Gift of Fire (37 page)

“So he left behind the equivalent of a photographic image of his work.” Verity’s eyes widened in amazement. “What a brilliant idea. He could access the image with the crystal.”

“Not quite.” Jonas frowned, thinking of all he had learned when he’d tangled with the ribbons. “The crystal does activate the image. It starts the film running, so to speak. But to actually access the vision itself, he had to have the usual sort of key. The same kind of key I always use.”

“An object associated with violence,” Verity said slowly. “Of course. He had to leave behind something that was connected with a violent scene in the image. The sword hilt?”

“That wasn’t the object he’d intended to leave behind,” Jonas said quietly. “The stiletto was supposed to be the key to the corridor image. Marino had planned to kill someone with the stiletto and then later use the stiletto to get at the vision where his work was hidden.”

“He planned to murder someone?” Verity’s eyes were wide with shock. “He deliberately set out to create an image and then commit murder in order to freeze the image in the corridor?”

“It’s the only way it could be done.”

“But whom did he intend to kill?”

Jonas’s mouth hardened. “He’d planned to murder the one other person who knew what he was up to. That way he could be certain the secrets he had discovered were safe.”

“But who else knew about his research?”

Jonas looked at her for a long moment. “Think about it, Verity. Who is the one other person who would know him intimately enough to realize he had made some significant discoveries about the corridor?”

Verity’s eyes widened further. “His anchor,” she whispered. “The one who controlled the ribbons for him when he went into the corridor. Oh, my God.”

Jonas nodded grimly. “Exactly. But Marino made a slight miscalculation. He never got a chance to use the stiletto on her.”

“His anchor was a woman?”

“Uh-huh. The pretty young wife of a member of the aristocracy. Her name was Isabella. He had seduced her when he realized what she could do for him.”

“Isabella.” Verity repeated the name softly.

“Marino was waiting for her in the chamber that last night. He intended to seal the image with her murder. He had sent for her and she had come to him, as usual. But this time she didn’t come alone. Her husband, suspecting that she was having an affair—although the poor guy couldn’t have known just how intimately involved his wife really was—had followed her. He entered the room right behind her. The guy behind the desk realized what was happening and grabbed his sword instead of the stiletto. Like most Renaissance aristocrats, Marino was good with a sword.”

“But the husband killed him?”

Jonas nodded grimly. “With great pleasure. Matteo was skilled with a sword too, and he was younger and faster than Marino. In the end it was Marino’s death that locked the image in the corridor. It was the broken sword handle that stayed behind to become the key to accessing the vision, although there was no one left to use it.”

“Jonas, it’s hard to believe it was only an illusion.”

“I told you, Giovanni Marino was a genius, and he knew what he was doing. He did such a good job with his creation that when it started to cycle, you and I thought that we were actually a part of it. You became Isabella and I became her jealous husband, Matteo.”

“I think it was more than that, Jonas,” Verity insisted.

He smiled in understanding. “The illusion was probably all the more real for us because we were each temperamentally suited to assume their roles. You’ve had experience as an anchor who’s been sleeping with the man she anchors, and I’ve had a hell of a lot of experience being jealous of you. I can’t think of anyone I’d want to kill more, in fact, than a man who had the power to pull you into the corridor with him.” Jonas realized his hand was clenched into a fist.

Verity gently unknotted his fingers. “Relax, Jonas. It’s all over.”

He forced himself to inhale slowly and let the tension seep out of him. “I’ve told you about my end of the thing. Tell me what was happening with the crystals.”

“I still don’t understand it all,” Verity said honestly. “I could feel the green crystal tuning itself to the crystal in the image.”

“I’ll bet one of the secrets the guy in the vision was trying to hide was the technique for tuning the crystal so that it could be used as a key to unfreeze the image.” Damn. What he wouldn’t give to learn those secrets. Now that he knew what was going on, Jonas figured there had to be a safe way of activating the vision again. He wanted to study that manuscript.

“When you picked up the corridor ribbons, I concentrated on the red crystals instead of the green. They seemed to hold a more positive power somehow.” Verity shook her head uncertainly. “I felt I could use them. Tune them, make them work for me. I didn’t feel that way about the green crystal. It was dangerous, Jonas.”

“You found a way to use the red crystals to pull me out of the grip of the ribbons, didn’t you?” Jonas searched her face. “Those damn snakes really had a hold on me this time, Verity. They were stronger than anything I’ve come up against in that corridor. I grabbed them because for a while there I actually believed the whole thing was real; I believed you were going to be killed. I picked up on the emotions and skills that Matteo had used, and suddenly I was Matteo.”

“I believe you did save us, somehow. That battle was for real, Jonas. I’m convinced we were actually in that image. But when it was over, you couldn’t get rid of the ribbons.”

“They were too powerful, probably because the vision itself was so damn powerful. I would have become a walking ghost of Matteo. Not the whole man, just the part of him that had been left behind in the corridor. The part that was enraged, the part that could think of nothing but vengeance and killing. I was afraid I would turn on you next, the way Matteo probably turned on Isabella. Giovanni Marino would have had the ultimate revenge.”

“Matteo murdered his wife after he killed Marino?” Verity’s expression was one of outrage.

“I don’t know what actually happened,” Jonas said soothingly. “For us the story ends with the creep’s death. I just got the impression from the residual emotions Matteo left behind that he was as furious with his wife as he was with her seducer.

Verity sat back. “I don’t think he killed her,” she declared after a moment. “I think that after he’d killed Marino, he came to his senses and realized his wife was just an innocent victim. I bet they both locked the door of that chamber, went back home, and lived happily ever after.”

Jonas eyed her indulgently. “Sounds like a nice, cheerful ending.”

“But probably not the real ending, right, Quarrel?” Crump spoke from the doorway. “People back in the Renaissance had some nasty notions of vengeance, didn’t they?”

Jonas snapped his head around, setting off the dull, throbbing ache again. “I didn’t hear you come in,” he said, annoyed. “How long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough.” Oliver smiled reassuringly. “But don’t worry. I won’t try to explain any of this to Warwick or anyone else. I’m not sure I understand it myself.” He came toward the bed and extended his palm to reveal two white tablets. “Here. Take these and call me in the morning.”

Jonas eyed the tablets with suspicion. “What are they? Some mumbo-jumbo herb treatment?”

“You could say that. They’re aspirin.” He handed Jonas a glass of water with his other hand.

Jonas sat up cautiously, took the glass, and swallowed the pills. “I’d appreciate it if you would keep your mouth shut about the psychic stuff.”

“I will,” Oliver promised calmly. “Who would believe me, except another psychic? And there aren’t too many real ones running around. You’re the only one I’ve ever met.” Then he smiled faintly. “So Elyssa and Yarwood were right after all, hmmm? You really do have a talent for psychometry?”

“Something like that,” Jonas said unencouragingly.

“It’s a very unusual ability,” Verity interjected with enthusiasm. “He can pick up on certain images from the past when he touches an object associated with those images. Unfortunately, he’s a bit limited in some respects. He can only tune in to scenes of violence.”

Jonas groaned. “Verity, I think that’s enough.”

“However,” Verity continued, “the talent makes it possible for him to authenticate all kinds of objects from the past, even when they aren’t associated with violence. He can’t actually see an image of a chair or a piece of jewelry, the way he can with weapons, but he can feel the age of the object. Enough to know whether or not it’s a reproduction.”

“Verity, I doubt if Crump is really interested in all this.”

“I’ve been telling Jonas that he should use his ability to set up a consulting business. That’s why I had him take this Job. Don’t you think it’s a marvelous idea, Oliver?”

“Not if it gets both of you killed,” Oliver said bluntly. Jonas exchanged a significant look with the other man. “Thank you for those words of wisdom. I agree completely.”

Verity turned on him. “Now, just a minute. What happened on this job was bad luck, that’s all. Think of it as an industrial accident. The odds of this sort of thing occurring again must be zillions to one.”

“Something tells me that your math might be shaky,” Jonas retorted.

“So we’ll be a little more careful next time,” Verity said briskly. “Actually, this assignment was completed quite satisfactorily. Doug will get the written evaluation of the villa that he wanted, and Elyssa will get a few answers about the legendary treasure. We can show everyone the secret passage and the room and the chest. That should satisfy all parties concerned.” Then her eyes narrowed in disappointment. “I wish we’d found more than just an empty treasure chest, though. Finding a pile of Florentine coins would have been a nice professional touch. Great publicity.”

“I think I’ll live without the advertising,” Jonas drawled as he sat up on the edge of the bed.

“In fact, you might live a lot longer without it,” Crump said. He was smiling one of his rare smiles.

“Now that I’m going to be a father, I have to think twice about taking undue risks,” Jonas agreed complacently.

Verity glared at both of them. “Why do I get the feeling that another career option for Jonas is going down the drain?”

“Face it, honey. I was born to wash dishes for you. Besides, in a few months I’ll be learning a new profession. I’m going to be a hell of a daddy.”

Verity’s mouth curved at the corners and her eyes softened. “Think so?”

“I have a talent for it, just like I have a talent for being a husband. I can feel it in my bones.”

“I think maybe I will invest in a wedding dress,” Verity said thoughtfully. “Might as well do this right.”

“We’ll have to hurry up and get you to the altar,” Jonas said blandly, his eyes roving her still-slender figure. “It won’t be long before you’ll be too round for a wedding gown.”

She threw a pillow at him.

Verity lay quietly in the shadows of the canopied bed and listened to Jonas toss and turn beside her. She knew he hadn’t slept at all since they had climbed into bed two hours ago. He had made love to her with a gentle urgency, as if he needed to assure himself that everything was really back to normal. But afterward he had not fallen asleep.

Verity had closed her eyes and drifted off immediately, only to be awakened by Jonas’s restless movements. She finally decided she’d had enough. Something was bothering him, and it was time to get it out into the open. She pushed back the cover and sat up against the pillows.

“Quit trying to pretend you’re asleep, Jonas,” she said gently. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

He lay still for a few seconds, then turned on his back. His eyes gleamed in the darkness. “I want another look at the manuscript in that damned vision,” he admitted bluntly.

Verity took a deep breath. “I thought that might be it.”

There was silence for a long moment, then Jonas said, “I don’t know if we can do it without getting ourselves into the same mess we did earlier.”

“This time we know what to expect. I can take the red crystal earrings with me again. I know how to use them this time if things get rough. As long as you don’t pick up any of the ribbons, we’ll be safe.”

“I can’t let you take the risk.”

“You can’t get another look at that vision without me,” she pointed out calmly. “The ribbons would overwhelm you for certain.” Her mind made up, she shoved aside the covers. “No sense putting it off. We might as well get it over with.” She pursed her lips in thought. “This time around we just have to keep in mind that we are watching a vision. We’re not part of it. I’ll know what I’m doing this time. I’ll let go of the green crystal as soon as the image activates. I think I can use the earrings to keep things sane after that.”

“It’ll take time,” Jonas said as he sat up. “That manuscript was in Latin, and written in sixteenth-century script. I need a close look at it. The problem with that vision is that it’s so damn powerful. The risk is that it will distract us, make us think it’s real again.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Hell, I don’t know, Verity. I shouldn’t let you near that thing again. I shouldn’t get near it myself.”

Verity sat up on the edge of the bed. “But you won’t be able to sleep at night until you try to read that manuscript. It’s going to drive you nuts, Jonas. I don’t think we have any choice.”

Jonas shook his head. “I’m not sure I can let you take the risk.”

Verity stood up and walked around to his side of the bed. “We have to, Jonas. This is your psychic talent we’re talking about here. The more you learn about controlling it, the safer we’ll both be and the more useful the talent will be. Who knows what you’ll run up against next time in the corridor? We can do it. I know we can.” She picked up the red crystal earrings. “The green crystal is still in that chamber. In all the confusion, no one remembered it.” She stepped into her shoes and started toward the tapestry.

“Verity, come back here,” Jonas ordered harshly. He stood up abruptly. “I said come back here.”

But Verity had already found the hidden mechanism that unlocked the entrance to the passageway. The ponderous stone door creaked and began to swing open. She picked up the flashlight and threw a challenging smile over her shoulder. “You’re not going to let me go into that horrible passage alone, are you?”