Fire Maidens: Rome

by Anna Lowe

  The usual guards lumbered out behind them — Tolino and Luigi, each big, brawny, and impossible to read. How neither of them let a smirk show, Sergio had no idea.

  One of the hostesses carried a tray of hors d’oeuvres, and the other, a tray of drinks.

  Sergio waved both offers away. “No appetite.”

  “I look forward to seeing you soon, signore,” Vicente murmured into the phone. “Don’t worry about the delay.”

  Sergio looked at the horizon. All day, the yacht staff had been buzzing in anticipation of an ultra-important VIP expected to attend the evening cocktail party. Who?

  “Arrivederci,” Vicente murmured, then ended his call. Then he snapped his fingers, summoning Amber like a dog. “My guests are waiting.”

  Amber scurried to his side and cooed, rubbing Vicente’s chest. “Don’t you like my dress?”

  “Bellissima,” Vicente declared.

  One of the hostesses let a smirk slip. Had Vicente made the same declaration while exploring her body not too long ago?

  “Quick. One more picture.” Amber waved to Lena, who snapped away, holding her tongue. Keeping a low profile as usual, which was good. The less notice Vicente took of Lena, the better.

  Not that Sergio could understand how anyone could overlook Lena. She might be quiet and unassuming, but her inner glow was mesmerizing, and her girl-next-door looks slipped into moments of breathtaking beauty at the least expected times.

  Like now, his wolf hummed.

  The sun was setting, and the golden hues brought out the natural highlights of her hair.

  Bellissima, Sergio nearly breathed.

  Ice-cold air rushed out from the air-conditioned cabin when the hostess pulled the sliding door open, and the hubbub of the party washed over the relative peace of the aft deck. As soon as Amber, Vicente, and his entourage entered, the doors slid shut, muffling the din.

  With a sigh, Sergio turned to watch the sunset — and warily check the ocean. Rivers and streams were okay, but big bodies of open water brought back all kinds of ugly memories.

  “How can you stand it?” he murmured, careful to keep his eyes on the horizon.

  To the casual observer, he and Lena were just two people occupying the same space at the same time, not a couple whose bodies called to each other with reckless abandon.

  Lena pretended to scroll through the photos she’d taken. “Like you do,” she whispered, barely moving her lips. “It’s a job.”

  He wanted to shake his head. Photography wasn’t her job. It was her passion.

  “Well, this is one job I’ll be happy to finish,” he admitted, watching waves slap the hill.

  Audace was anchored in the middle of a bay not far from Ostia Antica, the ancient port of Rome. To the west, the sun painted the water in shimmering bands of color, while the hills of the mainland glowed a greenish-gold. A pretty picture, but hell. He couldn’t wait to get back to firm ground.

  “I’ll be happy to finish too,” Lena whispered, pointing her camera at the sunset.

  The cabin door slid open, and party noise engulfed the deck once more.

  Amber stepped out, her face scrunched up in a grimace. “Lena. Lena!”

  Sergio sidestepped, making himself invisible to Amber in the way all staff were invisible to rich snobs — and wannabes.

  “Help me with this,” Amber ordered, fiddling with her necklace.

  Sergio tensed. That was Lena’s diamond. A piece of dragon treasure, if it really was the one the Guardians had set out as a lure. Amber had insisted on using it for one of the photo shoots and never bothered giving it back.

  The first few times Sergio had seen the gem, it looked like a cheap imitation — dull except for those few moments of brilliance when Amber touched it. But the more time went by, the more it looked like the real thing. Was that an effect of being around a Fire Maiden? Was it pointing her out, perhaps, until there was no overlooking The One?

  Sergio grimaced. Fire Maidens could shape the destiny of an entire city. How could fate pick Amber for such a critical role? Then again, fate had goofed with the likes of Viola Viduzzi, the Fire Maiden who’d done little more than party her life away.

  “It’s itchy. I hate it,” Amber bitched. “My hair keeps tangling in it.”

  So, don’t wear it, Sergio wanted to bark.

  Vicente followed Amber out, shooting Lena a murderous look, like it was her fault his date wasn’t hanging on his arm where she belonged.

  “Sbrigati,” he growled. Hurry up already.

  His bodyguards scowled at Lena, and it was all Sergio could do not to bare his teeth.

  Then Lena excavated the clasp from the teased jungle of Amber’s hair, and the sunset caught in one of the diamond’s facets, making it shine red. Really red. Impossibly red.

  Supernaturally red.

  Sergio’s wolf went on high alert, especially when he saw Vicente’s eyes take on a greedy glow. Tolino, the bodyguard, looked too.

  The Eruzzi diamond, from the treasure hoard of Augusta, a Fire Maiden descended directly from Queen Liviana. The words of old Dante, the dragon Guardian, echoed through Sergio’s mind. Partnering with a Fire Maiden would propel Vicente to a whole new category of concern…

  The possibility made Sergio sick. It was bad enough to imagine Amber as reigning Fire Maiden of the city. To picture Vicente manipulating that power through her was even worse. Surely, fate was tricking them all.

  Thank goodness one of the guests called out, “A toast to the host!”

  “The host with the most,” someone else quipped.

  Vicente turned to his guests, grinning.

  “Ow. It’s hot,” Amber complained. “Get it off me.”

  “Just a second.” Lena fiddled with the clasp.

  As she disentangled the necklace, the gem blazed brighter. So bright, Sergio nearly shielded his eyes. Vicente started to turn back toward Lena and Amber, but by some miracle, Tolino, the bodyguard, stepped forward, cutting off the view. By the time Vicente got a good look, Lena closed her hand around the gem, and the light faded away.

  “There,” she murmured, sliding it into her pocket.

  “Finally,” Amber grumbled, hurrying back to Vicente.

  Vicente’s eyes flickered between Amber and Lena. Then he shrugged and turned back to the party.

  Meanwhile, Sergio stood utterly still. All along, he’d assumed Amber was the Fire Maiden. But that gem had shone for Lena, not Amber.

  Tricked you, didn’t I? the low, gravelly voice of destiny cackled in his ear.

  Sergio opened and closed his mouth in mute surprise. Could it really be?

  He thought back to the very first time he’d seen the diamond. That was by the Spanish Steps, and it had flashed when Lena had touched it. It was Lena who called forth the gem’s light and power. Even now, a tingle of electricity zipped through his nerves.

  His pulse hammered as he stared at her, whispering, “Fire Maiden…”

  Just like that, all the pieces fell into place. Lena’s Italian heritage. The shifting set off by her arrival in Rome — a city that had called to her for years.

  “Come on,” Amber called. “I want you to get some shots of the party.”

  It took everything Sergio had not to yank Lena back and yell, No, no, no.

  His mind spun. He had to get Lena off the yacht, pronto. Vicente hadn’t seen her set off the gem, but if he did…

  Sergio’s stomach turned.

  He glanced at Tolino. Had the bodyguard noticed? As a wolf shifter, he might realize the significance.

  But Tolino lumbered after Vicente without so much as a backward glance.

  Sergio exhaled and started planning how to get Lena off that ship. Hustling her out of there would draw attention, and he couldn’t afford that. In the end, he endured forty nerve-racking minutes, fretting and sweating the entire time. Destiny was testing his patience, no doubt. Hanging over his shoulder, chuckling in glee.

  I hid the truth from you. But now, you see.

&
nbsp; Hell yes. He did. And he needed to get Lena out of there immediately.

  But something told him that would backfire, so he sweated out another quarter of an hour. Destiny wanted proof that he was more than just another headstrong wolf? Fine, he’d prove it. Even if it killed him.

  Finally, the DJ pumped up the music, and the party went into full swing. Quietly, subtly, Sergio maneuvered Lena into a service corridor.

  “Whew.” Lena exhaled when the door shut behind them. “You saved me.”

  Not yet, he hadn’t. But he sure as hell planned to.

  “The diamond…”

  She touched her pocket instinctively. “What about it?”

  He looked down — and whoa. It was practically glowing through the fabric.

  He cursed himself for the hundredth time. How could he have been so blind?

  Because it suited my purpose, destiny murmured.

  What purpose? he wanted to yell.

  But destiny didn’t deign answer. Well, fine. Grabbing Lena by the arm, Sergio marched her down the corridor, trying to work out a plan.

  “I’ll explain later. Right now, we have to get out of here.”

  “Wait. No. I have to finish—”

  He cut her off with a shake of his head. “We’re leaving, now.”

  To hell with the Guardians’ orders to find out who Vicente’s VIP guest was. And never mind that Sergio could lose all the trust he’d worked so hard to gain. Lena’s safety was all that mattered.

  The corridor was narrow, and they moved in an awkward seesaw motion, him tugging Lena forward, her pulling back.

  “What’s going on?”

  “No time to explain.”

  She hit the brakes and growled, “Make the time. I have four thousand euros on the line.”

  Definitely Fire Maiden material, his wolf murmured.

  “That diamond isn’t a diamond,” he started.

  “Of course not. It’s fake. Look.” She pulled it out again.

  Brilliant light washed over their faces, casting long shadows down the narrow hall.

  Lena’s jaw dropped. “It’s never done that before.”

  Sergio closed her hand over it and pulled her onward. “It has, but only in smaller bursts. I thought it was Amber, but it’s you,” he whispered.

  “I’m not doing anything,” Lena insisted.

  “I promise I’ll explain — outside.” Sergio jerked his chin upward. “There could be security cameras here.”

  Cameras were one thing, and he hoped no one was monitoring them live. Even worse were recording devices. Sooner or later, Vicente would figure out they had left in a hurry. But Sergio sure as hell didn’t want him overhearing too much.

  “But—”

  He shook his head firmly. If he had to carry Lena out of there kicking and screaming, he would. “We’re leaving. Now.”

  Luckily, Lena followed, so no carrying was required. She did insist on a detour to her cabin for her camera bag, but after that, she hurried beside him in silence.

  Make that, relative silence. “Are you sure?”

  “I’m sure. Let’s go. Piano.” Quietly.

  But it was too late. Footsteps sounded, coming the other way. Sergio halted in his tracks. With no time to retreat, they would be spotted for sure. Fighting would raise every alarm on the ship, so…

  He backed Lena gently against the wall, whispering, “Please trust me on this.”

  Her eyes went wide, darting from his face to the end of the hallway. But when he covered her mouth with his, her eyelids fluttered, and a moment later, a tiny sigh escaped her lips.

  The idea was to fake a romantic encounter. No crew member would raise the alarm on that, right? But that kiss took on a life of its own, and Sergio didn’t have to fake anything. A corner of his mind registered the approaching steps falter when whomever that was turned the corner and spotted them. But otherwise…

  Bliss. Sheer bliss. His vision went completely white, as if fate had taken a wrong turn and sent him to heaven. His ears buzzed, and his blood — Madonna, the heat. Within seconds, his fingers were wound tightly in Lena’s hair and his tongue brushed her lips.

  Lena’s arms slid around his shoulders, and she pressed her hips against his.

  The footsteps drew nearer, but Sergio couldn’t bring himself to care. Not with Lena’s sweet taste and heady scent making him dizzy.

  A chuckle sounded, and the crew member squeezed past with an amused, “Scusami.” Pardon me.

  So, whew. The ruse had worked. But hell. How could he ever extract himself from that kiss? More importantly, why would he want to?

  In the end, it was Lena who slowly pulled back, cupping his cheeks.

  “Hell of a kiss,” she murmured.

  He smoothed back her hair with trembling fingers. So much for pulling himself together.

  “Hell of a kiss,” he agreed, drawing one finger tenderly down her cheek.

  Then it hit him, and he nearly sighed. Mannaggia. Explaining Fire Maidens and dragon treasures would be tricky enough. Explaining about fate and mates would be even harder.

  “Um…that way?” Lena pointed.

  At least one of them was thinking.

  Sergio forced his feet into action. “That way.”

  A few more twists and turns brought them to the yacht’s toy garage, cluttered with water skis, SCUBA gear — the works. Sergio hurried over to the jet ski nearest the stern. After a quick look around, he pushed a button, opening a hydraulic door. As it slid open, moonlight flooded in, casting a pale, eerie light over the equipment. Outside, waves rippled over the endless sea, daring him to jump in.

  He gulped. Boy, did he hate open water. But there was no choice. Opening the door was sure to set off an alarm on the bridge, and any minute now, a crew member would come to investigate.

  He hurried back to the jet ski, motioning Lena to help. Together, they pushed it down a short ramp to the edge of the sea. There, he stopped, running a hand through his hair. Shit. Was he really going to do this?

  Lena touched his hand. “Do you know how to operate this?”

  No, but that was the least of his problems, now that all those ghosts had been awakened in his mind.

  But between determination born of a decade of challenges in the military and Lena’s calming touch, he managed a deep breath and a second look. How the hell did that thing work?

  “Allow me,” Lena murmured.

  In one quick, easy movement, she slung her camera bag over her shoulder and hopped on the jet ski. “Give me a push, then jump on the back.”

  He stared at her. “You know how to drive this thing?”

  She grinned. “I once worked as a photographer at a beach resort. Now, get going.”

  Her eyes sparkled, telling him, Trust me.

  Didn’t she know he was a lone wolf? Did she have any idea how long it had taken him to trust even his closest comrades in the Legion?

  No, she didn’t.

  Still, he found himself pushing the vehicle into the water with a splash, then leaping on behind her and locking his arms around her waist.

  “Hold on,” she called, firing up the engine. When she twisted the throttle expertly, the jet ski started gliding along. “Where to?”

  Sergio looked over his shoulder. No one had appeared to investigate the open door yet, but it was only a question of time.

  He pointed blindly to shore. “Go. Just go.”

  Chapter Seven

  Lena had never, ever stolen anything in her life. But she had to admit to a certain thrill in making off with one of Vicente’s overpriced toys. That, and the wind in her hair as she powered the jet ski over the water. Better yet was the feel of Sergio’s arms around her waist and his chin on her shoulder. On top of all that, his kiss still tingled on her lips, giving her a giddy, drunken kind of high.

  On the other hand, shit. She’d lost the chance to earn four thousand euros. Worse, Vicente would be furious. She glanced back, peering past the rooster tail of water cast up by the jet ski.
She’d kept the engine barely ticking over until they were far from the yacht, aiming for the cluster of lights that had to be the harbor. So far, no one seemed to have noticed them, but it was only a matter of time. And what then? Vicente was not a man to cross.

  “Are you sure this is a good idea?” she yelled over her shoulder.

  Sergio shook his head. “We have no choice.”

  His terse tone said it all, so she opened up the throttle, making the sleeves of her blouse flap in the wind.

  “What exactly was that about?”

  Sergio’s arms tensed around her waist. “You. The diamond.”

  She glanced down. The necklace was in her pocket, out of sight but so warm — warmer than body temperature — she could feel it there. There was something comforting about it, but something terrifying too.

  “It’s warm. How is that possible? And the way it glowed…”

  “It’s spelled.”

  The jet ski swerved when her arms wobbled. “Spelled, as in magic?”

  Sergio nodded. “It’s an ancient piece of dragon treasure.”

  Lena gulped, picturing a dragon in a lair of glittering treasure, admiring his diamond. She’d been so sure it was fake when she found it, but as time wore on, the gem had grown brighter and clearer. A little like the stirrings inside her.

  She shivered, and not from the evening chill.

  “I thought Amber set it off, but it was you,” Sergio said in an awed hush.

  She frowned. “Amber said it got hot for her.”

  Sergio snorted. “Probably because the diamond wanted to get away from her. Who can blame it?”

  Lena made a face, though she had to admit it made sense.

  “The gem has power,” Sergio went on. “And so do you.”

  She scoffed. Her? Power? “I don’t have any power.”

  “Oh, you have power, all right,” he murmured. “And if Vicente got a hold of the gem — or of you…”

  They both went silent, though the engine droned on.

  “Whoa. Wait.” Lena decelerated abruptly, and the momentum pushed Sergio up against her. “If you thought Amber was linked to the diamond, would Vicente think that too?” Then she gasped, covering her mouth. “Does he think she’s the one with some kind of power?”