“What an extraordinary creature!” they exclaimed.
“This is my friend, Aetos. Where I go, he goes,” I felt Luke say.
Eli glanced around the room.
“Where are the others?” they asked.
“Hephaestus is recovering from the wound your servant treated so ably today. Hercules shall remain with him to care for him,” Luke answered. “We wouldn’t want to impose on your staff. Perseus is suffering from a minor indisposition. He should be well enough to serve tomorrow.”
“Shall we, Lady Sylvi?” Luke said before Eli could ask any more questions.
“We shall,” she whispered in her breathy voice. She had exchanged her leather outfit for one of made of black and green silken scarves. The fabric shifted and shimmered, both hiding and revealing at once. She and Luke made an entrancing sight. He was dressed in silks as well, this time of golds and blacks that matched the colors of my feathers. He wore a green lacquered mask that covered his whole face. The paint had flecks of gold throughout that brought out the shimmer of his blue eyes.
We must have made an imposing sight as we entered the great hall because everyone fell silent.
Guests were scattered around the room, various lords and ladies seated on couches, others on scattered cushions. Courtesans of every description fluttered around each guest in varying degrees of undress. A woman with brown curls whispered into the ear of man sucking opium smoke through a long pipe, their eyes glazed and unseeing. A young boy sang in one corner, his voice high and clear, singing in some foreign tongue. My fury at what these men and women allowed to happen right in front of them ripped through me and I screeched, my wings extending to their full expanse almost six feet across.
Master B and Master Hestus stood at the end of the hall next to a raised dais. Between them sat a tall, thin man who could be no one but Master Aurelius. This guess was confirmed a moment later when I saw that one of his sleeves was pinned back to cover the stump of his hand.
“My lords, it is my pleasure to introduce to you two of my newest family members, Lady Sylvi and Lord Poseidon,” Master B declared.
As he bowed, some of Luke’s hair slipped from the queue Sylvi had artfully arranged, the blond locks falling across his masked face in deliberate temptation.
Aurelius glanced first at Sylvi, his eyes scanning her body dispassionately. Then they skipped to Luke, and I couldn’t keep myself from bristling under his inspection of my Bonded and the lust that filled his eyes.
Luke stroked my feathers gently, whispering calming words as I settled my wings.
“A beautiful and deadly beast, Lord Poseidon,” Aurelius purred.
“As you say, my lord,” Luke responded, bowing his head in acknowledgement. Luke was using his Air powers to modulate his voice so that it sounded different from his normal voice. I couldn’t hear it, but I had felt him and Elex practicing the trick throughout our journey here.
“His name is Aetos.”
“Named after Zeus’ eagle? The eagle is the symbol of my house, you know. You seem—familiar, Lord Poseidon,” Aurelius said, his forehead wrinkling in confusion. “Have we met?”
“I have not had that distinct pleasure, my Lord,” Luke lied easily, lowering his gaze. I could almost feel him pulling his new persona on over his real one, almost as though it were a layer of armor.
“He looks—extraordinary, Master Bacillus . Has he ever served in the royal household? I know you have provided courtesans there in the past,” he asked.
“No, my lord. He is a new addition to my family, having only been with us this last twelve month,” Master Bacillus responded.
“Hmm… I look forward to rectifying that,” Aurelius said, pushing a small pouch of coins toward the brothel owner. “He shall do nicely, Master Hestus.”
Master Hestus smiled and nodded, and Master B bowed.
“You do me great honor, Master Aurelius,” he said.
“Come. The Gold room, I shall think,” Aurelius said, standing abruptly.
Master B looked discomfited. We had expected Aurelius to dally in the hall for a few hours at least and had planned on using that time for Elex and Hel to free Stergiou and Kyris. It was only 10 p.m. now. We had hoped to keep him there until midnight, at least.
“Ah, you don’t wish to savor theotherdelicacies, Master Aurelius?” Master B asked, gesturing to the items and people on offer in the hall.
“No. I’m to return the eunuch to the palace tomorrow,” he said, absently patting a pouch at his waist. “I will need to be up early to have any hope of getting through the damned traffic any time before midday,” Aurelius responded.
He gestured at Luke imperiously and turned to exit the hall. I saw the anxiety behind Master B’s obsequious smile as we turned to follow. This was it.
Showtime.
