The Champion Page 2

  And I’d be a fool to let myself become enamored with a man as callous as Father.

  Not that Alexius had ever made the slightest overture toward her, she mused as she exchanged the silk she wore for a tunic of dark gray wool. In truth, the Greek seemed just as intent on evading her as she was determined to avoid him. Which didn’t surprise her, since females all over Rome vied for his attention and she was a woman no man wanted.

  At the basin, she cleansed her face, wishing she could wash away the knowledge that she was a failure both to her family and as a woman as easily as she removed the kohl and rouge from her pale skin.

  Once Tiberia fell asleep, Tibi quietly packed a small pouch of coins, three fresh tunics, several pieces of jewelry to sell if need be and a few other necessities into a leather satchel. Wondering if her plan to escape was brave or foolhardy, she reminded herself that she had no other option unless she wished to join the temple.

  Icy fingers of disgust crept across the back of her neck. She made haste and secured a sheathed knife to her belt for protection before making her way into the dimly lit hall. Downstairs, she slipped past the guard who’d fallen asleep in the courtyard and silently out the door.

  Taking a deep breath of crisp night air, she brushed off her fear of the eerily deserted streets and kept to the shadows as she hurried in the direction of the gladiator school.

  Alexius of Iolcos set down his chalice of wine, rattled the dice in his hand and cast the ivory pieces onto the scarred wooden table. Seeing the winning roll, the bevy of beauties surrounding him clapped and shrieked like inebriated water nymphs. His opponents’ agonized groans competed with the revelry of his many guests and the wandering musicians whose bawdy songs filled the public rooms of the domus.

  Alexius laughed and taunted the other players good-naturedly, although he was less than satisfied with his win. Of late, boredom trailed him without mercy. The endless stream of wine, women and work no longer muted the monstrous rage he constantly fought to keep caged within him. Known for his congenial nature outside the ring, he found it more and more difficult to smile and pretend that his meaningless existence was any more useful than a dry well in a desert.

  As lanista of the Ludus Maximus and Rome’s current gladiator champion, he ruled over a kingdom of vice and violence. He had a comfortable life, a better life than a foreigner and once-condemned man had any right to hope for, but he’d known for months that he needed a change for his sanity’s sake.

  “Master,” his steward, Velus, said over the music and grousing of the other players, “there’s a woman here to see you.”

  “Who is it?” he tossed over his shoulder distractedly as he scooped up his winnings.

  The steward’s fidgeting drew Alexius’s full attention. Velus didn’t usually hesitate when he announced the steady stream of female admirers who visited the gladiators on a regular basis. The older man, a dwarf Alexius had saved from certain death as lion fodder in the arena, motioned to come closer and whispered for only his master to hear, “Mistress Pelonia’s cousin, Tiberia the Younger.”

  Tibi? Alexius tensed. His smile faltered. He forgot the remaining coins on the tabletop even as his heart began to echo the drums’ frenzied beat. Perhaps—hopefully—he’d misheard.

  “Who brought her here?”

  “She’s alone.”

  He scowled. He usually admired the girl’s untamed spirit, but not when it led her to wander Rome’s dangerous streets at all hours of the night. There was no acceptable reason for a well-born woman to venture out alone a few hours after midnight unless…

  “Has there been an accident?” he demanded. “Is she hurt?”

  “Not that I know of, master, but she’s adamant to speak with you.”

  “Where is she?” Alexius’s gaze circled the smoky room on a quest to find Tibi’s splendid golden hair. He didn’t want her here. The evening may have started out as a coena libera, the solemn last meal for the gladiators scheduled to fight the next afternoon, but had rapidly unraveled into a raucous affair of dancing, games of chance and other debauchery he didn’t want to be responsible for an innocent girl like Tibi to witnessing.

  “She’s waiting in your office,” Velus said.

  Alexius sent the steward to fetch Tibi something to eat and drink from the banquet table overflowing with fresh fruit, breads, roasted fowl and a variety of fish.

  Several of the men and women playing dice with him had wandered over to the food during his exchange with Velus, but a few vultures waited expectantly for any scrap of gossip. Gossip he wasn’t about to feed them. Tibi’s reputation was colorful enough as it was. If she were tattled on for venturing to the gladiator school at this hour, she was bound to suffer trouble with her overbearing father.

  Confident that Tibi would go unnoticed in his office, Alexius excused himself from the table as eager to find out the reason for her appearance as to send her safely on her way. As he cut through the maze of revelers, across the central garden and down the long, lantern-lit corridor that separated the house’s public rooms from his private sanctuary, he forced his feet to a slow pace, careful not to betray his interest in the night’s newest development. The girl’s arrival was the first thing to spark any excitement in him in…he couldn’t remember how long.

  The thought of Tibi made him smile. Both beautiful, yet unaware of the fact, and classically feminine, but audacious, she was as unique as a sunrise—pleasantly different each time he saw her.

  Unfortunately, as the cousin of his friends, Caros and Pelonia, Tibi was one of only a handful of females in all of Rome off-limits to him. Caros had made certain of that when he made Alexius swear to stay away from the girl.

  Still…something unfortunate must have happened for her to seek him out. If she needed him, it might prove entertaining for a while to offer his help.

  Alexius entered his office to find Tibi pacing in front of the long row of arched windows overlooking the gladiators’ training field. Stars sparkled in the black sky behind her, a serene contrast to her obvious agitation.

  He watched her for a long moment, suddenly unable to breathe. In the six months since he’d last seen her, she’d grown even lovelier than he remembered. Candlelight caused her golden braid to shimmer as she walked from one side of the room to the other and her fair skin was as smooth and creamy as a perfect cameo. For a man who enjoyed women of all shapes, sizes and looks, it was a new experience for him to be knocked breathless by the sight of one.

  Shaking off her spell, he leaned against the door frame, crossed his arms over his chest and adopted a nonchalant tone. “Hello, Tibi.”

  Tibi stilled, then spun to face Rome’s champion. “Hello…Alexius.”

  “Why are you here?” he asked. “It’s a bit late—or early—in the day for you to drop by, no?”

  Her cheeks burned under the heat of Alexius’s warm regard. Her heart fluttered wildly. Finding herself in his company was even more disconcerting than she remembered. Tall and muscular, he was a vibrant man who filled the room with energy and sent her senses reeling.

  She dragged in a deep breath to calm her jangled nerves and swallowed thickly. “I understand Caros and Pelonia are coming to Rome for a visit. I’d hoped they were already here. I need to speak with them.”

  Without taking his eyes off her, Alexius left the doorway and crossed the tiled floor to his desk. “I expect them some time today. Tomorrow at the latest.”

  “Ah…” Tibi worried at her bottom lip as she struggled to hide her rising desperation. “I’m wasting your time then. I apologize for taking you from your guests.”

  “No need to apologize.” He sounded sincere. “I’d much rather be here with you.”

  His Greek accent whispered across her skin like the softest caress. Her eyes rounded with surprise before she quickly glanced away. How was it possible for him to touch her without actually touching her? “I must be going. I’ll come back later.”

  “Where will you go?” he asked, easing toward her. “
It’s the middle of the night. I suspect you can’t go home. You must be in serious trouble to risk the danger of wandering the streets like a common pornai.”

  She breathed in his scent of smoke and the heady mix of exotic spices. “It’s nothing. I wished to speak with Pelonia. I…I’ve missed her this past year—that’s all.”

  “I can tell you lie as plainly as I can see you’re trembling.” His calloused palms engulfed her cold hands, refusing to release her when she tried to pull away. “Tell me the truth and I’ll free you.”

  She stopped struggling. It was no use to fight a man famous for his success in battle. “My father…”

  “Go on,” he invited when she fell into silence. “What’s the old dragon done this time?”

  Her gaze darted to the shadows dancing on the wall behind him. “He wishes me to wed.”

  “No surprise there. He’d already prepared you for sacrifice on the marriage altar when I first met you three years ago. I understand you’ve…declined all your potential husbands.”

  She froze. Aware that her inability to secure a husband had not only enraged her father but had made her a joke among the females of her social class, she was mortified to think of Alexius laughing about her with his women behind her back. “Are you mocking me?”

  “No. If anything, I respect your unwillingness to accept just any man as a husband.”

  “I haven’t declined all of them,” she admitted, disturbed by his nearness and the incandescence of his silver eyes enough to speak without subterfuge. “They don’t want me.”

  She tugged free of his grasp, regretting the loss of contact the same instant. To her chagrin, his easy release of her hand when moments before he’d insisted on holding her smacked of rejection.

  “Then they must have been deaf and blind as well as ignorant.”

  Startled by the unexpected compliment, she reminded herself that Alexius charmed women with the ease of a cobra mesmerizing prey. And he was just as dangerous. To her, perhaps more so. “Now who’s the liar?”

  He reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I’ve no need for falsehoods when it’s easier to speak the truth.” His warm fingertips brushed her cheek and trailed down the sensitive line of her jaw. Gripped by the too-pleasant sensation of his touch, she prayed the dim candlelight disguised her response.

  She eased out of his reach and nearly fell backward when she bumped into a table behind her. He reached to steady her, but she righted herself in time to escape his help. Hot-cheeked and mortified by her lack of grace, she was appalled to realize what a challenge it was to string coherent thoughts together when he touched her.

  Outside, a rooster crowed. Morning was nearly upon them. Awareness grew between them until a slow smile curved Alexius’s full lips. “Shall we spend the day admiring one another or will you tell me more about why you’re here?”

  “I wasn’t admiring you,” she denied. His smirk told her he knew otherwise. Grappling for control of her wayward nerves, she backed away another step and forced herself to concentrate. “As I said, my father wishes me to marry. Last night, he held a banquet.”

  “Yes, he hired several of my gladiators for his guests’ entertainment. He sent the largest number of them back untried. Knowing him, he’ll demand I reimburse his fee. He’ll be disappointed.”

  “It’s my fault the evening was a failure. The banquet was held in celebration of signing my betrothal contract. Before it was signed, I…I displeased Lepidus, my intended husband. He left amid a storm of indignation. Needless to say, I’m doubtful the agreement will be mended.”

  “What did you do?”

  “I’d rather not say. It’s…embarrassing.”

  Alexius shrugged, not pressing her. “So your father finds a new man. Surely, Tiberius doesn’t want a son-in-law who’s too weak to harness a spirited girl like you anyway, does he?”

  Her left eyebrow arched. “I’m not a horse, Alexius.”

  He chuckled. “Of course not. But most men want a wife for breeding purposes, so in that regard you’re similar to one, are you not?”

  “I see your point. Most men are arrogant barbarians. In that regard I can see you’re sim—”

  He laughed, a deep throaty sound that should have annoyed her, but lightened the mood and tempted her to smile instead.

  “I’ve always enjoyed your quick mind, Tibi, but go on. I’m intrigued. You were saying that your spineless intended broke the contract.”

  Scowling, she continued under duress, her humiliation rising along with the first rays of the sun outside the window. Her father would awaken soon and wonder where she was.

  And be murderous when he doesn’t find me.

  “Father claims there are no acceptable men left in Rome who will bother with me. He’s decided if I’m to be of any use to my family, he’ll have to buy me a position as a temple priestess in the hope of garnering a blessing on his house.”

  “Which order?”

  She hesitated. “Opis.”

  All humor left Alexius with a swiftness that shocked Tibi. Except for the arena where Alexius was purported to be as solemn as the grave he fought to avoid, he was known for his carefree manner and unique ability to laugh off almost any situation. “Why a priestess?” he asked with deadly calm. “There must be a legion of men in Rome willing to marry a girl with your dowry and family’s connections to Senator Tacitus.”

  “He wants to be rid of me.” A lump formed in her throat, but she swallowed the pain.

  “You think Caros and Pelonia will protect you.” It wasn’t a question. His mood had not lightened. If anything he’d grown more intent, more furious beneath his inscrutable veneer.

  “Yes…no.” Her head throbbed with tension. She began to pace the tiles again. Why was Alexius angry? Did he think she’d implicated him in her scheme by coming here? “I don’t know what I thought exactly, just that I had nowhere else to go. My friends will never defy my father. My sister agrees with him as well.”

  “I’d expect no less from her,” he scoffed under his breath.

  She paused. It was no secret that Tiberia disliked the lower classes, especially gladiators and their trade, but as far as Tibi knew no one ever found fault with her sister. Tiberia was the epitome of what a Roman woman should be—beautiful, graceful and well-connected in her happy marriage. For the first time she noticed Alexius was aware of her sister’s prejudice and that he bore Tiberia no fondness, either. “I suppose I hoped Pelonia and Caros might have a way to hide me or suggest a safe place for me to go outside of Rome until my father forgives me. I realize now that I was—”

  “Desperate?”

  “Imprudent.”

  A half smile curved his lips, but failed to hide the flintiness of his gaze. “I’ll keep you until they return. Then the three of you can decide what to do.”

  “No. My father might make trouble for you if he learns you’ve helped me thwart him.”

  “You don’t worry he’ll cause problems for Caros and Pelonia if they do the same? They’re Christians—easy targets for anyone who knows their secret and wishes to take aim at them.”

  “I’m certain they’re safe or I’d never have come here. Father wants to punish me. He has no wish to shame anyone else in the family—or his good name by association.”

  “Good. I’d hate to have to kill your father for harming my friends.” Alexius sat on the edge of his desk and gripped the carved edge on either side of his narrow hips.

  “You wouldn’t really murder him, would you?” she asked, frightened by the depth of his calm, yet aware that he was entirely capable of killing and with great ease.

  “I’m very protective of my loved ones.”

  She thought she saw a flash of pain in his eyes, but it might have been a flicker of the candlelight. “I didn’t intend to cause trouble for you by coming here. I think it’s best that I go.”

  “No. Stay until Caros and Pelonia arrive. They’d never forgive me if I allowed you to leave and harm came
to you.”

  “My family knows they’re on the way. What if my father or sister suspects that I’ve sought them out and comes to search for me here?”

  “I won’t let them find you.”

  She bit her lower lip, confused by his willingness to help her. The sound of servants performing their morning chores filtered in from the hallway. She was running out of time. If her circumstances were any less dire, she’d never contemplate his offer. As it was… “My family can be very adamant.”

  “I’m very convincing.”

  She caught her breath, momentarily stunned by his smile, yet encouraged by his confidence. “They may insist on searching the ludus for me.”

  He shrugged. “Let them. I’ll enjoy holding them off. I’m in need of a challenge.”

  She frowned. “You don’t find battling for your life in the arena enough of a challenge?”

  His silver eyes glittered with dangerous amusement. “It’s adequate, but not half as much fun as toying with your unreasonable relatives.”

  Chapter Two

  Alexius woke to a fist pounding on his chamber door. “Who is it?” He rubbed his eyes and swung his legs over the edge of his sleeping couch. Usually up before first light, he noted the angle of the sun outside his window and judged it to be midmorning. He and his men were expected at the amphitheater within hours.

  “Velus, master.”

  “Come in,” he said, pulling a fresh tunic over his head.

  The steward entered carrying a tray of food that filled the large room with the aroma of fresh bread and roasted pork. The dwarf kicked the door shut behind him with more force than necessary.

  “What ails you, Velus? You look as though you’ve downed a bucket of vinegar.”

  “Tiberia the Elder is downstairs.”

  Alexius frowned. “The shrew has arrived already?”