Murder at the Limes: A gripping murder mystery from the Roman Empire (Murder in Antiquity Book 1) by Wagner Alex

Author:Wagner, Alex [Wagner, Alex]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-06-08T16:00:00+00:00

When we had exited Philippos' private chambers, Marcellus left me and went to check on his men. In the meantime, they had probably turned half the house upside down, but I doubted that they would come across any stolen gold anywhere. Philippos had obviously had money troubles—after the old man had fed the profits of his whole life to a monster.

I walked aimlessly through the house for a while, traversing all the splendid rooms in which I had spent so many carefree evenings with Belius, and lost myself in thoughts of my murdered friend. Never again would he preach to me within these walls about frugality and modesty, only to immediately order another amphora of the most expensive wine or pull a creature of luxury like Suavis onto his lap. Never again would he entertain me with gossip about the citizens of Vindobona, never again would he offer me advice or lend me his sympathetic ear whenever I had a problem. It felt like I had lost my father—for the second time.

In the garden behind the summer triclinium, I finally came across Layla. She was standing with a group of slaves who were talking excitedly. When they saw me, however, they immediately fell silent. Suavis, who had just nestled in the arms of Orodes, the guardian slave, tore herself away from him, startled.

"Don't worry," I reassured them, "you have nothing to fear from me."

Suavis looked at me uncertainly, then the burly Parthian pulled her back into his arms, and she let it happen. Next to the massive man, she seemed even more childlike than usual.

She was Alva's daughter, born in the house, it went through my head. Which had to mean that the old Greek had fathered her. As jealous as he was in claiming Alva for his own, even toward his own son, he certainly wouldn't have shared her with any other man. So Suavis had to be Lycortas' child and thus Philippos' half-sister.

Well, it didn't matter. The daughter of a slave was born a slave, no matter who her father was. No master of the house acknowledged the offspring he produced with his servants. It was simply an inexpensive way to ensure the supply of slaves in the house. Especially in peacetime, when there were no prisoners of war to fall back on, and the price of slaves used to climb inexorably.

Next to Suavis and Orodes stood Chloe, the young Greek woman who had always been my favorite at the Villa. She seemed strangely absent and didn't seem to have noticed my arrival.

I also saw her now with completely different eyes. She was no longer the seductive, mysterious beauty who had always enchanted me so much, but simply a young girl who seemed completely lost. A child that one wanted to protect from all harm.

The Villa and the sensual pleasures that this mansion had offered my friend and me were a thing of the past. Behind the beautiful glow on the surface, a place of horror had come to light.

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