Fire Storm (Guardian Witch)

by Ally Shields

  “I haven’t seen him lately,” the clerk said. “Let me ask.” She stuck her head around a corner, talked to someone and was back. “He’s working a double homicide. You caught a break on this one. No Otherworlders involved. Foster got tagged because one of the major crimes guys is on vacation. You need me to raise him on the radio?”

  “No, it’s not important. I’ll catch him later.” She walked away and was ready to head back into the rain when her cell rang.

  “Good morning. It is morning there, is it not?”

  “Andreas.” The warmth of his voice spread through her, making her tingle from head to toe, chasing away the cold and damp. “I know you’re in Italy but you sound like you’re next door.”

  He chuckled. “Modern technology has improved communication since the days when it took weeks or months for letters to cross the ocean.”

  She shook her head and grinned at the phone. Who would make a comparison like that except a two hundred year old vampire? “So what are you doing? What’s it like?”

  “It is late afternoon here, warm and sunny. I am seated on the veranda with a glass of Chianti, waiting for my overseer. The vandalism appears to be more extensive than I believed, so I am pursuing those details before I meet with the medical examiner. Since an autopsy has already been done, there is no rush to see the body.”

  “What kind of vandalism? Was it serious?”

  “A series of break-ins and thefts. Could be childish pranks, but I will know more about the cumulative damage after this meeting. What are your plans for the day?”

  “Staying dry would be at the top of the list. It’s been raining all morning. I had coffee with Claris, and we talked about wedding plans.”

  They continued to chat for another ten minutes. She told him Mangi and Zylla appeared to be getting along, but she didn’t mention Zylla’s warning. She debated telling him, but finally decided it wouldn’t make him increase his security, and he’d probably jump to the conclusion she was in danger. He didn’t need to be stewing about her during his stay in Italy. She contented herself with reminding him to be careful now that he was within reach of the O-Seven. Their conversation ended when Andreas’s appointment arrived.

  She slipped the phone in her pocket and headed for the outer doors again, nearly colliding with Ryan as he dashed in.

  “Hot damn, it’s wet!” He stomped his feet, then stopped when he saw her. “Hi, I didn’t know you were coming by.”

  “I can’t stay, but I wanted to tell you about a little arrangement I made.” They stepped away from the door, and Ari explained about Mangi. “I don’t think anything will go wrong. Zylla has the situation under control, and Gabriel is aware, but it’s always good to know when someone like Mangi is around.”

  “If he doesn’t start a fight or hurt someone, I guess I don’t care. Appreciate the heads up.” He wiped the water from his hair with both hands. “Did Andreas get away OK?”

  She nodded. “He just called. It’s bright and sun-shiny in Italy.”

  “Figures.” He stomped his feet again. “I’d ask you up for coffee, but I’m kind of tied up with a homicide.”

  “Yeah, I heard. A double, huh?”

  “Looks like a murder-suicide. But we still have all the interviews and paperwork. I’ll be busy with this for a couple of days, unless we get something more urgent on the Otherworld side.”

  “Good luck.” She waved a hand and stepped into the pouring rain.

  * * *

  Busy at the office the rest of the day, Ari didn’t have time to think about Andreas or take a break until late in the afternoon. She’d handled a number of drop-ins that could have been disposed of by the front desk and suspected the clerk was still making a point about Ari’s past absences. Fine. She had dues to repay. But she wasn’t an Otherworld information desk. If the trend continued the rest of the week, she’d have to find a way to make her peace with the clerk. Possibly with a large box of chocolates.

  She stood staring out the windows near her conference table with a coffee cup in her hand. Her thoughts drifted to Italy. What was Andreas doing? It would be 11:00 p.m. there. By now he should have a good idea of the problems at his estates. What had the overseer said about the vandalism? Strange they were having trouble so suddenly. And what had the exam of the body revealed?

  It wasn’t just idle curiosity on her part. If there was trouble, that could put Andreas at risk. But surely not while he was surrounded by his weretigers. They had been protecting him and his secret life as a vampire for two hundred years.

  It occurred to her she knew nothing about the laws in Italy. If vampires weren’t recognized, did that mean legal authorities would be a threat to him? Were there still vampire hunters in Italy? She’d heard some European countries weren’t as accepting as the United States, particularly those countries who’d suffered the most from centuries of furtive attacks. America’s shorter history meant the fears and the need for retribution were not so deep.

  Ari set her cup on the table and hurried to the computer, spending the next half hour reading everything the internet could tell her on Otherworlder recognition in Italy. She finally closed her laptop. Current laws seemed to skirt the issue. While Otherworld races were not specifically mentioned in their statutes, there were civil and criminal laws that prohibited harming any sentient being or hunting wildlife without a special species specific license. Since the list of licenses did not include vampires or lycanthropes, Italy seemed to have found a way to provide protection without recognition. It was an odd way to do it, and she’d check with Andreas when he called about what it really meant to the Otherworlders there. Or maybe she’d talk with Samuel instead; he wouldn’t skirt the truth.

  She tapped her fingernails on the desk, back to thinking about Zylla’s warning. What if Andreas wasn’t the one at risk? It could be Ari herself or any of her friends. Or maybe Zylla was just plain wrong. Could she have tapped into somebody else’s future? After all, hadn’t Zylla admitted her witch powers were waning?

  With no immediate answers, Ari shoved her concerns aside and bent to the task of writing her reports for the Magic Council. But this evening on patrol, she’d take special care in watching for any sign of trouble. Zylla’s premonition might refer to a community danger rather than anything personal.

  * * *

  In spite of Zylla’s foreboding and Ari’s own uneasy thoughts, nothing bad or earth-shattering happened during the next week. Andreas called every day, usually in the morning, Riverdale time. The inspection of his estates was going well. He had visited most of his 5,000 acres and five villages, and the grape harvest was in full swing. As for the death and the vandalism, there had been little progress. Toxicology reports showed the victim had been drinking the night he died, but not enough to be considered drunk. Still, nothing had shown up to prove it was anything except a bizarre accident. And the vandalism had stopped. In fact, Andreas’s visit was going so smoothly he thought he would be home in another two weeks.

  On Friday morning Ari jumped out of bed and into the shower. She shampooed her hair and hummed to herself. Andreas’s call last night had been great news. He’d be home soon. Two weeks or a little more. A piece of cake. It had all gone well so far. She’d kept active the last eight days, Gabriel had dealt with all the vampire affairs, and the time had gone by faster than expected.

  She’d spent time every day at her office. And she’d socialized. She even knew how the council reps preferred their coffee. Black, espresso, or lattes. Since Steffan was on the Council, he had helped by inviting one or two members to join them for lunch, and they’d had a great time at a kegger thrown by Steffan’s wolfpack. By the time Andreas returned, her professional relationships should be back to normal.

  She dressed quickly and dashed down the stairs, nearly colliding with Lilith at the kitchen door. “Coffee’s on.” Lilith stopped and narrowed her eyes. “I still can’t believe the head of security is supposed to make your coffee.”

  “Samuel does.” Ari grin
ned, dodged around her, and made a beeline for the pot. “Wasn’t my idea to begin with, but I couldn’t be rude and turn him down. Think of it as tradition.” She chuckled when Lilith rolled her eyes. “Got time for a cup?”

  “Why not, since babysitting you is one of my assignments?”

  Ari mentally squirmed at the terminology but refused to let it show on her face. Although Andreas had designated Lilith as her personal bodyguard—over Ari’s strenuous objection—she knew the babysitting crack was simply a jab for having to make the coffee. She let it pass. “Everything OK at the club?”

  Lilith’s husband Russell was the head of club security. If anyone knew the day-to-day situation there, it would be Russell.

  “Marcus is doing a good job as temporary manager. He’s like a young clone of Andreas. Cute butt and a stickler for details.”

  “Cute butt?” Ari leaned against the counter and regarded her friend. “Russell will kick yours if he hears you talking like that.” She was just making girl talk. Russell and Lilith had frequent spats, but nothing was ever serious, except their affection for one another. “Have you guys ever considered children?”

  “Kids? Not me! Russell’s brother has six. If Russell feels the need for a kid, he can borrow one. Don’t tell me you’re feeling the maternal clock ticking.”

  “No, not me, but Claris is. Say she wants a dozen. I’ll be an aunt to hers.”

  “That’s the way to do it. Then the responsibility always goes home at the end of the day.” Lilith smirked and glanced at the clock on the stove. “I better go. I’m holding a 9:00 a.m. briefing.”

  Briefing? Ari stifled a laugh. Lilith, who hated rules and formality, was certainly taking this “in charge” position seriously. Ari gulped down her coffee. She hadn’t realized so much time had passed, and she had a nine o’clock client.

  The client was waiting when she breezed in the door of the cultural center two minutes late. Since she and Eddie West were old friends, the redheaded reporter just grinned at her hurried apology.

  “Think nothing of it. Everybody keeps the press waiting.”

  “Probably hoping you’ll go away.”

  He got up from his seat in the waiting area and followed her down the hall. “You could be right. People either crawl all over us or try to duck and hide.”

  “I was surprised to see your name on my calendar.” She unlocked her office door. “We don’t have any unsolved Otherworld crimes at the moment. And I’m not naive enough to think this is a social call…so, what is it you want?” She went behind her desk.

  Eddie ignored the upholstered seats and pulled a wooden chair from the conference table. “I thought you might explain why you’re harboring a dangerous werejavey among the vampires.”

  She whipped her head around to glare at him. “How the hell did you hear about that? Eddie, if you make trouble over this I’ll…” She stopped when he turned on the boyish grin.

  “Gotcha going, didn’t I? You should know by now I hear everything, but don’t worry. I’m not going to print it. In fact, I hope the kid makes it.”

  “The headkeeper at the shelter,” Ari muttered. “I thought she was more discreet.”

  “She is, and don’t give her a hard time. She was bragging on you. From what I’ve heard from the Magic Council rumor mill, you could use a little goodwill.”

  “Is that why you’re here? To talk about my shortcomings?” She gave him a wary look. Exactly what was he going to spring on her next?

  “God, no.” He waved off her suggestion. “I was just kidding. In fact, I hope you’ll like what I have to say. The Clarion has given me a chance to do something a little different, something outside the crime column.” He rested one foot on his opposite knee. “Andreas has been the vampire prince of Riverdale for almost a year. We’re running an article on who he is, his background, the club, his ties to Italy. Since he’s out of town, I was hoping to talk to you.”

  “Oh, no. You’ll have to wait for Andreas to return.”

  “Sure, I’ll interview him then, but time is getting short, and I’d like to write some of the background pieces now.”

  “Gabriel could help you more than I can, but no one is going to talk about Andreas without his approval. Call him. The worst he can say is no.” The loud ring of her phone cut her off; she checked caller ID and frowned. “Sorry, I better take this. It’s international.”

  She punched a button. “This is Ari Calin.”

  A chill crept across her back. “How? When?” Ari closed her eyes and shoved back the paralyzing fear so she could think. She listened in stunned silence for a full minute. “Call me back when you’ve checked.”

  Eddie stirred uneasily and leaned forward in concern. “You’re pale as a ghost. Is something wrong?”

  “They can’t find Andreas.” She popped to her feet and paced to the window, trying to slow the frantic beating of her heart. “There’s evidence of a fight. Blood, overturned furniture. But no Andreas.” Fear tightened her chest. Zylla’s prophesy. She turned toward Eddie and said the first thing that came into her head. “The O-Seven has him.”

  Chapter Four

  “Who is the O-Seven?” Eddie pulled out a notepad and scooted to the edge of his seat. “Why would they want Andreas?”

  “The original seven vampires. Super powerful, thousands of years old. They have absolute rule over the European vamp community. And they don’t like how Daron and Andreas run their courts.” She paced the room, automatically answering his questions, while her mind sifted through the possibilities.

  “Why do they care what happens over here?”

  She shrugged. “I guess they’re afraid more democratic ideas will spread to Europe and challenge their dictatorship. But nobody’s ever done that. Not with all the power they have. It’s just vampire paranoia. We recently learned they were behind all the attacks against us over the past two years.”

  “It wasn’t Sebastian? Oh, I get it. Sebastian was fronting for them. Now that sounds like a real story.” He scribbled on his notepad. “Tell me more about these seven vampires.”

  She shook her head. “Not now, Eddie. Besides, I don’t know much more. You’ll have to do your own research. I need to concentrate on finding Andreas.”

  Eddie mumbled something, but when she didn’t respond, he got up and let himself out the door. “Call me.” He pulled it closed.

  She waved a belated good-bye. Where was Andreas? The only thing she knew was that he was alive. She’d checked, the instant Samuel said he was missing. Andreas’s energy was still there at the end of their mystical link. The pulse was faint, insufficient for telepathic contact, but it was steady. She wasn’t sure what its strength should be. They hadn’t had a reason to use the link since he’d been gone, and she’d only tried to sense him once. It had been faint then, but he’d been asleep. It was still possible the current weak connection was due to the distance. Or he could be in a place similar to the caverns, where the thick rock and earth energies interfered. Unless he was deliberately shielding, keeping “the gate” closed, to protect her from the truth—whatever it was. She refused to believe he’d suffered life-threatening injuries.

  She took a deep breath, but insidious fear washed over her. How had this happened to him? Where were his guards? Where was he now? Captured? Dying? She fought a wave of nausea. No time for negative thoughts. Andreas was strong, smart. She’d have to depend on him to keep himself alive until she found him.

  Ari quickly turned off the coffee pot and the lights and walked to the hall, locking the door behind her. She stopped at the front desk to inform the receptionist that she would be out indefinitely.

  “But you have appointments,” the young woman protested.

  “Cancel them or re-schedule with someone else. I’m sorry, but I don’t know when or if I’ll be back.” Without waiting for the receptionist’s reaction, Ari left the building. If she ever returned, she’d probably need two boxes of candy to appease the affronted clerk.

  She didn’t stop
to talk with the president or even Steffan. She was going to Italy. The wizard would try to stop her, and she didn’t have time to argue. There were things in life you just had to do.

  * * *

  First on her agenda was how, and how quickly, she could get to Italy. She talked with Samuel again, brushing off his apologies or the need for explanations. There would be time for all that when she reached the estate. Right now she was more interested in arranging for Andreas’s jet to meet her in London. It seemed the fastest route. She talked over the situation with Gabriel, Russell, Lilith, and even conferred with Andreas’s friend, Prince Daron, in Toronto, Ontario. In the end, she took four of the weretigers and Lilith with her. The tigers knew their homeland, and Lilith, well, Ari just wanted her friend and her pistols by her side.

  From the airport, she called Claris, told her what had happened, and promised she’d be back in time for the wedding.

  “Oh my god, Ari, the wedding can wait.” Claris’s voice trembled. “You come back safely. We won’t have the wedding until you’re both home.” Ari tried to argue with her, but Claris was adamant.

  Then Ari called Steffan and explained her abrupt departure. “I know the Magic Council will be furious, but staying here and waiting isn’t an option. Can you understand?”

  “Of course, I do. I’ll try to explain to the wizard.” He paused. “I can’t guarantee what will happen, but I think it was smart not to talk with him. This way you’re not defying a direct order.”

  “Yeah, I guess. I suppose they could fire me, but…oh, hell, I can’t worry about that right now.” She glanced up as the airport speakers announced last call for her flight. “I have to board the plane, so can you call Martin too? I’ll try to reach him from Italy, but just give him a heads up. Tell him I’m sorry, but he’ll need to cover my territory for a while. Unless they assign a new Guardian to Olde Town.” She sighed with resignation. “Well, it can’t be helped.”