by London Casey
“To the victor. I will demand a rematch—once I am recovered.”
“You know where to find me.”
Laughter surrounded him as Quintus led him out of the yard. Only one person didn’t react, except to follow him with her gaze, hands twisted together in her lap. Kane nodded to her, and closed his eyes when she turned away from him.
He deserved no less.
By the time Quintus led him to the slave room and removed the shackles from his wrists, Kane wanted nothing more than to lie on the uncomfortable pallet and sleep the rest of the day. The bone deep exhaustion worried him.
“How long—” He cleared his throat, his voice raw. “How long did we fight?”
“Ten minutes, maybe a bit more.” Quintus pulled a long chain from the pile near the wall, and to Kane’s surprise, attached only one shackle, around his right ankle. Over the loose trousers he wore to fight. “I honestly expected both of you to fall over long before that. My captain was impressive, and you were—a surprise.” Finished, Quintus leaned against the wall next to the door, crossed his arms. “You’ve used a sword before.”
“Only in self-defense, and not well.”
“You showed me differently in the yard. You have a natural talent. If you like, I will teach you what I know.”
Kane studied him, surprised by the offer. “Why?”
“It will be a challenge for me. And a way to make amends for letting my temper get the better of me, for causing the rift between you and your wife.”
“That wasn’t your fault.”
“It was my doing. I acted in haste, and you pushed her away because of my actions.”
“I would be honored.”
“Good.” Quintus straightened, and waved to whoever stood outside the room. Hild scurried in, leaving a tray of food and a bucket of water before she disappeared. “I believe she’s afraid of you.”
“I may have growled at her, once or twice, after I was flogged.” He reached for the bucket, and let out a groan as every muscle complained. “Hell.”
“Allow me.” Quintus lifted the bucket, set it next to him, and picked up the cloth on the edge. “I can help you, if you like, or leave you to it. It won’t be the first time I’ve washed a wounded man. I have done my share of field medicine.”
“Help would be—appreciated.”
Kane clenched his jaw, to keep from cursing as the water hit his still raw back.
“It is healing well. You are fortunate—the other scars prevented Villius from inflicting as much damage as he would have liked.”
Kane swallowed, lowered his head, let the warm water ease the aches. When Quintus stood, he was half asleep.
“Take some rest, Kane. The food will be waiting for you when you wake.” He paused in the doorway. “And Marius wants a word, once you have recovered.”
“About what?”
“Elizabeth.”
That yanked him out of his stupor. “What about her?”
“He wants to keep her occupied, without allowing her to put herself in any danger. He’s afraid she and Appia may—investigate on their own. Appia has a reputation for going her own way. It seems Elizabeth has the same tendency.”
“She has more courage than anyone I know.” And he knew it could get her into trouble. With a killer out there, he wanted her safe. Damn it, he wanted to protect her himself. But he mucked that up in the worst way possible. “Don’t let her do anything on her own.”
“She will be protected. I promise you. Now rest, my friend. You need to rebuild your strength.”
Once Quintus left, Kane lowered himself to the pallet, resting on his stomach. He already hurt enough, and didn’t want to risk rolling over on his back.
He closed his eyes, let thoughts of Elizabeth fill his mind. As he drifted off, he imagined he could even smell her, the soft, warm scent of lavender following him into dreamless, exhausted sleep.
Elizabeth stood outside the door of Kane’s makeshift prison, and listened to him move around. She had hidden in the storage room down the hall after they returned, waiting in agonizing silence for Quintus to leave—and prayed he wouldn’t stop outside the room and stand guard. When he strode past, she let out her breath and snuck down the hall.
She almost smiled when Kane cursed under his breath. After he finally settled, and she heard the deep, even sound of his breathing, she slipped inside, and watched him sleep.
Even at rest, pain etched his face. She had a feeling it would be a while before that went away completely. The shackle and chain attached to his right ankle still hurt to see, but it was better than the complete set they had on him before. Maybe they learned something since last night—a clue that led Marius to be more lenient. He wouldn’t say a word to her, about any of it.
Quietly, she moved around the small room, straightening the few things he had here. When he shifted on the pallet she froze, waiting for him to wake up, discover her skulking around like a stalker.
Instead, he stilled, and she understood the reason for his restless sleep. He was cold.
She found a lightweight, striped cover, and eased it over him, pulling it up until it covered his shoulders. He relaxed immediately. And she couldn’t stop herself; she knelt on the floor beside his pallet, brushed her fingers over his scarred cheek, and fought back the tears that waited, just below the surface. His scent threatened to overwhelm her, heightened by the sweat still drying on his skin.
“Oh, Kane,” she whispered. She wanted to touch him, hold his hand, help him get through this.
She pushed to her feet instead, her right leg aching from the cold wind that swept over the hill today. By the time she reached the hall her tears blinded her—and she ran straight into a tall figure.
“Miss—Elizabeth?” Servius’ voice filtered through her grief. “What are you doing here? You are not to be near the prisoner—and where is the guard? I must report to my mast—the commander, immediately.”
“It’s fine, Servius.” She blinked her eyes clear and grabbed his wrist before he could run off. “He’s chained, and can’t go anywhere. Besides, I think Marius believes he didn’t do it.”
Servius looked surprised, then a smile lit his face. “That is good news. Come, let me escort you back to the courtyard. I believe my mistress is looking for you.”
“Thank you.”
He took her arm when he noticed her limping, and they moved through the praetorium, Servius chattering about the administrative work he had done earlier. Elizabeth listened, nodded at the appropriate times, and kept most of her mind working over the details she knew about the murders. She planned to get all of the details, one way or another, before the day was over.
Maybe… “Servius?”
“Yes?” He stopped before they reached the courtyard. “Is something wrong? I can escort you back to your room if you are feeling—”
“It’s not that. Can you—I know this may be asking too much, but can you help me? I want to help prove that Kane is innocent, but I need more information.”
“You want me to obtain it for you.”
“If you can.”
He sounded—angry. She opened her mouth to tell him never mind when he smiled.
“I will do what I can. A murder investigation—it will be exciting!”
His enthusiasm reminded her too late just how young he was. She just hoped he could keep a secret.
Chapter Nineteen
Mac stared at Harper, his heart pounding. “I don’t believe you.”
“No surprise, but please, allow me to enlighten you.”
“Why? Why tell me the whole underhanded plan to take over, when I’m only going to stop you.” If I get out of here alive.
“Perhaps, if you know the truth, you will join me, instead of hindering me. Allow me to tell you why I am here, and we may become allies instead of enemies.”
“Not damn likely, but, hey,” Mac stepped back, toward the intersecting hall. He hated to run, but he would. No one else here gave a damn about finding Kane, and
he refused to leave his friend out there, with no way home. “Give it a shot.”
“We are attempting to reshape the future. You see, Macaffrey, the future we are creating, at this moment, is going to destroy us all if we do nothing to change it.”
“What?” Mac expected just about any excuse, any dark, selfish take-over-the-world plot. But not this.
“He’s telling the truth, Mac.” Colette stepped out of the hall, her pistol aimed at him. “My order to kill you didn’t come from Harper.” She glanced over at Harper, and dread shot through Mac when the rat bastard nodded. Damn it—he was right. He couldn’t trust her. “I wasn’t lying when I said it would be easier to kill you if I didn’t like you. I was bracing myself to finish the job when Harper stopped me—almost too late.” Mac closed his eyes. “Please, Mac, you have to believe him. The portal, what we’re doing here—it’s going to kill us all.”
“You’ve been working for him, all this time.” She stared past him, her jaw clenched as she nodded, once. That knowledge was bad enough. Worse was knowing the rat bastard saved his life, and now he—damn it all to hell, now Mac owed him for it. “And Carrie?”
“She doesn’t know anything! She just likes you, and considers it her job to help people who need it. I shouldn’t have dragged her into this.”
“She will not be harmed, Sergeant.” Harper straightened his suit. “As long as she knows nothing of the organization, she is perfectly safe.”
“And I’m not,” Mac said.
Harper studied him, those cold blue eyes unreadable. “You could be—useful. But only if you believe me, and understand that helping us means you have to put aside your project to retrieve Kane and his companion.”
“What?” Shock jolted him. “No—hell no. He’s our best agent. He understands the portal more than anyone I know, including me.”
“Then he will be able to find his way back on his own. I will welcome him, Macaffrey, have no doubt. I understand how valuable he can be to our mission. But I need your complete focus on this.”
“If I say no?”
“You will be asked to leave TimeSearch.”
Mac nearly staggered at that. He helped shape the project, building more than one of the machines that controlled—he always thought barely contained—the alien technology. It was his life now.
“How much time do I have to decide?”
Harper looked at his watch.
“Five minutes. Starting now.”
Mac stumbled back, until he hit the wall. A hand touched his wrist, and he looked up to find Colette next to him.
“We need you, Mac. The reports Harper showed me—” She shuddered. “We have to stop what happens. You can do more than anyone to make that possible.” She moved closer, slipped her hand in his. It took all his control not to jerk away. “I’m sorry I lied to you, but it was meant to protect us both, from whoever wants you dead. And what Harper didn’t tell you is that most of what we’re trying to prevent happens in our lifetime. It’s our future we’re trying to save. Please help us.”
He swallowed and closed his eyes. If what she said was true, he didn’t have much choice. But saying yes meant leaving Kane and Elizabeth out there, on their own. A man he respected more than anyone he ever met, and a courageous woman who gave up everything to help him.
He couldn’t do it.
He had to do it.
He would find a way, to do this and help Kane. It would probably get him killed.
“Damn you, Harper. I’m in.”
Chapter Twenty
Kane kept up the training with Marius—and every day, often right after the public training session, came the private lessons with Quintus.
He hurt, every moment of the day, but he felt stronger. Quintus taught him to fight with both hands, since in battle a soldier could be wounded, losing the use of his dominant side. The days Kane trained with his right arm were the worst. He ended up hunched over in the slave room, his damaged muscles cramping and burning.
The one saving grace was the timid little slave girl, Hild. She got past her fear of him, and used Appia’s magic salve to ease the aches. Her surprisingly strong hands worked and massaged until he could actually sleep without bolting awake in pain.
A month into the grueling schedule, they were no closer to identifying the real killer. Kane’s initial optimism lessened with every passing day, and he resigned himself to a long and lonely incarceration.
He had not seen Elizabeth since the first training session. Marius and Quintus were careful to take him out when she was somewhere else, or occupied by Appia. He missed her, with a deep ache that never went away, not even in sleep.
She must still believe they considered him the prime suspect, since he was chained in this room, and not allowed visitors. Unfortunately, Hild was not a gossip, and she refused to take any message to Elizabeth for him, afraid of the punishment were she caught. Kane didn’t blame her, but the inability to even send a note to her frustrated him.
He decided the next time she brought his tray, he would bribe her with whatever he could, just to have her pass a quick, handwritten note. Quintus surprised him by showing up with the daily tray.
“Good, you’re awake.” He set it on the table and turned to Kane. “I want to discuss the next level of your training—”
“I want to see Elizabeth.” The words leaped out of his mouth before he could stop them.
“You know visitors are not allowed. If we want to keep up the façade that you are under arrest, I can’t let her see you.” He crossed his arms, studied Kane. “I believe I can have a short note sent to her. As long as you don’t reveal anything that will have her investigating on her own.”
“It will all be personal, I promise you.”
Quintus nodded, and stepped out of the room, calling for a writing tablet. “Now, as to your training. You are improving faster than even I expected. I was right—you are a natural with the blade. I want to have you start training with a few of my men.”
Kane didn’t know whether to be honored or nervous. “You are certain about this? I don’t want to be run through by a friend to one of the victims.”
“These men are my friends, and they believe you have been wrongly accused. I trust them with my life, Kane. I can trust them with yours as well.”
He stood, and held out his hand. “It will be an honor to train with them, Quintus. Thank you.”
Quintus took his hand, and smiled. “Your Latin is improving as well.” He laughed at Kane’s reaction. “It was passable when you arrived, but I wanted to keep correcting you when you told me my sword was too long for my breeches.”
“Thank you for not embarrassing me.”
Quintus burst out laughing. “My friend, you managed that all on your own.” Hild came in with a rectangular box and handed it to Quintus. “Here you are. It will have to be short—I am already late to a meeting.”
Kane took the box, and realized it was the same thing Servius used to take notes during their meeting. He opened it, found a thin layer of wax on the inside, with a sharpened length of metal. He quickly figured out that the wax was his paper, and used the rough stylus to scratch a note to Elizabeth, telling her he missed her, that he was sorry. He also wrote it in English, for her, and to keep prying eyes from reading it.
Once he finished, he closed the box and handed it to Quintus. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure. I know this has been difficult, keeping the truth from your wife, keeping yourself from her.” He clapped a hand on Kane’s shoulder. “But she is safer for it.” He smiled as he tucked the box under his arm and moved to the doorway. “And your reunion will be all the sweeter for the time apart.”
Kane sat after he left. That was another part of his life he missed, more than he expected; having her by his side, to talk to, laugh with, touch. She had wrapped herself into his daily habits, so easily and thoroughly he didn’t even notice until he no longer had her with him.
He thought being tied with a woman would leave him fe
eling trapped. But Elizabeth gave him even more freedom, to be the man he wanted to be; the man who could love without reservation, who could trust unconditionally, and who could believe in a life that included happiness.
He was better because of her. And he knew he could never go back to living the life he had before he met her. Even if he lost her, she had given him the gift of believing in himself.
He planned to do whatever it took to keep her by his side.
Quintus came for him the following day, earlier than he expected.
“The captain wants to take his training before he heads down to the vicus. To get any aggressions out, he said,” Quintus flashed a smile, “so he’ll be calm when he faces the merchants. He has to settle a dispute.”
“I’m ready.”
Quintus took the shackle off his ankle, and snapped the smaller set over his wrists. “I won’t need these much longer, my friend, if all goes well these next few days.”
Kane halted, looking over at the centurion. “What are you talking about?”
“The captain said he found a discrepancy. He had Servius send an inquiry to Londinium. It may take a personal journey there, if the information he seeks doesn’t pan out. I don’t want to give you false hope, but I thought you should know he’s on your side. As am I.”
“Thank you, Quintus.”
“I shouldn’t have told you, but I felt you needed some good news. You have not heard anything from your wife?”
Kane shook his head. It hurt to think about, so he pushed it aside again. The last thing he wrote in the note to her was for her to send a reply. There had been nothing—not even a rejection. The silence left an ache he did not know how to get rid of.
He followed Quintus, not running into any of the household servants or slaves. Quintus was a master by now at diverting them. They slipped out through the stable and joined Marius in the yard of the principia.
“Good morning, Kane. Ready to be humiliated?”
He greeted Kane every time with some insult to make him smile. It didn’t work today. Quintus must have said something to him about Elizabeth not responding to his note, because he didn’t question, where normally he would have asked.