Wicked Flames (Solsti Prophecy) (11 page)

She stepped back and opened the door.

Oh, yum
.

He’d slung his leather jacket over one shoulder. He wore black pants and a deep burgundy silk dress shirt. His tie was a unique mix of charcoal gray and burgundy squares, pulled together with black diagonal lines. The color of his shirt brought out the rich brown tones within his eyes, but her eyes were drawn to what he held in his hand…daffodils.

She blinked, feeling a huge smile spreading across her face. Her eyes left the bright gold blooms and flicked up to his. “Thank you. You look great.”

He leaned down to press a feather-soft kiss to her cheek, and his eyes dropped to her chest and legs. “You look beautiful.”

The subtle fragrance of his cologne swirled around her, his breath was warm against her skin, and the butterflies in her belly amped up to warp speed. His roaming gaze didn’t bother her one bit. She liked his eyes on her. “Thank you. Come on in, I’m almost ready.” She took the flowers and brought them to her nose, but nothing dampened his inviting scent. “Mmm. Yellow is my favorite color.”

“I had a hunch about that.”

She walked to the kitchen for a vase, her cheek tingling from his lips and her mouth wanting more.
Calm down, Gin, he just got here
. Finding what she needed, she filled it and snuck a glance at Mathias.

He wandered around her living room, looking things over. He stopped at the table where she had framed photos of her sisters. “There’s a definite family resemblance, but you don’t look exactly like them.”

She carried the now-full vase into the room and set it on the coffee table. “I know. Brooke and I got the dark hair, while Nicole and I got the green eyes.” She paused. “Well, actually, Alina had green eyes and blond hair like Nicole.”

The wall clock ticked in the quiet room. She’d explained it all to him yesterday, but still… People just didn’t know what to say when she mentioned Alina. She looked at Mathias and saw in his eyes not the usual pity. She saw acceptance.

“It’s just that sometimes I feel like…” She shook her head. “This is gonna sound dumb.”

“I bet it won’t.” He reached for her hand. “Try me.”

“I feel a connection to her. Not like I can talk to her, but just….I feel her. Like she’s here somehow, maybe in a different building on campus. The feeling is almost tangible.”

“That’s not dumb. I think that’s pretty normal.” His voice was soft as he rubbed his thumb over her knuckles.

Relief washed over her. It felt good to describe her emotion out loud, and his acceptance of it meant something to her. “Thanks for not thinking that was weird.”

“Never.” A smile teased his lips. “Despite what I said yesterday about not believing in ghosts, I think family connections stay with us. No matter what.”

“I agree.” She took a deep breath. “I need my shoes.”

“Or I could carry you.” His face was completely serious.

She burst into giggles.
So funny.
It was the perfect thing to say to relieve the tension. And with that physique, she didn’t doubt him. “Duly noted. But I’ll be right back.” Still grinning, she turned and headed into her bedroom.

Kneeling on her floor, she reached under her bed for her sexiest non-dance heels. The dance shoes were gorgeous, but they all had suede bottoms made for dance floors, not for Illinois’s snowy winters.
Here they are
. She pulled out the box containing her black snakeskin peeptoe platform heels and slid them on. Perfect. Four inches taller, she walked back out.

Mathias’s eyebrows shot up when he saw her, and he cleared his throat. “Yeah, those are a good choice. Keep those on.”

For later.
His unspoken words hung in the air like a tendril of smoke. Had she imagined it? Or hoped it? Her throat went dry and her heart hammered in her chest.

“Okay.” She’d wear them whenever he asked, if he asked like that. But he hadn’t asked. He’d ordered her. Whatever. He was her arm candy for the day. She’d make the most of it.

She opened the hall closet to grab her black cashmere car coat, but he beat her to it. He pulled it off the hanger and helped her into it, settling its light weight on her shoulders, his hands lingering a second longer than necessary.

Making quick work of the buttons, she turned to him. “Ready.”

“I’m glad you were free today.” His eyes bored into hers.

“I’m glad you asked.” She winked and walked into the hall. How she was speaking coherently, she didn’t know. But she needed to get outside, draw a deep breath of cold air, and clear the lust out of her head. Or else the two of them, and her shoes, might stay in the apartment all night.

T
HE
T
HIEF

T
HE
THIEF
HID
IN
THE
thick evergreen trees, well away from the huge mansion. She had a mental map of the property, thanks to the casing she and Sebastian had done earlier. A stone wall ten feet high surrounded the place. The only entrances were the iron gate at the front and a small service gate at the rear of the property.

The guards at the front gate checked the identities of the arriving guests, scrutinizing them, searching their bags. Heavy spells blanketed the estate, preventing anyone from using magic to transport onto or off of the property. Foot traffic was the only method allowed. Several feet behind the guards stood sentinels with hellhounds straining against their choke chains. The home’s narcissist owner, Mulvari, didn’t do anything in moderation.

The thief grinned at the challenge. Gifted with the ability to cloak herself in shadows, she was at the top of her game. Pulling off a heist like this, against an egocentric bully like Mulvari, would rock.

Of course, she couldn’t share it with anyone but Sebastian. The vampire who had raised her and taught her everything she knew was concealed in the trees to her right, ready to create a distraction when she needed it.

Wrapping herself in the blackness of the night, she walked toward the gate as a large group of guests arrived. One hound snarled and whirled around, snapping in her direction. The sentinel holding its chain glanced right through her and cuffed the beast on its head.

She gave the hellhounds a wide berth. Animals sometimes sensed her presence, even though their owners saw nothing. Sometimes it was fun to mess with them, but tonight she was focused on her task.

The laughing guests passed inspection and moved through the gate, with the thief right behind them. She paused for a moment to appreciate the glowing spectacle before her.

Constructed of gray stone, the three-story home was bathed in the light of torches and colored fire bulbs. Torth’s Northern mountains loomed beyond, a wall of darkness at the back of the fortress. Guests walked briskly along the lighted path to the massive wooden front door, which a waiting butler flung open.

Guards everywhere equaled brawn. Guests everywhere equaled chaos. Sebastian chilling outside with explosion spells? Perfect setup. The thief smiled as she darted across the threshold before the door slammed shut. She may not be clearly visible at the moment, but she was very much corporeal, and the door was as thick as her thighs.

She made a beeline for a dark hallway. Finding it empty, she released the shadows surrounding her. Walking around as a murky shape at a crowded party would be too conspicuous, and she needed to get into every room, looking like a regular guest.

She ran her fingers through her short blond hair and smoothed them down her clingy black gown. The slinky dress would allow her to fit right in with the snooty crowd, but the high slit on the side meant she could run if she needed to.

They were all here to ogle Mulvari’s stuff. Art, weapons, jewelry. Much of it locked in bespelled cases. Most of it acquired illegally, but no authority could seem to gain any traction on Mulvari.

The thief exited the hallway and walked into the marble-floored foyer, smiling at a waiter who offered her a drink from a tray of bubbling glasses. She shook her head demurely and stepped around him, her black heels clicking on the hard floor. The four-inch platform sandals gave her a rare boost—she was all of five feet four inches tall tonight.

Gods, she loved dressing up. She never got the chance. She had a stash of beautiful stolen clothes and nowhere to wear them. That didn’t happen often when you moved constantly and worked to never draw attention to yourself.
Modest
didn’t begin to describe the way she and Sebastian lived.

She walked down a hall lined with framed paintings and metal sculptures, and found a room full of weaponry. Spears, swords, shields, and arrows hung on the walls. She gave a passing appreciative glance as she exited. Some of them would be handy in her line of work. But that’s not what she was here for.

A loud burst of laughter echoed from a room full of stone carvings, and there she spotted the host. Tall, handsome, confident, and an idiot. Mulvari stood before a handful of guests, telling them how he acquired the pieces in the room.
All lies
, she guessed. He had others do his dirty work.

He looked up and his gaze settled on her. Piercing, like he was trying to place her.

She smiled, but didn’t linger. He wouldn’t recognize her, but then again he wouldn’t recognize half the guests here. No reason to push her luck.

She walked to the next room and her breath caught.
Here.
Case after case of glittering jewels. The room’s lighting was dim, and strategically placed fire bulbs brought out the beauty blazing in each precious bauble. The thief didn’t have anything like this.
 

One case caught her eye, drawing her like a magnet. Inside lay a pair of chandelier earrings, gold strands covered in tiny emeralds and diamonds. They looked heavenly. A girl could wear those and a garbage bag, and still be the belle of the ball.

Guests flitted around her and she moved on when two females came close. They chatted as they gazed at the priceless treasures in front of them, their conversation having nothing to do with Mulvari’s display. One word snagged the thief’s ear.

“Solsti?” one female said. “How much have you had to drink? They’re a myth.”

“They
were
. Now they’re back,” her friend responded in a conspiratorial voice. “But, get this. One is missing. Rumor is there are only three.”

Her friend laughed out loud and took her drink away. “You’re nuts. Isn’t this your fertile time? Maybe you have sex on the brain.” She shook her head, dark bobbed hair swinging. “How can they have only three? The whole point of the legend is that they each control an element. And there’s more than three elements.”

The blonde shrugged. “That’s what I’ve heard around town. And my mate heard it too.”

Her friend pinned her with a look. “Sex. You and him. You’re not thinking up here.” She giggled and tapped her head.

The thief stood silently at the next display.
The Solsti exist? Those two have to be drunk.
She blinked, clearing her head. This room held her goal. She glanced around at the other guests, her focus landing on a massive figure in the corner.

She inhaled, catching the scent of Lash demon. Had to be a Watcher. What was he doing here? Probably trying to pin something on Mulvari. Certainly not part of his security detail. The Watchers patrolled the realms, claiming to maintain the balance of power.

Whatever
. She stayed out of their way, and this Watchman better stay out of hers. The Watchers didn’t usually get involved with petty crimes. Especially if the “victim” was a thief himself.

He stood in profile to her, arms crossed over his chest, looking at the door. Long black hair cascaded down to the center of his back. Like all Watchers, he was tall and built like a mountain. Foreboding. A wall of muscle.

His glowering gaze swung toward her. She couldn’t discern the color of his eyes, but she felt them pierce her as surely as an arrow. A shiver ran through her and she stared back, unable to look away.
Play it cool, girl
.

Managing to drop her eyelids, she moved down the row of lit cases before she dared to peek at him again. Relieved, she saw that he was back to staring at the entrance. She released a tiny inward sigh. No way in hell did she want those eyes on her.

She looked down and her breath caught once more. Her objective sat in all its dazzling glory, right in front of her. The transportation amulet gleamed with a burnished glow. Not as brightly as its neighbors, but all the more special because of what it could do.

Creatures traveled between realms all the time using amulets. But the majority of them were one-time uses. An Elder could open a portal. Or a porter, those rare creatures who transported people with the power of their minds.

But without access to those, you were stuck wherever you were. Unless you managed to gain one of these equally rare amulets. This would allow her and Sebastian to go anywhere, anytime. No matter how hot their situation got, they could disappear in a heartbeat.

The thief gazed down, her admiration extending to the security spells surrounding the amulet. The subtle tang of blood tickled her nose, indicating the highest level of magic protection. Detectable only because she knew what to watch for, a faint hum reached her ears. It emanated from invisible ropes of magic that wrapped around the case. She’d need blood to break them. And then a blade to cut the glass.

Excitement hummed in her veins, but she tamped down the familiar rush. She’d been stealing for half her life. She was a professional. With preternatural calm, she texted Sebastian on her gem phone.
Time to get this party started.

C
HAPTER
12

T
HE
CLASH
OF
CYMBALS
AND
the bright sparks of fireworks signaled the opening act. Gin gasped as one acrobat after another dropped onto the stage from some point unseen, springing into a whirl of color. Rainbow beams spotlighted the performers, moving to a fast samba as they bounded through giant silver hoops.

She turned to Mathias. “They’re really good!”

“Just wait. They get even better.” He winked and reached for her hand.