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.”
Disconnecting, she dashed for the airline gate. Lilith was arguing with the attendant who was trying to close the door, and Ari squeezed by just in time.
The flight to London seemed longer than eight hours, and her legs were leaden when they made the transfer to Andreas’s jet. She’d dozed once or twice during the Atlantic crossing, never sleeping deeply, and she sat stone-faced on the flight from London to the De Luca estates. Sometimes her head swirled with questions and fears; more often there was only a black void dimly penetrated by the pulse of Andreas’s life force at the other end of their link.
They touched down in Italy near 7:00 a.m. local time.
“God, I’m glad that’s over,” Lilith grumbled as they headed for the ramp. “I can’t sleep much on planes.”
Ari stopped in the airplane door and sucked in her breath. Tuscany was breathtaking. Shades of gold and brown and green glistened in the morning sun. Andreas had understated its exotic beauty. But her stomach turned leaden flip-flops. He wasn’t there to show it to her.
She closed her eyes and reached out with her magic, sending it as far and wide as she could. The faint link was still there, but only slightly stronger than at home. She swallowed her disappointment and descended the ramp onto Italian soil.
Samuel hurried forward from the direction of two cars parked at the edge of the field. “Ari, I am so sorry,” he began. “I should—”
She shook her head. “Just tell me if you have any leads.”
“Nothing. There’s no sign of him. I was hoping you’d sense something.”
“Not yet.” She shook her head, and he looked away.
“We’ve searched the estate and the countryside.” He waved toward the distant landscape. “The vineyards, the buildings…” He stopped, and his arm fell to his side. “I’ll take you to the house so everyone can get settled and show you his room. That’s where the fight took place.”
“Any sign of bone dust?”
“No, I would have told you.”
Every sense told her there shouldn’t be any ash, those last few remnants left from the rapid decomposition after a vampire death. Andreas was alive. She felt it. Still, it was an inexplicable relief to hear Samuel’s confirmation.
As they approached the cars, the weretiger introduced her to his cousin Beppe, the overseer. Beppe’s rich lyrical rendering of English was a sharp reminder of a more refined Italian accent that had become so familiar to her. Lilith asked about the olive trees, and the Italian weretiger launched into a travelogue that he kept up as they drove. The narrow road to the mansion, which local workers referred to as a farmhouse, took less than five minutes. With one hand on the steering wheel, Beppe continued his guided tour all the way up the lane.
“The De Lucases have a fine casa. Six suites, eight baths, all the extras. As you can see, it sits in the middle of wonderful trees on one side, open fields over here, and the olive grove the lady asked about.” He turned, swinging his arm across the panorama. “The grapes are in every direction. Many grapes. It has been a grand harvest.” His face sagged. “Until now. Nothing is good if Master Andreas is gone.”
“He’s not gone.” Ari bridled at the implication. “He’s just missing.”
“Yes, yes. We will find him.” The middle-aged retainer shuffled his feet,
“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.”
Disconnecting, she dashed for the airline gate. Lilith was arguing with the attendant who was trying to close the door, and Ari squeezed by just in time.
The flight to London seemed longer than eight hours, and her legs were leaden when they made the transfer to Andreas’s jet. She’d dozed once or twice during the Atlantic crossing, never sleeping deeply, and she sat stone-faced on the flight from London to the De Luca estates. Sometimes her head swirled with questions and fears; more often there was only a black void dimly penetrated by the pulse of Andreas’s life force at the other end of their link.
They touched down in Italy near 7:00 a.m. local time.
“God, I’m glad that’s over,” Lilith grumbled as they headed for the ramp. “I can’t sleep much on planes.”
Ari stopped in the airplane door and sucked in her breath. Tuscany was breathtaking. Shades of gold and brown and green glistened in the morning sun. Andreas had understated its exotic beauty. But her stomach turned leaden flip-flops. He wasn’t there to show it to her.
She closed her eyes and reached out with her magic, sending it as far and wide as she could. The faint link was still there, but only slightly stronger than at home. She swallowed her disappointment and descended the ramp onto Italian soil.
Samuel hurried forward from the direction of two cars parked at the edge of the field. “Ari, I am so sorry,” he began. “I should—”
She shook her head. “Just tell me if you have any leads.”
“Nothing. There’s no sign of him. I was hoping you’d sense something.”
“Not yet.” She shook her head, and he looked away.
“We’ve searched the estate and the countryside.” He waved toward the distant landscape. “The vineyards, the buildings…” He stopped, and his arm fell to his side. “I’ll take you to the house so everyone can get settled and show you his room. That’s where the fight took place.”
“Any sign of bone dust?”
“No, I would have told you.”
Every sense told her there shouldn’t be any ash, those last few remnants left from the rapid decomposition after a vampire death. Andreas was alive. She felt it. Still, it was an inexplicable relief to hear Samuel’s confirmation.
As they approached the cars, the weretiger introduced her to his cousin Beppe, the overseer. Beppe’s rich lyrical rendering of English was a sharp reminder of a more refined Italian accent that had become so familiar to her. Lilith asked about the olive trees, and the Italian weretiger launched into a travelogue that he kept up as they drove. The narrow road to the mansion, which local workers referred to as a farmhouse, took less than five minutes. With one hand on the steering wheel, Beppe continued his guided tour all the way up the lane.
“The De Lucases have a fine casa. Six suites, eight baths, all the extras. As you can see, it sits in the middle of wonderful trees on one side, open fields over here, and the olive grove the lady asked about.” He turned, swinging his arm across the panorama. “The grapes are in every direction. Many grapes. It has been a grand harvest.” His face sagged. “Until now. Nothing is good if Master Andreas is gone.”
“He’s not gone.” Ari bridled at the implication. “He’s just missing.”
“Yes, yes. We will find him.” The middle-aged retainer shuffled his feet,
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