Passions of New Pompeii

by Aubrey Ross

  “It wasn’t like that,” Naloni insisted, but the pain in her gaze told a different story. “If anything, I broke his heart.” She took a deep, shuddering breath and said, “But we’re not talking about me.”

  “We are now.” Elaina took her by the hand and led her to the sofa. “I can’t believe you kept something like this from me. I thought we were best friends.”

  “It was a long time ago, before you married Vito.” Naloni sighed, obviously loath to discuss the long-ago events. “In fact, Vito was the only one who knew anything about it.”

  “The gladiator knew,” Elaina reminded.

  “He wasn’t a gladiator. He was a doctore.” Her tone turned soft and memories clouded her wide hazel eyes. Whoever he was, Naloni wasn’t over him. That much was obvious from the conflict on her face.

  A doctore? Elaina puzzled through the clues. That narrowed down the field considerably. “You said ‘was’. Is he still alive?”

  “The details are not important.” And the stubborn flash in Naloni’s eyes warned Elaina that the details would not be arriving anytime soon. “We had an affair and Vito found out. He was furious. That’s all you need to know. Despite his anger, I convinced Vito I couldn’t live without my lover, that I would intentionally ruin my reputation if he didn’t allow me to take my lover away from the danger and humiliation of the gladiator games.”

  Suddenly the pieces slid into place and awareness jolted through Elaina. “You’re talking about Max, aren’t you? Theos said Max had been beyond the barrier.”

  Naloni folded her hands in her lap, suddenly fascinated with her fingernails. “It actually happened before the city was built, but the effect was the same. I offered him Fedoros with all its technological wonders and he chose a prison cell over me.” Her lips trembled, but she stubbornly blinked her tears away.

  “He was overwhelmed. He chose to return to the world he knew, the reality he understood.”

  “I agree.” She paused, crossing her long legs as she asked, “Why do you think Theos will be able to deal with the transition any better than Max?”

  “I don’t know that he will.” The words slipped out easily enough, but then her throat tightened and her mouth dried up, making it hard to speak. “We have barely begun to consider what our future might look like.” She paused to lick her lips. “We only know we want to be together.”

  Naloni pivoted toward Elaina and grasped her hand. “I know this is wildly romantic. You desperately want what you’re feeling to be real. I’ve been there. I understand what you’re feeling. But you have to be sensible. You’ve only known this man for a few days. Don’t make any rash decisions.”

  “The only decision I’ve made is to gather information about what’s really going on inside New Pompeii. If I happen to keep crossing paths with Theos in the process, that’s fine by me.”

  With a frustrated sigh, Naloni surrendered. “I’ve said my peace. My conscience is clear. So tell me what you’ve learned.”

  Elaina quickly filled her in on all that they’d uncovered the day before.

  “I’ll see what I can find out about the missing girls, and I’ll ask Father to put some pressure on the magistrate.” She tapped her chin with her index finger, the long nail gleaming in the salon’s soft light. “But I don’t want to use him until we really need him. Cry wolf syndrome and all that.”

  “I hate not being able to communicate. If I go back inside, I won’t be able to find out what you learn, yet if I wait out here, I don’t know what’s going on with Theos and Laetif.”

  “It’s a definite disadvantage.” She scooted to the edge of her seat then said, “Give me another day to dig into these names. I’ll track you down inside the city late tomorrow afternoon.”

  * * * * *

  “Come on, Arllo. Give us a name and we’ll let you go.” Mikko circled the girl, cursing her stubbornness.

  “You have no intention of letting me go.” Arllo’s voice was strong and steady though her head hung down, long auburn hair concealing her face. “I’m only alive because I’m a virgin and you have a buyer ready to defile me.”

  “Right you are.” Prince Tarhee moved out of the shadows, his jewel-encrusted doublet glistening. The garment was more appropriate for the Distarian Renaissance than ancient Rome, but no one dared to question any of his decisions. “We still need to decide what becomes of you after you’ve been defiled. You can return to your family, or you can be taken to a brothel on one of the colony outposts. As young and beautiful as you are, I’m sure you’ll be very popular.”

  Her dark eyes glared through the strands of her hair. “Do what you like. I will not damn another girl to this fate!”

  With a frustrated hiss, Mikko turned to Tarhee and switched to Fedoros so the chit couldn’t understand. “If there was more time before the festival, I could extract the information in a number of ways, but…”

  “Her wounds wouldn’t have time to heal. I understand.”

  “Quite frankly, I don’t understand the obsession with virgins. They just lie there and shriek.”

  Tarhee shrugged, his eyes intent on the girl. “It’s not our place to question the fantasies, only to fulfill every facet of them.” Arllo stood before him naked, arms chained above her head. Her slim, young body was pale and smooth in the wavering torchlight of the underground chamber. “Does she know any of the other captives?”

  “I believe so.”

  “Then let her watch while we—motivate one of them.”

  “If we do that, I’ll have to replace whichever one we use. I was hoping not to have to capture anyone else before the festival. Everyone is especially suspicious and Elaina’s visit could not have come at a worse time. She was traipsing all over the city today ‘interviewing’ people. Thankfully she can’t speak Latin and Pompeiians have grown distrustful of outsiders.”

  “All I’m hearing is excuses.” Tarhee turned from the girl and focused his intense stare on Mikko. “Can you do this or not? We need two more virgins before the festival. We’re running out of time.”

  “It’s harder than you think. The inhabitants are on to us. The fathers and older brothers guard the virgins like the city’s greatest treasure.”

  Tarhee’s brow arched dramatically. “Have you tried an outright bribe? Perhaps one of these fathers would be willing to turn over his daughter for the right price. Especially if he were assured she will be returned to him alive, just a little worse for wear.”

  They left Arllo hanging in the middle of the storeroom turned cell and moved out into the corridor. “I’ll find two more girls. The responsibility is mine. You needn’t worry.”

  “I wasn’t worried,” Tarhee assured him. “You haven’t failed me yet.”

  The prince’s nonchalance annoyed him. It was easy to have confidence in others when every element of life was delegated. “Well, it is becoming progressively more challenging to accomplish everything you ask me to do. I’m certain I have a spy in my household.”

  That captured Tarhee’s attention. “Really? What makes you think so?”

  They climbed a steep flight of stairs and emerged in the backroom of a deserted temple, one of many scattered throughout the city. An unintentional consequence of blaming the relocation on Venus and Vulcan was an ongoing crisis of faith. Most of the people of New Pompeii either devoted themselves to Venus with new vigor and obsessive focus or they lost faith in the gods entirely. So while the Temple of Venus flourished, activity at the other temples dwindled and the buildings were deserted.

  “Over and over my plans are foiled, and I am made to look the fool. I blamed it on Laetif and Felicia for a while, but I’ve been careful to keep them both out of the loop.”

  “Felicia has her own way of discerning things,” Tarhee reminded. “We both know her powers are legitimate.”

  “Legitimate, yes. This consistent,” Mikko shook his head, “not even close. Someone I trust is selling me down the river.”

  “So set a trap for them. Dangle bait they won’t
be able to resist then sit back and see who bites.”

  “My thoughts exactly.” Mikko couldn’t resist a wicked smile. “In fact, your ultimatum to Arllo gave me an idea.” Tarhee moved in close as Mikko began his explanation.

  * * * * *

  Theos blinked the sand out of his eyes and fought for breath, anger and confusion twisting through him. One moment he’d been sparring with Sextus, the next Max had flipped him belly first onto the ground. Max’s knee dug into his spine, keeping him pinned against the dirt.

  “Listen carefully,” Max sneered. “You are delirious. The wound in your chest has festered. Can you sell that?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “I’ll explain later. Make this convincing.”

  Theos began to thrash as if in the grip of fever. He muttered and moaned, ignoring the sand on his lips and eyelashes. Max rolled him over and Sextus helped hold him down while Max poked and prodded. Each time the doctore’s fingers touched his wound, Theos growled and renewed his struggles.

  “The cut has putrefied,” Max told Sextus. “Did you not notice that it was red and swollen?”

  “I was too busy avoiding his sword,” Sextus defended.

  “I’ll fetch the medicus,” someone volunteered.

  “He needs someone more empowered than that old drunk.” Theos recognized Laetif’s voice, but he didn’t open his eyes. “Take him to Doctor Thrax. I take full responsibility for the decision. Do it now.”

  “Yes, domina,” Max replied. “I will see to it myself.” He dragged Theos off the ground and pulled his arm across his shoulders. “Stagger, but let’s get out of here.”

  Leaning heavily on the trainer, Theos stumbled and swayed until they reached the bottom of the hill and were out of sight of the guards. “What the blazes was that about?”

  “I will explain when we reach the clinic,” Max promised. “I must be sure we’re not being followed.” They ducked into alleyways and zigzagged down side streets until Max was satisfied that they were alone. “Felicia is able to send messages mind to mind. She asked that I bring you to the clinic as soon as possible.”

  He had sensed something different about the priestess the day they’d met on the street. “Her thought sounded inside your mind?”

  “Yes.” Max looked at him and smiled. “She’s a remarkable woman.”

  He had no idea what the high priestess wanted with him, but was curious enough to follow without argument.

  The clinic was small, well-organized—and occupied. Felicia hurried them past the two patients and the staff members attending them. She led them into her husband’s office in the back corner of the building. Aiden sat at a small table, his green eyes sharply watchful. The doctor seemed rather unremarkable given his wife’s beauty.

  Then Elaina stepped into the room and thoughts of the Thraxes abandoned Theos entirely. He swept her into his arms and kissed her, not caring what anyone thought of his exuberance.

  “You two can finish that as soon as we decide what to do about tonight,” Felicia told him. “Mikko has issued a challenge we can’t ignore. I’m just not sure how we should respond.”

  Max closed the door behind him as he asked, “What’s the nature of the challenge?”

  “According to the message Quade intercepted, Mikko is taking Arllo and the other three girls to a colonial slaver tonight,” Felicia explained.

  “You say that with disbelief in your voice,” Elaina pointed out. “Is something else going on?” Anxious energy vibrated through the office. This was closer than any of them had ever come to open rebellion.

  Felicia nodded. “Arllo and her friends are the passengers I told you about yesterday. We located where Mikko is keeping them and planned to move them to safety tonight. Now we’re wondering if we’ll encounter Mikko if we proceed, or is his message nothing more than bait, meant to draw us out into the open.”

  “We have to risk it,” Max insisted. “We can’t abandon those girls to Mikko and Tarhee.”

  Elaina understood the distain in his voice, but something else bothered her as well. “If you knew where Arllo was, why did you bring her younger sister to Theos? Why not let the poor girl know you had plans to rescue Arllo?”

  Felicia shook her head with a patient smile. “Have you ever known an eleven-year-old who could keep a secret? Her mother was told about the rescue, in very vague terms, but we couldn’t risk telling Lavinia.”

  “That’s all beside the point,” Max insisted. “What are we doing tonight? What exactly did the message say?”

  “It gave the time and location for Mikko’s meeting with the slaver,” Aiden told them. “That’s our only advantage. Mikko will expect us to respond to the message. He doesn’t realize we know where the girls are being held.”

  “So we snag the girls before they’re scheduled to be moved and get them out of here,” Elaina suggested.

  “He’ll know the message was intercepted,” Theos predicted. “Nothing is that coincidental.”

  “He’ll rant and rave and look for someone who seems especially guilty,” Max predicted.

  “So we’ll give him someone on which to focus his anger,” Felicia put in.

  “Someone who will steer his attention away from the truth,” Max agreed.

  “Someone far beyond his reach,” Aiden concluded.

  “You’re talking about a decoy,” Theos realized. “But what is this decoy protecting?”

  “Our ‘exit strategy’,” Felicia said with a secretive smile. “Ever since we came here we have been intercepting potential victims, whisking them away from danger and out of Mikko’s reach. If he discovers exactly how we do it, he’ll shut down the only defense these people have against his tyranny.”

  “Your ‘exit strategy’ isn’t working anymore,” Elaina cried. “Maybe it never did. This entire city is corrupt and debauched.”

  “That’s not true.” Felicia left her husband’s side and came around the table. “The people are not corrupt and debauched, just the Fedorans who have turned a profit off our misery!”

  “You’re being dramatic,” Aiden warned. “A good many of the Pompeiians are willingly participating in the debauchery. Look at the brothels and orgies. Credits are often the only motivation people require.”

  Elaina stood her ground, unwilling to soften her position. “It needs to be shut down. All of it.”

  Felicia smiled, her gaze warm and engaging. “You and your friends have the power to make that happen. We never did. Why do you think Laetif recruited you?”

  “Laetif is part of this?” Elaina shook her head. “Of course she is.” Elaina had wondered if her sister-in-law were an abolitionist. Now she had her answer. “If Theos and I play decoy, what exactly do you want us to do?”

  “Will Mikko come and check on him?” Aiden asked Elaina.

  “I’m not sure. He is very careful with his investments, but he has also set a trap for someone who betrayed him.”

  “Well, we better cover all bases,” Aiden decided. “Max, return to the ludus and report that Theos has been stabilized, but I’ll need to keep him overnight.”

  “If I return to the ludus, who will escort the ‘passengers’ to Caleb?” Max objected.

  “Theos and Elaina. It works to our advantage if the guards recognize them. We want Mikko to think Theos is the spy.” Aiden looked at Theos and smiled. “Can you take out two Fedoran guards?”

  “Preferably without killing them,” Felicia quickly added.

  “I believe I can accomplish the task.” Theos’ mouth curved in a grim little smile.

  “The women have been told to be ready at any time. It was too dangerous to give them specifics,” Aiden went on. “Caleb will be waiting at the private party exit to the Visitor Center. He’ll have clothes for the women and he’ll provide transportation.”

  “Who is Caleb?” Elaina asked.

  “My brother,” Aiden told her. “He’s a starship captain and an invaluable member of our team.”

  “So we take the women to C
aleb and then disappear? That’s all there is to it?” Then why was her heart thudding in her chest? She felt downright jittery.

  “You need to update Princess Naloni before you disappear,” Max reminded her. “The Festival of Venus is next Friday night. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to uncover the location. If Naloni is going to make a move, it needs to be at the festival. She should be able to gather all the evidence she needs at that one event.”

  “Tell the princess everything you’ve learned and then go far, far away,” Felicia suggested.

  “It’s easy to get lost in a colony outpost,” Aiden’s gaze locked with Theos and the doctor nodded. “Something tells me you’ll like it there.”

  Max escorted them out of the clinic and clasped arms with Theos. “The worlds beyond the barrier are vast and marvelous. Do not lose yourself in the wonders.”

  “I will not.” Theos glanced at Elaina and the now familiar warmth filled his heart. “I have Elaina to anchor me.”

  Despite his doubtful expression, Max didn’t comment on the strategy. He slapped Theos on the back and wished him well. “It might be years from now, but I believe we will meet again.”

  “I would like that.” He didn’t always understand the doctore, but he liked and respected him.

  “The women are being held in the storerooms beneath Jupiter’s temple.”

  Theos nodded. “I know the place.”

  Max seemed reluctant to depart. He looked at Elaina then back at him. “Strike fast and hard. They must not be allowed to sound an alarm.”

  Theos chuckled. “You have nothing to fear. I have trained with a fine doctore.”

  Max finally relaxed enough to smile. “Take care of each other.” He kissed Elaina on the cheek then took his leave.

  “He seems really nice,” Elaina said as they headed for the temple.

  “Nice?” Theos chuckled. “I’m not sure he would welcome that description. He is fierce and fair, skilled and honorable.”

  “He and Naloni used to be lovers,” she whispered.

  “Really?”

  “It was a long time ago, but she’s not over him. I could see it in her eyes.”