The detail of the bird was amazing. She studied it carefully, paying attention to every curve, every feather. She caught the first s.h.i.+mmer of awareness in her mind. Her skin p.r.i.c.kled. She kept her eyes closed tightly and let it happen, allowed her body to change while somewhere inside she felt the entire process. She stayed very still, afraid if she moved she might make a mistake.

Afraid it wouldn't happen.

Try your wings.

Cautiously, she stretched the layers of feathers to their full length and fanned the air experimentally. Joy burst through her. I'm an owl.

Stay very close to me, Antonietta. Keep that image uppermost in your mind.

You have to provide a map. If I try to open my eyes, I'm disoriented.

Just stay close. When we get to the palazzo, we can practice s.h.i.+elding our physical bodies from the sight of others.

Oh my gos.h.!.+ Like an invisibility cloak. The invisible man. This is so fantastic.

That is later. This is now. Really concentrate, Antonietta. You can get in trouble and fall from the sky. Hop up here to the banister, and we will launch out over the sea.

So if I crash, I'll just fall into the sea and drown as opposed to hitting the ground at record speed and breaking every bone in my body.

That will not happen. I can carry you again if you prefer.Antonietta, deep inside the bird's body, sniffed her disdain of his idea and hopped up beside him on the wide railing. Before she could talk herself out of it, she leapt off the ledge, wings spread wide. The wind caught her, lifted her up, ruffled her feathers.

The feeling of flying was even more intense when she was the one actually doing it. Antonietta forgot everything Byron told her.

The sheer exhilaration of soaring in the heavens with the wind and the clouds filled her with joy.

Byron flew close to her, holding the image in her mind, s.h.i.+fting to place his body slightly below hers to keep her from falling when she became too exuberant. He didn't reprimand her. Her joy flooded him with memories of his first experiences. They approached the palazzo from the seaside, dropping down in the cover of the maze.

Antonietta landed hard on her bare bottom, was shocked when Byron thrust clothes into her hand. "I'm not going to ask."

She was trying hard not to laugh, rubbing her posterior. "Was that the very worst landing you've ever seen?"

He framed her face with his hands and fastened his mouth to hers. "You are a miracle, Antonietta, and you do not even realize it." He watched her pull the soft moss-green trousers over bare skin and s.h.i.+mmy into the matching silk blouse.

Leaves rustled, a twig snapped. The soft murmur of voices in the distance alerted Byron and Antonietta to the others walking in the maze. They could also hear Don Giovanni singing softly under his breath as he puttered around the courtyard, checking his beloved flowers.

The voices were hushed but angry. "That's Christopher Demonesini," Antonietta said. She shoved the dark gla.s.ses onto her nose, so upset she didn't ask where Byron got them. "How dare that man show his face in our home? Franco should have thrown him out immediately."

Byron put a restraining hand on her arm. "Let me give you the rules of invisibility, Warrior Princess. You do not get to go wielding your broadsword and driving the enemy from your property. You are invisible. You gather information, and the most important of all things is not to react to what you hear. No reaction. That is the key." He pulled her closer to him as the footsteps continued to approach and the voices became louder.

Wrapped in Byron's restraining arms, Antonietta did her best to simply listen when every instinct she possessed told her to confront Christopher.

"I don't care who you are or what power your family has, Demonesini. You can fill the Scarletti palazzo with a million roses. It won't make up for what you did." Diego's voice was a whip of contempt.

"This is none of your business," Christopher contradicted. "Natasha is my fiancee, and what happens is between us."

"Not anymore. She broke the engagement, and she asked you very politely to stay away from her. Your calls and flowers aren't wanted."

"I don't think you know who you're talking to. I can have you dismissed from your job. You might remember that the next time you decide to stick your nose in my business. Get the h.e.l.l away from me and stay away from Natasha." Christopher laughed.

"You probably think she'll look at you next, but a woman like Natasha Scarletti would never stoop so low."

"I don't think you quite understand what I'm saying to you." Diego stopped walking and turned toward Christopher only feet from where Antonietta and Byron were standing. Antonietta could easily see the images in Byron's mind. Diego's hand shot out and caught Christopher by the throat. "Your money doesn't impress me. You can threaten me with dismissal from my job, but it won't stop me. Leave her alone." His fingers threatened to crush Demonesini's larynx. "She doesn't want to see you again. She doesn't want to hear your voice. Stay away from her, because if you don't, you'll be looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life.

Have I made myself perfectly clear?"

Diego let go of Christopher, who staggered and coughed, ma.s.saging his throat. The captain walked away, disappearing behind the tall hedges.

Can you read his mind?

I thought you did not approve of reading minds.

Maybe he's the jaguar. He's always been a smug little brat, even when we were kids. He hasn't improved with age. I should have known he was capable of beating a woman. His father certainly is.

He has the same barrier all of you have, so the Jaguar genetics run deep in him. Byron materialized in front of Christopher Demonesini, waving his hand for silence and staring deep into the man's eyes. Antonietta, merged so deeply with Byron, received the flow of information as Byron extracted it.

Christopher Demonesini lived with a monster. His father was ruthless with his fists and ruled his household as a dictator.

There was no memory of a jaguar or killing people, but his father had ordered him to marry Natasha Scarletti-Fontaine. It seemed to be part of a plan for a merger of the two s.h.i.+pping businesses. Christopher was afraid of his father and would go to any lengths to prove himself to the man.

Byron moved some distance away, veiling Christopher's sight and removing all traces of his memory of sharing his thoughts.

Christopher shook his head repeatedly, cursed as he rubbed his throat, and hurried back through the maze, retracing his steps.

Antonietta leaned against Byron. "How awful to grow up like that. I'm ashamed of myself for disliking him so intensely. He had little chance to be anything but like his father.""Tasha is not like her father. We all have choices, Antonietta. At some point we have to take responsibility for our own lives.

Christopher is capable of becoming a monster every bit as ugly as his father. Diego will have to watch himself in his career.

Christopher will never forget what happened here today. Still, as much as I wish to have found it, I could see no trace of the jaguar in him, although the genetics are clearly present as they are in you. How strong, I do not know. We cannot rule him out as the animal, but I detected no conspiracy for murder or even for theft."

"His father is a horrible man. I can remember him coming to visit when I was a teenager. Our families travel in the same social circles, so he was often at parties and charity events. He always touched me. Brus.h.i.+ng his hands accidentally against my b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

Standing behind me and pus.h.i.+ng against me, rubbing his body against mine. He made me ill. If I said anything, he always acted as if I were a child, misinterpreting what happened. Accidents, you know, and I was blind and couldn't see what happened. Then he actually tried to court me. I had such an aversion to him, I wouldn't even stay in the same room alone with him. I made poor Tasha stay right by my side every second. Tasha never let me down. Not once. The don would do his best to get her out of the room, but she stuck like glue." A shudder ran through her body. "I always know when he comes in a room. Every hair on my body stands up, and I get that strange itching under my skin I always a.s.sociate with the jaguar wanting to come out."

Byron smiled. She had the instant impression of teeth bared. "I look forward to meeting Christopher's father. He should meet a real monster and learn the rules of the jungle."

Antonietta wrapped her arms around Byron's neck. "I don't want you to do anything at all. I have you, and his family can't hurt us. They're desperate for a way to save their business, but it won't be through a Scarletti."

His kiss was tender, loving. "I want to speak to your grandfather and arrange our wedding immediately."

"He'll ask you to sign a prenuptial agreement."

"I am a gem-caller, Antonietta. I find rare gems. I do not need nor want the Scarletti fortune. You do not need it either. What I have is yours. I will be more than happy to sign whatever agreement your grandfather deems necessary, as long as he has it drawn up immediately." He took her hand as they made their way through the twists and turns of the maze.

In the courtyard, Josef stood before an easel gazing up at the battlements. He wore his beret at a jaunty angle and a bright kerchief tied around his neck. Splashes of paint dotted his face and were smeared on his smocklike s.h.i.+rt. He is clearly in his painter period. Byron was sarcastic. He seems to go through stages like no other child in history.

Antonietta studied the painting. Actually, he's not bad. He has talent.

Of course he has talent. Eleanor raised him. She would make certain he had every opportunity to develop whatever gift he had. He is just such a...

Boy? Antonietta laughed softly in Byron's mind. Isn't he supposed to be one?

Josef put down his paintbrush and went over to the side of the palazzo, studying the smooth walls, the wealth of sculptures and stained gla.s.s. For a moment his form s.h.i.+mmered, wavered, then he was crouched on the side of the palazzo, clinging with hands and feet, a human spider dressed in black with a webbed mask over his face.

What in the world is he doing?

Byron scanned his nephew's mind and sighed loudly. Vin-cente and Margurite shared an American comic book with him. He is Spiderman, racing up the side of the building to rescue the maiden in distress.

What maiden?

Tasha. She just does not know she is the figment of his boyish dreams. It is not dark enough for him to be trying such a stunt, and he is not able to do more than one thing at a time, so he cannot cloak himself from human eyes. Your grandfather is in the courtyard looking at his flowers. All he has to do is look up, and he would see Josef.

Antonietta studied the images in Byron's mind. Josef moved up the side of the second story, much like Dracula in the movies.

His form s.h.i.+mmered, s.h.i.+fted, went from webbed mask to startled horror. He slid down the sheer wall, b.u.mped a window ledge, and plummeted to the courtyard below.

Swearing, Byron bounced airwaves, cus.h.i.+oning the boy's fall. Josef landed hard enough to knock the wind out of him but obviously wasn't seriously hurt. Don Giovanni heard the impact as Josef crashed through a low shrub, breaking several branches.

"What happened, young Josef? Did you trip? Are you hurt?"

Josef climbed gingerly to his feet, rubbing his posterior as he did so. "Just my pride. I can't seem to get anything right these days."

"I had a good look at your painting a few minutes ago, and it seemed quite good to me. I don't know all that much about art, but Tasha does. She'll have to take a look at it for you."

Josef followed the older man over to his easel and picked up a brush. "Do you really think she'll like it?" He splashed more paint on the canvas, choosing a bright, vivid red for droplets that ran over the entire painting.

Don Giovanni frowned and studied the work from various angles. "The picture was very authentic until you did that. What is the reasoning behind the red?"

Oh no. Byron groaned and covered his face. Do you mind very much if I strangle the kid and stuff him in the laundry chute?

Antonietta did her best not to laugh. Practicing to maintain invisibility and then giving the entire thing away by laughing wouldn't earn her too many points. You said the key was not reacting to anything.

That was the rule before Josef came into the world. Now it's kill or be killed, the way of the jungle.

"It's blood, of course. See up here, looming over the pal-azzo, the eyes of a predator? That's the vampire cloaked in darkness. He's made his kill up on the battlements."

Don Giovanni struggled to keep his face blank. "Very imaginative. I have seen few villas with vampires on the battlements."

Josef shrugged his shoulders. "The hunters do a fairly good job of keeping the numbers down. I would make a great hunter, but my mother won't hear of it." For a moment he stared deliberately at Don Giovanni, his eyes glowing red, his face contorting into a mask of evil.

Don Giovanni took a step back, blinked to bring Josef back in focus, and saw only a grinning, boyish face.

Byron waved his hand to veil Don Giovanni's mind, holding him still within a thrall. Positioning himself in front of his nephew, he s.h.i.+fted the shape of his head.

Don't do it. Antoinetta cautioned, pressing a hand to her mouth to keep from laughing. It's so undignified to stoop to his level.

Josef reached up with his paintbrush to add a finis.h.i.+ng touch to one of the droplets. The muzzle of a wolf came at his face, bared teeth, dripping with saliva, snapped, eyes red and wicked, glowing in the dusk. Josef stumbled backward, stabbing at the wolf's head with his paintbrush as he did so, tripped over his own feet, and fell to the lawn screaming, crab-walking backward.

In the blink of an eye, Byron disappeared, and Don Giovanni was staring down at Josef with a strange expression. "You need to get off the drugs boy, no good comes of using that stuff. You have a good family. You don't want to bring them sorrow."

Josef looked around himself cautiously. "Has my family been here? My father or my uncle?" He dusted off his clothes meticulously.

"Not yet, but they'll probably come soon. You should think about what I said, Josef. Take it from an old man who has lived a long time. Drugs tear apart families."

"Yes, sir." Josef said politely, "you're absolutely right."

Byron and Antonietta strolled out of the maze, hand in hand. "Good evening, Don Giovanni, Josef." Byron's white teeth flashed. "How is Paul this evening?"

"He woke only a short time ago. He slept all day and is still refusing to have us call a doctor. He said he would wait for you and Antonietta. He looked pale to me, but he isn't running a temperature, thank the good Dio." Don Giovanni took Antonietta's hand and drew her to him. "You look lovely, my dear. Byron is good for you."

"I would like to speak to you about my feelings for Antonietta," Byron said. "Would you mind walking with us?"

The older Scarletti lifted a hand toward Josef even as he retained possession of Antonietta. "You're thinking of stealing my granddaughter from me."

"Never that, old friend. She would be far too unhappy away from you. I can do my work here as well as in my homeland.

Short trips away only. I would like your permission to marry her. More than anything, we would want your blessing."

Don Giovanni tucked Antonietta's hand into the crook of his elbow. "This is what you want? You're certain?"

"Absolutely, Nonno. We're good together. I trust him completely, and I'm very much in love with him."

"Where would you live?"

"I've asked Byron to live here at the palazzo, and he agreed."

"We can maintain more than one residence. I will have to make trips to my homeland, but the palazzo can be our main residence. I would prefer and would insist on a ground-floor suite of rooms. And we hope to marry as soon as it can be arranged."

"The lawyers will demand a standard prenuptial agreement, stating everything belongs to Antonietta."

"I expected no less. I will not ask one of Antoinetta in return. What is mine, I share with her. We have no need of her money, but she will want it for the children." In his mind Antonietta gasped. Byron grinned boyishly. "Should there be any."

"I had hoped you two would fall in love." Don Giovanni hugged Byron, kissed him on either cheek. "I will arrange it. I'm grateful you aren't taking her away from me. I hope to live out my years with her close."

"I'll always be close," Antonietta a.s.sured him.

"That dog of yours has been pacing for the last couple of hours. He was fine with Vincente and Margurite, keeping them company, and then just about sunset he seemed agitated. Even Marita seems to like that dog. She didn't say a single word when the dog showed up in their rooms and stayed close to the children."

"Is Marita home, Nonno?"

"Yes. She seems different. Sad. She went to the small chapel right after dinner was served and remains there. I haven't heard her speak a single word all day. The police captain has been here asking more questions. Alfredo took to his bed, and that young man in the kitchen had to try his hand at cooking. What's his name? He prepared a very pa.s.sable meal, although with Paul so ill, no one felt like eating."

"Esteben. He's related to Helena. She's always good in a crisis, so he must get it from her. I'll have to thank her for recommending him.""The house is filled with flowers from Christopher. He's been calling for hours and begging to come over to speak with Tasha.

I hope she has better sense than to take him back. She threw the first six bouquets away, but after that she gave up getting rid of them. The palazzo smells like a garden."