Vampire Enslavement (Lords of Bondage) (24 page)

“Marly leads an extravagant lifestyle— that is true. But she doesn’t have much of a personal life. She has no one but her brothers.” Cassia intentionally didn’t mention Lucine. “She has two gold chariots and she does eat off gold plates. One cannot count the number of sandals she owns, although some have tried. Her brother had to build a little villa just to house her footwear. And some ladies have even claimed they went blind when they beheld the sight of the grand lady Marly dressed in her jewels. Several ladies continue to wear eye patches even though it has been years since they viewed Marly enrobed in her sunfire diamonds.” Cassia had grown up hearing of the notorious woman, and when Lavinia had married Cassia’s father, Marly had become family. Marly had always encouraged Cassia to complete her education. When one had the means to support oneself, one didn’t have to rely on a man. Cassia respected Marly’s ability to remain completely independent in a society that usually forbid females to do anything of importance. “To this day, I always turn my head to the side when I cross her path.” Cassia’s laugh died when she noticed Kiera’s thunderous reaction.

“That bitch! How dare she! All this time I thought she was dead!” Kiera clenched her fists and leapt from her chair. She started to pace again. “She’ll wish she had died when I get through with her. I’m going to wrap those sunfire diamonds around her neck and lynch her from the nearest tree.”

“Oh no. No. Don’t tell me you’re her daughter.” If Kiera’s hair was lighter, she would be nearly an exact replica of Marly Agrippa. She could see the resemblance in the bone structure of Kiera’s face and now she wondered why it had taken so long for her to see it.

“No, I’m not her daughter. Do I look like a Roman to you?”

“You look like Marly. You have her face. Anyone who sees the two of you together would notice.” Cassia thought it possible the prince would notice it the second he laid eyes on Marly.

“I cannot look like her. I cannot,” Kiera wailed. “I don’t want to look like her.”

“If you put on a wig and draped yourself in jewels, you could be her.” Cassia shook her head and said, “Almost. You would have to lose a foot of height.”

“I am nothing like her. I am hybrid.” Kiera gestured at herself and pointed at her dark hair. “Who would dare confuse us? And why would Diermont ever meet the woman? He has no business with her.”

“Are you sure about that?” Cassia was tempted to share the truth about Marly, but she was afraid to mention it. This could all be a trick, a way to convince her to give away her secrets. These hybrids were devious creatures. “He’s been burning villas down left and right. They can travel in the blink of an eye. Humans can only travel by foot, horse, boat, or carriage. Your people can open portals and some of you can even fly. You can do a whole lot of burning and looting when you can cut out the travel times.”

“Diermont has no business with the Agrippa’s. He only cares about stopping the Hydra production.”

So Kiera has no idea that Marly Agrippa and Lucine Maximus are connected
. Cassia wasn’t going to enlighten her. “Yes, but your prince has killed many people who had nothing to do with the Hydra business.”

“It is the cost of war. You must understand that none of us would have come here in the first place if it hadn’t been for Lucine Maximus. She held Lord Ross captive and kept him here as her slave. That woman was bred from a family of slavers and criminals, from what I understand.” She frowned and said, “I didn’t say that to upset you. I realize she is your stepmother and I understand that you are worried about her. Lucine is in danger for a reason, trust me. The woman is a threat that needs to be subdued. Marly Agrippa is no threat to anyone.”

Marly Agrippa was hardly innocent. She was in many ways more ruthless than Lucine. “Why do you look like Marly Agrippa? You said you are not her daughter, but you do share a connection.”

“Yes, we are connected,” Kiera said as she began to pace. Lines of worry were etched on her face.

“Does the prince know of your connection to this Roman woman?”

Kiera stopped in her tracks and said, “No, he doesn’t know. He doesn’t need to know, and if you ever repeat any of this to anyone, I will hurt you in ways you cannot even imagine. And that includes Lord Ross. Do not mention it to him.”

“How is it that you have this connection and none of them know of it?”

“They don’t really know me. They’ve never cared to know me. All they care about is how I may serve them.” She flopped down on the sofa and covered her eyes with her hand. “I’m not truly one of them. I’m not an elite. I came from nothing—from the fields, actually. The nobles don’t concern themselves with the backgrounds of the serfs and peasants, just as they don’t care about the unrecognized bastard children of a lesser noble.”

“And if the connection becomes known? What then?”

Kiera narrowed her eyes and said, “Don’t threaten me. I could kill you in less than three seconds.”

“I didn’t mean it as a threat. Secrets cannot always stay hidden. If anyone saw you and Marly together, one would know you share a connection. A blood connection.”

“I only admitted to a connection. I didn’t mention blood.”

“And I understood what you didn’t say, what you are too afraid to say. If she’s not your mother, then she must be your grandmother. Right?”

Kiera closed her eyes and said, “We share a connection. Let’s leave it at that. It’s more than I’ve ever admitted to anyone else.”

Kiera was related to Lucine Maximus and she didn’t seem to know it. If her guess was correct, Lucine was Kiera’s great aunt
. Cassia debated how much to tell her. “It seems that Marly has upset you somehow. Would it bother you at all if the prince’s men killed her during one of their raids?”

“I want answers. How can I get them if she’s dead?”

“Then it seems you may be on limited time here.” Eventually the prince would come across the Agrippa villa. She hoped Marly would leave and go underground like Lucine.

“Why is that? What do you know?”

“I just know that people tend to die when Diermont is involved.” Cassia stopped herself before saying more. “What questions do you have for the woman?”

“Some that I wish to voice to her face. Where is the woman? You said she lives with her brother. Which one?”

“What does it matter?”

“I have to speak with her. I want to speak with her as soon as possible, before the opportunity is lost. Which brother? You must tell me. I could ask around, but the others would get suspicious.”

It wouldn’t do for those hybrids to become interested in the Agrippa’s. Cassia didn’t want to drive any hybrids to Marly’s door, but if she had to make that choice, she would rather it be Kiera. “She lives with Markus Agrippa in one of the largest villas in Eros. Markus’ wife passed away some time ago. He has a son who he has been trying to marry off, but the boy hasn’t followed through on his father’s wishes. I’ve heard the younger Markus doesn’t like females, if you know what I mean. I think his father sent him to Flourda with every expectation that he would bring back a girl to marry. None of the Roman women will have him, given his tendencies and his inability to be discreet.”

“I will pay her a visit.”

“How? You cannot just pop in, you know. The villa will be heavily guarded.”

“I cannot open a portal there. I am too unfamiliar with the area and I could end up transporting to the bottom of the sea. I will transport as close as I can and then I’ll walk through the main door.”

“They won’t let a hybrid into their home. Even if you looked Roman, they wouldn’t let you in because they don’t know you. You’ll be turned away at the door.”

Kiera’s eyes flashed in irritation. The red hue reminded Cassia that the female was dangerous. “They know you,” Kiera said. “They’ll let you in. They’ll let me in as well if I come as your companion.”

It was a bad, bad idea. “You cannot be serious about this. We cannot leave the villa. Do you not realize that I am a prisoner here?” She had caught a lot of heat for even thinking of leaving earlier. She wasn’t going to emerge from this chamber, no matter the promises made.

“No one actually said we couldn’t go anywhere. Not really. And they don’t have to know we went. It wouldn’t take but a few minutes. I doubt I’ll have a lengthy conversation with the woman. We’ll talk and then we’ll come back here. You said I could pass for a Roman if I had light hair. I could wear a wig.”

“You are taller than most men. I’m not sure this would work and I don’t want to risk being caught by that crazy prince. He’d love some excuse to kill me.”

“Lord Ross wouldn’t let any harm come to you. Aren’t you tired of being cooped up in this villa? Wouldn’t you like to get out for a bit?”

“Sure it would be wonderful, but I’m a captive in a locked room.” The hybrid female had lost her mind. She regretted saying anything about the Agrippa’s.

“I don’t need to use the door so locks are no concern to me. I have full use of the portal, at least for now.”

“I cannot go anywhere with you. You’re crazy. You know that, right?”

“So you’re going to do whatever they want you to do, jump when they say jump, huh? I can see why they didn’t enthrall you. Why bother when they know you’ll blindly follow after them like some kind of dumb little pet.”

“Don’t you dare criticize me.” The pet reference was getting under her skin. “I had to watch while your prince murdered nearly every living person here. My family. My friends. The lowest of the servants and slaves. All killed except for me. I know there was some disagreement about that and there are some who think I should have been executed with the rest. Cabrian saved me and I’m not going anywhere.”

“I’m sure there must be something I can offer that would make you change your mind.” She stared at her with glowing red eyes and crossed her legs. “I could force you to help me, but I’d rather you do it willingly. Name your price.”

I should have kept my mouth shut about the Agrippa’s, Cassia mentally berated herself. “I won’t do it for any price.”

“Maybe not for coin or riches, but there are other things…”

“There is nothing. I want to prove my loyalty to Cabrian and he will never trust me if I do something of that magnitude behind his back.” The hybrid female’s eyes flared with a multitude of yellow and red colors. Cassia wondered if the woman would combust in flames. “Perhaps you should talk to Cabrian about it first. Gain his permission.”

“Now that
would
be crazy. I’m not going to explain to any of them why I have personal business with the Romans.” She tightened her jaw and said, “And you are
not
to inform them. You do not wish to make an enemy of me, Roman. You have plenty of enemies as it is.”

“I’m not going to share our conversation with anyone.” It would only make her look suspicious if she talked.

“Just think about what I said,” Kiera said as she exited the room.

Cassia sighed and sat down on the bed, lost in thought. She wasn’t going to allow Kiera to drag her into some kind of family drama. She trusted Cabrian to protect her, but only to a point. Diermont was a murderous bastard and no one was safe. No one.

Chapter 16

“I have concerns about Lord Ross and the human. I have seen the way he lusts for the bitch. He actually asked to take her to a breeding camp so he could be allowed to fuck her, but I refused.”

Modez took a deep breath. Dealing with the prince was always a challenge. “Why not allow him the trip to the camp? It would solve the problem, would it not?”

“She will ruin him.” Diermont lounged back in his chair and filled a pipe with blue leaves. “It is enough that I’ve let him keep his pet.”

“You may enjoy watching him breed the human.” Diermont sure enjoyed watching hybrids fuck. “You’re missing out on an opportunity for sport, Your Royal Highness.”

Diermont breathed over the pipe until it sparked a tiny flame. Puffs of blue smoke trailed from the pipe and the fetid smell of bluacco filled the air. “We have serious matters with which to focus. Fucking is not all there is to life.”

Modez coughed when he inhaled the awful secondhand smoke into his lungs. He wished the prince would stop smoking the blue, but it had become popular at court because it produced a euphoric high. Unfortunately, it also made people hallucinate. “Fighting puts a male in the mood to fuck. I have felt the urge upon me as well, yet I have no outlet due to the absence of bed servants.”

“I apologize.” Diermont coughed and gasped for air. “The dronusfly swarms came at the worst time, I am afraid. I have little to offer you.” He waved the pipe under Modez’s nose and said, “Except for this excellent stuff here. Have some?”

“You know I don’t smoke.”

Diermont puffed blue balls of air from puckered lips and laughed as they swirled and formed shapes. “Hee hee. Why does Patrick have three cockheads? Guess he can fuck all three orifices now that he has those buggers.”

Modez turned his head and noticed Patrick had crept inside like a slimy snake. “I’m not sure what you’re seeing, Your Royal Highness, but there’s nothing special about Patrick.”

Diermont sobered for a moment. “Very good. I just realized I only have two orifices of the required size. My nostrils are much too small. At least I’m pretty sure nothing can get up there.” He took another hit off the pipe and promptly burst into giggles. “But I’m no gaylord, I tell you. Patrick, do get rid of your extra cocks, please.”

Modez put his head in his hands. A high Diermont. He needed that like a hole in the head. “We were talking about Lord Ross.”

“And your need for a bed servant. Yes, I remember.” He motioned for Patrick to take a seat at the table. “Druscilla’s mating test isn’t going so well. I am thinking of discontinuing it early. I could order her to serve you instead.”

He felt zero attraction for Druscilla, even though she was a lovely female with an impressive fighting skill. “I appreciate the offer, but my need is so great that I would do damage to the lady. I would prefer to slake my lust upon a human rather than soil one of our own.” He wasn’t that desperate for a female. Truth was he could go for weeks without sex. Shane McDonald still thought Diermont would lift the ban if Modez played a convincing part.