Chapter 7

“Blame your sister,” Cyra says as she lies back against the grouping of oversized pillows. Between her thighs are two of the farm’s pets, working in unison to pleasure the matriarch. “She is weak and therefore she had to be shown how not to be.” She closes her eyes briefly as a small moan escapes her lips. When she open her eyes again, they settle on Brady, locking with his. “Blame yourself for that matter. You sent Ivy to do your dirty work and it failed miserably.”

“I’m tired of your games, Mother,” he groans. “Forget her and put me in her place.”

Cyra’s expression remains neutral despite the two girls between her thighs and the growing anger rising up within her. “Your brother made the same argument and you know what happened there,” she growls. “I will not hesitate to do the same to you.”

“Forgive me,” Brady says bowing. He knows when he is about overstep and ending up like his brother is not a fate he wishes to fall into.

Cyra stops the two slave girls from continuing. “Perhaps you should continue with following my instructions and help your sister become a leader of this house.” She shifts, climbing to her knees. “I don’t care how you do it, but you will do as I wish.” She drops to her hands, sticking her ass into the air. “Whether you like it or not, you are a male and males are servants not masters. Do not come to me about any of this again unless you have news worthy of my ears.” She looks over her shoulder at the two pets and says, “Continue.”

Brady stays long enough to watch the two slaves attach themselves to his mother before he leaves. As he walks through the hall, scenarios run through his head, ranging from plans to fulfill Cyra’s orders to overthrowing the woman from power. Nothing he thinks of really hit their mark with him. Between his loss of his lover and his aspirations for power, he can’t find middle ground. Hatred for his mother pushes him not to grieve for Ivy. He is so lost in thought that he doesn’t notice Rob is walking beside him until the man breaks the silence.

“I believe you and I have something in common,” Rob says, smiling at the man.

Brady is surprised by the man’s presence, but he refuses to let it be known. “What could we possibly have in common?” he asks with a sneer.

“I can tell you wish Cyra to be gone, out of your hair,” Rob offers.

“That’s dangerous talk,” Brady expresses. “Cyra wouldn’t hesitate to kill you if she were to hear that.”

“I guess it would be imperative that she doesn’t,” the man continues without a hitch. “Everyone knows you seek and who stands in your way.”

Brady shops suddenly and turns to fully face the man. “If this is some sort of test...”

Rob quickly throws up his hands. “I assure you that Cyra hasn’t sent me to test your loyalty.”

Brady smirks. “That sound like something you would say if you were.”

“I’m here to help you,” Rob counters. “If you want to struggle on your own then so be it.” He turns to start walking away when Brady reaches out to grab his arm.

“Wait a sec,” Brady says. “Let’s say what you say is true. What is it you get out of it, or want from it?”

Rob smiles and quickly hides it before turning back to face the man. “Other than you giving males more power within the family? I’d like a small favor of my choosing when the need arises.”

“A small favor?” Brady asks. “What kind of favor?”

Rob smiles. “Don’t worry,” he says smoothly. “I won’t ask for anything that would overstep or put you in a compromising position.”

“Fine,” Brady says shortly. “What can you offer me right now?”

A wicked, devilish smile creeps upon the man’s face. “We set your sister up so that Cyra’s wrath comes down on her.”

Brady’s anger quickly bubbles to the surface at his time being wasted. “Cyra isn’t going to do anything to Eris. She has far too much faith in her. Now you’re just wasting my time.”

“Revenge and ambition have no room for anger,” Rob quickly counters. “The will hinder you faster than you can blink.”

“What are you, a fucking sage now?” Brady asks angrily.

“No, but I am a man with a plan,” he answers. “In fact I have the plan you need.”

“My patience is beginning to run dry,” Brady says with a huff. “Give me something or go play with someone else’s mind, perhaps my sister’s.”

“Cyra is motivated by power,” Rob begins. “She is also motivated by money, right?”

“Aren’t we all?” Brady asks.

“Right,” Rob says with a nod. “But Cyra is comfortable with where the family’s finances are now. She doesn’t wish to expand unlike your sister.”

“And how would you know any of this?” Brady questions.

“I know someone that your sister confides in,” the man reveals. “That’s not important. What is important is your sister has ambitions that go beyond your mother’s. What if Eris is seen to work against Cyra to further those?”

Brady sighs, folding his arms across his chest. “I’m not following.”

Rob smiles and a glint shines in his eye. “Imagine this,” he says waving his hands through the air. “Eris learns out it was you that that orchestrated Ivy being there. In return she seeks revenge by converting Gwen without permission.”

“There is a fifty percent chance that it goes in the family’s favor,” Brady interrupts.

“Perhaps,” Rob agrees. “But even if it does, it hurts Cyra’s profits.”

“Okay, still,” Brady says with another huff, feeling that this conversation is once again starting to deteriorate. “So she gets a little revenge and barely hurts sales. Big. Fucking. Deal.”

Instead of being hurt by the man’s rude remarks and disinterest, Rob continues, still smiling. “But what if it becomes a problem? What if Eris decided that after getting her revenge she formulates a plan? She begins turning others, regardless of the turnout. Her goal then is to hurt profits enough to make Cyra expand.”

Now realization dawns of Brady. His anger subsides and the possibilities and pieces of the puzzle begin to fall in place. “She wouldn’t be so bold as to outright physically attack Cyra,” he states.

“But she’d use her wits against her,” Rob finishes the thought.

“With Gwen now in my possession, it would be the perfect time to strike,” Brady says, his mind flourishing with the endless possibilities. But being quick witted, the man realizes that the possibilities can be negative. “There is the trouble of Cyra. Even if she kills Eris, the woman will just have a new heir and we’ll be right back where we started.”

“Then why don’t you just kill her?” Rob asks bluntly.

The statement is bold and like a physical blow, the man is taken aback by it. “I doubt that will go well with anyone.”

“It may or may not,” Rob reasons. “But you’ll be the only one of royal blood. I will rally others behind you, including many of the mistresses. You will have enough support to retain your position.”

“And how do I know that you don’t have some kind of deal with someone like Hera to take over after the dust has settled?” he asks with a great deal of seriousness in his tone. “I know that is who you got your information from.”

Rob smiles, trying to maintain a friendly feeling to it. “That is why betraying you would not be smart.” He shifts slightly with a new uncomfortableness to the unexpected revelation. “How exactly did you know?”

Brady frowns. He almost expected the man to deny it, maybe even rationalize it in some way. “Your relationship is not known by everyone. In fact I figure only a handful could say they are certain of it, but the rumors do circulate.”

Rob sighs and shrugs. “Well, the plan is there. Take it or leave it.”

“Just like that?” Brady asks. “You’re going to just drop it if need be?”

“Well, I certainly can’t force you to carry it out, and I dare not cross you,” Rob explains. “Regardless of your decision, you can count on my loyalty.”

Brady takes a moment to let the silence hang in the air before speaking again. “Come with me. We better get started then.”