One With the Darkness (24 page)

Again there was silence. Jergan kept his head down. He did not want to provoke them. They could have him and welcome, if his imagined treachery was not blamed on Livia. She should not have defended him so.

“Arrest him, Chaerea. My sisters will question him.” Caligula rose and placed a wet, mouth-to-mouth kiss on each sister’s lips. “You always have our best interests at heart. Let us know if you need assistance.”

Jergan set his lips as two guards each grabbed an arm and hauled him to his feet. He knew what was to come. Well, he’d stood worse. He hoped.

“If Livia Quintus is implicated in this plot, do let us know, Sisters. It is very strange that she should have freed him so soon.”

A chill ran down Jergan’s spine.

The emperor turned to Asiaticus. “Is this why you thought she would be of interest to us, Decimus? You, too, always have our best interest at heart.”

“No,” Asiaticus said thoughtfully, staring at first at Livia and then at Jergan. “I had something else in mind. But there is plenty of time to explore that, my emperor.”

“Bring him,” Julia ordered Chaerea. The captain of the Guard motioned his two men forward. Livia bit her lip.

Jergan saw blood bloom brightly. He smiled, willing her to let this go. Anything she did now would only endanger her further. She must know he would never betray her. Even as he watched, her lip healed. She was extraordinary. He was only ordinary. They could hurt her, arrest her, torture her, even if they couldn’t kill her. He would do anything to spare her that, no matter the cost to him.

She stood abruptly and took his hand, pulling his head down. “Do not provoke them. I will find a way to come for you.” She kissed him, lightly.

“No,” he breathed into her mouth. “Let me handle this.” If she tried to spare him whatever would happen here, she would bring the imperial vipers down on her own head.

“Ahhhh, he has bewitched her, this barbarian.” Agrippina smiled. It was not a pleasant smile. “He must have extraordinary skills.”

“We shall see.” From Julia’s smile one could see they were sisters.

They bowed before their brother and backed from the room.

14

L
IVIA LOOKED AROUND
wildly as Chaerea’s guards hustled Jergan from the hall. Agrippina and Julia followed. What should she do? What
could
she do? She stilled herself, feeling her heart thump against her breast as though it were trying to free itself from her body altogether.

Quiet, the voice that had plagued her of late shushed inside her. Draw no further attention to yourself. You’ll make it worse.

Livia took a breath, grateful for the counsel, regardless of its source. At least she was not imprisoned. Not that a prison could hold her, but waiting until she was left alone in her cell to disappear and escape would take too much time. They were taking him into the bowels of the palace. She’d promised she would come for him. But how? The place had hundreds of rooms. How could she know where he would be?

If she did find him, what would she do? Just appear out of nothing in front of Caligula’s sisters and guards and then disappear with Jergan? That would reveal what she was to everyone. Strictly forbidden by the Rules laid down by the Elders. And her dreams of eliminating Caligula would disappear. She’d have to flee. Titus and the others would lose heart. Would her instrument still be
willing to risk the deed? Probably not. And if he did, there would be no republic to follow. The Guard would be set upon her and Jergan. How would she get him out of the city?

You can’t leave the city.

The thought wrenched her as though it were shouted in her ear. She squirmed. But there would be no choice.

You can’t leave the house.
Quieter this time, but just as insistent. She must ignore the voice. Because if she tried to save him, they must get as far away from Caligula as possible. India maybe, or the lower parts of the Dark Continent.

The thought of leaving made her physically nauseous.

And all those humans seeing what she was as she rescued him? Not allowed. She rubbed her throat as if she could swallow her anxiety.

Could she wait until the sisters tired of him and slept?

Their accusation was merely a ploy to get him alone and in their power. They couldn’t know about the real plot. If he’d serve them sexually, he might avoid their other games.

But what if he couldn’t? What if they meant to torture him no matter his innocence? What if they did know about the plot, and meant to torture him until he betrayed the conspirators?

Titus made his way across to her, and laid his hand on her arm. “Sit down, Livia.”

She looked up at him, knowing her fear showed in her eyes.

He was nervous, too. He had much to lose if Jergan betrayed the plot to assassinate Gaius Caesar. “He is strong, and devoted to you.” He was trying to convince himself that Jergan would be tortured, perhaps to death, without revealing the plot. Titus pushed her down on the nearest
empty chaise and grabbed two goblets from the nearest passing tray. “And there is nothing you can do.” He handed her one. “Drink this.”

Livia clasped the stem so tightly she was in danger of bending the gold. Behind her, Caligula’s petulant voice rose.

“Sit close to us, Livia Quintus. I want you near at hand in case your freedman implicates you. Don’t think to slip away.”

“I am honored by my emperor’s company, Caesar. Why ever would I want to slip away?” She bowed and took an empty chaise just next to the emperor. Her heart sank. She couldn’t go for Jergan, even if she knew where he was, if Caligula kept her by his side.

Titus had gone white about the mouth. But he sat next to her, and downed the contents of his goblet.

C
HAEREA HUSTLED
J
ERGAN
through the vast palace. The two sisters led the way, hips swaying. Four guards accompanied them. Agrippina pushed open a door and the troop made its way into a large room, hung with heavy purple draperies. Heat rose from the marble floor and a brazier brimming with glowing coals. The room contained a wide bed covered in purple and gold cloth, several wooden cupboards, and, most ominously, several ornately carved posts. From each hung a pair of manacles. Jergan held himself still inside. The price of not involving Livia was either the bed or the posts. He would stand it. An elderly slave, apparently the attendant for this horrid room, bowed low.

Julia and Agrippina ran their hands up Jergan’s arms under the sleeves of his tunic, caressing his biceps. Jergan gritted his teeth.

He glanced to Chaerea. The captain hovered, uncertain. What was the matter with him?

“In something so serious as a plot against the life of the emperor,” he finally said, “I cannot allow such a dangerous man to threaten the sisters of the emperor as well. I shall remove him to the Guardhouse for questioning.”

“Did you not hear Caesar’s orders?” Agrippina sneered. “We are to question him.”

“In the matter of the emperor’s safety, my responsibility overrides obedience.”

“Oh, don’t be stupid, Chaerea,” Julia returned, annoyed. “There was never any plot. Since he was free, how could we get him except if he was under arrest?”

Chaerea visibly relaxed. “Most clever. Questioning him about plots would be useless.”

“We would have to supply the details ourselves,” Agrippina tittered.

Chaerea glanced to his men. “Still, I will leave my men here for your protection. You have never minded an audience for your games.”

“I think it adds titillation,” Julia purred, glancing to the stoic men. “But he won’t offer any resistance. Did you not see how he looked at Livia Quintus? He’s in love with her. And he knows that if he resists, we will say she hatched this plot of the freedmen. My so-obliging brother will see she is brought to justice in a most painful way.”

Chaerea turned on his heel but paused before the two guards stationed at the doorway. “Assist when needed. And since we know anything he says to save himself is a lie, you will ignore admissions of guilt—his own or others’. When they are done, bring what is left to the Guard’s quarters.”

Chaerea was gone. He was the only one who might have contained the sisters. Now Jergan was alone against them. The old attendant was there to assist them. The guards would only watch. Unless, of course, he resisted.

Julia ran her hands up around his neck, pressing her breasts against his chest. “First things first. Strip off these clothes. A barbarian should be naked in front of civilized women.”

The guards stationed themselves at each corner of the room. Three were impassive; one looked … excited. Jergan bent to unlace his boots. There was no question of escape. He might be able to take four guards, if he could disarm one and get a weapon quickly. But the palace was huge and filled with Praetorians. He pulled off first one boot and then the other. His lot would be torture and crucifixion. More important, they would blame Livia for his deeds. Caligula was hysterical, and his sisters knew how to play upon his instability. Jergan unbuckled his belt.

They aren’t even going to ask about Livia, so there’s no danger you’ll betray her, he told himself. It’s just a little humiliation, and probably some pain. Nothing you can’t bear.

“Your tunic,” Julia hissed, impatient.

He pulled it over his head. They couldn’t use him sexually if he couldn’t be roused. Thank Brid for his long days with Livia.

“Oh yes,” Julia breathed. “Just as I remembered.” She touched the hair on his chest. “So barbaric,” she murmured. She traced the line of the healing wound in his shoulder and almost shivered in delight. “Your loincloth,” she prompted.

As he unbound his loincloth, he kept his mind on Livia, remembering how she had rebuffed them the first night, how she had kept the women in the streets from touching him. How she had bathed him and tended his wounds herself. She had pretended it was a form of dominance. And Belatucadros knew he had been determined to resist her then, so maybe it was. But it was also in her nature to be kind, to accept responsibility. Her touch had been gentle. He would think of that.

He stood before them, naked. He forced his hands to his sides. He wouldn’t demean himself by covering his genitals. Julia stalked around him and ran her hands lightly over the scabbed welts that remained, lingering to cup his buttocks.

“Oooh, look, Agrippina. How well he looks with lashes.”

Agrippina straightened. “They aren’t fresh enough.”

Julia giggled. “We can remedy that.”

Very well. A whipping.

“Now, if only his rod was stiff,” Julia continued. “What say you, barbarian? Are you not aroused by the honor of pleasing the emperor’s sisters?”

“The prospect of being whipped tends to dampen ardor.” He hoped he managed an air of casual disdain.

“Agrippina?” Julia called.

Agrippina took a blue glass jar from the old servant. “I have a cure for that.”

What was this? Jergan scowled.

Agrippina uncorked the fat stopper and offered it. “Rub this on your organ.”

He clenched his jaw and scooped a dollop of the cream. No telling what it was, but he could predict its effect. His fingers burned. He hesitated.

“Go on,” Julia urged. “Your prick won’t fall off. You’ll just have a rather painful erection for a few hours.”

There was no choice. He rubbed it on. Blood rushed from all parts of his body to his cock.

“Don’t forget your testicles. I want them swollen and hard as the proverbial stones,” Agrippina gloated. She offered the jar again.

He took a breath and scooped up another dollop. It wasn’t a normal erection he was getting. It itched and burned. “What is this?” he growled as he rubbed his balls.

“Oh, oil of this and essence of that.” Julia waved a hand airily. “The main ingredient is a beetle from Hispania ground up into powder. The court physician concocted it for us in a mild version, so it doesn’t actually poison you.”

Jergan’s genitals hung, heavy and burning, between his legs. The sisters could do anything to him and he would be erect through it all. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the servant pulling several iron rods about eighteen inches long from the cupboard. They had wooden handles on one end. He stuck them in the coals that glowed in the brazier.

Jergan swallowed.

“His shaft is more than adequate,” Agrippina remarked. “Splendid even.” Both sisters removed their
pallas.
Julia wore no tunic, but she unfastened Agrippina’s tunic and removed it They didn’t seem to care that four Praetorians were witness to their nudity. It was the guards who flushed. Agrippina was square and raw-boned. Julia, over-plump, had a belly that showed she had borne children. Her breasts sagged. It wasn’t their bodies that made them unattractive, though. He would love Livia even if children stretched the skin over her hips and breasts. It was the cruel glitter in the two sisters’ eyes. The servant took two silken robes from a stand next to one of the other cupboards and helped the sisters into them. Only Jergan was naked now. He clenched his fists until his nails bit into his palms.

“Sex first, or punishment?” Agrippina asked.

“Sex, then punishment, then sex again, then punishment and sex together …” Julia laughed. “The night is long.”

“You first, my dearest sister, then.” Agrippina waved a magnanimous hand.

“Why, thank you, dearest sister.” Julia turned to Jergan and her eyes went hard. “On the bed, barbarian. Let’s see what you can do with that lovely, hard shaft.”

L
IVIA COULDN’T SIT
still. It had been more than an hour. What was going on in the bowels of the palace? Livia had no fear that Jergan would betray the conspiracy. He had courage enough for ten men. Her fear was that he would be maimed or killed.

Chaerea had emerged and now attended Gaius Caesar. Thank the gods that Caesar was blathering on about Incitatus to him and Asiaticus.

She must find a way to free Jergan. Her gaze caromed around the hall. But how? Titus said something to her. She didn’t attend. He might be adjuring her not to draw attention to herself.