by Lisa Adams
Chapter Four
Septimus leaned on the table, assessing every inch of Phaedra as she enthralled Mowriyah with her story. Her eyes did not dart around as they had when she had betrayed him all those years ago. There was no quickening of pulse visible in her jaw line and she did not fidget with her clothing. Phaedra was speaking the truth. She really knew where Leihla was.
“On one of my usual runs to the palace, I overheard another house maiden speaking of a girl in the kitchens named Leihla. Something about the Emperor’s wrath and how she had been beaten months ago for something. But ever since then, the girl has been quiet and reserved. The Emperor will not let her far from his sight and she has been forced to be one of his slaves in his bed chamber.”
Mowriyah burst into tears. “Poor Leihla.” She turned to Septimus. “It’s our fault she was beaten, I know it. When I escaped the castle, and when our group left this dreadful city, he took his punishment out on her.”
Septimus placed his hand on Mowriyah’s shoulder. “We will find her and get her out of there, I promise,” Phaedra sat with a gleam in her eye and a smirk curving the edge of her lips. Cutting his eyes toward her, he commanded, “Continue, Phaedra. But, I warn you to take control of your tongue. We need to know how to get her out. Do not speak any more on her daily life.” He spoke through clenched teeth. “Do you understand?”
Her smile faded and her gaze dropped to the small table. “I do know of a way, and it could be done as early as tomorrow night if you are ready.”
Mowriyah continued her quiet sobs. Septimus slid his hand down her arm and entwined his fingers in hers. “I’ll check on the boat this evening before you take us to Trivian. Then, we should know if tomorrow will be feasible.” He lifted Mowriyah’s hand to his face and gently rubbed it across his lips. “Leihla will be fine. We will get her.”
He stood from his chair. “Phaedra, you will return at dusk to collect us and take us to Trivian.” She stood in a huff and Septimus raised his palm to her. “Do not speak. Leave now and return at dusk. We have plenty to do to prepare before then and we do not need your distractions anymore. After we meet with Trivian, we will figure out our plan for getting Leihla and getting out of Rome. If you underhand our mission in any way, I assure you that we will leave you at the dock fighting for your life when the time comes. Understood?” He knew it sounded threatening, and he meant it to be.
Phaedra dropped her shoulders and seemed to have lost the will to lash out with her sharp tongue. “Fine. I will come for you at dusk and take you to Trivian.”
Septimus guided Phaedra to the door and practically pushed her out. “Dusk.” He slammed the door behind her and ran back to Mowriyah, who sat idle in her chair with an expression of blankness on her face. “Are you all right?”
“Fine.” She was short and terse with her word.
“Can I get you something?”
Mowriyah looked up at him and he felt his heart ripped into a hundred different pieces. She was devastated, no doubt. The rosy cheeks, the puffy red eyes, and the worry lines that were etched across her forehead only proved it. When she spoke, he could hear her voice quiver in sadness. “Get my sister.”
He fell to the floor on his knees in front of her. Grabbing her face between his hands, he forced her to look him in the eye. “Mowriyah, I will. I promise.” Tears threatened to form in his eyes as he watched her break down into fits of sobs once again. I only hope I can keep that promise. His thoughts jumped as visions of captivity, beatings from Hadrian upon their discovery, and Mowriyah being forced into Leihla’s same position poured into his mind and pained his heart. He pulled her closer to him, embracing her fully and allowing her to release her grief on his shoulder.
He helped Mowriyah to her feet and guided her to the bed. “Lay down.” Septimus grabbed the linen sheet from the foot of the bed and covered her. “I will leave you for a moment. Do what you need to do to let this out. Then, collect yourself. We have a job to do and I need you to be emotionally prepared.” She turned into her pillow and buried her face. “I’ll go check on the boat.”
Septimus walked into the hallway and secured the door behind him. He heard a burst of cries from beyond the door. He was torn. One part of him knew she had to be left alone to deal with this in her own way, but the other part, the protector in him, wanted nothing more than to burst back through the door and cradle her in his arms, reassuring her time and again that all would be well. He gnashed his teeth and fisted his hands. Phaedra had taken great delight in telling Mowriyah the terrible news. He let his worry over Mowriyah turn into anger toward Phaedra. Anger, he knew how to handle.
***
Mowriyah awoke with a start. Her dreams had quickly turned to nightmares of her sister’s pain. Beatings and rape had seeped into her mind and exploded with every worst-case scenario. Knowing that Leihla had been a virgin at the time of her capture only made matters worse.
She pulled the blanket tight around her body, trying to stay away the shiver that ran through her. She wasn’t cold but her nerves rippled in anguish across her skin at the thought of her poor sister. She sat up and faced the window, noticing that the shadows had grown longer and the last glimpses of light were bouncing off the tops of the buildings. She knew she hadn’t been asleep long but Septimus had not yet returned. She was alone.
Mowriyah curled her legs up and hugged them to her chest, rocking slowly, trying to steady herself. She breathed in and out and felt the tension slowly leaving her mind. Phaedra… Her stomach rolled at the thought of Septimus’s past lover. She knows how to get to Leihla. I will have to trust her for a short time. The thought boiled inside her and she flushed with anger.
Tossing the covers aside, she rose out of the bed and straightened her toga. She fiddled with her hair and pulled it back into grand Roman fashion. I will get you out of here, Leihla. Even if it means my life.
A gentle rapping at the door made her heart jump wildly. “Yes?” she managed to squeak.
“Mowriyah, it’s me.”
Relief flooded her body. Septimus had returned. She darted to the door and opened it. Grabbing him as he entered, she flung her arms around his neck and held tight. Emotion welled in her throat and threatened to escape from her eyes. She released him, knowing that another breakdown was not something that she could afford right now.
Septimus stood close. “Are you okay?”
“I’m well. When will we be meeting Trivian?” She did not want to speak of her emotions and she was sure that Septimus didn’t want to really talk about them either. She had witnessed that well enough over the past few months.
“Phaedra should be here within moments. The sun has already begun to fall.” He raised his hand to her chin and the sudden weight of their mission and the consequences of their potential failure made it hard for Mowriyah to hold her head high. She felt the pressure building in her neck, and she let go, tears pouring from her eyes. Pain and frustration followed as she battled with herself over her own fragility. “Oh, Mowriyah . I wish I could do something to ease your pain.” He kissed her forehead.
Immediately, she refocused on the task that lay before them. She lifted her head with determination and dried her eyes. “Can we trust her? Really trust her?” Searching his eyes, she saw a glimmer of doubt. “You aren’t sure, are you?”
“I am certain that Phaedra will take us to Trivian. I am also sure that she will have a great plan that can get us to Leihla. What I’m not sure of is how fast she will betray if things go bad.”
“But you truly believe that she can get us to Leihla?”
“Yes. She knows that we are her escape. She will not give that up unless her life depends on it. I am certain of that.”
“And how can you be so certain?” A tingling sensation rippled up her spine to the base of her neck.
Septimus sighed. “Because that’s what happened last time. We were going to leave together. But our plan was revealed to Hadrian, and she was more than willing to betray me for her guaranteed passage
from Rome.”
Mowriyah watched hurt fall over Septimus’s face. He moved past her and sat at the table in the center of the room. She turned him in? “I don’t understand.”
“When Hadrian sent his inquisitor, she told him everything.” Septimus dropped his head and stared at the floor. “I didn’t know and continued with our arrangements. They came and arrested me and sent Phaedra off on a merchant ship away from Rome as her reward.”
Mowriyah heart ripped. “What happened?”
“The guards took me back to Hadrian, who sentenced me, punished me with lashings, and then released me. He was sure I would never try to leave again, having experienced the consequences.”
Her heart raced with this new confession. “Then he will be looking for you as well. He will have known that you left and will be looking for you to punish you again. Why didn’t you say anything before? It doesn’t matter if it was you or if it was Decimus that came. If either of you get caught…”
Septimus rose to his feet and came to her side. He reached his hand out and held her face once more. “Don’t let your mind think on it. I won’t get caught. Besides, Decimus had to stay home and be a father and a husband.”
“But—”
“I got to bring my girl with me.” He bent forward and kissed her lips. “We’ll do this together, Mowriyah.” Her heart gave a little flutter. His girl. “We’ll get Trivian and Leihla out of here. Then after we return home, Decimus and I can focus our thoughts on finding Octavian.”
Another brother to save? “Is there no way we can get him now?”
“We don’t have the resources. With Phaedra traveling back to Caledonia with us, we are already carrying one more person than I had planned on. Adding another may shorten our food stores too much and we could all grow ill.”
“So you will leave your other brother here to suffer, while this backstabbing lupa takes his place?”
“You misunderstand. Octavian is a well-to-do Roman and is known throughout the city. He is not suffering for anything and has house slaves and guards of his own. He owns one of the wealthiest shops at the marketplace. Convincing him to leave Rome will indeed be a feat.” She felt her knotted stomach give slightly. “Besides, we need Phaedra now. She will take us to Trivian and to Leihla.”
As if on cue, another knock at the door made Mowriyah jump once more. “I’ll get it.” She eyed Septimus and commanded him to sit with her glare. With a wide smirk, he complied. Mowriyah spoke through the door. “Phaedra?”
“Yes.”
“Are you alone?”
“Yes.”
Mowriyah opened the door slowly, glancing both ways down the hallway. “Come in.” Phaedra strolled in, bumping her arm against Mowriyah, and sat at the table next to Septimus. Fine. I’m in control. I can handle this. “I assume that it’s time to meet Trivian?” Phaedra nodded. “Good. We will follow the road beside the Tiber River and you and I will walk together, appearing as the oldest and dearest of friends. Septimus will walk several lengths behind us, as if he is not with us.” She liked this control, and her plan was sound. Phaedra can’t hurt Septimus if I’ve got her by the arm.
Phaedra glanced at Septimus, her eyebrow arched. In response, he gestured for her to stand and take her place next to Mowriyah.
Mowriyah couldn’t help but smile. “Let’s go.”
***
Septimus was in awe as he watched from several meters behind as the two ladies played their parts beautifully. Though Mowriyah was dark-haired and taller than Phaedra, they looked more like relatives as they strolled down the cobblestone roads arm in arm.
He watched Mowriyah’s hand gestures and saw her laugh with an ease that almost unsettled him. If she was this good at acting, had she been acting for him at times as well? He cleared the thought from his mind and continued to watch the pair.
Phaedra was guiding them toward the oldest fountain, only a kilometer east of the river, which confused him. He knew Rome well enough to know that there were very few houses on this side of the city. A sudden panic knotted in his chest. She wouldn’t dare double cross me again! He pushed his way through the few people that separated them. Before he reached them, he heard Phaedra call out, “Hail, Trivian!”
He stopped and looked around. They were beside the great circular fountain and before them stood a grand structure. Though it was still unfinished, it was like nothing he had ever seen before. A circular base rose high above the other buildings. There were no corners, no angles. The roof itself was not flat, but arched into the air. Septimus stared in wonderment. Truly a genius’s design.
Phaedra shouted again, “Trivian!”
“Just a moment!”
Septimus hovered in the background, waiting for his moment. Excitement coursed through his body. He had missed his little brother so much—more so than he had realized. Trivian came bounding through the entrance of the structure and darted straight for the two women. He stopped momentarily, eyeing Mowriyah’s curves, then grabbed Phaedra and lifted her into the air, kissing the top of her bust and her neck as he slid her back down to the ground.
Trivian surveyed Mowriyah with a quizzical look on his face. “And who is this fine creature?”
Phaedra elbowed his ribs. “She is Mowriyah and she is already taken, as are you!”
Septimus couldn’t help but laugh at the scene playing out before him. He stood for a moment longer, watching Trivian’s curly blond hair bounce as he looked from one woman to the other.
Trivian couldn’t seem to keep his eyes off Mowriyah, causing Septimus to feel a sudden rush of anger and ownership. He stepped forward from the crowd and pushed between the two women, hovering close to Mowriyah. “Sorry, brother. But that one is mine.” He glanced at Mowriyah, waiting for her rebuttal, and was shocked to see a tinge of rosiness in her cheeks. His independent, stubborn beauty was blushing from his comment of ownership? He looked back at Trivian, who stood open-mouthed and transfixed on him. “What? No welcome home?”
Trivian’s gaze shot past him, scanning the crowd with his crystal blue eyes. It brought forth uneasiness, and paranoia slithered into Septimus’ thoughts.
“What are you doing here?” Trivian whispered. “Hadrian has had scouts looking for you and Decimus since your disappearance.” Trivian grabbed their arms and dragged them inside the concrete, domed structure. “Why did you bring them here, Phaedra?” he spat at her. “You know they’ve been watching me.”
She turned to Trivian with a face full of shame. “I didn’t… He wanted to see you.”
“Take them to my house,” he said, his jaw clenched. “I will meet you there shortly, after I send everyone home for the night.”
Phaedra jumped to his command and she grabbed Mowriyah’s arm. “We do as we did before. Septimus, don’t hang back too far.”
Trivian approached Septimus and placed his hand on his shoulder. “I’m glad to see you well, brother. Let’s keep you that way for a little while longer and we shall have our proper hello.” Septimus felt Trivian practically pushing him along and as he walked out behind the women, he heard Trivian shouting orders to the other workers behind them.
Their pace quickened, and they soon arrived at the house of Trivian’s Master. Septimus shuffled closer to the women. “What are we doing here? Trivian said to take us to his home.”
Phaedra approached the entrance as she scanned the streets. “This is his home. Master Augustus died four moons ago.” She pushed the solid oak door open and led them inside. Septimus looked around at the furniture, whose beauty rivaled that of the palace. Where most homes were dotted with a few items, Trivian seemed to have packed his entire house with goods that he had constructed: tables, chairs, settees, plus more. To the untrained eye, Trivian would look like he were kin to the Emperor.
Moments later, Trivian barged through the door and bolted it securely behind him. Septimus watched as he ran to Phaedra once again, and he squeezed her tightly, burying his face in her hair. Septimus turned his attention to Mowriyah, who
was smiling at the scene in front of them. A sudden calmness had graced her face and Septimus understood. He, too, was also happy to see that Trivian and Phaedra were as close as she had led them to believe. She would no longer be his problem and a thorn in his and Mowriyah’s relationship.
“Trivian, it’s so good to see you.” Septimus grabbed his brother and gripped his forearm. Trivian returned the gesture. “You look well.”
“As do you, brother. No doubt it is this woman’s doing.” Trivian’s gaze shifted to Mowriyah and he nodded in approval. “Where have you been? You and Decimus left without a word. Then I hear that Hadrian is looking for you. You left me without even a goodbye.” Septimus’s heart dropped at the slight hurt in his brother’s tone.
Septimus felt Trivian pull away from his locked embrace. “We had to leave in a hurry. Please understand.” Septimus searched Trivian’s face for a sign of forgiveness, to no avail. “But I have returned for you. Decimus and I found our way back to our native home in Caledonia, and I am here to ask if you are ready to return with me, to join us once more in a new life.” Septimus held his breath, anxious for his brother’s answer.
Trivian glanced around his home, then to Phaedra. “I will not leave without her.” Phaedra leaped into to Trivian’s arms and they embraced once more.
“Phaedra has already secured her passage by leading us to you and by helping us on another matter. We only await your decision.”
“The Pantheon will be hard to leave. Never before have I worked on such an incredible structure. Hadrian’s vision will surely stun any onlooker.”
Phaedra clung to him tighter. “Please, Trivian. Let us leave this place.”
Trivian kissed the top of her head. “You know what you ask me to give up.” He pushed her hair from her forehead. “But for you, my dear, I will. We will accompany you, Septimus.”
Septimus rejoiced in a loud holler. He hugged Trivian and Phaedra together in a large embrace. “This is excellent news!”
“Wait,” Trivian blurted. “If we are to leave Rome, there is one thing that I insist we do before we leave.”
