Darkness of Time, page 6
“Isn’t that a shame?” The soldier extended the platter toward us.
“Could you at least bring it closer?” I said. My stomach growled, liking the idea of food.
“Sure thing,” the soldier said, crouching before me to set the plate by my feet.
I whipped my arms from behind my back and seized his neck
His eyes grew enormous. I bore down on his neck as he struggled and kicked. Then his body went limp, and his eyes stared at nothing. I dropped him to the ground.
I picked up the food and gobbled some down before handing the platter to Marcellious.
“Here. I’m going to change into the soldier’s clothes.” I stripped him and donned all his garments, including boots and a bicorn hat. I gathered my hair back and bound it with some strips of the dead man’s shirt. “How do I look?”
“Like a fucking soldier with too-tight clothes,” Marcellious said through a mouthful of food.
I seized the pan from his hands and helped myself to a few more bites, using my fingers as utensils.
When no more food was left, I flung the platter across the room. “Get up. Now we put our plan in motion.”
Marcellious heaved himself to standing.
“Put your hands behind your back,” I said.
Grimacing, Marcellious did as I commanded.
“You ready?’ I looked Marcellious in the eyes.
“As ready as I’m going to be, considering.” His complexion was as pale as the snow, his forehead dotted with sweat.
I hoped he didn’t die before we had a chance to escape.
We tromped upstairs and veered away from the men milling about near the encampment consisting of at least thirty small tents and several larger ones. Campfires burned brightly before several tents and pots and pans had been placed over the flames.
The deer looked skeletal, stripped of its meat for the soldiers’ consumption.
“Hey!” someone yelled. “You there! Where you going with that prisoner?”
“Interrogation,” I called back. I had to think fast. I was making up the plan with each step I took.
“I hope your plan works, and you can start the wagon full of hay on fire,” Marcellious whispered to me over his shoulder. “If we get one wagon ablaze, that should keep them busy while we light others.”
“All right, good.” I headed toward the wagons near the horses, which stood beneath a copse of trees. I beelined toward one of the carts filled with hay. After retrieving the flint striker from my pocket, I struck it until sparks flew onto the dried grass.
Luckily, the soldiers seem distracted by a drinking game if their wild yells from across the camp were any indication.
The grass caught fire, and the flames began to spread.
“Blow on it,” Marcellious whispered.
“I know what to do,” I snapped. I cupped my hands and blew.
The flames grew taller until the hay was blazing.
One of the soldiers yelled, “Hey! Look!” but he was cut off by raucous laughter.
“Go hide,” I hissed at Marcellious. “Pick a couple horses and wait for me near that tree.”
I pointed toward what looked like a maple tree.
“On it,” Marcellious said. He hurried toward the horses.
“Fire!” I shouted. “Fire!”
I raced toward another wagon and ducked behind it.
Soldiers sprinted toward the wagon.
I struck the flint lighter near another hay-filled wagon until it caught fire, then rushed toward a third wagon.
The soldiers all scurried about, trying to put out the flames.
I rushed toward the tree where I’d directed Marcellious.
“Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go,” Marcellious cried from his position on one of the horses. He held the reins of another.
I vaulted onto the horse’s back, and we both took off in the direction opposite the fires.
Shouts rang out from behind us, followed by the distant pounding of hooves. The soldiers were after us, but hopefully, we had enough of a head start to lose them.
Night fell, blanketing the land, but we rode on, trusting our surefooted steed’s instincts.
We rode for hours until the light began to force its way into the sky.
Our exhausted horses had slowed to a walk. To my right came the sound of running water.
“Now what?” Marcellious said.
“I don’t know. My only plan was to escape.”
“Good plan.”
“We’re not stuck in a cellar with a dead man anymore, are we?” I said. “Let’s let the horses have some water. I could use some, too. Then we can come up with our next move.”
Marcellious swayed on top of the horse.
“Are you all right?” I asked.
“Not really,” he croaked. “I don’t feel well. I think I need to rest. My shoulder is killing me.”
“Give me your reins.” I trotted my horse next to Marcellious and held out my hand.
“What? No. I’m fine.”
“You look a breath away from death. Hand me your reins.”
“No!” He swayed again, nearly toppling from the horse.
I leaned over and yanked the reins from his fingers, guiding them in front of his horse’s head.
Marcellious slumped over the neck of his steed, clutching the mane.
I led both horses toward the creek.
They waded out into the middle of the creek, lowered their muzzles, and began to drink.
I slid off the side of my equine and scooped water into my cupped hands, slurping it down. Once my belly was full of liquid, I ladled some more into my hands and held it up to Marcellious.
“Marcellious.”
He roused himself from his collapse. “Huh? What?”
“You need water. Turn your head to the side, and I’ll pour some in.”
He turned his head and opened his mouth.
I let the water stream from my fingers into his waiting maw.
After two more handfuls, he recovered enough to slip from the back of his horse, stoop in the stream, and fill his belly with water.
Then, he splashed his face and hair.
I did the same. When I righted myself, I sniffed the air. “Smell that.”
“What?”
“It smells like fire.”
“Maybe it’s from the fire we set.” He wiped his palm across his face.
“That’s miles away. Look!” I pointed at smoke wisping into the air from the trees. “Maybe there’s someone there we can ask for help.”
“Only one of us is dressed like a soldier. I still look like a Sioux.” Marcellious smirked.
“You can be my prisoner,” I said, peering through the trees.
“What if you’re my prisoner?”
I gave him a side-eyed glare. “If it makes you feel better. But, if it’s white people, they’ll be terrified of you.”
Marcellious sighed. “I suppose you’re right, but what makes you think they’ll help either of us?”
“I think we should at least go and see. We could use some help if help is available.” I picked up the reins of both horses and led them out of the stream.
We headed toward the smoke, following the creek’s bank.
My footsteps were heavy as I tromped along the stream’s edge, with Marcellious lagging behind. I was beyond exhausted and could use a good twenty hours of sleep. But, at this point, I’d settle for even one hour.
As we rounded the bend, a female voice hissed, “Don’t move, or I’ll kill you.”
The voice sounded familiar. I knew that voice.
Olivia peered at me from behind a tree trunk, her gun aimed at my head. “Roman?”
“Olivia!” I dropped the reins of the horse and ran to her.
She emerged from the trees and raced toward me.
“Oh, my God! Roman! I thought I’d never see you again,” Olivia said as we squeezed one another in a fierce embrace.
I eased back and slammed my mouth against hers, kissing her with hunger and need.
Oh, the taste of her. I couldn’t get enough. My heart pounded in my chest. I was so overjoyed to see her—beyond joy. I ground my lips against hers, passionately, fiercely, reclaiming her soul to mine. To hold her in my arms again—the feeling was exhilarating.
I eased away from her to behold her beautiful face. “My beautiful flame, I’m so—”
A loud splash exploded into the air. I whipped my head to the side to see what had made that noise.
Marcellious had fallen in a dead faint a few yards away, face down in the creek.
Olivia
With a roar, Roman sprinted toward the stream where Marcellious had fallen.
I followed, right on Roman’s tail. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Marcellious was here with Roman, which meant I was right about him. He was Roman’s brother and a Timeborne, just like us.
Water tumbled over and around Marcellious’ limp body as if he were nothing but another boulder in the creek. The moss clinging to the bank of the water trailed over his bruised and battered back and tangled in his long hair, making him look like a strange sea monster.
“Oh, no, you don’t,” Roman said, grabbing him by the back of his neck and hauling him free of the water.
Marcellious spluttered and coughed, and then, he cried out in agony. A bloody bandage was wrapped around his shoulder.
“What happened to him?” I said, lifting up Marcellious’ feet as Roman hefted his torso. We hauled him from the stream and gently placed him on the ground.
I paused to catch my breath. Hauling over two hundred pounds of dead weight was hard work.
Bare-chested, dressed only in his loincloth, Marcellious was peppered with gooseflesh.
“He was shot. We were captured by American soldiers and held captive.”
“We were, too,” I said, reaching for Marcellious’ ankles.
“We?” Roman said.
“Me and a woman named Emily. Long story. I’ll tell you after we get him to the fire.” I inclined my head toward a small campfire where the hare I’d caught lay roasting.
Emily sat by the fire, staring at us.
The horses Roman had arrived with had wandered out into the meadow to join the two Emily, and I had stolen. They all stood, heads down, contentedly munching grass.
“Ready?” I said, gripping Marcellious’ ankles.
Roman nodded.
“Here we go.” I lifted Marcellious’ legs, and we carried him to the fire with Roman supporting his torso.
“What happened to him?” Emily said, hurrying toward us.
“He has been shot and severely wounded,” I said, easing Marcellious to the ground.
Roman looked at Emily with a curious expression. “And you must be Emily, am I right?”
“That’s me,” she said with a quick smile.
“Where are my manners?” I said, stepping forward. “Emily, this is Roman. Roman, this is Emily. Emily helped me escape the American soldiers. She feels like a sister to me.”
I reached for her hand and squeezed it. “And, Roman, as you’ve surely guessed, is the love of my life.”
I glanced at him, my heart overflowing.
“And this fellow….” I cast my gaze at the ground where Marcellious lay. “This is Marcellious. He and Roman are brothers.”
Marcellious let out a long groan, rolled to his side so he faced the fire, and drew his knees toward his chest.
“Oh, he must be freezing from the cold creek. I’ve got a man’s jacket he can use,” I said.
I retrieved the dead soldier’s coat from the ground, where I’d napped beneath it, and lay it on Marcellious’s chilled skin.
Marcellious shivered, his eyes closed.
“What can I do to help?” Emily asked.
“Do you have any knowledge of local medicinal plants?” I said.
“Some. Margaret taught me. She used herbs in her midwifery.”
“Are there any herbs around here?”
“I think I saw yarrow at the edge of the meadow. We can make a paste that will help stop the bleeding. And wild willow bark will help ease the pain. I’ll go and fetch it.”
“Thank you,” I said.
After she departed, I folded back the jacket and set to unwrapping the wet, bloody bandage. “What happened to him? How did he get all these injuries?”
“Some of the injuries were from our fighting in the Colosseum. This latest one is a gunshot wound, as I mentioned. Some American soldiers shot him and took us prisoner. They thought we were Sioux.”
“And how is it you’re wearing a soldier’s uniform, and he’s dressed only in a loincloth?” I peeled apart the sodden mess of fabric, revealing an angry-looking, gaping wound.
“I killed a soldier and pretended to be taking the prisoner… out to be interrogated. Then we set wagons on fire and escaped with two horses.”
“Is this where he was shot?” I delicately touched the edge of the injury with my fingertip.
“Yes. I had to dig out the bullet while Marcellious was conscious. It wasn’t a pretty moment for either of us.”
“I can only imagine. Kind of serves him right, though, for all the misery he put you through.”
Marcellious’ eyes remained closed while I tended to him. His skin was a ghastly gray-green.
“Can you rinse this off in the stream and hang it over a tree limb until we need it?” I handed the wet mess to Roman.
“Of course,” he said, rising to his full height.
My heart soared as I watched him depart, his long-legged stride eating up the distance to the creek.
Dressed in an American soldier’s uniform, his muscular body moved like a lithe tiger, even though he looked tired.
We found each other. We time-traveled together, and now he’s here with me. Emily was right about true love.
I peeked beneath the jacket at all the scrapes, bruises, and gashes marring Marcellious’ body.
“Oh, Marcellious. What has happened to you?” I said softly.
“You happened to me, Olivia,” Marcellious spluttered before groaning. “Why did you bring me here?”
I blinked, startled that he said anything but stunned that he spoke in English. “I had nothing to do with where you ended up. I just took a wild guess that you’re a time traveler. And you are. That must mean you’re Roman’s brother.”
“Like hell I am.” Marcellious gripped his stomach and let out an awful groan as if he were in agony.
“And how is it that you speak in English? Is this where you’re from?”
“None of your damn business,” he snapped.
“You’re an asshole, you know that? I’m trying to put the past behind me. I’m tending to your injuries, and yet still you complain.” I tsked.
“I didn’t ask for your help, did I?” He clutched the coat tighter around him. “I didn’t ask for any of this.”
I rolled my eyes and glanced at the hare roasting over the fire. The skin was blistered and burned, so I used a stick to move it off the embers.
We would have to split the hare four ways, but I didn’t care—Roman was back, and we were together.
I turned back to Marcellious and placed my hand on his forehead, checking for signs of a fever. If he had sepsis, there was little I could do for him. Thankfully, he still felt cool to the touch.
“Get your hand off of me,” he snarled, directing his angry, brown-eyed gaze at me. “Why did you force me to time travel? I don’t want to be here at all, but I definitely don’t want to be here with you two.”
“And yet here we all are,” I said, shaking my head. “I got you out of Rome, didn’t I?”
“I never wanted to leave Rome. I didn’t care if I died in Rome, either,” he said. “You’re going to pay for this, bitch.”
“You should be thanking me,” I said. I was starting to regret bringing him here. “Can’t you be nice for one second? I’ve given you my coat. Emily has gone to fetch herbs to help you heal, yet you still complain about everything.”
Marcellious opened his mouth to retort, but Emily interrupted, approaching us from the creek with Roman by her side.
They both carried leaves cupped in their hands.
“What a boorish man you are,” Emily said. “This woman saved me. She’s an angel. That is what she is. How dare you speak to her so rudely.”
She crouched next to him and set her leaves next to her. A gooey, green paste sat inside the leaves.
“You can set your willow bark here,” she said to Roman, pointing to the ground next to her, then turned to Marcellious. “You, sir, need to learn some manners.”
She dabbed some paste on his wound. “She’s here tending to your injuries, and you are ungrateful. Shame on you. We should leave you here and let the animals devour you.”
I was surprised by Emily’s bold words and courage to stand up to Marcellious on my behalf.
Marcellious blinked. “Who are you?”
“I’m Emily. And Olivia is my friend. I don’t appreciate you speaking to her so harshly.”
Marcellious simply stared at her, speechless for once.
Once she’d applied the concoction to his flesh, she scooped more of the goo onto two fingers. She held them over Marcellious’ face. “Open up. Eat this. Willow bark helps ease the pain.”
He did so willingly, like a docile child.
Roman and I exchanged stunned glances.
“We need to let the poultice dry before we rebandage it,” Emily said.
I appreciated her no-nonsense attitude.
“Okay,” I said. “Let’s share the roasted rabbit while we wait.”
We all settled on our rumps in a small circle around the fire. I passed chunks of the cooling meat to everyone, even snarky Marcellious, and we all ate like ravenous beasts. While it wasn’t much, it would keep us going for a little while until Roman or I caught more game.
While we ate, Roman and I exchanged tales of our journey thus far. Both of us carefully concealed the fact that we appeared out of nowhere at a time we were unfamiliar with.
Marcellious fell asleep. The medicine and the food must have helped because his color improved.
Emily listened to us and occasionally interjected a few stories into mine, but mainly, she kept quiet and studied Marcellious’ sleeping form.
