Lair of the Lion

white-hot energy.
    "Get back!" Francesca called as she rushed for the safety of the palazzo.

    A bolt from the heavens slammed to earth, deep into the yawning chasm in the courtyard.
    The blinding impact knocked some of them off their feet. The sound was deafening. The air crackled around them. Noxious smoke arose from the deep hole, then dissipated in the cool, clean rain.
    Nicolai pressed Isabella tightly against the wall of the castello, protectively shielding her.
    The ground buckled and rolled. Isabella attempted to peek under Nicolai's arm. Reluctantly, he moved slightly to allow her to watch the earth roll and heave, to cave in on itself to repair the deep crack. She breathed deeply, dazed by the events, her fists clenched tightly in Nicolai's shirt to anchor him to her.
    There was a stunned silence while they looked at the courtyard and each other. For a long moment no one spoke. No one moved. The rain poured down on them, not dark and dismal but clean and refreshing.
    Nicolai spoke first. "Is everyone all right? No injuries? Sarina, check inside. See to Isabella's brother, please."
    They all looked at one another, inspecting for damage.
    "It's over," Francesca announced. "You did it, Isabella. You freed us all. Sophia is with Alexander, and she says to convey the gratitude of all the 'others.' She thanks you for releasing her and Alexander from their torment."
    "The entity's gone?" Isabella stared at the blackened courtyard. "It was locked in the earth, then?" It was nearly impossible for her to take it in. Now that it was over, her legs refused to support her. She leaned heavily against Nicolai. "Is it over? Can you tell? Are you certain?" She looked into his mesmerizing eyes and was caught and held by the mixture of sorrow and joy she saw there.
    "I can hear the lions and communicate with them, but when I reach for the beast, it is no longer there." He looked lost.
    Isabella tightened her arms around him. "It must be frightening to have a part of you missing."
    "I don't feel it either," Francesca admitted.
    "I could never become the beast unless I was violently angry," Theresa whispered from the safety of Rolando's arms. "I'm glad it's gone. It terrified me."
    Nicolai gathered Isabella to him. His salvation. His love. A tremor ran through his body.
    "It terrifies me that it's gone." His whisper was against her ear, for her alone, his face buried in her hair. "It terrifies me that you are mine when I'll never deserve you."
    "You'll get through this. We'll get through this together." Isabella framed his face with her hands. She went up on tiptoes to rub her lips gently against his. A soft caress. The merest contact.
    And it shook him right to his soul. His fingers tangled in her hair and bunched there tightly. "You're my life, Isabella. You know you're my life." He kissed her with exquisite tenderness. "Ti amo, cara mia. For all time."
    "Don DeMarco?" Rolando Bartolmei spoke gruffly. "I ask for an official pardon for my wife."
    Nicolai lifted his head and swung to face his cousin, Isabella beneath his shoulder.
    "Theresa, we all made mistakes. I hope you forgive mine."
    Theresa cuddled closer to her husband, tears glittering. "I'm truly sorry."
    "None of us are blameless," Nicolai said, looking straight into Isabella's eyes. He smiled at her.
    And took her breath away. Their fingers tangled together.
    "We have much to celebrate," Sergio pointed out. "We defeated an invasion, brought justice to a rogue, overcame the curse, and banished the entity. Not bad for a single day's work." He bent to kiss his wife, right there in front of everyone.
    "Betto, go get the priest and bring him to me," Nicolai ordered. Unable to keep his hands from Isabella, he buried his hands in her hair to drag her head back, giving him access to her soft, inviting mouth. He felt desperate, disoriented without that part of him that had always been. But her mouth was hot with promise, with temptation, as she met him kiss for kiss, oblivious of their interested audience.
    At last, when Nicolai lifted his head, Isabella smiled at him, her heart shining in her eyes.
    "I think it's over," she said. "I don't think we need the priest, Nicolai."
    Nicolai groaned and pulled her back against his aching body. "Believe me, Isabella, we need that priest immediately."
    "I should say so." Sarina was scandalized. What did spirits and lions and the ground opening matter? Propriety was important in front of the servants. "Betto, get him at once!
    And,