For a Roman's Heart (28 page)

“Did you see it?” she asked.

“I did.”

“I didn’t imagine the...it isn’t an empty room made out of my dreams?”

“No. Definitely not empty.” His fingers twined in her hair, his touch secure and safe and so gentle. “I’m sorry, Adrenia. You never should have seen that. No woman should have to.”

She pulled back enough to look into his eyes. “No man should see it. There were... How many bodies do you think?”

“Hard to say. Two that haven’t been there long. You’ve never heard of this place before?”

“Never, other than my dreams.”

“Why would you dream about this building?”

“My visions have no reason. They just are.”

He nodded. “If you’ve dreamed of this place for years, there must be a reason.”

“I don’t want to think that’s true.”

“You told no one else about these dreams?”

“No. Not even Pella. They are too dark. Too horrid.” She buried her head in his shoulder again, the cloak and his stalwart body her comfort from thinking about what she’d seen. “Logic tells me something even my visions haven’t.” Tears rose to her eyes. “I think my parents and Sulla knew about this place.”

“You think Sulla murdered people and left them in the hut rather bury the evidence?”

“I think maybe he kept the bodies for...later.” She shuddered as more tears rose to her eyes. She looked up at him and the tears flowed. “Yes. I think that’s what he did.”

“We shall leave.” He started to pull away from her, but she held tight.

“Please don’t leave me yet.”

He caressed her hair, his lips grazing her forehead. “Sweet one, I’m not leaving
you
, just this sick place. First we tell Cordus what we’ve discovered near his land. Then we’re off to the fort. I need other witnesses to this vile business.”

She couldn’t disengage from the place, for the macabre scene that scarred the woods. “What does this say about me that I’m always drawn to the Haunted Woods where no sane person wanders?” She left his arms and stepped back, as if she might pollute him with her touch. “Perhaps the villagers are right about me. I’m drawn here. Is my parents’ bad blood inside me too?”

She covered her face with both hands for a moment, horrified at the implication.

He took a step toward her, his face now intense with passion. “No. No. You could never be like them. You are a light in the darkness.”

He clasped her shoulders, and then drew her into his embrace once more. She broke down, weeks of horror exploding inside her, twisting in feral pain she’d avoided for years. As she allowed toxic pain to twist her into knots, he offered comfort. His voice stayed low, a husky reassurance murmuring praise and words she couldn’t remember. His hands caressed her back with soothing touch.

When she regained control, he leaned back and saw his eyes held sadness, as if he understood her in a way no other person had before or could again.

“Everything scares me right now, and I hate how weak I am,” she said.

“As I said before, you are a strong woman. Why will you not believe me?”

“I need to learn how to accept praise. How to believe it.”

He kissed her mouth. “Stay with me at the fort. Now that Cordia will know I have no intentions of marrying her, you might find staying at the villa more uncomfortable.”

She relented. “All right. I will.”

They mounted the horse and left the forest at a quicker pace than they’d entered. She felt the nightmare that had become reality start to disappear, as if she’d gone to a priestess and asked the woman to take on her bad deeds so the gods might bless her.

She knew, deep in her heart, she would never have this dream again.

Once at the villa, she stayed on Terentius’s horse while he went inside. Unfortunately, a large wagon carrying male slaves, Nerva and Cordia, arrived at the front and stopped near Adrenia.

A slave helped Nerva and Cordia down from the wagon. Adrenia kept her gaze averted from the women as the wagon trundled away.

Adrenia took in Nerva’s contemptuous expression and Cordia’s clear hatred.

“What are you doing on Terentius’s horse?” The alarm in Cordia’s question almost amused Adrenia, but she was too tired to care.

“You can ask him when he returns.”

“You little bitch.” Cordia stepped forward until she almost touched the horse. “You are a worm in the grass. You play so innocent, but you lie, you cheat. You kissed Terentius and drew him in with promises, I’m sure.” Cordia hissed her next words, low and as sibilant as an asp. “You think he’ll be satisfied with your kind? He won’t. Once he realizes what low quality you are, he’ll forget you and come running to me.”

Nerva gasped. “Cordia, there is no call for such rudeness.”

Cordia’s words bit to the quick, until Adrenia found renewed stamina. She understood the clear reason behind Cordia’s venom.

Cordia hated her because she possessed the one thing Cordia seemed to want more than anything. Not Terentius, but the power Terentius could give her. Adrenia had his attention and therefore his power. Too tired to argue with the woman, she was relieved when Cordus and Terentius exited the villa. Cordus looked pale, and Terentius tight lipped.

Terentius nodded and saluted the women. “Good day, ladies.”

He mounted the horse. When his left arm slipped around her waist, Adrenia saw Cordia’s gaze latch onto the intimacy. Cordia’s eyes blazed with irritation. Soon they trotted away, and Adrenia relaxed somewhat.

“What did those women say to you?” Terentius’s hand slipped into her cloak, his fingers resting just under her right breast.

“Cordia said when you tire of me you’ll come to your senses. That you’ll return to her.”

His hand eased upward until he cupped her breast. She gasped softly.

“She is an ignorant little bitch. Don’t listen to her.”

They reached the outskirts of Durovigutum and headed toward the fort. His arm tightened around her, as if he expected her to escape.

His thumb brushed over her nipple and sent a whisper of exquisite pleasure dancing over Adrenia. “Why do you want me?”

He nuzzled against her ear and spoke softly. His breath teased her. “The eternal question asked by every woman of many a man.”

Terentius tugged her nipple and more heat stroked deep inside her. She couldn’t restrain a moan. “Terentius.”

“Yes.”

“Are you trying to distract me from my questions?”

“Very likely.”

“You don’t know?”

“I know you smell wonderful.” He kissed her earlobe, and a tremor snaked through her.

“I want to forget what I saw in that little building today, Terentius. I recognized one woman in the hut...from her clothes.” She gave a shaky sigh.

“Who was it?”

“The slave girl Sulla bought for my father.”

“Proof, then, with your testimony, that Sulla has murdered many.”

“How many...bodies do you think were in there?”

“I cannot say for certain. The
medicus
at the fort will look at what we’ve found. He may be able to tell.”

She closed her eyes and tried to erase the images in her brain, but they kept coming. Would they ever leave her in peace?

“Will people criticize you for allowing me to live in your quarters?” she asked.

“I’ll speak to my superior and gather his permission. No one will dare speak ill of my decision...at least not to my face.”

“Will it hurt your chances for promotion?”

He tugged on her nipple again, and her back arched in reaction.

“No.”

Why didn’t she believe him?

“Come, let us talk no more of death and promotion.”

“What shall we talk about, then?”

“Look at how beautiful it is today. The sun is bright, it’s warming, and we’re alive. What more is there?”

As he requested, she drew in the moment, pulled it into her heart and memorized it. She would cherish this simple time with him, isolated with each other, untouched by shadowy thoughts and worries.

Chapter Fifteen

“Love is full of anxious fears.”

Ovid

Roman Poet, BC 43– c. AD 18

“I would like to skip attending the games this afternoon, sir,” Terentius said to Capito. “I need to question more people about Sulla.”

Capito nodded to Terentius as they stood in Capito’s commodious quarters. Capito had just returned from the baths, his thick black hair glistening wet.

“I understand your reluctance to attend the games when you are investigating that chamber full of bodies. But you know how political this is. We’re required to attend, and so we shall.”

Terentius gritted his teeth for a moment, but insubordination toward the highest-ranking centurion at the fort wouldn’t be wise. Capito was a fair man and reasonable, but he knew which way the wind blew.

Capito crossed his arms, his gaze curious. “Do you plan to marry Adrenia?”

“It’s uncertain.”

“What is uncertain about it? Do you love her or simply want to copulate?”

Capito’s blunt statement gave Terentius serious pause. “I have great concern and affection for her, sir.”

Capito uncrossed his arms and headed to one table where a bronze wine
krater
waited. He poured two goblets and handed one to Terentius. “You find it odd that I asked about your woman?”

“No, sir. But I apologize for not asking permission to put her in my quarters right away.”

Capito drank a healthy swallow of wine before responding. “It is of no consequence. I know you are honest and a good soldier. I asked if you planned to marry her because it would assure her position here at the fort.”

Marriage. Such a solid, permanent word. “I understand that. I’m not certain she would marry if I asked, sir. She refused me once because she wishes independence. Now that she is opening the shop with Longa...well, she will have even more freedom.” He shrugged. “At this point as long as she is with me, I am happy. As long as she is happy, that is all I could wish for.”

Capito nodded. “Of course. Permission for Adrenia to stay with you is granted.”

“Thank you, sir. I’m most grateful.” He saluted the superior officer.

“We’ll see how grateful Adrenia is after my wife talks her ear off.”

Terentius joined in the other man’s laughter.

Terentius drank his wine in a thirsty swallow. “Again, your generosity is much appreciated.”

“Then be gone with you. We’ll see you at the games. By the way, bring along someone you can fight who won’t accidentally kill you. Unfortunately, that has happened before.”

Terentius’s smile faded. “I’m sorry?”

“Ah, they forgot to tell you that
beneficiarius
are required to do a gladiatorial display. It’s best to take your optio if you trust him with your life.”

Terentius cursed.

Capito laughed. “You aren’t prepared.”

Terentius’s ego stung. “I can fight anyone.”

“Of course you can.”

“Why is it a mock fight?”

“We don’t want to kill our valuable
beneficiarius
. At least not yet.”

“Ah.”

“Be prepared, though. Sometimes they like to switch out a real gladiator at the last moment as a test of your manhood.”

When Terentius left and headed to his quarters, he wondered if the rest of the day would tax Adrenia’s reserves. She’d already put up with too much violence in her life. Now she’d witness gladiatorial upheaval.

“There he is.” A smile formed on Longa’s cherry lips. She gazed out over the small amphitheater, which seated no more than two thousand, the entire population of Durovigutum. “Your man is very handsome.”

Adrenia watched with trepidation as Terentius stalked out onto the field. Longa was right about Terentius, of course. “He is.”

Adrenia found herself disliking every minute of this spectacle until this moment.

“You haven’t enjoyed this much, have you?” Longa asked.

“No.”

Adrenia hadn’t wanted to witness gladiators cutting each other to ribbons, but as it turned out, these games didn’t require much bloodletting. The gladiators didn’t fight to the death, and while some of the wounds looked awful, no one lost their head or limbs or...she shivered.

Longa tucked a large fur closer around their feet. “Take heart. Terentius and Victor are the ending highlight.”

“Goddess, I hope Victor doesn’t hurt him.”

Longa laughed softly. “Such faith you have in your man.”

“No, it isn’t that. If it came down to it, I’m sure Terentius could kill him. But he wouldn’t want to. Despite their rank difference, I can tell they are friends.”

Longa sat forward, her expression pensive. “Indeed. Capito thinks highly of them both. Now watch. I think Terentius struts around the arena just for you.”

As Terentius arrived in the center of the arena, Adrenia felt a full-scale tingle overtake her lower belly. They sat near to the bottom of the ring, so she could see him without difficulty. She allowed the sexual drum inside her to beat, to pound out a sound that thrummed and hummed. Terentius wore a blue tunic, wide belt with
gladius
, and a longer sword was clasped in his right hand. Carved with fascinating symmetry, his muscles flexed and bunched as he moved. She watched his powerful muscles contract and lengthen as he walked.