by Anya Nowlan
His throat went dry. Here she was, his mate—there was no doubt in his mind that she was the only woman for him—and he was left headless like a boy in love. A jolt went through him every time she touched him. He felt her warm breath on his skin and it made his mind buck and wail at him, demanding he seize his chance.
“Kiya, what are you doing here?” he asked again, keeping his voice low and trying his hardest to keep his signature growl out of his tone.
She looked up, startled. Their eyes met and he could have drowned in those golden pools, if she only allowed him. The tiniest sliver of a blush on her cheeks made her look even more adorable, if that could be possible. Her curves made him wild and the swell of her breasts were so inviting that it took all his self-control to remember that she was a member of the household, and someone to be treated with the utmost respect.
“You know my name,” she said, more a statement than a question.
Erden chuckled. “Of course I know your name.”
“Why?”
That was a tough one. Because I adore you? Because the Gods have brought you down upon this world to make my days worth living? Because my heart beats for you? All completely true, but perhaps too much, too soon?
“I inquired as to your name after seeing you on the balconies with Aelia Fausta,” he said.
Mentally, he patted himself on the back. That was the most honest thing he could say without incriminating himself completely.
“I am here because…” she hesitated, getting up and hurrying to the table to retrieve a bowl of some strong-smelling mixture.
She came back to him, her steps slow and uncertainty playing on her face. It seemed to be consuming her, this doubt that she could not put into words. It pained him to see her struggle in any way, but especially now that she was so close. He stood up before he knew what he was doing and stepped closer to her, so close that only the thinnest sliver of air parted their two bodies.
He didn’t put his hands around her, though every inch of him screamed for him to do so. It wouldn’t do to scare her now that he was making some headway. He didn’t want this moment to end and he’d damn well do anything to keep it going just a second longer, just as long as he could wipe that worry from her sweet, round cheeks.
“Kiya, you can talk to me. It is clear that whatever brought you here, it must be important. Or, at least, it is troubling you. I do not wish to see you worry, my sweet,” he said, his deep timber resonating off the stone walls.
She looked up at him and her rosy lips looked so inviting, parted just a little. Did he see what he thought he saw? Hints of a smile, peeking out for a second and then swiftly hidden under the guise of proper behavior? There was hope still, the graying bear told himself with a smug sense of satisfaction.
“I am here to warn you,” she said finally, and the moment of bliss shattered around them like pottery on stone.
CHAPTER FIVE
Kiya
Kiya floated through the next few days. Everything seemed to come easily and her smile never seemed to leave her lips. Lucia and the other handmaidens had taken to picking on her, but only Lucia knew why her mood was so uplifted.
It was because of the bear. The bear that had curled around her heart and would not let go.
She still could not believe that she had been so close to him, and talked to him. That she now knew that his eyes were a deep mahogany brown, with the slightest halo of red around the irises, not the black-brown she had thought before. That his body was riddled with scars, but they seemed to heal so quickly that the marks the wounds left behind were faded and faint. That the way his arms bulged and his chest curved looked like the heavy, ancient dunes of the desert.
And that his voice sounded like the sweetest, most intoxicating nectar when he spoke her name.
Kiya caught herself smiling once more, even though she was on her knees on the ground, stitching up one of Aelia Fausta’s headpieces—precision work that left no room for daydreaming. Yet, she found time. She glanced around herself to see if any of the other maids had noticed, but thankfully no one had. They were all lost in conversation.
Kiya couldn’t tell what they were talking about if she tried. Her mind was far too preoccupied with thoughts of the mighty bear she had spent a precious hour with. What made her more elated than anything was that she thought she had seen him enjoying it as much as she had. The way he looked at her made her feel like the finest princess and the way his voice hitched a little as he spoke her name had her thinking all sorts of untoward thoughts.
Her smile faded as she pricked herself in the finger slightly with the bone needle, making her drop the headpiece with a yelp.
“Is your mind not your own tonight, Kiya?” Lucia joked, giving her a teasing look.
Kiya shook her head, sucking at the pinprick wound with her mouth. She could taste the copper of blood and even that made her think of Erden. Everything did, really. She was a fool in love, despite the heavy words she had delivered to him that had left little room for romance.
“It is not,” she admitted.
Kiya could see that Lucia was moments from giving another snappy comment when Aelia Fausta walked in and all of the five maids scrambled to their feet before her.
“We shall have guests tonight! Lucia! Go notify the kitchen. I want the honey wine prepared and food cooked to be served in two hours! Andela, go find my burgundy dress and the gold and onyx jewels father brought me. Sahli, Kiya, with me! We have no time!”
They all leapt into action. As much as Aelia Fausta was a reasonable woman to serve, she had inherited her father’s temper and no one wanted to get caught in the crosshairs of her annoyance if they could avoid it. Sahli and Kiya were first on their feet, following the young mistress out of her secondary quarters and toward the baths.
“Aurelius Clavius has chosen to visit us tonight! He sent a man ahead, to tell my father that he is coming. I can’t believe that he is actually coming here!” Aelia Fausta said, nervously running her hands through her long tresses as she arrived at the baths.
The stone bath was already filled with hot water and one of the bath servants was trickling scented oils into the water. The liquid mixed and churned, creating kaleidoscopic reflections on the surface as rose petals floated on top of it all. Kiya helped Aelia Fausta disrobe and Sahli aided her as she sunk into the water.
The baths were a time for reflection as much as they were for cleansing, but Aelia Fausta clearly did not have time to relax or reflect. She motioned hurriedly for the servants to start scrubbing her skin, so she may be oiled, dried, dressed, and prepared to meet the young senator who had caught her eye. Kiya had to stifle a smile. She could remember the way her own sisters had gotten ready in much the same way, preening and worrying about the smallest of details even if the suitor may have turned out to be no suitor at all.
And I cannot wear anything but the simplest garments when I see Erden, she thought with a small sigh of regret.
“I must make a good impression on Aurelius Clavius,” Aelia Fausta hissed between clenched teeth. “A husband who is a Senator! My father would be so proud! And I could finally get out of the damnable provinces and settle somewhere with class and sophistication.”
That, too, brought a grin to Kiya’s lips, but it evaporated as soon as she remembered the look Aurelius Clavius had given her.
I only wish Mistress does not require my aid during the evening…
***
Kiya’s hope to avoid the dashing Senator had been slim, and crushed quickly and efficiently underneath the fine sandals Aelia Fausta wore. As the mistress’s favorite, Kiya was prepared for the night as well, dressed in a demure green tunic that was cinched at the waist, and even allowed to wear bracelets on her arms and pins in her hair. When she caught her reflection as she and Lucia were following the mistress in, she felt a tinge of sadness that Erden could not see her like that.
No matter what, she could not shake the bear from her thoughts. She had warned him about Julius Augusti
nus’s plan, and the depth of spirit she saw in his eyes as response to that was mind-boggling. He took it like it was nothing at all. An unavoidable trouble on his path.
“I will win,” he had said, saving Kiya from begging that he do it for her if not for himself.
She barely knew him, yet she would have gladly tried to implore him to fight for his life if he had not been so keen to do it himself. Now, they were left to wait, and Kiya to worry, until the lanista made his next move. Until then though, Kiya had other things to worry about, though it was awfully hard focusing on them rather than the memories of how Erden looked, towering above her.
Still, his conviction made her smile, and she wore that same smile as she stepped into the reception hall in Aelia Fausta’s wake. Julius Augustinus and Aurelius Clavius were deep in conversation already. Kiya and Lucia slipped into the corners of the room, picking up a wine pitcher each and standing quietly near single sentinel guards, fitting into their roles with practiced ease.
Aurelius Clavius greeted Aelia Fausta. Kiya could not disagree that the man was handsome. He was one of the youngest Senators, a Macavia native, and he often visited home. He was, by far, the most eligible bachelor still left in town and Kiya could understand why Aelia Fausta was ready to bend over backwards to please this man. But Kiya knew with great power came great hunger.
His hawk-like features were sharp and deadly. When his eyes rested on Kiya after exchanging pleasantries with Aelia Fausta, she felt naked under his gaze. It made her squirm uncomfortably and she was thankful for not being allowed to meet someone’s eyes. She knew that his would fill her with coldness while Erden’s made her blaze with heat.
“Have a seat, Senator! Can I offer you some wine?” Julius Augustinus queried, motioning Kiya to come closer.
She obliged his command obediently, walking to the seated trio with her eyes downcast. First, she poured the wine into the goblet held up by the Senator. He startled her as his hand went over her strong thigh and then up to her stomach, but she did not stop pouring.
“A fine specimen you have here, Julius Augustinus. Is she well-bred?” Aurelius Clavius queried, talking about Kiya as if she were some prized horse, not a human being.
His touch made her gag, but she kept her expression stoic as she poured wine for the lanista and then the mistress as well. The lanista’s wife was out of town currently, otherwise she would have been present and perhaps the Senator a bit better behaved. But amongst men and young women, it was not uncommon for slaves to be used for all sorts of things, gruesome and delicious alike. Julius Augustinus himself kept several slaves he liked to fuck and give to his guests to partake in as well, but the lady’s maids were exempt from this obligation.
“She is. Daughter of royalty, I believe,” Julius Augustinus said, his lazy gaze rolling over Kiya’s body.
“It is rare to find good Egyptian slaves these days. With our relations improving with them, they seem to have stopped importing anything but the lowest of the low,” Aurelius Clavius mused as Kiya was excused.
She could feel his slimy eyes on her until she reached her spot again and sure enough, he was still looking at her when she stopped and turned. Aelia Fausta tossed Kiya a seething look, as if it was her fault that the Senator seemed more inclined to talk about the quality of Julius Augustinus’s slaves than he did anything else.
Kiya frowned slightly. Her hands shook just the tiniest bit around the jug of wine, but she did her best to keep it from showing. If Aelia Fausta chose to get angry at her, there would be little to nothing she could do about it. But she could keep from feeding that annoyance. A slave’s life was based on the whims of their masters, and Kiya was not about to make her situation any worse than what the Senator was already making it.
“I don’t disagree. My wife has long been nagging me for a proper Egyptian maid. Presumably only they can oil her right,” Julius Augustinus laughed, drawing Aurelius Clavius’s attention and thankfully relieving Kiya in the process. “Now, Senator. To what do we owe the pleasure?”
“I saw your lovely daughter after the games and I thought it best to come and pay you a visit,” the Senator said, flashing a wide, toothy grin. “I have heard many good things about you, Julius Augustinus, and the sight of your daughter only compelled me further to come and search for your aid.”
He was so slippery he could have put eels to shame.
“My aid? You honor us so, Senator!” the lanista bellowed, exchanging a look with his daughter.
“It is an honor simply having you in our home, Senator,” Aelia Fausta confirmed, seeming to forget about her ire and putting her efforts into being a charming hostess.
Kiya could see the little twitches of worry that crossed over the highborn daughter, but she had to admit that Aelia Fausta was doing a fine job of hiding it. Kiya hoped that whatever the Senator had in store would cause Aelia Fausta to forget all about her annoyance with her slaves. What followed next threatened to be more than Kiya bargained for, however.
“I am honored you say that,” Aurelius Clavius said, sneaking another glance at Kiya. He cupped his hands around his drink and took a deep sip, swishing the wine around in his mouth before swallowing. “I find myself in a precarious situation. I have some Senators coming to visit Macavia, but due to timing issues they have missed the great games for this turn. Yet, I have gushed to them about the quality of our gladiators and the high standards of our hospitality.”
“And how may we aid in this?” Julius Augustinus queried, leaning forward.
The eagerness on his face would have been comical if Kiya didn’t know there was a shrewd tactician underneath that mask.
“Well, having visited your home now, I feel I could ask you for a great favor. Would it be in your interest to put together an evening for the Senators and myself, complete with fights amongst your men, wine, and of course, women? I do not wish to alarm a lady’s ears, but my contemporaries are men with great hunger. In more ways than one,” the young Senator said, passing a look at Kiya that threatened to bring tears to her eyes.
She knew what that look meant. If that evening were to happen, she would not be safe. As soon as Julius Augustinus broke into a wide smile, Kiya knew that her fate was sealed. And so did the Senator. Even if she was not offered up freely, he would find her, and no one would deny one of the most powerful men in the empire a simple slave girl.
“But Senator, it would be a blessing to our house! We would like nothing better than to give the revered servants of the empire a night to remember! You may count on us. We will not disappoint,” he said, stressing the words so no one could question his determination.
“Excellent! I saw your bear in the arena. I think he would please the Senators immensely. Please use him as well for the evening. Beast gladiators are so rare in the more civilized corners of the empire these days that having one here would be a true treat.”
Now the grin Julius Augustinus wore took a much more sinister shade to it.
“I have just the right spectacle in mind, Senator. Your wishes shall all be fulfilled.”
Kiya’s stomach dropped. Like with the flick of a wrist, the happy anticipation within her was trampled and destroyed and all that was left was a dark, growing sense of dread.
CHAPTER SIX
Kiya
Gods, keep my wits about me.
Kiya walked down the long, narrow corridors with the healer hood drawn over her head. She hadn’t been down in the gladiator dormitories since her first visit with Erden, but she knew she had to see him again. It was worth the risk of getting caught. It had to be.
Her hands were shaking and her palms were sweaty as she held onto the small tray of salves and lotions the healers tended to carry. This time,she had brought some special salves as well, recipes passed down in her family and unknown to the Romans. She knew Erden had to be almost completely healed—she had seen him practice that day—but she wanted to give him a token of her appreciation. Something to give her an excuse to see him, other than the mounti
ng fear within her that led her to foolishness.
“What do you want, healer?” the guard demanded gruffly, standing outside of Erden’s quarters.
He was lucky to have his own room. Only the finest of the fighters were given any privacy and Erden was one of the few in the ludus to be afforded that luxury. Kiya didn’t say a word, but fished around in her robes for the small sealed jug that she had brought for just this occasion. She passed it to the guard, who looked at it questioningly for a moment before accepting it.
She breathed out a sigh of relief in the darkened halls as he motioned for her to knock on the door. It had all been Lucia’s plan, both how Kiya had gotten into the dormitories the first time and now as well. Lucia knew a few of the servants who worked in the dormitories and how the healers came and went after big fights. The first time it had been a simple case of bribing the regular healer and letting Kiya take her place, but now, the stakes were higher.
Lucia had spent a lot of time trying to dissuade Kiya from her foolhardy plan, but she couldn’t be swayed. Something within her told her that she had to see Erden again, to talk to him. It would be the only way to silence the nagging feeling that she was walking into darkness without a single light to guide her home. He was that beacon she was searching for.
“Come in,” Erden’s low voice called.
Kiya quickly slipped in, balancing the tray in one hand.
“Kiya,” he said, and her name sounded like a promise on his lips.
She couldn’t help but smile to herself as she set the tray back. The hood pushed back over her curly hair, she stood in the middle of the room, looking at him. The longing within her screamed at her ever louder and she felt the familiar shiver of need run up her spine. Never had she thought of a man as anything more than a captor, a ruler, a strength greater than her. But in Erden, she could see a kindred spirit. A protector. Someone to run to, as silly as it may have sounded.