Chapter 5

Almost exactly a year had passed since the boys’ escape from slavery. One afternoon, Kaelus was mending some minor damage to the village wall. He was stripped to the waist, this time purely because of the heat. As he finished smoothing out the mud he had used to seal the repair, someone approached him from the road. He squinted against the sunlight, his heart skipping a beat as the figure came into focus.

‘Livia,’ Kaelus breathed, walking towards her. ‘What are you doing here?’

‘Kaelus,’ said Livia, fixing him with a smile. ‘I don’t have much time, but I had to see you.’

‘How did you know where to find me?’ he asked.

‘Word of mouth,’ she replied. ‘I’m attending the mistress on a visit a few miles from here. I’m supposed to be buying fruit now, by the way.’

‘There’s plenty of fruit here,’ said Kaelus. ‘You’re welcome to take as much as you can carry.’

‘Thanks,’ Livia smiled. ‘Your heroics are famous around these parts, Kaelus. When I heard the tales of four boy gladiators defeating an entire army of marauding barbarians, I just knew it had to be you.’

‘The mistress hasn’t heard these tales, has she?’

‘I shouldn’t think so. But everyone is still furious about your escape. The master’s a laughing stock now. He was just starting to make a name for himself with his troupe of performing boy gladiators – no other lanista in Capua has anything quite like that – when they suddenly disappeared. He’ll kill you all if he ever gets the chance.’

‘Not if I can kill him first,’ Kaelus said grimly. ‘Believe me, Livia, nothing in the world would give me greater pleasure. But what about you? Are Talia and Eira all right?’

A deeply troubled look crossed Livia’s face. ‘The medicus gave Talia an abortion a few months after you left,’ she said. ‘The master wanted to throw her onto the street when he found out she was pregnant, but the mistress insisted on keeping her. I’ve heard her crying most nights since then. The ... the baby was certainly Tarin’s.’

‘Let’s not tell him about that,’ said Kaelus.

‘All right,’ said Livia.

A moment of silence stretched between them. Livia stepped closer, her hand brushing against his. Kaelus detected a special sort of warmth in that touch. It was something he had not felt in a long time, if ever.

The two soon found themselves alone in the small, crudely built house that Kaelus shared with Lykos, Tarin and Aulus. Livia reached out, tracing the deep scars on Kaelus’s torso with her fingers. He closed his eyes, leaning into her touch.

‘Kaelus... ‘ Livia whispered, her voice trembling slightly.

He opened his eyes, searching hers for any sign of hesitation. There was none. They undressed each other slowly, almost reverently.

‘Livia, are you sure you want to do this?’ Kaelus asked. ‘After what happened to Talia... ‘

‘I’m sure,’ said Livia, gently pushing him towards a nearby wooden bed and then encouraging him to lie on his back. ‘In fact, I’ve never wanted anything so much in my life.’