"We belong to Argon Vanasha, a Wegan," Oretta continued.
Wegans were the worst owners. They didn't allow freedom, unless some gladiator won it by killing everybody else in the arena. Oretta didn't look like a gladiator, but Moreno did.
"Our first owner wasn't too bad, but after the fall of the Triumvirate we passed hands a few times until Master Vanasha acquired us. Moreno doesn't remember what came before the Vanasha Dungeon. Almost immediately the gladiators' trainer noticed him and made him his favorite victim. Moreno never saw his face – he always wore a mask – and calls him the black shadow who tortured and raped him for over a year. The few times I managed to see him he was always worse and barely recognized me. So eventually I managed to run away with him."
"How?" Vorus snapped. "Your brother doesn't look like he could go very far and how did you get out of a Wegan facility? They're labyrinths, as far as I know."
"We had help," Oretta admitted. "Another gladiator showed us the way out of the dungeon."
"Did they find out you escaped?" Arco asked, now fully awake and engrossed in the tale.
"Yes, and that's when Moreno was wounded and our ally split from us, so they'd follow him. We managed to get far enough away to hide in the forest – where you found us. Now we're here, in your hands. We're slaves of a Wegan and as they often repeated to us there's no way we'll ever be set free. Our Wegan master will want us back dead or alive – possibly alive so he can kill us with further torture and rape."
Oretta fell silent and hung her head again.
"I have good news for you," Vorus said. "No Wegan can trespass on my lands. You're under my protection now. You might consider yourself free, but you don't have anywhere to go, unless you want Master Vanasha to catch you and your brother. So you're stuck here, at least until we find a way out of this."
"We could buy them out," Arco suggested. "Although Argon Vanasha is a bastard, I doubt he'd sell any of his slaves to us."
"I doubt he'd resell Moreno," Oretta whispered.
"What's wrong with him?" Arco asked.
"I don't know," she answered. "He's traumatized, I guess. During our escape he had a few of those seizures that slowed us down considerably. And when he feels better, he doesn't talk. That's why Keno helped us escape – he said he couldn't watch Moreno die or go crazy like that."
"My goodness!" Lorinda commented, shocked.
"We'll take care of him," Vorus said. "We'll find a doctor."
"I don't think he can heal," Oretta said sourly. "He's scarred forever."
"We'll see," Wanda said. "There's not just body doctors, or shrinks, you know?"
"Oretta." The voice startled them. Moreno was in the doorway and stared at his sister and the others with a bewildered look on his face. Oretta rushed to him. "Where are we?" he asked, unsure.
"We're safe," she answered, hugging him. "Why did you get out of bed? Vorus will send a doctor to see you, go back to bed."
"I'm fine," he replied, looking at the others, wary.
Oretta introduced him to everyone. Moreno appeared to be sane now, but still looked scared.
"You won't send me back to training?" he asked, anxious.
"No," Vorus promised. "You will stay here until you heal, then you can go where you want. You're free."
"Free?" Suddenly Moreno smiled, a sweet and shy smile that made Wanda gasp.
"Go back to bed now," Oretta said.
"No, I'm fine," he replied.
"Come to bathe and change clothes, then," Wanda suggested. "Then we can talk again."
Moreno glanced at his sister then followed Wanda out of the room.
"What training was he talking about?" Arco asked when the two were gone.
Oretta sighed.
"Gladiator training," she explained. "But he refused to fight. He was punished many times because he refused to use weapons. He was in the infirmary of the arena – again – when Keno led us out and I managed to run away with him."
"I thought gladiators were volunteers," Lorinda whispered.
"Not in the Wegan clubs," Vorus answered gloomily.
4.
"You looked better before," Wanda said wrinkling her nose. She took a mirror and put it in front of Moreno's face. She'd cut his hair, but she wasn't a very good hairdresser. "When they were wet they looked better," she commented. "Do you like this haircut?"
He dazzled her with another smile. "Yes."
She closed her eyes, savoring her joy. There was some kind of innocence to him that Zaphadin completely lacked. Moreno wasn't very smart and he was too meek for his own good, hence the abuse of a sadist. If he wasn't lost in his personal nightmare, he was innocuous and obeyed every order as if he were used to it. He had nothing of the spoiled star who was ruining his life with his own hands – quite the opposite.
When she opened her eyes again, he was staring at her with his head titled. She giggled at his funny look, emphasized by the strange haircut.
"I'll call Oretta," she said rising from her stool and putting down the mirror. He rose too and the sheet covering him fell. Strands of hair glided to the floor.
Dressed in new clothes he looked different. The long sleeves of his shirt covered the wound and the bruises. Wanda had seen many on his back while she washed him as carefully as she could, and each had told a story of suffering and pain. She better stop touching him and reading his feelings before it was too late.
You're handsome, she thought nevertheless, taking him in one more time. Then she turned to go and call Oretta who was washing with Lorinda's help.
He grabbed her arm and pulled her closer to him without embracing her. He brushed her face with his hand.
"You're very beautiful and very kind," he whispered. "What's your name?"
"Wanda." She wasn't surprised he couldn't remember her name. Besides she was too happy for the light contact to care – although she strengthened her shields to avoid seeing the shadows haunting his mind.
"It's a beautiful name," he declared, letting her go.
He smiled, signaling to her to show him the way. A second smile only for her. Wanda locked it in her heart. Neither Feliks nor Zaphadin ever made such an impression on her. But he was even more traumatized than Zaphadin, she'd have to be careful.
"You look funny!" Oretta burst out laughing and hugged her brother.
"And you look weird," he replied. He seemed to be completely in control and was starting to relax in the big country house.
"She's not weird, only more elegant," Lorinda said. "Don't you like her better?"
"I'm not the one who should like her," Moreno said with a smile.
Oretta cleaned up was gorgeous and Wanda noticed Vorus's attraction for the runaway slave. He liked that woman too much, especially now that she was relaxed and some color had come back to her cheeks. I don't have time to fall in love, he kept telling himself. But something inside him was screaming and shouting – twenty-six years without love were a lot, especially watching Arco and Lorinda's happiness every single day.
"Shall we celebrate the guests?" Arco suggested. "Come on, let's put on some music! Let's dance!"
Lorinda and Wanda cheered.
"I can't dance," Moreno said, doubtful.
"We shall teach you," Wanda answered. "Come on, Arco, find that music."
Arco programmed a selection of ballads and dance songs and soon music filled the living room, but Vorus remained seated. He kept staring at Oretta who was trying to learn the moves, laughing at her clumsy attempts with Arco and Lorinda.
Wanda tried to hide her smile when Oretta realized Vorus hadn't joined them.
"You don't dance?" she asked him, a little worried. "Are you angry?"
"No, but I must leave now," he said, rising.
"Where are you going?" she protested. "Don't be so serious, you're still young, join us!"
He tried to resist, but couldn't. The improvised party intoxicated them all. They laughed and joked and all the problems of the universe seemed gone. Zaphadin's music worked
wonders on everybody and Wanda was happy.
Then Moreno crumbled to his knees with a stifled cry, holding his head. It hit him always like that without warning. The black shadow loomed over him and screamed obscenities he couldn't stop. His broken body refused to move and the shadow hit him again and again.
"Enough," he begged, curling up in a fetal position, trying to protect himself from the man only he could see and feel. "Enough!"
He lost consciousness. Wanda gasped for breath as she got out of his tortured mind.
***
When he woke up, Moreno saw a sweet face leaning over him. It wasn't Oretta, nor any of the ugly women who took care of gladiators. Moreno tried to remember where he'd seen her.
She smiled at him.
"Feeling better?" she asked. Her voice seemed to travel through layers of wadding and fog that filled his brain. No, he didn't feel better. He hurt, he felt hundreds of burning wounds. He didn't answer and closed his eyes again with a grimace of pain.
Wanda pursed her lips and softly called Oretta.
"He opened his eyes, but he didn't recognize me."
"Happens," Oretta said sourly. "He's not back yet."
"Why did they hurt him like this?" Wanda asked, staring at the restless young man. If he was asleep, it wasn't a quiet sleep. "What did he do to deserve such punishments?"
"Nothing," Oretta answered, thoughtful, looking at her brother. "Maybe he's too handsome for his own good."
Wanda gulped and quickly dried a tear, hoping Oretta wouldn't see her, but failing.
"Don't worry so much for my brother," the runaway slave said gently.
"I can't help it," she replied, sniffling. She couldn't tell Oretta she could see Moreno's mind.
"Why do you care?" Oretta was stunned. "You didn't even know he existed two days ago!"
"He's so lonely and upset I want to protect him and heal him and love him forever," she said without thinking. She pursed her lip, cursing herself for saying it out loud.
"Right." Oretta sighed. "Except you're rich and he's only a slave."
"Slavery is forbidden," Wanda snapped. "He's a free citizen of the Star Nations! And he's young, he'll be able to start a new life! I'd like to be part of it, that's all."
"I hope so."
Wanda didn't say anything else and stared at Moreno. He was opening his eyes again. Oretta took his hand with a reassuring smile.
"You're out," she said tenderly. "You're not a slave anymore. Remember? We're in Wanda's house."
"Wanda," he whispered. He looked at her. He recognized her now. Wanda, his new, beautiful and sweet nurse who had washed him and dressed his wounds with gentle care. He tried to smile.
"I'm fine," he said. "Don't look so worried, I'm fine. I'm only very tired." He briefly closed his eyes then looked at Wanda again. "I'm afraid I ruined the party," he apologized.
"No, we kept dancing without you and we had lots of fun in spite of you!" Oretta said cheerfully.
Wanda giggled at the lie and Moreno smiled against his will.
"You're crazy," he said, sounding exhausted. "Isn't my sister crazy, Wanda?"
"No she's not," Wanda answered.
"He didn't get angry?" he asked, serious again.
"Who, Vorus? Nah, it takes much more to make him angry," Wanda assured him. "Besides, he knows that you're sick." Again a half-lie, since she'd seen how annoyed her elder brother was by Moreno's seizures. But no need to make the poor young man feel guilty for something he had no control over.
"Where is he now?"
"He went to check if he can help you."
"No!" Moreno sat up, terrified. "I don't want to go back there, not even for a minute!"
"Calm down." Oretta tried to push him down again. "You won't go back, don't worry."
"No! I don't want them to find me! They'll take me back!"
Moreno pushed away both girls. He was hallucinating again. Staggering, he headed for the door of the room. The girls tried to stop him, but couldn't. When he was in that state, he couldn't hear his sister's pleas.
"Arco!" Wanda called. "Arco, stop him!"
Arco rushed to help. Moreno walked like a robot, looking for Vorus to kill him. Arco tried to block him, but he was thrown against the wall. He moaned in pain, holding his shoulder. Nobody could stop Moreno.
He opened the door to Vorus's office. Startled, Vorus looked up and noticed the fixed stare of the slave. He looked back without moving.
Moreno's eyes filled with tears. "Please, don't send me back there," he begged. Then he crumbled to the floor.
Wanda and Oretta rushed to his side and Vorus rose to help them put him back into bed.
"What just happened?" he inquired with a frown.
"Forgive him, he wasn't in control," Oretta answered, head hung. "He was terrified..."
How could they do this to him? Wanda wondered, depressed. She'd tried in vain to break into Moreno's mind, but when he was possessed by his nightmares, she couldn't help him.
"Are you all right?" Vorus asked his brother.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Arco answered. But he was still holding his hurt shoulder. Wanda could understand he was upset. Nobody had ever hit Arco. He'd been always so loved... and the murderous guest had unsettled him.
5.
"Arco, what's wrong?" Lorinda asked, hugging her boyfriend.
"I don't know," Arco whispered. "I can't explain."
"Does your shoulder still hurt?"
"Yes. But it's nothing compared to the pain he feels." Arco massaged his shoulder, thoughtful. "You know, I never saw anyone like that."
"Me neither." Lorinda shivered against him. "He scares me."
"He scares you?" Arco squeezed her. "You shouldn't fear him," he said caressing her hair.
"He attacked you," she said with a pout.
"He wasn't in control," he replied. "Don't hate him, it's not his fault if he's like this. And don't fear him, he won't hurt you."
"Fine." She nestled against him to hide her frown.
"Nothing bad happened," he insisted.
"I think it's dangerous to keep him here," she retorted. "He's a gladiator and he's crazy!"
"He's not crazy and he didn't choose to be a gladiator," he replied. "Anyway, you can leave anytime. He's staying."
"That's not what I meant," she grumbled. "I didn't want... didn't think..."
"Forget it," he said, holding her. "Forget he exists, all right? You won't see him again."
He pulled away from her to look her in the eyes. She nodded. He smiled and kissed her, holding her tight. But he wasn't smiling anymore.
***
"Hello brother. Am I disturbing you?" Arco sat on the edge of Vorus's desk without waiting for a reply. "What are you doing?"
"I'm thinking," Vorus answered. "We can't keep Moreno here."
"Why not? He's free, and this is our home."
"I know." Vorus stood and started pacing his office. "But he needs medical assistance. I don't want to throw him out, I want him to heal, then he can come back here."
Arco sighed. He was hoping to be able to save Moreno himself, but Vorus was right. They needed the help of pros.
Vorus had stopped by the window and looked outside in the garden. Moreno was talking and laughing with Oretta and Wanda.
"Look at him," Vorus said. "Now he's fine. He laughs, he's cheerful and normal. But his seizures are so sudden that it's impossible to foresee them coming. We can't keep sedating him every time it happens, we must find a cure. And there's no house doctor here."
"What can we do?" Arco asked, frowning in worry. He'd joined his brother and stared at Moreno's happiness.
"I don't know," Vorus answered, thoughtful. "Going back to town with them means locking them in the penthouse, lest their owner sees them and claims them."
They watched in silence for a moment.
"Don't you think Wanda likes Moreno a lot?" Arco asked, breaking the silence.
"Yes." Vorus smiled. "I'm glad she found someone real to concentrate upo
n."
"Well, Zaphadin is real, except apparently he's an asshole." Arco shrugged. "I think Wanda prefers virtual lovers – or men who won't touch her anyway."
"Arco..." Vorus chided. "You never understood anything, did you?"
"About what?"
"Wanda. She's a telepath. That's why it's so hard for her to have a relationship with anyone. Same with Lyssa. It took her ages to find a boyfriend and she had to move to the Sire planet!"
"Oh." Puzzled, Arco stared at his brother. That explained a lot. "So you think Wanda can read Moreno's mind?"
"I think so. Although there probably isn't much left with any sanity. Must be tough to be able to see what he's been through. Unless it's too muddled to be clear..."
"But then... she's even better than a doctor," Arco said. "Why don't we send her with Moreno and Oretta to the chalet? Moreno is never violent towards women and having two sweet nurses might help, don't you think?"
Vorus glanced at him and pondered. "Fine," he said quickly. "Let's see if Wanda is up to it."
***
Wanda went back to her town apartment to pack more things for a longer stay. She liked the idea of the little chalet in the mountains, away from everything. It had been a men's retreat when her parents were alive – Dad would go there with Vorus and Arco while she went to Aunt Gisella with her mother. She'd considered moving there herself, since her brothers seemed to prefer town or country life, but now Vorus suggested she take Moreno there.
Wanda wasn't sure she could help the runaway slave. Moreno's mind was still quite confused and full of shadows, so not even she could see the seizures coming. But she noticed that she had some power over him – her mind could soothe his if she could touch him. That wasn't anything she'd experienced before, so she wondered if it was telepathy or some other form of empathy that allowed her to heal with her mind – at least the non-physical wounds.
Before heading for the mountains, she stared at her room one more time and thought about Feliks. I'm twenty-two, I can't keep living on dreams, she thought, biting her lower lip. Moreno was real, but also traumatized, she couldn't expect him to be gentle if they managed to get naked together. She suspected at the moment he was also quite impotent, but that was one more reason to learn something about men before trying to heal him.
Star Minds Interregnum Page 19