A/N Thanks for the kind words. Apologies for the delay, not really feeling it. I went back and forth with this chapter for a while, still not super happy with it, but if I keep it for too long, this will never get finished.
Chapter 11 – Get a New One
Then it starts, gets slow and the room, gets cold
And your blood runs thin, and we begin.
Because you want to, don't lift your finger
For your approval, jump into the fury - Kosheen
*/*/*/
"Canadinium? That was the best you could come up with?" Tamsin laughed as she dropped down next to Bo on the ornate lounger.
Bo chuckled. "It was an accident! I went to tell him that we were from Canada then I heard myself speaking in Greek which was crazy confusing, then Kenzi started giggling and the word just came out."
Bo watched the other Valkyries checking around the villa. Kenzi was wandering around somewhere trying to find the baths. It took some quick thinking when they had been surrounded in the hills, Bo had charmed the young Captain and persuaded him to take them back to their Camp to meet the General, who after a few minutes with Bo was offering them safe passage to Rome, the use of one of his villas and a multitude of slaves at their beck and call.
Kenzi had vetoed the slaves, claiming it was against their religious beliefs but the general had insisted on one, probably for the pregnancy. Tamsin had said it was more likely for having ears in the villa. Not wanting to upset things in an already miserable situation, Kenzi had simply ground her teeth together and thanked him. She was now wandering around the villa trying to stop the poor girl from doing everything for her. Bo chuckled when she realized that if the TV shows were anything to go on, Kenzi was going to get a surprise when she tried bathing.
Marcus Crassus. Tamsin had nearly freaked when she saw the man. She had explained to Bo as they traveled into Rome that this was such a convoluted time in Roman politics that them being here couldn't be a mistake. Someone had sent them here deliberately.
Crassus had stared at Tamsin for the longest time, going so far as to ask if they had met previously. Bo had supercharged the charm when she saw how uncomfortable Tamsin was. She looked over at the Valkyrie who was staring at the ceiling, deep in thought.
"Why does Crassus think that he knows you?"
"Because about 2000 years ago, I killed his son. Well, for all I know it could have been last Wednesday."
"Oh." Bo said, not sure how to follow up on that. "How can you possibly remember that? I can't remember last week."
Tamsin laughed. "He's Marcus Crassus Bo. That name tends to stick with you."
"You think he would remember your face if you killed his son."
Tamsin shrugged. "Probably not, Valkyries often appear as men during battle. Causes too much chaos to have a bunch of hot blonde chicks fighting." She laughed.
Bo looked to the villa entrance as the other Valkyries approached. "I guess we really are here deliberately then. Who would do that?"
Sigjold walked in with Arun, Thoma and Mirja. "I think I can offer a guess."
"Gods above. So you think this is Svadra's play? Trap us here in time while she takes Valhalla? How much support do you think she has really?" Tamsin asked.
It was Mirja who responded. "Probably not as much real support, but without a sitting God of Valhalla people get restless. She probably has some of us fighting with her just as an excuse to fight. If we can get back, they will either stop or join us."
"So much for loyalty." Bo scoffed then realized who she was talking to. "Sorry, that was uncalled for."
"It's not untrue Bo." Arun spoke quietly. "Sitting God thing, there isn't as much stability as there would normally be."
"So all this could have been avoided if Freya just claimed Valhalla? That doesn't make sense that she didn't want to piss Odin off. Is there more to the story?" Bo looked at the Valkyries.
"It wasn't just about arguing with Odin. Gods can be petty and cruel. He may have tried to kill her, he probably would have killed many of us to make a point." Arun told her. "He would have killed Tamsin for certain."
"And on the subject of petty and cruel, what the fuck are we going to do about the might of Rome out there?" Tamsin asked irritably.
"Killed you? Why?" Bo was confused by everything.
"Because we would have sworn loyalty to Freya, rather than wait for his return. Petty and cruel."
"But why Tamsin deliberately? Cause she is Freya's favourite?"
The Valkyries looked at each other uncomfortably.
"What? What's going on?" Bo snapped.
Tamsin sighed. "OK, just remember when you hear this, it's not that I kept it from you, I honestly didn't think to mention it."
Bo continued to glare at her.
"I mean it's kind of a big secret, so you get into the habit of not saying anything. So even though I should have told you, it's not that I deliberately didn't, it's just habit. OK?"
Thoma took pity on Tamsin and decided to blurt it out. "Freya is Tamsin's mother."
Bo opened her mouth and closed it again. She did the same thing several times before something would come out. "Like, the mother of Valkyries?"
"Well, no, like the mother of Tamsin." Tamsin shrugged.
"I met your mother and you didn't think to mention it? What the hell were you thinking!" Bo slapped at Tamsin's shoulders.
"You were so worried about meeting her as a Goddess, I didn't want to add to that. Then it just never came up." Tamsin was pleading her case. Badly. "Look, it's not that I didn't want to tell you, it really doesn't come up in conversation."
Bo got up and walked away. The Valkyries watched her go, two minutes later there was a loud high pitched squeal from the back of the villa. "Freya's her mother?" Kenzi's voice could be heard reverberating around the marble.
"I'm so screwed." Tamsin dropped her head back on the couch.
"Something of a moot point if we don't get out of here first. So! Ideas?" Mirja asked the room.
For once there was silence. No one had the first idea of how to get out.
*/*/*/
Kenzi lay back in the warm water, the dust from the road gradually falling away. The slave girl that had been assigned to them had been following her around the villa trying to anticipate her needs and avoid the huge dog that shadowed them. Kenzi had suggested she follow the others around instead but at the look of abject terror on the girls face she relented. She did however draw the line at having the girl in the bath with her. They reached a compromise where Kenzi was in the bath and the girl was sat on the edge, dressed, with her feet in the water.
"Shall I wash your hair Domina?" She asked quietly.
Kenzi was torn. Part of her would love to have lain back and enjoyed the pampering, the decent part of her couldn't enjoy someone else's misery. That said, she was pregnant and tired and maybe it would settle the girl down.
"OK, please, I mean only if you don't mind." Kenzi smiled at her.
The girl moved behind her and gently washed the dust from Kenzi's long black hair. When she began massaging oil into her scalp Kenzi let out a low moan of approval.
"You are pleased Domina?"
"Very, and my name is Kenzi. Can you try to say it?" Kenzi smiled at her causing the girl to blush.
"It would not be wise to seem familiar with a slave Domina."
"OK, well what's your name?"
"My name is Amira."
"That's a beautiful name. Where are you from?"
"I am told Persia. But I have lived here for as long as I can remember."
Kenzi spun around in the water to look at her. "How old are you?"
"Fourteen Domina."
"God you're just a kid. How long have you been a slave?"
"It's all I've ever known." She paused as though picking up the courage to ask something. Kenzi kept her face as friendly as she could while Amira struggled with her conditioning. "May I ask you something Domina?" She asked quietly.
"Of course, anything at all." Kenzi smiled at her.
"Will you tell me about Canadinium?" Her little eyes lit up in excitement.
Kenzi had to fight the urge to laugh. Bo could be such an air head sometimes. "Well, for starters we don't have slaves. I mean we did, until about a couple of hundred years ago. But we don't have them now. It's very different to here." Kenzi relaxed into her head massage as she told Amira as much about Canada in the 21st century as she could without sounding like a crazy person.
*/*/*/
Mirja went to answer a knock at the Villa's doors leaving Tamsin to face Bo's ire while Sig, Arun and Thoma tried not to show their amusement.
"Look, I'm sorry, really. I didn't mean to keep it from you. Can we just focus on how we get home for now?" Tamsin pleaded.
Bo glared at her one last time before sighing. "Alright. Alright. But we will be discussing this again when we get home." She poked Tamsin's shoulder.
"Oh I have no doubt." Tamsin muttered making Bo glare at her again.
"So! We know why we are here. But if Svadra is doing this at Hades's behest and he wants my help, how am I supposed to help him from here? Surely this means at some point he is going to come get us right?" Bo looked around.
"Well, I think at some point he will come for you, I'm pretty sure Tamsin is supposed to meet the sharp end of Crassus blade. Otherwise why send us here? Then there is Kenzi." Thoma was talking out loud to no one in particular.
Tamsin shot her a look, a look that was not missed by Bo.
"What about Kenzi?" She asked.
Thoma looked up as though realizing what she had just said out loud. She looked to Tamsin for help.
"Oh no, we will not be doing that silent Valkyrie communication thing, not now. What about Kenzi?" She demanded of her lover.
Tamsin sighed. "If Kenzi gives birth out of her natural time line..." She took a deep breath. "She'll lose the baby."
Bo's mouth dropped open in shock. "Let me guess? It never came up in conversation." Bo snarled at her.
Sigjold, Thoma and Arun took the opportunity to see if Mirja needed help. It would have been comical watching them fall over each other to get away from a potential domestic argument were the situation not so dire.
"Bo, you need to calm down." Tamsin warned her.
"What else aren't you telling me Tamsin? Is there anything else you haven't had time to bring up? God sake. I thought you were different. I thought you wouldn't do this to me. Keep things hidden."
"I'm not keeping things hidden from you, you're blowing this out of proportion." Tamsin dismissed her.
"Oh? Is that right? Well I'm going to tell Kenzi, she has a right to know." Bo yelled at her.
Tamsin brought her hand down on the marble table in annoyance. "She has the right to carry to term without stress, she has a better chance of the baby staying where it is if she isn't stressed. Telling her that her child could die if we don't find a way out of here is a sure fire way of ramping up the stress." Tamsin countered her.
Bo took a breath and thought about that. "Alright. Ok. But what about you? What else haven't you told me?" She demanded.
Tamsin burst out laughing. "Bo, I'm over two thousand years old. I would imagine there is a great deal I haven't told you. But I promise, I will never hide things from you. I never have. I saw what happened with Lauren and Dyson and I couldn't bear to lose you. I will never deliberately keep things from you. I promise." She smiled at the frowning Succubus.
"Sorry. I think I'm a little stressed." She stepped into Tamsin's arms, burying herself into the familiar scent of her lover. "What are we going to do Tamsin?"
"I have no clue Succulette, but we will figure a way out." She kissed the top of Bo's head, leaving her lips there.
"Well I know what we will be doing tonight." Mirja walked in carrying a scroll, thankful that the domestic dispute seemed to be over for now. "Crassus is having a party in your honor to welcome you to Rome. I think attendance is mandatory if we want to keep this shiny palace over our heads while we are here."
"Cause that can't possibly go wrong." Tamsin sighed.
"Shit. I can't go to a party in this get up?" Bo tugged at her linen pants.
Thoma laughed. "That's the other thing. The guy who delivered this has some friends with him. Apparently they are your hair and make up crew for the evening. And there is a dude holding some frilly things that I really hope are for you, not us."
*/*/*/
Bo was exhausted. Even with her new found fluency in Greek, the conversations were a minefield of treachery, insults, jealousy and political traps. She smiled politely at another of the Senate members recalling his glory days and battles past.
Every time someone got too interested in her and her warrior escorts she had to use her charms to misdirect them somewhere else.
It was exhausting and Bo was getting hungry.
Which was being exacerbated by all the naked waiters. Bo kept reminding herself that these were slaves and very likely miserable. It was the only thing keeping a lid on her ardor. Sadly whilst her lust was being tampered, her attitude was starting to sour.
Normally when Bo's sexual hunger became a problem she would eat regular food. She had figured a long time back it was a placebo effect, but it helped. She had looked to the food available earlier and made the mistake of asking her hosts what she was about to eat.
At the first mention of stuffed and roasted door mice, Bo knew she wouldn't be eating.
The Romans were fascinated by the Valkyries. The women in particular often glanced at them enviously. Thoma whispered to Bo that Romans prized blonde hair as no one had it. They were also confused as to how to treat them. Bo had explained that they were not slaves, nor had they ever been. She had made up as much of a conceivable back story as she could. The Valkyries were part of an elite guard for the titled in her country, as such it wasn't about being ordered, the Valkyries were there out of loyalty.
One of the women had this irritating high pitched cackle that she used every time she put another woman down. Bo heard it ring out and she wondered who would be derided next. Apparently it was Bo's turn.
"But they serve you?"
Bo started to answer when she saw Tamsin and Sigjold snicker. "Well, I don't know if serve is the right word."
"Do you not feel vulnerable? I mean surely, any titled woman of note would have a proper guard. Aren't you afraid of what would happen if you were attacked by a man?"
Bo smiled at her. "My squad can beat any man."
Tamsin and Thoma looked at each other and a silent groan passed between them.
"And would you be prepared to wager on that?" Bo felt her heart sink as the cackling woman leapt on the opportunity.
She looked up at the blondes who all had the same look on their faces. The one that Tamsin wore before she made a comment about how lucky Bo was that she was pretty. She sighed. She really had walked into that. Well, they had been spoiling for a fight in Rome, looks like they were going to get one.
"I will wager any amount on any challenge." She replied haughtily.
Tamsin rolled her eyes. Maybe it was the dress. Bo was dressed like a proper Roman woman, it stood to reason that she would end up as arrogant as one. At least Kenzi was safely at the Villa with Mirja and Toby. Tamsin caught movement at the corner of her eye, the casual boast had attracted their host, Marcus Crassus. Great. Tamsin tried all night to stay out of his radar and here was Bo shining a light on her. She sighed. At least it couldn't get worse.
"The games tomorrow, the final matches are munera sine missione, I'm sure good Sextus would be happy to give up his position for a ladies wager." Crassus looked to Sextus who didn't look the remotest bit happy. "Obviously the agreed price would still be honored." He nodded at Sextus for his agreement.
Tamsin rolled her eyes. Or perhaps it could.
Knowing he was getting his gold without any chance of losing his fighters improved his mood greatly, Sextus agreed happily. "I don't know if the crowd will be as amused as you Crassus, they expect to see proper contest." He laughed loudly.
"My squad are brave, noble, fierce and loyal. I would trust any of them with my life." She spoke proudly, the Valkyries stood noticeably taller. "I assure you, your people will never forget the day." Bo fired back at him.
Crassus handed Bo another glass of wine. "One way or another, I am sure they wont." He was still leering at her, Bo was running on fumes by now, if he started on Tamsin, she wasn't sure she could charm him again.
"I was going to ask you to attend the games tomorrow as my guest, now it looks like you are unable to refuse. I took the liberty of having my slaves send over a few garments to befit a woman of your status in Rome. Do not be concerned about your safety, should your women warriors fall tomorrow..." He smirked. "I will see you well attended." His gaze dropped to her cleavage. "Very well attended."
Tamsin growled making his eyes fly from Bo's breast to Tamsin snarl.
"Your slave oversteps." He warned Tamsin.
"I am no slave Roman." Tamsin snapped facing off to him.
Bo was about to do something drastic when one of the more diplomatic Romans spoke up. "It would seem the barbarian women may not be able to wait for tomorrow."
There was laughter all around, somewhat defusing the situation. Crassus wife Tertulla, apparently tired from all the attention this strange foreign woman was getting from her husband, and somewhat overly imbibed with the wine stumbled forward. "You cant seriously be thinking about letting these creatures into the games? It's an insult to the Gods. They require proper sport, not mindless slaughter." She looked Bo up and down dismissively.
Bo smiled at her. "I assure you, your gladiators will be allowed to fight back before they are slaughtered, I'm sure your Gods will be fine."
Tertulla's face darkened and Bo was certain the fights might start earlier than advertised. Thankfully Crassus fearing a scene from his wife stepped in. "Perhaps we should allow our guest to retire, I'm sure her warriors will want some time to prepare for tomorrow?"
Bo nodded, glad of the reprieve. "They would. Thank you."
"Excellent. I will send my people over tomorrow to collect you."
Arun stepped forward. "Ysabeau, don't forget tomorrows date, we have our own rituals. We will be unable to attend the morning games."
Bo looked at her confused but went along with it. "I had forgotten, thank you Arun. So, is that OK? Can we just come for the afternoon?"
"Absolutely. No one of any caliber attends before the noon passing. I will send my people to see you arrive safely and on time." He dropped a kiss on her hand and left them to leave.
Bo was almost out the front door when a voice called her name. The cackling woman. What was her name? Patchouli? Petunia? Damn she was so hungry. She turned to her and smiled. "Yes?"
She looked at Tamsin as though she was going to jump on her. "I know you claim she can fight as a gladiator, but between you and I..." She leaned in to Bo's ear and whispered. "Does she fuck like a gladiator?"
Bo's hunger was raging out of her control, she couldn't help the momentary flash of blue in her eyes as she purred. "No. She fucks like a champion."
The woman stumbled back, wondering if she should perhaps move on to water for the remainder of the evening.
*/*/*/
"Shouldn't they be back by now?" Kenzi asked Mirja. Much to the slaves confusion, they had taken to speaking in English. Kenzi had tried to persuade Amira to go to bed and get some rest, but she insisted on staying. Kenzi had spent the first half of the evening asking Amira about her life and the life of Rome in general. Both fascinated and disgusted with what she heard, Mirja could see that the feisty Russian would have to be watched like a hawk in the coming days in case she really did start the slave revolts early. She made a mental note to bring it up with Tamsin.
Amira was still clearly terrified of the strange blondes and kept all her interactions to the small, pregnant woman instead. When Kenzi had asked her about her master, Crassus, the fear that came off of her was palpable. She gave stock answers that said little and answered less. When Kenzi finally got her to open up about why she was so frightened the girl told them that she had been whipped for laughing one day. That Crassus wife claimed she laughed at her and had one of the senior slaves punish her. She told Kenzi that Crassus wife disliked her as Crassus himself favored her. Kenzi was almost scared to ask what she meant by favored, in the end she just nodded, certain she already knew the answer.
"Let me tell you Mirja, this time traveling isn't nearly as much fun as the movies make it out to be."
Mirja smiled. "They rarely are Kenzi."
There was bustling from the street outside near the door. Mirja jumped to her feet, sword drawn. She pushed Kenzi behind her and waited for the door to open. When she saw the 4 blondes and Bo she checked for bleeding. Satisfied that there was no danger, she put her sword away and allowed Kenzi to walk forward.
"Are you OK? You don't look so good Bo bear."
"I'll be OK Kenz, I just need to, um, I just.." Bo trailed off.
"What happened?" Mirja asked them.
"Bo was charming the whole room to keep our cover. She's all out of Succubus Mojo."
Kenzi looked around the open plan villa. "Shit." She sighed.
"Plus she bragged about how awesome we are, so tomorrow we are going to the arena to fight for our lives while Rome cheers."
"More shit."
Amira was hovering around them. "Domina do you need a medicus?"
"Someone want to explain this?" Thoma chuckled. She gently took the slaves arm and pulled her away. "Ysabeau is a priestess, that requires sexual satisfaction to keep her path to the Gods open."
Kenzi looked on in horror. "Jesus Thoma, she's like 14, she doesn't need to know that!"
"She's in Rome, that will make more sense to her than anything you can come up with to hide what's about to happen." Arun laughed.
"Domina, let me get you one of the slaves!" Amira jumped up, clearly ready to go and get one.
Bo frowned at her, confused. "I don't need a slave, I have Tamsin."
Amira looked at Tamsin, then back to Bo. "But surely, she can not satisfy your Gods?" She questioned.
"For the love of all things I beg you not to open your mouth and respond." Kenzi held her hand up and pleaded with Tamsin.
Tamsin smirked, winked at the little slave girl and walked away with Bo.
Before Amira could say anything else, Kenzi took her arm and led her away. "We have a big day tomorrow, you need to sleep."
"But what if you need anything?"
Kenzi switched to English. "Oh honey all I need now is to fall asleep before I hear things I just don't want to hear." She smiled at Amira and in her native language answered her. "I promise I will call. Sleep now. Big things tomorrow."
Amira smiled at her and went to her room.
Kenzi sighed and prayed for sleep to come as quickly as possible.
*/*/*/
"You want to tell Kenzi it's safe to take her hands off her ears now?" Bo laughed from her place between Tamsin's thighs.
Tamsin laughed quietly. "Are you sure it's safe? You were pretty drained. I don't think I've ever seen you that low on juice."
Bo crawled up the pale flesh underneath her. She placed a series of kisses across Tamsin's skin as she settled. What the hell were they going to do. Bo was so excited at the prospect of coming to Rome. Now here they were, about to send the Valkyries into death matches with gladiators while she dodged the amorous advances of one of the most infamous men in history who incidentally probably wanted her lover dead. But more importantly, while no one had outright said anything, there was absolutely no way out of here. "I'm scared Tamsin."
Tamsin sighed and pulled her lover close. "So am I Bo."
Bo scrunched her eyes closed as tightly as she could to stop the tears rolling down. They were at the mercy of the unknown now. Hades was going to come for her at some point. Which was terrifying as it meant that he had won Valhalla, which probably meant that Freya would be dead. Which means that if they survived their time in Rome, Tamsin would have an automatic death sentence hovering over her when they returned, either from her father or from Svadra. Perhaps that was how Hades planned to use her. By holding Tamsin's life over her head. Tamsin wouldn't want to live with that, which means Bo would be condemning her to death. Kenzi was going to give birth any minute and the child wouldn't survive. Which meant that Kenzi probably wouldn't survive. What had she been thinking bringing along a pregnant woman?
Tears made their way past the lashes and rolled freely down Bo's cheeks.
*/*/*/