Since Wednesday, Arminio had been searching the area around the gemstone deposits, suspecting that Lorelia was hiding there. He repeatedly switched to his magical vision, comparing the thermal image of everyone within a radius of several kilometres with that of the woman he was looking for. He memorised all the men working in the mines and the women cooking food over fires, but he rarely saw children playing. Over time, he also became familiar with the routes and hiding places of the guards.
On Friday afternoon, Arminio looked at his pocket watch and grumbled in frustration. He still hadn't found the slightest trace of Lorelia. The sun would soon set in his homeland. He looked around one last time, as if by magic. He wanted to enjoy at least one success that week. So he decided to return to Sicily searching for a nighttime companion.
The stars shone brightly in the sky, while the flames of the lanterns flickered wildly in the breeze coming off the sea. Arminio sat naked in a wicker chair on the terrace of his Catania penthouse apartment. His cigar glowed red and crackled softly as he smoked it. It was his way of celebrating a successful conquest. The young woman he had met in the old town was sleeping, exhausted and satisfied, in his guest bed. He would take her home as soon as she could stand. He could not bear to fall asleep next to a playmate, and he wanted her in his bedroom even less.
The stale smoke in his mouth tasted unpleasant. He blew it out, his jaw muscles tensing as he clenched his teeth. He barely noticed the harbour lights as he lowered his arm. He shook his head in disbelief. He continued to rule out the possibility of communicating telepathically with Lorelia. No matter what he said, she would hardly believe him. He would never expose himself by admitting that a mission was impossible for him. Shouldn't I just ask Ferron? The corner of his mouth twitched upwards. Nonsense. The situation isn't that dangerous for Lorelia.
He had to find her.
However, if the earth mage was hiding in one of the caves, the deep rock would conceal her skin temperature from him. It would never work. With his left hand, he reached for the glass on the side table next to him. Giving up is not an option, he told himself. I've hunted villains in the Roman catacombs. That had been his most difficult assignment to date, but at least they hadn't had magical powers.
Arminio took a big gulp. The smoky taste of tobacco mingled with the fruity notes of the wine, and he realised that he needed something stronger. However, he wouldn't reach for the whisky until he had brought his conquest home. Lost in thought, he stared into his glass.
The problem was that Lorelia could travel to the other side of the world in an instant by using a portal. However, his instincts told him that she was still somewhere in the Minas Gerais area. She had willingly removed herself from her father's sphere of influence. He scraped the tobacco residue from his ashtray deliberately. How could he use the fact that she felt relatively safe to his advantage?
Arminio puffed on his cigar, blowing smoke rings into the air as he welcomed the aroma. He slowly closed his eyes and savoured the taste.
Is it beneficial to stay in one place in the forest for days on end just to get her attention? After all, she was only an apprentice, and her magic might not yet extend far enough to sense him. She may as well be on another continent; his search could be a complete waste of time. Damn.
He took a last drag on his cigar, and a brief magical impulse was enough to extinguish the fragrant fire in his hand — but not his hunting instinct. Except for Sunday dinner with la famiglia, he would continue working over the weekend.
