Chapter Eight
Galen wasn’t at dinner, and he wasn’t in the Sacrati hall afterward, either. Well, that was fine. Good, even. It would be easier to withdraw from whatever was happening if Theos never learned any more details.
Xeno and Andros came down for a quick drink, and as the Sacrati all inspected the healing wound on Andros’s leg, Theos let himself relax.
Yes, that was the real reason he’d pulled the Elkati out of the slave chain. Finnvid had saved Andros’s life, so Theos had repaid him with five or six months’ reprieve from his fate. That was fair. And while Finnvid was around anyway . . .
“The healer responsible for Andros’s recovery is right here,” Theos announced in a voice loud enough to carry through the room.
“How many of you have little injuries that won’t heal right?
Bring them to Finnvid and let him see what he can do.
If he doesn’t succeed, you’ll only pay to cover his medicines, but if he does succeed?
Well, how much would you pay to get rid of the one annoying thing that’s keeping you from being your absolute best as a warrior? ”
Some of the men looked thoughtful, and Theos nodded in satisfaction.
“Tell your friends,” he advised. “Common soldiers, Sacrati . . . he’s open for business, of that sort at least. We all know the Elkati like their books and their potions.
Here’s our chance to take advantage of that!
” He pushed Finnvid into the crowd. “See what they’ve got,” he ordered, and Finnvid slowly complied.
Andros raised an eyebrow as Theos came closer. “You’re planning to profit from my near-death?”
“Absolutely,” Theos agreed. “I need to pull something useful from this mess.”
“It might not be bad for Finnvid,” Andros mused. “Gives him a chance to establish himself and be useful.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re looking out for Finnvid,” Theos said with asperity. “I’m glad Finnvid will be okay through all this.”
“What are you complaining about? He saved my life; I like him; I’d like him to do well.”
“He’s the enemy, and probably a spy,” Theos countered. “He only saved you because I threatened to kill them all if he didn’t. He’s shown no loyalty or affection for any of us, and yet we’re breaking our backs to make sure he’s happy. Does that make sense to you?”
“Well,” Andros said slowly, “he is very pretty. I like him shaved. Makes him look a bit older. I’d have thought the reverse would be true.”
Theos stepped away. He wasn’t interested in the boy’s attractiveness.
He wasn’t interested in anything to do with Finnvid or Elkatis in general.
“Why don’t you take him tonight?” he suggested.
“You’re such good friends, after all. Why don’t you have him sleep in your room?
Actually, he can sleep in your room forever.
That could be fun, right? And you’d have a medic there if you needed him—”
“No,” Andros said firmly. “I don’t want him lying in my room and acting as if it’s a crime every time Xeno and I touch each other. I like him, but he’s a pain in the ass about sex.”
He certainly was. And Theos was going to have a pain in a different part of his anatomy if he had to lie down that night with Finnvid’s tempting body within easy reach but totally out of bounds. “Elkati,” he barked. If he was going to have a restless night, he might as well start early. “Let’s go.”
“I was just about to show him this terrible swelling I’ve got,” one of the Sacrati called, grabbing his crotch.
“I could lance it for you, if someone brought me a sharp knife,” Finnvid replied, and there were howls of laughter.
Theos tried not to smile. He didn’t want to encourage any more impertinence from the boy. “There are no guarantees made for the quality of any treatments,” he said, and he waited for Finnvid to join him.
Unfortunately, it seemed the boy would rather stay in this crowd of ruffians than go to a quiet place with Theos. That was the kind of gratitude the Elkati was showing.
And then Theos caught himself: Finnvid was the enemy. A spy, or something like it. Gratitude from him would be a sign that Theos was doing his job wrong.
So he tried not to resent it when Finnvid trailed along behind him, dragging his feet like he was being led to his execution.
They visited the toilet at the end of the hall, and Theos showed the boy how to turn the water on and off, and where the brushes for their teeth were kept.
He cleaned his own teeth and handed the brush to the boy.
“Maybe we’ll be able to go to the city tomorrow, and I can buy you some things of your own,” he said.
Finnvid made a face and set the brush down where Theos had found it. “I can wait until then,” he said.
Theos was out of patience. “Fine.” He led the way to his room, which was barely lit by the moonlight coming through the narrow window, and looked at the bed.
It had been big enough for himself and another man many times.
This time, though, he pulled a blanket out of the closet and tossed it in Finnvid’s direction; he’d want it back before it got really cold, but that was a worry for later.
Finnvid caught the blanket awkwardly and stood there as Theos climbed into bed and dragged the covers over himself. He had his eyes closed by the time Finnvid said, “I’m allowed to sleep on the floor?”
“You’re required to sleep on the floor. And to shut up.”
There was a long pause before Finnvid said, “I’m sorry if I’ve angered you.”
“You’re angering me right now by not shutting up.”
“I’m sorry I can’t tell you what you want to know.”
“If you can’t settle and be quiet here, I suppose I could just return you to the prisoner pens.
I’d probably still have to pay a little extra for your food, and you wouldn’t have the chance to earn your citizenship, but I don’t find myself all that interested in helping you become a citizen.
And that way I wouldn’t have to pay for clothes or toiletries or any of the extras.
And, more importantly, that way I could sleep in peace. ”
Finnvid was quiet for just long enough that Theos began to hope he’d gotten the message. But then Finnvid said, “Perhaps you’d allow me to visit the prisoners?”
“Come up here and suck me,” Theos said.
A stunned silence before Finnvid said, “What?”
“Come up here and suck me. You do that for me, and I’ll think about doing favors for you.”
“I don’t— I can’t—”
“Then shut up.”
Finally, Finnvid did. They lay there together in the dark, and listened to the sounds of the barracks shutting down for the night. At some point, Theos drifted off to sleep, but he woke up the next morning just as frustrated.
“What am I supposed to do with him during the day?” he asked Andros as they ate breakfast. Finnvid was at the far end of the long table, where Theos had ordered him to sit.
With the crowd of other men between them, there was no way Finnvid could hear this conversation.
Not that Theos was trying to spare the Elkati’s feelings.
“I think he’ll stick around, knowing that his men will be punished in his stead if he leaves.
And of course there’s nowhere for him to go.
” There were only two paths out of the valley, and they were both well-guarded.
“If I give him free time, is he going to . . . I don’t know.
Be a spy? Sabotage something? It’s hard to predict what he’ll do when I have no idea what he’s already done.
But he’s not likely to do anything good, right? ”
“Might save some lives,” Andros said looking down at himself.
“Only if threatened,” Theos reminded him.
Andros shrugged. Then his attention seemed to shift to something over Theos’s shoulder. “Don’t turn around.”
Theos froze for a moment before forcing his body to relax. They were in the dining hall; how serious could the threat be?
“Shit,” Andros said, casting his eyes toward his meal and clearly trying to sound casual. “Warlord’s coming over, and he looks less than happy.”
“Get Finnvid and keep him with you.” Theos made sure he didn’t glance in the boy’s direction, didn’t give the warlord any reason to send his attention that way. “They can’t do anything to me. Keep an eye on him.”
Andros nodded, then looked up in a convincing presentation of surprise. “Sir! Good morning.”
Theos turned toward the man who was ignoring Andros’s greeting. “Sir.”
“We need to talk. Come with me.”
Theos did as he was told. Technically the Sacrati were separate from the usual military command structure and were supposed to answer only to other Sacrati, but the Sacrati captain answered to the warlord, so Theos knew what he had to do.
He left his breakfast behind and followed the burly man through the crowd of curious soldiers and into the courtyard, where the frost was still white on the ground.
The warlord walked briskly through the cool air, apparently intent on doing laps around the small space. He frowned over at Theos, then said bluntly, “I want your bedwarmer.”
That caught Theos off guard, and he snorted before managing a reply. “Sir? You— For yourself, you mean?”
The man curled his lip but then snarled, “Yes. For myself.”
If the warlord truly wanted Finnvid, he wouldn’t have been so eager to ship him out into the snowy mountains the prior day.
Theos wondered what would happen if he gave the boy up now.
Would he end up falling down the stairs and breaking his neck, or being stabbed after “attacking” a senior officer?
Slave owners weren’t actually allowed to kill their property, but Theos couldn’t imagine anyone would ask many questions of the warlord.
“I’m sorry, sir, but he’s not for sale. I’m still enjoying him.”
“Really? I’d heard you two weren’t getting along too well. I was told you took another soldier right in front of the boy in the baths yesterday.”
“All part of the game, sir.” Theos had never been particularly interested in games, at least of this sort, but he didn’t think the warlord would know that.