Enemy Mine

Chapter 28

A chill greeted us at the Verona airport, as well as a guy named Saul, who escorted us to our destination in an upgraded Land Rover, the kind you travel in when your last name is Kennedy. The early morning sky still hadn't brightened, so the landscape beyond my window consisted of flickering lights and silhouetted buildings, but I had no trouble seeing the river as it followed the road leading to the high magister's home.

The Tudor-style mansion claimed the perfect patch of land overlooking half the city, and two prominent gables made the facade look like a professor surveying his students. Security lights blinked on as I stepped out of the car onto a chalky drive, and the sound of water carried over the fortress of neatly-trimmed evergreens, the only protection from an uncomfortable fall into the river. The ancient reverence of the place was written in the cobblestones and dense ivy covering nearly every solid object, including a statue that stood prominently inside a flower garden.

Terrance, the magister's houseman, greeted us pleasantly, albeit with a tired smile probably worn for guests who invaded the sanctity of his home at an ungodly hour. "Master Ricci is resting, but he will join everyone for breakfast," Terrance said as he ushered us up a staircase.

My brain couldn't have been further from breakfast as I took in the orgasmic assault of ornamental architecture; from the candle-lit chandeliers, to the fresco on the foyer ceiling, to the steps paved with terra cotta tiles, each one highlighted with hand-painted yellow and blue flowers. I purposefully avoided treading on the flowers, wishing I had my camera handy, but courtesy dictated I wait until I had permission from the magister.

"It would be in your interest to rest," Terrance went on. "One must always be at their best when engaging with Adamo Ricci."

"Has Boris Seacrest arrived yet?" Vincent asked.

"Boris arrived yesterday, sir. He and Adamo have been inseparable since."

Vincent's jaw tightened, but there was nothing to be done about Boris. The suck up. Colin and Sylvie were shown to their room first, and Sylvie barely had time to kiss me goodbye before Colin shut the door on us. Vincent and I had the room next door, and all I wanted to do was kick off my loafers and make myself comfortable on the bed.

The mansion, so far, had not disappointed. The motif of our rooms had a centuries old castle feel, with tapestries, ornately framed portraits of people I didn't know, and expensive Persian rugs. Red velvet dominated the theme, with much of the upholstery piped in gold, and ivory candles burned inside an antique candelabra in preparation for our arrival. To top it off, the room smelled of vanilla. The only thing missing was a trail of rose petals from the door to the bed.

"I christen this room, the lover's suite," I said. "Does Master Ricci entertain a lot of guests at his mansion? I noticed Colin and Sylvie's room had a hunting theme. Now, there's a metaphor for you."

Vincent dispatched his shoes and tossed them next to mine. "Gollums are passionate beings," he said as he settled in next to me. "Adamo Ricci makes no excuses for his lifestyle choices. It is one of the qualities I admire about him."

"So, he throws sex parties?"

Vincent grinned as he gave-in to my prying. "To rival the Greek gods."

"Something tells me you can vouch for the accuracy of this claim."

"After my magister ceremony. I was twenty-five. Colin lost his virginity that night. It might have happened in that room." He pointed to the wall separating our room from the hunter's suite. I turned to get a better look at him.

"And what about you? Which room did you slake your lust in?"

"This one. Déja vu, huh?"

A loud clunk echoed through the wall, followed by a giggle.