“Yes, there is no time to waste,” agreed Tiberius.
They left for the docks to catch their ship. When they got there they saw that Amara had left already. The pack was waiting around on the deck of their other ship. Tiberius and Lucian climbed aboard. Lucian carried Araceli below deck while Tiberius gave the men orders to sail. They were far off at sea by the time the volcano erupted that afternoon. They watched as a dark column formed over the cone. Soon after the ash began to fall.
Lucian was standing on deck with his father watching. “Where do we go?” he asked.
“I am finished with Roman life for now,” said Tiberius sadly. “We go home to Britannia to your mother’s pack.”
Lucian nodded and smiled. “As you wish, Father,” he said. He decided to go check on Araceli. She was awake and looked frightened.
“Who are you? Where am I?” she asked. She was holding her head.
“Are you well, my lady?” asked Lucian as he sat down beside her. Araceli flinched in fear. “I will not hurt you.” He examined her head and her body for injuries.
“Please, I don’t know who I am. I don’t remember what happened,” she said.
Tiberius had come below and overheard this. “Do you remember anything?” he asked. Araceli looked up at the older copy of the young man before her. Both men were handsome, rugged, and muscular. She knew they must be father and son, but she didn’t know who they were.
“I don’t,” she said, shaking her head.
“Lucian, a word,” he said. Lucian went to stand by his father. “Amara mentioned she placed a fae spell on her. This must be why she can’t remember.”
“Can it be removed?” Lucian asked.
“I can think of someone who might be able to help her,” he confirmed. “She must go to Britannia with us.”
Lucian looked back at Araceli, who was watching the men suspiciously. “So be it,” he said.
Chapter Eight
NAPLES, 2011
Skye lay back next to Marco, sweaty and out of breath. He chuckled softly. “That…was…amazing,” he said breathlessly.
“Si,” she said teasingly. They lay there contently with their legs intertwined. Marco ran his fingers up and down Skye’s bare arm.
“How is the translation going?” Marco asked.
“It’s almost finished. Dr. de Luca has an incredible grasp of the language. There is only one scroll left, and we have to make a report.”
“Then I will have you all to myself again,” he said, smiling flirtatiously. “So what do the scrolls say?”
“I’m not sure if I should discuss it yet,” she said.
“Oh, come on, Skye. It’s just me,” he begged.
“Well, they are written by a man who claims to be a real vampire. It says that the man and woman who owned the ludus were actually a werewolf and a vampire. They fought men they changed into werewolves, except this man was fatally wounded before the full moon. The woman desired him, so she turned him into a vampire instead,” she explained, realizing how ridiculous she sounded.
“You are joking, no?” he asked. Marco seemed angry.
“No, I am not,” she said defensively.
“Fine, Skye. I am sorry I asked. If you can’t even tell me the truth…” said Marco, getting out of the bed.
“I’m telling you the truth,” said Skye as Marco pulled up his pants. “Where are you going?”
“Home. Good night, Skye.”
“Marco, wait!” she said as she followed him downstairs to the front door. “I’ll show you the data right now.”
He paused at the door and looked back. “OK, show me.”
“OK. Let me go get dressed,” she said and then ran up the stairs. Skye pulled on a pair of jean shorts, a black tank top, and some flip-flops. She ran her fingers through her hair as she rushed back down the stairs.
“I liked what you were wearing a few minutes ago better,” he said, teasing her.
“Shut up,” she groaned, and they left.
A short ride later they pulled into the parking lot of the lab. Skye took out her key as they walked to the building. “I hope I’m not going to get you in trouble,” Marco said as he regretted making her take him in the middle of the night.
“It’s OK. We won’t get in trouble,” she said. Skye unlocked the doors and they entered the dark building. She made sure to lock the doors behind them. Marco held her hand as they walked down the dark corridor to the stairs.
Once they were in the lab Skye turned on a light and powered up the computer. She found the file and opened it. Marco got a chair and sat down to read. Skye watched his face as he silently scrolled down page after page.
“I owe you an apology, Skye. This is really incredible,” Marco exclaimed when he was done. “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you, honey.”
“It’s OK,” she said, relieved Marco wasn’t mad at her anymore. He waved her over, and Skye went and sat on his lap.
“Could you imagine it? Vampires, werewolves…” he said.
“Well, I am sure we will be mocked when we publish the findings. They will probably call it the overactive imagination of an educated slave,” she said.
Marco shrugged his shoulders. “You know, I feel kind of naughty sneaking into the lab.” He looked around at the dimly lit room.
“Then maybe we should leave,” Skye suggested. Marco leaned in and kissed her softly on her neck.
“In a minute,” he said huskily. He trailed his kisses up to her ear. “I owe you that apology first.” His voice was hot and wet on her ear and sent shivers throughout her entire body. Marco kissed her with force and passion. Then he picked her up and placed her on the desk. Skye lay back across uneven stacks of paper and notebooks. There were pens and paper clips digging into her back, but she hardly noticed as Marco unbuttoned her shorts and slid them off. In her rush to get dressed she had forgotten underwear.
“What are you doing?” she asked, though she knew damn well what he was doing.
“Apologizing,” he said, and then he buried his head between her legs and began pleasuring her with his tongue. He draped her knees over his shoulders.
Skye moaned and gasped. His hands slid up her smooth stomach and cupped her breasts. Skye gripped his hands tightly with her own as he squeezed her breasts. Skye’s moans increased to cries of pleasure as her body began to tremble and quake. She stopped Marco gently with her hands.
“Am I forgiven then?” he said naughtily.
“Yes,” she said, sitting up.
Amara watched Androcles watch a couple come out of the lab. She wondered why he hadn’t destroyed the scrolls yet. If he didn’t soon, she would have to do it herself. Then Amara caught a glimpse of the woman’s face as she turned to laugh at her partner. It’s not possible, she thought. The woman looked like Araceli, Androcles’s only love. But she died in Herculaneum, she thought. Amara was certain of it. She had not heard from Tiberius in all these years, so she knew they had both perished. Thinking about Androcles’s preference for Araceli over herself brought up old feelings of jealousy, rage, and hate.
Androcles turned around suddenly. He could feel her emotions. He knew she was nearby. He had felt the same intense emotions before, long ago. Androcles looked for her in the darkness and saw her watching Skye and Marco getting into Marco’s car. He felt fear for Skye’s life. She may not be Araceli, but she is identical enough to stir up jealousy in Amara, he thought, worried. He sped over to Amara’s side.
“Amara,” he said, greeting her.
“Androcles! What a surprise!” Amara said happily. She couldn’t fool him, though. “Aren’t you going to kiss me hello?”
“Don’t touch me, Amara,” he said angrily.
She sighed. “Did you destroy the scrolls yet?”
“Not yet,” he replied.
“What are you waiting for?” Amara asked. “What are you up to, Androcles?” Androcles didn’t answer. “Does this have something to do with her?” Amara gasped in her realization and began laughing cru
elly. “You are pathetic. Why don’t you move on, Androcles? She has a man, if you can’t see. Couldn’t you smell the sex all over them?”
Androcles looked at her angrily. Her mocking enraged him, but he said nothing.
“Oh, Androcles…or should I call you Andy?” she said. “Araceli is dead, and I’m right here.” She leaned over and kissed him ever so lightly on his lips, gauging his reaction.
“Get away from me,” he said. He felt her murderous rage intensify. He knew she would kill Skye because of him. He would not have her death on his hands too. “I will take the scrolls and translations and alter everyone’s memories. Then I will leave Herculaneum forever…with you.” He hated what he had to do, but it was the only thing he could think of to keep Skye safe. He had to be with Amara.
Amara looked pleasantly shocked. “I knew you would come around, my love.” She kissed him again. Androcles was stiff and unresponsive, but that didn’t bother Amara. She could work on him. Androcles left for the lab alone.
Amara followed after the couple curiously. She saw the handsome young man drop the woman off at her apartment. Then he left. She followed the man home. Her plan of pain was already working in her mind. He was unlocking his door when she startled him.
“Excuse me,” she said, speaking to him in English.
“Can I help you?” he asked. He spoke back in English, but Amara could tell by his accent that he was Italian.
“You are working on the ludus excavation in Herculaneum?” she asked.
“Yes. Is there something I can help you with?” he repeated. Amara had the sick desire to seduce this man. Androcles, this man…they were both drawn to Araceli and her lookalike. Amara wanted to know what it felt like to be wanted by one of them. She began to hypnotize Marco.
“I want you to do something for me,” she said softly.
“Anything,” he said, totally entranced. Her eyes were locked on his.
“Tell the tabloids about the scrolls. Mock them. Make them seem like a hoax created by your supervisors on the excavation.”
“Vampires and werewolves aren’t real,” he said.
“That’s right,” said Amara. “Now let me in.” She smiled devilishly at him. He opened the door, hypnotized by her every word, and she followed him in.
Chapter Nine
NAPLES, 2011
Skye hung up the phone and began to cry. First she had a call from Dr. Costa telling her off and calling her unprofessional. He also told her that the funding for the excavation had been pulled, and the excavation was temporarily shut down. Then he told her that her that her employment was suspended pending further investigation. Second, she called Marco to tell him off and break up with him. When Skye woke up that morning and opened her door to get the paper, she saw that someone had left a copy of several tabloids. Marco had not only sold the story of the scrolls to the press, but he mocked them. Now there were questions of their authenticity and rumors she and Dr. Costa had created them for attention. Skye was so depressed. Marco couldn’t even keep the scrolls a secret for more than a couple of days.
It didn’t matter so much to her that she was now the laughingstock of the archaeological community. It bothered her that after hundreds of years she was finally making some progress in finding out who she really was. The scrolls were the biggest help so far in discovering her past. They mentioned her father, for all intents and purposes, Tiberius, and her former lover Lucian. It mentioned the man Tiberius had told her about, Androcles, though she couldn’t remember him to save her life. And most importantly they mentioned Amara, the woman who had cursed her, stealing her memories and her life. Skye couldn’t remember what the woman looked like, but she had been searching for her for years.
Suddenly there was a knock on her door. Skye went downstairs to see who was at her home. If it was Marco, though she couldn’t imagine him getting there so quickly, she swore she would punch him right in his stupid, handsome nose. She threw open the door.
“What?” she asked rudely before she could see who it was.
“I’m sorry, Skye,” said Andy. “I heard what happened, and I came to see if you were all right.”
“Andy!” she said, surprised. “I’m sorry for screaming. I thought you might be…” she started to say.
“Marco?” he finished her sentence.
“Yes,” she said, smiling sheepishly. Skye noticed he carried a bottle of wine. “Please come in.”
“Too early to start drinking?” he asked and then laughed.
“I guess you are out of a job too,” she said. “I’m sorry for telling Marco anything before we were finished and could publish our findings. Dr. Costa was right. I am unprofessional.”
“Hey, don’t beat yourself up about it. We can fix it,” Andy said reassuringly. He set down the bottle of wine on the table and gave her a friendly hug. Skye hugged him back and fought back some tears. He could feel her regret, disappointment, embarrassment, and heartbreak over Marco. But he could also feel there was no love from her to Marco.
“Thanks, Andy,” she said, pulling away and smiling. “Let’s crack open that bottle.”
Andy smiled and followed her to the kitchen. He stood, looking around for a bottle opener.
“Over in the drawer next to the fridge,” she said, pointing to the cabinets.
“Thanks,” said Andy. He got the bottle opener out and opened the wine. Skye had gotten a wine bucket full of ice and handed it to him. Then she got two wine glasses down from the cabinets. He took them from her. “It’s not cool yet.”
“After the day I had, I don’t care,” she said and laughed. Andy retrieved the bottle and poured her a full glass. He poured his own glass next, not so full.
“Cheers,” she said, holding her glass to his.
“Salute,” he said as he clicked her glass. Skye drained her entire glass.
“That’s better,” she said as she poured herself another glass. “Come on. Let’s go sit down. You can tell me more about yourself.”
“There is not much to tell,” he said, following her again to the living room.
But they had a lot to talk about. They talked for hours. She cooked, and they ate, or at least Andy pretended to eat. She didn’t really notice. Then they made a fire and talked more. Skye had polished off the bottle of wine he’d brought and was working her way through another. She was more animated and talkative now. Andy thought now would be a good time to say good-bye forever.
“Skye, I also came by to tell you good-bye,” he said.
“Good-bye?” she asked, confused.
“I am going back to New York,” Andy explained.
“Oh,” she said sadly. “I will miss you.” Andy looked up hopefully. She was sitting close to him. She smells wonderful, he thought. He gazed intently into her eyes and leaned forward. Skye squirmed and looked away. “It was nice working with you,” she clarified. Andy was handsome, but Skye didn’t think it was so smart to get involved with him if he was leaving and it was so soon after Marco.
“Maybe you will visit me in New York sometime,” he said, smiling and leaning back. He didn’t want to look disappointed.
“Yeah, the next time I go back to the States,” she promised.
“I’d better get going,” he said standing up.
“So soon,” she said, disappointed to be left alone.
Andy’s heart was breaking to leave her. She was so much like Araceli, from her very mannerisms, her gestures, the way she worded her sentences, the way she always twisted her hair and draped it over one shoulder. Sometimes tonight he had even forgotten he was talking to another woman. Maybe she was his second chance at happiness. But he couldn’t think of any reason why he should deserve a second chance.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw a collection of instruments. He hadn’t noticed them before because the armoire had always been shut. But tonight one door was cracked open. “Do you play?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said as she nodded her head. “I can play more than one instrument.�
� Skye got up and opened the armoire doors, revealing a variety of stringed instruments.
“You can play all of those?” he asked, impressed. There was a violin, a viola, a mandolin, a ukulele, a lute, a banjo, and a small harp.
“Indeed I can,” she said. “I had to leave my cello and my larger harp at home.”
“And what is that?” he asked as he pointed to a small case.
“That is a very old lyre,” she said.
“You can play the lyre?” Andy said, surprised. He found it unbelievable that both Araceli and this woman could play the lyre.
She nodded yes and picked up the case. “Would you like to see it?” she asked.
“Yes,” Andy replied, and he walked over to Skye. She started talking about where she purchased it from and its features. A flash of gold on a chain around her neck caught his eye. He wasn’t listening to her as he tried to remember where he had seen the pendant before. It was round, golden, and had a small red ruby in the center.
“Where did you get that?” he asked, interrupting her.
Skye looked down, “Oh, this. It’s just an old family heirloom,” she said trying to remain nonchalant, but Andy could sense some definite nervousness and a twinge of sadness on her part.
“It looks ancient,” he said. He knew he had seen it before, and it was driving him crazy.
“It is very old,” she admitted.
“Play it for me,” Andy asked, turning his attention back to the lyre.
“This one is too old for playing. Sorry,” she said. “But upstairs I have an acoustic guitar that I am learning to play. I could play something for you.”
“OK,” Andy said. He smiled and walked over to the couch to sit down.
Skye headed for the stairs. “Come on up,” she said. “All of my music is up there.”
Andy stood up and followed her up the stairs. He didn’t remember seeing a guitar up there the last time he had been inside. It must have been downstairs the night Marco came over. When they reached the bedroom loft, Skye went and picked up her guitar and sat on the edge of her bed.
The Immortal Scrolls Page 11