NEW BOOK, NEW SNIPPET!

Salvete, dear readers and friends.

After a long absence, I'm back! As a pressie for your immeasurable patience, I have a new snippet from the sequel to the Dominus series. The story picks up where Book 4 (Favorites of Fortuna) ended. The working title for the sequel is "Exile" but I'll probably change it. Or not.

As always, this snippet is unedited and subject to massive change. I hope you enjoy a taste of the new Gaius & Allerix story. There are spoilers here for Book 4; you might find a quick reread of the last chapter of Favorites of Fortuna helpful.

I'll be posting many more snippets as I continue to pen this squishy sequel.

Be back soon!

JP xoxo

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*****

AD 127, four days before the Kalends of August

Gaius Fabius’s island off the coast of Skiathos, Roman province of Macedonia

Dawn snuck into their bedroom through gaps in the wooden shutters, tickling the walls with her muted colors. Faint kisses of light dotted Gaius’s wet back as he stood by the window and studied the summer moon sinking towards the horizon behind a veil of clouds.

“Turbo’s hired hounds will arrive soon,” he grumbled low, as if he’d forgotten Allerix was on the bed a few feet away. “Perhaps today, given the auspicious weather for a furtive attack.”

After scratching his scalp, Alle propped himself up on his elbows.  Once he’d counted silently in his head, Alle said, “It’s been fifteen days since Naso delivered the crate of wine with Bry’s letter and no one’s come yet.”

“They will come, Allerix, if Turbo’s swine discover my whereabouts. I trust our dear Prefect Naso with my life, but his servants and associates?” Gaius turned to face Alle and shrugged. “And no doubt our sniveling Greekling has offered his guard a heap of extra coin for my elimination. We need to go—we’ve tempted the Fates long enough.”

Alle sighed. Whether the bastards arrived today or not, Gaius was right. Their lazy, carefree retreat on this island oasis had to end. The time for hiding was over.

“At least you had the chance to enjoy a morning swim,” he replied, tried to lighten the heavy mood. Allerix threw off the bedcovers and declared in a silly voice, “I think I’ll go for a refreshing dip in the waves. We likely won’t have a chance to splash in your salty ocean for a while.”

Gaius didn’t laugh at Alle’s antics. Instead, he angrily raked his fingers through his dripping locks, still auburn but now peppered with gray. “I doubt there’ll be many chances to lounge in a proper fucking bath either.” He sauntered over and lifted Alle’s chin, dark with morning bristles. “Enjoy a brief swim, Bubo. I’m off for a salubrious soak. When you return, we’ll finish gathering up the last of our gear and sail to the mainland. The boat is loaded and waiting for us at the dock.”

Two days earlier, Alle had realized Gaius’s intentions to leave as soon as possible when Gaius dismissed most of the servants, sending them off with gifts after securing oaths of loyalty. While Gaius lectured the small crowd in a deadly serious tone, Alle studied their confused faces and questioned if oaths of fidelity sworn to a pariah general cast out of favor by his knob brother-emperor were binding. Gaius certainly thought their vows mattered. During the small ceremony before an altar in the villa’s courtyard, he’d spoken to the staff as if they were his legionaries about to head into battle rather than a group of elderly household slaves.

With the residence all but empty, the few guards who remained had been tasked with securing the building’s entrance as well as the perimeter of crooked trees, crags, and shrubs. Unlike Gaius’s grand estate in Rome, this modest villa was unassuming. Gaius’s great grandfather, the Roman admiral who originally owned this wind-swept chunk of Greek rock, clearly preferred an unpretentious holiday home. The rooms were small and plainly decorated with simple tiled floors. Only the posh baths stood out as exceptions to the long dead admiral’s austerity.

Gaius fucking adored the baths.

Over the past three years since they’d left their temporary life on Rhodes, Gaius had been happy here in this simple house by the beach on a forgotten island. Relaxed and playful, like he’d been when they’d visited that bizarre, isolated cave near his other seaside villa. The villa back in Italy. Where Allerix, son of King Thiamarkos, had been humiliated with a silver slave collar and forced to serve as another man’s pet.

The victorious enemy’s forbidden trophy.

The Lion of the Lucky Fourth’s bed warmer booty.

By all the gods, had it really been twenty years since that awful auction in Rome? Some days it seemed like just yesterday; other times, as if it never happened at all.

Allerix blew out a shaky breath and rose to his feet, wrapping his arms around Gaius’s bare waist, pressing his skin hungrily against Gaius’s damp warmth. “Are you ready for another exciting journey, Dominus?” he teased playfully.

“I’m not sure, my dear Prince, but we’ll be together on this idiotic adventure.” Gaius softly kissed Alle’s lips. “That’s all that matters to me.”

Alle cocked a brow as he pulled away to skirt around his lover. “But you do want to find the lost Dacian treasure, right?”

Hands perched on his hips, Gaius hollered in protest, “What do you mean by find? You said you bloody knew where the fucking gold was buried! You watched them hide it, remember?”

“Uh, yeah. It was, um—a long time ago, but I have a fairly good idea where to search,” Alle confessed with a sheepish smile. He hadn’t lied—not really. He simply hadn’t told Gaius everything about the king’s hidden gold. Alle didn’t want their journey to Dacia to end before it even started.

“Hmm.” His downturned lips pressed tight, Gaius rubbed his beard before marching towards the bath suite. He growled over his shoulder, “Your less than confident idea about the location of this infamous treasure appears to be the only shitty plan we have at the moment, Wolf Prince. May cruel Zeus slap his fat cock across my foolish face. Back to the fucking spooky Carpathian Mountains I go. Again.”

Before disappearing through the doorway, Gaius turned and added sweetly, “With you by my side, of course.”

“Always, Rufus,” Alle purred, relieved to see Gaius’s dimples.

“And Allerix…”

Once Alle stopped fidgeting with his tunic, Gaius continued, “Take your dagger, and be sure to keep your beautiful eyes wide open. Let’s do try to avoid assassination by ambush, yes?”

Alle threw a brownish-green cloak over his shoulders and slipped his feet into his sandals before grabbing his blade. He stood tall like an obedient soldier and replied with a nod, “Understood, Commander Fabius.”

*****