Chapter Seven
Antonio balanced the tray, careful not to spill the drinks or the risotto he’d just thrown together for Sophia.
He smiled. They’d burned off a lot of calories over the last few hours.
He climbed the stairs. When he’d left her sleeping, he’d pulled on some trousers, a shirt he hadn’t bothered to button, and hadn’t worried about shoes. Taking care of Sophia was his top priority.
Dio, seeing her in his bed, with her hair spread over his pillow. His chest swelled. The way she’d taken him and then given herself to him… She was a gift he planned to care for and savor.
He felt…good. Light. His smile widened. He couldn’t wait to get back to his beautiful woman.
His smile dimmed. The sun would set soon and then he had to deal with Corus. But now, with Sophia’s support, Antonio knew he could beat his enemy.
As he neared the bedroom he heard Sophia scream, followed by a thud and the shatter of glass.
Everything in him went cold. He dropped the tray, ignoring its crash, and burst into his bedroom.
He stared at the pillows littered on the floor, then the open, ruined doors to the balcony. He scented Corus’ stench.
No, no. “Sophia!”
Antonio ran for the balcony. He leaped over the railing, and dived off the edge. Before he hit the ground, his body disintegrated, turning into the wind.
He rushed through the evening sky, desperate to find her. If Corus hurt her, touched her…Antonio focused on finding the trail of the Tempest Wind.
Corus wasn’t making it easy. Antonio flew through the twisting back streets of Florence. Every now and then, he picked up Sophia’s floral scent. It gave him strength.
Without the lust blinding him, he was in complete control, his power growing inside him. Hold on, cara.
He flew through the Piazza della Repubblica, through the narrow courtyard of the Uffizi Gallery, and out into the Piazza della Signoria.
Sophia’s scent grew stronger. He materialized in the shadows on the edge of the square. It was getting late and the crowds were thinning. He walked toward the wide arches of the Loggia dei Lanzi, searching for a glimpse of mahogany hair.
He paused near one of the statues under the arches. The woman immortalized in white marble was being dragged down by a man, one of her slim arms reaching into the air in silent appeal. Antonio’s gut tightened. It was known as the Rape of the Sabine Women. A reminder of a time the Tempest Winds had escaped and Corus had contaminated people with lust.
At the base of the statue, he saw why he’d scented Sophia. Strands of her dark hair rested at the bottom of the woman’s feet like a sacrifice.
Or a taunt.
Antonio swallowed a curse, his hands curling into fists. He spun and launched himself into the air. He pushed hard, following her trail, and swept up into the hills. The lights of Florence twinkled below like a blanket of stars, but all his attention was for his foe and the woman who’d captured Antonio’s heart.
As the minutes passed with no sign of them, panic seized Antonio. Every second increased the chance that Corus would hurt her.
As Antonio swept over the ruins of an old palazzo, he realized the trail ended. He paused, hovering above the tumbled stones.
Corus was down there. Sophia was down there.
Antonio arrowed downward and as he reached the ground, he pulled the power of the wind around him, and took solid form. He scanned the ruined walls of what had once been a grand palace. His ancestors’ memories were in his head, and he could see the palazzo as it had been hundreds of years ago.
He waited. Listened.
It was silent. Too silent. The insects and small animals were all hushed. He let his wind flare out slowly.
It brought him back the smallest scrape of a shoe on stone. A hushed intake of breath. A woman’s muffled cry.
Antonio spun and strode into the growing darkness. He stepped through a broken archway but saw nothing but shadows.
“Come on, Corus,” Antonio shouted. “Quit being a coward.”
“You may have plowed your cock between Sophia’s silky thighs, but that won’t save you.” Corus appeared from the blackness. He dragged a stumbling Sophia behind him. Her pale skin stood out in the dark. She was only wrapped in the gray silk sheet from Antonio’s bed.
His jaw clenched. He saw the bruises smudging her arms and the fear on her face. His rage turned ice cold. “Sophia, did he hurt you?”
One hand clenched on the sheet and she lifted her head defiantly. “I’m fine.”
That was his Sophia. Even in the face of danger, even when she was afraid, she still had courage.
Corus yanked her closer, his hand tangling in her hair. “I will have her. I want to lick her luscious skin and take what you’ve tasted. You can’t stop me.” His dark gaze burned into Antonio. “Do you feel the lust rising? Clawing to get out?”
“No.” He looked into Sophia’s blue eyes. “You can’t toy with me anymore, Corus.”
The Tempest Wind paused, his gaze raking over Antonio’s body. “It can’t be true.”
Suddenly Sophia spun, breaking Corus’ hold. “It’s true, you bastard.” She slammed a fist into Corus’ face.
As the Wind staggered back, Antonio leaped forward. Sophia met him half way, diving into his arms. Holding her to him, he pulled her back.
Corus raised his head and wiped the blood from his mouth. “You’ll regret that.” He shook his head. “There is no way the lust can be gone. I felt how close you were to succumbing, to joining me.”
Sophia entwined her fingers with Antonio’s. With her by his side, he felt a strength he’d never felt before.
“You know it’s true.” Antonio lifted their linked hands. “She keeps it at bay.”
Corus’ startled gaze switched to Sophia. “No.”
Antonio shot him a humorless smile. “Not all the Aurae died out.”
“She can’t be Aurae! We didn’t escape until we knew they were all gone.”
Antonio locked that little tidbit of information away for later. “Luckily for me, I’ve found the smart, courageous woman who is mine.” Sophia squeezed his fingers, then Antonio focused on Corus. “Time for you to go back to your prison.”
“No!” Corus turned and ran.
Antonio cursed. The Tempest Wind sprinted at one of the ruined brick walls. His feet hit the stone and there was a blast of air as he ran up the side of the wall.
“Stay back,” Antonio yelled at Sophia. He ran as well and then bent his legs and launched himself into the air.
As the West Wind gathered around him, he flew high and landed atop the ruins. Directly in front of Corus.
Corus summoned his wind and it whipped at Antonio.
The West Wind roared, more powerful than ever before. Then he threw his arms out and his wind charged forward.
Their winds crashed together, causing the wall beneath them to sway.
Antonio fought to keep his balance. He glanced down and saw Sophia below. He had to end this and keep her safe.
He pushed forward, fighting the wind. Corus’ face was strained. Antonio leaped at the man. Their arms locked and they turned, pushing at each other. Antonio got in a punch and then Corus shoved back.
They parted, staring at each other. Then Corus charged forward. He lowered his head and slammed into Antonio, tackling him off the wall.
They fell, air rushing past them. Antonio heard Sophia scream. He called on his wind to catch him.
It slowed their fall, but they still slammed into the ground hard.
The air was forced out of Antonio and pain exploded through his body. He looked over and saw Corus had hit his head, blood sliding down his face. Antonio tried to move and pain was like lightning down his left arm. It hung, broken, by his side.
Lightning cracked and slammed down nearby.
Dammit. Antonio pushed to his feet and saw Corus had summoned the lightning. The Tempest Wind was grinning at him, his teeth covered with blood. Lightning sparked on his hands.
Antonio held his good hand up, a ball of lightning sparking to life on his palm.
“She won’t keep the lust away,” Corus said. “Not for long.”
“Yes, she will.” The quiet truth glowed inside Antonio. He wanted forever with Sophia. “Because with her, I can have more. I’m falling in love with her.”
“Love?” Corus shook his head wildly. “It isn’t enough, we both know that.”
“You’re wrong.”
The Tempest Wind turned to look at Sophia. “He has no love in him. He will fuck you, make you come, and then he’ll move onto the next pretty thing.”
Antonio tossed his ball of lightning. Corus dodged.
His gut tight, Antonio looked at Sophia. “He isn’t completely wrong. Before, that was me. But I never lied to a woman, or made promises I couldn’t keep.”
She watched him, her blue eyes shimmering.
“But you changed that, Sophia. The moment you stepped into my museum, I knew you were different. I’ve been falling for you since that day. And what you did for me…” he pulled in a deep breath. “You saved me and you made me realize I had more inside me than my vice or my duty.” He poured all his feelings into his voice. “With you, I want everything.”
She smiled at him. “You changed me, too. And I want everything as well.”
“You can’t trust him.” Corus stepped forward and a fork of lightning hit the ground in a blinding flash. “Especially now that his child rests inside you. Once you’re big and round, he’ll look elsewhere.”
Everything inside Antonio stilled. What the hell? He felt like the air around them had been sucked away. He looked at Sophia. She stared back at him, unblinking, her face impossibly pale.
She shook her head. “He’s lying, right? Even if I were…it’s way too early to know.”
Corus smiled. “You don’t know about the West Wind? What it brings?”
She swallowed. “Spring.”
Corus tipped his head back and laughed, the nasty sound echoing through the night. “Tell her, Venti. Tell her about the West Wind.”
Dio. His gaze slid down Sophia’s body, tracing over her now familiar curves. He sent his wind out and it happily twirled around her before it came back to him. It carried the subtle hint of new life within Sophia.
He squeezed his eyes closed.
“Antonio?”
He swallowed. “The West Wind is the bringer of spring…and it holds the promise of new life.”
“His power implanted his seed in you,” Corus added.
She shook her head, a palm sliding down to cover her belly.
“Sophia—” Antonio didn’t know what to say. He knew about her loss, and he wasn’t sure how she’d feel about this. Everything was still so new between them, and he’d unwittingly stolen her choice from her. He strode up to her. “I’m sorry.”
She straightened. “I’m not.” She smiled, and it was wide and blinding. She grabbed his hand and pulled it to her stomach, spreading his fingers. “This is a good thing. An amazing gift.”
Amazement filled him. He felt the tiny pulse of power. A child. His and Sophia’s child.
Her gaze moved to the Tempest Wind. “It’s time to end this evil.”
Power filled Antonio and he spun to face Corus. He had to protect mankind, and he had to protect Sophia and their child.
He launched himself at Corus. He punched the man in the gut, then followed with a front kick, and a few hard chops to Corus’ side.
The Tempest Wind grunted and fought back. He slammed a blow into Antonio’s broken arm. Antonio roared at the agony, nausea hitting him.
Their winds blew up around them.
Then suddenly, Sophia was there. She had a huge rock clutched in her hand.
“Sophia, get back!”
She ran at Corus and threw the rock at his head. It glanced off the Tempest Wind’s temple and he went down on one knee.
Then she spun and pressed her hand to Antonio’s side. Power flooded him. He called on his West Wind and a column of wind twirled through the air, growing larger and stronger.
Antonio let it grow into a powerful storm. Lightning flashed in the depths of the tornado.
“No.” Corus looked up, his voice shaky and low. “I don’t want to go back! I don’t want to be trapped again in an endless eternity of nothing.”
Antonio leaned down and with one hand, hefted the man up. “Until you leave evil behind, Corus, you will be imprisoned, and the Warriors of the Wind will always fight to keep you there.”
Sophia’s hands joined Antonio’s, and together they pushed Corus into the storm. The tornado snatched the Tempest Wind away, and he screamed as it swallowed his body.
Antonio sliced his good arm through the air and the storm rose up into the sky and dissipated.
It was over.
Pain and bone-weary exhaustion hit Antonio like a train. He fell to his knees.
“Antonio!” Sophia screamed.