Guardian of Rome (#2 in Gladiator Series)

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

A smile spread across Pompeia's lips as she received news that Krista’s latest conquest, a small villa no less than twenty leagues from her army, was falling perfectly into her plan.

“We have reports that they have killed Marcus Threasius,” The messenger informed the Empress, unnerved by the smile that lingered on her pale lips as his eyes avoided looking at her directly.

Pompeia had known Marcus, and there was no love lost between them.

Pompeia ignored the young messenger, waving him away, as she crossed the room, a certain lightness to her step as her bad mood lifted. She  had correctly anticipated Krista's moves when other claimed she was too weak to lead, too ignorant to plan. When it's her plan that will win this war.

Soon, Krista will find Dianna in the dungeon, and her plan will be set in motion.
Marcus Threasius was a twisted man with twisted fantasies; half of Rome knew about his ways and what he kept below his floor and what he did to them.

So Pompeia put her knowledge to good use and ordered Dianna to be locked away. She told Dianna it was all necessary to avenging her father, just another pawn in her game. Pompeia was sure Marcus would take a liking to Dianna with her blue eyes and fair skin.

But Pompeia did not care about what Marcus did to Dianna because the more he injured her, the more he abused her body, the more Krista would trust her.

If this Gladiatrix only had one weakness, it would be her need to protect everybody. It was her blind spot.

She may hide it well but Pompeia had seen the look in Krista’s eyes when Gaius had had her little blonde Briton friend by the throat.
Krista could not bear people to die for her. And that would be her downfall.

* * *

Dianna had lost track of night and day, of how many days she had been trapped down here. The smell was suffocating, a mix of urine and faeces and sweat and sex that made her throat dry heave. The room was dimly lit but she could see the others chained around her. Some were slumped along the floor nothing more than bags of bones who had long been forgotten down here. Others were muttering to themselves and she wanted to suffocate them. The moment she arrived she was placed in this metal box, barely big enough to contain her with her knees pressed against to chest, her arms hugging her legs.

Others had been dragged away with little resistance but no one had yet been to claim her. She assumed this metal cage was meant to break her first but her body was burning with purpose. She trusted her aunts plan. She said Krista would find her.

Small seeds of doubt had started to creep in when nothing seemed to happen for an age when all of a sudden she heard the screams, not the usual weak screams of the slaves around her, but pure screams of terror followed by almighty crashes and she knew it was happening. She was about to be found when a box of light erupted in the corner of the room and heavy footsteps rushed into the room.

Hands were carrying torches beside them and Dianna lifted her head from her knees to narrow on them, the amber glow illuminating male faces smeared with blood she didn't recognise. But then a woman with blonde hair stepped forward, her eyes roaming around the room in anger.

“Krista,” This blonde warrior woman spoke in a strange accent, but the name she said had Dianna's back straighting, as she tried to look for her. She followed the blonde woman's eyes and she suddenly came face to face with her father's killer.

Her eyes widened and her lips parted as she gazed up at the Gladiatrix in shock. Dianna hadn’t known what she was expecting, she'd heard her Aunt talk about her, but her entire body flooded with fear as she gazed into the eyes of this killer despite her best intentions.
The darkness seemed to welcome Krista as it wrapped around her lithe figure, the amber from the torches seeming to flutter away until she stood in aura of darkness.