The Kin

  Chapter Twenty Seven

  Marius knew why the girl hated him. If he was being reasonable he could even understand why she loathed him and all the other members of the escort taking them back to Rome. Marius couldn’t understand why she was coming back with them. Junius had explained that she needed to start a new life away from the taint of the Kin, which would remain with her if she stayed, but as far as Marius was concerned there were other places where she could have been dropped off.

  As usual he sensed that Junius wasn’t telling the whole story, but then that wasn’t surprising, he was getting used to that. He assumed that they were lovers but he could see very little evidence; by day they rode at separate ends of the convoy, with Junius taking his old position at the back. When night fell, they slept side by side but a few feet apart. The only time they were together was before the meal when they slipped off together into the woods for a while, but when they returned, they walked side by side and seemed calm and unruffled, not at all like a couple who’d enjoyed carnal knowledge of each other only moments before. Celer had summed it up excellently by describing them as followers of a cult who made their devotions in private away from others, then returned purged and sanctified to their friends.

  But there were other hints and clues that Marius had noticed. The stray hand when Junius helped her down from the horse, with a gaze lingered longer than it should and the odd subtle glance which contained the shadow of a smile. It all added up but he couldn’t prove it. And though it was none of his business, he’d asked Junius if he was sleeping with ex Kin and he’d given a typically patrician answer, which had neither denied nor confirmed the question.

  “We were both freed from the Kin. Of course we’ve things in common and shared experiences. We understand each other and take comfort in our proximity.” Then he’d smiled and patted him on the back and walked away. Too late Marius remembered that Junius was actually very protective of the women he was involved with.

  After two weeks travelling and several nights spent staying at the towns and forts along the way, they were finally a few nights away from the coast of Dalmatia. From there it would only be three, maybe four days’ sailing, weather permitting, before they were in Italy and soon after that, Rome.

  At least the girl was becoming easier to be around. She didn’t smile or talk to any of them but she’d stopped scowling and hissing “murderer” whenever they’d come too close.

  Auticus had caught three rabbits and was turning them on a spit whilst the others set up camp for the night and saw to the horses. One by one people began to settle down beside the fire in anticipation of fresh meat along with their soldier’s rations. Fabia remained quiet, as everyone else chatted about the day and the journey they’d just shared. Suddenly she got to her feet, touched Junius briefly on the shoulder and slipped away into the darkness.

  Junius had been talking quietly with Paulinus; he stopped, glanced up as she left, then quickly followed her into the darkness. The others were quiet, but their glances and smiles spoke volumes.

  After a while Marius stood. “I need to piss,” he declared to them and stomped off in the opposite direction to the other two.

  Marius moved quietly through the woods. He wanted privacy as he was pretty certain that his bowels were ready to move as well.

  But as the moon came out and illuminated the forest in front of him, he saw to his surprise that he wasn’t alone. Junius and Fabia were up ahead in a clearing. They were holding hands and looking intently at each other. Marius watched transfixed knowing that he was finally going to have his suspicions answered one way or another.

  As he watched Junius lowered his head, but instead of kissing the girl as Marius was expecting, he put his face against her neck. Fabia brought her arms up and wrapped them around his body, then dropped her head forward to rest on his shoulder. It was a strange intimate embrace that was tender, yet erotic at the same time.

  But only a few moments later Junius pulled his head up, Fabia brought her hands to enfold his face and kissed him chastely on the lips. For a brief second they stared at each other then he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly.

  Marius continued to watch, mesmerised. It was wrong to spy, but the whole scene was totally different to what he’d been expecting. Under the trees, Fabia freed herself and looked intently up at Junius. His friend nodded, then lifted his arm and pulled back the sleeve and brought it to his mouth before offering it to the waiting girl. She held his arm and bent as if to kiss it, then Junius stepped closer and took a protective stance around her.

  Marius had seen enough; now he knew what had been going on between them. They might not be sleeping with each other but they were sharing blood. He should be angered and repulsed by what he had seen, but instead, he found it quite tender and strangely caring. He understood that they were both lost and adrift in the world, but they were supporting and helping each other the only way they knew how.

  His bowels forgotten, Marius silently made his way back to the camp and sat down still lost in thought.

  Not long after that Fabia and Junius returned but sat a few feet apart, as usual. Marius tried to pretend that nothing was wrong, but he couldn’t help glancing over at them to see if they had left any clues, but he couldn’t see anything. Fabia caught him looking a few times and on the last occasion she glanced at Junius, who thankfully was listening to a story from Celer, but Marius made sure that he didn’t look over at them again after that.

  Marius was still worried that they knew he’d seen them when they set off again the next morning. But he had no need to be, he reasoned. They’d been some way away and couldn’t have noticed him. Before they left, Junius had sauntered over and made some comment about the weather, then waited for his opinion. Hesitantly, Marius had given it, and then to avoid further interaction had jumped onto his horse.

  As midday came, Paulinus, who was leading, decided to take a break in order to rest the horses. Gratefully, Marius jumped down and found a fallen tree trunk to rest upon, whilst his horse grazed the rich grass that grew beside the road.

  To his surprise, Fabia followed him over and sat next to him on the log, whilst her horse grazed beside his own.

  “I’m sorry, Tribune Varens. My behaviour’s been appalling. Please excuse me. Marcus has been trying to make me see the truth about the Kin, but I was blinded by love or more likely it was lust. It’s only in the last few days that I’ve finally realised what a menace they really are. I clung on, you see, despite recovering, I refused to think badly of them, but now… well, now I understand what you did and why you did it.”

  Marius looked askance at the girl, and noticed for the first time that her hazel eyes were flecked with gold, and her hair was a deep brown colour, which glinted red in the sunlight. He could even see faint traces of freckles sprinkled across her nose and cheeks. There was no sign of the Kin on her face except possibly for the pale skin.

  He didn’t quite know what to say in response to her sudden confession and apology. “Um… Thank you, I’m glad that you seem to be recovering. And I’m relieved that you understand why I had to do what I did; the whole of Rome was at stake and if you’d seen what they’d done to the children you might have done the same.”

  She bit her lip and bowed her head in acceptance. “I did see what they did; at first I wasn’t sickened, but now I am. Marcus has explained to me how wrong it was, but I insisted on holding on to my adoration for them, despite the things he told me. But now like him, I’m repelled by what they did.”

  “Yet you’d join with them again?”

  She didn’t answer for a moment, and when she did he was surprised. “No, I would join you killing them.” She glanced at him. “You weren’t expecting that, were you?” He shook his head slightly. “They destroyed my life. I can’t go back any more, my only chance now is to go with Marcus, and try and start a new life for myself in Rome. I can never see my family again. When they found out that I’d been infected and was in the infirma
ry they didn’t visit me. They completely cut me off and made it plain that I wasn’t welcome any more. I think that’s why I clung so strongly to the Kin, there I was wanted and cherished.”

  “That was harsh; it wasn’t your fault you were caught by them.” Marius found himself liking her direct approach and honesty.

  She held out her hand. “I’m Fabia, by the way.”

  Marius took it. “Call me Marius, everyone else does.”

  She smiled. “Well, Marius, my father was a centurion who married a local girl from Moesia. When he finished his time in the army, he was granted some land in Dacia near Apulium. I was born near the fort, but I was staying with my aunt who runs a successful laundry business, in the hope that I too might land myself a legionary. Colonial citizens are snobs, I’m afraid. My family would never recover from my association with the infestation. My aunt would be ruined if I went back to her, and my chances of finding a husband are non-existent.”

  “What will you do in Rome?” he asked, genuinely curious.

  She shrugged. “I’ll find something. Marcus says he’ll set me up with my own business, he insists he can afford to, but I don’t want his charity.”

  Marius grinned. “Do you know who he is?”

  She shook her head. “Should I?”

  Marius laughed. “No, not really. But yes, he has more than enough money. You could always pay him back?”

  She thought about that. “Yes, I could, that’s a possibility. But I’m curious now... Who is he? I don’t like looking silly, please tell me.”

  Marius picked a piece of grass and held it in his hand. “You’ve heard of Julius Caesar?” The girl nodded and pulled an exasperated face. “Well, he’s related to the man who killed him and the Julio-Claudio Emperors who followed Caesar. His family are one of the oldest and most powerful in Rome and your Marcus is their heir.”

  She stared at him wide-eyed with shock. “I didn’t know. He hasn’t said.”

  Marius smiled. “He keeps it quiet. Sign of a real patrician. They don’t go around reminding people who they are. He’ll look after you, but won’t expect anything in return, he’s not like that.”

  Fabia intertwined her fingers for a moment. “I don’t want to be beholden to anyone, not even Marcus.” She glanced at him. “I got myself into trouble, I have to get myself out, but I like the idea of paying him back, that’s honourable.”

  “You didn’t know what you were getting into. None of us did. Let him help you, Fabia, he couldn’t save many people, but let him care for you.”

  “They were dead already,” she muttered quietly so that he had to struggle to hear. Suddenly she got to her feet. “Can we be friends, Marius? We both hate the Kin and we care for Marcus, maybe in different ways, we even love him. So I think we have a lot more in common than we realise.”

  Marius studied the headstrong and resilient girl. “Yes, we can be friends. I think we are already.”

  She grinned. “Next time you hear that those monsters are about, let me know and give me a stake. I’ll join you in the killing.” The look on her face was grim and he had no doubt that she would kill more than any man if she was given the chance.

  “You have my word.” She bowed her head and walked away trailing her horse behind her.

  Marius was stunned. In three minutes his perception of the girl had been completely turned on its head and he was glad that a woman as strong and fierce as that was on his side and not against him.

  Paulinus was calling for them to continue, and so reluctantly Marius got up from the tree and mounted his equally unwilling horse.