City of Fire
Summary: Written after City of Swords. Delilah Bright discovers she is part of the order of Stravaganti when is transported to the independent city state of Cittanuova. But the city is in danger – the di Chimici wish to consolidate their power in the south, starting with Cittanuova, and Delilah soon finds her own life in peril when torn between her affections for her stravagante, a spirited circus fire-eater called Aurelia, intent on defending her city's liberty, and the handsome Filippo di Chimici, the Bellonan Ambassador, and the Stravaganti's enemy. Delilah must decide where her true loyalties lie, but her choice will have great consequences for the fate of Cittanuova.
The air smelt of smoke, and the black velvet of the night sky was spangled with golden sparks. The City of Fire was unchanged since Aurelia's childhood.
Home.
Aurelia had been to all the city states of Talia, but she had yet to see any that rivalled the shabby beauty of Cittanuova.
The circus had been touring in Romula when Rodolfo Rossi's worried face had emerged in the mirror. "The di Chimici have turned their gaze to Cittanuova. I fear the city is in danger, my friend. You must return home."
Luckily, circus folk were an eccentric bunch, but also vain, and so no one had turned a hair at her transporting a small silver mirror around the country with her, despite the fact that such objects were normally the preserve of nobles.
It had been Aurelia's good fortune that the Circo dei Cieli had been so far south already; Cittanuova was the natural progression from there when their month in Romula was over, and it coincided with the city's coming festivities. When she had announced her intention to stay with the circus when they went to Cittanuova, Leonato, the ringmaster, had looked at her strangely. She had sworn to the whole cast on joining that she would never go back there. Normally when they went to Cittanuova she would remain in Romula, and they would have to hire a temporary fire-eater.
She had not set foot in Cittanuova in thirteen years.
Her heart was in her eyes as she surveyed the silver dome of the Cathedral of Santa Maria glinting in the moonlight, towering over the orange roofs, the cream stone of the walls illuminated by pools of firelight from the torches. The city rested in the shadow of Mount Ignis, and even in the twilight Aurelia could make out its snowy peak.
Already the narrow cobbled streets were being decked out in colourful flags, and the excitement in the air was palpable. Cittanuova's annual Festival of Fire was in two weeks, and its citizens loved to celebrate. It was the perfect place for a fire-eater.
The rest of the circus cast had dissipated off to the nearest tavern after two days hard travelling in the hot August sun, but Aurelia was not in the mood for liquor. Her homecoming had brought her a mixture of joy, and also vexation at the unwelcome memories it triggered. She could feel a headache stirring as she trudged towards the inn where her rented room was.
It felt strange to be standing between four stone walls, rather than the canvas sheets of her tent. But she must get use to it. Because this time, unlike thirteen years ago, Aurelia was not going to run away. Unbeknownst to her circus companions, she was here in Cittanuova to stay, at least until the danger passed.
Aurelia put her tools of the trade onto the straw mattress, and propped the mirror up against the wall. She took a steadying breath as Rodolfo's face swam into view in the bubbled, silvery surface. Being a fire-eater was a precarious, and occasionally very painful, job (as the numerous scars from burns on her arms, hands and on the inside of her mouth attested to), but nothing it involved had ever been as nerve-wracking as the prospect of the journey that lay ahead of her tonight.
"Are you ready for your first stravagation?" Asked Rodolfo, kindly.
Aurelia swallowed. "As ready as I'll ever be."
"Do you have the talisman?"
Aurelia nodded, and grasped the object firmly in her hand.
"Very good. Now you must remember, twenty-first century Anglia is very different from sixteenth century Talia. But no harm will come to you provided you follow my instructions word to word. Now, this is what you must do..."