Guardian of Rome (#2 in Gladiator Series)

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

 

Dianna remembered the feeling when the earth shook.

She had her hand pressed against the dirt wall to steady herself when the hammering began; she could feel the tremors run down through the earth and up her arm.

It shook her entire being with fear.

Dianna was surrounded by darkness and as she felt the earth shake with such force around her she could only come to the conclusion that the Gods were angry.

They were angry that they were escaping. Jupiter was angry that Dianna had failed to kill Krista and once again she was allowed to defy Rome.

She had pulled her arm back from the soil, damp with the tears of slaves, when she had seen Artorius heading towards her like a beacon of hope.

The torch in his hand helped to banish the darkness and set her mind back on track.

As she saw him Dianna realised that it was not the Gods who had shaken the earth, but Gaius Aurelius as he attacked the villa.

Remembering Gaius’s words back in his tent, before Dianna had been shipped to Marcus Threasius’s villa, she turned and started to run with the others as fear settled among them.

Gaius would kill her like any other slave here and Dianna had to live.

For the moment, Dianna and Krista’s wishes were the same; survival.

But soon they had broken out into the heart of a forest; the air no longer clawed at her skin like a disease, moonbeams lit the path ahead and they had the Roman army to their backs.

It looked like she was finally free to set back upon the path of revenge when she caught sight of Artorius.

There was a tightness in his face as he spoke to Frieda that caused Dianna to become unsettled once again.

The stream of slaves and gladiators carried on walking away from the villa, unaware of the predicament that was unfolding before their very eyes.

Stepping to the side, away from the crowds, Dianna watched Artorius and Frieda speaking in hushed whispers as they looked in the direction of where they had just come.

Walking towards them, Dianna started to pick up on their conversation as the wind carried their words.

“She should have been here by now,” Artorius spoke hoarsely; his eyes frantic as he searched the crowds.

Frieda looked unnerved but nothing in her face matched the fear in Artorius’s eyes and as Dianna watched them she knew they speaking of Krista.

Dianna’s hand automatically tightened around the dagger Frieda had given her.

“Lead the others back to camp,” Artorius instructed Frieda, “I’m going to go after Krista,”

Frieda nodded her head and Dianna could tell that she did not like the idea of babysitting the masses but she could do nothing as Artorius turned and started to run back towards the villa.

Dianna followed him with her eyes and knew that this was her chance; Krista was alone in the forest.

If Dianna could find her and succeed, the others would think Krista had fallen to one of Gaius’s soldiers.

Holding her dagger against her chest, Dianna slipped from view and chased after Artorius.

She had to find Krista before he did.