Lionslayer's Woman

by Nhys Glover

  Being unable to make the most basic of life choices for himself was humiliating, but when he thought about it, what choices had really been his during his whole life? He’d lived and breathed the wishes of his father. His need to be the beloved son, if not the legitimate heir, had driven him since his mother’s death. None of his choices had been his own. He’d made his father his master.

  But wasn’t that what duty to your king and family was all about? Sacrifice for the greater good? That was what he’d learned and that was what he’d lived from childhood. Yet now his greater good was Cyra. She was the pivotal point of his existence. Only his need to keep her safe and near him determined his actions. How would he be able to do that when this mission was finished?

  He pushed the problem from his mind and focused on the current concerns. There was a lot to be achieved before he could consider a life with Cyra.

  It was as they were preparing to go ashore that the building sense of unease crested and he unconsciously reached for his short sword. Cyra, ever watchful, took his lead and turned to scan the people moving backward and forward along the dock. This was the time of day when most of the larger vessels were tying up. Dock slaves were making ready to unload stores. It was like an ants’ nest around them.

  ‘What?’ Appius said, noticing the way he was tensing.

  ‘Not sure. The gods have been in my ear all afternoon. Something’s coming…’

  Appius no longer ridiculed Leonis’ connection with the gods. Having heard about the lion and being party to the inexplicable way they’d all come together at Isthmia, he was willing to heed the slave’s warnings. He too gripped his sword and studied their surroundings more closely.

  ‘There!’ Cyra cried in delight. ‘Nexus! That can’t be anyone but Nexus! How many big black men walk like they own the world?’ She laughed and clapped her hands.

  Leonis was not as delighted to see the man. It didn’t feel right.

  ‘Stay here,’ he told her as he gestured for Appius to keep his eye on his woman. Then he leapt ashore and started to cut his way through the crowd.

  It took him only a minute to reach the man, but in that time his senses had gone haywire. The Nubian was not relaxed and moving leisurely as Leonis would have expected if returning from a successful mission. The angst the man was giving off was palpable, even from a distance.

  Grabbing Nexus’ arm was as good as asking to have a sword in his belly, so when Leonis got close enough he simply called the man’s name. Immediately, Nexus stopped and spun to face him. Haggard, drawn and deeply troubled, it was clear at first glance that things were not going well with Nexus.

  Nexus’ eyes registered Leonis’ identity immediately and he frowned in concern.

  ‘The child is safe. We found Appius, Galeria’s brother, and have come to help you.’ He kept it brief and to the point.

  Nexus looked confused for a moment and then his features tightened. ‘Papia is safe in Antiochia but Galeria is in the hands of slavers preparing to sell her to Antoninus. I’m looking for their vessel now. I can’t be far behind. I left the same evening they did.’

  ‘Galeria? How did slavers get Galeria?’

  ‘I’m still not sure, but there’s time to discuss such matters later. You can help me look for their craft. It’s called the Almaqah. It’s heading for Ephesus.’

  ‘But Antoninus isn’t in Ephesus. He took off for Rome after his father. Last we saw of him he was on the run alone in Isthmia.’

  Nexus frowned as he tried to take in this information. Then he smiled tightly. ‘That’s the best bit of news I’ve had in days. I thought I would have to make my move before Ephesus, but now… this is very good news!’

  ‘Come; let’s go back to the others. They’ll be keen to hear what’s happened. We can all help you look for the craft.’

  Nexus was relaxing more and more as the news began to seep in. ‘No, we don’t need to find them now. We’re not up to fighting a vessel full of men on our own anyway. However, with this piece of information, I can suddenly see a safe way through this. They will have to get to Ephesus and discover for themselves Antoninus is gone.’

  As he spoke, he started walking back with Leonis toward where he’d left Cyra and Appius. Leonis wasn’t sure he understood anything that was happening, but the sense of unease had dissipated and for the first time all day, he felt relief.

  ‘Nexus! Oh, I’m so glad to see you!’ Cyra cried, running up to him and throwing her arms around his neck, forcing him to bend over to accept the gesture of affection. If it surprised the big Nubian, he didn’t show it. He simply patted the girl on the back and tried to smile.

  ‘Where are Galeria and Papia?’ Cyra asked expectantly, once she’d released the man and could look at him more closely. The way her face lost a little of its animation told him that she was starting to realise things weren’t as good as she’d thought them to be.

  ‘Papia is in Antiochia safe with a relative. Galeria is on her way to Ephesus to be handed over to Antoninus.’

  ‘But Anton…’

  ‘I know, Leonis has just explained that to me. It is the first good news I’ve had in days.’ Nexus turned to the Roman youth standing quietly at Cyra’s side. ‘You must be Appius. How did you come to find these two? Did you see Cyra?’

  ‘I didn’t know Cyra,’ Appius said stiffly, taking in Nexus’ size and bearing. He wanted to assume leadership in the situation as the Roman patrician amongst slaves and liberti, Leonis could tell, but Nexus’ very presence probably made him realise he was nothing but a pup beside the pack leader.

  Secretly, Leonis smiled. He’d been dealing with the youth’s fragile ego for the last week, and though he liked the young man well enough, his assumption of superiority was wearing. Leonis was happy to hand over the reins of leadership to Nexus and let him deal with Appius’ youthful arrogance.

  ‘Then how?’ Nexus frowned again, trying to understand how Appius had found the rescue party. Obviously, there was a lot to talk over for explanation.

  ‘Later,’ Leonis said. ‘Let’s find a ship heading back tomorrow and then get ourselves rooms in a comfortable inn. I’m in need of a soft, stable bed under me tonight.’

  Nexus seemed to want to disagree, and then thought better of it. ‘Yes, we won’t get anything heading toward Ephesus before morning. A night in an inn is the only option.’

  Together the three men and one young woman made their way to the small forum and found the maritime agents in their booths just off it. Leonis left it to Nexus and Appius to arrange their passage while he sat on the curb with Cyra to wait. He felt happier than he had all day, even though the news about Galeria was not welcome.

  Cyra’s face was closed with worry as she sat next to him, playing with the edge of her gown. He took her hand between both his and brought it to his lips.

  ‘Don’t worry, Cyra. I’ve heard enough of the story to know Nexus has already worked out a plan to rescue your mistress. It may not seem like it, but we are better off now than we were when we arrived here. At least Papia is safe.’

  ‘But at the cost of Galeria?’ She was very close to tears and he kissed her hand again.

  ‘Wait to hear Nexus’ story. I’m sure you’ll be reassured.’

  Nexus leaned back against the wall of the taproom and took another deep swallow from his beer. It seemed a lifetime since he’d tasted such a brew, and yet it had been his staple diet for nine months in Britannia.

  ‘So do you want to start or will we?’ Leonis asked with a cheeky grin as he wiped the beer froth from his face.

  ‘I’ll tell you what I know and then you can clarify a few things for me,’ Nexus replied.

  ‘My mother is safe?’ Appius interrupted, his face flushed from drinking too much too fast on an empty stomach.

  ‘Yes. We got ahead of the Praetorians along the way. They probably went to Tarsus to assassinate another Stoic there. I’m not sure. What we do know is that Galeria and I reached Antiochia a day before they did. That gave us enoug
h time to put a plan into place. I set up a network of eyes and ears around the city to warn me of the guard’s arrival and to provide them with misinformation about me. I passed myself as a slaver. The leader actually paid me thirty pieces of silver to take Papia across the border and find her a good position. I think the man felt some warmth for your mother.

  ‘Whatever the reason, I took the money and Papia and returned to the inn where I’d left Galeria. She was supposed to be there to comfort her mother, but when I got there, she was gone. It was only later that I worked out that she must have gone out to warn the Stoic we believed would be the Praetorian’s next target.’

  ‘Why would she do such a foolish thing?’ Appius demanded heatedly.

  ‘Because she’s a good, brave woman who saw what those monsters did to your family and didn’t want to see it done to someone else’s,’ Cyra spoke up indignantly.

  ‘But to go out alone at night? What was she thinking?’

  ‘She probably wasn’t thinking. Like I wasn’t when I saw Antoninus on the dock in Isthmia,’ Cyra said with obvious regret.

  ‘I’m inclined to agree. I think it was a spur of the moment decision that she hadn’t thought through properly. She hadn’t had much sleep and was on edge; people make mistakes.’

  ‘Only a woman would do something that stupid!’ Appius declared crossing his arms over his chest, his face set in stern lines.

  Before Cyra could disagree, Leonis intervened smoothly. ‘Women aren’t the only ones to put their heart first or to make bad choices. I’ve made a few in my time.’

  ‘And I,’ Nexus agreed with annoyance. He found the youth an irritating mix of unjustified self-importance and cringing subservience. Appius still had a lot to learn about the value of individuals, no matter their sex or station. He would have thought his Stoic father would have taught him better.

  ‘But surely no male would behave…’

  ‘So bravely?’ Cyra interrupted. ‘To put herself into a dangerous situation, knowingly, for the good of others? No, I suppose most men wouldn’t.’

  Nexus saw Leonis grin into his beer. The man’s infatuation with the Parthian had obviously matured into something stronger, and from the way the girl leaned into the Dacian, he thought the affection was returned. That surprised him. Cyra had been as prickly as a burr with Leonis when last he’d seen them. Now they were like an old married couple. The fact that Leonis had insisted on two rooms for the night seemed to indicate that they were also sexually involved.

  What would it be like to make love to a woman with no breasts? They were so much a part of any sexual encounter for him. He loved to feel a breast in his hand, the nipple hard against his palm. He loved to take that hard nipple into his mouth and suckle it, watching the way a woman arched in pleasure. For a woman, her breasts were how she nurtured her children, how she gained pleasure for herself. To not have that… it was the cruellest form of punishment, and he didn’t know if he could get fully involved in sex with a woman so badly afflicted.

  But then, what if Galeria had her breasts cut off by Antoninus or the slavers? Would he no longer want her? He pictured her slim, supple body with its small, pert breasts that he’d felt in his hands, if not actually seen. Then he tried to imagine her breasts gone and replaced by ugly, red scars. He saw Galeria looking to him for confirmation that she was still a woman.

  And he could give it to her. Yes, if that terrible thing happened to her, he would still want her. Because it had never been about her body for him, it had always been about whom she was… the person within.

  Nexus caught himself mid-thought. What was he actually saying? That he loved her? But he couldn’t love her. His heart and soul belonged to Niobe and always would. He had nothing left inside him with which to love.

  But though he tried to deny it, the thought kept returning. He loved her. Ever since she’d disappeared, or even before that… he’d known what he was coming to feel strongly for the girl, and he’d acknowledged that he needed her. Now, whether he had a heart left to feel it or not, he realised that he did love her.

  And the anguish he felt at losing her hit him afresh with this new realisation and it was almost more than he could bear. Only the thought of getting her back kept him from crumbling. Losing her for good would be the final blow. He wouldn’t be able to take such a blow and survive.

  ‘Nexus…?’ Leonis had said something but he’d been so caught up in his revelation that he hadn’t heard him.

  ‘Sorry, what?’

  ‘Tell us how you came to find what happened to her.’

  ‘Galeria? Yes, Galeria. My eyes and ears were all over the city. After she’d been gone more than thirty-six hours, one of my boys came to me with the news that a slaver was taking a drugged woman out of the city toward the port. It made no sense. We thought if they were going to sell her, they’d have taken her east. Between us, Papia and I came up with what we thought was happening. We think Galeria tried to negotiate her release by stressing the wealth that could be theirs if they returned her safely… something like that. But somehow they found out about Antoninus, and decided that he’d be willing to pay far more for her than her family would.

  ‘I didn’t know for sure until I reached Seleukeia Pieria. There was only one vessel setting sail that night for another port and it was heading for Ephesus. That was where we last knew Antoninus was heading. It had to be her! I took ship on a fishing boat until I was able to get a better vessel the next morning. And here I am.’

  ‘But we should be looking for their ship now. It might be in port as we speak.’ Appius began to jump to his feet.

  ‘Sit down, I haven’t finished,’ Nexus said sternly and Appius collapsed back into his seat with an exasperated whimper.

  ‘The slaver is going to Ephesus to find Antoninus but he’s no longer there. What does he do with the woman when he finds out? Cart her all the way to Rome? No. Too risky and time consuming. Take her back to Antiochia? What other choice does he have? All that’s left to offset this expensive expedition is to sell her as a slave, and she’s not going to be sold in the empire. This means more costs incurred getting her out of it, and she just isn’t going to bring the sort of money they need selling her that way. Enter me, with a bag full of aureii, ready and willing to take her off their hands. It’s the only viable option open to them. They’ll jump at it.

  ‘So, no. Making a move on them now, even if they are in port, will get us nowhere. If we wait until Ephesus, we get Galeria as easily as I got her mother. And no one risks being hurt.’

  Appius seemed to be taking in this plan. Finally, he looked up and nodded. ‘I hate to leave my sister in those bastard’s hands a day longer but I see the sense in your plan. I just hope they aren’t… aren’t… using her.’ He swallowed several times and looked away.

  ‘She’s a commodity and more valuable as a virgin to the man who wants her. I think it likely she’s still untouched.’ Nexus prayed that he was right. The idea that men were using Galeria’s body filled him with unreasoned fury. If he thought too long on it, he would race down to that dock and try to pluck her from the vessel now. Even thought he’d be killed, even though he couldn’t possibly succeed. No, the only thing that was keeping him sane was the rational thought that she was worth more virginal than sullied.

  Cyra spoke into the silent void that followed. ‘I hate to agree with Nexus, but I do think we have a better chance of getting her back in Ephesus. We have a ship in the morning. Hopefully it will get us there in time.’

  ‘Yes, and it’s a fast ship to Rhodos. But we’ll have to find another heading up the coast from there.’

  ‘But will we get there in time?’ Leonis asked thoughtfully.

  ‘That’s the question I have no answer for. Even if we’re a day behind, I think that will only serve our purpose. They need to have fully considered their situation before I arrive to help them out of it.’

  ‘I should be the one…’ Appius began. Nexus immediately knew what he was going to propose.
>
  ‘No!’ He snarled the word at the youth. ‘There will be no mistakes. I will handle the negotiation myself. Galeria is my responsibility.’

  ‘She’s my sister! I’m the head of the paterfamilias now!’

  ‘And you should consider your sister’s safety over your pride,’ Cyra snapped at Appius in disgust, her dark eyes flashing.

  Appius’ mouth fell open at being spoken to in such a way by a woman and a slave… his slave. But then, he seemed to come to his senses. Slowly he nodded.

  ‘Right then, I think we need to eat and you need to tell me how you got the child back,’ Nexus said, after he pushed his empty mug away and signalled the barmaid over to order their meal.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Cyra wondered at the ease with which Leonis arranged the sleeping options. Had it been a normal situation, all four of them would have shared a room. But for some reason, Leonis had managed to get them a room of their own, albeit a tiny little box without even a window, and the other men were in a larger dormitory farther along the hall.

  After she’d taken her turn at the baths, she remained behind in their room to mind their possessions while the men when to the baths. By that time, the sun had gone down and some of the heat of the day had dissipated.

  It was nice to have an hour to herself. It seemed to have been weeks since she’d been truly alone. But though she revelled in the relative quiet, another part of her was missing Leonis like a tooth that had been removed. Every few minutes she felt for the place he should be. The place he’d always been for the last few weeks. Next to her.

  Thoughts of the coming night filled her with excitement. Being with him again would be the climax to a week of foreplay. His every touch, his every expression had aroused her during the course of their journey. She’d seen his thoughts and his fantasies in the hooded blue eyes when he glanced her way. And her own memories and imaginings were just as erotic as his seemed to be. It had been too long since they’d shared a bed in private. Too long.