“It would be a pleasure, Jenna,” Maia squeezed her hands. “And thank you again, Luke.”
Jenna glanced up at the sky as they left. They were really cutting it fine, the light had all but gone. And they were definitely not in a part of the city that was safe after dark.
“Next time I moan about something, slap me,” she sighed. “Seeing what Maia deals with makes me look positively spoilt.”
“Yeah. Our lives back home are pampered and even the little we have at the temples is more than most families have in this area.”
“It kind of makes you want to bring some benefit frauds from home and dump them here for a month and see how they survive. Next time they wouldn’t be so greedy to steal off the state.”
“You’ve got a twisted mind, Jenna, but I approve.”
“All heart…..” She stopped when Luke suddenly pulled her back.
“Sorry, but I don’t like the look of the crowd up ahead,” his voice was low. “Let’s go around.”
Jenna was not about to question his judgement. He was right though, it looked like a mob, and not the type a female would walk through unscathed.
They were heading down the narrow side street, when the mob they had tried to avoid, crossed in front of them. Luke instantly pushed her into the nearest doorway. They hoped the group had not spotted them, sighing with relief when the sound of voices dissipated.
Luke was just about to pull Jenna back onto the street, when she tuned in to the conversation in the house they were up against. She held her hand up for Luke not to move. It was feint, but she could quite clearly pick up what was being discussed.
“The first ambush will take place after the Emperor passes through the Forum Delitum. Captain, you’ll make sure at least half the Praetorian stay to fight off the attack, leaving Trajan with just minimal guard.”
“No problem, the General trusts my judgement. If I ask for half the guard, that’s what he’ll give me.”
“We’ll take Trajan as he moves through the Via Grande from both ends. He’ll be trapped like a rat.”
There were some evil sniggers.
“What about the Marshall?”
“I think it about time he had an unexpected night visitor.” More evil laughter ensued.
“How do we ensure there are no citizens caught in the middle?”
“There are bound to be a few casualties in ventures such as this. Although it is unlikely there will be many on the streets with the Praetorian descending.”
“We will arrange for reinforcements to be present should the Praetorian give us any grief. We will and must succeed as we won’t get another chance.”
“What about the army presence?”
“Without the Marshall, they will be lost.”
“With the Marshall’s death, won’t the games be cancelled?”
“The Marshall is feared not liked. Trajan is not foolish enough to risk starting a riot by cancelling the activities at the Colosseum. They will run no matter what.”
Jenna was horrified. She had overhead an assassination plot on Emperor Trajan. And Marcus too. She could not believe it. Her head told to run now, get out of there before anyone heard her. But no, she had to try and get a look at the conspirators, especially the Praetorian traitor. She pressed her face up against the wooden slats, trying to get a glimpse of anyone. She guessed she pressed too hard as a broken slat creaked and slid to the side. Not only did she have a great view of the traitors, but they also no doubt clocked her.
“Run,” she whispered to Luke. She reacted with lightning speed, pulling her wrap up to her face and sprinting up the street with Luke.
A few streets away, they darted down another small alley and into the shadows.
“What the hell, Jenna?” Luke looked white, even in the bad light.
“Unless it was an unusual play reading, I….I think I just heard a plot to assassinate the Emperor.” Jenna was in shock.
“An assassination on the Emperor?”
“Yes. When he attends the Colosseum.”
“Can you identify any of them?”
“Yes. And likewise, I’m pretty sure they had a good look at me.” Jenna sank down to her knees. She knew what this meant, she was anything but safe.
“Hell, Jenna, this is serious. You’ve not exactly got a face people can forget.” Luke was sounding very worried indeed.
“Tell me about it.” Jenna thought for a moment. “There is no way I can go back to the temple. I would only be putting Amelia and Cassandra in danger.”
“I’ll take you back to McVale. It’s the only place you can go.”
Jenna stood up, clearly thinking along a different line. “Actually, no it’s not. We both know Trajan isn’t killed, he dies of natural causes a long time from now.”
“And?”
“And what if we were always the ones destined to stop the attempt of his life?”
“What are you saying?”
“We aren’t interfering in history by saving Trajan’s life because I think we were always meant to. How else does he survive this plot?”
“Maybe he has decent guards around him?”
“No. I’m not going to take that risk. He’s not going to die ahead of his allotted time.” Jenna had purpose in her voice.
Luke groaned. “I’m going to regret asking this, but what are you planning?”
“The conspirators are looking for two people together, so it only makes sense for us to split up. That way Mars’ temple will remain safe. I’ll head over to the Marshall’s villa and advise him of what I’ve heard. He’ll know what’s best to do.”
"How do you know where the Marshall lives?” Luke was quick to pick up on that.
“It’s one of the stops on the luxury tour of Rome,” she responded sarkily.
“Gaius will kill me if I let you go on this foolhardy mission,” Luke sighed despairingly.
“He’ll also know there was nothing you could do to talk me out of it.” Jenna reached up and kissed his cheek. “Take care getting back to the temple. I’ll get a message to you.”
Luke watched in awe as she slipped silently through the shadows. For a girl that attracted so much attention, she could certainly blend into the background when needed. But he knew he would not stop worrying until he heard she was safe somewhere.
Jenna would be lying if she said she wasn’t scared. She was terrified, her heart was beating so loud and fast as she tried to stay in the dark. It was not long until she recognised her surroundings. She kept her head bent, avoiding eye contact and slipped unnoticed through the night revellers. She did not want to be seen heading into Marcus villa, she was not sure if any conspirators were watching it.
Breaking out of Marcus’s villa was a damn sight easier than breaking back in. The wall of the courtyard was too high to scale, so she had to resort to climbing up the outside of a neighbouring villa and jumping across onto the roof. She just hoped her landing had not made too much noise. She tiptoed up the tiles to the central ridge before descending the other side. She tried to visualise the layout of the rooms below her. If her maths were correct, she was right above Marcus’ bedroom. She swung down off the roof and dropped into the courtyard below. His bedroom window faced onto the courtyard and the shutters were open just a fraction. She pushed them aside gently and climbed in through the window. The candles from the courtyard added a little light into the room. She turned back towards his bed and almost shot out of her skin. Marcus was propped up in bed on one side, the gold cover pulled up to his waist, his bare chest irritatingly distracting.
“Jenna,” he murmured huskily. “You finally make it to my bed.”
CHAPTER 23
Jenna’s stomach did a somersault, several in fact. She hadn’t really thought this through. She had slipped in the dead of night into the bedroom of an exceptionally delicious Roman. She was glad it was fairly dark in the room so he would not see the colour she had turned.
“This isn’t what is seems, Marcus. I need to talk to you.” H
er voice was unusually high.
“At this late hour?” he voice was silky soft.
“Yes.”
“What was wrong with my front door?”
“I needed to be discreet.”
“I am the master of discretion. But what made you so sure I did not have company?”
“Oh,” she was horrified. That scenario hadn’t even crossed her mind. She would have been mortified if she’d found him with someone. Not to mention devastated. “Sorry, I hadn’t thought about that.”
“Just because you are immune to my charms, doesn’t mean all women are.” His tone was distinctly harsh. “I am a man, Jenna. I do have certain needs.”
“I am not immune, Marcus. But I presumed that as you had clearly expressed an interest in me, you would not be with another.” She turned towards the door, her nerves were well and truly frayed. “Perhaps this was a mistake coming here. I should leave.”
“Wait,” he commanded. “Whatever you wanted to tell me was obviously important enough for you to break into my house in the dead of night. You are here now, so you might as well complete your mission.”
“Talking to you whilst you’re in your bed seems a bit too intimate.” And highly distracting.
“Fine, I’ll come over,” he grunted and rose with grace out of the bed.
Jenna squealed and covered her eyes “Bloody hell, Marcus. You’re naked.”
“Of course. I was in bed before you crashed into my room.”
“Get back under the covers,” she waved a hand erratically at him. “I’ll come over there.”
“As you wish,” he shrugged and lid back under the golden cover.
Jenna felt her heart race, it was bad enough being chased by blood-thirsty conspirators, but to see Marcus in the buff, well that would send any girl over the edge.
She approached his bed and sat on the side. “I need your advice, your help even.” She felt very shaky sitting there under his intense gaze.
He reached out and touched the back of her hand. “Tell me what’s happened,” he said softly.
She picked a spot on the bed and stared at it. It was safer than looking at him. Or rather his beautifully sculpted bare chest. Just the sight of it made her lose her train of thought. “Luke and I were in the Via Lata earlier this evening and…..”
“He took you to Via Lata,” Marcus hissed. “Is the boy insane?”
“Just shut up and listen, Marcus,” she snapped back. She was far too fraught. “Whilst we were in the shadows, keeping out of sight of a large mob, I overheard something. Something terrible.”
“I’m listening.”
“There was a group plotting to kill the Emperor on his next outing to the Colosseum.”
Marcus smiled and stroked her hand. “The Emperor is often having threats made against him. The Praetorian protect him with their lives.”
“One of the conspirators was a Praetorian captain.”
Marcus sat up quickly. She had his attention now. “That cannot be possible. The Praetorian are fiercely loyal.”
“Apparently not. And it is this Captain that will be responsible for separating the Emperor from his protectors.”
“What else did you hear?” There was a slight urgency to Marcus’ voice now.
“You will also be receiving more visitors late at night. But they will have a completely different agenda to me.”
“They want me as well?” Marcus sounded quite pleased.
“Yes. They figure with you dead, the centurion guard will be completely useless.”
Marcus’s eyes rested on her face. “And your first thought was to come here and warn me?”
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak, as he reached out and touched her face. She didn’t see him move, she barely felt a thing, but one second she was upright, the next she was lying on his bed, his body pinning her beneath him.
His mouth was on hers before she had a chance to protest, the movement of his lips was creating havoc on her tattered nerves. She was strung out enough without him reducing her to a wreck. But her body responded of its own accord, her hand slipping into his wonderful black hair, drawing him closer. His hand was gently caressing the outline of her body, setting her skin on fire. She hated what he could do to her. She ran a hand across his bare back, marvelling how smooth and taunt his skin was. A soft moan of pleasure escaped from him. Two can play at that game, she thought smugly.
Eventually her brain caught up with her raging hormones. “Marcus, stop,” she murmured.
“Why?” he responded between kisses.
“Because we have things to sort out.”
“Later,” he whispered. There was only one thing on his mind at present.
“No, now.” She pushed him back onto the bed. “I don’t have time to deal with a sex-crazed Roman.”
He gave a short laugh. “Trust me, Jenna. Since meeting you I am most certainly sex-starved.”
Jenna felt herself colour at his comment. “There is one other thing I have to tell you.”
“What?” he gazed at her as though he was about to pounce again.
“Whilst I can identify the Praetorian captain and one other conspirator, they also got a good look at me as well.”
Marcus muttered something unintelligible under his breath. “They know who you are?”
“I’m not sure if they know I’m from Apollo’s temple, but they would certainly recognise me.”
“Then you have no choice but to accept my protection.”
“I’m not here for me, I’m here to help save the Emperor. He’s not due to die for many years yet,” she responded a little heatedly.
“And how do you know that?”
“Female intuition,” she smiled sweetly.
“Hmm,” Marcus murmured and the next second Jenna was lying on top of him, her body moulding beautifully to his.
Not again, Jenna sighed to herself as Marcus lips tantalised hers. Her tongue was teasing his, softly invading his mouth. God, he tasted delicious. His mouth wandered down her throat, making her body quiver. How could she concentrate on anything when he kept doing this to her?
“It is most disconcerting that one of us is naked and the other still dressed,” he groaned, running his hand down her back, caressing the soft curve of her butt.
“That is so easily rectified.” She saw the lustful look on his face and sat up smiling. “You can always get dressed.”
Marcus threw her a hard look. That was not the response he was looking for, but perhaps the most sensible one. Although having Jenna in his bedroom certainly did not bring out the rational side of him. “Fine,” he grunted and slid out of bed, stalking into his dressing room.
Jenna knew she should look away but Marcus’ butt was so pert she had an uncontrollable urge to sink her teeth into one of the muscular cheeks. Instead she bit one of the bolster cushions.
“Didn’t your mother ever tell you it was rude to stare?” Marcus repeated her own words back to her again.
Jenna responded by burying her head in the cushion. Did the bloody man have eyes in the back of his head?
He reappeared a few minutes later in his usual black tunic. “Come,” he held his hand out to her. “I think we best continue this in my study. Otherwise I may not be responsible for my urges.”
Jenna took his hand and followed him out to his study. He poured her a goblet of wine and sat her down on a bench.
“I will ask Aius to make you something to eat. I take it you have not had dinner?”
“I can survive until morning. I would hate for you to disturb him.”
Those black eyes made her flush. “Very well.” He sat behind his beautifully ornate desk. He had reverted to being the Marshall. “You need to talk me through exactly what happened to tonight, what you heard, what you saw.”
Jenna sat there, recounting everything that had happened, including her entry across the roof. It was easier now he was acting in his official capacity.
He looked lost in thought for a while. “We
have the benefit of knowing when these conspirators will strike. Until then there is not much we can do.”
“Do you know when the Emperor is going to the Colosseum?”
“The day after tomorrow. Which means I’m expecting visitors tomorrow night.” He took a long drink of wine. “Now we come to the matter of your security.”
Mark of Mars Page 20