by Ardis, Priya
Septimus was standing over a canopied bed. Against my better judgment, I went into the room. A woman in fine clothes sat on the bed. She was bound and gagged. The top of her gown had been torn to reveal a thin shift and bare arms. Slashes covered the length of them. Septimus hadn’t taken her yet—he would—but for now, he was simply playing.
His gaze turned on me. I had to stop myself from recoiling. He’d tortured another slave-girl to death just weeks earlier and was wearing that same lust-crazed expression. Boy or girl, it didn’t matter to Septimus. Only pain mattered.
Septimus’s lips curved up. “Ah, Vane, there you are. Meet my bride, the Lady Aldith. She’s a little noisy, but I have been rectifying that quite pleasurably.”
“It’s noisy everywhere,” I commented.
“Good. The men are enjoying themselves, as they should.” Narrow eyes watched me. “Did you?”
I returned a pained look. “I prefer things… a bit cleaner.”
To my relief, he chuckled. “The barbarians do stink like swine, do they not?”
I crossed the length of the room, eyeing the woman. She wore a resigned expression. At least she wasn’t dead. Though, it might have been better for her if she were.
Confined as I was at the time, I hadn’t help that slave-girl and I didn’t know how to help this one. Septimus made me listen to the slave-girl’s horror. He would make me watch the debauchment of this one. I didn’t want to think about what he would force me to do… all because I wasn’t strong enough to free myself. Frustration gnawed at me. My fingers tightened on my sword, even though I knew it was useless.
For a second, I pictured myself hacking off his head with a blade. I would make it slow. I wanted to hear the satisfying break of his neck. I blinked and the picture receded. Of course, I’d never get close enough. The bind he used to control me was impervious to steel.
Septimus, his Roman face etched with arrogance, grinned at me as if he knew my thoughts. He probably did. Not that he minded. It just excited the twisted bastard.
A whimper drew my attention to the other side of the bed. A delicate-looking boy, a few years younger than I, huddled on the floor with his knees up. Something about his too-old eyes reminded me of my own brother. I glanced at Septimus. He followed my gaze and now wore a twisted smile—no doubt enjoying the boy’s terror as much as the mother’s. Rage choked me, but I long ago trained myself not to show any signs of it.
Turning an indifferent expression back to Septimus, I said, “You’re looking for something.”
Septimus beamed with approval. I swallowed my nausea. He put a hand on a bedpost. “The Vandal’s treasure. It is rumored that a great bounty was taken when the barbarians sacked Rome. Gold and jewels from all over the world, going back to the time of Alexander of Macedonia. Such treasure would do much for my coffers.”
“How do you know it’s here?”
Septimus laughed. “A piece of it is here. The Lady Aldith has an aristocratic ancestry. She is related to the royal line through Hildrec, Gelimer’s cousin. He was the deposed king who brushed elbows with Justinian himself. While I have no doubt that the bulk of the treasure was taken by Gelimer when he took the throne, these nobles find ways to keep their fair share. Such a share is hidden in this house. I have gleaned as much from Lady Aldith. She is not well accomplished in the skills of guile.”
I took off my baldric and threw it down on the floor at Septimus’s feet. The coins clinked heavily on the stone floor. “You can add these to your coffers. I believe it will cover what you spent on me.”
As I expected, Septimus quickly grabbed the baldric. He opened the pouch and drew out a greedy handful of gold coins. “Nicely done, Vane. Where did you find it?”
“A noble’s house. A few doors down.”
“From just one house. It confirms their treasures are abundant.” Septimus looked at me. “Still, centurion, you are much more valuable than a mere bag of coins.”
The caress in his tone when he called me by the title he chose for me made my skin crawl.
Septimus smiled, the soft lines of his face disguising the monster lurking inside. “If we were to find such a grand treasure, its worth would be immeasurable…”
A lure. Yet, what choice did I have? Every soldier in this house owed fealty to Septimus. Even if one dared to stand against him, he would surely be skewered for his heroics by the larger army. I touched the threaded necklace at my throat. “Allow me to talk to her.”
“Yes, allow him,” Sergius said from the door. He stomped into the room. His hulking form stopped just behind me. He put the axe at the back of my head. “I will take care of him if he misbehaves.”
“Of course.” Septimus laughed. I held my breath as he reached to take off his necklace. He drew out a small green crystal, the bane of my existence, the key to my cage. I yearned to reach for it and yank it from his slimy fingers. I must have betrayed myself because Septimus’s mouth curled up. He let the necklace fall back on his chest with a dark grin. Blue eyes met mine. They glinted with the knowledge of the power he dangled over me. They gloated. He said slyly, “No, it would be too easy. I have yet to see anyone withstand Silvertongue for more than a few seconds.”
I wanted to put my fist into his smug face. I wanted to beat it into the ground until nothing remained but torn flesh and bone. I took a sharp breath. He smiled as if he knew what I was thinking. He probably did. The bastard would probably enjoy it. The morning sun rose higher in the sky. It stained the sky red, a reflection of the battlefield it oversaw. However, the true aftermath of the battle happened in places like these dark, dank little rooms that muffled the screams of horror from within. I stared at Septimus. “What do you want me to do?”
Septimus’s eyes glittered. “Ask her nicely.”
Don’t damage anything that could be seen. I drew out a knife from my belt. I walked to the bed. My hands, already dirty with the crimes of the day, were about to become dirtier. Reaching the bed, I put a knee on it. The terrified woman scooted back, trying to get as far from me as possible. Shiny brown hair, bountiful and flowing, curtained most of her face. Eager to get a good view, Sergius moved to stand just below the foot of the bed. I grabbed her ankle. She resisted. Despite my thin frame, she was no match for me. I pulled her forward easily. With the knife, I sliced through the thin membrane of her gag.
Huge eyes locked on me. She didn’t make a sound.
If my fingers trembled, I ignored them. With Septimus in my mind, I calculated a dizzying number of scenarios, but none would work where I had no magic. Anger coursed through me and I asked silently for help. Any help. With my eyes on the woman, I gave her ankle a sharp twist. Bones crunched. She screamed.
The boy on the floor jumped up. He held a shaky knife in his hand. Before he could lunge at me, Sergius caught him by the scruff. He laughed. “I think I might take this one, if you don’t mind, Commander.”
I dropped the lady’s fractured ankle and lunged at Sergius, knocking the boy aside. I kicked Sergius as hard as I could in the groin. Letting out a howl of pain, Sergius doubled over. The next thing I knew, I was flying across the room. My back hit the wall hard. Without touching me, Septimus yanked me along the rough stone floor until I landed somewhere near his feet. On the floor on my side, my body curled into a ball and shook with pain. Septimus gripped the green crystal—my chain. It glowed with cruel power.
He walked closer and shoved me with a sandaled foot, flipping me over on my back. “I am disappointed, Vane. You forget to whom you belong to.”
My body was shuddering under the pressure of a thousand nails digging into my skin, but I managed to crawl to his sandaled foot. I clutched it. “F-forgive m-me.”
Septimus’s lips curled into a satisfied smile.
Behind the wall, next to the spot I slammed against, I heard a muffled sound.
Septimus heard it too. He let go of the necklace and turned on his heel. The green crystal dulled and so did my pain. I sighed with relief.
Septimus said
, “There’s something behind this wall.”
Only one adornment, a bright red tapestry covered the length of the wall. It depicted a woman, possibly a deity, with a lion’s head. The lady wore a bow across her chest and held a cup in one hand. On the lion’s forehead a white crescent moon was stitched.
I pushed myself up and forced myself to walk without stumbling until I reached the tapestry. I ripped it from the wall. The jagged stone blocks of the wall gave nothing away. I ran my hands over its rough surface.
“I see nothing,” Septimus murmured.
Then, I spotted it. An inconsistency. A layer of dust covered most of the wall except one small block at the bottom, which seemed unusually clean. Leaning down, I pushed at the block hard. It sank into the wall as a line of the door popped open. An arrow flew from within the hidden opening’s dark abyss. If I hadn’t been crouching on the floor, the arrow would have torn through me. Instead, it sank with unerring accuracy into Septimus’s neck.
To my shock, the arrow penetrated. It had no trace of magic.
Septimus didn’t have a chance to scream. His vocal chords were instantly severed, and he could only manage a weak gurgle before falling to the floor.
“No!” Sergius cried.
The boy holding him took advantage of the moment to wriggle out of the brawny soldier’s grasp. The boy’s mother jumped off the bed toward her son. It was a mistake. Another arrow flew from the hidden room. Sergius dove to avoid it. His axe swung and hit the mother squarely in the chest. She fell back on the bed.
I grabbed the green crystal dangling from Septimus’s torn throat. I put it against a small, shiny, metal piece on my thread necklace. The metal stayed. I noticed the green crystal had cracked on Septimus’s fall. With a loud curse, I slammed my hand into the cold stone floor.
My body shook, rage battling with despair. So close, I was so close to freedom I could taste it. Yet, I couldn’t feed.
Another arrow flew with deadly accuracy at my head.
“Sphara!” I cried. To my disappointment, nothing happened. No magic. I remained bound. Inches from me, I knocked the arrow away with my sword. Pushing aside the defeat, I stood up and focused my mind. Septimus’s key should work. It should free me. The blasted crystal binding my magic should come off. Again, I tugged at the crystal on my neck. It didn’t budge. Then, I had no more time to think.
“You are dead, centurion.” Sergius grunted behind me. He lunged, swinging his axe at me. I kicked him again, in his groin. As he doubled over, I lifted my sword. I could have easily sliced his throat. A movement at the bedside caught my attention. The boy, his innocent face, peered at me with wide eyes, and I hesitated for a moment. One moment. Then, I ran Sergius’s heart through with the sword. He made gurgling sounds as I pushed him off my blade with a foot. The dead soldier fell to the ground in a pool of his own blood.
I turned to the boy. “It’s all right—”
The boy grabbed a fallen knife and hurled himself at me. I flexed my fingers and said, “Zyayti.” Nothing happened. I could have cried. Instead, I cold-cocked the kid. He crumpled to the floor. I caught him before he hit the ground and put him on the bed. Mustering up my energy, I grabbed a candle and went into the hidden room.
Light illuminated a room stacked neatly with shining coins and bejeweled artifacts. The amount of gold had me swallowing my own tongue. However, the true treasure stood in front, guarding the bounty. Flickers from the fireball glanced off the flaxen highlights in the hair of a small child, roughly four years of age. Garbed in a dress of fine purple, her tiny, piquant face held a bow with a notched arrow. My savior.
I mumbled, “Rescued by a little girl. I’ll never live this down.”
The pointed end of the notched arrow followed me as I approached her. It was her last arrow yet her big brown eyes, identical to Lady Aldith’s, watched with unworried defiance. Her nose wrinkling, she favored me with a truly adorable frown.
“I’m not a girl, Roman,” she spat at me. “I am a princess.”
I raised a brow. “Nor am I a Roman, princess. I am Briton.”
CHAPTER 6 – GARDEN OF EDEN
CHAPTER 6
GARDEN OF EDEN
A violent downshift of wind caused the airplane to wobble from turbulence. Inside its airy cabin, my eyes snapped open.
“Dorothy.” Vane groaned in my head. “That’s enough. I never wanted you to see that.”
My fingers jerked open and the amulet fell from my hand back into the safety of my pocket. My body shook, but it wasn’t because of the cold, sterile air blasting from the vents above me. I dug fingernails deep into the hard bench of the divan. Never had I pictured such vivid brutality in a dream—no, memory. It was a memory. Just as I’d seen Matt’s when we shared a link, I had to be seeing Vane’s memories. The scenes coated my tongue, leaving a sharp and bitter taste. Their impressions in my mind ran deep, but I sensed they only scratched the surface of a staggering horror. How did he survive it?
How did he retain his sanity?
Well, admittedly, he walked close to the line. Until the trident, though, he was in control. Now, I had no idea what he was.
Dammit. I shouldn’t have let him startle me into dropping the amulet. I wanted to know more… a lot more. Although, I wasn’t sure I could handle the knowledge.
The plane dipped and started descending. We had to be getting close to our destination. I pushed open the plastic shutter of a nearby window just a crack. Darkness with a hint of light colored the sky outside as dawn approached. It was a short flight. Under us, blue water stretched out and I wondered where we were.
Raj asked the question for me. He walked down the aisle, having descended from a visit to the cockpit, and stopped in front of Matt. “The pilot says it will be another twenty minutes. Will you tell me where we’re going? Or should I read the signs at the airport?”
Matt gave a small laugh. “Your friends tell me you know it well. We’ll land in Colombo and take a van to Ella.”
“Ella. Colombo,” Raj repeated. “We’re in Sri Lanka.”
Matt’s head bobbed.
Raj continued, “This week is the Vesak Poya festival. Buddha Day.”
“Rather opportune, wouldn’t you say? It’s the prefect time to visit the hidden caves.”
“That’s where you think the Healing Cup is?”
“It’s my best guess,” Matt replied.
“Good enough for me, Master Merlin,” Raj raised his hand, which glowed with red magic. “I will let you know how it turns out.”
“What?” Matt said.
I threw off the blanket and jumped up. “Matt!”
Raj’s attention shifted to me, eyes widening in surprise. “Sword-bearer. This is a surprise. I am not supposed to harm Merlin, but your death would be worth much.” He extended his hand, palm forward, and sent a stream of magic at me. “Mrayati!”
Matt threw himself in front of him. He absorbed the blast. It glanced off him. Matt tossed what looked like a glass vial at Raj. A puff of red dust exploded in Raj’s face. Raj screamed and clutched his throat before slumping to the floor.
I ran down the narrow aisle to Matt. Grabbing his shoulder, I pulled him down a bit and rose up on tiptoes to peer over him. “Is he dead? Are you all right?” I yanked Matt around to face me and started patting his chest. Raj’s blast had hit him dead-on. I demanded, “What was that?”
Matt caught my hands and held them still. A chain dangled from his neck. The topaz gemstone inside it was shattered. “Just because I have no magic, Ryan, doesn’t mean I’m no longer a wizard.”
I relaxed. “A charm.”
“Better than armor, but only good for one use.” Matt yanked off the chain with one hand and tossed it aside.
“You killed him,” said a mild voice from behind Matt.
He jerked sideways. The flight attendant, a slim man with closely cropped hair and a hooked nose, knelt down to Raj. Wearing a simple navy suit and white dress shirt, he held a handgun in a casual grip.
> Matt’s fingers tightened on my arm. “Who are you?”
“SIS. Secret Intelligence Service,” Hooked-Nose said. “I was assigned to watch you.”
“Assigned by who? The Queen—” I started to say.
“Don’t tell him anything, Ryan.” Matt stopped me. I blinked when he held up another vial that seemed to come out of nowhere. He demanded, “What do you know of us, Regular?”
“I know that you have about half-a-million pounds worth of magical amulets and potions in that bag.” Hooked-Nose pointed to a black duffel bag tucked under Matt’s seat.
“Half-a-million,” I repeated. I knew that selling magic was lucrative. Grey’s family had gotten rich off that commodity for centuries. Having never bought the stuff, though, I never knew how much. I frowned. “Did you buy it here? How did Raj not know?”
“The local wizards don’t have enough. Magic may have originated here, but the wizard population is still very low. Every ounce is sold as soon they can make it. I didn’t want to take their supply. I took this from Sylvia in Greece as backup.”
Sylvia. Grey’s mom. My adoptive mother. I muttered, “You brought it this whole way without telling us. More secrets, Merlin?”
“Sometimes discretion is necessary.” Hooked-Nose stood up. “I think introductions are in order. My name is Robin Chaucer. I work under the Foreign Secretary. Her Majesty has contacted the prime minister. The MP was called in regards to the threat we now face.”
“It’s James Bond,” I whispered to Matt.
“Who? Never mind,” Matt replied. “He’s a Regular. We can’t trust him.”
I rolled my eyes. “You sound like Vane. I’m a Regular. Anyway, just call the First Member and we can confirm everything.”
Robin said, “You could, but before you do, you should consider Raj—a wizard of position in this region, difficult to corrupt, yet he was corrupted. The question remains by whom? Who do you trust, Merlin?”
