by M. D. Grimm
“I know you have more questions for me,” he said after a long moment. “I am willing to answer you.”
I eyed him. Then I pulled out my sketchpad and laid it on the bar before flipping to the half dozen sketches I’d made of the possible swords I could forge for him. All of them were gladius, of course, but had different ornamentation.
“What do you think?”
His eyes brightened as he leaned over the book, stepping closer. While his skin might be cool, he had body heat, and I felt it as our shoulders nearly touched. He still smelled good. I couldn’t place the scent but it settled me.
He scanned each sketch slowly before turning the pages. Then he flipped back between two. “I enjoy the balance of this one but the etchings on this one.”
I took out a pencil from a pocket and quickly modified the one with the balance with the etchings of the other. “How about that?”
I looked up and my breath caught. He was staring intently at my face. I quickly looked at his nose and cleared my throat. After a beat or two he finally turned his attention to the sketch. He nodded.
“Yes. That is exactly what I want.”
“Perfect.” I marked the page with a star before closing the book. I should probably leave, but I didn’t want to. He’d asked me for a drink numerous times, and his earlier words asking me to trust him repeated in my mind. Though business was done the night didn’t feel finished. I was flirting with danger, and I couldn’t make myself leave. Was it so bad that I liked being with him? I could enjoy his company without getting emotionally attached.
It had been a long while since I’d wanted to trust someone.
“You know, I did some research on Roman names,” I said.
He finished his vodka and ordered another one. “Did you?”
“Yeah. Corny said you had a lot of names, but you go by Cassius. So would that be your… nomen? Or cognomen?”
Ancient Romans had a naming system referred to as tria nomina. The praenomen was the informal first name for men and rarely if ever used, and then only spoken by parents, between close friends, or between husband and wife. Women didn’t get one. The nomen and cognomen were often used in tandem when talking about someone. It was all very intricate and confusing and conventions changed with the times. I didn’t know exactly when Cassius was born, so I couldn’t guess what was the norm for his time.
Cassius turned back to me, appearing impressed. “It’s my nomen.”
“Don’t Romans generally go by their cognomen?”
“You certainly did your research.” He grabbed his drink and sipped it a little, regarding me with a gaze that tried to entrance me. He wasn’t using the whammy—I knew what that felt like—but he had appeal that couldn’t be ignored. He didn’t need to use the whammy to get my attention.
“I have more affection for my nomen than cognomen, and don’t feel the need to be restrained by the customs of the past. I don’t have the same nostalgia for my native time as the duchess does.”
“Fair point,” I said. “So… you going to tell me your whole name?”
He grinned again. Then he stood straighter before bending his upper body in a sweeping bow.
“Centurion Marcus Cassius Vespillo at your service.”
I blinked. “Centurion.”
“It means I commanded a unit of about eighty to a hundred men.” He leaned back against the bar again and continued to sip his drink, his eyes dancing with amusement. “I gained the title before I was vampire. I mostly led auxiliary troops alongside legions. Those were the days.” He chuckled darkly.
“And, uh, after you became vampire?”
He shrugged. “It’s complicated. I mostly worked in the shadows for the emperors. Until I grew weary of Rome’s descent into madness, then I left to travel.”
I blew out a breath. “Wow. Just wow. What does Vespillo mean? I know Marcus means warlike and Cassius refers to something hollow or empty, right?”
“You have an endless supply of questions, don’t you?”
Suddenly embarrassed, I looked away. I’d always been one to question, but my dad would usually hit me until I was quiet. My desire and thirst for knowledge never dimmed, though I’d learned to keep such interests to myself. I didn’t like the idea that Cassius was making fun of me. Then I thought of our conversation on the phone and his questioning of my motives, that I might only want him for information. Jesus, when had I started caring what this vamp thought? About the second you first met him, said a sneaky little voice.
Would I ever learn? Attachments led to pain. Besides, it was a whole new level of stupid to attach myself to a vampire.
“I apologize for making you uncomfortable.” Cassius set his hand gently on my shoulder, and I stiffened but didn’t shrug it off. “I enjoy your questions. Truly. There are very few among my own kind who have any interest in the time before they existed, so you can imagine how refreshing your curiosity is. Thankfully the duchess is one who is as curious as you. I kept journals during my youth, and you can imagine how many I now have.”
I stared at him. “Now you’re just torturing me.”
He laughed, pearly white teeth flashing. His incisors hadn’t descended, so at a glance, no one would know he wasn’t human. At that moment I realized I wanted him to laugh all the time. He dropped his hand from my shoulder, and I missed it.
“To answer your question, my cognomen means ‘a person employed to bury people too poor for a funeral.’ As I’m sure you read, the cognomen can sometimes be insulting.”
I snorted. “Now you are a dead person. Sort of.”
He raised an eyebrow. “I’m not dead.”
I smiled, feeling a little rush at teasing him. “So going back to those journals you mentioned….”
He smiled as well. “The duchess has some fledglings transcribing a few of my journals in English and French for future generations. With some of the more personal information left out, of course. Perhaps if you’re nice to me, I will allow you to borrow a few.”
I simply stared at him for a long moment. “Just tell me which Roman god to sacrifice to.”
He laughed again, apparently delighted with me. I found myself laughing as well. Dain was never this easy to be with, and there was no one else in my life I could say I was close to. I knew I should guard myself against Cassius for a number of reasons, and I found I didn’t want to.
“Did you have one of those Caesar haircuts? I doubt they would let you have hair as long as you have it now.”
He fingered his hair and shook his head. “No, after I left Rome and began to travel, I let it grow longer. I found no need to keep it short.”
I opened my mouth for my next question—in a long line of questions—when another vampire rudely shoved between us. I stumbled off my stool, shocked by the speed of the intruder and his insistence on knocking into my space. I scowled at the vamp’s broad back. He should be grateful I had self-control, or he’d have a blade in his back.
“Cassius! I thought that was you! It’s so good to see you in the States. Listen, Elora and her crew are here and about to perform. Could we convince you to lend your voice? At least for one song?”
My annoyance got sidetracked by curiosity. Cassius sang? That I had to hear. I took a step to the side and leaned past the rude vampire to raise my eyebrows at Cassius. But he wasn’t looking at me. With a stony face carved from marble, he stared at the newcomer, and I’d never seen his eyes so cold! Not even with Lindsey. It occurred to me they showed nothing but warmth when he was with me.
The intruding vampire seemed to realize something was off as the silence dragged on. The sounds of the club faded into the distance as the coldness of Cassius’s glare permeated our space.
“Justin,” Cassius finally said, his voice soft. “You would do well to learn some manners.”
I took a couple more steps to clear the intruding vampire completely and now stood next to them. He blinked in obvious confusion. Moron.
“What do you mean? You weren’t doing
anything important.”
I glared at the vampire and took a step closer to Cassius. Considering how he reacted when Lindsey interrupted us, and the expression on his face now, I was assured he was as offended as I by the intrusion. I crossed my arms over my chest and lifted my chin. But the intruder—Justin—still hadn’t seemed to notice me. Fucker. That galled. I kept my mouth shut since I knew it was Cassius, not me, who had to put this moron in his place. I knew the customs and hierarchy.
Cassius set his glass down with a snap and shifted slightly. To my surprise, he laid his arm across my shoulders, pressing me against his side. With every breath I drew in his scent, and I forcibly focused on the current situation to avoid erotic imaginings. My cock stirred slightly, and I managed to keep it from doing more. The effort was exhausting, but these predators would instantly scent it out like bloodhounds. Fucking humiliating.
The contact seemed to finally impress upon Justin that Cassius had indeed been doing something important. He glared at me, as if I were the reason he’d acted rudely.
“Vulcan, this is Justin. Justin, Vulcan.”
Justin inclined his head. Only after a moment’s hesitation, I did as well. I didn’t recognize him, so he was either a junior vamp in Her Grace’s coven, or he was from another coven friendly with hers. But he also knew Cassius a little too well for my personal liking. I found it fascinating to watch the nonverbal communication happen between them. Justin lowered his eyes in a submissive manner as Cassius continued to glare at him.
“Learn well,” Cassius said, his voice still quiet and frigid. “Do not make this mistake again, or I will go to your master.”
Justin hunched his shoulders. “I understand, Cassius.”
“Good.”
That seemed to end it. Justin turned and shuffled away. Cassius didn’t let go of me at first, and I couldn’t convince myself to pull away. Being in his arms felt too nice. It felt safe.
Stupid. Really stupid.
Then he did let go, and I forced myself to take a step back.
“Now, where were we?”
The change in his voice threw me. He was warm again. I looked up to see the same warmth glimmering in his eyes. My stomach did one sharp flip when he smiled.
“I don’t even remember. Who was that guy?”
Cassius sighed and gestured to my stool. I sat again. “I am acquainted with his coven, and he visited me once in Italy. He wanted to be my companion but I found his manners somewhat lacking. If you want an example of entitled, I believe he would suffice.”
I snorted. “Gotcha.”
Cassius opened his mouth to say something else but then his nostrils flared and a low growl came from his chest. The sound jolted me as he swung his head around, narrowing his eyes on something. I followed his gaze. At first I didn’t see what captured his attention, and then I noticed an altercation a short distance from us in one of the lounge areas.
“Stay here,” Cassius said, his words a sharp command.
If I hadn’t known he’d been a soldier, a commanding officer, I would certainly know after that. I slipped off my stool and tentatively took a few steps closer as he strode directly into the line of fire, like an arrow from a bowstring.
I squinted against the flashing lights, trying to see what exactly was happening. Shouts rose as a leanly beautiful woman—vampire—pushed a younger woman behind her. A human. Another woman… no ghoul. Shit. The ghoul was starting to morph, tearing the seams of her clothes, and stalk them. Ballsy. Damn ballsy and stupid. Ghouls weren’t allowed in the club. Whoever let her in was going to be in a world of hurt when the duchess found out.
Ghouls were the true monsters. Only by a thin line did they manage to maintain the façade of normality. Her skin was now a pale, sickly blue, her eyes a puke green, her fingers turning into black claws. Her shoes burst as her feet grew a few inches, sprouting claws as well. She didn’t grow in height, though her shoulders and chest did get broader. Her mouth elongated into a short snout and a second set of shark teeth lowered in front of the human-looking set.
Cassius reached them before the bouncers could. Many in the group had fled, vanilla mortals sensing the predatory danger if not understanding it. The ghoul slashed a clawed hand at the vampire, and the vampire bared her fangs, eyes glowing red. The human, probably a thrall, clung to the vampire’s waist, trying to be as small as possible. My heart pounded as Cassius seemed to disappear only to reappear behind the ghoul. Right. Superspeed. Though I’d never seen a vampire move that fast before.
He caught the ghoul in a chokehold and snarled at the lady vampire to get the fuck out. She did, dragging the human with her. The ghoul growled and fought, clawing at his arms, his shoulders, his head. It had all happened in seconds, and I gripped the bar, wanting to help but knowing I would only hinder. Cassius’s eyes burned red and his mouth was pulled in a grimace, his fangs fully descended. I swallowed hard at the visual.
His arms must have been made of steel. No matter how the ghoul flailed or struggled, his stance and grip never wavered. Then I looked past him and even as the bouncers came closer, I saw the ambush first.
“Watch out!” I yelled and detached one of my cuff blades. I ran closer and flung it as hard as I could and managed to catch one of the three attacking ghouls in the eye. Damn, practice really did make perfect.
The wounded ghoul crashed into the floor with a scream while the other two pounced at Cassius. I stopped breathing. Cassius swung around with lightning speed and one of the ghouls smashed into the one Cassius still held. They all crashed to the floor as the remaining ghoul still on its feet went for Cassius’s head. I detached my other cuff blade just as two bouncers tackled the ghoul. They were both vampires, evidenced by their red eyes. The two other bouncers were human but clearly in the know.
Jesse got on the radio and the music abruptly stopped. Then he got on the loudspeaker and told everyone to exit. I barely heard the loud complaints and shouts from patrons as the struggle continued. My heart raced and I was ready to help when needed. I usually didn’t get involved in altercations but this was different. Cassius was involved.
Damn it, I liked the bastard. I wasn’t going to let some fucking ghoul bite his head off.
Cassius remained pinned under two ghouls and two human bouncers. The struggle was messy and fierce and confusing. I crept closer, blade in one hand while holding a taser in the other. Two more bouncers approached, both vampires.
“Stay back, human!” one of them barked at me.
I ignored him and kept an eye on the fight. One of the ghouls broke free from the mad grapple and swung its head around, probably calculating the best escape. Its feral green glare fell on me a second before it pounced. It was going to try to go through me. The weak link.
Fucking hell.
“No!” Cassius roared.
Instinct took over—thank you Dain and your psycho training tactics—and I stood firm as the beast charged. Then I lifted the taser, aimed for the face, and fired. The wired prongs burst free and latched onto the ghoul’s cheeks. Ghouls might have been hardier than both vamps and wolves but electricity was electricity. I’d also modified and upped the amp range on this particular taser. The ghoul stumbled to the ground and twitched and flailed like a fish on dry land. I didn’t try to stop the smile that spread across my face.
“Dance you motherfucker,” I said and tased their ass again. And again. And one more time for good measure until they stopped moving except for their chest as they breathed.
I panted, my heart still racing, and looked up to see Cassius smack the head of a ghoul into the ground, denting the flooring a bit. The ghoul still squirmed so he did it again. This time it lay still. The other two were overpowered by the bouncers and disabled.
Cassius stood, also panting, his clothes and hair mussed, his eyes fierce and narrowed. He stepped back and let the bouncers take over. He glanced over at me, scanning me from head to toe before nodding. I nodded back. Then I vindictively zapped the ghoul again.
&
nbsp; Cassius smirked. A moment later he approached me and his eyes were almost back to normal, his fangs hidden once again. “That was an impressive throw.”
“That was an impressive headlock.”
I only removed the taser prongs when the bouncers came to retrieve the ghoul. Cassius yanked out the cuff blade from the other ghoul, and I grimaced at the blood.
“I need to go clean this. You don’t have to wait.”
“I’ll be here.”
I shrugged and hurried to the restroom. Once inside, I made sure I was alone before I dropped the cuff blade and taser on the floor and bent over to grab my knees. I might have feigned nonchalance but now I shook and fought against puking. Jesus Christ, where had that come from? Ghouls weren’t normally that reckless! To attack in neutral territory and one owned by a vampire duchess? What was going on? Nicole hadn’t been joking about her warning.
I dry heaved a few times before steadying myself. I put the taser in a pocket and only after cleaning my blades and reattaching them did I look at myself in the mirror. Shit. I was paler than Cassius. I splashed water on my face and slapped my cheeks a few times. Color slowly seeped back in. I still trembled deep inside but I thought I could manage to fake it long enough to get out without answering questions.
True to his word, Cassius was waiting for me, talking quietly with Jesse. As I approached, Jesse whistled.
“Those were some moves, kid. Good job.”
I forced myself to smile. “A girl has got to protect herself.”
He snorted.
Cassius gave me a long, intense look before stepping closer and slipping his arm across my shoulders. My stomach jittered a bit before settling and smoothing out. I swallowed hard.
“Come on,” he said softly, gently, and led us away. It was then I noticed the club was empty except for employees. Cleaning supplies surrounded the battle zone and several folks were busy putting things to rights.
“Her Grace is going to be pissed,” I said.
“Indeed.” He squeezed me. “You did well. But I know how it is afterward. Once the adrenaline wears off, you feel sick. Tired. How are you?”