Palatine Possession: The Ravishing Romans

By Jacinta Carey

Rome, Summer 40 AD

Rani, a beautiful slave from India, makes a break for freedom from her cruel master. Fate brings her to the Palatine Hill, and the home of Julius, who has been injured in an agonizing accident, and just about given up on life.

 

Julius is one of the most powerful aristocrats in the Roman Empire, but he's stuck inside a broken body. Love, marriage, children all seem to be denied him forever. He's living in a dark pit of hopeless despair when Rani runs into his home, begging him to save her.

 

Rani is a skilled healer, and promises Julius she'll try to help him get his old life back. Maybe even have a future like other men. The more time they spend together, the more they begin to fall in love. But the closer they become, the more she thinks it's impossible to have her heart's desire. Once Julius is well, why would he ever bother with an abused ex-slave?

 

Rani's former master tracks her down and tries to take her back by force. The near-fatal attack means the healer now has to be healed. Julius struggles desperately to save his incredible lover no matter what it takes. Can they build a happy future together despite all their issues? Or will Rani turn her back on the sexy Julius and their fiery passion, and return to India?

 

Sensuality Rating

This romance novel contains multiple explicit love scenes between the hero and heroine. It is for mature audiences only.

 

About the Author

Jacinta Carey is author of a number of popular historical romance series, including The Starbuck Saga, The Ravishing Romans series, The Wild Heart series, and The Gordons of Gretna.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Eternal Spiral Books
• Release date: Jan 21, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201957643

Book preview

About the Author

Jacinta Carey is author of a number of popular historical romance series, including The Starbuck Saga, The Ravishing Romans series, The Wild Heart series, and The Gordons of Gretna.

PALATINE POSSESSION

BOOK 4

THE RAVISHING ROMANS SERIES

JACINTA CAREY

HERSTORY BOOKS

COPYRIGHT 2022 by the author.

All rights reserved.

Published by HerStory Books

New York, NY 10011

Please visit HerStory Books, https://herstorybooks.eternalspiralbooks.com/ for the latest titles, free books, and more.

Dedication: To all my family. And to all my Tantric and Ayurvedic teachers.

And to Julius—I almost killed him off in Book 2 of the series, but decided he deserved a happily ever after as well!

Author's note: The historical details are as accurate as possible. The characters are pure fiction.

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CHAPTER 1

Rome, Summer 40 AD

Julius lay in bed, going through his final to-do list.

Note to his caretaker Marcellus.

Updated will.

Bottle of hellebore.

He was ready.

It was time.

He hoped he had gotten the dose right. With any luck, everyone except Marcellus would think he had died in his sleep. That his heart had just stopped.

He trusted his servant enough to know he would follow the instructions in the letter. Get rid of the bottle once he found him dead.

Then his father, and his brother Quintus, would never have cause to reproach themselves, wishing they could have done more for him.

Julius was so tired of it all. There was really nothing more to be done.

He took a deep breath, and uncorked the bottle. Thank you, gods, for all you've given me. But it really is time now. I can't bear this living death any more, he whispered. I salute you.

The bottle was only an inch from his lips when the door flew open. He jumped in astonishment, dropping the small vial of poison.

Bloody hell, why don't you knock—!

But his tirade died in his throat. For in had charged the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen in his life. He noted her slave collar and chain, and wild look of desperation.

She was already locking the door behind her. Hide me, please! If you don't, I'll die!

He didn't think she was exaggerating. She was terrified.

"Turn the key to open it again and hide under the bed. My servant will be back any minute, and he needs to be able to open the door from the other side.

He knows I can't lock it, so he'll get worried. If they're coming for you, him banging on a locked door would just cause suspicion. Better to brazen it out.

Yes, sir, thank you, sir.

She unlocked the door, yanked her medicine bag off her shoulder, and dived to the floor. She shoved the bag under, then rolled in herself.

Be sure the sheet is hanging down to the floor.

She did as she was instructed.

Flatten yourself up against the wall.

She noticed the small vial he had dropped when she'd startled him, now under the bed with her. She knew what it was in an instant from the smell. Not a pleasant way to die if he gave himself too big a dose. She shuddered at the very thought.

She picked it up, and the cork, and closed it. Then she fished a cloth out of her bag and shoved the bottle in. She wiped up the floor and lay still, listening for footsteps outside.

So who are you? he asked quietly.

My name is Rani, sir. I come from Bharuch.

Ah, Barygaza, he said, using the Roman and Greek name for the city, far away to the east, in the Western part of India.

That's right, sir, yes. She sounded surprised. Most people have no idea if I mention it. Not that I get much chance to talk to anyone, she added, her tone bitter.

Her accent was strong, lilting, but her Latin was excellent.

How did you come to Rome?

She sighed. I was trying to run away from the men who grabbed me and all my sisters to procure us for a harem.

Julius swallowed hard. He could see why they would have wanted her. Raven dark hair with a reddish undertone, green eyes that tilted upwards in the corners slightly, like a cat. Smooth, creamy skin the color of milk with a couple of dashes of cinnamon.

I made my way to the docks and stowed away on a ship. It turned out it was going to Berenice in Egypt, and then up to Alexandria, then Rome. And, well, the crew found me, and— She swallowed hard. I was their, er, entertainment until we reached Rome. I managed to get away, but a slaver grabbed me. I had no papers of any kind, no money, so he sold me.

How terrible for you, he said, hardly able to breathe.

She had tried to run away from being forced into a harem to be raped, and had ended up with an entire ship's crew of ruffians, instead of one wealthy lord.

The man who bought me, well, he keeps me chained to the bed most days. The only reason he let me out today was he brought me to his mother because she's ill. I'm a healer, you see.

Oh? he said, feeling his heart give a little lift despite himself.

That was what my father had trained me to me, a doctor of Ayurveda, Indian medicine, she said proudly. Then he ran afoul of Lord Raja and, well, the lord's men came to take us to teach him a lesson. He died trying to save me. She sniffed. His sacrifice was what helped me to get away. But all my sisters were taken.

I see. I'm sorry for your loss. After a time, he said, So you went to the house of your owner's mother, and?

We were in the atrium when he dropped my chain. I just grabbed it up off the ground so I wouldn't trip over it, and ran as fast as I could. I kept running, looking for a place to hide. But the streets are pretty bare around here. Nothing but high walls and bolted doors. Then I saw this little gate house. I prayed to all the gods and tried the door. It swung open, and here I am. I can't thank you enough for hiding me.

I'm very glad to be of help. I can't abide slavery. One of my friends, Marcus, started out life as a slave. Now he's a senator.

Oh, my. Yes, I've heard of him. As I've said, I don't get to talk to anyone much. I'm in the bedchamber most days, awaiting my master's, er, pleasure, and making medicines in my spare time.

Medicines?

Yes, the chain from the foot of the bed is long enough for me to have a little place where I can work. My dream was to take over my father's medical practice one day. But like most dreams, you soon wake up. Her tone sounded old, cynical.

But sometimes you can get new ones, he pointed out.

I'd settle for one night, of, well, peace.

They lay in silence for a moment.

What's your name? he asked after a time.

Rani. And you are?

Julius.

Pleased to meet you.

Me too.

Sir?

Yes?

What did you mean, you can't lock the door? she asked curiously.

Julius sighed. The reason I'm in bed at this time of day isn't because I'm lazy. It's because I can't walk. Which means I can't get over to the door to bolt it, which is why my servant would start to panic.

I see. Between his stark appearance and his revelation, the bottle of hellebore was starting to make a grim kind of sense.

She was surprised at how much she had confided in him about her own predicament. But then she had to if she was asking for his help. If she got him to confide in her, perhaps she could help him in return?

If I may ask, sir, what caused you to become so injured?

Julius sighed at the recollection. My horse threw me, right onto a stone wall.

How long ago?

About four years.

I see. And how did you feel afterwards?

Like I had been snapped in two. And that my legs were just dead things dangling down. Everything dead below the waist, he said bitterly. And not much feeling in the arms either at first, though they have gotten a bit better.

Rana was silent for a time, then dared to say, So that's why you were about to drink the hellebore. To end your life because you're tired of being this way?

He laughed sourly. Trust the gods to send me the one woman who would know exactly what was in that bottle, and why I was trying to kill myself. The Fates really do like to toy with us.

I'm so sorry, sir. You do of course have a right to do whatever you wish with your life, but it does seem rather a waste.

He sighed. I know, I'm just, well, so tired.

I know you are, she soothed. Don't you think I've thought about it? Anything to escape from my chains?

The thought filled him with dread.

I have a dozen medicines at my disposal that could end me. End my master if I wished. Though of course, that would mean crucifixion for me if anyone ever found out. There's no worse crime for most Romans than a slave killing their master.

So why haven't you, then?

It's in the hands of the gods. And because nothing says my next life would be any better. Samsara, the cycle of suffering, would just keep spinning unless I could cut the root of it. And all my deeds would ripen into karma, one way or the other.

Karma?

Er, um, cause, and effect, I believe you would say. I do something bad, I get a bad result. Good will bring a positive result.

He sighed. I wish that were true. Yet it seems like you do nothing but try to help people with your healing, and you're still an abused slave.

She sighed. That's true, sir, she said, rolling onto her back on the stone floor to shift her position because her leg was falling asleep. But we're not just talking about this lifetime. We're talking about countless future lifetimes.

He raised his brows. Countless?

We Hindus believe our souls move from one body to the next, like you would move from one house to another. In the same way you would carry your possessions, your soul would carry its karma.

He raised his brows. Hmm, I see. Fascinating. He mulled this over for a while.

And do you really think this is true? he asked after a time.

Well, it was the way I was raised, of course, just as you have your gods here in Rome. But yes, I've seen many examples of it. Think of a baby.

Er, yes, what about them?

Well, they have a little individual character all of their own from the moment they're born.

He nodded. Hmm, yes, that's true.

So where does it come from?

A soul moving to a new house, he guessed.

Despite her terror from a few moments before, she was actually starting to calm down. To even enjoy herself with this poor cadaverous man.

I dare say you loved your horse, but he had a strong personality, as it were?

Julius smiled fondly for a moment. Yes, yes he did. He was the best one I ever had, spectacular in every way, but one day, he just, I don't know, changed for a brief second, became stubborn, and well, here I am.

That was some sort of karma ripening, she said firmly. His, and yours.

Do horses have karma too? he asked in surprise.

Yes, of course. What did I just tell you? The soul goes from one residence to the next. So that soul came back as your horse.

Really? Do you think so?

Well, yes. We're not all blessed to come back as human. Our rebirth depends on our karma.

Fascinating. So I'm human, and so are you. That means we did good in the past, which allowed us human bodies?

Rana was surprised at how interested he sounded, and was happy to indulge him. It was clear he didn't have much chance to talk with people either.

She tucked her rather lumpy medicine bag under her head as a pillow, and said, That's exactly right. And Buddhists believe if you go through practices like meditation and concentration, and you show compassion for others, you can actually control your next rebirth. Decide what you want to be, and where you will be reborn.

Decide? Imagine that.

Again, you have to be a virtuous person who completes the trainings, but at the moment of death, you will be able to choose how you wish to be reincarnated. Otherwise, you would take what they call, um— She wracked her brain for a good translation, and said in Greek, —er, uncontrolled rebirth. The winds of karma would just blow you to your new life, who knows where.

I see. That sounds worrying.

Yes, because you could end up as a, well, a horse, for instance, or a snake, or a dung beetle.

Ugh. That's not a nice image.

She laughed in spite of herself, finally feeling her heart rate even out. It had been wonderful to distract herself from her terrors by talking about something else for a while.

My master is going to come back as a dung beetle for sure.

I'm sorry.

She sighed. It's the nature of the Roman world, is it not? The nobles at the top, the slaves at the bottom. And women slaves the lowest of all. Flat on their backs on the bottom, and that's if they're lucky.

Julius shuddered. If that was her definition of luck, he dreaded to think just how unlucky she had been.

I hear someone coming, he hissed, switching back to Latin. It's Marcellus. Stay quiet and out of sight for now.

She listened as the footfalls approached. It was clear from the sound that more than one man was coming up the stone path. He's got someone with him, she whispered. Please, don't let them take me!

I won't, princess, I promise.

She started at the word 'princess'. That was exactly what her name meant in Hindi.

And I'm telling you, my master isn't well and doesn't like being disturbed, Marcellus insisted loudly enough for Julius to hear him through the door.

There's no harm in looking, is there? All I want is my property. If the cunning little bitch is in there, I'll just take her and go.

He could hear a scuffle on the step. It was clear that Rani's owner had just pushed Marcellus aside and shoved open the door.

What on earth? How DARE you? Julius bellowed, in what he felt was his best imitation of his lofty father.

I'm sorry, sir, but I'm looking for a runaway slave. A small woman, this tall, dark hair and skin. He was already going into the other rooms to search them. His companions were milling in the door way like they were on guard duty.

Do you have ANY idea who I am? Julius demanded imperiously.

Er, well, no sir, I've just been searching everywhere. I'm sorry—

Sorry! You certainly will be, invading my home, manhandling my servant. Marcellus, fetch the magistrate—

No, please, sir, all I want is my property—

I am the great-great grandson of Marc Antony, and I want you gone. You have three seconds to get out and never come back. One, two—

Rani's owner practically fell out the door in his haste to leave. His companions hurried after him.

Marcellus gathered his shopping off the ground, stepped in the door, then slammed and locked it.

He grinned at Julius. Your imitations are getting almost as good as Marcus's.

I wish. But I thought it was a pretty passable impression of dear old Pater.

It was indeed. Just don't start making Marcus's blasted goat noise. It really annoys his wife Julia every time he does it.

Marcellus disappeared into the small cooking area. Julius could hear him shuffling around putting all the shopping away.

Then he came out with two goblets of honey water, and a large platter of food. He placed them on a low table by the bed, and drew up a stool on the opposite side.

Julius glanced at him, surprised. It wasn't like Marcellus to be so informal, for all he had encouraged it. After all, the man did everything for him. It was foolish to try to maintain class distinctions with someone who had to clean up after him like a baby.

Marcellus smiled. It's all right, Miss. You can come out now.

Julius stared. How did you—

He laid one finger on the side of his nose. Roses. She smells of roses.

It's all right, Rani, he's a friend. This is my day nurse and caretaker Marcellus. Marcellus, Rani, from India.

She peeked out from under the sheet, and then slowly and warily snaked out from under the bed and onto her feet.

Pleased to meet you. And if I may say so, I'm glad you escaped from that wanker. I was tempted to rip his head off and stuff it up his—

Er, yes, thank you, Marcellus. Ex-army, don't you know. A bit less than refined.

Anyway, please sit, Miss, and have something to eat and drink. Here's some water in this basin to wash your hands, and a cloth. I'll be in the other room preparing the rabbit stew for supper if you need anything.

Thank you. She still looked as though she would run away at any moment, but then, where could she run to? If she stepped out that door, she might step right back into the evil clutches of her cruel master once more.

It's all right, really. You're not a slave here. You can sit and eat with me, and tell me more about this, er, path you were mentioning. The trainings. I certainly wouldn't want to end up a dung beetle, now would I?

She laughed in spite of herself. She perched on the stool and dragged her bag by its long strap out from under the bed to set it at her feet. She said in a low tone, The bottle, sir. Your secret is safe with me, just as mine appears to be with you.

Oh gods, my farewell note to Marcellus. Where is it?

She looked around. Found it. I must have swept it off the table and into the bed when I dived past.

Julius froze. Her hand was so close to him, he could reach out and touch her. She stuffed the letter into her bag. There, all done. He need never know anything happened here.

Thank you. He admitted in a low tone, I was hoping to make it look natural, like my heart had just stopped. To spare my family any guilt, you see. The letter was asking him to get rid of the bottle once I was dead.

She stared at him, her green gaze weighing, assessing. She started to scrub her hands in the basin. I see. Well, you certainly had it all worked out. Pity. With his brown hair, light brown eyes, and fine bone structure, he must have looked like a Greek god once. And acted like one too. Talk about noble. He oozed it from every pore.

Now his face was little better than a series of dark shadows around the eyes and within his sunken cheeks. Here was a man who had suffered, mentally as well as physically. In spite of her fear of all men after being so abused in the past, her heart went out to him.

He nodded. "I've been thinking about it more and more. My brother is a wonderful man, who's just gotten married to a fabulous woman. They have a child on the way. So the family line is safe.

I'm the oldest, it's true, but I'm never going to have children, now am I, or a wife. My brother Quintus refuses to become the official heir as long as he thinks there's a chance I'll ever recover. But I want him to have it. He's the best of men and he truly deserves it. Nothing would make me happier.

Her elegant dark brows raised. I see. That's very kind of you. She began to dry her hands.

Not really. I'm just so tired of it all. He reached for his glass, and tried to take a sip. More of it got down his tunic than it did in his mouth.

Here, let me help you, sir.

Oh, no, really— Julius felt so ashamed in front of this lovely woman, he cringed inwardly.

If I adjust the pillows, you can eat and drink more easily, she said, moving the table to stand by the head of the bed.

Can you sit forward, sir?

A little.

Good. Do your best. I'll fix the pillows.

Julius heaved himself up slightly, and tried to hold still. He could feel his muscles in his chest and abdomen already straining with the effort.

"Good, now, grab