“True.” He laid Sara carefully on the
ground next to the wall. Then, he and Rolf sat down and used their feet to push
the cement slab back in place.
“Hurry,” said Micah. “The new guards will be here soon.”
He had no sooner finished speaking than Annachie heard
voices in the distance, coming down the road on the city side of the gate. The
cover of the tomb appeared to be back in place, so the two men stepped into the
shadow of the wall.
Annachie picked Sara up and balanced her in his arms. Rolf
put his hand on Annachie’s shoulder. “Goodbye, brother. Take good care of her.”
“Aren’t you coming with us?” Annachie asked.
“No, I am heading home, where I belong.” Rolf pointed to the
north. “Besides, Septimius will be looking for the three of us.” He glanced at
Sara. “It is better that we go our separate ways.”
Annachie nodded. “Best of luck to you, Rolf. I am glad we
never had to face each other in the arena.”
The Germanic warrior was already walking away, but his
whisper carried in the still night. “Hah, me too. I would have hated to be
forced to kill you, you pretty Pict.”
In seconds, Rolf too was swallowed up by the darkness, his
soft chuckle drifting back to Annachie on the night air. Annachie turned to
follow Micah. “Where are we going, lad?”
“The catacombs. We’ll be safe there for a few days, until
she regains her strength.”
Annachie stepped in front of Micah, forcing him to stop. “ What? You’re taking her from one grave to another?”
“Trust me, Annachie. The catacombs have hidden my people for
decades.”
Annachie knew he still looked doubtful. Micah continued,
“When she is able to travel again, I will take you to my family in Castrum
Novum. You should be safe there until you are able to take ship for wherever it
is you decide to go.”
“You are sure that I am not putting her in danger again?”
“We are escaped slaves and she is a disgraced Vestal under
sentence of death. Where can we go that we will not be in danger?”
Chapter Nine
Was it a series of dreams or one long, terrible one? Sara hoped she was dreaming. Jeering crowds pelted her with refuse and screamed foul names
at her. Horrible beasts charged at her from the darkness. And when she opened
her eyes, she saw bones—skulls tucked in alcoves, feet and hands littering the
dirt floor…
Then she remembered. They had buried her alive and now she
was dead. She felt the heat from a lamp next to her head and marveled that the
oil still lasted.
Suddenly another memory came back to her. She put both hands
over her belly. It was still distended and firm. They didn’t wait, she thought. They let my baby die with me.
A keening wail filled the chamber where she lay, and bounced
off the rock walls around her. It took her a moment to realize that the sound
was coming from her own throat.
“Sara, shhh, hush now, you are all right.” A hand caressed
her cheek. “Everything is all right.”
She turned her head to see Annachie leaning over her. “Oh,
no, no! I am so sorry, Annachie. I did not tell them. I do not know how they
found out it was you. I never meant them to kill you, too.”
“Sara, what are you talking about?”
“They wanted me to tell them the man’s name, the father of
my baby. I wouldn’t tell them. They said you would be punished and I knew what
they would do to you. I did not want you to die, too.”
“Oh, nighean , we are not dead.”
“What?”
“Rolf and I were able to move the cover and we got to you
just in time. Another hour and I don’t think…” He didn’t have to finish the
sentence; Sara knew what he was going to say.
She looked around the small room. “But the bones?”
“Micah has hidden us in the catacombs. We will leave here as
soon as you get your strength back.”
“Rolf? Micah?” She shook her head, still confused. “Oh, I am
so thirsty.”
Annachie helped her sit up and supported her with his arm
behind her back. He held a cup
ground next to the wall. Then, he and Rolf sat down and used their feet to push
the cement slab back in place.
“Hurry,” said Micah. “The new guards will be here soon.”
He had no sooner finished speaking than Annachie heard
voices in the distance, coming down the road on the city side of the gate. The
cover of the tomb appeared to be back in place, so the two men stepped into the
shadow of the wall.
Annachie picked Sara up and balanced her in his arms. Rolf
put his hand on Annachie’s shoulder. “Goodbye, brother. Take good care of her.”
“Aren’t you coming with us?” Annachie asked.
“No, I am heading home, where I belong.” Rolf pointed to the
north. “Besides, Septimius will be looking for the three of us.” He glanced at
Sara. “It is better that we go our separate ways.”
Annachie nodded. “Best of luck to you, Rolf. I am glad we
never had to face each other in the arena.”
The Germanic warrior was already walking away, but his
whisper carried in the still night. “Hah, me too. I would have hated to be
forced to kill you, you pretty Pict.”
In seconds, Rolf too was swallowed up by the darkness, his
soft chuckle drifting back to Annachie on the night air. Annachie turned to
follow Micah. “Where are we going, lad?”
“The catacombs. We’ll be safe there for a few days, until
she regains her strength.”
Annachie stepped in front of Micah, forcing him to stop. “ What? You’re taking her from one grave to another?”
“Trust me, Annachie. The catacombs have hidden my people for
decades.”
Annachie knew he still looked doubtful. Micah continued,
“When she is able to travel again, I will take you to my family in Castrum
Novum. You should be safe there until you are able to take ship for wherever it
is you decide to go.”
“You are sure that I am not putting her in danger again?”
“We are escaped slaves and she is a disgraced Vestal under
sentence of death. Where can we go that we will not be in danger?”
Chapter Nine
Was it a series of dreams or one long, terrible one? Sara hoped she was dreaming. Jeering crowds pelted her with refuse and screamed foul names
at her. Horrible beasts charged at her from the darkness. And when she opened
her eyes, she saw bones—skulls tucked in alcoves, feet and hands littering the
dirt floor…
Then she remembered. They had buried her alive and now she
was dead. She felt the heat from a lamp next to her head and marveled that the
oil still lasted.
Suddenly another memory came back to her. She put both hands
over her belly. It was still distended and firm. They didn’t wait, she thought. They let my baby die with me.
A keening wail filled the chamber where she lay, and bounced
off the rock walls around her. It took her a moment to realize that the sound
was coming from her own throat.
“Sara, shhh, hush now, you are all right.” A hand caressed
her cheek. “Everything is all right.”
She turned her head to see Annachie leaning over her. “Oh,
no, no! I am so sorry, Annachie. I did not tell them. I do not know how they
found out it was you. I never meant them to kill you, too.”
“Sara, what are you talking about?”
“They wanted me to tell them the man’s name, the father of
my baby. I wouldn’t tell them. They said you would be punished and I knew what
they would do to you. I did not want you to die, too.”
“Oh, nighean , we are not dead.”
“What?”
“Rolf and I were able to move the cover and we got to you
just in time. Another hour and I don’t think…” He didn’t have to finish the
sentence; Sara knew what he was going to say.
She looked around the small room. “But the bones?”
“Micah has hidden us in the catacombs. We will leave here as
soon as you get your strength back.”
“Rolf? Micah?” She shook her head, still confused. “Oh, I am
so thirsty.”
Annachie helped her sit up and supported her with his arm
behind her back. He held a cup
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