Visions of Fire and Ice (The Petiri)

by Teresa D'Amario

  Chapter Five

  Tamara stopped with the key halfway in the lock on her door and whirled around. “What did you say?”

  “You heard me,” he said.

  A twinge of frustrated anger sparked inside her. She didn’t tolerate her younger brother ordering her around, and she surely wasn’t going to tolerate anyone else to either. She raised a finger and pointed it at his chest. “Oh, no, we aren’t even going down this path. Let me stop you right there.” Her finger poked at hard as rock muscles, and his eyes widened, this time in surprise. “I’ve raised three sisters and a brother. Nobody tells me what to do. I make my own decisions, buster. If you think for an instant I’ll let some overgrown child tell me to stay away from the playground bully, you’ve got another thing coming.”

  His brow raised, and his oh so heavenly full lips quirked into a smile. “Overgrown child?”

  “You know what I mean.” Tamara’s stomach twisted inside. She really hadn’t meant to come on so strong, but, then, she hadn’t expected the sudden humor in his eyes either. That smile did something to her insides, making her muscles quiver like Jell-O.

  He softened, leaning toward her, his face so close.

  Until now, she’d disregarded how much like her dream man he looked. Well, she’d tried to ignore it. Just like she’d tried not to notice how arousing that small tattoo on his cheek was. But, then, he offered her his crooked half smile, and strange things happened inside her. Damn, he’s sexy.

  “Is that how you see me?” He rested one arm on the doorframe, leaning toward her. Despite the casual pose, he reeked of masculine strength. Power rolled over her, pulling her ever closer to his heat, feathering across her body like wings.

  The tingle along her skin, so light and so warm, was like magick. Or was it her imagination? But when his breath whispered across her face, his masculine scent drove all inquisitive thoughts from her mind. Her eyes fluttered, though she fought to keep them open.

  His scent was hard, edgy, and oh so male. It took all she had to not lean forward and inhale like some drug addict.

  Any other time, someone so tall and imposing leaning over her like this would set off all kinds of alarms in her head. Yet, with Ramose, she didn’t feel uncomfortable. Was that because of the dream? If so, she was headed for a big disappointment, because there was no way this man was the same one.

  She would not let him kiss her. That was so not happening on her first night in Egypt.

  Was it?

  He waited, with that crooked half smile, his head cocked to one side.

  “What?” she finally asked, realizing she’d forgotten his question.

  “Like an overgrown child?” His eyes darkened, and the edge of purple energy flashed along the perimeter of his body.

  Tamara’s breath hitched, her lips curving into a smile. She’d bet if he could see her aura, it’d be more than edged with purple. Aw, hell, maybe it was going to happen. What was the harm in a simple kiss? “Aren’t all men overgrown children?”

  What was she doing? Her voice didn’t even sound like hers. Instead, it sounded like some come-hither sex goddess or something. She bit her lip, but, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t look away.

  He chuckled, his gaze never leaving hers. “I have not been called a child for many, many years, Tamara.” His soft, dark curls brushed her cheek, and he dipped his head, drawing closer.

  The sound of his laughter did strange things inside her, and her knees trembled. She leaned back against her door. She really should unlock it, go inside, get on the phone, and yell at Julie. But, right this instant, all she could think about was the powerful man leaning over her, his masculine scent teasing her senses.

  Sense.

  Yep, she needed to find some because every bit of common sense had scattered about the time he’d leaned against the doorjamb. “Maybe it’s time someone reminded you of who you are.”

  He laughed again, the sound low in his throat. He brushed aside a stray hair teasing her cheek. She swallowed hard when he let his hand trail down her shoulder to her arm bracelet. His eyes sparked, and, for an instant, she thought she saw anger flicker in his aura, but it disappeared before she could be sure.

  “Tomorrow, then,” he said. He leaned forward, and she thought he would kiss her now. She longed for his lips to touch hers, but he merely whispered in her ear. “Nine in the morning. Be ready.”

  He turned and moved down the hall.

  Tamara was tempted to watch him until he reached the elevator, but that would be just wrong. What the hell? It’s a vacation. She peered down the hall one more time.

  Oooh, bad idea. His trousers clung to his butt, cupping each cheek as delicately as a woman’s hands.

  With heat burning in her cheeks, Tamara jerked back to her door, twisted the key, and charged inside, slamming the door between them.

  Chapter Six

  Ramose used the stairs instead of the elevator. The heat from Tamara’s gaze still sizzled along his back. He shoved hard, and the stairwell door opened with a bang. He shouldn’t have teased her the way he did. Her scent drew him inward, begging him to take a taste, and he almost had. He shook his head as though clearing out cobwebs. Not going to happen. Kissing her was too dangerous. Besides, he didn’t even like human females. Hell, he didn’t like humans. And she was especially dangerous. Fire and ice were not meant to be bedmates. One always consumed the other, didn’t they?

  Besides, he didn’t have the time, nor the inclination, to seduce her. Not with Amunkha in town.

  What he needed to do was focus on finding out how she came by the Napsuha, take it back, and get her out of Egypt. Fast. He’d seen the look in his brother’s eyes and knew that meant trouble. While Ramose wasn’t drawn to humans, they were not necessarily safe with him. Once Amunkha turned his focus on a woman, human or otherwise, danger was sure to follow.

  Ramose opened the door into the foyer. A sudden twinge twisted in his senses. Amunkha. The son of a bitch hadn’t left. Ramose crossed the marble floor and moved straight to the bar. The sudden switch to dim light might have hindered a human. He, on the other hand, wasn’t human, so his pupil expanded, taking in the flickering candles and people milling about. He searched the room until his gaze lit on the strawberry blond man leaning on the bar, one leg propped on the footrest.

  Amunkha.

  An enigma among his people in both color and action.

  At one time, Amunkha had been dedicated to their race, helpful to a fault, and always a smile on his face. Now, evil filled his eyes, and the only smile he ever showed was of malice or maleficent intent.

  He strode across the bar, stopping in front of Amunkha. “I thought I told you to leave.”

  The pale face and dark eyes turned to glower at him. Ramose’s heart twisted with guilt. More than four thousand earth years ago, he’d asked the man to accompany him on this rescue mission, along with their sister, Kiya. He had no idea the trip would destroy Amunkha’s soul, blackening it so thoroughly even a human could identify his darkness.

  “Though I didn’t agree to leave.” Long, graceful fingers tipped the glass of brandy to his lips, and he swallowed. Fire burned in those dark eyes when he lowered the drink to the bar. “I have business to attend here.”

  “I know your kind of business, Amunkha. It’s the kind that leaves people dead,” Ramose whispered harshly.

  “So, you left your pretty companion already?” Amunkha asked, ignoring Ramose’s words, his voice silky smooth. “Perhaps I should ask if she would wish a late dinner.”

  The words cut through Ramose like a knife in his belly. A knife which had no business in his life.

  “I thought tourists were beneath you.”

  “No,” Amunkha shook his head, his eyes thoughtful. “I don’t think she’s a mere tourist. Something—”

  The bitter taste of anger on his tongue reminded Ramose of his mission. The Napshua. Keeping the woman safe was primary until he had that arm bracelet back in their custody. “I want you
out of Cairo by tomorrow morning. And leave the tourists alone. “

  Ramose turned and stalked across the foyer, fighting to hide emotions he normally held under tight control. What in the gods’ names was happening? For centuries, he’d been known for his stoic leadership of his people, yet Tamara’s scent still coiled inside him, a sleeping serpent, waiting to steal the last ounce of his strength. And it wouldn’t take much.

  He bypassed the revolving door and let his palm slam open the flat glass doors beside it, then, once outside, he stopped, taking in the cool night air.

  Breathing in the desert air, especially at night, had always calmed him. So different from Petiri, yet so similar. Old oxygen pushed from his lungs, filling with the soft, silky breeze of the desert evening. While the scent was normal, it didn’t ease the discomfort. On the contrary, he already missed the loss of Tamara’s scent, the perfume of lilies. He’d always been partial to the scent, but he hadn’t realized how aroused it could make him.

  He glanced up into the starlit night. The moon hung low and bright, recovering from an earlier eclipse. One he’d been too busy to note. Instead, his eyes had been filled with the human woman.

  The premonition had told him his life was about to change. And it had.

  Chapter Seven

  Tamara leaned against the inside of her hotel room door, letting her brain digest the night’s events. Her body still burned with an unexpected desire for Ramose. She wasn’t disappointed he hadn’t kissed her. That would be stupid. Nobody kissed each other only hours after they meet. Or did they?

  She frowned. It was time to be honest with herself, and there was no doubt, had he kissed her, she would have gladly participated. Even now, her lips ached to feel the warmth and pressure of his, to taste the masculine mouth.

  Tamara groaned at the wave of heat rushing in her blood and shoved away from her support, heading to the phone. She spent enough time in dreams of which she had no control. No need to add self-induced desires to the list. She dialed her cousin’s room. Julie answered on the fourth ring.

  “What? I’m busy.”

  Tamara heard Jeff laughing in the background. She could just guess how busy her sweet cousin was.

  “Julie, why didn’t you tell me?” she demanded.

  “Tell you what? Oh, that… Well, you know how things work. I shouldn’t tell people their futures. It’s not right. It takes out—”

  “Free will, I know,” Tamara snapped, dragging her fingers through her hair. “But, damn it, you left me there. What if he’s an axe murderer or something? You told me to be careful.”

  “What makes you think he’s an axe murderer? He was in your dreams. Did he kill people?”

  “Yes.” Tamara didn’t hesitate. He had killed people in her dreams. Most of which she was sure deserved it in the end. Images of him fighting, bravely meeting the aggression of others head on flitted in her mind’s eye. Naked from the waist up, sweating, the tattoo on his face nearly pulsating with his power. “But it’s not the same man. It can’t be.”

  “Maybe it’s his reincarnated self. You know, most people who are reincarnated still have missions they need to complete. Besides, in his other lives, you told me he wore ancient clothes, rode horses, and, when he fought in battles, they didn’t even have guns. Maybe he just doesn’t use guns.”

  Tamara pinched the bridge of her nose, forcing the images out of her head. “And I also told you he was on a spaceship. How the hell do I know what he was? They were dreams, for Pete’s sake. Besides, I said he could be an axe murderer, and they had those back then.”

  “Stop it, Jeff.” She heard Julie’s muffled voice. Great. The J’s bed Olympics were still going on. “You know better than that, Tamara. You know what the dreams mean. He’s your soul mate. It’s tradition. No matter how many lives he lived or what he was, he’s yours. So, go get him.”

  Tamara rolled her eyes, her hand dropping to her side. “Right. Just like that. Should I catch him before he leaves the hotel?” Sarcasm dripped from her tone. “Damn it, Julie, I don’t even know this man. Did you storm up to Jeff and tell him he’s your soul mate?”

  Her cousin’s soft laughter crossed through the phone lines. “I didn’t have to. He already knew.”

  “Oh, great.” Tamara dropped onto the bed. “He’s taking us to the Antiquities Museum tomorrow. Get your asses out of bed and dressed by nine in the morning.”

  “Maybe. If we aren’t up, you two just go without us.”

  “Julie, don’t you leave me alone with him. You already told me to be careful. I can’t do this. What if…”

  “What if what? What if he kisses you? You’re a big girl, Tamara. You can handle it. And he’s not who you have to watch out for.”

  The flash of Amunkha popped into Tamara’s head. She was right. It was most likely him Julie had seen. Nothing to worry about there. She had every intention of avoiding Amunkha. Tamara sighed. “Fine. I can handle it. Go back to bed, or… whatever you were doing, and I’ll see what I can do about unpacking over here.”

  “Perfect. And, Tamara?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Give the man a chance. He’s got a lot of baggage, but, if he’s like Jeff, he’s worth it.”

  Tamara bit her lip. “Any hints?”

  “I can’t, Tamara.”

  “You can’t, or you won’t?”

  “Both. In this case, it’s both, Tamara. I don’t understand half of what I’m seeing. All I can tell you is to be careful. The two of you are in danger. Hey, I’ve got to go. I swear, Jeff is sick again.”

  Tamara stared for long seconds at the telephone receiver after her cousin hung up. “I swear,” she murmured, “one of these days, I will kill that woman. Just once could she tell me everything I need to know when I need to know it?”

  She hung up the phone. Maybe she should just go to bed. A quick glance at the clock drew a shake from her head. It was only nine at night here, and even earlier at home, though she’d flown through what should have been her sleep time. She was too wired to sleep. A side effect from jet lag. One minute so tired she couldn’t see straight, the next wide awake. Might as well take advantage while I can. She opened the lid to her suitcase and unpacked.

  She took a moment to set up candles around the room. It was hot enough in Egypt without her talents getting the best of her. Best to have alarm bells around the room in case of danger. In her case, that meant candles.

  Keeping her hands busy didn’t stop her mind from working, and, while arranging the room, she compared the Ramose she met tonight to her dream man. He was just as tall, just as handsome, and had that same tattoo on his face. The shape of a small crescent moon beneath his eye.

  And he was strong. She didn’t need to see him in battle to know he was powerful. She’d sensed it. Hell, she’d felt his hard chest when she’d poked him. But the man in her dreams had also played with children, exuding tenderness and caring. Would the man she’d met tonight crawl on the floor with kids?

  No matter how she tried to force it, some things just didn’t make sense, so she wasn’t sure how much help the dreams truly were. For instance, the dream of him standing on blue grass beneath a light coral, cloudless sky. That was insane. Tamara shook her head and dropped her makeup bag in the bathroom. Her imagination must have been running away with her.

  Jet lag kicked in again thirty minutes later, and Tamara snuggled beneath the covers. Nice. For a hotel bed at least. Before turning out the light, she reached to remove the arm bracelet, but something stopped her. An instinct, maybe. An instinct which said once it went on, it didn’t go off. She left it in place and rolled to her side. Even before the darkness of heavy sleep descended, the bright colors of a dream crept into view, dragging her into a world long past and mostly forgotten.

  Ramose charged across the sand, crystals spewing in the wake of his sandals. He growled in combined anger and frustration. Already, his white tunic was stained with sweat and dirt. The heat was miserable. Too oppressive for the task at hand, yet th
ey’d left him no choice. He leapt to the bare back of his horse.

  The great beast surged ahead, not waiting for instruction, already one in purpose. Hooves pounded, nostrils flared, and every sinew tight, desperate to reach their destination. They turned east, the ground shaking in their wake; sweat foamed on the animal’s dark coat.

  Palace walls were visible in the distance. Almost there. He clenched the soft leather pouch tight in his fist. A life depended on its contents. Only, it wasn’t his life he worked to save. It was for a lad, just nineteen years old. Without the medicine within, the boy would be dead by the end of the day.

  Ramose’s heart kept beat with the great hooves which thundered across the Earth. How could Selket keep this from me? Why didn’t she tell he how sick he was?

  It’s true they promised to hide who they were, but secrecy wasn’t worth the price of a young boy’s life. Not when what was needed to save him was so simple. The vial filled with the life saving liquid was clenched tight within Ramose’s fist. He would not let a simple infection take the life of the boy he loved like a nephew.

  “Hurry, my friend! He cannot die!” The beast poured on speed at his urging. Horse and man flew around one last bend. They slid to a halt before the palace gates, sand spitting from the horse’s mighty hooves. He leapt down and gave the horse an automatic pat on one powerful shoulder before he stormed the palace door. The guards dropped their lances, crossing the staffs before him.

  “Get out of my way,” he said.

  “You cannot attend the king. He has not requested your presence,” the guard replied.

  “He needs my aid. Move or die.” Ramose slid a blade from the sheath tied to his leg with a hiss of metal on leather. The sharp edge flashed in the light of the midday sun. “Stand aside.”

  The door opened from within, and a priest stepped through, nodding to the guards. They withdrew the staffs in sharp salute before stepping away.

  The priest put his hand upon Ramose’s shoulder. “It is too late. He is gone.”