The Barbarian's Mistress by Glover Nhys

Author:Glover, Nhys [Glover, Nhys]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Belisama Press
Published: 2013-02-01T07:00:00+00:00

6 September 79 CE, Rome LATIUM

Braxus stood before his patron, hands behind his back, feet spread apart. It was an old pose he had never grown out of. His dark brown eyes watched his quarry like a cat watches a bird. Unblinking.

‘Vali?’ Salvia Camilli said, on a gasped breath. Her eyes grew large and uncertain, and for a brief moment he saw fear written there, and something else. Then she frowned and dropped her head. Her fingers began to shred a flower she’d just taken from its bowl.

It had been red and beautiful. Scarface had no knowledge of such things, but he could appreciate beauty. But instead of smelling its perfume, as most women would have done, his patron had begun to rip the petals from the bloom and tear them into pieces. It was like watching an innocent being deflowered.

‘And he’s with a girl. A blonde girl you say?’

‘That’s what we were told. Her name is Lara and she’s a liberti, as is the Germanian, although his hair is white-blonde.’

‘He’s not from Germania.’ Salvia seemed distracted. ‘His people were from further north, outside the sphere of the Empire.’ She seemed to bring herself back to the issues at hand with some effort. ‘Interesting. How would he have managed to become a freeman in such a short time? And with a wife? What has this to do with my ex-husband, I wonder?’

He knew she was not talking to him. It was almost as if he didn’t exist to her. Her mind was turning over and over each detail feverishly, considering all the possibilities.

‘Anything else?’

‘Only that there seem to have been no “goods” that we could find. And they were headed for Carthago, not back to Rome. My partner has followed them, in case you required it.’

‘Hmmm… quite the mystery. What has my ex-sex slave and my ex-husband got in common that they would want to keep secret from me? I know Bibulus found him a useful assistant, well versed in financial matters. Could Vali be dealing in something contraband for Bibulus? His finances are in a bad way, he might think to recoup his losses illegally. But what had Pompeii to do with it. And who is the S who died? I need to know more.’ Her still beautiful face turned ugly, and she crushed the last of the bloom in her fist, and threw it away.

‘I’m not sure how this relates, but the girl was grieving her dead father.’

Salvia’s head shot up, and her piercing, golden gaze drilled into him. ‘Grieving her father?’ Then she looked away as she followed that thought through. ‘It couldn’t be. Not even Bibulus would be fool enough to give his innocent little Anniana into the hands of that sexual aggressor. And for certain, he knew what Vali was, and what he did for me… to me.’

Braxus didn’t know what she was talking about, but it didn’t matter. She wasn’t speaking to him. Her eyes were fierce now with vengeance.

‘If he’s taken her virtue, I’ll kill him myself.

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