Chapter 32

Elex

When the black painted facade of the House of Eros came into view, I thought I was going to vomit.

My memories of what had been done to both Luke and I within its walls boiled within my brain. I tried desperately to push them down and back into the box I kept them in within my brain. I could not think about them now. I would not think about them now.

"You okay?" I heard Hel whisper.

I nodded but couldn't help a shiver of revulsion as the wagon came to a stop in front of the House.

"Are you going to be able to handle this?" he asked, his face grim.

"I'm fine." I snapped.

A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Lie. But it's okay, kitty kat. You are not alone this time," he said, hand a warm presence in my own.

I took a deep breath. He was right. I wasn't drugged. I wasn't alone. I had my family. I had my Bonded. I would never be alone again.

I returned his squeeze with one of my own.

"I'll be okay," I said finally.

A boy came out and held the horses as we climbed down from the wagon top where we had been paraded throughout the city. When my feet touched ground I felt a tremble of power through the earth and glanced at Luke. His face was as blank as my own, but I saw Rhuyin hold his hand a little longer than necessary as he helped him down from the ladder. Neither of us were alone anymore.

We were led into the House. Unlike the first time we had been there we entered through the front door. At the entrance stood a face I remembered all too well. Master Hestus. Beside him stood several men and women, courtesans of his House.

"Ah! Master Bacillus! You honor me," he said, bowing his head as we fanned out around our guide.

"The honor is mine, Master Hestus!" Master B responded as he bowed deeply. "It is the pleasure of myself and my oikogéneia to share our knowledge of the pleasures of the flesh with you and your household."

"Please introduce me to your family," Hestus said, his order only thinly disguised.

"This is Sylvi, whom I believe you know well, Master Hestus," Master B began, and I saw with start that there was a slight flush spreading across Hestus' face.

"We—are acquainted. It is my pleasure to welcome you to my home once more, Lady Sylvi," Hestus oozed.

Sylvi did a slight curtsy, the leather of her suit creaking slightly as she smiled coquettishly at the brothel owner. Next to Hestus a woman with brown curls narrowed her eyes at Sylvi. There was apparently no love lost between the women.

"The—pleasure—is all mine, Lord Hestus," she whispered breathily.

"Oh," he laughed gently. "I am simply a Master, my dear, as you well know."

"You will always be a Lord to me, Master Hestus."

She smiled a secret smile at him and blinked slowly, her eyes promising pleasure.

"And these?" Hestus coughed, pulling himself back to his duties.

"This is Hephaestus," Master B said, gesturing to Helios. "And this is Hercules."

Hel and I bowed as he called out our nom de plumes.

"And this is Perseus and Poseidon!" He said, gesturing to Luke and Rhuyin.

"You always did have a flair for the dramatic, Bacillus," Master Hestus said, smiling as he examined us. "They are gorgeous. If they perform even half as well as the Lady Sylvi, it will be coin well spent."

"Would you like some refreshments?" Master Hestus asked. "Or would you prefer to retire until dinner? We don't have any clients scheduled for you until afterward."

"Ah, rest, I think," Master B said. "We would not want to disappoint your clients."

"Indeed. Eli!" called Master Hestus and the young eunuch appeared at his side as if by magic. "Take our guests so they can bathe and refresh themselves. Master B will be dining with me this evening."

Eunuchs in Alexandria were considered the lowest of the low. Being made a eunuch was punishment typically reserved for the worst of traitors or as punishment for someone who had an especially valuable skill that their owner wished to preserve, but still punish. I understood why Hel's father and Jozel had been made eunuchs, but it made me wonder what Eli had done to suffer this fate.

The eunuch nodded their bald head. Eli had been here when I had been brought to the House. I kept my eyes down. I remembered too clearly their disgust at my attitude from our previous visit. The last thing we needed was for someone to recognize us before we had the opportunity to free our prizes.

They led us to quiet quarters in the back of the building that I didn't remember seeing in our previous visit. It held a large living area with multiple doors leading off to what I assumed were bedrooms. The apartments were nowhere near as lavish as the ones in which Mageia were forced to perform their Callings, but they were clean and everything was of high quality.

"Please rest here. If you need to bathe, please ring for a servant to guide you to the bathing rooms. If you need anything else—"

"Actually," Hel said, stepping forward. "Do you have a healer amongst your staff? I have a minor wound from one of our previous clients that doesn't seem to be healing as well as it might. If you have a healer, their help would be appreciated."

Eli paused, and I held my breath. This was the story we had concocted to have an excuse to try to reach his father.

"I have some healing skills, let me see," Eli demanded.

Hel grimaced, but he recovered quickly, playing it off as pain from the wound. We had expected this.

He lifted his shirt above his stomach and showed a bloodstained bandage across his midsection. Eli stepped forward and ripped the bandage down with far more force than necessary. I must have made some kind of sound because the eunuch turned their icy gaze on me.

"This one is a little possessive," Hel said, smiling as he stepped between us, deftly redirecting Eli's gaze back to him. Dammit, I was no good at this subterfuge!

When Eli turned their gaze to Hel I knew what they would see: a long gash, not too deep, but definitely showing signs of infection. Sylvi was a master at makeup and disguise. So long as they didn't poke and prod too much at the "wound" it should pass inspection.

Eli "Harrumphed."

"This is beyond my skill, but we have one here who might be able to help. I will send them to you."

I hid my exultation at the use of the "them" pronoun. It meant that the person they were sending was likely a eunuch, and that increased the chance that it might end up being Hel's father.

"Your assistance is appreciated," Hel responded.

When Eli left the room we all let out a sigh of relief. The first step in our plan was complete.

"Are you okay?" Hel asked.

I nodded.

"Ghosts?" Hel asked.

I nodded again. We were being cautious with how much we said within these walls. Who knew what spies might be hidden within? He reached out and wrapped his arms around me. I automatically stiffened and started to pull away, but saw that Rhu had his arms wrapped around my brother as well. We were both here by choice, but this was a nightmare for both of us. I sank into my Bonded's embrace. This was truly the only place in the world I felt completely safe. Even though, logically, I knew we were in greater danger than ever, his arms made me feel safe.

"I'll be okay," I said.

"I know you will," Hel said, resting his chin on my head. Sometimes it bugged the hell out of me that he was so freakin' tall, but other times it comforted me.

The moment was interrupted by a knock at the door. We all froze, then separated quickly, Hel heading into one of the bedrooms that appeared off the main suite. Master B opened the door to the sight of two eunuchs standing at the door, their heads bowed, their shaved heads gleaming in the lamplight.

"Honored guests, we are here to serve," the one on the left said quietly in a voice so similar to one I loved. I would have recognized that voice any day, but I had to hide my jubilation.

"Please, come in," Master B said, extending his hand and sweeping the two inside. "Thank you for responding so quickly. My friend is in here."

Kyris' gaze skipped over me quickly, only to dance back, a look of astonishment quickly suppressed. I smiled grimly at him and I saw first confusion, then recognition cross his features.

"This way, please," I said. I saw his eyes flick to his companion, then back to me. He shook his head subtly and I nodded. He didn't trust his companion.

We led him to the room where Hel lay, his "wound" oozing pus. If I hadn't seen Sylvi create it myself I would have believed the injury real.

Kyris approached Hel, who still had his mask on. I sensed his shock through our Bond as he saw his father again for the first time in years. His eyes were suspiciously bright as his father approached the bed. We could only hope the other eunuch put the brightness down to pain from his injury.

"May I examine the wound?" Kyris asked quietly. The Illyrians held great reverence for the art of healing and personal autonomy. They always asked permission before extending their powers on another person.

"Of course," Hel responded, pulling his shirt up to reveal the fake wound.

Kyris took in the faked injury and hummed slightly, his fingers dancing lightly over Hel's skin, careful not to disturb the paste that Sylvi had used to create it.

"I am called Kyris, Honored Guests, and this is Nigelo. We are honored to serve in the House of Eros," he said. "Nigelo, I believe I am going to need some additional supplies. You should find them in the infirmary. There is a pack of chamala root I need, and I will absolutely need some willow bark tea. I'm not sure if we have any remaining so I will need you to look through the containers until you find it. If we have none, you will need to go to the apothecary and purchase some."

Nigelo nodded and turned, his glance raking over our group, his eyes halting and raking over Sylvi's form. He paused and licked his lips as he perused her form until Kyris interrupted him.

"Now, please, Nigelo," Kyris said. "Request one of the guards accompany you. Master Hestus would not be pleased if a guest were to perish under his roof."

Nigelo snapped his eyes away from Sylvi and huffed before leaving to attend the errand.

When the door closed behind him Hel almost leaped out of the bed, but Kyris had his finger to his lips as he looked around. Taking the hint I created an Air shield that deadened any sounds outside the room. Sylvi and Rhuyin moved to the sitting area. Rhu had been practicing a trick that he and I had worked out, using Air to mimic voices so we wouldn't raise any suspicions by creating a soundproof area. He wasn't as good at it as I was, but it should allay any suspicion.

"Air shielded? Master Bacillus—" Kyris began, but his eyes caught on Helios' silver ones.

"Goddess save me," he whispered. "Helios?"

Hel nodded, his face a devastating mix of joy and sadness.

"Father…" Hel breathed.

Kyris didn't wait for him to finish whatever he was going to say. The father and son embraced, and the emotion I felt through the bond was a jumble of joy, grief, regret and a stark sadness. It was overwhelming and made me feel a little like I was eavesdropping on their hearts. The two men finally separated, and we all pretended not to see the tears they each dashed from their eyes.

"Helios, my precious son," he whispered, taking Hel's face in his hands. "How in the name of the goddess did you end up here?"

"I'm a Soma. We're here to rescue you," Hel said. "You and Stergiou."

Kyris' eyes went wide.

"How—what—Goddess, this is insane," he said, shaking his head. "Sit. None of that is real, is it?" he asked, gesturing to Hel's wound.

Hel shook his head.

"Just a ruse to get close to you," he answered.

"Smart. Hestus believes in guest rite and would not take kindly to a guest dying under his roof. It's one of the reasons he was so adamant about you not dying, young man. I see you made it to Illyria." He said, nodding toward me. He dropped to the bed as if he no longer had the strength to stand, his eyes frozen on his son's face. "I can't believe you're really here."

"We're not just here, we're here to get you out," I said.

Kyris smiled.

"I had hoped that someone in Illyria would get my message, but I wasn't sure."

"Your message was received, my friend," Master B said, clapping a hand on Kyris' shoulder. "We're here to get you and Stergiou out. Where is he?"

Kyris' face fell.

"You either have the best of luck, or the worst, my friends. Jozel is here, but is most likely only here until tomorrow morning. The King is sending Master Aurelius to move him. Aurelius is expected for dinner, after which he will be…entertained…and then he is expected to return to the palace."

Hel swore.

"That doesn't leave us much time," he said. "But we'll make it work."

"You don't understand," Kyris said. "Aurelius heard that there was going to be new blood here this evening, so he plans on sampling the new…wares."

My eyes widened. I hadn't ever met Aurelius, but I knew he had been one of Luke's tormentors. "And he has a taste for blonds."

My eyes flashed to my Bonded.

"Shit. He would recognize me, I think," Hel said. "He's the one who captured me and released me into the Machi to begin with, and—"

"And you bit his hand off," I added.

"There's that, too," Hel said, laughing.

"That was you?" Kyris asked, his voice a mixture of amusement and pride. "We've all heard the stories of the giant snow tiger that took his hand."

"I'll do it. I'd be more than willing to kill the bastard," I volunteered.

"He would, indeed, recognize you. He suffered a great deal for the mistake of placing you in the Machi, or so gossip has said," Kyris said, a small smile on his lips. "The King's punishments are legendary. As far as for you attending him, Kataramenos, he prefers blonds."

The name made me start as I realized it was the only one I had ever shared with him.

"It's Elex, actually," I said.

Kyris raised an eyebrow.

"Wait. Elex. As in, the bastard son of Cyrius? Who died in the Machi Thanatos?"

I nodded.

"Except he didn't actually die, and he's my Bonded," Hel said proudly.

Kyris looked between us, the joy on his face undeniable.

"Goddess be praised!" he said, hugging his son again. Then, to my surprise, he stood and wrapped me in a hug as well. As he held me in his arms I understood where Hel got his skill at hugging. Though he was much slighter than his son, his hug was all in.

"Glad you saved me?" I asked, grinning as he took my face in his hands.

His lined face smiled, and I couldn't help but smile back.

"So very glad," he said. "Even if you weren't my son's Bonded. Welcome to our family, my son."

He leaned forward and placed a fatherly kiss on my forehead. The words made me freeze. Son. I had never been called that by anyone but Mitera. It evoked a mixture of emotions within my chest, but overall I thought that maybe I liked it.

"Thank you," I whispered, and it was my turn to brush tears from my eyes.

"So where is Stergiou, and how do we get him out of here before Aurelius gets here?" I asked, brusquely trying to get back to business. "And should we worry about this Nigelo fellow coming back?"

Kyris sat back on the edge of the bed.

"It will take him a bit. I brought our entire stock of willow bark tea with me, so I know for a fact he will need to go to the apothecary to get more. We should have a little bit of time yet."

"I don't know how we can get Jozel out of here before Aurelius arrives. If we did there would be an immediate hue and cry. We wouldn't get two miles," he said. "If we wait until afterward we might have a better chance. But that would mean one of you would need to entertain Aurelius. If we can kill him without anyone knowing…"

Luke looked at me from the other side of the room, his eyes dark and a shadow spreading across his face.

"I think I know how to do that," he said. "You said he likes blonds. I think I'm the only option."

"He would recognize you, too," I said.

"We don't have a choice," Luke said. "If he discovered Hel, he would just kill him outright. Aurelius and Maalik—let's just say, they had similar tastes. Even if Aurelius realized who I was, I believe he would take any chance he could get to fuck with me before he turned me over to my father."

The door flew open, and Rhu stood in the doorway.

No!he signed. I don't know what you are thinking, but I can feel your panic. No way in hell am I letting you do this.

I wasn't as good at signing as my brother had become, but I was able to follow most of the argument that erupted between my brother and his Bonded. I looked away to try and give them some privacy.

Kyris raised an eyebrow at his son as their fingers flew fast and furious in their silent argument.

"Prince Lucien? Bonded?" he asked in awe.

"Yep," Hel said. "He goes by Luke now, though."

"And they know the Scribes tongue. This could be useful. Hestus keeps many spies within the walls of the House that carry tales to him. If you can communicate without words, it could give us a small advantage."

I held up a small bag with the symbol of Prometheus on it and he smiled grimly at us.

"That gives me an idea."