Vampire Enslavement (Lords of Bondage) (33 page)

“But no sign of Lucine Maximus,” Torin said. “Visant’s working hard to track those samples of seed we sold to a supplier. He’s been getting images in his head and he maps them on paper. Discerning the locations has been a challenge. We’re not experts on Roman topography and landmarks.”

“The two Roman soldiers in the dungeon have been useful sources of information,” Seamus said. “It was good that they were spared.”

“We have pinpointed one of those locales. We would have gone today, but Diermont postponed it. Modez cannot go on a raid until he is free of the slave collar.” Torin’s eyes locked on Modez who stood at the other end of the courtyard. “Modez has been out of commission for too long. The druids are having difficulty removing the collar and the prince is beyond pissed about it.”

“We’re doing all we can to break through that metal,” one of the druids said. “We’ve never seen slave collars like these before. They seem to be indestructible. Whoever did this to Modez needs to be flayed alive. Her head needs to go on a pike.”

Kiera felt that was rather extreme. Especially since she was the person in danger of being flayed. “Lord Halloran appears fine to me. No lasting damage was done to him.”

Torin jabbed his sword in the dirt, showing his frustration. “He cannot transport and he is restricted to using his sword. On the battlefield he is more of a liability without the use of his full strength. He’s been restricted to the villa because of it.”

“Any word on the identity of the perpetrator?” Druscilla asked.

“We haven’t had much luck with that,” Seamus said. “And Modez has been less than cooperative. When we ask for details on this woman, he keeps saying that he doesn’t remember much. He refuses to undergo hypnosis or other forms of mental manipulation.”

“Why? Doesn’t he want this woman caught?”

“What happened to him was shameful. He’s using avoidance to cope with it,” Seamus said to Druscilla. “But any of our healers will tell you that avoidance isn’t a healthy strategy. He needs to talk about what happened so he can work through the trauma.”

Kiera kept her mouth shut even though she was tempted to voice her own opinions about the situation. Modez hadn’t been traumatized. She remembered how his body had reacted to her assault. He had been excited. Stimulated. Crazed with lust. Her gaze locked on Modez. He stood in the courtyard and conversed with the prince. He watched her while he spoke to Diermont. She focused her specialized senses to decipher his words.

“It is time you mate and produce a litter,” Diermont was saying to Modez. The younger Halloran was clearly unhappy with this request and was full of excuses regarding why he couldn’t take a mate.

Boring, boring.
Everyone knew Modez wasn’t going to mate for another four decades, at least. He successfully redirected the conversation to a safer topic—the pursuit of pleasure. After a minute her name was mentioned, which caught her attention. She concentrated her senses on long-distance listening, as there was no way she was going to miss any conversation that dealt with her specifically.

“Get Kiera accustomed to a male’s touch so she doesn’t come across like a scared virgin,” Diermont was saying. “I want a good show in the dungeon.”

“I will initiate her slowly,” Modez said in response. “She’s resistant to becoming a whore.”

Damn right she was resistant.

“The fine is in need of new flesh. You will teach her to submit to casual touches. Can’t have her slapping a man or hissing at him every time her ass is grabbed.”

“I’m on it.”

Oh, that pissed her off real good. He was preparing her for the prince, not for himself. She should have known Modez had ulterior motives. He had no special regard for her. He planned to use her like a common whore, and once he was done with her, he would give her to the rest of the Halloran’s. That was just…gross.

“Good. Update me on your progress with her. She will be on royal cock duty before we depart the villa. I want my fill of her before I turn her over to the king.”

Now she wanted to puke. Being Modez’s whore was bad enough. Belonging to the sadistic, fetish-prone prince would be tons worse.

“There is plenty of time. There’s no need to rush this.”

At least Modez wasn’t eager to turn her over to Diermont. She sensed the reluctance in his voice, but it wasn’t enough to mollify her.

“You’re quite right. Quite right.”

The conversation drifted to mundane, boring topics so she stopped eavesdropping. Kiera felt frazzled. The urge to escape the villa had never been as strong as now. She made up an excuse and left Druscilla in the courtyard. She wasn’t letting anyone turn her into a palace harlot. Those females served an entire family of males, not just one.

Kiera entered the room she shared with Cassia Maximus. Cassia was a proud woman, but Diermont and Cabrian kept her in the most humiliating circumstances. She suspected Cassia cared for Cabrian, but she didn’t understand why the woman wasn’t trying to escape. She approached slowly and sat beside her on the bed. “Lord Ross isn’t going to make you his mate. He’s an overlord. These lords value bloodlines above all else. You deserve more than being a hybrid slave.”

Cassia covered her nakedness with a bed sheet. “He says he will mate with me when I’m fertile.”

“Then why hasn’t he bitten you? If he was serious about the mating bond, he wouldn’t delay in claiming you.” Kiera knew that Lord Ross was attached to his human slave, but that didn’t mean he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. “You have a life to get back to, don’t you? You were an important woman in Rome.”

“I didn’t hold real power. My stepmother ran the business. Her own daughters didn’t have the head for it, so she asked me to assist her.”

“She valued you, but Lord Ross only values you as his slave.”

“I’m not sure she valued me. You could say that I was fired from my position before Lucine departed the villa. She listened to the wrong people and they told lies about me.”

“But now those people are dead, right? And she needs you now.”

Cassia shrunk away from Kiera. Her clear blue eyes were wary. “I’m not going to lead you to Lucine. We weren’t on the best of terms when we parted, but I would not do anything to endanger her.”

“I’m not interested in Lucine. My interest lies with Marly Agrippa. And like I’ve said before, it is personal and has nothing to do with the prince. I want you to take me to the Agrippa villa.”

Cassia clutched her sheet and shook her head with a firm motion. “No, I cannot take you there. It’s impossible.”

Kiera was getting tired of hearing it. She got off the bed and pulled a plain tunic from her closet. Forcing it over Cassia’s head, she pulled the garment past the woman’s curvier hips. It fit her much too snugly but that couldn’t be helped.

“What are you doing?” Cassia looked at her with confusion in her eyes. “I’m not allowed to wear clothing. You’ll get me in trouble.”

“You can hardly go about Rome naked.” Kiera clutched the other woman in her arms and opened a portal. She walked through it, taking Cassia with her. When she opened her eyes, they were on the outskirts of the city. Her eyes widened as she watched the caravans roll past. Merchants carried their goods into the city to sell at the market. The dust made her cough and the smell of horse manure overpowered her senses. “How terrible. Asstrumnia has need of few roads and I am glad for it.”

“What are you doing?” Cassia appeared confused. “You’ll be punished for setting me free.”

“I’m not freeing you. I’m taking you on an excursion.” Kiera didn’t miss the way Cassia’s eyes ate up the sights around her. “It must make you happy to see your beloved city again, even if it is from a distance.”

“Why are we here?”

“I want you to show me where Marly lives.”

“She’s in Eros. But we cannot go there.” Cassia’s eyes lowered to her bare feet.

Kiera felt like an idiot for forgetting footwear. These humans couldn’t walk the streets without protection for their dainty feet. “Show me how to get to Eros.” Kiera took Cassia’s hand and tried to get an image using her hybrid senses, but she wasn’t adept at sending and receiving psychic images. “I’ll need a map.”

“There are maps at the villa. You should study them first.”

“I suppose you are right.” Kiera had left on impulse. Her heat cycle was upon her and she had less than a day before she fell prey to it. Leaving wouldn’t be an option then and she would be forced to keep her promise to Modez. He wanted to experiment with mongrel sex but she could end up pregnant. He was one of the few hybrids in Asstrumnia who wasn’t interested in begetting a litter. He would probably reject any progeny she birthed. Worse still, any children she had would be born into serfdom unless Modez released them. He had more than enough power over her. She had to get away from the villa. Away from Modez. “I just wanted to give you a taste of freedom. Isn’t it nice to be out of that room for a while?”

“I am so happy to see the sun.” Cassia looked around her, only just now taking the time to attend to her surroundings. “My chamber lacks a decent window.”

“Smell the fresh air. There’s no trace of blood.” Kiera preferred blood to the smell of horse manure and chicken feathers, but she assumed the human would feel differently. “We could even go to the market if you like and do a bit of shopping.”

“You’ve lost your mind.”

“Well, I suppose we couldn’t go now. I need a wig.” She had wrapped her dark tresses in a scarf, but that wasn’t enough of a disguise. “We’ll be prepared next time.”

“There won’t be a next time. Two ladies cannot travel by themselves in Rome. We’ll be accosted. We’ll be taken by the slavers and end up in the brothels.”

“I’ll kill anyone who tries to take us.” Kiera knew she had acted on impulse. They weren’t ready to make their way to Marly’s home.

Cassia’s eyes filled with anxiety. “We should return.”

“You don’t mind being a slave, then?” Kiera noticed some of the traveling merchants were giving her speculative looks. She supposed the two of them would bring in a lot of coin on the slave market. “We must make haste.” The air had suddenly grown thick with smoke. There was a fire up ahead. Kiera reached out with her hybrid-enhanced hearing ability, not expecting to hear anything useful from such a far distance. But she heard the same words over and over.
The Red Light Brothel.
She pointed in the direction of the inferno and asked, “What’s over there?”

“Nothing but a bunch of gaming hells and brothels.”

“Like the Red Light Brothel?” When Cassia nodded, Kiera said, “I think it’s on fire.”

Cassia paled. “Didn’t you say Lavinia and Calpurnia were taken there?”

“According to Patrick. If it’s on fire…”

“We have to get closer.” Cassia grabbed Kiera’s arm and forced her to halt. “I have to know what’s happening.”

Kiera was curious as well. She opened up a portal and pushed Cassia through it. She followed right behind her. When they were through the portal’s blue ring, the sight that met their eyes was horrifying. The sky was darkened by smoke and it penetrated the air, making it difficult to breathe. The building that must be the brothel burned several feet away. Kiera started to cough. Roman soldiers swarmed the area while local residents tried to put out the fire. She glanced toward Cassia to make sure she was alright. The other woman was coughing, but already she was making her way to one of the nearby soldiers.

“You there. What is happening?” Cassia asked one of the soldiers.

“The Governor of New Babylon ordered the brothel’s destruction. His sons visited a few days ago and contracted the blue rot infection. Their bodies were sent home and the brothel was put under quarantine. The governor ordered it be burned.” The soldier frowned at the two ladies. “You shouldn’t be here. It’s not safe.”

“What about the ladies inside the brothel? What of them?”

“Ladies aren’t found in a brothel. Only whores. And believe me, they’re all dead. Burned to a crisp to stop the spread of infection.”

“No!” Cassia fell to her knees while the soldier shook his head in bewilderment.

Kiera tightened the scarf around her head to make sure her dark hair remained concealed. She put her arms around Cassia. “I’m afraid my mistress has a bleeding heart. She cannot bear to witness suffering of any kind.”

“You should persuade your mistress to leave. I would escort you ladies home myself, but as you can see, I’m in the middle of something. I must report to Lucius Maximus.”

“Lucius Maximus. What do you know of him?” Cassia asked.

“He’s the Centurion in charge of this operation.” The soldier turned on his heel and walked in the direction of the burning building.

Cassia took off after him. Kiera caught up to her quickly and restrained her within her arms. “You cannot go there. What are you thinking?”

Cassia started to cry in loud sobs. Finally, she said, “I have to tell Lucius that his sister is in that place.” She tried to wrench herself out of Kiera’s arms. “I’m sure he doesn’t know. He needs to get her out of there.”

“They’re all dead!” Kiera shook Cassia, hoping it would shake some sense into her head. “You heard the soldier. The brothel was quarantined and the residents were burned inside. It’s too late to save any of them.”

“But Lavinia is sister to the Centurion himself. Calpurnia Pornius is in there and the Pornius family has been allied with the Maximus family for many years.”

“It’s too late. Lavinia and Calpurnia were placed inside the brothel to spread the blue rot infection.” Lucius was Cassia’s stepbrother. It was the worst kind of luck to stumble upon a situation that struck so close to the heart. She pitied her, but her thoughts were focused on fleeing to safety, which right now meant the villa. It was too dangerous to linger here. “It doesn’t matter whether or not Lucius is aware of their identities. The ladies are the source of the infection and the governor wants them killed. Lucius would still have to follow that order. I hope he doesn’t know that his sister was inside.”

“It would kill him to know he burned his sister alive.” Cassia trembled and tears ran down her face. “I need to go to him. He needs me.”

“No. I’m afraid you cannot do that. He’d bring his soldiers to the villa and there would be major loss of life. I’d be blamed for it.”