Fire Storm (6 page)

“He’ll call. I’m betting sooner rather than later,” Claris predicted. “He’s so good about that.” She leaned on the counter, propping her chin with one hand. “Do you ever wonder what he was like before he became a vampire? The gentleman aristocrat. I bet he was something.” Claris sighed.

“He still is. I haven’t thought too much about his human past, but I wish I was with him now to see him at his ancestral home. He’s really proud of it.”

“Gosh, Ari, I didn’t mean to imply he wasn’t a sweetie. He’s wonderful, but I can’t help wondering what he was like before. Does that bother you?”

“That you’re curious? Of course not. I guess it’s natural for you to think about his human years, but I don’t, because I’ve never been fully human.” She wrinkled her nose. “It’s fun to picture what his kids would have been like.”

“Ooh, think what
your
kids would be like. The two of you,” Claris said. “His dark wavy hair and long lashes. Your big green eyes. And all kinds of super powers. They’d be something, all right.”

“And drive us crazy. Good thing we’ll never have them.” Ari’s face brightened with sudden mischief. “So, while you guys have been busy planning your lives, did you pick the sex and birth date of the first child?”

“Of course not!” Claris threw a dried sachet at her, which bounced off Ari’s arm and landed on the counter. “But we don’t intend to wait very long.”

Ari picked it up and tossed it in a basket. “I’d better mix you up a vitex potion. It takes two or three months to build up enough in your system, but it often works to increase fertility.”

“Way ahead of you.” Claris blushed again. “I’ve been putting some in my evening tea for the last month.”

“You’re really serious about this baby thing.” Ari gaped at her. She had known Claris wanted to be a mother, but was really surprised she was jumping into motherhood so soon.

“You bet. I want a dozen.”

“You should have been a rabbit.” Ari chuckled at her friend’s eagerness.

Claris wiggled her nose and sucked on her lower lip in a classic rabbit face. Both women burst out laughing. The peeling of the shop bell broke up their heart-to-heart.

“I gotta go.” Ari headed for the coat rack. Still grinning, she pulled on the poncho, nodded at the young customer hanging up her wet umbrella, and stepped into the street. The pouring rain had eased, but a cold breeze whipped up and down the street. A horse hitched to a tourist carriage in front of the French pastry store had his head lowered in an effort to block the wind with his body. She wrapped her poncho tighter. Miserable weather.

Five minutes later she raced up the steps of the police station. An officer exiting the door held it open so she could get out of the cold and rain. She smiled her thanks and ducked inside. The tile floor of the station was wet. A mop and bucket sat next to the door where someone had attempted to clean the mess, but finally gave up. The small doormat was soaked and water squished under her heels. She stopped next to the bucket and used a rag hanging on the rim to wipe off her boots, frowning at their glossy surface. Perhaps this hadn’t been the day for designer boots. But she was missing Andreas, and bad weather equaled bad hair… All things considered, why not have an extra strut in her step?

Ryan wasn’t in his office when she arrived on the third floor. She wandered down the hallway, waving at officers she knew, poking her head into conference rooms. When she still didn’t find him, she returned to the information desk on the first floor.

“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 grinned, 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.”