“You will not tell my mother because if you do, I’ll tell my mother than you have been stealing and lying and demand she send you home,” Aurelia fired back. “You will listen to me, you little country mouse, and you will listen well. You are going to do as I say or there will be trouble. Why did you even come here, anyway? We have not seen you for ten years and, suddenly, you show up unannounced? Why? Why did you even come?”
Gavriella didn’t back down, but she also wasn’t going to answer her bossy cousin’s questions. She’d never had much of an opinion of Aurelia because she’d never spent an inordinate amount of time around her, but the past week had seen that changed.
She wasn’t sure she liked her cousin.
“Please, Gavy,” Camilla pleaded softly. “We’re going to a place that is full of fun and music. Don’t you want to come?”
Fun and music.
Gavriella wasn’t sure such things existed anymore. Did they? Ever since her life changed last year, things like joy and laughter didn’t exist in her world anymore.
Was it possible that people here still laughed and enjoyed themselves?
Camilla seemed to think so.
So did Aurelia.
“Fun and music?” she repeated. “Are we going to a feast, then?”
“In a way,” Aurelia said. She’d spent enough time discussing the point with her killjoy cousin. “Come with us or don’t come with us; ’tis all the same to me. But if you don’t come, you’ll not say a word to my mother or I’ll have her send you back where you came from.”
It was a threat, pure and simple. Gavriella eyed her cousin as Camilla pulled the shift over her head. Whether or not the threat was real, returning home at the moment wasn’t an option.
She was relegated to London until her father sent for her.
“Come on,” Camilla said, pushing her to move. “Hurry and dress. We’re going to have such fun!”
At that point, Gavriella didn’t have much choice. She had already implied that she would comply simply by getting out of bed, and she honestly wasn’t strong enough to fend Camilla off. Therefore, she stood there while Camilla dressed her in the beautiful red silk with the pearls. Gavriella didn’t own anything quite so fine and, in truth, she was a little intrigued by the soft and lovely garment, and the way it emphasized her full breasts.
Breasts that so recently had been engorged with milk for a baby they no longer needed to feed.
In fact, her entire body was a curvier version of the slender woman she used to be before … before the event that changed her life forever.
It was something she would take to her grave, something so horrific that it wasn’t anything she could ever repeat, and especially not to her cousins. Aurelia had asked her why she had visited unannounced, or in her words, simply showed up. Gavriella couldn’t tell her the truth.
The truth was too horrible to even speak of.
She’d been sent to London because her father couldn’t bear to look at her anymore. That was the truth of it. Merek de Leia knew that sending his daughter to his sister in London would get her out of his sight, but it was only a temporary measure until something more permanent could be arranged.
And that is why Gavriella was here.
She hated every minute of it.
Now, her bossy and disobedient cousin wanted them to go gallivanting around in the middle of the night. Gavriella wanted to get back into bed, but that wasn’t going to happen. Therefore, she stood still as Camilla dressed her in the beautiful gown that was just a little too snug. Her full breasts popped up over the top and then some. As Gavriella tried to minimize that pop, Camilla pinned back the front of her hair and then braided it with red ribbons woven into the braids. The gown came with a matching cap, sewn with tiny seed pearls, and Camilla pinned that on the top of her head.
As Aurelia sat at a small dressing table and primped before a polished bronze mirror, Camilla took great delight in primping her country cousin. She, too, had noticed how beautiful Gavriella was with her long, blonde hair and gray eyes shaped like a cat’s eyes, but unlike her sister, Camilla wasn’t threatened by it. She knew that was why her sister was being so mean to their cousin.
It was pure jealousy.
Timid Gavriella had only been there a week and Camilla was fairly certain her sister’s nastiness was only going to get worse, especially when the young men started taking notice of Gavriella more than Aurelia.
“There,” Camilla said, satisfied. “The red color is beautiful on you, Gavy. You look very beautiful.”
Aurelia, hearing her sister’s praise for their cousin, glanced over her shoulder and saw the magnificent woman. But she downplayed it. “She’ll do,” she said. “Come on, now. We must hurry. If it becomes too crowded, they’ll close the doors and will not let us in.”
Camilla put a black cloak on Gavriella’s shoulders as she grabbed her own blue cloak with white rabbit lining. Aurelia was already moving into the adjoining chamber, gathering her things, including her coin purse. Slinging her cloak over her shoulders to cover up a gown the color of emeralds, she faced her sister and cousin.
“Now,” she said softly. “We must be very quiet. Follow me and do not speak. Is that clear?”
Both Camilla and Gavriella nodded. Satisfied that they were going to do as they were told, Aurelia slipped out.
The Asher was something of a labyrinth. It was built just like any other manor house in London, with a central courtyard in the middle of the house. There were four levels to it and a myriad of staircases, making it a large and complex structure.
Aurelia led her sister and cousin down a darkened corridor. She came to a halt at one point, putting her hand on what looked like a wooden panel, but when she pushed the panel, it swung open to reveal a narrow staircase. The women traveled down the staircase in the dark, trying not to fall in the darkness, as they made their way to the level below, which happened to be a servant’s pantry.
The pantry was connected to the scullery which was connected to an inner hall with a fortified exterior door. The door led out into a side yard, which was used for tradesmen when they came to do business with the manor. Because of this, there was a postern gate lodged into the massive wall that surrounded The Asher. The postern gate was guarded by a pair of soldiers, but Aurelia was prepared. She slipped the soldiers each a coin, ensuring their silence and cooperation, and they opened the gate for her.
The women slipped out into the night.
The Asher was located on a quiet road in the northeast section of London’s walled city. Aurelia moved quickly and confidently through the darkened streets, which smelled like animals and rubbish. They were heading into the warmer months and the weather had been mild, with no rain, which meant the smells of the city were starting to become more evident. This was a time when people kept their windows closed purely to block out the stench of the city.
That was something Gavriella was still trying to get used to, that sharp and acrid stench of human habitation. Smells like this in the north where she came from were only common in the larger villages and certainly not usual where she lived. Her home was on the gently rolling hills of the borders and the only smells other than the stables and the moat were of the blooming heather or other flora and fauna.
Thinking about it made her miss it terribly.
Here she was, in this unfamiliar city with people she barely knew, and it was difficult not to become overwhelmed with grief. So far, there wasn’t anything about London that she liked and she longed to return home. Aurelia made it difficult to want to stay in London, as her father wished, but at least Camilla made it a little more bearable. Whereas Aurelia was bossy and scheming, Camilla was truly sweet and a little silly. Her sister had great influence over her, that was true, but Gavriella wondered if that damage could be undone.
She was sorry to see vulnerable Camilla fall subject to her sister’s deviousness.
In fact, she had fallen victim to it, too. Aurelia had threatened and bullied, and she’d gone
right along with it like a submissive little cow. The proof of that was right before her – she was out running around in the middle of the night on the dangerous streets of London, following her cousin as the woman led them towards some unknown destination. They were allegedly going to a feast of fun and music, but given how sly and underhanded Aurelia was, Gavriella wondered if that was the truth.
Where Aurelia was concerned, anything could happen.
Something told her they were going to a tavern they’d visited once before, a terrible place called The Pox, but knowing Aurelia, it was probably someplace worse. Still, she followed like that stupid cow, with no mind and no ability to make a decision for herself. She felt dumb and fearful, but not dumb and fearful enough to turn around and go home. Maybe there was a small part of her that wanted to make sure Camilla was protected, even if she really didn’t care what happened to Aurelia.
As far as she was concerned, her cousin would get what she deserved.
They were getting closer to the river now. Gavriella could smell the fish and the rot as it radiated off the River Thames. She had noted that smell earlier in the week because her aunt had taken her to the street of the merchants, which was near the river itself. That rotted river smell seemed to permeate everything it could touch.
Thoughts of smells and stupid cows were pushed aside as she noticed a silhouette against the backdrop of the moonlit sky. She could see a bell tower and walls that clearly indicated a church, but as they drew closer, Gavriella could see that there was no roof on the church. It was derelict. The walls looked like great rib bones of a dead and desolate beast, eerily dark, and Aurelia took them onto a smaller street that ran alongside the church to the east. They stayed close to the walls of that burned-out church, making their way in the darkness until they came to a massive door built into the side of the building.
Aurelia knocked twice, two heavy knocks, several seconds apart. The response wasn’t immediate and as they stood there, eyes darting nervously about the darkness, fog began to roll in from the river. They could see it snaking through the street and alleyways and cresting over the tops of the buildings like the wave of a great storm. Something about that fog rolling in over the darkened streets of London gave them a measure of apprehension.
Gavriella watched the fog edge closer and closer. Aurelia lifted her hand and knocked in the same fashion again, two heavy knocks with a long pause between. As the fog grew closer, encroaching on them, Gavriella felt Camilla lean into her fearfully. The fogs of London were known to be extraordinarily thick at times and if a truly heavy fog rolled in, it would be difficult to see their hands in front of their faces. No one wanted to get caught in a fog like that.
Evil things lurked in fog.
Especially in the darker side in London.
Just as the fog began to roll over the skeleton of the old church, the door opened. Two very large men, heavily armed, were standing in the opening. They looked at the three women huddled there without a hint of warmth or welcome in their expressions.
“Da verbum,” one man growled.
Aurelia was without fear. “Gomorrah.”
“Name?”
“De Kennet. Earl of Blackburn.”
Like magic, the men took her coinage and backed away, permitting the women to enter. Just as the fog enveloped the burned-out ruins, the heavy door was shut behind them. But for a small torch on the wall, they were in complete darkness.
It felt like a tomb.
One of the men pushed past them and took the torch off the wall.
“Come,” he said.
The man led them through a small, dark corridor and towards a stairwell that led down into the depths beneath the old church. As Gavriella’s eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could see that they were in a sublevel beneath the floor of the old church.
There were tombs down here, and crypts, from long-forgotten burials. The smell of rot was heavy down here, the dampness thick. London had a high water table, which meant that not many things were built below ground, but places like churches often built vaults beneath them to accommodate burials.
This was one of those places. Beneath the old church, an entire world was opening up.
Gavriella tapped Camilla on the shoulder.
“Where are we?” she hissed.
Camilla glanced at her as they were heading down the stairs. “This is the old church of St. Dunstan’s,” she whispered. “The Lords of Camberwell own it now because the church believes this property to be cursed. Down below this level are the remains of an ancient Roman temple dedicated to the god Eros. Camberwell has turned those ruins and catacombs into a guild that is so exclusive, so secretive, that only the fortunate few know about it.”
Gavriella looked at her with some apprehension. “A guild? What kind of guild?”
“Fantasy,” Aurelia said. They had reached the bottom of the stairwell and were now in a small chamber where women dressed in filmy, gauzy garments came forward. They put a glorious mask on Aurelia’s face. “This is a guild where you can live out whatever fantasy you wish and do so without fear of recognition and retribution. You can do anything, say anything, be anything, but keep your mask on at all times. If you are here, you are not meant to be known or recognized.”
The same women who had put the mask on Aurelia were now putting one on Gavriella. It was a wooden mask, painted elaborately like the upper part of a cat’s face – nose and eyes only. The mask had jewels set within it and feathers for whiskers. In truth, it was astonishingly beautiful and fastened onto Gavriella’s head with red silken ribbons.
She was unsure about the mask, her fingers flitting over it, as she looked at Camilla, whose mask resembled a mouse. Aurelia had one that looked like a proud peacock, with great peacock feathers on it.
“I do not understand,” Gavriella said. “What kind of fantasy?”
Aurelia smiled at her, but it wasn’t a pleasant gesture. She reached out and took Gavriella’s hand.
“Come,” she said quietly. “Let me show you.”
The same young women who had put masks on their faces then proceeded to open a heavy, iron reinforced door. Aurelia led Gavriella into the next room but not before Gavriella realized that the women in the thin, gauzy clothing were naked underneath. One could see right through their clothing to their young, nubile bodies beneath. They, too, were wearing masks so no one could see who they were.
As Gavriella would soon realize, it was all part of the fantasy element.
As soon as she passed through the door with Aurelia leading the way, she could hear music. There were people milling about, all of them wearing masks, and as she watched, a man came up to Aurelia, grabbed her around the waist, and proceeded to kiss her deeply.
Aurelia responded lustily.
Gavriella watched in shock as Aurelia kissed a man she probably didn’t even know. There were no names, no acknowledgement, and as Aurelia had said, no one was supposed to know the true identity, so Gavriella could only assume she didn’t know who the man was. But she was sure kissing him like she knew who he was. He stuck his tongue in her mouth and she let him.
Then, as quickly as he had grabbed her, he let her go and moved on.
When Aurelia saw the shock on Gavriella’s face, she laughed.
“This is a place where you can live out your wildest fantasies, Gavy,” she said. “If you see a handsome man you wish to kiss, then do so. He can kiss you, too. Everyone is free to do as they wish.”
Gavriella was coming to suspect that she was going to sorely regret coming to this place. “This establishment is called Gomorrah?” she asked, repeating the word she’d heard Aurelia give to gain them admittance. “As in Sodom and Gomorrah?”
Aurelia giggled, which told Gavriella everything she needed to know. “You’ll enjoy yourself,” she said. “You must learn to relax and enjoy life. You’re so serious. You must learn to smile more and be less obedient to convention.”
Camilla was next to her, chiming in. “Gavy knows how to smi
le,” she said. “I have seen her. But she will love this place, I know she will!”
Aurelia gave her an appraising look, as if she didn’t quite believe that. “If she cannot be happy here, then she cannot be happy anywhere,” she said flatly. “Since no one is supposed to know your real name, you must have a pretend name. A name you only use when you are here.”
Gavriella was dubious of the entire strange concept. “Why would I not give my real name?”
Aurelia sighed sharply. “Because no one must know you,” she said. “In a world of fantasy, nothing is real. Do you not understand? Here, you are anyone you want to be. You are not real. You are simply a woman in a cat mask, with no past and no future. You are a dream and a dream is you. Therefore, we shall call you… Kitten.”
Gavriella resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Kitten?”
“Perfect!” Camilla said. “I am always Angel and Aurelia is always Venus, the Goddess of Love. That is all anyone knows of us!”
Gavriella stared at them for a moment, her seemingly prim and proper cousins, who evidently had a naughty side. She had an inkling that this place was much darker than she had been led to believe.
God’s Bones, what have I gotten myself in to?
But it was too late to leave as Aurelia continued to lead them deeper underground. Because the church had built their structure over the old temple, the ceilings were very low. Everything seemed tight and close. There were fires burning in copper bowls to give off light and warmth against the dankness of the sublevels, but it wasn’t enough to stave off the true darkness of the place.
They went deeper.
Aurelia took them into a larger room that had one wall that was shaped like a half-moon. In this room, fatted torches burned upon the walls, creating a layer of smoke against the wooden ceiling that had been reinforced with great beams. This chamber contained food, and not just any food – any and all food imaginable. They were great tables spread with the stuff and, for the first time since entering the establishment, Gavriella showed some interest in her surroundings.
Aurelia gave her a moment to look over all the food, and most of it prepared in a Roman fashion. One entire table was fish; fish baked in pies, fish fried and fat, fish stuffed with breadcrumbs and other fish, fish swimming in wine and vinegar sauce, and fish roasted on small iron spits. It was an incredible amount of fish.
WolfeBlade: de Wolfe Pack Generations Page 6