunnels beneath the city?" Vittoria shouted incredulously. "Hidden beneath my nose after I've spent my entire life studying this place? Preposterous! What nonsense!"

Vittoria finally noticed the severe expression on Signora Pearson's face. The furious tightening of Bryana's lips gave Vittoria a slight quiver of worry. This was not a woman to trifle with.

"You're being serious, aren't you? I didn't mean to poke fun at you, Bryana. Please forgive me. Understand that the very first flood of the canals would drown anyone who inhabited such a tunnel. What you are imagining is simply not possible."

Vittoria noticed Bryana still stood awkwardly before her on the opposite side of the desk and she reprimanded herself for forgetting her manners.

"Please sit down, Bryana," Vittoria said as she indicated the chair across from her.

Bryana's gaze was averted as she complied with Vittoria's polite invitation, completely missing the way Vittoria's eyes widened as they roamed over the prominent lift and bounce of Bryana's heavy, unfettered breasts when the blonde plopped her big, sexy ass down on the seatcushion opposite Vittoria. Vittoria wondered what it would feel like to run her fingers through Bryana's short hair, to caress the nape of her neck and feel those gorgeous plump lips pursing against her mouth. Vittoria vowed then and there that she would make this woman hers, no matter the cost. For all Vittoria's disbelief and incredulity at the Bryana's far-fetched ideas, the wealthy woman's fanciful notions would unknowingly give Vittoria the perfect hook to tether her in with.

"Let's consider this hypothetically," Vittoria conceded. "What do you expect to find beneath this city?"

"That which I have been seeking for most of my life," Bryana answered cryptically. "You need know no more than that."

"Are you some kind of treasure hunter or amateur archaeologist?" Vittoria asked with a laugh. "Is this how the wealthy and influential spend their free time these days?"

"Let's just say I have a personal interest in learning as much about this city as possible," Bryana said.

Bryana fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat, a nervous tic that resulted from uneasiness at sitting inactively for more than a few minutes. Vittoria got the sense that Bryana wasn't big on personal interactions and hoped she could bring the woman out of her shell a bit.

Vittoria was somewhat disappointed to see a woman of such means, intelligence, and charm given to absurd flights of fancy. In the end, was Bryana that much different from anti-vaxxers or believers in lunatic conspiracy theories? Still, this loss in personal esteem wouldn't deter Vittoria in her goal of sexual conquest over the woman though perhaps the victory of Bryana's seduction would feel hollow once Vittoria proved the woman a fraud.

"Have you researched much already?" Vittoria asked. "I'm wondering whether or not you need a primer on the history of Venice as a city-state. It was only fairly recently, relatively speaking, that Italy became a united nation. Prior to unification in the mid-nineteenth century, Venice was one of the most powerful cities in the world."

"I've been reading plenty," Bryana answered as she pulled a list of reading materials from out of her portfolio. "Here's what I've managed to digest so far."

Vittoria scanned through the thorough list Bryana presented her before stopping and grumbling, "Molto is a hack. Half his data was pulled straight from his fat, hairy behind. He's a pig also. He got handsy and tried to proposition me at a party a few years ago even though my orientation for women is common knowledge amongst the academic community."

Bryana's eyes widened at Vittoria's none-too-subtle outing of her sapphic preferences. Was it merely Vittoria's wishful thinking that after her sexuality was revealed a Bryana seemed to perceive her in a new light?

"Duly noted," Bryana said. "If I ever meet this Molto I will teach him to never put his unwanted hands on a woman again."

Bryana was no braggart and Vittoria had a feeling she would actually make good on that threat. Bryana shifted uncomfortably in her seat, clearly tiring of her fight against her incessant need to twist and bounce in her chair. She used a closer inspection of the aged maps and framed accolades lining the walls of Vittoria's office as an excuse to rise from her seat. Vittoria wondered whether Bryana had been a gymnast or some other kind of athlete with the impeccably toned physique she boasted.

She must work out for hours each day to maintain that figure, Vittoria reasoned.

Bryana turned and bent slightly so she could investigate up close a map of the streets and avenues of Venice dating from the 17th century. Vittoria's breath caught at her first full view of the woman from behind. Bryana's jeans fit so tightly that the indent of a deep and prominent asscrack was visible through the snug denim. The blonde woman's large buttocks looked firmly solid but also soft and cushiony enough to slumber peacefully upon. Vittoria bit her lip in distress at the fantasy of squeezing those big, beautiful cheeks in both hands before running a finger straight down the narrow valley in between Bryana's buttocks.