The Wind Dancer (10 page)

Lion's glance shifted from the door to her face. "You do realize he just threatened your
life?"

She nodded jerkily as she descended the last steps. "He's an evil man."

"Yet you're paying no more attention to his threat than if he'd just told you he was going
to make you a present."

"What can I do about it? He'll try to hurt me and perhaps he'll succeed." She gazed at
Lion gravely. "But he'd hurt me much more if I let him poison all my hours and days
with worry and fear."

"An interesting philosophy." He gazed at her with an odd intentness. "You advocate
living for the present and not the future?"

"All I have is the present. A slave has only the future her master determines."

The intensity of his gaze was making her uneasy and causing a tight stricture in her chest.
He was so big. He towered above her and his simple apparel of black leather hose and
boots and russet suede jerkin served only to emphasize the strength of his massive body.

"Then I agree we must make the most of every single minute," Lion said softly as he
drew on his heavy leather gauntlets. "Tell me, did you miss me in your bed last night?"

The tightness in her chest increased until she had trouble drawing breath. "How could I
miss you when I've never slept with you? I fell asleep right away and didn't stir until
Giulia woke me."

"Remind me to teach you the virtue of flattery. A man has need of pretty lies on
occasion." Humor glinted in his dark eyes. "It's an art required of all my slaves."

"But Messer Lorenzo said I'm your only slave."

He airily waved a gloved hand. "Not important. One is enough to set a standard."

He was joking with her, Sanchia realized with amazement. She had seen him in many
moods since yesterday afternoon, but they had all been heavy--anger, suspicion,
appraisal, lust. Now he appeared light-hearted, charged with energy and good humor.
"You're happy today."

"I admit I'm very glad we're on our way. I detest waiting for anything." He touched her
cheek. "Remember that, Sanchia."

The hard leather of the gauntlet was rough against the soft flesh of her cheek. She
imagined the warmth of his finger beneath the leather and it caused a tingle of heat to
spread from her cheek to her throat. She took an involuntary step back. "I'll remember."
She moistened her lips with her tongue. "What kept you here in Florence? What were
you waiting for?"

"Why, you, Sanchia." He turned to the door. "We were waiting for you."

She gazed at him in bewilderment. "Me? But--" She stopped as the significance of
Caprino's presence earlier sank home to her. "Caprino said he sold me to you. The
piazza..."

"A test of your skill, which proved very impressive." Lion opened the door. "Come
along. Lorenzo is waiting outside with the horses. I purchased a few items of clothing for
you from one of the women here; they're tied on the back of your horse." He frowned. "I
was able to obtain a very gentle mare for you. I assume you've never ridden."

"No." She came toward him, her gaze searching his face. "A thief. That's why you want
me." At least she knew now why he'd bought her and felt she was no longer blundering in
the dark with him.

"When I bought you from Giovanni, I certainly believed I was getting only a thief." He
studied her face. "You seem pleased. I got the impression that taking purses was not to
your liking."

"It's not; stealing frightens me. But now that I know what value I have for you I feel
better."

"So that you can seek a way to bend me to your will as you did Giovanni?"

Her eyes widened and she gazed up at him helplessly.

"For God's sake, don't look at me like that. I'm not going to beat you." He shrugged
wearily, "Sweet Jesus, why shouldn't you try to manage me? I'll do my best to use you in
the way I see fit."

"But I promised I would obey you in all things."

No weapons, Lorenzo had said, and she looked poignantly defenseless at this moment,
Lion thought. What must it be like to be as helpless as Sanchia, and have to struggle to
maintain even a modicum of dignity and independence in an uncertain world? The
thought filled him with astonishment. Where did his anger at her situation come from?
Why this inexplicable need to comfort? "One theft," he said curtly. "That's all you'll have
to do. Once we're finished at Solinari you'll never have to steal again. I'll find some
other--"

"Lion, caro mio."Giulia was walking down the stairs, a dazzling smile on her face. "Were
you not coming to bid me good-bye?"

"I thought we'd said our good-byes last night," Lion replied. "I seem to remember you
wished me a swift journey to..." He paused and gave her a half mocking bow. "A place
with an extremely warm but unpleasant climate."

Giulia shrugged. "I was angry. You know my bad temper is fleeting. Forgive me for
attacking you as an apothecary would a barber. Caro, I am so sorry for my venomous
words. Come, we must part friends." She cast Sanchia a careless glance. "We had no
problem before she came. Do not bring her back and all will be well."

"I don't care for ultimatums, Giulia." Lion's hand encircled Sanchia's wrist and he drew
her toward the door. "Nor do I care for viragos. I don't believe I'll be returning to your
casa."

"But Lion, I didn't mean--" Giulia stopped. The door had closed behind them.

Giulia's hands slowly clenched into fists. She should never have pushed him, she thought.
She had known it was a mistake to show her anger the night before, but she hadn't been
able to stem the vitrolic words. Jealousy. Dio, she was jealous of that bony child. It was
just as well that this madness with Lion was at an end. Caprino was right; a woman in her
profession had to maintain control. Money was important, not pleasure... not the pleasure
she had received from Lion, certainly.

She turned away from the door, lifting her skirts as she started up the stairs. Still, she did
owe Lion a small debt for giving her so many hours of servicing in the bedchamber. She
would repay him by waiting until late this evening to summon Caprino and tell him what
she had overheard as she came down to the front hall. Caprino might be delayed as much
as a full day before starting whatever it might be he chose to do with the information she
would sell him. He'd promised her seven ducats for finding out what Lion wanted
Sanchia to steal for him. In this she'd failed, but the name of the place where the theft
was to occur should be worth at least five, Giulia thought shrewdly.

Solinari. The name sounded vaguely familiar, she mused. Now in what connection had
she heard it?

"Where is Solinari?" Sanchia asked as Lion lifted her onto the saddle of the chestnut
mare. She clutched desperately at the reins trying not to think how far she was from the
ground.

"It's a palazzo just outside of Pisa."

"What am I supposed to steal there?"

"A key."

"A key to unlock what?"

"A door." Lion mounted his own black stallion.

"Oh." Sanchia was silent a moment. "What's behind the door?"

She heard a low chuckle from Lorenzo, who was already mounted behind her.

"You're very inquisitive." There was an edge to Lion's tone.

"I'll have to know sometime, won't I?" She asked anxiously, "Do questions displease
you?"

"Cristo, what do I care? Question away as you please."

Lorenzo chuckled again. "I'm sure she will."

Lion scowled at him over his shoulder. "I never have to worry about you saying what you
like, Lorenzo."

"That must be a great comfort to you."

"You'll have to tell me how to please you," Sanchia said quickly. "This is all new to me.
I've had no master but Giovanni and he--"

"I don't want to hear any more about that man," Lion said tersely as he turned his stallion,
Tabron, toward the south. "I find any comparison between him and me less than
flattering."

"And I'm sure Lion will let you know what pleases him," Lorenzo murmured, "when he
gains the courage."

Lion's expression was lethal. "It may please me to take a mace to your head in the very
near future."

Lorenzo clucked reprovingly. "Such violence. How can you set a fitting example for the
young when you are clearly a barbarian?"

"Lorenzo, I'm going to--" Lion stopped abruptly. "Sanchia, you may ask your questions
when we stop at the Inn of the Two Swords this evening. I'm in a hurry now." He kicked
the stallion into a trot. "Bring her." A moment later he was halfway down the street.

Sanchia frowned. "I made him angry."

Lorenzo shook his head. "The situation makes him angry, but that will change shortly.
I'm surprised he's lasted this long." He edged his horse closer and took the reins from
Sanchia's hand. "However, perhaps I shouldn't have goaded him so. I believe we can
expect to have an extremely hard and fast trip today. Lion grew up on a horse and forgets
there are others who prefer traveling on two feet rather than four." He grimaced as he
turned his horse and began leading Sanchia's mare in the direction Lion had taken. "Dio,
now I hate riding these foul-smelling beasts."

The trip was as grueling as Lorenzo had predicted, and Sanchia was near exhaustion
when they finally stopped at sunset at the Inn of the Two Swords. A hundred times she
had wanted to ask Lion to stop and let them rest, and a hundred times she had bitten her
lip and remained silent. It was not her place to complain, and she had little opportunity to
speak to him anyway. For most of the journey he rode at least a quarter of a mile ahead of
her and Lorenzo.

The interior of the small inn appeared clean and a cheerful fire burned in the stone
fireplace in the common room. The delicious aroma of roasting hare drifted to Sanchia's
nostrils from the spit that a buxom maid was turning over the fire.

The innkeeper bustled forward, a broad, toothy smile lighting his angular face.
"Welcome, my lord, it's a pleasure to have you again under my roof. How long will you
be with us?"

"We leave at dawn tomorrow, Antonio." Lion drew off his leather gauntlets and tucked
them in his belt. "See that our horses are cared for and water heated for us for washing."

"At once, Magnifico. I'll call my son to take your horses to the stable and they'll receive
the finest care." The innkeeper snapped his fingers and the maid left the spit and hurried
toward them, an eager smile on her lips. "Heat water and bring it to Lord Andreas and his
companions at once, Letitia." His gaze went to Sanchia and he frowned. "You remember,
we have only the two rooms, my lord. Will the lady--"

"The lady will occupy my bed," Lion interrupted. "Send Letitia with wine at once and
with our dinner after we've had an opportunity to wash."

Sanchia caught the flickering expression of disappointment on the servant girl's face
before she hurried from the room, trailing the innkeeper.

Lorenzo was already climbing the short flight of stairs. "I'm going to stretch out and rest
these aching bones. When the wench brings the food call me." He grimaced as he glanced
down at them from the landing. "I don't know why I let you persuade me to mount one of
those beasts from hell, Lion."

"Because you're too lazy to walk," Lion said dryly. "And you're afraid you'll miss
something if you stay at Mandara."

"Things were much simpler and more comfortable before you decided to save me from
my life of iniquity." Lorenzo opened the door at the top of the stairs. "I managed very
well in Naples without running from place to place jarring my bones and doing grievous
harm to my person." He glanced over his shoulder. "By the way, you'd best care for your
urchin. If you weren't avoiding looking at her, you would notice that she may collapse at
any moment."

Lion's gaze flew to Sanchia.

"I'm not tired," Sanchia said quickly. "Well, perhaps a little." She tried to keep from
swaying. "I've never ridden a horse before and the sun--"

"
Cristo!
" Lion's hand was on her elbow propelling her up the steps. "Why didn't you tell
me you needed to stop?"

"You said you were in a hurry."

"So you let me drive you until you were ready to fall off the damned horse? Have you no
sense?" Lion threw open the door next to the one through which Lorenzo had disappeared
and half pushed her into a small bedchamber. "Lie down until Letitia comes with the
wine."

"I don't have to lie down. I'm not ill."

He picked her up and tossed her unceremoniously onto the bed. "And you're not going to
be ill. I have no time to be your nursemaid."

A ghost of a smile touched her lips as she thought of Lionello Andreas in a sickroom. He
was so big, his energy and vitality so great, she couldn't associate him with illness. "I'll
endeavor to ward off all maladies so as not to inconvenience you."

"Are you laughing at me?"

Her lashes fell to veil the glint of mischief in her eyes. "I would not dare, my lord."

"You'd dare." He stood looking down at her for an instant before turning on his heel.
"Rest. I'll go next door and let Lorenzo laugh at me awhile. I'm more accustomed to his
barbs than yours."

Sanchia raised herself on one elbow. "Barbs, my lord? I merely jested a bit. If you'd
rather I wouldn't laugh, you must tell me and I'll--"

He held his hand up. "Must you be so obliging? I'm not so puffed up that I can't laugh at
myself." Suddenly a smile lit his harsh features with rare warmth. "And I always get my
own back eventually."

The door shut behind him before she could answer.

She gazed at the door for a long time before she settled her cheek on the pillow and
closed her eyes. He was difficult to understand, she thought wearily. So many hard, sharp
edges and so much brutal driving force and yet his hands had held nothing but rough
kindness when they touched her just now.

And his smile had been beautiful...

Well, if I must face the horrors of mounting that repulsive monster at dawn, I suppose I
must bid you good night." Lorenzo pushed back his chair and rose to his feet. A faintly
mocking smile was on his lips as his gaze rested on Sanchia sitting on a stool by the
hearth. "A
very
good night. Shall I tell Letitia to take away the remains of this sumptuous
repast so as not to disturb you... later?"