She let herself into the high-ceilinged lounge, and some of the lingering tightness in her chest eased. Even though it was only a temporary rental rather than a home, it was comforting to be in a space of her own. The research papers scattered over the worn sofa were just as she'd left them this morning, back when the world had been a rational place. It felt like an aeon ago now.
Virginia took the nose-guard out of her pocket, eager to see it in decent light. For the second time that evening, she found herself unable to breathe. It made every piece of Saxon gold work she'd ever seen before—even the famous Sutton Hoo helmet—look like cheap costume jewelry.
Down the length of the nose-guard, the thick gold was chased with exquisitely carved spiraling dragons, writhing round small cabochon rubies. A much larger cabochon ruby took pride of place at the top of the piece, which would have placed it centrally on the forehead of the warrior wearing the helmet. The ruby seemed to glow through the dirt veiling it, a rich blood-red with a dazzling six-pointed star captured within its depths.
Virginia bit her lip, glancing out the bay window. The taxi was just pulling away, which meant that Dai would be entering the apartment at any moment. Where he would find her standing with a king's ransom in the palm of her hand...
And I really don't know anything about this guy.
Even if Dai wasn't the sort to be personally tempted by a hunk of solid gold set with precious gems, there was still the fact that he worked in emergency services, alongside the police. Who would already want to be asking searching questions about how the fire started, and why she'd been up on the Downs in the middle of the night in the first place.
If Dai found out about the artifact, he'd probably feel obliged to inform the police, and then they'd find out that she'd been illegally metal-detecting without the permission of the landowner. In the best case, they'd confiscate the artifact, and she'd lose all chance to work on the find.
In the worst case, it would end up in Bertram's hands.
Best if Dai just doesn't find out about this.
Cradling the treasure, Virginia glanced around. Her tools and specimen boxes were set out on the small dining table, where she'd been working on some coins and minor finds from other sites, but that that didn't feel like a safe enough hiding place.
Hearing boots coming down the hall, she dashed into her bedroom and yanked open the drawer of her bedside cabinet. She tucked the nose-guard carefully out of sight behind a packet of tissues, a tube of hand cream, and a box of aspirin. As an extra deterrent to casual snooping, she made sure her favorite vibrator was right at the front.
There. That ought to do it.
"Virginia?" Dai called from the lounge. Virginia heard him shut the door behind himself. "Are you all right?"
"Be out in a sec!" Virginia called back.
She tiptoed into the en suite bathroom and flushed the toilet, just in case he was wondering at her absence. Catching sight of herself in the mirror, she wrinkled her nose at her charred hair and soot-smeared face. Shower battled sleep on her list of priorities...but neither was as important as finally getting some answers. She pulled off her ruined coat, dropping it in a corner as she left the bedroom.
"Dai," she said as she reentered the lounge. "I want to know—"
The words died in her throat.
Okay. I have not just invited a strange man over to stay the night. I have invited an incredibly attractive strange man round to stay the night.
Dai had his helmet under one arm, revealing a strong, square-jawed face that made Virginia's tongue stick to the roof of her mouth. A streak of ash cut across his smooth tanned skin, highlighting the perfect planes of his cheekbones. He absently ran a hand through his short, red-gold hair, tousling the loose curls even further as he looked around.
His bright green eyes seemed to take in every detail at a glance, with the casual but sweeping appraisal of some large predator scanning its surroundings for prey. That assessing gaze snagged on the smoke alarm set into the ceiling. He reached up to it, not even having to stretch onto his toes to push the test button.
"Sorry," Dai said sheepishly, as a loud beeping filled the small room. "Professional habit. You wouldn't believe how many people take the batteries out of these." He jabbed the button again to shut the alarm up. He cocked his head to one side, looking down at her. "What were you saying?"
Virginia belatedly realized that she'd just been staring slack-jawed at him. She struggled to recapture her previous train of thought despite the looming distraction occupying a sizable fraction of her lounge.
"Uh. Dragons. Yes. That was it." She cleared her throat. Down, girl. So the firefighter is hot like burning. He's here in a professional capacity only. His other professional capacity. "Do dragons come into cities?"
The corner of Dai's mouth twisted wryly. "Yes. But we're safer here than out in the middle of the countryside with no witnesses, at least. We—they normally try to avoid attracting attention."
"I should think it's damn hard for a fifty-foot dragon to avoid attracting attention!"
"You'd be surprised. Many dragons can do a sort of mind trick, which stops people from being able to see them."
"Oh good." Virginia collapsed into the nearest chair. She rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Fifty-foot invisible dragons."
"Don't worry, it only works on ordinary people." Dai navigated his way gingerly around the furniture to her side, having some difficulty finding space for his large, heavy boots amidst the scattered books.
He made a short, abortive gesture, as if he'd started to put a reassuring hand on her shoulder but had stopped himself. "I can see them. He can't hide from me."
"But it can make itself invisible to me? Even if I'm standing right in front of it?" Virginia shivered. Despite the warmth of Dai's reassuring presence, the thought of something being able to make her not notice it made her blood run cold. "Do you learn to resist dragon mind tricks as part of being a dragon hunter? Can you teach me how to do it too?"