"I don't want to fight you. I want the truth. Oh gods, you've been branded."
"You shouldn't be surprised. Haven't you ever been to watch the arena fights? Every prisoner is branded before their fights."
Zodiac comes over to him. "Troy, as your friend, just tell me the truth. What did you do to Nova? They still haven't found her body."
"If they're looking for a corpse, they'll never find her. She's alive. I know that much."
"You're hiding something from me."
"Why would I choose to keep secrets before going to my death?" Troy asks. "There isn't a secret in the universe that is worth taking to my grave. I've told you everything I know."
"And that is? Whether you realize it or not, you haven't told them anything. Just saying that you don't remember is a lie. Stop lying!"
Troy scoffs. "Fine. You want to know? I was having sex with your sister and she started screaming for me to stop. She slapped me and fought me away. Then she ran. That's all I know."
"I don't believe you."
"Then there's nothing I can tell you that will make you believe me. What do you think I did?"
"You raped her." Zodiac says, sounding more like he wants to convince himself than anything else. "You waited for her to come home from the market and you cornered her then raped her as she struggled to get away from you."
Troy shakes his head. "Fine. You can believe what you want to believe. Who knows? Maybe I did rape her. I don't know anything anymore."
"So what happens now?"
"I will have to fight for my life in the arena tomorrow. If I lose, I die. If I win, I become a sex slave for some creepy man."
"You can win. I know you can." Zodiac says.
"I'm not going to win, Zodiac."
"What? Why not? The other prisoners are weak and old. They won't stand a chance against you. You were trained to fight."
"That's exactly right." Troy says. "I was trained to fight for Olympus and for freedom. I wasn't trained to be abused and crawl on my knees for some master. Call me what you will. I may be a rapist, a criminal, a Forgotten, and an outcast. But I will never be a slave. I will die before I submit to that fate."
"You can't die out there in front of the entire city."
"I can't die knowing that I sacrificed my pride and my dignity, the essence of who I am as a man. No. I would rather die with my honor than to die broken and used like some animal. This is the last time we will ever talk, my friend. You've been more than kind to me and for our friendship, I am grateful. I can only ask that you forgive me for what I did to Nova. It was never my intention. I didn't want to hurt her. I was playing around and it went too far. Things got out of control and before I could stop, I had done the worst thing I could have done. You were right all along. She was like my sister. I had no right to force myself on her. But please believe me when I tell you that I had nothing to do with her death."
"Should I hate you, Troy?" Zodiac asks.
"I would feel better if you did."
"But you know I don't. You know I'm not mad. I just want you to forgive me."
"You have nothing that needs to be forgiven, Zodiac." Troy says.
"When I spoke to your father and the guards, I didn't know that these charges would be brought against you. If I had known, we could have run away together and saved you from this."
"I will pay for my crimes. One way or another, I will face the ultimate judgment."
"But I can't lose you!" Zodiac screams at him and shakes him violently. "If you die tomorrow, I will hate you forever."
"That's what you told your father before he left. People leave. They die. The fates have determined that it is my time to leave this life."
* * *
How could things have gotten to this point? Seeing Troy branded and chained up like that makes Zodiac physically sick. He's been so shaken up after meeting with him that he has been in the bathroom vomiting nonstop for about an hour. And he can't stop crying. What is happening to his life? With Nova still missing, Troy being forced to fight in the arena, and so many mysteries about the past couple of days left unsolved, Zodiac feels utterly lost. What happens to him now that Troy can't be his owner anymore? Will he be forced to be Apollo's android slave again?
For all of his life, Zodiac has had Troy as his friend and they've been like brothers. They've been inseparable. Facing a life without his best friend is unbearable. Now that he's lying on his back on the cold tile of the bathroom floor with the lights off and not feeling quite like he's dying, Zodiac can fall farther into the trap of depression and emptiness. The weight of all his emotions press down, weighing heavily on his chest and cumulating in one word: alone. He is completely alone.
In all this confusion, there is one thing Zodiac knows without a doubt in his soul. Troy did not kill Nova. There's no way he could have done something as horrible as that. They were making love and something happened. What was it? He has no idea. Those scratches on Troy's face and arms were indicative of a struggle on Nova's part. She has long nails and she knows how to use them. Those weren't just from some rough sex. But there is the overarching problem with this entire situation. Troy has been trained from age nine to be respectful, gentle, and to always protect women. That's the way the Royal Knights conduct themselves. Chivalry is their number one priority and what Troy has always exhibited without fault. That's why there's absolutely no way he raped her. It doesn't make any sense.
Someone is beating on the front door and calling for him by name. Still lightheaded and weak, Zodiac pulls himself to his feet and holds onto the bathroom counter. Gathering up his waist-length hair and tying it back behind his shoulders, he makes his way down the hallway and opens the door. His eyes immediately land on Nova and he is a bit astonished when he can make out a new color that is somewhere between purple and his newly-found brown. It must be red, the color of blood.
Two men in long white robes with hoods pulled down to hide their eyes are holding Nova upright. She seems to be drifting in and out of consciousness and barely able to stand on her own. Her skin is smeared with what looks to be dried blood and black mud has soaked into her jeans and clings to her disheveled hair in clumps. One of the men picks her up in his arms and carries her past Zodiac into the living room where he lays her on the sofa. "You are Zodiac Cunningham, correct?"
"Uh, yes." Zodiac says. "What happened to my sister?"
"We found her halfway up the mountain to the oracle. We went ahead and ran some tests. She is completely strung out on hallucinogens."
"She's on drugs?"
"Yes. When we found her, she kept saying over and over that she had been attacked by a demon. We had to run her blood through the database to find any identification. She even tried to attack us. She has no injuries to support her story so we don't believe that anyone attacked her. However, there was some . . . other DNA present in her body and on her underwear which made us question if she had been raped. All this blood appears to be from her losing her virginity."
"That much?"
"My wife bled a lot the first time." The man says. "It's not that uncommon. We also ran the other DNA into the database to find a match."
Not surprising. "I know whose it is."
"Where is he?" The second man asks.
"Troy has already been arrested. He's in the dungeon under the coliseum." Zodiac wipes the dirt from his sister's face and watches her chest move with her shallow breathing. "Is there any way to tell if it was consensual or not?"
"Not really, though there didn't appear to be any injuries we would typically find in a violent rape. Well, except for the same DNA under her fingernails that indicates she might have scratched her assailant. But of course, that doesn't mean she wasn't raped. We oracle guardians have been trained by the guards here in Athens so we know how to analyze these kinds of things. For now, I suggest that you make her comfortable and give her water, but not too much. These drugs should wear off by morning. Once she is fully awake and able to speak, you should bring the guards here
in town to come speak with her about what happened. While we don't know specifics, it is clear that something happened to the poor girl. If you don't need us for anything else, we shall take our leave."
"I'll take care of her." Zodiac says. "Thank you for bringing her home."
* * *
Troy has managed to drift into an uncomfortable semi-sleep state and he's jarred awake when someone grabs his face. He jumps, pulling against the shackles as he sees the impure Nymph's face just inches from him. "Who are you?"
The man smoothes his black hair, braided into hundreds of tiny braids that are tied together in a ponytail behind his shoulders. "You will address me as Orion."
"Orion? Like the archer?"
"Did I give you permission to speak?" Orion asks.
Well, this isn't going to be a very pleasant conversation. But pleasantries of any kind left a long time ago.
"By now you have more than likely met your future owner. How do you like him? You may speak."
"I don't." Is he allowed to say that?
"That man is here for you, as you know. You will be number sixty-one for him."
That's . . . that's a lot of slaves. "Sixty-one?"
"Yep. He comes here every time there is an event and gets another slave then they end up dead from starvation, abuse, and beatings. It's awful." Orion's thin body fingers trace over Troy's neck as he speaks. "How old are you?"
"Nineteen."
"Four years younger than me. We should have been at the academy together. Who are you? What is your name? You look familiar."
"Troy Adonis."
"Adonis?" Orion asks, intrigued. "Your father wouldn't happen to be Apollo Adonis, captain of the guard and commander of the scouting regiment?"
Just when Troy believed he couldn't be humiliated more than he already was, this man has to bring his father into this. "That's him."
"And you were a knight! Oh, how the mighty Sir Troy of Athens has fallen. This is too much. This must be my lucky day. Finding the son of the great Apollo Adonis branded as a slave and shamed this much." Orion walks around Troy, his eyes moving over his body. "I came here looking for some poor soul who I could order around and force him to work until he died, but you are so much better than the normal choices around here. Yes . . . I could use a body guard."
Body guard?
"What two weapons would you say you are the most proficient with? You will have to choose one to fight with in the arena."
"Probably the gladius and the throwing spears." Troy says.
"Uh huh. Well, I will extend what should be a rather tempting proposition to you, Troy Adonis. When you go out into the arena, you will have a choice to make. If you want to fight for your life and then be given to that awful man who will abuse you and make you do absolutely horrible things, then you take your gladius. If you want to come with me who will give you a new life away from all of this, then you take one throwing spear."
"One? I can't do much with one."
"If you want to live a life that doesn't involve being a sex slave, then you will. It's all up to you. My men will be awaiting the signal." Orion says.
His men? What are they going to do?
"Of course, I will have to get permission from my mistress."
"Your mistress?" Troy asks.
"You don't get to speak about her. She is my mistress, not yours. Though if you must know, she is the one who gives all of us orders. I will run your name by her and if she gives me permission to obtain you, then you will be my slave."
His heart sinks. "A slave?"
"Of course. You don't get to be a free man ever again. That brand on your face proves that much. But I'm the only agent left who doesn't have his own slave and it's high time I get one. So you should feel honored. Out of all the slaves here, I have chosen you."
Why doesn't he feel honored?
"But the choice is ultimately yours. I will make you one promise, though. And it is the only promise I will ever make to a slave." Orion takes Troy's face in his hands and looks into his eyes. "You will be provided for. You will be a slave, but you will have your individuality and be regarded as still being a Nymph. You won't be forced to do things you don't want to do beyond reason. If you become my slave, I will clothe you, feed you, and keep you safe. That is my promise to you."
"You're too kind." Troy says, honestly meaning it. Any comfort he can find now is welcomed.
"I know. But you are not just a common slave, are you? No. I can see that the gods have blessed you, Troy Adonis. By tradition, if you have been blessed and I am a good master, then I too will be blessed."
9
Zodiac hasn't slept all night. He's been devoting every second to watching Nova and ensuring that she is comfortable as she recovers. Already, the light from the sunrise is coming over the mountains to the south, pink and warm from Proxima Centauri. As the golden light trickles in from between the curtains on the back windows, Nova stirs again between Zodiac's legs and holds onto his hand. Her skin is still hot and feverish, but she's been keeping some water down. He smoothes her curly hair as she moans in her restless sleep. Zodiac will do anything to help her. He feels responsible for this in some way because he was at work when he should have been here to keep her safe. Jarred placed Nova's safety in his hands when he left and no Zodiac has let his father down, wherever he is. A tiny airy whisper grabs his attention.
"Zodiac? Where am I?"
He pulls her up into his lap and holds her close to his chest. "It's me, Nova. I'm here. We're at home. No one is going to hurt you again."
"I'm thirsty." Nova says as she rests her warm face on his shoulder.
"Here you go. Slowly now." Zodiac holds the cup of water to her lips as she drinks. "When you're ready, I need to ask you some questions about what happened yesterday."
She sits up and rubs her eyes. "Let's talk now. I'm fine. So I guess you know about the drugs."
"Who drugged you, Nova? Did Troy make you take those drugs?"
"What? No. I . . . I took them on the way home from the market. I'll come clean. I've been taking those pills every once in a while for about two months. It's just for fun. It's not like I'm addicted or anything."
Now things are starting to make a bit more sense. He has to get all the pieces in order before he can put them together to see the whole picture. "What do you remember about yesterday afternoon?"
"Don't hate me."
"I won't hate you. Whatever it is, I won't hate you."
"I came home from the market and Troy was here waiting for me. He carried me to my bedroom and he . . ."
"He what?" Zodiac asks. "Don't be afraid to tell me. Being raped isn't something to be ashamed of. It's not your fault."
Nova pushes his arms away and she turns to face him. "What the hell happened to me? I was raped? Oh my gods."
"Don't you remember?"
"No. Who raped me? Did they abduct me? Is that why I'm covered in mud? Where's Troy? Did they hurt Troy when he tried to defend me?"
Oh hell. "Troy didn't rape you?"
"Of course not! Troy and I are in a relationship. We love each other. You should know that he took my virginity. I don't want you to be mad. He was every bit a gentleman. Don't hurt him."
"So you willingly had sex with him?"
"I'm sorry. I know it's against the law, but I love him. I can't help it." She smiles and looks around the room. "Bring Troy in here so we can talk about this. Thank you for being so understanding and cool about this."
What have they done? "Nova, Troy isn't here."
"Where is he? With Xanthe at the hospital? He really cares about her."
Zodiac's dizziness returns as he feels the blood drain from his face and a cold chill runs up his spine. "Troy was arrested for raping you. We thought you were dead. There were scratches all over him."
"I must have hallucinated. I remember scratching a demon in a dream I had. But I swear he didn't hurt me." She stands up and brushes some of the dried dirt from her arms. "Let's go get him. I'll explai
n it to the guards and they'll have to let him go. Well, come on. What's wrong with you?"
"Nova, he's already been branded. He will be fighting in the arena in about an hour. It's too late."
She screams and collapses to the floor as she cries. "No! They can't do this!"
Before Zodiac can console her, there's a knock at the door. He goes to answer it and he jumps when he sees the purple eyes. "Blice?"
"Hi, Zodiac. I heard from some guards that Nova was hurt. Is she okay? Is that her I hear crying?"
"Uh . . . come inside. It's about Troy."
"Wait. Was Troy hurt?" Blice asks. "I wasn't given any details. What happened?"
"Nova was on some drugs and hallucinated that Troy was trying to hurt her, but they were together and she wanted him."
"I'm still not following you. Where's Troy? I was supposed to meet with him an hour ago."
"Do you really not know any of this?" Zodiac asks. "Troy was branded as a Forgotten and he's going to fight in the arena in an hour. He didn't do anything wrong other than have sex with an impure Nymph. He doesn't deserve to be a slave for that!"
Blice turns to Nova who is on her knees weeping. "Nova, tell me the truth. Did Troy rape you or hurt you at all?"
"No. I love him. Save him, please!" Nova cries out.
"Then get ready and we'll go get him."
"It's too late." Zodiac says.
"It's not too late. My father is the king. He can pardon Troy now that the truth has come out. We'll save him. I won't let a good man like Troy be a slave."
* * *
"Choose your weapon. You get one to use for all four fights."
Troy steps into the small room where all manner of weapons are hanging on the walls and are piled on tables and in crates. There are so many ways he could kill himself right here and save himself from years of untold torture and abuse. He almost decides to do it, but everything he has been trained as won't allow him to do that. If he is going to die today, he will die a brave death with his honor intact.
Unlike the other Royal Knights, Troy has never been very religious, but right now, he is silently praying to Athena to guide him with wisdom and strategy in his upcoming battles. He was said to have been blessed by her at birth. That's why he engraves an owl, her holy animal, on every weapon he wields. But what will his weapon be today?
Paradise Forgotten Trilogy Page 10
