CHAPTER 50

CHAPTER 50

Anthony watched the lone horse disappear into the rocks. He was almost sure Mikelle, whose back was face that direction, hadn’t noticed. Anthony knew he should have mentioned the incident, but something held him back.

“Divide the men,” Mikelle ordered, once they were back in camp. “We will ride in two different directions and surround the rebel army.”

“They’ll have sentries posted in the rocks.”

“They won’t by the time we get ready to ride.”Anthony grinned. “I know just the man to pick them off.”

Mikelle nodded. “Take care of it. I’ve got some unfinished business to attend.”

Mikelle rode off in the direction he had just come, leaving Anthony to wonder if he’d seen the two-rider horse after all.


Nicadea was awake by the time they reached the outskirts of the rebel camp. She looked around in wonder. Twenty to thirty tents covered the grassy plain—although a good many people were bedded down on the open ground. Smoke rose from dozens of fires dotting the landscape.“Aren’t they afraid the Romans will see the smoke?”

Evian pulled back on the reins, slowing the animal down to a walk. “I think that’s the idea. They want to wage battle here in their stronghold in the shadow of the mountain. The rebels have men stationed throughout the hillside armed with spears and swords. Once the Romans are below the mountain, engaged in battle, the rebels will start picking them off.”

By now their arrival had been noticed and was causing a small stir. Nicadea shrunk back as several people stood to let them pass.“Where are the warriors?” she asked, staring over the rag-tail group. Their clothing was worn and tattered, providing a sharp contrast to the well-groomed Romans. Some wore blue paint over their faces. She was surprised to see that the women outnumbered the men.Evian stopped the horse as a group of people approached, led by a tall woman carrying a torch.

“Welcome. You have come to join us?”

Nicadea described what had happened to her village, leaving out her encounter in the cave. The rebels were sympathetic, assuring her she would be safe with them. She took the knife they offered, twisting and turning it in her hand. “I don’t know if I will be much help. I’ve never used a knife for fighting.”

Evian closed his hand over hers. “I will work with you. There are several simple moves I can show you.”

Her face mirrored her doubt. “When I talked about joining the rebels, I didn’t consider having to kill someone. I mean, I wanted to fight, I just didn’t think it through.”

“It’s not easy to kill another man, but you will be a fine fighter. You will fight to protect yourself.”

She nodded as he raised her hand to show her the first move.

**********

CHAPTER 49

CHAPTER 49The moon’s silver light bathed the open field from almost straight overhead. Nicadea’s head fell forward against Evian’s shoulder and he smiled. Her breath, warm against the back of his neck, was slow and rhythmic. They had been riding for hours. The Delom Hills were a hazy shadow in the far distance. He still hoped to be there by morning.Her arms, wrapped around his waist, were beginning to slip as she fell into a deeper sleep. In another few minutes, she would fall off the animal. Pulling the reins to the left, he stopped at the edge of the trees and tried to wake her. Getting down without dropping her was the difficult part.“Nicadea, Nicadea. Wake up.”“Are we there?”“No, we have a ways to go, but we need to switch places.”“Why?” The word ended in a broad yawn.He loosened her arms from around his waist. “Sit up, Nicadea. I’m going to get down, and I don’t want you to fall off.”She muttered that she understood, and he slipped down. She looked beautiful sitting there in the moonlight—her eyes half-closed in sleep. As he climbed behind her and pulled her close, his thoughts were not on the journey ahead. She was back asleep almost immediately, her head lying against his chest—his face buried in her hair. They rode that way for the rest of the night.By the time the first pale rays of dawn broke across the horizon, they had reached the foot of the Delom Hills. The trails of winding smoke rising in the crisp morning air told Evian that the army wasn’t camped far away. So, they would be joining them in the battle. The thought of fighting the Romans sent fire coursing through his blood.Anthony spotted the lone horse crossing the open field, before it disappeared into the cover of the trees. He and Mikelle had ridden ahead of the others—to talk. From their vantage point on one of the lower plateaus, they had a view of the entire area. “I know we didn’t expect to discover the location of the rebel force, but now that we have….” His voice trailed off in a questioning tone.Mikelle looked at him in surprise. “We’ll attack, of course. That chit of a girl cannot alter the tides of war, even if she does turn out to be the Celtic Princess. We don’t even know that she’s still alive. Right now, she’s a mere slave, who struck an officer of the Roman army.”Anthony laughed. “No doubt he deserved worse, but I have the feeling we haven’t seen the last of her.”“Have you heard something?”“No, I haven’t heard anything. Just a feeling, that’s all. What will you do to her if you find her?”“What I would do to any recalcitrant slave? She’ll have to be punished.”

CHAPTER 48

CHAPTER 48


Michael walked back along the beach for the better part of an hour before trying to make sense of what had happened. Nothing made any sense, least of all his marriage to Niki. He entered the bungalow and tiptoed to the room were she was resting. Beyond the closed door everything was quiet. She must be sleeping. He walked to the bar and made himself a drink, after motioning for his security guard to wait outside.

The doctor had said she’d probably sleep for several more hours. He sat down on the leather sofa and reached for his cell phone.

“Tony? Michael.”

“Hey, man. Good to hear from you. I thought you’d be busy with the little woman.”

“Yeah, well. This isn’t exactly a normal honeymoon, you know. We’re trying to be civil, but we basically strangers.”

“I can imagine.”

“Have you heard anything from Cassandra since we left?”

“Not a word. The trial must have really taken the wind out of her sails.”

“You mean the wind out from under her broom.”

“Yeah, that too. So she hasn’t been around?”

“No, why the concern? Has something happened?”

Michael hesitated. “Well, we’ve had a little incident.”

“On the island? What happened?”

Michael told him about what had happened to Niki. Tony was sympatric.

“And you think Cassandra might have had something to do with it.”

“Only for lack of suspects. Could you make some inquiries?”

“No problem. I’ll drop by her place later tonight. Pay her a friendly visit.”

“Thanks, Tony. I’d feel better being able to cross her name off the list.”

Michael hung up the phone and walked back to Niki’s door. The room was still quiet. He opened the door, throwing a wedge of light across the bed. The bed was empty.”

“Niki.”

Michael flipped on the light and looked around the empty room.

“Niki.”

He searched the rest of the house, checking the rooms one by one, but she was nowhere to be found. Grabbing the flashlight he walked outside and began to search the grounds. The moon was much higher than before, providing him with dim light. He searched for over an hour before dialing 911.



Tony replaced the receiver. Michael was probably being paranoid, but Tony had promised to check it out. Throwing on his jacket, he slipped behind the wheel of his Z28 and headed toward Cassandra’s house. As he drove down her street, he was surprised to see the flashing lights of emergency vehicles parked in front of her house.

He stopped the car across the street and got out. A steady stream of uniformed traffic was traveling in and out of the house, while the flash of lights told him reporters were also on the scene. He walked over to one he recognized.

“Hey, Denny. What’s up”

“Tony. What are you doing here?”

“Just driving by. Do you know what happened?

“Not really. A neighbor called about the front door standing open. When the police arrived they found blood in the front hall.”

“And Cassandra?”

“She’s missing.”

TIMELESS FIRE CHAPTER 46 & 47

CHAPTER 46


Nicadea sat cross-legged around the fire, listening to the elders tell stories about what had been going on since the beginning of the rebellion and its fearless female heroine, Boadicea. Her army had been raising troops of soldiers across Britain to fight against Roman rule. The woman was called the Queen of the Iceni. She led a rebellion against the Roman authorities as a result of their mistreatment of her family and people after the death of her husband, Prasutagus, who may have been a Roman client-ruler, in 60 AD. Boudicca, assisted by other disaffected tribes, sacked the cities of Colchester, St. Albans and London and, it is estimated, massacred approximately 70,000 Roman soldiers and civilians so far in the course of the glorious cause.

Nicadea listened in awe as Evian told stories of bravery and tales of heroism. Her mind filled with pictures of men and women fighting for what they believed. She envied them and what they accomplished for her country. Evian filled her head with ideas and ambitions. More than anything, she wanted to join the ranks of those who fought for their beliefs. She wanted to join Boadicea’s army.

“They seem so glorious and brave. I wish I were with them.”

Evian grinned at her enthusiasm. “We could go together. I would be glad to take you.”

“Would you? That would be wonderful. I would be in your debt.”

“We could leave tomorrow night.”

“Why not tonight?”

Her fervor was infectious. He had always been fond of Nicadea, but she had been too young to notice. Now, however, things were different. She was old enough to be a woman—to become married. He would make the most of this opportunity and not allow her to slip away again.

“I would like to, but we should really get a good night’s sleep.”

“But the soldiers will be looking for me. They will be here soon.”

Evian considered the situation. She had left the company of the woman slaves of a Roman General. Then, disguised as a man, she had struck and possibly killed a Roman officer. If the soldiers found her there, she would be taken back and beaten. If the people of the settlement secreted her away, they ran the risk of being punished—possibly even killed for their defiance.

“Riding at night would not be easy.”

“I would rather face the darkness than the Romans. They are a heathen people.”

He looked around. People were talking among themselves—not paying much attention to them. Slipping away unnoticed would be easy. If they rode all night, they might be as far as the Delom Hills by morning. Hiding there would be easy.


Mikelle pushed back the flap on Anthony’s tent. His friend was still lying across the pillows giving him the impression, that Anthony had not been alone for long. “Busy evening?”

His friend grinned. “She was comely and enthusiastic. For what more could a man ask?”

Mikelle walked inside. “That a certain disobedient Priestess be found and returned to him.”

Anthony sat up and belted out a loud laugh. “The little Celt has escaped you again?”

Mikelle’s face darkened. “This is not a laughing matter, my friend. She attacked one of my men before she left.”

“He probably deserved it.”

“I’m sure, but the sentence for attacking a Roman soldier is death. My men are out for blood.”


CHAPTER 47

Michael watched the helicopter circle the landing pad before its descent. Niki still rested on the couch where he had first moved her, her eyes closed. The blood had caked in her hair around the nasty lump forming on the side of her head. The wound looked bad, but not fatal. She would probably sustain a wrenching headache for a day or so and be fine.

The question was not whether or not she would survive, but who had attacked her in the first place. He had contacted his security man on the island and instructed him to begin an investigation. The idea that one of his enemies would have followed him to the island on his honeymoon was absurd. On the other hand, the bump on her head was real enough.

Moments later the doctor arrived carrying a large black bag. He examined Niki with gentle fingers, pressing gingerly along the side of the wound. She flinched and tried to pull away, but didn’t cry out. He shined the light from a small flashlight into her eyes.

“Pretty nasty blow. You didn’t hit her, did you? What did she do? Burn the beans?” He chuckled at his small joke and took her temperature. “She has a slightly elevated temp, but other than that she seems fine.”

Michael felt himself relax. “Is she asleep?”

“Yes. Probably will be until morning. Call me if she has any unusual symptoms.”

Michael nodded and poured himself a glass of scotch. “I don’t suppose there’s any way the wound could have been self-inflicted.”

The doctor’s eyes opened wide. “I should think it would have been impossible to have inflicted the wound herself.”

“Yes, of course you’re right.” He downed the scotch.

After the doctor had gone, Michael poured another glass and moved toward the sliding glass door, staring into the darkness. After a moment, he went outside. The moonlight shining on the water was too inviting to resist. With scarcely a backward glance, he threaded his way down to the beach.

When Niki had first suggested they get married, he had been against the idea, but had soon warmed to the idea. She was after his company, of that he was sure, and was willing to pay a high price to get it. But why? And why marriage? She was probably responsible for the embezzlement and possibly the selling of company secrets as well. But why marriage? How could that strengthen her position? He could only assume she had a more hidden agenda.

The waves coming into the shore were lengthening under the slight breeze. He walked faster, his feet keeping pace with his thoughts. The attack had certainly not been a part of her plan. Who would have hated her enough to have followed her here? Or was the attack random. That didn’t seem likely. He turned back toward the house. There was one person whose name came to mind. Cassandra. But even she wouldn’t have gone this far. Would she?

TIMELESS FIRE - CHAPTER 45

CHAPTER 45

Michael stood on a hill overlooking the house and the beach beyond and stared through the binoculars. A speck out on the water had caught is attention. The supplies weren’t due until later in the week, but the speck had been growing increasingly larger throughout the day. An hour ago it had disappeared altogether, leaving him to wonder if a ship had come ashore.After several minutes of searching the visible shoreline, he started back. If a ship had docked on the island, it couldn’t be seen from his vantage point.

As he rounded the corner of the beach house, he could see that Dora had set the table. It wasn’t until he stepped inside that he spotted Niki.She was lying on the floor—unconscious. At first he thought she was dead, but when he bent closer, he could see the regular rising and falling of her chest. The large bloody wound in her head indicated she had been hit hard or with something heavy. She would need stitches.

“Dora?”

When the cook failed to answer, he moved to the kitchen to investigate. The room was empty—the back door standing wide open. He stepped outside to look around. The ground at the back door showed signs of disturbance. He would have liked to investigate, but the growing darkness and Niki’s uncertain condition prevented him.Back inside, Niki was coming around.

Her low moans grew stronger as her mind became aware of the pain pounding in her head. Her eyes opened to a hazy world even as Michael’s voice pierced her consciousness. He was kneeling beside her—his face pinched with concern. He was pressing a towel against the wound in her head.“Did you see who hit you?”

“No.” Her voice sounded weak and breathy. “I was sitting at the table, waiting for you, when someone hit me from behind.”

“Was Dora in the room at the time?”

“No. She had served the table and gone back into the kitchen.”

“Did you see anyone outside the house or down on the beach?”

“No. I thought we were the only ones on the island.”

“So did I.” He lifted her onto the couch. “I need to get a doctor to look at that. He brought an afghan to ward off the chill of shock. “Did you have any clue as to the identity of your attacker?”

She shrank back, looking at him with open suspicion.

“You’ve got to be kidding. You think it was me?”

“You said it yourself. We’re the only ones on the island.”

“What about Dora? She’s missing. Did I do away with her too?”

“How would I know? For all I know, you and her are in this together.”

“Fine. Believe what you want.” He pulled the cell phone from his pocket. “I’ll leave you alone until the doctor arrives.”

TIMELESS FIRE - CHAPTER 44

CHAPTER 44


The shopping trip was less stressful than she’d expected—at times, almost pleasant. At first, she’d been sullen, refusing to be drawn into his attempts at conversation. But as the day wore on, she relaxed, becoming used to his company. At lunch, she almost forgot to remember that he was the enemy.

By the time the evening came around, she was tired. He had bought her clothes, shoes, and cosmetics, while she tried to figure out his game. Why would a man she had forced into marriage be nice to her? He should be hating her or at least resenting her.

Dora finished making supper by the time they had finished shopping. Niki was too tired to be hungry, but knew he would insist she join him for dinner. The first thing she did when she got to the bedroom was kick off her shoes. Dora knocked on the door and announced dinner was to be served at seven. Niki had thirty minutes. Not even considering a change of clothes, she
lay across the bed for a nap. Another knock woke her up. Drugged with sleep, she entered the den area still barefoot and padded across to the table. Michael had still not arrived.

Dora served the food and disappeared discreetly into the kitchen. Niki sipped her tea, waiting for Michael—thinking it’d serve him right if she ate without him. She turned a couple of times in her in her seat and looked around. There was no sign of him. She waited another ten minutes and then began to serve her plate.

This was beyond rude. He had no right to keep her waiting while he took the nap she was missing. She picked up her fork and dug into the mashed potatoes with enthusiasm. When she heard the sound of the sliding glass door opening and closing, she ignored it. He didn’t deserve to be acknowledged. She kept chewing as his footsteps sounded increasingly nearer. She was poised to shovel up a second bite when she heard a swishing sound close beside her ear. Then, the world exploded—and turned black.

TIMELESS FIRE - CHAPTER 43

As the first rays of sunlight crossed the morning sky, Niki left the bed. She hadn't slept all night. How could she with Michael stretched out beside so close she could feel the heat from his body? He had played the part of the perfect gentleman, nevertheless, having him so close made sleep impossible.

She splashed water on her face and went back into the bedroom. He was gone. Tnank goodness. But where? Maybe he'd gone out for a morning swim. She pulled back the curtains of the floor-length windows. The beach was empty. Maybe he'd gone back to his own bed and would allow her to get some rest also.

She walkeed to the bedroom door and peeked out. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air. Her stomach rumbled, making her realize how hungry she was. She closed the door and dressed quickly--too famished now to even consider going back to sleep.

When she entered the den a woman was setting the corner table in the nook overlooking the beach.

"Niki, this is Dora. Dora, this is my wife. Dora will be cooking for us while we're here."

She and the young woman exchanged a greeting. She was attractive, Niki noticed. Exotic looking. She wondered if she cooked for Michael before. Something in her expression had altered when he had said the word "wife"--a sudden tightening in her face. Surprise? disappointment?

"After breakfase, I thought we'd go shopping," Michal said when they'd finished eating.

"I'd rather just stay in my room."

"Is that a proposition?"

She felt the color rush to her face. "No."

"Then, be ready to leave in fifteen minutes."

His tone was quiet, but firm. He wasn't issuing an invitation. He was giving an order. She wanted to refuse, but was unwilling to fight in front of the woman staring at Michael with the liquid eyes. On the other hand, she was his wife--not his servant. She shouldn't have to go if she didn't want to.

He must have read her mind because when she looked at him again, his look was thunderous. "Then again, maybe you don't need time to get ready. We'll go as we are." As she stood up, he took hold of her arm and pulled her up with him.

She felt like a small child. Damn him. She make him sorry he'd forced her into this. This wasn't how she had meant for things to happen. Nothing was going as she'd expected.