Taurus (3 page)

She pushed a token into his hand. “Take this, and the giant will release your friend. Go quickly. You have little time.” A cold blade touched his wrist, and the ropes fell away. He made a move to grab her, but…she was gone.

Taurus sat up and shook the dampness from his chilled bones. Shortly, a patrol would be along to escort him to his richly appointed suite in the fortress. He intended to make it as easy as possible for his kidnapper to have an audience with the governor of Panua. She must not be disappointed.

****

Kallie slipped through the halls of the governor’s residence. It became a simple matter to blend with the constant flow of servants and soldiers weaving to and from their duties. The fortress employed many people, and Kallie bided her time until the opportunity to pilfer a ladylike dress befitting her station arose. She disliked dressing as a noblewoman, but as sister of the emperor she followed the rules of noble society, having attended more than her fair share of pretentious dinners at her brother’s palace. Everyone loved Caius, the new emperor. Everyone except Kallie! She had reasons to despise him and seek out the governor of Panua to ingratiate herself and gain his assistance with an untenable situation.

The opportunity presented itself in the form of a maid with an armful of clothing, clean and on its way to the owner. Kallie slipped a dress out from the inattentive girl’s bundle and ducked into a darkened alcove to change. She smoothed out her hair with her fingers and rubbed the dirt smudges off her face. She had stumbled on water and cleaning salts in the kitchens earlier, and she was as fresh and clean as possible in her unusual situation. The gown fit a little tight across her deceptively curvaceous body, but the pastel tone enhanced her dark hair and eyes, suited to most palettes. With little chance of a reflective surface coming within reach before she managed to find the governor’s office, Kallie had to trust in her looks as they were. Time had run out for further preening and primping. After one last look down the vast hallway of the mansion—
she must mention to the governor he lacked adequate security
—she took the last few steps to an ornate door and steadied her nerves. In a moment she would be at the mercy of the Monster of Panua!

Kallie edged through the doors without making a sound and closed them with a soft
thud
. In the dim light a man sat at the far end of the room, working on parchments. She absorbed the essence of the governor’s well-appointed office, and the signs of a wealthy, powerful man buoyed her confidence in seeking the governor’s assistance. She moved with grace to the man as he sat in great concentration. “Hmm, hmm.”

He raised his head from his work.

Kallie hoped her disappointment did not show — her first impression must be a lasting one — but the man failed to meet her expectations from the well-known tales of Panua’s ruthless leader.

“Governor Paulinus, I am pleased to meet you,” Kallie began, relieved the man’s initial reaction remained calm. “My name is...”

A voice rang out from the alcove to her right. “Stay exactly as you are or prepare to die.” Someone hidden in the shadows had interrupted her speech.

Kallie turned to gape at the owner of the familiar voice as he stepped from the dark recess, holding a bow and arrow aimed at her chest. She froze as a rugged face and broad shoulders filled her view. The lamplight glinted off the golden strands running through the general’s tawny hair. Confident and superbly masculine, he had a unique, intriguing quality. Before she managed to collect herself, a guard appeared.

“Tie her hands behind her back,” the commander barked.

The guard briskly did his job.

Kallie returned her attention to the man at the desk. “Governor, please, I mean no harm. I have an urgent request, and as the sister of...” She flinched as the guard yanked the rope to guarantee the knot stayed in place. The general lowered the bow and arrow, took hold of the rope now wrapped around her waist, and tugged eagerly. She stumbled to him.

“You clean up well, for a fugitive,” he said smugly, catching her in one arm. His gaze boldly ran over her figure, previously concealed in men’s clothes.

She ignored him and twisted against his hard body to speak with the man at the desk. “Please, I must inform you of my purpose here, Governor.” She tried to evoke his sympathy.

Completely uninterested, he focused on the general and waited, like a dog standing beside its master. He said nothing.

“You have had your audience with the governor. I am afraid he is unimpressed with your escapades.” The general smirked, and signaled for the man to leave the room.

“You!” Kallie realized her mistake. “Why did you keep silent? Why not tell me who you…”

Taurus raised a hand. The soldier gagged her in mid-sentence. Her eyes grew wide at his insolence. To treat a woman with such blatant disrespect was unseemly, especially a noblewoman. But this was no ordinary man. He was the son of Paulus Paulinus; the most feared and hated man in all of Rome for over a generation.

“I owe you no explanation. You are my prisoner. Your brother, if indeed Caius Gregorian is your brother, will be informed of your capture, when I choose.” He sat on the edge of his desk and held Kallie tight. “I hold a long list of charges against you, Mistress. The price for offending me is high. Higher than a little girl from Rome can afford to pay.” His voice growled dangerously, and his eyes glittered with suppressed rage. His fingers snapped, and an armed escort appeared. “Take our prisoner to her accommodations and secure the area.”

They led her out of the governor’s office. Eight men carrying a variety of weapons deterred any attempt at escape. Kallie recovered quickly from the initial shock, chiding her blindness at not seeing the general was in fact the governor of Panua. Strong and powerful, she had miscalculated his position in the forest, busy rushing to Panua before her brother’s envoy arrived with a missive full of lies and deceit, and now it was too late. She had humiliated the man with a supreme insult. To be captured by a girl, dragged to his stronghold, and treated as nothing more than a common prisoner was unacceptable for a man in his position.

Taken through a maze of hallways, she considered what he meant by “afford to pay.” She assumed he meant death, after a suitable amount of torture and degradation no doubt ten times worse than what she had conjured for him. As her jailer opened the door to the so-called accommodation, she saw his planned revenge. Barred windows and a thick wooden door, with iron hinges and bolts, sealed her fate. She shook her head at the wet straw on the floor in place of a bed. A hard wooden board lay underneath, for good measure.
He’s a madman!

A woman who had discreetly accompanied the escort shot Kallie an apologetic look as she handed her a cloak after the ropes were untied. As soon as the gag came off, Kallie fired a question.

“Has the emperor contacted the governor?”

The woman stared at Kallie in wide-eyed surprise.

“Has the governor sent my token to the camp to free his friend?” The woman shook her head and shrugged to indicate she knew nothing. Kallie nodded, looking around the room.

The woman squirmed in discomfort. “I apologize. Please do not think we are barbaric because of the governor’s bad manners and unsuitable accommodation.”

Kallie extended her hand in friendship. “Thank you for the kindness. What is your name?”

“I am Lady Virga Paulinus. I will try to improve your treatment if the governor will listen to my plea.”

The door closed, and Kallie was left alone.
Virga Paulinus!
She must be his wife. The governor must believe he held an important guest. Otherwise, he would not allow his wife to greet her. “Would he?” she muttered. “Would the monster allow his wife to consort with a kidnapping, money-stealing, disguise-wearing criminal?” Kallie shook her head in dismay and lay on the straw. She had slept in worse conditions and, wrapped up tightly in the cloak, tucked her head down and closed her eyes. Today did not go according to plan, and her difficulties had increased. As she strove to find sleep, she sighed. At least she was far away from her brother Caius and his manipulating ways.

****

“Well?” Taurus asked.

Virga repeated the girl’s questions and informed him of the girl’s lack of concern at the accommodations. “I would die if I had to sleep on a bed of wet straw. Has she truly been running in the woods, commanding an army of Roman giants?”

Taurus stared into the brazier at the bright red coals. It never failed to astound him how fast word travelled through the fortress. Always a mix of truth and fantasy, blended by tongue-waggers, became twisted into a bizarre version of events. He waved Virga away in a sudden fit of gloom, tired and itchy from a long cart ride through the city and the events of this evening.

Damn her!
Taurus cursed. His mind spun. If she was the emperor’s sister, it made her too valuable to execute for the crimes against him. But, without a doubt, it would bring trouble to his door to keep her. About to avail himself of a skilled masseuse for the evening, he halted as the door to his office opened and Lidia Paulinus entered to throw one of her venomous looks in his direction. “Grandmother, what brings you here at this hour?”

As if he didn’t know she had heard the news about the prisoner. Spies were all over the empire, all over Panua, and all over his fortress. Taurus anticipated the agony it would bring the old woman to speak the name of a Roman noble.

“The evil spawn of Primus Gregorian, what else!” Lidia hissed like an old cat.

Taurus gestured for her to sit, poured her a drink of strong wine, and added one for his own sake.

“Primus Gregorian is long dead, Lidia,” he reminded her, though she knew it well. Lidia’s mind remained sharper than a centurion’s blade, but sadly her body had shriveled, ravaged by time and her insatiable obsession with the Gregorian family. Both had taken toll over the years.

“His granddaughter is in my house.” Lidia’s anger simmered below the surface, and Taurus couldn’t trust her to obey his command concerning the girl.

“She is mine, and only mine, to deal with. Understood?”

Lidia shot him a look of disgust. “She has you in her power so soon? Her wretch of a mother held your father in her thrall for years.” The old lady was on the edge of her seat. “Do not allow her into your mind or your heart. It killed Paulus! Rid yourself of this pestilence, without delay.”

Taurus watched as her mouth spat foam over the girl’s arrival. “She is a valuable hostage, and your interference is unwarranted.” Taurus paused before he chose to remind her of his power. “I will not have my authority as Supreme Commander usurped, not even by you, Lidia.”

The old woman snarled, showing her long yellow teeth, a few missing here and there. “I must know if she compares to her mother’s beauty. The Phillipus girl once held the reputation of being the most beautiful woman in the empire.”

Taurus waved his hand in the air. “I think you’ll find this one somewhat disappointing. She acts more like a boy than a woman.”

A sudden memory of her lips pressing against his and the recollection of her hands roving across his chest assailed him. Her reaction had been completely feminine, and his completely masculine in reply. But Taurus was not inclined to soften his disposition. His ego was bruised, and Barca, his best friend and boyhood companion, waited for freedom. Lidia left in a resigned mood, and Taurus swigged the rest of his wine, contemplating the consequences of this unusual day.

Chapter Three

In the dim silence of the fortress, Taurus strolled to his rooms. He paused at the room appointed for the imprisoned girl. He dismissed the guards at the door, waiting until they disappeared from view, the sound of their boots dying away. The tang of wet straw stung his nostrils and vividly returned the memory of his capture. She had held him hostage, pointed an arrow at his chest, stolen his money, and degraded him like an animal on its way to market. A rush of indignation rose in his throat. He should walk away and let the laws of Panua (which he influenced greatly) punish the girl.

The door opened, and he entered. A small lamp hung on the far wall and cast a pale glow over the room. Taurus eyed the lump on the straw, evidence of her sleeping form. For an inexplicable reason he desired to look upon her face.

“Why are you here?” The voice came from the wall behind the door.

Taurus moved with lightning speed and pinned her against the heavy wood. He hissed, “What in the name of the gods do you think are you doing?”

The girl eyed him in the dim light. “Waiting to see who assassinates me first. I would put my money on your dear grandmother, but I did not expect you to kill me like a thief in the night.”

A low chuckle came from his throat. “I have no intention of killing you yet. I came to enjoy the sight of you on the straw, and pray your back itches as madly as mine.” He pressed against her as she wriggled, his pulse raced, and his blood ran hot. His grip relaxed, and her arms dropped to her side. “Are you comfortable with your accommodations, Lady?” Taurus asked with scorn.

She shrugged, “I have spent many nights sleeping on cold, hard ground. This matters not to me.”

Her ease shocked Taurus in a situation when most women would beg for mercy, crawl on the floor, and keen like a newly made widow. What kind of life had she led to be unperturbed by a lack of basic comfort? If this girl truly was the sister of the emperor, she was the most unusual woman he had ever met. “Come with me,” he commanded.

They entered his masculine den of rich leather and polished metal. Weaponry lined the walls, along with various maps of the empire. Dark, exotic furniture graced the room, and she noted the open door leading to his sleeping quarters. The room smelled clean and fresh, of soap and pine essence blended to create a manly fragrance. The same scent had enveloped her when he had her pinned to the wall.

He gestured to a chair and she obediently sat, scratching at her arms while he poured them drinks of watered wine. Food lay on a nearby table, its tempting aroma filling the room. He handed her a goblet of the finest silver, his fingertips brushing her hand as she accepted it.