by Anna Lowe
He knotted his fingers through hers, still not ready to believe everything had worked out.
Laura looked at the clock and sighed. “I wish we had another hour.”
“Why rush to a meeting?” Finn asked between sips of wine. “Marco has finally figured out what’s important in life — the joy of finding his mate. I say let him enjoy that. And let me enjoy teasing him about it.” He winked.
Marco arched an eyebrow at his friend. “And you know all about this joy…how?”
Finn’s smile remained in place, but his eyes lost their shine, and his voice dropped to a whisper. “Oh, I know about mates, all right.”
Marco was sorely tempted to ask more, but Laura shot him one of those Time to back off looks he was learning to read.
And so it was that shortly after breakfast, Marco found himself driving the long, winding road to Quintus’s house instead of hurrying Laura back to bed to claim as his.
His dragon heaved a deep sigh. When, then?
Soon, he swore.
As previously, Laura sat beside him in the Land Rover, and Finn followed in a second vehicle with Adriano. Half an hour later, they rolled into the estate’s driveway, where Marco kissed Laura’s hand.
“You okay?” she murmured.
“I should be the one asking you.”
Laura shook her head. “This is more about your past than mine.”
“It’s about your future, too. Fire Maiden, remember?”
Laura winced as though she’d forgotten. “I guess so. But it’s our future, so we can face it together, right?”
He kissed her hand. “Our future.” Boy, did he like the sound of that.
The moment he pulled to a stop, a valet opened the door. In many ways, the scene was strangely reminiscent of the soirée not long before. More somber than festive, of course, but with a comparable row of expensive cars lining the driveway and staff scurrying around.
“Where were all these people when Quintus needed them most?” Marco growled.
Laura touched his hand as they strode up the steps. “They were tricked, remember?”
That much, he’d been filled in on during his hurried visit the previous evening. Still, he scowled — especially when he spotted Roberto, the lackey who’d been so quick to accuse him of attempted murder.
Marco flashed his teeth, and the deer shifter scurried out of sight.
“Men,” Laura hmpfed, pulling him onward.
“Dom Marco. Senhorita Sampao.” Quintus greeted them from the top of the stairs. “I owe you my life.”
Marco shook the old man’s hand. “You owe Paloma.”
“I suppose I do.”
Marco tightened his grip around the old man’s hand. “You suppose?”
Quintus winced, correcting himself. “I know I do.”
Marco released his hand, trying not to scowl. It was high time Quintus learned not to underestimate women — his allies as much as his enemies.
To smooth things over, Marco added, “It’s good to see you on your feet again.”
Quintus snorted. “I may not heal as fast as I did when I was younger, but I’m still a shifter.”
Still your superior, the old man’s haughty tone added, though he stepped aside, allowing Marco to enter the house first.
Well, well, Dona Leonor murmured into Marco’s mind. I believe we’re seeing a changing of the guard.
Sheer habit nearly made Marco wave her words aside, but maybe she was right. It truly was time for a change — for him and for the shifter establishment.
Laura ran to hug Paloma like an old friend, while Marco stooped to give Dona Leonor a kiss on both cheeks.
“Your mother would be proud,” the older woman whispered.
Marco’s heart swelled, and his voice was a little rough when he replied with a heartfelt, “Obrigado.”
“This way.” Quintus waved toward the poolside terrace that overlooked the valley and the sea.
All the shifter nobility of Madeira was gathered there, along with several leading Guardians of Lisbon, who had flown in for the urgent meeting.
Marco did a double take when his cousin Cornelia stepped forward.
“Surprised? You should be,” she murmured. “It’s the first time the Guardians of Madeira and Lisbon have deigned to meet in years.”
“More like a lifetime,” Marco muttered.
The two groups kept in touch through envoys, but they rarely met in person. Pride always got in the way, along with petty squabbles about who ought to travel to whom’s turf. For once, Quintus’s injuries had solved that issue.
The old man eased into a chair and wiped his forehead, while his mate fussed over him. Even enhanced shifter healing couldn’t completely erase such severe injuries. Marco was hiding a sore shoulder himself.
Quintus gestured wearily between the two factions that sat facing each other on the terrace. “I believe no introductions are needed. We all know each other.”
Too well, Cornelia sighed into Marco’s mind.
Marco took a deep breath and announced, “On the contrary, I believe introductions are in order.”
Quintus didn’t like to be corrected and it showed, but Marco stood his ground. First, he waved Paloma forward. “Allow me to introduce Paloma Aires, who attended to Dom Quintus after the attempt on his life.”
Paloma gave a shy little wave, but Dona Leonor pushed her forward to a smattering of polite applause from both groups.
“And Laura Sampao,” Marco went on, trying to keep his voice neutral. A lost cause, because it came out all bubbly and full of wonder.
Not that his dragon cared. I’m allowed to be proud of my mate.
Marco was. Deeply. But he knew Laura wouldn’t like more attention than strictly necessary.
Another lost cause, because several of the old men muttered in wonder.
“Fire Maiden.”
Her hand tightened around his, but she managed a polite, “Muito prazer.”
The sweat in her grip made Marco worry she might bolt to Dona Leonor’s side, but Laura stood her ground in the onslaught of curious looks.
A couple of the old men leaned forward as if to ask, How do we know she’s the Fire Maiden? How can we be sure?
Laura’s ruby shone in defiance, and they all leaned back in wonder.
She is the one. I promise you, she is the one, the ruby’s light announced.
“The Niassa stone,” the oldest of the Lisbon Guardians breathed.
Laura stared. “The what?”
“The Niassa stone. A treasure originally linked to Apelonia, a daughter of Queen Liviana and the first Fire Maiden of our fair city. It was handed down for generations, but it was lost at some point. My grandmother had one just like it.” The old man looked at Laura in wonder. “But it didn’t shine for her. Those gems carry a special spell and only awaken for members of the royal family.”
Laura stared, but Marco wasn’t all too surprised.
“But my relatives were farmers, not royalty,” Laura protested. Then she went very still, looking at Marco. “Unless my great-grandmother — and my father’s aunt — weren’t kidding about having a little royal blood.”
Marco hid a smile. A little royal blood? He was sure Laura had plenty.
The old dragon didn’t seem concerned. “We can look into it. The last known heirs to that family line were all men, and several were known for indiscreet liaisons with commoners. It’s possible you have strains of noble blood on both sides of your family — a potentially potent mixture, indeed.”
Marco stifled a chuckle. Laura wasn’t potentially anything. She’d proven herself again and again.
She tugged on his hand and whispered, “Okay, so I’m a Fire Maiden. Can I sit now?”
He grinned and led her to a sofa, where they sat down, nice and close.
“I suppose we should get that other gem back — the one we put into circulation in Lisbon,” one of the Lisbon dragons quietly sighed to another.
Marco rolled his eyes.
&
nbsp; Dom Afonso of the Lisbon Guardians clapped for attention. “All right, then. Where shall we begin?”
All eyes turned to Laura, but Cornelia shook her head. “We begin with the attempt on Dom Quintus’s life. What happened, exactly?”
Quintus grimaced. “Duarte contacted me about an emergency — or so he claimed. He was very hush-hush, suggesting something about a traitor in our midst. Little did I know he was the traitor.”
A grim silence ensued before Cornelia spoke up. “That Duarte is capable of scheming, I can see. That he was capable of masterminding a carefully planned coup, I cannot.”
“Who, then?” one of the elders asked. “That young Lombardi fellow?”
Marco shook his head. “He was slightly sharper than Duarte, but still no mastermind. That was all Olivia.”
He turned to Quintus, who nodded wearily. “Yes. That became apparent when my men questioned Duarte.”
Questioning was a mild term for the rough handling Duarte had received once he’d been dragged in to face the consequences of his actions. But Duarte had it coming, along with the injuries he’d sustained in his crash. He would be in custody for a long, long time, and he would probably never fly again.
Marco couldn’t quite bring himself to feel bad about that.
“Duarte arrived with Luigi, and I was immediately suspicious,” Quintus continued. “I didn’t see the weapons they had concealed until it was too late.”
“That’s what I don’t understand,” Paloma interjected. “Why use weapons? Why not their claws?”
Marco made a face. “To be able to pin the crime on me.”
Quintus nodded. “Duarte confirmed that during questioning. The plan was to plant their weapons in Marco’s vehicle.”
“But why?” someone asked.
Exactly the question Marco had mulled over for hours. One he, Laura, and Finn had finally worked out in a late-night talk after the fight.
“Olivia was full of grand plans from the very start,” he said, then paused, letting the others recall the past for themselves. Would they remember how Olivia had wooed him, used him, and finally cast him aside in favor of old Dom Enrico?
Marco’s dragon sighed. Of course they remember. It was the scandal of the year. The decade, maybe.
“That woman wasn’t content with anything,” Dom Afonso grumbled.
Laura mumbled something, and Dom Afonso turned. “What did you say, girl? Speak up.”
Marco nearly growled, but Laura could stand up for herself. And she did, in fine fashion, looking Afonso directly in the eye as she spoke.
“I said, a man would call that ambition. But when it’s a woman, it’s somehow suspicious.”
Cornelia shot Marco a grin. I like her already.
“Are you defending Olivia’s actions?” Dom Afonso barked.
Laura shook her head. “I’m just pointing out that ambition is not a crime.”
Cornelia broke in, backing her up. “Exactly. Olivia’s crimes were attempted murder and attempted kidnapping — among others.”
The old men gathered nodded sagely, as if they’d thought so all along.
Finn whispered into Marco’s mind. Those guys better watch out. Laura and Cornelia make a good team. Maybe they’ll be the ones to finally rock the staid Guardian world.
Marco hid a grin. That was exactly what he’d been hoping. The Guardians of Lisbon needed some fresh new faces, and Laura would be perfect. She had a lot to learn about the shifter world, but she’d already proven to be a quick study.
Of course she is. She’s a Fire Maiden, his dragon huffed.
“Attempted kidnapping?” one of the Lisbon Guardians asked.
Paloma pointed to Laura. “Her. The Fire Maiden.”
As always, Quintus looked a little miffed that someone other than a Guardian spoke.
Maybe he should get used to it, Marco’s dragon chuckled.
Marco smiled. Paloma would make a great Guardian too. And what a combination that would be if Cornelia and Laura served among those in Lisbon.
One of the oldest dragons of Madeira rubbed his brows. “We discussed the dangers of the Lombardis, but I don’t see how Olivia fits in.”
“And how did she identify the Fire Maiden before we did?” Dom Afonso demanded. Then he turned to chide Laura. “You should have come to us right away.”
“I did come to you. At least, I tried. You were too busy to grant me an audience.”
Dom Afonso and his cronies went very, very quiet, exchanging looks that said, This is your fault! No, your fault!
Cornelia sighed, crossing her arms. Just another day of my life. You see why I need you, Marco?
Yes, he did. It was time to take action, and he was ready to do his part. He stood, motioning for quiet.
“As you know, the Lombardis have made repeated attempts to reestablish a base of power in Europe,” he began. “They failed in Paris, London, and Rome, but that didn’t stop them from trying in Lisbon and Madeira. You were aware of that.” He motioned to the Guardians of Lisbon. “And as a consequence, you hoped to locate the Fire Maiden before the Lombardis did.”
“Indeed, we were taking measures to do so,” Dom Afonso insisted.
Woefully inadequate measures, Marco wanted to say, but there was no point. Instead, he went on.
“You were, and every shifter in Lisbon knew it. Duarte knew, too. When he stumbled across Laura, he began to plot how to parlay that information into a handsome reward.”
“But how did Duarte recognize Senhorita Sampao as a Fire Maiden?” Dom Afonso asked. “He is hardly clever enough to work that out for himself.”
“Duarte didn’t. Fausto did.”
Several older dragons crinkled their noses. While the Guardians had forged alliances with vampires, they weren’t exactly best buddies.
Cornelia nodded slowly. “Vampires do have a nose for blood.”
Laura grimaced. I don’t know what makes me more uncomfortable — the idea of being royal or the reminder of being pursued by a vampire.
Marco squeezed her hand, reminding her that Fausto had been apprehended and detained on the mainland. As for being royal…
Royal or not, you’re the queen of my heart, he murmured.
Laura broke into a grin that warmed his world. That part is fine with me.
Marco smiled, then remembered the others. You want to continue?
Laura bit her lip, then spoke up to reveal what she, Marco, and Finn had worked out the previous night. “Fausto smelled my blood, but he couldn’t catch me when I flew away. So, he enlisted Duarte. If Marco hadn’t come along that night…” She trailed off, looking a little pale.
Of course I came along that night, he reminded her. It was destiny.
She smiled, then waved around. You can take it from there. Just don’t share the juicy stuff, all right?
Marco grinned, recalling how their love had gradually gone from smoldering temptation to all-out, consummated desire. Yes, he would definitely omit the details.
“Duarte might have intended to go to the Guardians of Lisbon with Laura’s identity,” he continued. “But somehow, he became involved with Luigi Lombardi, who must have been scouting on behalf of his family.”
“You should never have let him escape,” one of the elders sighed.
“We called for backup, but your men were too slow,” Marco pointed out. “One might say, you should never have let him escape,”
Quintus tapped his fingers on his armrest. “From what we can tell, Luigi was the sole member of his family involved in this attempt. Why didn’t he go to his elders with the information he gained?”
Finn snorted. “Not everyone goes running to their elders these days. Especially if those elders are not known for swift action.”
Quintus shot him a murderous look, but the Irish dragon just shrugged.
Quintus looked at Paloma as if waiting for her to say, Of course, we young people look up to our elders. We wouldn’t dream of taking our own actions.
But all she sai
d was, “He has a point.”
Quintus’s face folded into a deep frown.
A good thing another of the elders went back to the key point. “Why would the young Lombardi act on his own?”
Marco shrugged. “Either to seize power for himself or to make himself a hero to his clan.”
Quintus scoffed. “He really thought he could do that?”
Marco shook his head. “I believe so — especially when Olivia joined the plot. She had the local knowledge and the…er…” He shot Laura an apologetic look. “…the ambition. Olivia also had the means to hire several mercenaries.”
“Why would she cooperate with the Lombardis?”
“Because they could offer her something you never could. Recognition. Respect. Her own base of power.”
Quintus turned red, but Marco went on. Someone had to tell it as it was.
“Olivia saw the Lombardis as an opportunity. They would help her seize power, first in Madeira, and then on the mainland. In return, she would give the Lombardis a springboard from which to spread to the rest of the continent.”
Everyone sank into silence so profound, Marco could hear the hum of the ocean, miles away. A hawk flew overhead, emitting a piercing cry, and somewhere in the distance, a truck lumbered up the mountain.
Marco closed his eyes and sniffed the air. Home. Madeira. He’d nearly lost touch with the magic of the place. Worse, evil forces had come close to snatching power. What would have happened if Laura hadn’t come along?
She touched his hand. I didn’t do it on my own. The ruby helped.
He opened his eyes, meeting hers. What you did came from your own courage and determination.
She shot him a little smile. I did find a good teacher.
He shook his head softly. You were the one who taught me.
Finn cackled into Marco’s mind. Just wait till I tell the guys about this.
Marco sighed. The teasing would be merciless, but he would live.
Happily ever after, his dragon agreed. When you finally get around to biting her, that is.
Marco’s blood heated, and his fangs pushed against his gums.
Laura’s eyes glowed as she picked up on his thoughts. I like the sound of that. Are we done here?