The Many Lives of Sexta Sertorius
Chapter Six


Sexta sagged as she watched Quintus deliberately close the door of his study and shut her out.

She turned back to her own room and collapsed onto the bed with a sigh. Something had changed between them recently and, although she couldn't work out what, she couldn't shake the feeling that it was her fault. Not the wig. That had been a mistake but it wasn't a big enough error to be the cause of the rift. And it wasn't truly a rift - just a coolness, a deepening of the reserve that had always been there in their relationship.

She rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. It was just as well that Gero Piambo would be joining their training sessions from now on. He would keep her company and ease the awkwardness. Actually, it was wonderful that he'd spend more time with them. He was so great, she thought, smiling as she remembered all the times he'd made her and Claudia weep from laughing. Plus, now she wouldn't have to pretend in front of him either. She couldn't say it would be a relief, exactly, because it had been drummed into her for so long that it had become natural to hide who and what she and Quintus were. Although, Gero still clearly bought the lie that Quintus was her father and that was a shame.

Her thoughts dwelled on Quintus a bit longer. She had been so worried that she might have been Born of the Master like him, that it had slipped her mind that Wormwood, the local Ancient, had claimed her. She wondered why that should be. It had seemed terrible to be his 'sister', which was hardly fair. He had always been good to her and as kind as he knew how. He couldn't help having lived so long that everything and everyone seemed fleeting to him. She imagined he'd seen so much history and she suspected that he'd known personal tragedy too. The poor man. She wished he'd let her a bit closer; she'd like to comfort him and repay some of his kindness.

She lay there, listening for signs that Quintus had left his study for his bedroom in the basement. Her room was on the first floor, street level, since she didn't feel his need for earth over and around him and she did usually sleep for a few hours a night, or rather in the early morning. She wasn't sure if Quintus slept at all. She should have been studying or practicing her technique but she was thinking about Quintus, wondering what he was doing. He was busy and important, she knew that, but she hoped he could maybe spare a moment or two to think about her too.


In fact, Sexta was all that occupied Quintus' thoughts at that moment. Specifically, he was pondering two key questions:

Firstly, what did the Ancients mean by the possibilities of a nearly human Born?
And secondly, how could he regain control of the situation between him and Sexta?

Strange though it may seem, Quintus felt this problem was the easier to solve. After more than a dozen centuries, he thought he knew himself quite well. In all that time, although he had engaged in sexual congress with many different partners, he'd only ever desired one other woman and the feverish self-abandonment of passion had been inextricably linked to falling in love with her.

In these more self-aware times, and if he had been into labelling himself at all, he might have called himself demi-sexual or gray-asexual. As the pure strix such as Hunters, Chosen and Ancients were asexual and most ordinary humans were driven to a greater or lesser degree (at least in youth and health) to mate, it made sense that the half-breeds' sexuality fit somewhere in the middle. They were most definitely sexual beings, and very definitely physically attractive to humans. Male and female Born alike were possessed of an angelic facial beauty and martial athleticism that, coupled with their aura of power, was potently appealing. Some, like Primus, made a choice of sexual activity – in his case in an attempt to procreate and to distract himself from a meaningless eternal existence but, even for Primus, the first Born, involuntary, irresistible desire only occurred where there was an emotional bond.

Quintus believed that if he didn't fall in love with Sexta, then he would not desire her. Emotional distance would be safety. For both of them.

Emotional distance could best be achieved, to begin with, by putting some physical space between them. It did not occur to him that the distance he had put between them by refusing to be a parent had caused the problem and so more distance was unlikely to be the cure.

Nevertheless, satisfied in his delusion, he returned to the other question. He wondered what 'possibilities' or 'opportunities' a 'nearly human' Born could hold for the Ancients, specifically for opposing Quarta and The Master.

Were the Ancients going to see how good a warrior Sexta became and make more of her? That seemed like a forlorn hope - she was coming along well but she would never be a match for a half-breed like himself, let alone the stronger three-quarter-breed Quarta and certainly not against an Ancient like the Master. She could tolerate sunlight much better than he could, he supposed. And, unlike him, she was unburned by silver. She could also cross running water on her own with hardly a shudder. All very useful abilities to be sure but, in order to utilize them, Wormwood her Sire - the Ancient she sprung from - must be able to control her or at least influence her behavior and, as far as Quintus was aware, Sexta's will was as free as his own.

He turned back to his transcription of the Filii de Opacare scrolls to see if they held any clues.