by Jules River
“Hello, Ms. Banks and Mr. Faust, I am happy to have you as my guest,” Mr. Manda greeted them with a smile, and offered them seats.
“Hello, Mr. Manda, we are honored that you would see us on such short notice,” Mira pleasantly replied. Warin said, “I’m sure you are wondering what this visit is about. We don’t want to take up too much of your time, so with your indulgence, will get right down to business. We were informed that you had purchased the resurrection talisman several years ago.”
“Yes, yes, I did purchase the talisman.” Mr. Manda frowned.
“Would you be willing to part with it?” Warin asked bluntly.
“Oh, yes, indeed, I was very willing to part with it,” Mr. Manda enthusiastically replied.
“Was?” Both Mira and Warin asked at the same time.
“Yes, yes, was. I sold it within a year of the purchase. It brought me nothing but bad luck. I was overjoyed someone else wanted it,” Mr. Manda stated happily.
“Do you recall who bought it from you?” Mira asked very sweetly.
“Oh, yes, I could not forget the very bad Russian man, Mr. Ivanoff. He is not someone I would want to deal with again. If I had not sold it I believe he would have taken it. Fortunately, I wanted to be rid of the talisman. It is bad luck, I tell you,” Mr. Manda told them in all seriousness.
Mira was almost overwhelmed with disappointment at hearing that they would not be getting the talisman this trip. Warin made small talk with Mr. Manda, since he could tell Mira was not taking the news well, but knew she would not want to be rude to the elderly and jovial collector.
After a few minutes, Warin made their excuses so they could leave. Once outside Mira texted the pilot to let him know they were on their way, and would leave for the castle as soon as they arrived at the airport.
It had been an emotional and momentous journey.
Chapter 16
As Lyra and Dunstin’s limo came up to Olivia Sugarson’s hotel, Dunstin suddenly pulled Lyra onto his lap and took control of her lips, delving into her mouth with complete possession. When he finally released her, they were both breathing heavy. “I am not sleeping with that woman, Lyra. I will do just about anything it takes but not that.” She could tell he was serious.
“Oh Dunstin, she’s a vibrant, mature, flamboyant woman, she loves male attention, and the art of flirting. I really don’t think she wants sex from you. Well, maybe to cop a feel or two of all those big muscles of yours.” She laughed lightly and as she got out of the car Dunstin gave her ass a little smack, which caused her to squeal, “Don’t touch my butt! You know I don’t like it. Ugh, you’re so bad.” She was sincerely angry.
“You have yet to see bad, woman,” he laughed as they walked into the hotel. Lyra looked at him and realized her touch-me-not, uptight attitude was coming out, something she was trying to get a grip on. She took a deep breath and grinned at him.
“All right, the bell hop will take you to her suite, I will be right over here in the bar area waiting for you. Just remember to be nice and attentive. Olivia won’t bite, don’t think. Now go get ’em, tiger.” She winked at him and went into the hotel lounge. Dunstin reluctantly followed the bell hop up to Olivia’s suite.
It turned out that Lyra was right about Olivia. He had only to be charming and attentive. She was more than willing to give him the information he needed. She had been very lonely since the death of her last husband five years earlier. Olivia Sugarson was actually quite a remarkable woman, and Dunstin easily visited with her for over an hour before rejoining Lyra.
When Dunstin was near enough, he could see Lyra seated at the bar with a drink in front of her, and a young, handsome man on either side, each vying for her attention. One of them had his arm resting on the back of her chair, inching closer with every second that passed, while the other had her laughing at something he said to her. Dunstin’s good mood fled instantly. He saw red, outraged that she let those boys flirt with her, and that she flirted back. With a dangerous glint in his eyes, and an angry glower on his face he strode over to Lyra and her boys. She laughed at something one of them said; when she glanced up into the mirror behind the bar she saw that a very pissed-off Dunstin stood behind her. She swiftly turned around, “Oh no, Dunstin, did it go that badly? I thought you could handle Olivia,” she said, slightly aggravated. Both of the men who sat beside her nervously leaned away from her when Dunstin gave each of them a direct glare.
“I handled my part just fine, Lyra. You seem to be the one who could not sit and wait without getting someone hurt,” he accused her as he stared at her.
“What are you talking about? You are not going to hurt anyone, but I might.” She gave him a pointedly aggressive look, stood up, and turned to the two men to tell them goodbye, but they were no longer there. She just rolled her eyes and walked away.
Dunstin followed her outside, they were both silent while the car pulled around to pick them up. As soon as they were in the car, Dunstin pulled her onto his lap again and gave her a punishing kiss, which quickly turned passionate. When he released her from the kiss, Lyra slapped Dunstin across the face, not hard, but it certainly got his attention since he had not expected that from her.
“That was for thinking I had done something wrong. I have not,” she said forcefully. “And you will not try to punish me like that ever, do you understand me?” She tried to get off his lap. He could not help but smile to himself that his little wildcat had slapped him, as few people would dare. He was pleased that she felt that comfortable with him. But Dunstin was still upset over seeing her with those two boys, and needed to hold her, so he refused to let her move away, “They were trying to get into your bed. Are you that naïve, Lyra?” he asked her arrogantly.
“It does not matter if they wanted to get into my bed. I speak to men all the time who would like to, that does not mean it will happen. And every man who speaks to me does not want to sleep with me,” Lyra informed him primly.
“Now I know you must be that naïve. Any man who sees you wants to sleep with you. You are too beautiful for them not to want you.”
Lyra drawled sarcastically, “Aw, that is so sweet,” then said seriously, “that will not get you on my good side.”
“Have I ever been on your good side, Lyra?” Dunstin asked her in a joking manner.
“No, not that I can think of, never,” Lyra replied playfully. “And yes, I do have a good side,” she answered before he could ask, giving him a fake glare. “So did Olivia have any information? What did you have to do to get it?” Lyra giggled.
Dunstin chuckled, “Yes, she did come through, and you were right. Olivia is a lonely woman. She is actually a fascinating, caring, and kind woman, too. I offered her coin, but she only wanted to be of help, apparently she is fond of you and your sisters, and of course me.” He gave her a cheeky grin. “It seems a museum in Italy has some research on the sorcerer, possibly even the remains of the sorcerer, as well,” Dunstin informed her, pleased with himself.
***
The museum turned out to be the Museo Nazionale Romano, the National Roman Museum. It was a huge repository of history, spread out across four locations in the oldest parts of Rome. It was also the headquarters for the agency in charge of the city’s cultural and archaeological heritage. One of the annexes, Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, seemed to be the logical place to find information about the sorcerer’s life and history; that branch of the museum was filled with research on ancient Roman families.
After further study, and with knowledge absorbed from a lifetime of working with her father, Lyra determined that the sorcerer’s remains, if they still existed, would be contained in an urn, and the urn would most likely be in the least known of the national Roman museums, the Crypta Balbi.
All of the museum’s various locations had underground storage areas that were just as protected as the public areas, and they knew it would not be easy to break into a subterranean vault. But Lyra had blueprints and the security layout for the palazzo and the crypt
, and was certain they could come up with a workable plan to retrieve information about the sorcerer and his possible remains.
They made plans to travel to Rome and to visit both areas of the museum they were interested in, where they could learn firsthand whether their security information was correct; they would be able to observe the routines of the guards and staff, time their movements, and see if there were any weaknesses they could exploit
They felt the research on the sorcerer was more important at this moment than his actual remains, but they still needed to know where the sorcerer’s urn could be found and how to obtain it.
***
Two days after their meeting with Olivia Sugarson, Lyra and Dunstin strolled arm-in-arm through the Palazzo Massimo alle Terme; no one would suspect they were anything but another couple of sightseers. Fortunately, cameras were not banned at the museum, so Lyra was able to play the perfect tourist, stopping frequently to take photos of anything and everything, including the locations of security cameras and motion detectors, so she would be able to compare them to the information they already had on the museum’s operations. They had only brought a two-man security team with them, and they walked through the museum totally separate from Lyra and Dunstin, keeping them in sight and ever-alert to any danger. Their guards would be at a distance tonight when Lyra and Dunstin staked out the museum as well.
Dunstin enjoyed himself, as Lyra was letting him be affectionate in public. He actually felt like they were a couple on holiday; they enjoyed each other’s company, and acted like new lovers. They made a stunning couple, which was unfortunate in this instance, as it caused them to generate more attention than Lyra would have liked. She of course thought everyone was looking at Dunstin since he is so large and handsome and has such a presence about him. That required her to let him caress and kiss her more than she would have normally allowed. If she were honest with herself, she would admit that she really liked being caressed and kissed by Dunstin.
Lyra whispered in Dunstin’s ear, “I need you to get me close to that sensor midway up the wall on the southeast corner, I need to affix a device that will interrupt that laser motion sensor.”
“Your wish is my command, my love.” Dunstin casually guided them to where she needed to be, then he leaned against the wall, taking her in his arms so she would have access to the wall, and he could keep watch. They were able to attach several devices around the museum on the way to the offices, making it easier for them to infiltrate the museum later. They would be watching the guards’ routine tonight as well as the office staff. They hoped to have enough information to safely break into the building the following night.
Lyra and Dunstin were part of the last group out of the museum that evening. They watched the changing of the guards from day to night, and noted the museum staff’s departure. They waited away from the museum in a car and watched through binoculars. Their security guys were in a vehicle two cars back. Once it was fully dark, they switched to night binoculars. While Dunstin kept watch, Lyra compared all they had viewed today with the information they had on file to make sure it was accurate.
Before leaving Germany, Lyra had hacked into the museum’s files, and tried to find all the documentation on the treasures held by the museum. Unfortunately, very few of the records had been digitized and stored on computers. That means they had to search the old-fashioned way, by physically breaking in and manually going through paper files.
“How does the information compare to what we saw today?” Dunstin asked Lyra. “So far, so good. It would have been so much easier if all their files had been computerized. I would have had the information we needed right then.” Lyra bemoaned the extra work. After a couple of hours, she asked, “How are the guards doing? Any routine established?”
“Yes, they do rounds every half-hour, and it takes nineteen minutes to complete a round,” Dunstin relayed to Lyra. “Good, that will make it so much easier if they keep to a strict schedule,” she expressed with relief.
“What are you doing?” He leaned over to get a closer look at her laptop. “I am breaking down codes for the security system we will have to get past.” She explained distractedly as she continued to click away on the keyboard. Dunstin reached over and touched the screen, “What is that?” he asked, as the computer did something else.
“Don’t touch my computer!! Ugh!! This is a touch screen like your phone, you could have really messed things up. You know I can’t stand when anyone mess with my things!” She was getting more aggravated by the moment. Dunstin started to chuckle as he took her laptop and put it on the dash, then pulled Lyra onto his lap. She was so upset she started pounding on his chest and shoulders with each word, “You big brute! How dare you manhandle me! I was working on something important! You Neanderthal!”
Getting his laughter under control, Dunstin caught her fists between them and squeezed her close to him. He captured her lips with his; she refused to kiss him back. He nibbled on her lower lip, sucked it into his mouth, and gave her a little nip. Lyra gasped and stiffened. He took advantage and slipped his tongue past her teeth and kissed her in earnest. She did not resist, kissing him back with a moan, and as he released her hands she slipped them up and around his neck, melting into his chest. Finally he smiled against her lips, “I got bored, and getting you mad is so entertaining. Besides, I hadn’t had a kiss from you in too long.”
Lyra pushed away from him and got back into her seat, “You are such a juvenile.” But she hid her own smile. “We should go back to the hotel and get some rest, it’s very late already.”
***
The next night they were prepared. Dunstin decided their security guys would keep watch outside, while he and Lyra broke into the museum. Both of them were dressed in black, with ski masks on their faces and gloves on their hands. A few minutes after 1 a.m., just after the guard should have passed the entrance, she disarmed and unlocked the side door.
They entered silently, keeping out of camera view, and there was only one area where they would have to crawl under the laser motion sensors. When they reached that place Lyra lay on her stomach, cringing at having to put her body on a public floor, and slowly crawled past the sensors. Once she had all but her feet out from under the sensors, she motioned for Dunstin to follow. Dunstin lay on his stomach and pushed himself in a smooth motion across the floor and out of the way of the sensors, ending up in the dark on top of Lyra. She looked back at him, and gave him her best glare. He in turn pushed his groin into her tight little ass. She silently mouthed at him, “GET OFF OF ME!” He pushed into her one more time and slid beside her with a wicked grin on his face. She cut her eyes at him and moved on.
They reached the entrance to the offices, and Lyra had to disarm and unlock that door as well. Once they were in they had to keep out of the camera’s view; she had been able to put the video in the public rooms on a loop, but the cameras in the offices were a problem. As they got into the file room they went to the section for the letter “E,” for Empedocles, the sorcerer they were seeking. There they found eight wide file drawers; starting in the middle, they methodically searched, praying the files were in alphabetical order. Fortunately, the files were in order, and they soon found the one they were looking for. They quickly took photos of the contents, ensuring the images were legible before replacing the file as they found it. They waited until nineteen minutes past the hour to retreat the way they came, knowing the guard should be back at his post for eleven minutes before beginning his next round.
They made it all the way back to the first room, and could see the side door, when they heard footsteps. Dunstin slid behind the largest statue in the room; it was life-sized, but it would not conceal him from anything more than a cursory glance. Lyra made a quick decision to step out in front of the guard to divert his attention. He was startled and slapped a hand on his holstered gun, but hesitated as Lyra reached for the zipper at her throat and slowly started to unzip her top. In a whispery voice, she spoke to him in Italian. “I h
ave always wanted to make love in a museum after hours with a stranger, haven’t you?” As her pale, plump breasts came into view, the guard smiled and raised his empty hands in response to her sultry invitation. Dunstin stepped out from behind the statue and bashed him over the head with his flashlight. He grabbed the guard as he was falling to muffle any sounds, and set him down quietly behind the statue. When Dunstin looked back at Lyra, her top was closed, she had disarmed the door, and was standing there waiting, ready to blow this Popsicle stand before they got caught again.
Dunstin was not sure what to think about the way Lyra had handled that situation. He was pissed that she could have gotten hurt, and jealous that another man saw her beautiful breasts. He was proud of her for her fast thinking, and shocked she was able to put herself out there like she did, being as uptight as she could be, but most of all he wanted her even more than he usually did. He would not allow her to deny him some attention this night. He thought about that time in the shower, when she let them pleasure each other; she did not resist in there. The shower would be his goal again tonight. He was eager to get back to the hotel suite and see if she would be as receptive to his advances as he hoped she would be.
***
The next morning Dunstin awoke with a smile on his face as he recalled how receptive Lyra had been to him the previous night. She was still a virgin, albeit one with more experience than she had before.
Today, they would look over the photos they had taken of the Empedocles’ file. They still did not know if they needed the sorcerer’s burial urn, but they would steal it if they needed to.
Mira called Lyra and told her that her trip to India was not a complete bust, they had a lead and they were back at the castle; she would give her the details when they got back. Myra also told her that after further inspection, the spell Faye and Cenric brought back from Dubai was not from the correct sorcerer, so they were back to square one.