thin shift and bare arms. Slashes covered the length of them. Septimus hadn’t taken her yet—he would—but for now, he was simply playing.
His gaze turned on me. I had to stop myself from recoiling. He’d tortured another slave-girl to death just weeks earlier and was wearing that same lust-crazed expression. Boy or girl, it didn’t matter to Septimus. Only pain mattered.
Septimus’s lips curved up. “Ah, Vane, there you are. Meet my bride, the Lady Aldith. She’s a little noisy, but I have been rectifying that quite pleasurably.”
“It’s noisy everywhere,” I commented.
“Good. The men are enjoying themselves, as they should.” Narrow eyes watched me. “Did you?”
I returned a pained look. “I prefer things… a bit cleaner.”
To my relief, he chuckled. “The barbarians do stink like swine, do they not?”
I crossed the length of the room, eyeing the woman. She wore a resigned expression. At least she wasn’t dead. Though, it might have been better for her if she were.
Confined as I was at the time, I hadn’t help that slave-girl and I didn’t know how to help this one. Septimus made me listen to the slave-girl’s horror. He would make me watch the debauchment of this one. I didn’t want to think about what he would force me to do… all because I wasn’t strong enough to free myself. Frustration gnawed at me. My fingers tightened on my sword, even though I knew it was useless.
For a second, I pictured myself hacking off his head with a blade. I would make it slow. I wanted to hear the satisfying break of his neck. I blinked and the picture receded. Of course, I’d never get close enough. The bind he used to control me was impervious to steel.
Septimus, his Roman face etched with arrogance, grinned at me as if he knew my thoughts. He probably did. Not that he minded. It just excited the twisted bastard.
A whimper drew my attention to the other side of the bed. A delicate-looking boy, a few years younger than I, huddled on the floor with his knees up. Something about his too-old eyes reminded me of my own brother. I glanced at Septimus. He followed my gaze and now wore a twisted smile—no doubt enjoying the boy’s terror as much as the mother’s. Rage choked me, but I long ago trained myself not to show any signs of it.
Turning an indifferent expression back to Septimus, I said, “You’re looking for something.”
Septimus beamed with approval. I swallowed my nausea. He put a hand on a bedpost. “The Vandal’s treasure. It is rumored that a great bounty was taken when the barbarians sacked Rome. Gold and jewels from all over the world, going back to the time of Alexander of Macedonia. Such treasure would do much for my coffers.”
“How do you know it’s here?”
Septimus laughed. “A piece of it is here. The Lady Aldith has an aristocratic ancestry. She is related to the royal line through Hildrec, Gelimer’s cousin. He was the deposed king who brushed elbows with Justinian himself. While I have no doubt that the bulk of the treasure was taken by Gelimer when he took the throne, these nobles find ways to keep their fair share. Such a share is hidden in this house. I have gleaned as much from Lady Aldith. She is not well accomplished in the skills of guile.”
I took off my baldric and threw it down on the floor at Septimus’s feet. The coins clinked heavily on the stone floor. “You can add these to your coffers. I believe it will cover what you spent on me.”
As I expected, Septimus quickly grabbed the baldric. He opened the pouch and drew out a greedy handful of gold coins. “Nicely done, Vane. Where did you find it?”
“A noble’s house. A few doors down.”
“From just one house. It confirms their treasures are abundant.” Septimus looked at me. “Still, centurion, you are much more valuable than a mere bag of coins.”
The caress in his tone when he called me by the title he chose for me made my skin crawl.
Septimus smiled, the soft lines of his face disguising the monster lurking inside. “If we were to find such a grand treasure, its worth would be immeasurable…”
A lure. Yet, what choice did I have? Every soldier in this house owed fealty to Septimus. Even if one dared to stand against him, he would surely be skewered for his heroics by the larger army. I touched the threaded necklace at my throat. “Allow me to talk to