The Centurion's Woman

Chapter 34

SERTOR STARED AT the man he'd left in Illyria as Gabinius removed and handed his cloak to the slave that had summoned Sertor. Gabinius held out a heavy scroll, saying he'd just come from the house of Avilius, and then stood in silence as Sertor read. Alex coaxed Ixillius into the hall behind Sertor, taking him to the guest chamber Verus had provided them.

        "Himself is already informed?" Sertor asked quietly. Gabinius nodded, and Sertor cursed at length. Alex glanced over at the outburst, her brow creasing at seeing the Interrogator in the house.

        "He leaves the decision of how to proceed with you as the 1st is also, by your own words, in self-defeat. He asks that both losses do not shake Rome's foundations so soon in the revolt," Gabinius delivered the bad news in a calm whisper.

        "Come back once he's resting," Sertor told Alex once she was close enough, an idea forming in his thoughts. "Who knows of this fully?" he asked Gabinius.

        "Very few," the Interrogator answered, then waited in silence for Alex to return.

        "Do you know any history for the 1st and the 20th?" Sertor asked once she was beside him. Alex darted a glance at Gabinius, her look full of questions. Sertor quickly summarized the information in the scroll: the 20th was slaughtered, every man, woman and child. Alex swallowed hard at the news, but understood why her gigno had asked her about history. Gabinius paled as she recited her history's remembrance of the 1st and 20th Legions; her research for a cover story for herself and Mikey providing the information her gigno needed.

        "You brought the Eagle from the 20th with you?" Sertor asked, and Gabinius confirmed with only a nod as Mikayla and Verus came into the hall. Verus had insisted on being moved to his own room and Mikey was humoring him so he wasn't more upset than necessary. Verus's eyes narrowed as he spied the small meeting.

        "What's going on," Verus demanded quietly the moment he recognized Gabinius. With nothing omitted, Sertor told him what had happened to the 20th, and then what Alex remembered as recorded history. Verus thought for a few moments, his initial surprise quickly disappearing as he applied his mind to the information, and Alex felt vertigo creeping up on her again.

        "This can all be dealt with in the morning," Sertor stated.

        "I wouldn't say –"

        "In the morning, brother," Alex interrupted Verus and replaced Mikey under his arm.

        "You promised to allow me to win arguments," Verus countered.

        "Only when you are right," Alex grinned, seeing the relief of the vertigo passing on her gigno's – and Mikey's – features as well. "Right now you are wrong." She hooked Gabinius's arm and pulled him along, ending the meeting and giving Verus a willing audience for his complaints.

                                                                ***

        Ixillius moved slowly to wipe the crusts from his eyes. His head hurt more than he'd expected, and he worried about moving his tongue as whatever small animal had died in his mouth might still be there. The muffled sounds he could hear didn't resemble the regular camp noises, so he must've found lodging. The last thing he remembered with certainty was that Aetius Vitus had joined him for drinking, and he needed to ask Quintus for the names of Aetius's daughter and her husband. After that, his memories became strange and fantastic and downright absurd. So the wine must've been excellent... or terrible.

        There was a stirring on the bed beside him and he cringed half way through the motion of bringing his arm back to his side. From how badly pinched his balls were in his little bindings, he hadn't had sex at any point; that meant he'd brought a whore to the lodging and she'd been too frightened to leave while he clung to her in his sleep.