The Gladiator Prince (31 page)

Without another word, the Egyptian led them onto a familiar wide boulevard. The warmth of his daughter in his arms made Thane forgive Hasani his transgressions, but as he watched the pirate’s back, he knew there would be storms ahead.

Chapter XXXV

As Phaedra, Mabyn, and the senator approached his house, Phaedra saw several Roman soldiers loitering outside on the street. She stopped and put a hand on Thrasea’s arm. He lifted his head from the road and smiled back at her.

“No worries, little one. I am certain they are only here as part of their patrol. They usually come this way at least once a day.” He wrinkled his brow and pursed his lips. “Though it is odd they should just be standing there. I will find out.” Phaedra caught little Mabyn’s hand and stayed where she was.

Thrasea strode up to his front fence and greeted the Roman leader standing in the street. “Good day, officer. Is there something I can help you with?”

The man looked up and came to full attention. “Good morning, sir,” he said deferentially. “Senator Thrasea?”

“In the flesh. What is this all about?”

The officer glanced once at another soldier standing nearby then at Phaedra. Her heart quickened when the solider gathered three of his comrades and approached her slowly.

Thrasea threw a glance their way and frowned. “What is this all about, officer?”

Motioning to two other soldiers, the Roman pulled manacles out of his belt and grabbed the senator’s arm. “I am sorry about this, sir, but you will have to come with me.”

“How dare you,” Thrasea bellowed as the man latched the circles around his wrists. “Do you not know who I am? This is outrageous.”

Phaedra turned to run, but they caught her within a few steps. Mabyn screamed when one of the soldiers pulled her from Phaedra’s arms, and she flailed uselessly against him.

“Do not fight, baby,” Phaedra cried as another soldier caught her arms and forced them behind her back. “They will hurt you if you fight.” Pain rushed into Phaedra’s shoulders, but she forced it down.

The solider holding the girl turned her around so her fists and teeth were pointed the other way and moved toward the senator’s house as if he were carrying a sack of wheat. With a push, the other solider got Phaedra’s feet moving, and she stumbled toward Thrasea. The Roman grabbed the upper part of her arm so she did not fall, and pulled her the rest of the way.

“I demand to know what this is all about,” the senator was sputtering as the solider secured his hands behind his back.

“Yes, sir,” the officer said tightly. “You and the lady have been accused of harboring a criminal. It would be best to cooperate.”

“This is absurd,” Phaedra shouted, trying to position her arms so the pain was not quite so intense. “I am a free woman, newly arrived from Britannia. Release us…” Her words died in her throat when someone stepped through the door of the senator’s house to watch them. Phaedra’s heart stopped.

Her father glared back at her and for the first time since her mother died, a surge of hate flooded her senses. Next to him stood Bahar, her mouth bloody and swollen, her hair mussed and her gown torn, exposing the top of her breasts.

A glint came into Abella’s eyes when they caught Phaedra’s, and it was only then she saw the short blade in his hand. As if to challenge her, he raised the blade to Bahar’s throat, and she threw her head back, but the silver instantly mixed with red as he pricked her. Bahar gritted her teeth, but made no sound.

Phaedra struggled against her captor, but Abella only laughed. He lowered the blade and pushed Bahar back into the house. “Bring them in here,” he said over his shoulder.

Phaedra’s knees went weak, and her world turned to shadows. She knew if she did not keep her wits, she would die with her sister at their father’s hand.

Chapter XXXVI

“Take the senator to his room and post guards around it,” the tall Roman officer said to one of his underlings. “Remove his manacles and make certain he is comfortable. This situation is getting out of hand. I will not be brought before the senate because I mistreated one of their officers. At least until we can get this all sorted out.”

With a salute, the soldier steered the old man toward the front of the house. Thrasea looked at Phaedra, but she only shook her head, knowing the least said, the better.

When the senator was gone, she stared up at the officer from her spot on the floor where the soldiers had settled her and Bahar. Mabyn was still in the arms of the young man who had taken her away from Phaedra.

“What about the child?” he asked his superior.

The officer looked at Abella, whose eyes glistened greedily in the sparse light shining in through the door. “I see no reason for holding a child,” he said languidly. Turning his face to Phaedra, he nailed her with a frown. “Are you the child’s mother?”

Before she could open her mouth, Abella swept to the officer’s side. “Of course she is not the child’s mother. This is my daughter Phaedra,” he said. “The child belongs to me.”

Both of the Roman’s eyebrows shot up. “Yours? She is your child?”

He eyed the officer solicitously and shook his head. “Officer, your superior guaranteed your cooperation, and I expect it from you. If you would like to return to your barracks and ask him…”

“I know my duties, citizen,” the man said stiffly. “If the child is not yours…”

“Ah, but she is… they both are,” he answer slyly, glancing at Bahar then reaching out to touch Mabyn’s face. The girl bared her teeth and tried to bite him. Abella pulled back his hand with a curse and lifted the other to strike her, but just as quickly pulled it away. “Their fathers are my slaves, so the offspring belong to me. It is my right to do with them as I wish. If you are uncertain of the law…”

“I know the law,” the officer growled then nodded to the soldier.

When he set Mabyn down, she rushed to the girls and huddled quickly between them, obviously terrified. Abella scanned them then took the officer’s arm.

“Thank you, sir. I do apologize if my manner has been disrespectful; I have the greatest admiration for you and your men. I appreciate your quick response to my request and your diplomacy in this matter. The general has been more than kind. You must understand what a shock it has been to hear that my only daughter has run away with two of my most valuable slaves.” The bulging eyes landed on Phaedra where they narrowed. “I am certain the lure of the handsome gladiator was too much for her. It is not surprising. His prowess is legendary. I promise she will be chastised for her disobedience.” He turned back to the officer. “You heard what the servants told us. It is Thane himself that brought them here. His reputation I am certain has reached even the Roman barracks. His worth is incomprehensible. As you can imagine, I would pay a high price for his return. Your superior understands this, officer.”

“The gladiator is, of course, your business, sir. As I told you earlier, if we can, we will find and return your property to you. It is the pirate we are after. If they are not together, then I cannot guarantee the prince’s return. As long as that is understood.”

Abella licked his lips and wandered over to Bahar. He reached down and touched her chin, but she pulled it away in disgust. “Leave me alone with them, and I promise I will get the fugitives’ location quickly.”

The officer scowled at Abella’s back. “We will await the arrival of my superiors, sir, as discussed, before we question anyone. This is a senator’s house, which makes the situation very delicate. I cannot allow you to…”

Abella whirled on the officer. “If it had not been for me, you would not have known the fugitive was even here. I will talk to my daughter and her servant in private, soldier, as is my right.” He tucked his chin down and pursed his lips. “Of course, I could go to the general…”

“That will not be necessary,” the officer said throwing Phaedra a glance. “You have twenty minutes, sir. Then we take them.”

Abella bowed low to the Roman as he and his officers left the house.

Phaedra tried to squeeze out of the manacles securing her wrists, but they were too tight. She murmured a quiet reassurance to Mabyn who had started to cry quietly.

“How charming,” Abella spat at her, grabbing her arm and forcing her to her feet. “Your betrayal will cost you dearly, my darling daughter, but that can wait.” He pushed her down onto one of the divans in the room and moved to Bahar quickly. She tried to get her feet up to forestall him, but he caught her across the face with a backhand that sent her sprawling against the marble floor. With her hands bound behind her, she could not break the fall and hit her head sharply.

Abella did not wait; he yanked her to her feet by her hair dragging her to kneel at Phaedra’s feet. Bahar clamped her teeth and glared at him hotly, but then froze when he pulled out his dagger and put it against her jugular.

“Please, father, do not hurt her,” Phaedra cried.

“Shut your mouth, whore,” he spat at her. “I should have slaughtered you when I beheaded your sorceress. I had no idea you were so gifted, Phaedra. To hide this from me all these years could only be accomplished by the darkest magic. I will light the witch’s pyre myself and watch you burn when we return to Britannia; I swear it. Before that, the gladiator will watch his bitch’s blood run hot at his feet for betraying me,” he shouted pointing the tip of his dagger at Mabyn hiding in the corner with her hands over her eyes.

He leaned down and got his lips close to Bahar’s ear. “But you, my little slave’s bastard, will die so much sooner. You have trained to be a gladiator; you shall die as one. Tonight you fight, sweet Bahar, and I promise the gods will not be merciful. You will perish upon the very blade my Prima has used to train you. Before then,” he added, licking the tip of his dagger and placing it under Bahar’s chin, “my sweet Phaedra, you will tell me where Thane and the pirate went, or I will anoint this room with your half-sister’s blood. It makes little difference to me how she dies.” A checkered yellow smile escaped his lips that Phaedra knew all too well. “You know I will, daughter. Please… challenge me,” he growled.

A single trickle of red stained Bahar’s throat, and Phaedra cried out, surrendering. The words spilled out of her mouth unimpaired. She could not stop them. She told him everything while the vision of that fine line of red burned into her memory. When she finished, the knife did not move.

“Please!” she screamed getting to her knees. “I beg you. Let her go!

The scream attracted attention. The Roman officer and two of his men came running through the door, hands on the hilts of their swords.

Abella pulled the dagger away from Bahar’s throat, and the girl fell sobbing to the ground.

The tall officer surveyed the scene and scowled at Abella. “I do not care that you are her father, abuse of this kind is…”

“I am not
her
father,” Abella said calmly, nodding to the prostrate Bahar. “She is an escaped
gladiatrix
who fights for me. After we have caught Thane, they will fight at the Circus. Tonight.” He glanced up at the officer and smiled. “I am certain your men could use some relaxation. I promise the fight between these two will be one that gets written in the stars.” He grabbed Bahar’s arm, yanking her from the floor, and hauled her to her feet. Without preamble, he threw her to one of the soldiers. “Take her to the Circus and ask for my friend, Balos. Tell him to prepare her for the fight.” He nodded to the officer. “With your leave, Centurion, of course.”

The officer eyed Abella suspiciously and nodded to his man. “Very well. It will be one less problem to sort out. Mind you return immediately after,” he said to the solider. “I have a feeling this will take us all night.”

“The gladiator and the pirate have been at Prisca’s and are probably headed this way,” Abella told him, wiping the blade and his hands on a rag. “My suggestion would be to get your men off the street, if you want to catch them unaware. I do not know about this pirate, but I assure you, the prince is more than a match for what few men you have here. I might suggest you increase your numbers.”

The centurion nodded once to his adjunct who left the house shouting orders. It took them less than a minute to clear the street.

Folding his arms and scowling at Phaedra, the office said to his junior, “Take the slave now.”

The soldier holding Bahar dragged her fighting from the room. Phaedra rose to run to her sister, but two other soldiers trapped her between them.

“No!” she screamed, but reality set in, and the room began to spin. She watched as Bahar struggled against the superior strength of three well-trained Romans, her arms tied behind her back, her eyes torched in terror. Phaedra’s heart broke. She had, in the end, failed Bahar.

Chapter XXXVII

“Why are you stopping?” Thane growled at Hasani, but the pirate put a finger to his lips.