They talked further, taking over from each other when they arrived at the part when they had met the merchants, and Clavius shut up, his face grim, watching Kyle.
Marius frowned. “What happened?”
There was silence, and Clavius cleared his throat. “Well... we had little choice, barely dressed and unarmed... so... we agreed to their deal... it was that or we were dead... again...”
Marius’ blood ran cold. “What deal?”
Kyle spoke then very softly, his voice neutral, carefully choosing his words in front of Tertullia. “They wanted to spend time with me in exchange for money and clothes so...” He felt Marius stiffen, his body taut with his rising anger.
He didn’t need to continue, and Clavius looked at his friend. “You’re pissed? In that moment, I was pissed too, but we had no choice, really...”
Marius quieted but his anger brew under the surface and his arm loosened around Kyle, the young man hurt to the core at the unfairness of it all.
They recounted their arrival to the city, their struggle to figure out what to do on hostile land, and Kyle saw how much Clavius was embarrassed, not knowing how to continue, fearful of Marius’ reaction.
Kyle pushed Marius’ hands off him, slightly facing him, his anger boiling. “I’m sparing you the effort of taking your hands off me once you find out what we had to do in order to make it back here on time, alive.”
Marius’ face fell. “Kyle...”
“No, let me finish. We rented a whorehouse and sold my body out for a week to gather enough coins to make it back to you.” He shut up but faced him off, his eyes welled with tears, not lowering them. “And now, you can hate me all you want.”
Marius’ shock was plain, his face contorting in pain at his words, knowing he should understand but his jealousy burst into flames in his chest, clashing with the joy of his love being alive, and an impossible anger rose in him, those demons still very much present, waiting, lurking.
He rose, his eyes not leaving the slave, but he spoke to Clavius and Tertullia. “I think you should retire... this has been a long day...”
Clavius stood, his hand going to his arm. “Marius...”
He shrugged him off. “Go... now. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Clavius and Tertullia left then, worried sick, holding hands.
Marius watched him and Kyle didn’t lower his eyes, defiant, his anger too plain, the events of the last weeks tearing at him.
Marius’ eyes blazed, his voice seething. “How many?”
Kyle blinked, thrown. “What?”
Marius grabbed his tunic, pulling him up, his face inches from Kyle's face. “How many men?”
Kyle swallowed, breathing hard, trying to free himself. “It doesn’t matter... they don’t matter... let me go!”
Marius grabbed him harder, the fabric biting into his throat, making it a struggle to breathe, Kyle’s eyes going wide.He’s going to kill me....
“How... many...”
He tried to remember, panicked, pushing out the words from his airless lungs. “I don’t know... thirty... maybe...”
He clawed at Marius’ hands, struggling to free himself, and Marius let him go just before he would black out, heaving, collapsing on the floor, his hand flying to his throat. Kyle only had one idea.Flee.Out of this room, away from him. He shot to his feet, but he was dizzy and Marius caught him, flinging him against the wall, the shock so painful he moaned.
Marius stood in front of him, close, his face a mask of anger, his hands fisted at his side. “Just where do you think you’re going?”
Kyle watched him, panting, out of breath, his anger wiped by his fear coated in his love. Utterly exhausted, he gave up.Because I still love you... despite everything... and I can’t bear to lose you. He slid down the wall, to his knees, his forehead going to the floor, his hands reaching for Marius’ legs, enveloping his calves.
His voice flew softly. “Just do what you want with me... I’m yours, dominus.”
His words burst through the haze of Marius’ mind, his eyes growing wide at Kyle's sight and his words. His love for him battling with his hate, his revulsion at what he’d told him, what he’d done, even if he had had no choice... Days ago he’d mourned him, and now he’d almost killed him...
He breathed in deep, his hands going under Kyle’s armpits, pulling him up. “Get up.” Kyle did, his face lowered, in a daze. “You know what I’m going to do to you?”
