by Nhys Glover
But he wasn’t about to let her know that. She was the type who would use a man’s weakness against him. Life had taught this little woman what she needed to do to survive, and she would do whatever it took to protect herself and those she loved. If he got in the way, she would cast him off without a thought, and that wasn’t going to happen. He wouldn’t let it happen.
So he’d play it lightly, as he had always played his involvements with women. It would be a long time before he’d let her see his true feelings. Maybe it had been a mistake in those dreamlike moments when they’d stared at the moon to tell her his belief that the goddess had brought them together, but it had sounded enough like the gilded, insincere words of a bard that, with any luck, she’d simply think he used them to try to seduce her. With any luck, he could keep her from seeing the truth.
Ahead of them, he saw the outline of the big Nubian and the slim daughter of the lost family. They clung together like lovers as they walked. Surely Nexus hadn’t moved from one woman to another so easily. He’d appeared so desolate at the loss of his Niobe, and yet, his gentle ministrations to this stranger had all the hallmarks of a lover smitten.
As he was.
Maybe that was it. Because he was seeing the world through the eyes of love – or whatever this feeling was he now felt for the breastless firebrand beside him – he saw it everywhere. Maybe Nexus was only being kind and supportive. It might be his nature to care for those weaker than he was. It might be the reason his mistress had chosen Nexus for this task. His gentle strength might be drawn to aiding more fragile beings. That didn’t mean he had forgotten Niobe, or moved on.
It was late by the time they found a tavern on the western side of the city. Nexus roused the owner and had them a large room to share within minutes. There were four straw pallets on the dusty floor of the second story dwelling. The slit of a window barely let in any of the fresh, cool air from outside, but it did let in the sounds of wagons trundling along the streets. Decaneus damned the Romans’ rule that large wagons and carts making deliveries to their cities must do so after dark. It meant that even at night the Roman world was never quiet.
The girls dropped onto the pallets next to each other, falling immediately into exhausted sleep. He and Nexus sat watching them in the dark heat, strangely bonded by the last hours. Up until they walked into that horror tonight, in the back of Decaneus’ mind was always the thought of escape. He’d been no more committed to his task than any man forced into slavery would be. Certainly, it came easily to follow a man like Nexus, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t take any chance he could to throw off his chains and return home. He had a brother to deal with back there. A life back there.
But now things had changed. He wasn’t sure how, but his focus was no longer on escape. He wanted to help Cyra, and as her focus was so obviously aligned with that of the Roman, so his must be as well. Nexus would do what he could for Galeria, too. In a matter of hours, they had formed one solid unit with one common goal: finding and saving Galeria’s mother and sister.
‘Her master cut off her breasts. It was not done as a warrior’s ritual,’ Nexus said quietly.
Decaneus felt suddenly sick. He had felt the scars on his woman’s chest as she struggled against him. It would have been hard not to. He’d assumed that she’d simply undergone some Amazonian ritual and that she’d been drugged during the process and been willing. There had been something admirable about a woman who voluntarily forsook her role as nurturer to take on that of protector, but the idea that she had been brutalised by a Roman master made her a victim. And every protective instinct within him was roused at the very thought of such abuse. How could he have made light of it such as he’d done? She must think him an insensitive brute.
‘Don’t play with that one. She’s too badly damaged.’
Decaneus glared across at the shadowed outline of the other man. The only thing he could see clearly was Nexus’ teeth when he spoke. There was no way to read his expression.
‘I have no intension of playing with her. What of you and the Roman?’
‘What of me and Galeria? I have a task to complete. I was sent to rescue her and her family. That’s what I’m doing. That’s what you’re doing.’
‘Men who have been hurt by the loss of one woman will often use another to ease the pain. If you let her think you feel more for her than you do, you will hurt her. She, too, is damaged after what she’s been through this night. I have no fondness for Romans but this one seems innocent. And Cyra cares for her…’
From where he sat, he could feel the sudden fury rolling off the other man.
When Nexus had regained control of his temper, he replied. ‘There’s nothing that can ease the pain I feel, and because you don’t know me, I’ll excuse your assumption that I would ever use an innocent for that purpose. Let me make it very clear to you, Dacian. I’ve been given a task that I’m honour-bound to complete. I’m caring for the girl who was once childhood friend to Livia. If you think there is anything more than that between us you’re mistaken.’
‘If you think I would play with the feelings of Cyra, you don’t know me either. Let’s leave it at that.’
Nexus grunted in the darkness and lay down on his pallet. ‘Take first watch. Wake me when the moon sets.’
Decaneus felt his hackles rise but he bit back a retort. In truth, he wouldn’t be able to sleep yet anyway and Nexus was right to think they needed to keep watch overnight. Who knew if the Praetorians or this Antoninus’ men might be out searching for Galeria? Watching through the night was no hardship. He’d done it often enough in the past. It gave him time to think.
CHAPTER NINE
6 June 82 CE, Isle of RHODOS
Galeria came to full wakefulness at the sound of movement around her. She was instantly upright, her gaze taking in her unfamiliar surroundings by dawn’s weak light. The panicky beating of her heart reminded her of what had happened the night before.
‘Hush, Mistress, you’re safe,’ said a reassuringly familiar voice. She spun around to find Cyra reclining on the mattress beside her, hand outstretched toward her.
‘Now that you’re awake we can discuss our plans,’ the Nubian said from the pallet on the other side of the small room. He was lounging with his back against the wall and had obviously been awake for some time. The other man, the bearded one, was just dragging himself from sleep as she was.
‘Can you start by telling me your names? I’m still foggy about how you came to be at my parent’s villa last night. You said Livianna sent you?’
The Nubian nodded and then gave a little half-bow. ‘As you will. My name is Marcus Livius Nexus, freedman of Livianna Honoraria, wife to the first cousin of Emperor Domitian. It is her husband who read your father’s name on the secret list and informed his wife. When they arrived in Britannia, Livianna, as my patron, requested that I make my way here. She wanted me to inform your father of his situation and convince him to go into hiding. We’d only just left our ship in Rhodos Harbour and made our way to your villa when we came upon you. If we’d only been a day earlier the situation might have been averted. I can only apologise that I couldn’t get here any faster.
‘As to my companion – the uncivilized lout still awaking – he is a Dacian lion slayer, slave to Livianna Honoraria. She’s named him Cor Leonis. Livianna sent him along to assist me.’
‘My name is Decaneus.’
‘As a slave, your owner has the right to name you as she chooses. Be happy she’s given you a name that reflects your accomplishments,’ Nexus said without inflection.
‘You really did kill a lion?’ Cyra said in stunned surprise.
‘Unarmed. He strangled the beast with his loincloth.’ Nexus’ lips turned up at the edges as he saw the discomfort the other man experienced when he sang his praises.
‘Leonis it is,’ said Galeria. ‘Your mane of hair and beard are very fitting.’
Leonis growled and turned his back to them. Galeria felt a bubble of amusement rising f
rom the area of her heart. How could she feel any lightness after what had happened the night before? Her beloved father was dead and her mother and sister in the clutches of the enemy. She felt the weight of it descend upon her again.
‘He has not been in Rome long and has yet to fully comprehend his lowered status. Forgive him,’ Nexus said firmly, the note of censure obviously directed at the slave.
‘It’s unimportant. What is important is what I’m to do to get my mother and sister back.’
‘I’ve been considering our options. Firstly, it’s essential that you and Cyra stay hidden until we’ve determined the danger to you…’
‘How can I go to Antoninus if I’m in hiding?’ Galeria interrupted.
‘You’ll most likely be walking into a trap if you go to him as he suggested in his note. I advise you to stay here while Leonis and I scout the territory and see what we can find out about the Praetorians. We can also go to this Antoninus’ villa to see if he has both females or only your sister. Once we have a clearer idea about the situation we can plan the next step.’
Leonis had turned back over and was watching him closely, his annoyance over his name forgotten.
‘Those Praetorians were stealthy, but there were too many of them to go unnoticed in a city this size. If we can find out if they’ve taken ship, we’ll know whether you’re now safe,’ Leonis said thoughtfully.
‘How do we know you won’t just sell our location to the Praetorians for the highest price you can get?’ Cyra challenged, sitting up ready to do battle.
Galeria noticed that the girl’s hair had dried into chaotic disarray overnight. She usually mimicked Galeria’s own style by pulling it back and binding the glossy lengths into a tail at the back of her head, but the tail was off kilter after a night’s restless sleep, and pieces of hair had rebelled to form a halo of raven curls around her lovely face. With her dark eyes sparking fire, she was a lovely sight.
‘If we wanted money, we could have taken what we found at the villa last night, you ungrateful chit,’ Leonis snapped in exasperation.
Galeria had to agree with his sentiments. It was obvious that these men were here to help, not hurt her, so why did Cyra continue to behave like a nervy cat around them, spitting and hissing every chance she got?
The logic in his words took the wind out of Cyra sails and she deflated back onto her pallet. ‘I just don’t trust you, that’s all.’
‘And only experience will allay your fears. Stand guard over your mistress until we come back. If you see the Praetorians or any large group of organised men entering the tavern from the street, go out the back way and hide wherever you can.’ Nexus was all calm command.
Cyra nodded grudgingly.
‘Right, then we have a plan. Firstly, we’ll get you both some food and then head out.’
Shortly after that, the men left their room. While they were gone, she and Cyra tried to address the worst of the previous night’s damage. Normally they would have washed the salt water off in the bathhouse at the back of their home and changed into fresh tunics before dinner, but that hadn’t been possible last night. Now Galeria looked down at her creased and bloodstained tunic in distress.
‘Take that off. We can use the water in the basin on the window ledge to wash off the worst of the salt and I brought us both a change of tunic,’ Cyra said, all business.
Galeria had been in no fit state last night to know what Cyra had taken away from the villa. Now she was pleased that her friend had more sense than she had. That she’d fallen apart so completely last night made her shudder with self-loathing. What would Pater have thought of her? And if Nexus hadn’t come along to take control of the situation, she had no idea what she would have done. Walked straight into a trap, she supposed.
Everything Nexus said was logical and pragmatic. That it went against the demands of her volatile emotions, only served to convince her to pay close attention to him. Until her mind was clear again, she knew she couldn’t trust her own judgements. And above all, some instinct that went beyond emotion told her to trust this dark god. His gentle determination inspired trust.
Their first stop was the harbour docks where the ships’ masters were already making ready to sail. Nexus headed for the Harbour Master’s office to see if an Imperial vessel had been in port overnight. It certainly wasn’t there now, he noted with a cursory glance.
‘An Imperial naval vessel? There may ‘ave been one ‘ere last night. What’s it worth to ye?’ The overnight guard, just being relieved of duty, was quick to take financial advantage of the situation when Nexus approached him.
Nexus removed two brass sesterces from his pouch and offered one to the man. It was more than such an informant would normally receive and so he knew the man would be anxious to provide all he knew to get both coins.
He was right. The grizzled old face lit with avarice as he accepted the first coin and tried to get out what he knew as fast as he could before the other coin disappeared back into Nexus’ pouch.
‘Small galley with no more’n ten oars. Six soldiers. Couldn’t tell yer their rank or legion in the dark, but they put in just on sunset and returned maybe an hour or two later. The moon had risen, I know that much. They may have had someone with ‘em when they set sail again.’
Nexus let the second coin hover over the man’s grubby hand. ‘Someone?’
‘Yeah, a woman wuz my guess. She wuz slung ov’r one o’ those buggers backs an’ I saw ‘im dump ‘er on the deck. She scrambled to ‘er feet and tried to get away, but another one bound ‘er arms behind ‘er back an’ forced ‘er into a corner outta the way. That’s all I know.’
Nexus felt his heavy heart lift. The mother was alive. There was still a chance they could save her.
He dropped the coin into guard’s hand. ‘They had to register their next destination. Where was it?’
The man looked expectantly at Nexus’ pouch as he clutched at the two coins he had already earned. Impatient and angry now, Nexus ignored him. ‘Where was it?’
‘Seleukeia Pieria! The manifest said Seleukeia Pieria!’
‘Where is that?’ Nexus continued to push for more information, standing over the man so that he was forced to cower back against the side of the office. Several passers-by were eyeing them nervously.
‘Syria. Southwest of here about five days sailing by a fast vessel.’
With a dismissive grunt, Nexus turned away and strode back along the dock. He heard Leonis hard on his heel.
‘So they’ve left and taken the mother with them. At least we know she’s alive.’
‘But where are they taking her and why is she still alive if they killed everyone else to hide their crime?’ Nexus replied, as the Dacian jogged to come up alongside him.
‘Do we go to Antoninus’ villa now?’
‘Not yet. First, we let the authorities know about the crime last night and arrange for the funeral rites. Galeria needs to know that her father has been taken care of. Then we’ll head over to Antoninus’ villa. We have to see how well guarded it is. I doubt we’ll be able to just walk in there and take the child. He’s gone to a lot of trouble to organise this attack. What I don’t know is why.’
‘There are a lot of whys here. Maybe the girls can help us with Antoninus at least. They seem to know him well.’
‘Hmmm. Let’s see if we can get the child back first. If not, then we’ll go for the whys.’
They got directions easily from the port tavern they’d been to the night before, but it was midmorning before they reached the Antoninus’ villa, which was on the northern side of the small city. The authorities had kept them waiting while they took the details of the attack, and only Nexus’ patron’s name got him any serious attention at all. The funeral rites had been easier and faster to arrange, for the right price, but it all took time they didn’t have.
As far as Roman affluence went, Antoninus’ villa was not impressive. It stood on a shabby back street not far from the north gate and its walls were in dras
tic need of whitewash.
As they’d walked, Nexus’ mind had been turning over all the ways they might get to the child. Now that he saw the villa, he was clear on his next step. This place was no danger to them.
With Leonis at his side, he approached the front door and bashed on it loudly. Only moments passed before it swung inward and an old slave stood in the doorway. When he saw the two men he looked frightened, cringing backward into the dark interior.
‘Is your master at home?’ Nexus demanded.
‘No… No, he left this morning before dawn.’
Nexus groaned. This was not what he needed to hear. ‘Where has he gone?’
‘I… I’m not at liberty to say…’
Nexus stepped over the threshold and grabbed the front of the man’s tunic. ‘I won’t ask again.’
‘Ephesus. He left for Ephesus, where his father is Proconsul.’
‘What of the child?’
‘Child? I don’t know…’ The man’s face was bleached white with fright and the way his gaze was diverted made it obvious he was lying. Nexus drew the man up off the ground so they were nose to nose.
‘The child!’ He fairly spat the words into the man’s terrified face.
‘The apothecary gave her something to help her sleep. She wouldn’t stop crying, poor mite. The Master he said she’d had a bad scare and he needed to take her with him for safekeeping. I was to tell her sister to come to Ephesus. To his father’s villa.’ The words poured out in a rush, each one falling over the next in his haste to be finished.
Nexus released the old man and he fell to the tiles, trembling. ‘He drugged her? She was still drugged when he left?’
The man vigorously nodded and shuffled backward, deeper into the house.
‘By all the gods, what is the man doing? Does he not know how dangerous it is to drug a child? Dosages are hard to get right, the smaller the body weight…’