In a flash, memories flooded her mind. Eleanor practicing with it in the front yard when she thought Sabrina slept. Strike after strike of the blade against the flesh of her enemies while the sounds of war raged around her. The resistance of bone as the short sword found purchase. The smell of so much blood excited her, as if she really stood on the battlefield. A face came into focus, and Mars grabbed her in a heady embrace. Victory and the spoils of war were hers. The wild adrenaline rushing in her system demanded further release.
A sharp pain brought Sabrina back to reality. Although she still sat on the floor, she felt disoriented and off-balance. The heat from the sword’s hilt dissipated into her hand. She let go and then picked it up again. Nothing happened this time.
Brandon’s furrowed brow greeted her when she looked up. “What the hell was that?”
“I don’t know. Memories?” She described everything she saw and all emotions. “It was real or, at least, seemed real.”
“I can assure you. You didn’t leave the room, but you zoned out for quite a while. There isn’t much night left. Are you okay?” Brandon asked. Worry colored his voice. Unasked questiones seemed to float in his expression.
“I think so. I think Eleanor was way more than a student. I’m so glad not to have seen that part,” she said gratefully, and shivered involuntarily.
In the box, she found a miniature bow and quiver of arrows. Only when she picked them up did they grow to full size. Underneath, several small throwing knives, grieves, and a woman’s breastplate laid hid under a fine, royal-blue cloak with an intricate gold braided edge.
“Mea Dulcis, would you like to go out in the yard and let us show you a thing or two before sunrise?” Hadrian asked. He made the demand sound like a question, but his intent was clear. This was no request.
She snagged the gladius automatically and went out on to the porch. The pendant around her neck began warming. At the same time, the hilt felt as though it fused to her hand. All of her senses reeled and became hypersensitive, more than they already were.
She turned on the stairs and grabbed a fistful of Brandon’s shirt and threw him over her shoulder into the yard. Instinctively, she took a defensive posture, coiled to strike. One foot behind the other with her weight balanced around her center of mass gave her steady maneuverability. She was ready for anything.
“Brandon, get up and dust yourself off, my boy. I think Mea Dulcis knows more than we thought. Let’s see what else she might know,” Hadrian said, pulling a long knife from under his arm. He took up an offensive position in front of Sabrina and began circling her.
She moved to match his pace, just as she had seen Eleanor do a thousand times while sparring with Clay. When he lunged at her, she feinted right and then brought the hilt down across the back of his neck as he fell past her. She backed off a few paces and prepared for the next attack.
Brandon wrapped his arms around her from behind and clasped one hand around the other wrist. He lifted her smaller frame off the ground and gave her little means to free herself. “Now what do you do?”
Growling erupted from between her clenched teeth. The lioness within woke and came out swinging. The big cat filled Sabrina’s mind and provided extra strength. Dark rainbows radiated from her body, expanding in Brandon’s arms and forcing him to release her.
He hit the ground and rolled away from her sweeping kick. He finished the roll by getting to his feet. “Enough, Sabrina, I get the point,” he said, panting slightly.
Hadrian clapped. “Brava!” He beamed at her. “Who would have thought the mouse had such spirit? You’ve been holding out on us, little one,” he said with pride.
“I have not,” Sabrina countered. Everything she remembered and all the memories fed to her by the sword came together in one big mesh of understanding. Finally, she understood, and all the things Eleanor said and did made perfect sense.
“What about the camo-wearing guy that attacked you in the shop before Eleanor brought you to me? What about the man in the park when Clay died? What about Lucifer and his henchmen? Then there was that adventure in the Underworld. Where was all this then?” Brandon asked, sounding angry.
“Just because you learn something, doesn’t mean you know how to use it. Confidence and competence are next door neighbors, you know. Some of the experience came through the sword, but the knowledge I gained from Eleanor and Clay over the years took some time to learn to use. There’s a big difference in horsing around with your best friend and having some guy try to cut your head off for a necklace,” Sabrina said sharply.
The sun threatened to break over the horizon. She felt it push against the night sky as the golden-pink and orange-tinted hues forced back the darkness and stars. She glanced to the east.
“I suggest we get inside, unless you want to get sizzled like bacon,” she said with amusement. She missed bacon more than other food and wished she had a heaping plate of it.
“Do you smell that?” Brandon asked, looking puzzled at Hadrian.
Hadrian turned to Sabrina. “Mea Dulcis, I am going to hope you didn’t just fill the house with fried pork product,” he said calmly.
Sabrina rolled her eyes and hurried inside. The house looked the same. The delicious smell came from the kitchen. One the table sat a banquet-sized platter loaded with the very thing she wished for—crispy bacon strips. Unable to resist, she picked up a piece and let the flavor explode in her mouth.
“Oh, yeah, that’s the ticket,” she muttered, enjoying the first food she had eaten in months.
“Sabrina, honey, the sun?” Brandon said, looking at the plate with a forlorn expression.
Hadrian cleared his throat. “I’m going to bed now. Pleasant dreams,” he said and disappeared upstairs.
“Sorry,” she said and wished the plate would vanish. Once it left, only the lingering scent of fried heaven remained.
“We need to get upstairs,” Brandon said and reached out for her hand. He led her up to their bedroom. He quickly stripped out of his clothes and donned a pair of soft drawstring sleep pants in the dark.
Sabrina followed suit, putting down the gladius she still carried only long enough to get her shirt off and her cotton nightgown over her head. She laid down beside Brandon and clutched the short sword tightly to her chest.
“Are you going to sleep with that?” he asked.
“I don’t know. It feels connected to me somehow,” she replied.
“I never got a chance to ask you to forgive me,” he said, sounding a little guilty. He pulled her to his chest and cradled her head on his shoulder. “Watch the blade.”
She shifted to make sure she lay on her back with the sharp edge away from his body. She lay quietly for a few moments and thought about his words. Could she ask for more than the truth? Was she entitled to more than that? Not really.
“There’s nothing to forgive,” she said and yawned. She felt the sun hit the horizon and fell asleep in his arms.
Chapter 15
Sabrina felt someone’s stare boring a hole in her back. She tried to glance out of the corner of her eye, but they were standing outside her magical barrier. Cocooned in dark rainbows and hazy shadows, she knew her safety was assured. Turning slowly, she saw him come into view.
“You can’t escape me in your dreams,” Mars said. Instead of the black Armani suit and expensive shoes, he wore a long, red silk tunic with a loose skirt topped with an ornate, silver breastplate and plated shoulder guards. His golden balteus, or belt, held the baltea, a row of hinged metal strips used to protect his groin. Heavy sandals and ornate grieves covered his feet and lower legs. An empty sheath for a gladius hung at his side. A large, long sword hung behind his back, its jewel-encrusted pommel twinkling in the light of her rainbows. At his neck, a thick, woolen, red scarf padded his skin from his armor and shielded the back of his neck from his silver helmet with bright-red plumes. The cheek guards covered most of his face, but she knew every unseen curve. His gold-embroidered cape hung from his shoulders in a
cascade of white silk. His strong hands held a shield and a spear. With all the protective gear, he still had a maximum range of movement.
“I didn’t call you. I didn’t think of you and ask,” Sabrina retorted. She took a moment to check her clothes. A long, dark-purple, ankle-length tunic lay under the lightweight, lavender silk of her stola, or over-dress. Wrapped over her shoulders and tucked between her arms and body was a beautifully woven cloak called a palla. Gold braided sandals covered her feet. She looked like an imperial matron of Rome.
Sabrina sighed with relief. The last dream she had involving a celestial being resulted in a cat fight while dressed only in her lace underwear. At least this time she wore clothes.
“I had hoped you would,” he said, standing perfectly still. His blank expression gave away nothing.
“I’m not your student and don’t want the job, no matter what Aunt Eleanor did for you,” Sabrina said. She wanted to refuse him, to reject him wholeheartedly.
He let go of his spear and shield, leaving them to support themselves with magic. Lifting his silver helmet, he watched her like a predator assessing its prey. He made a motion as if to place the helmet on a table that was not there, suspending it in midair. He gave her a wide smile.
“How do you know what Eleanor was to me? Did she tell you?” He paused.
“No. Delilah told me. Brandon and Father found your sword. They showed it to me just before sunrise. Salem warned me to stay away from you. Take her. She wants the job. I don’t,” Sabrina said. Her pendant hummed against her neck.
“Even if being my student saved the lives of your beloved Brandon and your father? You would give anything for their treacherous hides. Your husband would have used you at your father’s command. Your father abandoned you. Your mother took a willing exile rather than allowing him to die and keeping you at her side. I knew Eleanor well, and I know of her instructions, should you have fallen into the wrong hands. She would have followed through with killing you, if the need arose. A well-trained soldier always does their duty, and she was one of the best. You could be like her. You have her passion, her strength of will, and her inner beauty. Join me, and I’ll teach you how to rule the world,” he said confidently. He stepped away from his helmet, spear, and shield, leaving them suspended in the air, and walked around the perimeter of her magical barrier. His eyes never left her face as she turned to keep him in front of her.
“My father never abandoned me. Until Eleanor dropped me off on Brandon’s doorstep, he never knew I existed. My mother took exile in exchange for my life and his. She never traded one for the other. Why not take Salem? Why me and not her?” Sabrina said harshly. How an unwilling pupil made the better choice was lost on her. Wouldn’t a glad heart make for a more sound relationship?
“The half demon is interesting. She possesses the drive and skill. She’s aggressive enough, oh yes, but she lacks a very fundamental key. Powerful, celestial magic. She’s earthbound, with no link to the heavens. There isn’t a way to change how we are born. Eleanor had a human father, giving her a connection to this planet. You, however, could be more powerful that Eleanor ever was. A child of earthbound magic and of the stars? Now that is a potent combination. It doesn’t hurt that you have great beauty,” he replied, still circling her, still staring.
“I’m married,” she blurted out, feeling nervous. His stare began to wear on her nerves. The pendant warmed against her skin and added more energy to the barrier. More dark rainbows danced around her. The hazy shadows grew denser. Something was missing. Where was her inner lioness? She’d just noticed the big cat’s absence. An edge of panic crept into her.
Mars smirked. “Did you think you were the only one with the power to control animals? I’m not sure where you picked up your inner beast, but she is magnificent. Put up quite a fight, too. However, I need you and only you to hear me. I can’t have your cat helping you resist my charms,” he said coyly. He stopped walking and pressed up against her magic.
The rainbows and shadows tried to keep him out but failed. He struggled as he pushed his way through her defenses. The fight to resist him made the pendant grow white-hot.
Sabrina yelped and forgot to concentrate when the thick gold rope around her neck burned her. Her barrier came down so quickly, Mars stumbled into her. Catching him off-guard gave her lioness time to spring free of his influence.
The big cat growled and took a metaphysical swipe at the god of war. As she did, Sabrina reacted instinctively and scratched him across the face. She snarled at him, flashing her fangs as the lioness roared with indignant fury. How dare he rein in her inner queen!
The air around her grew hot. A breeze picked up, bringing the scent of hot Savanna grasslands. Sabrina pictured her lioness crouched down in tall, dry grass, ready to pounce. She gave the big cat permission to release her fury on the man at her feet.
Mars sprang back up and made a grabbing motion at her hair.
Sabrina jerked away and screamed, “No!” She focused all her will on pushing him back. A blinding light radiated from the dark crystal pendant. From behind her, a dark, cat-like shadow leapt forward, knocking Mars to the ground.
He seemed to fight with the creature. Growls and snarls and snapping teeth mixed with the sound of him grunting and growling in return. Scratching noises sounded like claws on metal.
Sabrina reined in her magic enough to tone down the bright light. She could just make out the shape of a lion digging and tearing at his breastplate. Moments later, the cat flew through the air, bouncing on the ground to Sabrina’s left, and lay still. She felt the poor animal’s pain, but at least it was still alive.
Mars got to his feet, huffing as if the exertion pushed his limits. “Good. Very good. That’s what I like to see, a woman with spirit. It makes breaking her in all the more sweet,” he said, wiping a trickle of blood from his lip with the back of one hand.
Sabrina noticed his blood lacked the copper pennies and iron smell of human blood. Instead, she caught the strong scent of magnesium, a higher concentration than she had ever encountered. Remembering the piles of books Eleanor made her read, she knew magnesium played a large role in energy production. Was that the secret to celestial power? A really high level of magnesium? What reacted with magnesium?
“Think, girl, think!” Sabrina said out loud, channeling Eleanor’s favorite lesson admonishment.
Water. Water and carbon dioxide. Where would she get either of those in a dream? The words on Mars’s card reminded her. Think and ask.
Sabrina concentrated on making a pail of water appear out of thin air. A steel bucket formed on the ground at her feet. In the pail was clear, cold water. She grabbed the bucket by the handle and dashed it on Mars’s face and body.
Only places where blood dripped onto his body and the split at his lip reacted violently. Flames boiled up, threatening to take over his head. He shouted and slapped at the blaze. When the chemical reaction ran out of energy, the fires subsided. Once out, he gave Sabrina a cold glare.
“You’ve accomplished nothing. All you’ve done is strengthen my resolve to have you,” he said with determination. He stepped back, collected his things from the air, and faded out of existence.
Sabrina made her way to the big cat on the ground. She noticed how peaceful the creature looked. Stroking the lioness’s head and scratching her behind the ears, Sabrina took advantage of being able to touch her inner goddess in such a way. When the animal began to rouse, she felt the beast become a hazy shadow. The dark tendrils wrapped around her arm and seeped back into her skin. In her mind’s eye, she could see the lioness fill her with the cat’s confident presence.
Everything seemed normal. Sabrina felt the sun press down on the western horizon. Sunset finally arrived.
She woke up but did not dare move. Glancing about, she saw Eleanor’s trunks beside her bed and felt the hilt of Eleanor’s gladius tightly gripped in her hands. The imperial dress stayed in the dream, and her own cotton nightgown was all she wore. The case wit
h the gems and gold sat in front of her lamp on the nightstand. The coins gleamed in the soft glow of the incandescent bulb. The dream was over.
Brandon rolled over in bed behind her, coiling a massive, strong arm around her waist and pulling her closer to him. He nibbled at her neck, allowing his fangs to brush across her skin. Inhaling deeply, he sighed as he nuzzled her hair.
“I love you,” he whispered, sliding a hand up from her waist to cup one breast.
Sabrina smiled. She wanted to tell him about her dream, but the opportunity to get lost in his arms made up her mind for her. She let go of the gladius and rolled over to greet her husband properly.
She took in his deep brown eyes and the way his black hair drifted across his forehead in a spiky mess. His smooth, masculine jawline and square chin made the chiseled features of his nose and cheekbones more prominent. His Mediterranean olive-toned skin screamed classic Italian. She loved the way he looked, the way he felt pressing his lean, muscular body against hers. She wanted him to take her more than she did down by the creek.
The lioness chuffed and sent signals that some issues were not resolved, but Sabrina reminded the big cat who was in charge. She no longer cared, now that the shock of his past had had time to wear off. She loved him. She loved only him. What difference did it make who he screwed centuries before she was born? The cat settled down, still tired from its daytime exertions, and napped.
Sabrina tilted her head back, giving Brandon full access to her throat. She ran her hands over his hard pectorals and up around his neck. Twisting her fingers in his hair, she guided him to her neck, arching her back slightly to press her breasts to his chest.
He nibbled and sucked at her carotid artery, flicking his tongue across it in time as if she still had a pulse. His hands tugged at the straps of her cotton nightgown and then tried to gather up the long length of fabric to get better access to her body. He gave a noise of frustration and flipped her on her back, covering the length of her body with his own.
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