38. Drunk

Drunk

Luella

Cassius tugs his white shirt down over his muscled chest and I’m only disappointed because for once I was not the object of lust in the room. That’s the only reason. Besides, all good things must come to an end.

The whip still sits beside him. The fountain bubbles in the center of the room. The Dominus doesn’t rise, and I don’t step away.

I wonder how long we can stay this way, each taking the other’s measure.

Then Cassius sways again and a very undignified hiccup escapes him.

“Stones,” he murmurs.

“Dominus, you are very drunk.”

He lets out a sigh and scrubs his hand across his facial stubble as he rocks back on his heels. He teeters, then ends up on his bottom, legs sprawled out in front of him and his powerfully built arms reflexively reaching back to catch him.

“Domina, I am very drunk,” he says.

No one else is here. I could easily tip a vial of poison into his mouth and be done with everything right now. If I take advantage of my knowledge of the Domus Aurea, I can escape as easily as I had before, posing as a servant. The thought makes me angry. If he suspects me as Skylar, why does he have so little self-preservation? He can’t even keep his wits around a known murderer.

I should kill him.

“Come,” I say. I put out my hand and he quirks a brow. After a moment he acquiesces, grabbing my wrist and using me as leverage to stand.

“You’re thinking about how to kill me.” He sounds resigned.

Yes. “Why would I be thinking about that?”

“Because you still don’t understand.” His face is so open that I want to bite. I want to ask what I don’t understand. I want to ask about the women and why I am here and why he would risk not being in control with anyone, especially women he hurt.

Especially with me.

“I certainly don’t,” I confess.

“I had to hurt them, for you,” he says. I flinch. “No, no. No. I mean. Just…” he searches my eyes and lets loose another sigh. “Can you just wait to kill me? Just a little longer. You’ll see.” He nods. “You’ll see.”

I don’t answer as he wraps his arm over my shoulder and uses me as a crutch towards what I assume are his rooms.

“Right around this corner, almost there and you can tie me to the bed if you want.” He giggles as if this is an inside joke between us. It is. Of course, I pretend not to know it.

When we turn the corner, I stop in my tracks. Cassius falls against me, looking up.

“Stones,” he says. Stones, indeed.

“Brother!” The Emperor says. He’s resplendent in his white robes with golden trim. His blonde hair is highlighted with a small golden leaf crown. The Emperor of Divus is known for two things. One, his rakish good looks, which the Dominus shares. Two, his absolute and unyielding cruelty. On his first war campaign, the Emperor was nearly beaten multiple times. At one point the enemy said they would surrender when the boy king bent over for them. When the Emperor finally won, he personally reinstated the ancient practice of irrumatio , breaking out the teeth of every soldier and messenger who had called him the boy king so as to… assault the orifice, which he purportedly did with gusto for days, fine with blood and open wounds.

My stomach turns at the sight of him and his Praetorians, all six of them lining the hall on either side. The sweet sapa burns the back of my throat, threatening to coat the floor in front of us.

“Imperatus,” I murmur, shoving Cassius off of me so that I may bow at the waist. It would not do well to draw attention to myself here, in this form.

“Ah. The venefica, ” he says. The witch. “You’ve cast a spell on my brother. The man who never had interest in man nor woman in all the years I’ve known him. Suddenly betrothed.”

He looks me up and down as if he wonders what could be so special about me. I see it when the wondering shifts to something else, a decision.

“The floras bore me,” Cassius says. Any trace of drunkenness has vanished, and he’s standing tall. Controlled. “I decided to try something new.” He shrugs, as if it’s no matter at all.

“When you grow bored of her, let me know,” the Emperor says. I keep my eyes down as is expected of me.

Cassius nods, the idea of sharing his wife as benign as sharing a meal. Both things to be devoured, nothing left but bones. “Perhaps after the wedding night you can try her out.” I should have killed him next to that gods-forsaken fountain, but he definitely won’t be making it past the wedding night. “Come,” Cassius says, hand on my arm. “Good day, Imperatus.”

As we move to pass the Emperor, he grabs my wrist, stopping Cassius and me with the movement. I look up shyly, not hiding my intimidation. His interest in Luella, in me, will ruin everything. “Yes, you’d make a fine addition,” he hums his approval, his hand tightening painfully around my wrist until I feel bones crack. I whimper and on the other side Cassius tightens his hand, too.

It’s only pain. But the Emperor must like my reaction because he squeezes harder, the small squares in my wrist grating against each other, fracturing my breath until I’m crying out, trying to pull away. He reaches his other hand forward to grab my forearm and I know he’s going to break my arm. I know it before he does.

Then Cassius yanks me back hard, and a surprised grunt leaves me. “Brother, leave me something for the wedding night,” Cassius says and a forced chuckle leaves him.

The Emperor smiles. “Of course, little brother. She just screams so pretty.” The blood drains from my face. I can’t fake the trembling that overtakes me then. Those words.

She just screams so pretty.

I will do it. I will vomit all over the floor in front of them and then I will smash this pearl between my teeth and spit on them both and watch as their bodies decay.

Cassius yanks on me again, harder this time, his grip nearly making me cry out again except I refuse to let the Emperor hear anything but silence from me, now. “So pretty,” Cassius agrees, the words a growl as he tugs me down the hall. I spare a glance back at the Emperor as he watches us leave, and my wrist throbs when I meet his eyes. I know what will happen even if they don’t, yet.

These brothers will rip me apart.