Winter's Fire Read online

  “But it’s Christmas eve,” Fiona said, frowning.

  Casimir laughed. “Our enemies don’t take holidays off.”

  “You can spare a few hours, can’t you?”

  Casimir leaned back in his chair and smiled. “Maybe,” he said. “What do you have in mind?”

  “You’ll see,” she said, with a wink.

  After they finished their meal, they stepped outside. Snow no longer fell from the sky, but the temperature had dropped from cold to blistering. Fiona tucked her coat around herself and shivered.

  “Are you cold?” Casimir asked, moving close to her. Instant heat seared her insides at his closeness; now she almost didn’t feel the cold. But she gave him a jerky nod.

  “Beroeri,” he murmured, and this time, actual heat seeped into her flesh. She looked at him, delighted. She’d been in the presence of witches when they performed magic a handful of times, and it never ceased to amaze her. It almost made her feel like she was human again.

  “Thank you,” she said, extending her hand. “Come with me.”

  He took her hand, and another ripple of desire careened through her at the simple touch. It had been a long time since she’d had a lover, that had to explain her responsiveness to Casimir. She’d respond this way to any handsome man’s touch. At least, that’s what she told herself.

  Gripping his hand, she used her speed to take them back to the Old Town neighborhood, where Casimir had apparated them the day before.

  “I think this area is magical,” she said, taking in the Christmas lights that decorated the old buildings of the neighborhood. Ever since they’d become common, Fiona had fallen in love with Christmas lights; she took in as many as she could in whatever city she was visiting during the holidays. She looked up at Casimir; there was a boyish delight on his face that made her smile.

  “There was this tradition my family and I had,” he said. “When I was younger, we’d do this exact thing during the weeks leading up to Christmas. I’m from a small town outside of Budapest; we’d go into the city and take in a different neighborhood of Christmas lights. And then, on the final night, we’d all go ice skating.”

  “That sounds lovely,” Fiona said.

  Casimir’s smile faded, and a sadness flickered across his face. “It was.”

  “Come on,” she said, taking his hand. She wanted to lift the sadness from his face, and ignored the heat that filled her at his nearness.

  She led him through the cobblestoned streets, which reflected the multitude of lights that decorated the houses and buildings of Old Town. They took in the Town Hall building with the famous astronomical clock, the Tyn Cathedral that reminded Fiona of a fairytale, and the rainbow of multicolored houses that filled the neighborhood, many were decked out from base to roof with Christmas lights.

  As the light of the day waned and they made their way to the outskirts of the neighborhood, Fiona felt herself deflate. She wanted to spend more time with Casimir. But soon, there would be no excuse to continue their evening, and they would go their separate ways.

  They stopped at the edge of a block to allow a crowd of tourists to pass by, and she glanced up at him. She froze. Casimir gazed down at her with a look of longing and desire. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears as he reached out to place his warm hand on the side of her face, his beautiful eyes dropping to her lips. Fiona’s breath caught in her throat; time stilled.

  “Fiona . . ." Casimir murmured, and leaned down to press his lips to hers.

  Chapter 4

  Casimir didn’t know what the hell he was thinking; he had every intention of thanking her for the night, walking her back to her hotel, and that being the end of it. But the most powerful spell in the world couldn’t stop him from kissing her. Fiona moaned against his mouth, and the sound sent a spiral of need through his body; he pressed her closer, probing her mouth with his.

  When they broke apart, he was dizzy with desire. Fiona’s bright green eyes searched his face, and she leaned forward to press her lips to his once more. It was Casimir’s turn to growl against her mouth, and he held her close as their kiss deepened. He didn’t know how much time passed as they stood there, lost in each other, but at some point he heard a group of tourists behind them cackle, and someone shouted, “Get a room!” It was only then that they pulled away from each other; Fiona’s face was flaming, almost as red as her hair.

  “That . . .” she murmured. “That was . . .”

  “Amazing,” he said. His eyes dropped to her mouth; he wanted to kiss her again, but they had been out in the open for too long. His Warming spell had faded, and Fiona was shivering. He tugged her close to his side. “Where are you staying?”

  A look of disappointment flared in her eyes, and he felt a burst of hope. The look could only mean she wanted to see him again.

  “How about I pick you up tomorrow? For a Christmas lunch?” he asked.

  Fiona smiled, her eyes lighting up, like the sun emerging from stormy clouds.

  “I’d like that,” she whispered.

  When they arrived back at her hotel, Casimir couldn’t help himself; he kissed Fiona again, holding her lush body close to his. They parted reluctantly, and with a husky goodbye, she turned to enter her hotel.

  Once she was out of sight, he closed his eyes. Isn’t this exactly what he told himself not to do? He wasn’t in Prague for a romantic interlude; he had an assignment. And if the witch he was tracking had any idea Casimir was trailing him . . . a shiver of unease went through him at the thought. He didn’t want to put Fiona in danger.

  One more time, he told himself. As long as he did his work, there was no harm in seeing her again. But as he recalled the feel of her soft body against his, her mouth fervent against his own, anticipation and desire filled him. How on Earth would he be able to concentrate?

  Back in his hotel room, he moved to his window and peered out. His hotel was directly across the street from the Gael’s, the witch he was tracking. His gaze landed on Gael’s windows, but they were dark. He had no idea if Gael was inside his room or not.

  Casimir closed his eyes, frustrated. He’d come to realize he wasn’t a good Watcher, someone the Alliance assigned to survey and track persons of interest. That was Alaric’s area of expertise; the vampire had the ability to be still and watch a mark for hours at a time. Casimir excelled at electronic surveillance; observation and analysis from a distance. The distance thing was key; it was how he’d chosen to live his life since losing his family and joining the Alliance. He was friendly with the other Alliance members, he’d even go so far as to say he was friends with the team back in London, but he’d avoided getting too close to anyone. He’d not even had a lover for years. Fiona was the first time he’d felt a spark with anyone for . . . well, forever. It was ironic that he felt such attraction for a vampire; when he was younger he’d been fearful of them, finding their strength and thirst for blood frightening. But there was nothing frightening about Fiona; he found her . . .

  Casimir searched for the word. Intoxicating. He thought of her dancing green eyes, flame red hair, wide smile, and her beautiful warm body, pressed against his. He closed his eyes, expelling a breath. Tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough.

  The next morning he set up several cameras in his room, all trained on Gael’s hotel room window; they had powerful zooms that would pick up any activity from and send an alert to his phone.

  He still felt guilty when he slipped out of the hotel room to meet Fiona, as if he were shirking his duties. You are shirking your duties, a voice in his mind taunted.

  Yet as soon as he met up with Fiona outside of her hotel, all thoughts of Gael were cast aside. She wore her hair tucked beneath her knit cap in a messy bun, and her arms were wrapped around her body to ward off the cold.

  “I thought that was the benefit of being supernatural,” she murmured, when he reached her side. “Not having to feel the cold.”

  He smiled, and without thinking, reached out to pull her close. He murmured the words of a
Warming spell, and heat seeped over their bodies.

  “I’ll have to hold you close, then,” he said. “Witches are warmer than vampires, after all.”

  Fiona’s eyes sparkled at his flirtatious words, and she opened her mouth to make a retort, but he kissed her. The kiss was brief; he had to force himself to pull back. If he kissed her any longer he feared he’d be unable to stop.

  They spent the day sight seeing. They visited Prague Castle, then Golden Lane, with its rainbow of townhouses painted in various colors, and St. George’s Basilica. He had worked up an appetite by then, so they found a cosy restaurant in New Town to eat dinner.

  Over dinner, Fiona told him of her travels to Australia and New Zealand. Her delight was infectious as she told him how she tried to unsuccessfully kite surf on a beach in New Zealand.

  “I don’t think vampires are great in the water,” she admitted, grinning.

  “Tea, tomorrow?” he asked abruptly. He hadn’t meant to ask her just yet, but he couldn’t help himself. He needed to see her again.

  Fiona blinked, and a look of delight spread across her face.

  “You find my stories about my terrible water sports entertaining then?” she asked, her brogue more pronounced than usual.

  “I find them hypnotic,” he said, returning her smile. I find you hypnotic. She somehow seemed to sense what he really meant, and lowered her gaze to her plate, flushing.

  “All right, then. But I warn you. I have lots of travel stories.”

  “I look forward to hearing them.”

  This time, he ignored the voice that told him he should work, that he should focus on tracking Gael. It was the first time in a long time he’d felt happy, and he wanted to indulge in the feeling for as long as he could.

  His and Fiona’s date became another one, and another, and soon their meet-ups stretched beyond the holidays and into the new year. They continued to sight-see, sometimes they would spend the day at one particular sight, others they would spend at single restaurants and coffee houses. When he wasn’t with Fiona, he dutifully followed Gael every time he left the hotel, and reported his comings and goings back to the Alliance. Relief filled him every time the leader of his group, Madalena, told him to keep on trailing Gael until he was told otherwise. He dreaded the day she’d order him back to London.

  What he truly lived for was seeing Fiona. Each night, he kissed her until she was breathless; he could tell she wanted more, but he held his desires in check. His stay in Prague was only temporary, and then they’d go their separate ways. He'd never been able to take casual lovers, and Fiona deserved more than that. He wanted many nights with Fiona, and given his duties to the Alliance . . . many nights together just weren't possible.

  One night, after a particularly passionate kiss, Casimir left her at her hotel's entrance with a hasty goodnight. But back in his hotel room, he paced back and forth, thinking of excuses to return to her. Tonight, he wanted more. Needed more.

  There was a sudden knock at his door, pulling him from his thoughts. He whirled to face the door, on alert.

  “I can smell you in there.” Fiona’s lovely voice cooed from the other side of the door, and he softened. He went to the door and opened it; Fiona stepped inside.

  “You came here all by yourself?” he asked, worry chasing away his delight.

  “You sound like Alaric,” Fiona said with a groan. “Obviously. But I mostly used my speed to get here.”

  She took off her coat, turning to face him, and his worry vanished. Longing infused her green eyes; the spark of desire.

  “I know we’re meeting up for breakfast in the morning,” she said. “But I figure . . . why don’t we have breakfast here instead?”

  Desire coiled around his spine, and he stilled.

  “Fiona . . .” he whispered. He wanted to tell her that they shouldn’t, that they were only in the city for a brief time, but the words died in his throat.

  “If—if you want me to go—" Fiona said, lowering her gaze, an embarrassed flush spreading across her face.

  But he didn’t let her finish. He moved forward, pulling her into his arms, pressing his lips to hers.

  Chapter 5

  Fiona’s heart pounded against her ribcage as Casimir’s lips trailed from her mouth, down her jaw, and then to her throat. She gasped as he lifted her up into his arms, his silver eyes locked onto hers.

  “You were saying?” he whispered, his words a teasing purr. “About me wanting you to go?”

  She was too delirious with desire to respond, and when he kissed her again, lowering her to the bed, whatever the hell she was thinking got tossed out of the window. He kept his eyes on hers as he undressed her, torturously slow, before discarding his own clothes and pressing his body to hers. His flesh was warm against her cool skin, and she gasped at the feel of him.

  “Fiona . . .” he murmured, his tone reverent. “You’re so beautiful.”

  So are you, she would have replied, if she could speak, but all words—and thought—left her as he sank into her, and ripples of electricity formed along her skin. Unable to help herself, she arched her neck, and her fangs descended. As they moved together, she wrapped her arms around him, and he lowered his neck to her exposed fangs. She looked at him with surprise, and he nodded, his eyes filled with need.

  “Please,” he whispered. “I want you too.”

  Without preamble, Fiona sank her fangs into his throat, and he let out a low growl; it was something Fiona had never during with the few sexual encounters she’d had, but with Casimir she felt a sudden and primal need to claim him. Because . . .

  Because I love him, Fiona realized, as her world expanded and collapsed around her, and she let out a cry of release. It had only been a few weeks, but she knew this with certainty. I’ve fallen in love with him. Casimir shuddered as well, burying his head against hers. Everything in this moment felt right, as if they were meant to be together here and now. Curling into his warm body, Fiona’s eyes drifted shut.

  She thought the next morning might be awkward, but when she awoke, Casimir was already awake, his head propped up on his palm, his expression infused with desire as he gazed down at her.

  “Usually I would find a man staring at me as I sleep incredibly creepy,” she teased, reaching out to touch the side of his face.

  “And now?” he asked.

  “A little creepy,” she grinned.

  Casimir chuckled, seizing her mouth with his. He reached for her, flipping her around so that she straddled him, as their kiss deepened.

  This time their lovemaking was slow, more languorous, and he held her close afterwards.

  “I wish . . .” he whispered, but he stopped himself.

  “What do you wish?” Fiona pressed.

  “A lot of things,” he whispered, his eyes sad as he looked down at her, and her heart clenched. They hadn’t discussed their future—on purpose. She knew from Alaric that working for the Alliance was all consuming. Members often didn’t have time for families. She’d known ever since her first kiss with Casimir that this would be a fling—that’s all it ever could be.

  “My family—" he began.

  “You don’t have to—"

  “I want to tell you.”

  Casimir closed his eyes, and she listened as he told her how the Order had murdered his mother and sister, and how he had devoted himself to working for the Alliance and stopping them as a result.

  “It’s why I can’t—" he began, his voice wavering.

  “Hey,” Fiona said firmly, making him look at her. She smiled, even though her heart was splintering in her chest. “I only want now. I only want today.”

  It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him she loved him, but what good would that do? Their relationship—their fling—would come to an end. The Alliance would call him back to London, or he would be off on another assignment.

  Casimir looked tumultuous as he trained his eyes on hers. He abruptly stiffened, glancing over at the clock on the side table, and groane
d.

  “I have to meet up with an Alliance contact, they want to go over my surveillance,” he said, getting out of bed. “Why don’t you stay here? As soon as I get back, I’ll take you to lunch.”

  “Who says we have to get out of bed?” Fiona asked with a playful wink, though a searing disappointment filled her at him having to leave.

  “I’ve created a monster,” Casimir said, stepping forward to place a lingering kiss on her lips. “Stay right here, minx.”

  Casimir got dressed, kissing her once more before he left.

  Fiona slid out of bed, stretching. She wouldn’t focus on her feelings for him or her pending heartbreak. Instead, she would focus on the here and now, and enjoying what they had.

  She decided to take a shower while she waited, and she luxuriated in the feel of the cool droplets of water on her skin. Maybe she’d have time to step out and take some photos before Casimir returned.

  But as soon as she stepped out of the shower, she froze. An unfamiliar scent hit her nose, one that was certainly not Casimir’s. She hastily got dressed, her heart hammering in her chest as she stepped out of the bathroom.

  A witch stood there, one who looked familiar. Dread spiraled through her. Oh God no. It was the witch Casimir had warned her of that day on the bridge. The witch from the Order. Gael.

  “Hello, Blood Beast,” Gael said, his smile pleasant, though his disgust filled his eyes as he took her in. “Your boyfriend needs to stop following me.”

  Chapter 6

  Casimir’s meeting with the Alliance contact was brief; the man he met up with was a dark-haired no small talk vampire by the name of Javen. Casimir gave him a drive with the digital photos and video surveillance he’d taken of Gael, and he was on his way with a curt but polite nod. As he made his way back to his hotel, anticipation filled him at the thought of Fiona waiting for him. He didn’t want to think about what came next; how they would soon go their separate ways. I only want now. I only want today, Fiona had told him. He wanted more days with her, more time. But he had chosen the Alliance before he knew Fiona existed; he’d made a vow. Fiona was right; they should just focus on the time they had.