Devastated, he slunk from the tunnels and walked out the hole in the wall he created. He stared weakly at the destructive mess he and his brother made of the tomb. Something in him didn’t care any longer.
Completely forgetting the original reason she left her rooms, Mira sat down on her bed. Tears rolled over her cheeks. She couldn’t decide if she was proud of herself for staying or if she thought that she was stupid. I couldn’t do that to Rillan. I just couldn’t. I’ll keep my word. She lay down on her bed crying. Why didn’t I ever realize that about Liam before?
Rillan sneered. Visions ran through his mind of ripping the man’s tongue out and using it to write a bloody warning on the wall for all other would be rescuers. Instead Rillan allowed the broken man to leave. More than anything, he envied the life that the man was able to offer Mira. She should have gone with him.
Walking through the gloom of the tunnels toward his rooms, Rillan considered the things that Mira’s suitor said. I don’t know whether I’m happy about becoming unnecessary or not. I can’t believe she chose to stay.
Upon entering his rooms, he went straight to his bed and lay down. Rillan didn’t bother removing clothing, he was too exhausted. Closing his eyes, all he could see were visions of his past and speculation on the future. The worst of the visions were the ones involving Mira and what he was doing to her.
Standing over Mira’s bed Rillan stared down at her withered naked body. He parted her legs and stepped up to her. Claws dug into her hips as he gripped her and thrust deeply into her. Drops of blood formed at his fingertip as he fucked her lifeless form. She barely managed to squeak out a soft protest. Her body was too far gone to handle much more.
As Rillan plunged into her tiny frame he watched her body disintegrating in his hands, her pale skin graying and turning to dust. She lay there beneath him moaning softly with his movements, loving him through the pain and death.
A soft breeze filtered through the room from the shaft and slowly skimmed the layer of dust that was her skin. Horror sifted through Rillan’s body as Mira’s body eroded before his eyes and was gone, leaving a gray silt to cover everything in the room.
Sitting bolt upright in bed Rillan took a moment to register the feelings that were surging through him. It had been at least a century since the last time he felt fear, dread, or guilt.
Rillan stood and began pacing, the cold sweat on his clammy skin drying with the movement. What am I supposed to do? I’ve spent the whole of my life as a martyr. Why the hell should I do it again? Haven’t I earned some happiness after all I’ve done?
A vision of Arial crumpled against the wall of that dirty room in Noviodunum propelled him to his desk. Spreading parchment out in front of him and putting pen to the paper he wrote out instructions for the elders, in detail, berating them for the poor preparation of the girls who had been sent to him over the years.
I hope that this seems a viable reason to send her back to them. A teary glaze coated his eyes, but he blinked it away and sealed the letter in an envelope. Forcing himself to action before his resolve broke, he charged down the hall toward Mira’s room.
Mira woke to noisy shuffling about her room. Sudden fear shot through her. Either Rillan is home or Liam has returned. The fool is persistent enough.
“Get up,” Rillan growled. “I know you’re awake.”
Relief flooded Mira’s body, once she heard what sounded to be the normal abrasive Rillan “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were home.”
“Just get up,” he responded and grabbed her arm, dragging her to a standing position. Then he shoved a bag into her hands.
“What’s this?” Mira opened the large bag and looked in.
“The things you can take with you,” he said angrily.
“I don’t understand.”
“You’re leaving. Come with me.”
“What do you mean?” By the Fates, I hope he didn’t find out about Liam.
“I’m done with you. I have a letter for the elders. You’re returning to the village. Deliver it,” Rillan said shortly. He was afraid he may break down and cry. He didn’t want her to attempt to stay behind. I had to fall in love with her.
Mira stared at him in shock and dismay. “Did I do something wrong?”
The pitiful tone in her voice almost broke his resolve. “Be glad that I’m not draining you dry and leaving you for dead. I need someone younger. You’re more work than I care to deal with girl.”
A knot began to form in her stomach. “What’s wrong? Are you hungry?” Assuming that his strange behavior had to do with his assignment, Mira began to undress.
Knowing that he wouldn’t be able to go through with forcing her out if he made love to her, or even touched her again, Rillan grabbed Mira by the arm and began to pull her bodily from the room, before she could get out of any of her clothes. “I told you that I’m done with you,” he spat at her. “Have them send someone else. That’s all.”
“You’re hurting,” Mira whimpered as she tried to pry his hand off her arm. “You’re not making sense.”
He dragged her, amidst numerous protests to the cave mouth. “You have a new purpose Mira. Correct your elder’s teachings. I expect the girls sent to me in future to be better prepared for what they will face at my hands. You return here, I’ll kill you,” was the last thing he said to her, before leaving her confused and bruised form on the ground at the cave mouth.
Letter in hand, Mira watched Rillan disappear into the bleak darkness that was his home. Soft blue light kissed the sky above the trees. Dawn. Near awe, Mira watched the sky slowly lighten, no cave walls, no cave ceiling separating her from the sight. The tears in her eyes took on a new meaning, as she felt more than watched the morning creep into the clearing around her. Creaking of the rusted iron gate drew her attention from the beauty of the coming morning.
Mira looked toward the gate to see a young girl staring at her, mouth agape, wide-eyed. When she saw Mira turn toward her, she flinched, dropped the armful of supplies she held, then turned and ran back out the gate.
“I wonder how I would have reacted if I had found one of the sacrifices outside the cave when I was a novice,” Mira asked herself. Standing, Mira brushed herself off turning toward the darkness in the cave. Tears started again, she felt as though her heart had been ripped out. I wonder what I did wrong. This can’t be right. He’ll come back. He needs me.
Clutching the letter in one hand, Mira stood at the cave mouth waiting. She wasn’t sure how long she had been there, when a hand on her shoulder drew her attention. Dazed, Mira turned to see an elderly woman’s kind eyes bearing down on her. Nothing seemed to be making sense. Somewhere in the back of her mind Mira recognized the woman as Lilith. She was the oldest of the elders and a kind soul.
First Liam breaks into the tombs, and then Rillan throws me out. The sacrifices don’t work like this. Mira was tired. She didn’t know what to think about any of it. Slowly she lifted the paper up for Lilith to take. Rillan hadn’t said who to give it to, but Lilith seemed to be an intelligent option.
Taking the letter from Mira, Lilith ran concerned eyes over Mira. She had the look of all the sacrifices, withered and pale. Dark circles sharply contrasted her pallor, around sunken eyes that were far too bright with understanding things no one should ever have to know.
Lilith unceremoniously broke the seal on the letter and unfolded the parchment. She read slowly and carefully, seeing more in Rillan’s writing than he truly intended to be understood about his motivations for sending Mira back to them.
Clearing her voice, Lilith refolded the paper and looked sympathetically to Mira. “So it seems you are to be our new teacher, in the wake of our inadequacies in dealing with our guardian.”
“I guess,” Mira responded meekly, a small quake in her voice. Tears still wet on her face, Mira looked back to the darkness of the cave, but Rillan was gone. Strange that the darkness should almost seem more welcoming than the light and the pitying stares, she thought bitterly.<
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Nodding, Lilith turned to a couple of the young onlookers and gave instructions that didn’t quite register in Mira’s mind. She gazed longingly into the cave mouth, wishing Rillan would change his mind and come back for her. Finally she allowed herself to be guided away from the cave and taken to the village.
By the time they reached the round houses, people had gathered to see the living sacrifice. No one ever walked out of that cave alive, and there was concern that something was wrong. Wild speculation whispered from one ear to the next.
“Maybe she ran away.”
“Well if she did, does that mean he’ll come out here hunting her down?”
“Do you think we’re in danger?”
“No one could run away from that. She must have done something to anger him, and he got rid of her.”
“No. He would have killed her.”
“Well there’s no way he would have let her leave.”
“She doesn’t even look happy to have survived.”
“She looks like walking death.”
“I wonder what it was like in there.”
“Judging from her appearance, there’s no way it could have been good.”
“What do you think we’re going to do now? Send another sacrifice?”
“Lilith will know.”
“She always knows.”
“I thought we were getting rid of him anyway.”
“Don’t believe all the rumors.”
Chapter10
Pacing his room, Rillan simply couldn’t put himself at ease. Each time he lay down and closed his eyes with the intent of sleep, he heard the soft notes of Mira’s silver whistle echoing down the hall. When he rose to see where the sound was coming from, there was nothing. It didn’t surprise him that it was a dream. He had been adamantly clear about the druids sending a new girl and keeping Mira with them. Considering that they spent the last few centuries doing exactly as he told them. It would make no sense for them to go against his wishes now.
A sudden wave of frustration coursed through him. He grabbed the corner of the nearest piece of furniture and threw it across the room. The heavy wooden desk crashed into the wall as if it were a toy. Parchment, pens, a few books, and various other random items, scattered haphazardly across the floor. Charging out of the room, he went to the large main chamber at the end of the hall.
Rillan stripped to his breeches, tearing fabric in his rage. Grabbing his falcata from the rack where he left it, he began pummeling his practice dummy into submission. At great length he found himself tired, but no less frustrated.
With only slightly more control, Rillan began gathering his clothes together. I’ll take a bath. Maybe I’m tired enough to fall asleep finally. Or at least I should start considering the possibility that my existence may be in danger. If Mira’s would-be rescuer was right, then I’m about to become obsolete, or at least a bargaining chip. The way the druids work, it’s hard to guess which direction the wind may blow them.
As Rillan gathered his tattered clothing and tried to force his brain to consider something other than Mira, a soft clatter followed by a rolling sound broke his train of thought. His sharp eyes caught movement, and he realized that the last time he wore his now shredded tunic was when he assassinated Tiberius. He turned and watched the tiny black bead roll across the floor and deftly sneak through the metal work on the fire screen. The small black pearl he found rolled to a stop in the ash beneath the grate in the fireplace.
Rillan’s thoughts turned toward Mira again. Kneeling in front of the nearly burned out fire and moving the heavy metal screen, he plucked the pearl up from the hearth. A rush of inspiration took hold of him. Dropping his clothes, Rillan hurried back to his room. He ignored the splintered wood that had been his desk and shuffled through the mess on the floor, to get to a chest at the foot of his bed.
It had been so long since he opened it that the latch was rusted shut. Even so, it didn’t take much effort for him to force it open. Inside the chest, he sifted through treasures of a previous life: the tunic he wore when he was married, a dagger given to him by his father, a small wooden carving of a dog from his childhood, a pressed dry flower that his daughter had given him before she died, the manuscript that contained all the information the druids had used in creating him, even the information left out of the papers in the library… He had nearly forgotten what all he kept in the chest. Finally he found it. A small pewter rose pendant. His mother had worn it on special occasions.
Taking the pendant from the chest, he turned it over and over in his hands. Though heavily tarnished and needing a new chain, it would do.. Smiling to himself he took it down the hall to the room he used when he needed to repair his armor. It wasn’t a forge by any means, but it worked for small jobs. He had a few tools and an anvil. This would require more finesse though. He wanted to remove the small white pearl from the center and replace it with the black one he found.
Strange how even dark things can be beautiful, Rillan thought, as he contemplated how to go about his task. Strangely perfect. I can keep my mother’s pearl. And I think she would approve.
* * * *
“Mira?” Liam watched her squinting at the sky, seemingly bothered that the sun was out. He tried for days to get her to leave her small room in the house the sacrifices were kept in.
Looking a little dazed, Mira turned to him. “Did you say something Liam?”
The expression on his face was more than a little hurt. “Yes,” he said softly. “Did you really not hear me?”
Suddenly it sunk in. Mira stared at him for a long time before she spoke. “No, I heard you. Are you serious?”
His hurt expression worsened. “Mira, I guess maybe I thought-- I don’t know what I thought. Never mind.” Liam turned away from her and began walking. He didn’t care where he was going as long as it was away from her.
Overwhelmed with guilt over Rillan, now this was too much. Handfasted to Liam? What else is there for me now? I thought I knew my purpose. I’ve been wrong about so many things. “Liam,” Mira called after him and ran to catch up.
He didn’t know if he should stop or not. The last thing he wanted to do was discuss being ignored during his proposal.
“Liam, okay,” Mira announced to his back. “I’m sorry I was distracted. I never expected to ever be handfasted to anyone. I-- accept.”
Turning back around a small, uncertain smile touched his lips. “I’ll bring you back to us, Mira. I promise. You spent too much time in the dark. It got into your head. He got into your head. You’ll see. It’ll be alright.” Liam wrapped her in his arms and held Mira’s tiny frame carefully. “First we’re going to get you something more to eat,” he said gently.
Mira stared at the people passing by, while Liam hugged her. She couldn’t help feeling that this wasn’t right. You just don’t know what right is anymore, she told herself. Liam is a good man. He loves you. This will work.
* * * *
The senate chamber at Noviodunum rumbled with indecisiveness and conspiracy. No one knew who would replace Tiberius Caelius Novanus. There were several men in the running, none of whom were from the Novanus family.
“It’s about time,” a voice whispered.
“How long have they controlled the senate?”
“Far too long.”
“Perhaps the troops will be called home.”
“I haven’t seen my brother in over a decade.”
“Who cares how it happened. Next time, pay the druids to get rid of the tyrant sooner.”
The hushed exchanges ended to the clacking of a ring on the arm of a large intricately carved wooden chair at the head of the room. No one dared call it a throne out loud when Tiberius had the gall to place it at the head of the room. There was still some concern as to whether it would stay or go. That would depend on who took Tiberius’ place. The short stout man in a long embroidered toga, who had been clacking the ring on the chair arm, stood and called for order. “Enough, enough,” his voice carried ov
er the room. The entire chamber had been designed to be acoustically perfect in carved marble, and the man at the head of the room sounded as though he was next to each member of the senate as he spoke.
Once he was satisfied that all eyes were on his portly frame Senator Torum continued. “Arrangements for the funeral pyre are to be handled at the discretion of the Novanus family. Further information, to be announced as needed. Over the next few days we will hear from the various men who believe they would be fit to fill the deceased’s place in our forum. Elections to be held at the completion of the debates.”
Senator Torum continued to drone on at length covering all the daily business. He started with a movement to lower the taxes on an area of the Empire that had recently been devastated by a storm. He followed that with rescue efforts to move food into the region. All the while, a weaselly looking man in a tunic which didn’t fall quite right on his frame, stood by impatiently. Each time Senator Torum brought an end to a mundane affair of state, the weaselly guy stood hopefully taller in his place, only to slump back again when the new topic wasn’t what he was waiting for.
“Last order of business,” Torum announced with finality, and in a tone which told all in attendance he was not happy with the upcoming information. “We have with us a delegate from the druid settlements. I believe he has the backing of the Novanus representative?” Torum looked to a teary eyed woman who nodded emphatically. Several young men who had the distinct Novanus jaw line glared at Torum. Smiling at the young men authoritatively, the senator returned his attention to the assemblage.
Senator Torum turned toward the eager man, “Your name sir?”
“Darius ap Jos. If it please the senate,” he said with a bowed head. There was a soft rumble through the room. Men shifted positions to get a look at the new speaker. “I have come to the senate with disturbing news at the bequest of the Novanus family. I was sent to Noviodunum as a representative of my people with good intent. Over time I have come to see Noviodunum as more of a home to me than my own lands. Here the Novanus family took me in and conducted business in good faith with my people for several years. It disturbed me to find that the assassination called down on the mighty head of their family be at the hands of the very people who sent me here to befriend him.”
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