Rogue Spotter Collection

by Kimberly A Rogers

  Hissing through my teeth, I shone the flashlight on whatever I had managed to run into with my knee. A sarcophagus. Lines upon lines of hieroglyphs and draconic were carved into the stone sides. I took some more pictures of the sides as well as the carved lid before I shoved against the stone lid. It didn’t budge.

  I also didn’t have much more time.

  “Hurry, Lauren!” came Mathias’ faint call.

  Setting my feet more firmly against the ground, I placed my shoulder against the edge of the lid and pushed with all my might. I grunted and strained until finally the lid slid open with the grating of stone against stone. Sagging in relief, I blew out a breath. “All right. Please don’t be a mummy. I cannot handle that tonight.”

  The sarcophagus was surprisingly empty save for a linen wrapped object tucked near the top. I reached in, once more praying that this wouldn’t be some sort of glamoured mummy or a curse trap, and pulled the object out. It was about the length of my hand from the tip of my middle finger to my wrist. And, it was heavy. I hesitated a moment and then carefully peeled the linen back. I caught a glimpse of bronze before numbers flashed into existence. I almost dropped it, but the numbers blinked out of existence again. What in the world was that?

  There was a strange sense of . . . more. What that meant I had no idea. But, this was most certainly a piece of the Crown of Nimrod. I’d found one.

  “Lauren!”

  The sharpness of Mathias’ call cut through the curiosity and desire to see what secrets the crown piece truly held. Blinking, I wrapped the piece securely and then tucked it deep inside my satchel. Then, I forced myself to wriggle back into the tunnel. Mathias was waiting at the other end and pulled me free of the tunnel as soon as I could reach his outstretched hands.

  “I found it,” I gasped, still not quite believing it was true.

  “Good. Time to run, love.”

  Mathias grabbed my hand and pulled me after him as we raced out of the chamber. We practically slid down the stairs before sprinting through the short hall. Racing to the top of the next flight of stairs, I could hardly catch my breath before Mathias pulled me toward the exit. Moonlight still flooded the entrance. Then, a shadow passed over it and another. Oh no.

  I forced my aching legs to move faster as I caught the sound of gears shifting. The door was going to drop down, seal us inside. Panic made me move faster. Another heavy shadow rolled across the entrance. The door started to sink into view once more. Almost there.

  Mathias pulled me flush against his side and then he dove, taking me with him. We hit the sandy stone with bruising force and then we rolled. Our feet barely cleared the entrance before the stone door slammed into place, sending a puff of sand up, as the clouds hid the moon once more.

  Panting, I patted Mathias on the chest and then reached down to grab my satchel. Slipping a hand inside, I couldn’t relax until I grasped the long slightly curved piece. A soft laugh escaped me as I pressed my face into Mathias’ shoulder. “We did it.”

  Mathias pulled me to my feet and adjusted my head shawl before he stole a kiss. “I knew you could do it.”

  “Only four more to find,” I murmured softly.

  “Right. Let’s get out of here, shall we?”

  I nodded and grabbed his offered hand. We stepped through the glamour once more. It squeezed my lungs painfully this time before we emerged. Not as painful as the security glamour at the Colosseum, but certainly a fierce deterrent.

  We had only taken a few steps before two bodies slammed into us. Hands wrapped around my shoulders and hurled me into the stone paw behind me. A hiss escaped me as I knocked my head against stone and the breath was crushed out of my lungs. Everything went dark for a moment. When I could see clearly again, Mathias was breaking the neck of a man. I caught a glimpse of a badly scarred visage and the fiery orange eyes of a dragon before he slumped into the sand.

  Then Mathias was beside me, helping me to my feet. “Come on, we need to get out of Egypt.”

  “Are they dead?”

  “One. Khalid isn’t though. Come on, Lauren. We’ve outstayed our welcome, and we can’t draw them back to our friend.”

  Realizing he didn’t fully believe that Khalid was unaware of us, I could only nod. I didn’t ask about Royal. Even though I truly wanted to do so. If Weard had figured out where we were and that we had been helped by Royal, wouldn’t that mean he’d have to go to a different hiding place too? And, where in the world was my Myrmidon planning to take me now? Not another abandoned village I hoped. Although perhaps that would be better than taking shelter in an old tomb. Anywhere Weard wasn’t sounded like a very nice option. If that option even existed.

  * * *

  Chapter Five

  Mathias

  The smell of the sea filled my lungs as I walked the perimeter of the rooftop courtyard. I glanced across the ruins of ancient buildings and columns, then out to the Mediterranean. Carthage, once home to Hannibal the Great and subject to many purges, still lingered even with the norm capital of Tunis rising to the south.

  “I should have known you would be drawn to the homeland of another Ten.”

  I smiled as I turned to find Lauren watching me. She wore a loose kaftan of deep green but hadn’t fetched her head shawl yet, leaving her dark hair to tumble loose around her shoulders. As she approached, I closed the distance between us and drew her into a tight embrace. “I wouldn’t say that I chose to make a safe house here for that reason.”

  She pulled back slightly in order to look up at me. “No?”

  “No, you cheeky little minx,” I retorted. Keeping my arms around her, I rubbed her back lightly as I added, “It was for strategic purposes. Naturally.”

  “Oh naturally.” The corner of her mouth curved up into a tantalizing smirk as she tilted her head to the side. “And, it had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that you did not get to walk properly in the footsteps of Alexander the Great while in Alexandria.”

  “Right.” I grinned and then chuckled. “All right, maybe I had a little bit of fun knowing that I had a safe house situated where the greatest military strategic mind once walked. Bit of grounding for a Myrmidon such as myself. We were said to be distantly related to Hannibal after all.”

  “Of course, you were, dear.” Lauren tugged on my loose shirt and then rose on her tiptoes to press a glancing kiss against my lips. “By the way, you have yet to properly apologize for lying about me to dragons.”

  “It was a very small fib,” I protested. “Wait a minute. Where do you think you’re off to, hmm?”

  Lauren ducked out of my embrace and then backed away, a slow grin appearing. “Away from you. Because you do not deserve me. At all.”

  I clicked my tongue as I slowly stalked toward her. “True enough, I suppose. However, I do rather like you.”

  She laughed. “Well, I rather like you too, Mathias. But, you still don’t deserve me.”

  “Shall I worship at your feet then?” I asked, following her as she backed away in a circle. The only furniture on the rooftop courtyard consisted of stone benches and awnings that could block out the midday sun, which meant she couldn’t put much between us. “Or swear to slay all your enemies?”

  Lauren shook her head. “Neither.”

  “Oh. I see.” I grinned. “Then, perhaps we can make a bargain.”

  She offered an answering grin. “That would depend.”

  “On what?”

  “Whether you can catch me.” The words no sooner left her mouth than she spun and sprinted toward the door leading inside.

  I gave a shout as I pursued her. This was the sort of mischief I could get used to from Lauren.

  * * *

  Mathias

  I wrapped my arms more securely around Lauren as she slept. Dropping a kiss against her bare shoulder, I brushed aside her hair to further expose her neck. Before I could follow through, however, I heard buzzing. I touched my forehead to the crook of Lauren’s neck before reluctantly letting her go so I
could roll over. The burner Royal had given me was buzzing somewhere among my clothes on the floor. The obnoxious sound continued as I stretched to find my trousers and finally dug it out. Royal was calling.

  “What is it?” I muttered as I flopped back on the bed.

  “Have you seen the latest news reports?”

  “I have better things to do than watch the telly. I’m a very busy married man.”

  “Then you need to take a moment to watch the news,” Royal growled. “Be aware of the world beyond your quest.” There was a crackling pause and then he whispered, “I need to go. Watch your back.”

  There was a click, and I turned the burner off. I would toss it when I went to fetch the evening meal. Blast the dragon for his interference. I glanced at Lauren confirming that she was still sleeping before I reluctantly found the remote for the telly stuffed in a corner of the bedroom. Turning it on, I flicked from the local news station to the worldwide paranormal news network. The announcers were speaking English as Arabic subtitles scrolled across the bottom of the screen. Both looked nervous, even the high elf who normally showed no emotions beneath his professional mask. Something had happened.

  “Breaking news out of Saint Augustine, Florida, after a week of confirmed assassinations in the city known as the embassy of the West. It has been confirmed that there were a string of connected poisonings among the ambassadors including an eastern dragon, Princess Ming-Lin, a high elf whose name has not been released, and a Therian shifter whose name is also being withheld. A joint taskforce was confirmed to address these attacks, especially given the history of the North American Therian shifters’ isolation from most other paranormals as a kingdom.”

  The sprite’s wings beat hard and fast as she interrupted her companion. “We’ve just received word of a live broadcast from the Chicago headquarters of Weard Enterprises. We will switch over to that now.”

  The scene changed from the newsroom to the steps in front of Weard Enterprises’ main building. A woman I vaguely recognized as one of the Unseelie Fae, the faint hint of green tones to her skin pointing to her heritage being that of a Banshee, stood behind a podium. Her gaze was arresting even through the screen as she inclined her head slightly. “Good morning. As of ten minutes ago, at nine-fifty am central, Weard Enterprises has confirmed the presence of assassins in the embassy city of Saint Augustine, Florida. It is also our sorrow to confirm that two more deaths have occurred among the assembled ambassadors; however, their names have not been released to the public in order to provide opportunities for their next of kin to be contacted.”

  The Banshee paused deliberately and I felt Lauren move next to me as she rolled, pulling the covers with her. Then the Banshee started speaking again, her tone differing ever so slightly and growing harsher. “While it is true that a joint task force was claimed to be assembled to investigate these deaths, Weard Enterprises was not invited to join this rumored task force. In fact, it has come to our attention that certain parties did their best to block our entry and efforts to aid in this disturbing series of events. Behavior that, we must all agree, does not bode well for certain parties’ pretense at being innocent and uninvolved in these happenings. The dragon princes do not care that one of their own fell victim to this conspiracy. Perhaps, because these princes of the west still do not extend welcome or hospitality to the kings of the east. Weard’s promises to those paranormals who see these signs of corruption, of brutality, and of carelessness includes the oath that we will not rest until we have curtailed these poorly disguised attempts at suppression and territory encroachment. We warn anyone watching of this, do not think that history and lineage alone will protect you if you mean harm to us. We will come against you, and we are more powerful than even you know.”

  I turned off the telly as the scene cut back to the main studio. I didn’t want to listen to their speculation. I already knew it was bad, and I understood exactly what Weard was saying.

  “A new face,” came Lauren’s soft observation.

  “Same propaganda,” I murmured. Then, I leaned back onto the mattress and pillows as Lauren moved to press against my side. I wrapped an arm around her and kissed her lightly on the lips. “It is the same message . . . only bolder.”

  “It fits what Royal said about the younger dragons being deceived by Weard into acts of rebellion.” Her hand rested on my chest as she lifted her head enough to look me in the eyes. Concern filled her gaze. “Do you think they will call for open war? It’s . . . madness.”

  Trailing my fingers down her bare arm, I leaned my head back against the pillow. “Our world is going mad, Lauren. If Weard cannot be forced to back down, we could face open war. And if that happened . . . It would be worse than both of the world wars combined, especially if the battles between paranormals were to spill over into the norm’s perceptions as they did in ancient times.”

  “Do you regret rejecting the dragon prince’s offer?” came the quiet almost hesitant question.

  Rubbing my thumb in a circle across her bicep, I shook my head. Rolling onto my right side, I made certain we were face to face. Unable to resist, I reached out to trace the soft skin of her temple. Her hair fell against my hand like a silky curtain before I pushed it back behind her ear and then traced my fingers down to her chin. “I . . . I cannot fight their war. Even when they claim to be in the right . . . I could never have peace fighting in another dragon war. I would lose myself, and I fear not even you would be able to call me back if that happened.”

  She nodded. “Then, we keep Weard from gaining control of the crown. Maybe the loss will bring this rogue to his senses.”

  I smiled. “Unlikely, but I admire your hope.”

  Lauren laughed softly as she reached up to grab my hand. Dragging it down, she pressed a kiss to my fingers. “What do you see for us, Mathias? What’s your hope?”

  “I don’t have hopes,” I intoned. “I have goals.”

  Her laughter rang out clearer. She reached out to poke me in the stomach. “All right, you smug Myrmidon, what are your goals?”

  Chuckling, I pulled her close. I stole a kiss before replying, “My goal is rather simple. I will help you finish this quest as quickly as can be managed. And then, my dear little Spotter, we are going to run away.”

  “Oh really?” Her dark eyes sparkled as she combed her fingers through my hair. “Where are we running away to again?”

  “A little island in the Pacific where we can start our family.”

  Lauren squinted at me. “Are you sure about that plan? What if you grow bored with such a slow and sedate life after all your years going places and being involved?”

  I tightened my grip around her. “Oh, I have a plan for that too.”

  “Of course you do,” she murmured before being a most distracting being by kissing the corner of my jaw. “Are you sharing that one?”

  The feel of her kisses against my neck were almost enough to distract me entirely. I swallowed hard, making the little minx giggle. “Well, I rather think having six or seven little ones running around the beach like little pirates and vagabonds would be more than enough to keep us too busy for anything so mundane as boredom.”

  Lauren’s laughter filled the air, and she pushed up on her elbow as she shoved me in the shoulder. “You have lost your mind if you expect them all at once.”

  I grinned. “What if they show up in smaller sets?” When she laughed harder, I smirked at her. “That wasn’t a no. Come here, you charming little vixen.”

  She continued laughing until I silenced her with kisses.

  * * *

  Chapter Six

  Lauren

  I took a sip of my tea as I studied the map of the Seven Wonders. Only two left. Knossos of Crete and the Forge of Hephaestus in Mount Etna. Crete or Sicily. My stomach churned at the idea of going to either one. I grimaced as I laid a hand on my abdomen. Even the mint tea was only providing a little bit of relief for the waves of nausea, something that seemed worse when I tried to figure out a safe
sane way of finishing this quest.

  “Lauren? I brought lunch.”

  “No fish, I hope.”

  Mathias’ chuckle filled the air as he came into the main living area. He had a basket tucked under one arm, and he offered a slight smirk. “No fish, which is surprisingly difficult to eliminate from the menu in a town on the seaside, but I am a veritable miracle worker.” He glanced at me and paused before pulling out whatever was in the basket. “All right, love? You still look a bit peaky.”

  “I’m . . . fine.”

  He frowned slightly. “Are you certain? I can make you some ginger tea. Keep you from being sick again.”

  I shook my head. “No, I’m fine. Really. I already made some mint tea.”

  I glanced down at the map and then looked back at Mathias who was rummaging around in the basket again. He pulled out a bambalouni, a large donut nearly the size of my face, with a ridiculously proud grin. “Here we go. Since you’re already having some mint tea, this will be the perfect accompaniment.” He passed it to me and then gestured to the map. “If you’re trying to decide which one to conquer next, you should know that Mount Etna has been having sleeping pains.”

  Squeezing my eyes shut, I muttered, “Sleeping pains? What does that even mean?”

  “Tremors and minor plumes of ash escaping. Not bad enough to evacuate the area. Maybe it’s old Typhon attempting to break free of his bonds.” There was a pause and then clear concern entered his voice, “Lauren? You’re looking very peaky again.” The cushion sank as he sat down next to me, and then his fingers brushed against my forehead. “Lauren, this is the third week you have not felt well. We should find a healer. If we’re careful and you play with your glamour, I can get you into a proper healer without worrying that someone will remember you from Weard’s hunting.”