A Stray Drop of Blood (48 page)

“
This gift would be offered to a Gentile servant?” The steward shook his head. “It is too precious to be wasted on jackals. I just rejoice that those I served will be blessed in eternity.”

Abigail smiled. “Titus is a Gentile. I was a servant. If the gift can be extended to us, why not to you? Our Lord did not preach health to the healthy, but to the sick. He did not feed the filled, but the hungry. It is those who need him most for whom he came, so if you desire him with a full heart, Arminius, he will not refuse you. The true God knows each of his children by name and will welcome you into his embrace.”

“
If this is true,” Arminius said in a shaky voice, looking from her to Titus, “then how steep must be the cost. What must I do, how much must I give, to take this gift for myself?”

Titus shook that suggestion away. “A gift has no price. As we were taught, his yoke is easy, his burden light. All the Lord requires is a contrite and humble heart that will seek his will in all things. For some of us,” he admitted, “that was the hardest thing he could ask. But I am learning what he wills, my friend, and I see that when I submit myself to him, he raises me up.”

“
All you must do is believe.” Abigail squeezed the old shoulder under her hand. “Believe with your heart and confess with your lips that Jesus is the Lord, the only Son of the only God. If you do that, he will guide you in all the paths you will take.”

“
I do. I do believe. Since the first word my master wrote of this man, there has been a stirring in this weak heart.” He covered his chest with a wizened hand, the tears coming faster now. “I asked him to tell me all he knew, and he faithfully did, but I feared with his death would come the end of my learning. I know not what to do, or how to pray to your God, Mistress, I know only that my heart shouts at me to embrace these words you speak. Teach me, I beg you, how to beseech this God.”

Abigail glanced at Titus, then said, “Our friend, who taught us, said that Christ instructed his disciples to pray a certain prayer. Shall we pray it?”

The steward’s nod was decisive. “Yes. Please, Mistress, teach me.”

She let her hand fall down to grasp his, her eyes closing even as Titus’s hand settled on her shoulder. “My Lord and Father in heaven,” she whispered, not knowing if the very words were right, but knowing she remembered the meaning, “let your name be set aside as holy. Let us dwell in your words and your laws, let us seek and do your will here, as your servants do it in heaven. Give us all we need this day to serve you, and help us have the strength to forgive those who have wronged us, even as you have forgiven the wrongs we have done. Help us to follow your path rather than that of temptation and evil, since you are our deliverer and shepherd. For you hold the heavens and the earth in your hand, and we give you the glory for all.”

“
My Lord and Father in heaven, we come before you humbly today, as your servants.” Titus’s voice echoed in the room, sounding full, bright. “You know our hearts, you see that though different in the eyes of the world, we three have come together to seek your name. In this land of sin, Lord, we need your touch on us all the day. Grant us your eyes, that we may see the right path. Grant us your ears, that we may hear you whisper your truths. Grant us your heart, that we might reach out with love and understanding to those around us. Grant us your Spirit . . .” His voice wavered, the emotion in it pulsating. The hand on her shoulder vibrated with something that matched a harmonic within her. “Grant us your Spirit!”

A sudden heat entered the room, as if the wind had been chased out by a gust of fire, yet a cool touch brushed her face. Gravity pulled on her as if she were at a great height, and she fell to her knees along with the others, close together, body bearing down as spirit lifted up. Abigail opened her eyes, her breathing fast and short, and saw tongues of fire above the heads of each of her companions and saw from the movement of their eyes that there was one above her as well.

“
Jehovah!” She sobbed, bending over until her forehead touched the cool marble of the floor, the baby cradled in the space between her and the ground, not so much as squirming against her. “Blessed be the name of the Lord!”

She heard the men crying out praises to God, praises hushed by emotion but moving along the stone that their heads, too, were pressed against until it reached her ears. Arminius’s gnarled fingers still gripped hers tightly, she still felt the weight of Titus’s hand upon her shoulder blade. But most of all, she felt a presence within her, one so strong she could barely breathe, one so gentle she felt laughter bubble up. She never wanted to move, never wanted to lose the intensity of this moment, even as she thought that it would surely consume her totally if it remained over her much longer.

At length, the Spirit eased away, breathing became more regular, and Benjamin gurgled out a half-hearted protest at his position that brought them all up with smiles. Abigail sat back up onto her knees as Titus helped Arminius to his feet.

As she stood, she followed Arminius’s gaze to the entrance of the chamber, where a fourth person stood up, confusion on his face. Arminius cleared his throat. “My son, Helius.”

Helius stumbled forward, eyes large. “Father . . . I came in to fetch you, and there were flames dancing in the air! I tried to cry out a warning, but I was struck down to the floor. What was happening?”

“
The baptism of fire and the Spirit.” Titus put an arm around Abigail and pulled her to his side. “Tabitha said that the Lord promised it would come. It has.”

She looked up into his gaze and smiled, then turned her face back to Helius. “You have witnessed a miraculous thing here today. I am sure your father will explain it to you.”

“
Yes. Yes, I understand now, and I will tell my whole household so that they all might believe with me. Run to your mother, Helius, and tell her to gather your brother and sisters together this evening.” He inclined his head once more to Abigail and Titus as Helius sprinted out the door. “As your servant, I am already indebted to you. But for sharing this glorious promise with me, I find myself even further in your graces. Mistress, you are my master’s daughter, and your son is his son. There is no one on this earth I would rather serve than you. I will handle this matter of inheritance with as little bother to you as possible and send word when all is done.”

She gave him a soft smile. “I thank you for that. As your mistress, I am blessed to have such a faithful steward. As your sister in Christ, I rejoice in the salvation of your soul. As my father and husband did, I will keep in touch with you regularly, Arminius, not only about the estate, but about our lives. I am honored to call you my friend.”

Tears clouded the old man’s eyes once more, and he dropped to a knee to take and kiss her hand, then rose up to place a tender kiss on the baby’s head. “Safe travel back to Rome this afternoon, and to Israel when you have cause to go. Your mother’s health will be in my prayers to our God.”

“
And you and your family will be in mine.”

Arminius clasped Titus’s wrist when he reached out his hand. “You will be blessed for taking care of her. You do honor to the memory of your friend.”

Titus’s head inclined to an angle too humble to be habitual to him. “As do you. How the Visibullises found a man so honest I will never know, but they were blessed indeed. We will be in touch.”

“
Peace go with you.”

As they walked outside, Abigail wondered how it could not. The peace filled her so completely that there was surely no room left for anything else.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Aquilia looked up in surprise when her door burst open, the surprise turning to consternation when she saw it was her husband that stormed in. He had not so much as stepped foot in her chamber in a year, and when he did, it was certainly never with a pleasant intent. Usually to insist she change something that displeased him. Never,
never
for a good reason.

He strode over and wrenched the embroidery from her fingers.

“
Caius! What are you doing?”

He tossed the fabric to the floor for one of the maids to pick up in a scurry before he could step on it. “What has happened to our son?” He looked ready to call fire from Jove down on her for whatever it was she must have done.

Aquilia’s silver brows drew together. “Stop towering over me like the Colossus and firing accusations. What are you talking about?”

Caius kicked the handmaiden out of the way so he could pace, ignoring the whimper of pain she made when she collided with a sturdy table. Aquilia curled her fingers into a fist.

“
He has
always
been impossible,” he raged, arms gesticulating in anger. “I expect it of him. And he is no less stubborn now, but there is something more. As if he thinks himself better than us.”

He spun back to face her. “Tell me you did not notice it at dinner this evening. Tell me you did not see how he looked at that
slave
as though she were a goddess dangling blessing before his nose.”

Aquilia forced her fingers to relax and lounged back against her chaise. “As usual, Caius, you are overreacting. Certainly, I see affection between them, but that is no surprise. She is his lover, and he her protector.”

Caius practically hissed as he devoured the space between them again. He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her several inches off the chair, his fingertips biting so painfully into her arms that she cried out before she could think that she did not want to grant him that satisfaction. “You never should have let that whore into our house. She has proven herself already to be a poisonous serpent just waiting to strike. Jason already fell to her venom, I will not see my son do the same!”

He released her, and Aquilia struggled to maintain a measure of grace as she collapsed back into the pillows. She did not rub the bruises on her arms. In fact, she regarded him cooly, without flinching. “Do you want her that badly, Caius?”

His hand fisted, he even pulled his arm back a bit. But he did not hit her. He knew well that if he ever did, she would walk out of his house so quickly that he would have no time to stop her and so loudly that all of Rome would know it within an hour. “How dare you, woman! I come here with concern for our son, and you drag up your pain at not being able to satisfy me?”

Aquilia rolled her eyes. That particular barb had lost its sting a decade ago. “You come here concerned only because you see that Titus cares for her. And since he has taken the loveliest women in Rome to his bed and never been inspired to care, you think that this one must have some rare talent to inspire a fondness in our son where none was possible before. You are jealous, Caius, because you know if you touch her Titus will not forgive it. But you see that young, supple body, and you think you must possess it.”

Caius narrowed his eyes. “To hear you talk, I almost think
you
want her.”

She just gave him an icy smile. “It is not inconceivable that you would have forced me to find my pleasure elsewhere, even in another woman. But in reality, you have ruined pleasure for me altogether, Caius. I want her only to be out of my house, and soon enough she will be. In the meantime, I only want
you
to stay away from her before you force yet another rift between you and your son.”

Caius measured her for a moment then spoke from between clenched teeth. “You know nothing, woman,”

He stormed from her room. Aquilia just watched him go, then motioned for the maid to hand her embroidery back to her. Life as usual in the Asinius house.

~*~

Caius raged through the peristylium. His next destination was Titus’s room, but he took a detour on the way to the quarters of the female slaves. His blood was boiling, and he would need to expel his wrath if he wanted any sleep tonight.

“
Qira!”

A door opened, and a slave stepped out. She was nude, her long red locks hanging wet about her, sticking to her breasts in a way that had him ready to take her then and there, if he had not had another task looming over him.

“
Master.” Her eyes were on the ground.

“
You will join me tonight. Go now and wait for me.”

“
Yes, Master.”

He turned and walked away again before he could see her go back into the chamber she shared with two others. He headed now for Titus’s room, fully prepared to tell his son that he had better get his fill of the Hebrew now, for once she left, she would never be welcomed under his roof again.

He didn’t bother knocking on his son’s door either, just opened it and walked in. Not with quite the energy he had entered Aquilia’s chamber, but still forcefully enough to gain the attention of the two occupants. Caius sneered. There they were, not in bed as he had half expected to find them, but sitting on the chaise, facing each other, their hands intertwined. The way their heads snapped up upon his entrance, he supposed they must have been bowed. Doing what? What were they looking at that was so interesting?

“
Father.” Titus’s tone reflected no surprise. His fingers did not release Abigail’s. “I thought we had agreed years ago that you would announce yourself before entering my chamber.”