Placing the phone back in it’s cradle, Lyra let out a long, slow sigh and put her hands over her face. When he felt the wave of sadness coming from her, Steve walked up behind her and slid his arms around her waist as he whispered, “What’s wrong, luv?”
Lyra took a deep breath before she answered. “I’ve got to go pull an old friend out of a mess she’s gotten herself into.”
“When are we leaving?” Steve asked softly.
“*WE* aren’t,” Lyra replied. “This isn’t someplace that you or Sav need to be. Trust me on this one...”
“You’re not going alone,” Steve said quickly, pulling away from her.
“Stephen, this is something I have to do on my own,” Lyra sighed.
“Why?” he asked, a touch of anger coming into his voice.
“Because, it’s going to be a dangerous situation and I can’t take care of Elena and still watch out for you and Rick,” she answered patiently. “You know that I’ve warned you about certain cities not being safe for our kind?” Steve nodded silently and Lyra continued, “Well, she’s managed to fall in with the wrong people at the wrong place, all because she fell in love with the wrong man. Now I’ve got to get her out of there before it gets her killed.”
“And just who’s going to make sure you don’t get killed,” came Sav’s soft voice from the doorway. Lyra turned to face him slowly and answered, “The same person who’s kept me alive for a thousand years. Me.”
“Wrong answer,” Sav said as he crossed the room to stand over her.
“Only answer,” she replied. “You two aren’t going anywhere near this town.”
“What town is it?” Steve asked, his curiosity getting the better of his worry.
“Rome,” she sighed, getting to her feet. Steve and Sav both looked at her like she’s just said jumping off a bridge was good for you. Cyra had drummed it into their heads over the past decades that few vampires that went to Rome ever come back to tell the story. It was the home of the headquarters for an organization known to their kind as The Hunters, who dedicated their lives to eradicating vampires from the face of the earth. No matter what the cost. Steve shivered as he recalled one of Cyra’s stories about them. A single hunter, who’d watched his wife turned into a vampire, had gone into a coven house and wiped out the entire coven of thirteen. He’d been armed with only a sword and his determination, yet it had been enough. According to Cyra, there hadn’t been one entire corpse left when he was done. He’d gone in and hacked every vampire he’d found into pieces, taking pleasure in making sure they’d died slow deaths. The only member of that coven who’d not been mutilated was his wife. No one ever knew what had become of her.
“Roam where?” Cyra said as she and Rick walked into the room arm in arm.
“This bloody idiot thinks she’s going to Rome by herself,” Sav said crossly, his eyes never leaving Lyra’s unwavering face.
“Why?” Cyra said with narrowed eyes.
“I’ve got a friend in trouble and I’m not risking anyone else’s neck to save her,” Lyra said, her eyes locked in a staring contest with Steve. “Most of all, I’m not risking these two, so they can forget it!”
Jumping into the argument before Steve or Sav could reply, Cyra nodded and said, “Well, I can understand how you feel about that.” Lyra nodded in satisfaction at Cyra’s backup, until she heard Cyra go on. “However, I do have a friend in a town close by who’d be willing to hide a little, um, surprise, if the Hunters cause you any trouble.” Starting to speak, Lyra was silenced when she heard Cyra’s voice ring out in her head, “Take Savage with you or there’s going to be trouble with Joe.” Out loud, Cyra said, “I could use a visit with Maggie right now anyway, so I think Rick and I can tag along and keep these two out of the way.”
Defeated, Lyra nodded thoughtfully and turned back to her lovers as she said, “You two will NOT set foot within twenty miles of Rome or we will have words when I come out. Understood?”
“If you make it out,” Sav said crossly, though his voice was pitched low enough she decided to ignore it.
“When do we leave?” Rick asked casually.
“I’m leaving tonight,” Lyra answered, cutting off both Steve and Sav. “The rest of you can leave tomorrow The sun’s about to come up, so Cyra would be the only other one who could travel with me. She can take you to her friend’s house and I’ll find you there once I’ve gotten Elena out and safe.”
Sav and Steve both seemed on the verge of arguing further with her, but she turned quickly and said, “Enough. You got your way. I won’t be alone with the two of you in short flying distance from Rome.” Staring at each of them for a long moment, she whispered, “Don’t make me regret letting you win this.”
“Don’t make me regret letting YOU go,” Steve answered as he pulled her in for a long hug. He kissed her slowly before letting her step away from him and into Sav’s waiting body. The tension in the room could have been cut with a knife as he took her silently in his arms. She could see the tears of anger and frustration in Sav’s eyes, but she just couldn’t take the chance that he’d get hurt. Rome was just too dangerous and she loved him too much. Kissing his tear stained cheeks, she couldn’t find a word to say to him at that moment. She moved silently away from him and heard him whispered hoarsely, “Don’t do this, Lyra. You won’t make it back again.”
Lyra closed her eyes, her back to him as her own mind echoed Sav’s thoughts. How could she ever manage to get into Rome and get Elena out again without getting herself killed? Banishing the thought from her mind, she answered softly, “I’ll see you in a couple of days, Rick.” Then she walked out of the coven house without looking back. There was a crash of a chair hitting a wall, then a rush of voices as Steve, Rick and Cyra tried to calm Sav down. The last thing she heard was Sav screaming as she took to the sky and the sound of the wind washed his voice from her ears.
The skyline of Rome came into view nearly two hours after day break and Lyra landed quietly in a wooded park on the outskirts of the city. She’d avoided the city for so many years, it took a long while for her to get her bearing. Here and there, she found small traces of the old city she’d know over a hundred years before. By switching to Italian, she managed to get directions to the market under which the coven of vampires were hiding from the daylight and the Hunters.
“Let me guess, you don’t speak a damn word of English,” came a low masculine voice over her shoulder just as Lyra was about to head down an alley to the vampires’ lair.
She spun around and stared at the stranger, wondering if he was talking to her. By the way he was looking directly at her, there was no doubt his question was meant for her. For a moment, she thought of letting him believe she didn’t know what he said. But for some odd reason, she changed her mind and said, “As a matter of fact, I AM English.”
“Oh, thank GOD!” the man laughed, brushing his long black hair back over his shoulder and out of his eyes. She heard a slight tinge of a New York accent as he said, “I’m so freaking lost, it ain’t even funny!”
“What are you doing wandering around Rome, clueless and not even able to ask directions?” Lyra asked with a small laugh.
“My, um, friends, said the villa was really easy to find,” he answered quickly. With a self depreciating grin, he went on, “They forgot to mention that the signs are all in Italian here.”
“Gee, imagine that...” Lyra chuckled. “After all, this is Italy.” Her eyes wandering over him, trying to figure him out and not able to. Something about him just didn’t quite fit. He was tall, over six foot by her guess, and on the thin side, yet somehow that didn’t seem much of a deficit. She couldn’t tell if it was the man or his choice of clothing that gave off the air that he knew how to handle himself in a rough situation. Looking at the ground, she saw black leather biker boots peaking out from under the legs of his black jeans. A worn biker jacket was thrown casually over a black tank top, making him look as if he’d either just gotten off a Harley or stepped out of one of those gothic magazines that had popped up about a decade before.
“Think you could help out a complete idiot?” he said with a small smile.
Lyra looked down the alley thoughtfully. There was no way Elena would be awake this time of day and she really needed to be able to reason with the younger vampire. With a careless shrug, she said, “Sure. Why not?”
“Hmm, you really should be more careful,” he said quickly. “How do you know I’m not a rapist or a murderer?”
“I don’t,” she said flippantly. “But, trust me, I can take care of myself.”
“A pretty little thing like you?” he laughed, one eyebrow raising about the top of his dark sunglasses in amusement. “What, are you a black belt or something?”
“Something like that,” she chuckled, thinking that he’d be running the other direction if he knew the truth.
“There are some awful things wandering around the city,” the man said quietly. “Especially after dark...”
“Things that go bump in the night don’t scare me,” Lyra said confidently.
“They should,” he answered softly. “You don’t want to get too cocky, hon. That’s about the time you get knocked back down.”
“So, what’s that make you, then?” she asked curiously. “Some kind of hero to rescue the damsel in distress?”
“When I have to,” he said, his eyes locking with hers. He took a step towards her as she whispered, “What makes you think I need a hero, luv?”
“You just look a little lost, that’s all,” he said quietly. “Like you don’t know what you’re doing right now.” He pushed his glasses up from his eyes, staring down at her with blue eyes that seemed to have seen far more than his age would have allowed. “Like you could use a friend’s help right now.”
For the longest moment, Lyra couldn’t tear her eyes away from his. Finally, she took a deep breath and looked away, saying, “Speaking of people who need help, didn’t you ask me to help you?”
“Um, yeah, I guess I did,” he said with a sigh.
“Then why don’t you tell me just where you’re going and I’ll see if I can get you directions,” she said quietly, refusing to look back up at him again.
“Okay,” he answered, realizing she’d just slammed a door shut on him. “The place is called Villa Casille. They said it was near the Trevi Fountain, that from there I shouldn’t have any problem finding the address.”
“If they gave you that kind of landmark, I know exactly how to get you there,” she said quickly, looking around at the vendors on the street. Finding just the one she wanted, Lyra walked up and began a conversation in quick bursts of Italian. Her companion watched as she pulled money from her pocket and handed it to the vendor, then took a map from him. She walked slowly back to the man, looking over the map to get her bearing.
“From what he says,” she said quickly, holding the map up against the wall of the building, “We’re right about here.” One slender finger pointed their location on the map as she said, “Now, the Trevi is here, so you need to go up this road about ten blocks, then make a left. The Trevi is about a half a mile down.”
“Oh,” the man said faintly. Then, with a hopeful glance in Lyra’s direction, he asked softly, “Care to take a walk with me?”
“I thought you said I should look out for strangers?” Lyra asked with a smile.
“Not to worry,” he grinned. “The name is Michael. Michael Corvin. Now you tell me your name and we won’t be strangers any more.”
“Alyria,” she said with a smile.
“Well, Miss Alyria, now will you walk with me?”
With a shrug, Lyra finally looked up at him and said, “Why not? I don’t have any place to be for a couple of hours anyway.”
Michael turned and started to head in the direction Lyra had pointed, only to stop when she burst out laughing. He turned slowly around and said, “What’s so funny?”
Lyra’s hand covered her mouth as she tried not to laugh. After a moment, she gave in and chuckled, “Is there a reason you’re carrying a kid’s backpack?”
“Oh, that!” he said with a smile. Pulling the backpack off his arms, he held it out to her and said, “Sorry, I just thought it looked cool.”
Looking at the cartoon character, Lyra rolled her eyes at the irony of his choice. It took her only a second to recognize the dark hat and cape of an early 2000’s cartoon. Tracing her fingers over the brim of the hat, she looked up at him and asked quietly, “Why Vampire Hunter D?”
Michael shrugged and looked away as he said, “Like I said, I just thought it looked cool.”
“Whatever you say, Mr. Corvin,” Lyra chuckled as she started off in to correct direction. A second later, Michael fell in at her side and they began a slow walk towards the Trevi Fountain.
“So, what are you doing in Rome, anyway?” she finally asked after a long silence.
“Oh, I’m here for my work,” he answered evasively, suddenly refusing to look at her.
“Really?” Lyra said, suddenly interested. She’d been sure he was there as a tourist, so just what could bring a man who couldn’t speak Italian to Rome FOR WORK? “What do you do, anyway?”
“Security,” he said after a brief pause.
“Most be some company if they’re willing to send you clear to Rome for work,” she said quickly.
“Oh, this is just a little perk of a promotion,” he said dismissively.
“LEAVE ME ALONE!” The plaintive wail of a young girl broke over the sounds of the morning crowd nearing the fountain. Two heads snapped up as both Lyra and Michael searched for the sound of the cry. Lyra, with her vampire keen hearing and sight, was the first to spot the girl. She was surrounded by a group of young Italian thugs, who were poking and prodding at her as she tried to move away. By the time Michael found the screaming female, Lyra was already half way to the gang of thugs.
“Hey, Lyra, STOP!” Michael called as he fought his way through the crowd.
“Back off, asshole,” Lyra said crossly to the largest member of the group as she came to stand in front of the girl.
“Make me, baby,” the man answered in heavily accented English. He towered over her, trying to intimidate her, just as Michael reached the outer edges of the circle.
“You really don’t want this,” she said evenly, hoping to talk her way out and not give away her secret nature.
“Like a cunt with spirit, I do,” the man said, grabbing her roughly around the waist and starting to fumble with the buttons of her shirt. She was just about to pick him up and throw him when he was yanked away from her.
“That ain’t how you talk to a lady,” Michael said quietly, then connected a hard, fast fist to the man’s jaw. The thug went down in a heap, momentarily stunned from the blow. Michael’s backpack hit the ground as he took up position next to her. Looking down at Lyra angrily, Michael hissed, “Did you have to get yourself into the middle of this? Why not let me handle it?”
“I didn’t think she could wait for you,” Lyra said quickly, then leaned her back against his as the first man’s friend’s started to circle them.
“Think you is bad ass?” came a taunt directed at Michael. “Prove, big man!” Two of the would be molesters charged at Michael, while one headed straight for Lyra. She felt him move away as Michael dropped into a defensive crouch, then dodged as her attacker made a grab for her. All she could be thankful for was the fact that Sav and Steve were probably sleeping as the man lunged at her again. At least they wouldn’t try charging to her rescue over something this stupid. Holding her hand, but only slightly, she backhanded the man who was trying to get her and turned to see if Michael needed help.
He didn’t. The first to reach him threw a clumsy punch at his head, which Michael blocked almost automatically. The man doubled over as soon as Michael’s fist landed in his stomach, falling to the concrete with a groan. A biker boot was planted neatly in the chest of the second assailant, sending him reeling back. He was just turning towards Lyra when he heard a frighteningly familiar sound. The sound of a butterfly knife being whipped around. He spun towards the sound and saw the very first member of the group grab Lyra roughly by the hair, the knife placed against her throat.
A flurry of Italian left Michael with a slightly dumbfounded look on his face as he turned to Lyra for a translation. He was taken back by the lack of concern on her face as she said, “He wants to take you out, Michael. If you’re smart, you’ll just walk away.”
“I’m not leaving you here like this,” Michael said, taking a step towards her. The thug tighten the blade against her neck, yet Michael saw no panic in her eyes. The man pulled her hair hard, laying her throat open to his knife as he spat out another burst of words. His meaning was clear. If Michael didn’t fight him, he was going to cut Lyra’s throat right there in the street.
“Don’t do this, Michael,” Lyra said evenly. “He can’t hurt me here and he knows it.”
“I don’t believe that,” he answered quietly, walking slowly towards her and motioning for the man to let her go.
Lyra looked around, suddenly desperate to stop this before it got out of hand. But, without revealing far too much about herself, there was nothing she could do. Closing her eyes, she tried to gather her thoughts only to be thrown to the ground when Michael got close enough.
“Okay, let’s see what you’ve got,” Michael murmured, his eyes glancing Lyra’s way before focusing on the thug. Michael’s feet rested shoulder width apart, his hands up and ready for an attack. His opponent started waving his knife wildly, slashing as Michael dodged out of his way. The leather of Michael’s jacket deflected another cut as he blocked the man’s swing and punched him hard in the stomach. As the young tough recovered from the hit, he swung up with his knife and caught Michael across the belly. Holding the gash in his stomach, Michael stood still for a moment. Lyra caught the look in his eyes, suddenly very dangerous, and wondered what was going to happen next.
The other man straightened up and laughed when he saw the blood flowing from Michael’s belly, thinking he was just about to win this fight. So he was caught completely off guard when Michael jumped into the air and landed a foot squarely under the guy’s chin. The thug’s head snapped back and he crumpled to the ground almost instantly.
One of the others started slowly towards Michael, thinking he could take advantage of Michael’s injury. Before he knew what had hit him, a roundhouse kick from Michael sent him reeling back into one of his friends. The rest of the group backed away slowly, trying to regroup.
“Damn, I’m an idiot,” Lyra thought to herself, realizing there was one thing she could do to help Michael out. Closing her eyes, she focused on the man taking charge of the gang and planted the thought to abandon the fight in his mind. A moment later, he looked at his friends and said in soft Italian, “Time to leave.”
They gathered up their unconscious companion and drug him off into a waiting car. Lyra rushed to Michael’s side as he leaned against a nearby brick wall. His eyes were closed as the adrenaline wore off and the pain of the wound finally hit him.
“Are you okay, luv?” Lyra asked quietly. “Let me look at that.”
“I’m okay,” he answered weakly. “It’s superficial, that’s all.”
Taking his hand away from his stomach, Lyra pulled up his tank top and examined the wound. It wasn’t deep, but it was bleeding heavily. The smell of his blood brought Lyra’s fangs down before she could stop it, so she kept her head down and refused to look up at him until she could control her own instincts. Luckily for her, Michael kept his eyes closed to fight the pain. On impulse, more than conscious thought, she brought her blood-covered hand to her mouth and tasted the salty sweetness of him. A shudder passed through her as she felt awareness of his pain crash through her mind and she cursed herself for a fool. Why had she tasted his blood? Why had she just bonded herself to this complete stranger? No answer came to her as she covered her fingers in spit and rubbed her powerful saliva gently into his wound. Almost immediately, the flow of blood staunched and the wound looked less life threatening. She heard a sigh of relief as the pain drained from Michael’s body, a sure sign that the gash wasn’t going to cause him many problems.
“Let’s get you to your friends’ house and get this checked out,” Lyra said softly. He gave her a funny look, but let her lead him down the street. The crowd cleared as people saw the blood on his shirt, so it didn’t take any time at all for them to make it past the Trevi Fountain. They walked silently through the streets, Michael leaning heavily on Lyra’s shoulder, until they found the address he’d been given.
“Can you come in for a few minutes?” he asked quietly.
“Yeah, I want to make sure you’re okay,” she answered, letting him lead her up to the steps of the villa.
As soon as they crossed the threshold of the house, three gentlemen materialized from nowhere. Lyra felt very uneasy, though she couldn’t put her finger on why, as the tallest of the men said, “Signor Corvin, welcome. You’ve run into some difficulty in getting here, no?”
“It’s nothing, really,” Michael answered quickly. “It doesn’t even hurt, okay?”
“Who’s your friend?” the man asked curiously. “We were only expecting one person. No mention was made of you bringing a female companion with you.”
“Oh, this is Alyria,” Michael said quietly. “We just met this morning. She helped me get directions to the villa.”
“Ah, thank you, then, Ms., um, Alyria,” the man said with a small bow in her direction.
“You’re welcome,” Lyra answered, still wondering why she felt so uncomfortable in this house. “He was a bit lost, since he can’t speak Italian.”
“Indeed? Well, if he intends to stay here, he’ll have to remedy that,” the man said softly.
“Listen, all this chit chat is fine, but is there a bathroom around here?” Lyra asked, her jangling nerves finally making her impatient. “I’d really like to check out his ‘nothing’ injury, if you don’t mind....”
“Oh, right down that corridor, signora,” the man said quietly, suddenly studying Lyra very intently. Rather than take his scrutiny, Lyra pushed Michael down the hallway and into the bathroom.
“Okay, luv, get that shirt off and let me take a look at that cut,” she said quietly, trying hard not to find herself studying the chest he was baring as he slipped the shirt off over his head carefully. As her fingers trailed down the hair of his stomach, she felt a sudden rush of hard lust that caught her totally off guard. She was checking his injury, for God’s sake, not trying to get the man in bed! Closing her eyes briefly, she turned from him and grabbed a towel off the nearby rack. Wetting the corner of it, she knelt in front of him and wiped gently at the now healing edges of the wound.
“Think it needs stitches?” Michael asked as he tried to look down at the cut.
“No, it’s closing up already,” Lyra said, still managing to not look up at him. She tried desperately to keep her mind on the men she’d left behind. The absolute LAST thing she needed was to get entangled with another man. Especially one she’d just met. She took a deep breath and cursed herself for giving into the weakness that had bonded him to her as she looked up at him. Michael’s eyebrows furrowed as he stared down at her, puzzlement clear on his face as he felt the bond working on him as well. She could feel him trying to figure out why he felt like he knew her so well. Her fingers rested on his belt as she got to her feet without looking him in the eye.
“You’re going to be fine, luv,” she said softly. “I really need to get going before my friends start wondering where I am...”
“Alyria, is there...is there any chance I can see you again before you leave Rome?” He paused for a long moment, then put his finger under her chin and lifted her face up to his. She made a painful error as her eyes met his. Then he whispered, “Please?”
“I’m not sure, Michael,” she breathed out finally. “I’m only here for a couple of days. Maybe we’ll run into each other again.”
“Rome’s a big place...” he said, wondering why she was being so evasive.
“If you’re meant to see me again, you’ll see me,” Lyra answered before he could finish that thought.
“I’m not a big believer in fate or chance, Alyria,” he sighed. “I’d like to know I’ll see you again. I feel like I already know you and you’re so different from any other woman I’ve met...”
“You can say that again!” she chuckled.
“I mean, like, when that guy had the knife at your neck? Any other girl would have freaked out or, at least, started crying,” he said, confusion clear on his face. “You didn’t. You were so calm, it was scary!”
“I just knew he wouldn’t really hurt me,” she said, trying to look away but failing.
“Alyria, he would have killed ME if he could have gotten that knife in any better,” he answered. “What makes you think he wouldn’t have done the same thing to you?”
“I just knew, okay?” she said quickly, finally pulling her eyes from his. “Listen, Michael, I’ve got to go now. Maybe I’ll see you sometime, luv. I just can’t make any promises.”
“Please, don’t leave yet,” he pleaded, laying a gentle hand on her arm as she turned away. As she looked up at him, he bent down and kissed her quickly. That bare brush of his lips was shear torture for Lyra, who felt her inner fires suddenly raging. Reluctantly, she backed away from him and said, “I’ve got to go.”
Confused again, Michael looked down at her and whispered, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. It’s just that...”
“Please, don’t apologize,” Lyra said with a sad laugh. “This just isn’t a time when I can do this. I should be the one saying I’m sorry, Michael. Another time and another place and things would probably have been completely different.” Yeah, over a thousand years too late, she thought sadly. “But now, I’m just not in a place in my life where I can...well, you know what I’m saying, right?”
“I think so,” he answered sadly. “Alyria, can I kiss you one more time before you leave? I mean, I may never see you again...”
Before he could finish his sentence, Lyra stepped into his body and laid her hand on his cheek. Pulling him down to her, she let her fingers wrap in his mane of black hair as her lips met his. As soon as they touched, Lyra knew she was in desperate trouble. Unlike the gentle remembrance of a lifetime ago that she’d shared with Sav and Steve, this was passion. Pure and simple. She could feel every beat of his fragile mortal heart as her tongue ran over his lips. Right down to the beats it skipped on occasion. As his arms wrapped around her waist, she fought the acute urge to leave his mouth and find the source of the blood pounding through him. An urge so consuming that her fangs began to come down again before she could stop them. Michael’s tongue ran over them just as they started to extend and she felt him jerk as it was scratched. Then the blood flowed into her mouth and she wanted to cry. There was no resisting the need for him as his life poured into her body. Her logical mind cried out to pull away, that she was only deepening a bond that she couldn’t deal with. But logic was overridden by her body’s need.
As the blood flow stopped, Lyra pulled herself together and moved back out of his arms. She looked into his eyes one last time, then turned and walked away from him. She couldn’t turn and look at him again, which kept her from seeing the look of pure longing on Michael’s face. In her heart, she knew she was running away from him even though she kept her steps slow and measured. Nodding at the men still standing in the foyer, she made her way wordlessly out of the house and let out a breath she’d been holding since she’d left Michael. As she tried to lose herself in the crowd on the sidewalk, she didn’t notice a man following her out of the house. She ducked into an alley and willed the people not to see her as she took to the air.
*****
“What are you doing back so quickly?” the man was asked as soon as he crossed the threshold of Villa Casille. “You know strangers are a threat to our very existence!”
“I’m sorry, sir,” the spy answered softly. “She turned down an alley and, well, she just disappeared!”
“Impossible!” his superior snapped. “You’re simply incompetent! Try to redeem yourself by bringing Signor Corvin to the Situation Room as soon as he’s changed his clothing and try not to get lost!”
“Yes, sir!” the man said quickly, then turned and practically ran up the stairs to find Michael.
*****
Lyra slipped quietly into the vampires’ lair, hoping none of the older ones were awake. She needed time to recover from what she’d just experienced. Part of her longed to call Cyra and tell her to keep the men from coming anywhere close to her for the time being. The last thing she needed was to have them figure out what she was feeling. At the same time, maybe they were what she needed. Her mind replayed everything that had happened over and over. How could she have let things get this out of control? She let out an ironic chuckle as she though of how perfectly suited to a vampire’s life Michael seemed to be, then cursed herself. What the hell was she thinking???? Rather than let herself continue along what was an obviously fruitless train of thought, she started to look around the lair for a place to lay her tired body down. She finally settled on a couch in the living room and settled in for a day long nap.
As twilight came over the city of Rome, Lyra stretched from her nap and looked around. Apparently, the other vampires in the lair were all younger, as none of them had risen yet. It took nearly a half an hour for any of them to wake and make their way to the living area of the house.
“LYRA!” Elena cried as she crossed into the room. “Oh my God! What are you doing here?”
“Getting your ass out of Rome!” Lyra answered crossly.
“Why?” Elena asked in confusion. “I love it here. We don’t have to share with other covens nearly so much here, cuz it’s such a quiet city for our kind.”
“There’s a reason for that,” Lyra said quickly. “You know the Hunters are headquartered here, don’t you?”
“They don’t even know we exist,” Elena started, but Lyra cut her off.
“I’ve heard how ‘low’ a profile your coven keeps, Lena,” Lyra said angrily. “A dozen mysterious deaths in the last three months? Of course the Hunters know there’s a coven here. They just haven’t figured out where you’re hiding or they’d have cleared you out by now.”
“Lyra, I’m not leaving Rome. It’s a new home to me,” Elena said confidently. “You just need to hunt with us, then you’ll see how wonderful Rome is for our kind. Besides that, Vincent would never let me get hurt and you know it...”
“Vincent isn’t going to be able to protect you if the Hunters come swarming down on this place,” Lyra interrupted. “They don’t work one on one, Lena. They’ll bring a whole pack down on this place just after sunrise or before sunset and the place will be on fire before anyone wakes up.”
“Vincent won’t let them hurt me, Lyra,” Elena answered, her anger starting to show at her friend’s well intentioned interference.
“How many are there in this coven?” Lyra said quietly.
“Twelve,” her friend said softly. “Thirteen if you stay with us...”
“I’m not staying here any longer than it takes to get you and any of the others out of here,” Lyra said quickly. “Personally, I’ve got too much to live for in the outside world to stay in the most dangerous city of all.” Thoughts of Steve and Sav chased through her mind. Then, unbidden, Michael entered her thoughts as well and she shook her head to clear her brain of him. This wasn’t the time to be thinking of tempting mortals! “You’ve got to come with me, Lena...”
“Where am I going to go, Lyra?” she asked quietly. “You know I can’t stay at the castle with you. Lisel would drive a stake right through me if I did.”
Lyra closed her eyes, suddenly remembering the fight between Elena and Lisel. It had been just a few years before Ronan and the others had died and Lisel hadn’t liked the amount of attention Elena had paid to Rafael. Of course, Rafe had returned it. It was flattering for him, but that had been all. In the end, there’d been the catfight of a century and Elena had fled the coven house before Lisel, and Leesha, had chained her out in the sunlight.
“Elena, you know Rafe died not long after that,” Lyra said calmly. “And, um, well, Lisel died not long ago...”
“What about the other one?” Elena asked quickly. “Leesha?”
“She’s still with us, when the mood takes her,” Lyra laughed, thinking of how infrequently Leesha and Phil were actually at the house. Phil and Rick both spent as much time in California around their kids as they could, so naturally Cyra and Leesha were always with them.
“No, I don’t think Vincent would go for that,” Elena said after a moment’s thought. She looked up and smiled as her paramour walked into the room after his day’s sleep. “Vince, this is an old friend of mine. Lyra.”
Vincent extended his hand, which Lyra shook reluctantly with a curt nod. Turning back to Elena, she asked, “How are you going to deal with it if the Hunters swarm down on this place, Lena?”
“I’ll take care of her and this is the easiest hunting ground I’ve ever found,” Vincent said confidently before Elena could answer the question.
“Then you’re a fool,” Lyra cursed, walking away before she said anything further to anger the younger vampire.
*****
“Okay, we’ve gotten new intelligence on the coven that’s hiding not far from here,” the leader of the Hunters said calmly. “Either they’ve taken in a mortal to watch over them or we have ourselves a serious problem...”
“What’s that?”
“You’re not saying....”
“That’s right, gentlemen,” he answered quietly. “A daywalker.”
“Where would a daywalker come from?” one of the men asked quietly.
“Probably got called in from another, older coven,” the leader said quickly. “Perhaps they’ve realized we’re on to them and wanted the extra protection from one of the old ones.”
“How old are we talking here?” came a question from a dark corner of the room.
“Close to a millennium, signor,” he answered.
“And how are we supposed to deal with this?” the same voice asked in concern.
“A very good question from our newest man,” the leader said with a smile. “Rather than go out tonight, as we’d planned, we’ll observe them overnight and see if we can find out the truth. If it’s merely a mortal they’ve got spellbound, we’ll have no trouble overtaking them. A daywalker will take stronger measures and a good bit more planning tomorrow. Either way, we’re going to be done with this group by the end of tomorrow night. Any other questions, Signor?”
“Not at the moment, sir,” the dark haired man answered softly. “Just ready to get back to work.”
“Very well, then, people,” the leader said quietly. “We’ll stake them out tonight and follow them while they hunt. Try to keep a low profile, unless you can catch one of them alone. They’ve been careless so far, but a daywalker doesn’t get that old by being a fool. Regan? You’ll be with the new man tonight, acting as his translator. See to it he’s taken care of, but allow him to show you what he knows as well.”
“Very well, sir,” the young Englishman he’d addressed answered. Turning to the man who’d asked those questions, he looked at him and said, “Are you ready for this, Mr. Corvin?”
“Let’s do it,” Michael said calmly as the group broke into surveillance teams.
*****
Stalking through the streets of the city, Lyra tried to calm her mind. She could feel Steve and Sav getting closer by the minute and hoped they’d heed her warning to stay out of the city. It seemed that turning away from Vincent had been the worst thing she could have done during their argument. It had led to a screaming row that had nearly escalated into violence before she’d stormed out of the house. That abominable man was the most obstinate thing she’d ever met. He was convinced that the Hunters would never locate them and that the lack of other vampire activity in Rome would allow his coven free reign through out the city. And as long as she was with Vincent, Elena would never leave him or this damnable place.
She was just about to turn back and tell Elena that she was on her own when she felt a new pull on her heart and mind. Letting out a sigh, she looked around and found Michael staring at her from a nearby corner. He leaned down and whispered something to his companion, then set off in Lyra’s direction. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and wondered if this was a distraction she really needed at the moment.
“Alyria?” Michael said breathlessly.
“Michael,” she sighed as she looked up at him. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Elena watching her curiously, thinking Lyra had decided to try their hunting ground after all. Casting a knowing smile her way, she slowly walked up behind Michael as he stood nearly speechless in front of Lyra.
“What are you doing out at night, Alyria?” Michael asked in concern.
“Just out for a walk,” Lyra answered, trying to sound careless as she tried to make Elena leave.
“Didn’t I say you shouldn’t be out at night like this?” he said quietly. “The city is even more dangerous at night than it is during the day...”
“Luv, I’ve got nothing to fear from the night,” she reply with a slight chuckle.
“Alyria, please, just go back to wherever you’re staying,” he begged. “A woman out here alone is just asking for trouble and I really can’t stay with you right now....”
“I didn’t ask for an escort, Michael,” she said quietly. “But if you insist, then I’ll go...”
“Thanks, hon,” he answered quickly, turning to look over his shoulder at his companion. The man was signally for Michael to come back, so Michael turned around and kissed her lips quickly before saying, “I’ve got to go, but I’ll try to find you tomorrow, okay?”
“If I’m still here, I’m sure we’ll run into each other,” Lyra said with a slight sigh, knowing full well that the bond would keep pulling him back to her. If only there wasn’t so much going on in her life....
Suddenly, Lyra felt a double pull on her heart as awareness of Sav and Steve flooded into her mind. They were close and a wave of anger hit Lyra hard. How could Cyra have let them come into Rome, of all places? As soon as she reached the Roman lair, she looked around and screamed, “YOU PROMISED ME, SIONA!! HOW COULD YOU BRING THEM HERE???” Then she slammed the door shut and found herself staring into four pairs of bemused eyes.
“Did you really think I could stop them, Lyra?” Cyra said with a small, patient smile. “You’ve let them get away with far too much and they’ve gotten far too willful for ME to stop them...”
“Willful, Cyra?” Sav laughed. “Who was it that was pacing around the room, wondering if we should forget it and come anyway?”
“And the first one to take off when it was decided we were coming here?” Steve said with a smile.
“You’ve got to leave,” Lyra said angrily, her mind torn between worry and frustration. She had to deal with Michael before she would ever be able to get him out of her mind. And speaking of Michael, why was he still so close by? The link between them told her he’d barely strayed from where she’d left him at. If anything, he was actually closer than before but not moving. His being that close was definitely going to drive her up a wall!
“I’m not leaving til you do, and that’s it,” Sav said with an air of finality about him.
“Sav, please,” Lyra pleaded. “Elena won’t even talk about leaving, so I don’t know how long I’m going to be here. And every day is more dangerous, a bigger chance of the Hunters coming down on this place and wiping all of us out! How are we supposed to keep you safe during the daytime, when you’re all as good as dead and only Cyra and I are awake?” Sav instantly began to play with a ring Lyra’d never seen before, while Steve pulled an amulet on a long chain out of his shirt and looked expectantly at Cyra.
“Maggie had a few little surprises hidden away in her house and let me borrow them to protect the young ones,” Cyra said with a smile. “All three of them are wearing talismans that counteract the effects of sunlight on vampires.” She motioned to the ring on Sav’s finger, the necklace Steve was wearing, then held up Rick’s hand to show a ring that matched Sav’s. “I’m not a complete fool, luv,” she said with a smile. “This way, until you’ve accomplished your mission here, you’ve got four extra pairs of eyes to watch your back.”
“There’s something else, isn’t there, Lyra?” Sav asked as he got up and crossed the room to her. “You’ve never been any good at hiding things from me and something feels, well, different about you. What’s going on, baby?”
“Nothing, Sav,” she sighed as she turned her back on him and wondered how she was going to get out of this mess.
*******
“Judas Priest!” Michael cursed as he took up his post outside the lair. “What the hell do you mean, there’s four more vamps down there?”
“Bosto saw them land not long ago, just before the woman we discussed earlier returned,” the young man said quietly. “They flew in and landed in the grass just over there,” he said as he pointed to an area about forty foot away. “There’s no doubt about it. This lot is definitely vampires.”
“Then we’ll have to go ahead and take them out at sunrise and pray that none of the new arrivals are daywalkers,” Michael answered quietly as he reached for his cell phone. “We can’t risk them bringing in any more of their kind before we move on them.” Then he dialed the number for the headquarters and waited to report in to his superior.
********
After a long night spent trying to convince Sav that nothing was wrong with her and she just wanted them out of Rome for their own safety, Lyra finally gave up and said, “Okay, stay if you want, but we’re gonna have someone stay on watch while the others sleep. Unlike Vincent, I don’t trust this situation and I’m not going to be happy until all of us are out of this god forsaken city.”
“I’ll take first watch,” Rick said quietly. “I’ve kinda missed seeing daylight, know what I mean?”
“Let’s take one of the upper rooms,” Steve said quickly. “It’ll be nice to sleep in the sun again.”
“Fine,” Lyra sighed, letting Steve take her hand and practically run them up two flights of steps to the bedroom of the house. Sav followed close behind and headed straight for the window just as the sun broke over the horizon and it’s first rays flooded into the room. Lyra laid on the bed as both men stared in disbelief at the sunlight touching their skin without damaging it.
“I forgot how warm it is,” Steve whispered as he looked at the brilliant orb making it’s way above a nearby house.
“And how beautiful it is,” Sav remarked quietly. Turning towards Lyra, he said softly, “Almost as beautiful as you, luv.” She only smiled as he crossed the small room and laid next to her in the bed. “Lyra, honey, why won’t you tell me what’s on your mind? I know it’s more than the danger here or you wouldn’t seem so preoccupied. Did you meet someone?” She looked away guiltily and Sav pulled her face back around towards him. “Who is he, luv? Another vampire? Do you want to leave us now?”
“God, no!” she said with a shake of her head. Finally, she looked up into his eyes and said, “It’s just, well, I made a mistake today with a mortal and now, um, I’m bonded to him like I was to you before you crossed over. In fact, damn it, he’s still really close by here...”
“What’s that smell,” Steve said anxiously, suddenly distracted from what Lyra was saying. “It smells like....”
“SMOKE!” Lyra yelled, flying out the door and down the stairs before Sav or Steve could stop her. They ran out of the room and into the smoke filled stairwell, trying desperately to catch sight of Lyra as she raced down into the vampires’ hidden basement lair.
“GET OUT THE WINDOW!” Rick yelled as he and Cyra came running up to meet Steve and Sav.
“NO! LYRA‘S DOWN THERE!” Sav screamed, moving past Rick before Cyra could get her hands on him and keep him out of the inferno that was beginning rage below. Confused by the smoke, Steve stood where he was just long enough for Cyra to grab him and make a frantic leap out the nearest window, flying across the yard and landing on the roof of the neighboring house. Rick landed just behind her and grabbed Steve’s arm as he came out of his stupor, saying, “They’ll get out, mate. Lyra would never let Sav die in there...”
“I should be with her!” Steve insisted.
“That could possibly end up getting her and Sav killed,” Cyra said after coughing out a lungful of smoke. “This way, she only has to worry about Sav and herself, not you too. Right now, she’s got to get him out and past a whole contingent of Hunters who are probably waiting for any vampire that exits that building. Stay here and, well, just pray she knows what she’s doing...”
Blood red tears glistened in Steve’s eyes as he saw the logic of Cyra’s argument. Closing his eyes, he sent out a silent plea to any God who would listen for the safety of both of his companions.
“LYRA!” Sav screamed through the black haze that filled the basement of the building. “Where are you!” He could hear the outraged shrieks of the vampires who’d only recently gone to rest as they awoke to a room filled with thick, harsh smoke only to be met by the blades of Hunters.
“LENA!” Lyra cried, trying desperately to find her friend in the confusion. She knew where Elena and Vincent normally slept and saw a blaze of flame flare out of the small room. A second later, Vincent flew out of the room, only to be met by a Hunter who stood in his way, brandishing a sword. Before Vincent could even react, the blade moved in a graceful arc and Vincent’s head was neatly severed from his neck.
“NO!” Elena screamed as she cleared the doorway.
“LENA, GET BACK!” Lyra yelled as she tried to get to Elena’s side. Before she could reach her, the Hunter’s blade bit deep into Elena’s side and sent her crumpling to her knees. As she fell, the long sleeves of her shirt brushed through a gusher of flame that erupted from a nearby couch. Within seconds, Elena was screeching in pain as the fire tore through her body, engulfing her in barely seconds.
“NOOOOOO!” Lyra cried as she reached the scene. Before the Hunter could turn to face her, Lyra grabbed him roughly by the hair, her rage at Elena’s death consuming her. The man’s neck snapped as Lyra tore roughly into his throat, his life force drained away by her fury. Tossing his body away from her, Lyra looked around angrily to see what was happening around her. Then she shook her head. Not all this fury was hers. From Steve, she could feel nothing but worry. Sav was confused and very close by, hunting desperately for her and she began to look for him in the blaze. Then she realized the determination and rage was coming from Michael. And that he was just as close as Sav was. Somewhere, in this inferno, was Michael, but she didn’t have time to worry about him at the moment. With Elena gone, she had to get Sav and get out as soon as possible.
“RICK! WHERE ARE YOU!”
“I’m here!” she heard from just off to her left. Pushing her way past falling embers and smoldering furniture, Lyra came up against the back of a couch that hadn’t caught fire yet. She could just make out Sav’s form in the dimness. A second later, there was a streak of black as a man ran in between them. She saw the flash of metal as a sword drew back and caught in the firelight. Then, as she leapt over the couch, she felt a sudden pain in her side. Sav’s pain. The blade bit deep under Sav’s ribcage and he fell to the ground in agony. The man between them raised the sword for his deathblow and Lyra let out a scream as she flew in behind him. Grabbing him roughly by his long, black hair, Lyra didn’t hesitate as she sank her fangs into his throat. As soon as the hot blood hit her tongue, Lyra let go of the man in horror. She knew that man!
The sword slid from Michael’s hand as soon as Lyra’s teeth met his flesh. He’d known when he’d taken up this line of work that, one day, he’d most like met his end with a vampire’s kiss. His only hope was that Alyria wasn’t close enough to bare the brunt of the vampires’ anger, should any of them survive this hell. And, apparently, at least two of them were still alive. Then, suddenly, the vampire withdrew its teeth from his throat.
“Michael!” Lyra hissed as she spun him around to face her.
“Alyria?” Michael whispered in confusion. Then he caught sight of the fangs in her mouth and moved slightly away from her. “You’re one of them! A vampire!”
“And you’re a Hunter, aren’t you?” Lyra cried in dismay. A timber crashed behind them, bringing Lyra back to her senses. “I haven’t got time to deal with this now. Let us pass and we’ll not harm you.”
“But that’s what your kind does, isn’t it?” Michael said with narrowed eyes.
“Michael,” Lyra sighed in frustration as more embers fell around them. This situation was getting more and more dangerous for all of them and she had to get them all out. “Not all of my kind are mindless killers. My coven, we only kill in general if our lives are threatened.”
“Weren’t you brought in to protect this coven?” he asked, heedless of the trouble surrounding them.
“I just came to get an old friend, but she’s dead now,” Lyra whispered, looking around for an avenue of escape and seeing a path of as yet unburned floor towards the door. “Just let me get Sav out of here and, if you want, we can talk another time.” Gathering Sav in her arms, she looked at Michael and said, “I warned you there were reasons why we shouldn’t see each other. Now, we’ve got to get out of here. All of us!” This last was punctuated by another falling beam not five foot behind her. Making a run for the door, she pulled Sav out of the flames as she heard another crash right behind her. She sat Sav’s limp form on the ground and looked up where she could feel Steve waiting for them. “Get him out of here, Steve,” she whispered as she turned to look for Michael. A distant pain and numbness filled her mind and she started to panic. Why hadn’t Michael followed her out of the building?
Landing softly beside Sav’s body, Steve looked at her and said, “Are you ready to leave now?”
“No, there’s someone I’ve got to make sure gets out of there,” Lyra tossed over her shoulder as she headed back into the blaze. A few feet from the door, she saw Michael and realized why he hadn’t come out behind her. One of the beams from the ceiling had fallen and trapped him just inside the room. Rushing to his side, she surveyed the scene as best she could through the dark smoke. The heavy board had landed across his legs and lower back and from what she could tell, he was unconscious. Even as she checked out the beam, trying to see if she could possibly move it, other things were falling around them. Hesitating only a second, Lyra grabbed the timber and tossed it across the room, then knelt at Michael’s side. With the fire all around them, she had only one choice. If she didn’t move him out of there, he was definitely going to die here. Moving as gently as she could, she lifted his long form in her arms and shot out of the building just ahead of it’s total collapse.
In the distance, Cyra and Rick could hear the fire engines as they made their way through the deserted morning roads. They flew down just as Lyra came out of the building carrying an unfamiliar man and Cyra hissed, “We’ve got to get out of here if we don’t want any trouble.”
“I can’t leave him here like this,” Lyra answered softly.
“Then bring him with you, if you must,” Cyra replied. “We’ll do what we can to help him once we get home, but for now we’ve got to go. Steve,” she continued, looking down to see Sav start to come around, “Help Sav get into the air! We can’t stay here and I don’t think Lyra’s going to be able to do anything for Sav if she’s got to get her dangerous young friend out of here.”
Steve nodded as Sav just stared at Lyra. Closing her eyes, Lyra leapt into the sky without a word and prayed that, once they got home, she’d be able to work this whole thing out.