then leave and find a woman to assuage his need. "Will you come inside now, beloved? My time grows short."
Jilana shook her head. "Bid my parents farewell and then I shall see you to the gate." As Lucius walked to the villa Jilana contemplated his retreating figure and sighed inwardly. Why could she feel nothing for the man she would wed when the mere touch of a mysterious centurion sent her heart racing?
"Lady Jilana!" Jilana started and, turning round, probed the shadows for the source of the whisper. "Here, lady. In front of you—by the garden wall."
Jilana gasped. "Centurion?" Surely her mind had conjured the image of the man half concealed by shadows!
"Aye, lady, 'tis I," Caddaric answered softly. Relief washed through him when, after a hasty glance over her shoulder, Jilana hurried to where he stood.
"I thought never to see you again," Jilana said. She came to a halt just inches away from the tall soldier and found it impossible to control the mad leaping of her pulse. "How did you find me, Centurion? Why have you come?"
"Finding you presented no problem, lady; I had only to ask directions of one of the citizens of the town. Your father is well known."
Jilana studied the grim set of his jaw and her heart sank. "Are you here to chastise me as well?" "For what reason, lady?"
"My actions of yesterday. Family, friends, Procurator—all have wagged their tongues over me. 'Twould seem all of Venta Icenorum has a personal interest in charging me with my duties as a Roman citizen. Were you sent to do the same?"
"Nay, lady." Caddaric looked at the villa and then back to Jilana. "Has your betrothed also rebuked you?"
Jilana nodded. "Do you know Lucius Quintus?"
Caddaric shook his head. "I heard him tell the Procurator you were betrothed."
"Aye—five days hence I shall be made his wife." Sudden desolation engulfed Jilana and she smiled wanly. "When his duty here is ended, we shall go to Rome. For me there will be no more early morning rides to the meadow."
"The world changes, lady." Over the top of Jilana's lead Caddaric watched four men enter the villa. Boadicea's revenge had begun. "Forgive me, Jilana."
Jilana's confusion at his words changed rapidly to fear she realized he had spoken, not in Latin, but in the native tongue of this land. "You are Briton!"
'Iceni," Caddaric clarified softly. "This night the cracks apart for both of us, Roman."
The centurion's eyes were filled with the promise of death and Jilana reeled backward. "Father! Mother!"
Her scream was joined by another from the villa and Jilana turned to flee only to find herself caught in the centurion's arms.
"Do not cry out," Caddaric warned. "As you value life, Jilana, do not fight me. You are to be spared."
" My family," Jilana sobbed, struggling to free herself, traitor! Let me go!"
Annoyed, Caddaric shook her roughly. "When it is time, death will find you; do not tempt the gods."
"Nay!" Without thinking, Jilana rammed her knee up centurion's groin and found herself instantly released. Not sparing the groaning man so much as a glance, she turned and ran into the villa before the centurion could recover.
Carnage—absolute and complete—greeted Jilana. Throughout the house servants lay dead or dying and Jilana fought back a scream as she stumbled through the halls. Where were the soldiers? Surely by now their neighbors had heard the screams and given the alarm! Jilana flew from room to room, her horror growing with every step. Where were her parents, and Lucius and Claudia? Had they escaped? When her search of the lower floor proved fruitless, Jilana picked her way over the bodies lining the, staircase and searched the bedchambers.
"Jilana!"
In her own bedchamber Jilana froze, recognizing the centurion's voice. "Juno, protect' me," Jilana murmured. Moving to the door, she pressed an ear to the wood and strained to hear the approach of the centurion.
"Jilana, hear me. There is no place to run, not for you. Should any Iceni happen upon you,
Jilana shook her head. "Bid my parents farewell and then I shall see you to the gate." As Lucius walked to the villa Jilana contemplated his retreating figure and sighed inwardly. Why could she feel nothing for the man she would wed when the mere touch of a mysterious centurion sent her heart racing?
"Lady Jilana!" Jilana started and, turning round, probed the shadows for the source of the whisper. "Here, lady. In front of you—by the garden wall."
Jilana gasped. "Centurion?" Surely her mind had conjured the image of the man half concealed by shadows!
"Aye, lady, 'tis I," Caddaric answered softly. Relief washed through him when, after a hasty glance over her shoulder, Jilana hurried to where he stood.
"I thought never to see you again," Jilana said. She came to a halt just inches away from the tall soldier and found it impossible to control the mad leaping of her pulse. "How did you find me, Centurion? Why have you come?"
"Finding you presented no problem, lady; I had only to ask directions of one of the citizens of the town. Your father is well known."
Jilana studied the grim set of his jaw and her heart sank. "Are you here to chastise me as well?" "For what reason, lady?"
"My actions of yesterday. Family, friends, Procurator—all have wagged their tongues over me. 'Twould seem all of Venta Icenorum has a personal interest in charging me with my duties as a Roman citizen. Were you sent to do the same?"
"Nay, lady." Caddaric looked at the villa and then back to Jilana. "Has your betrothed also rebuked you?"
Jilana nodded. "Do you know Lucius Quintus?"
Caddaric shook his head. "I heard him tell the Procurator you were betrothed."
"Aye—five days hence I shall be made his wife." Sudden desolation engulfed Jilana and she smiled wanly. "When his duty here is ended, we shall go to Rome. For me there will be no more early morning rides to the meadow."
"The world changes, lady." Over the top of Jilana's lead Caddaric watched four men enter the villa. Boadicea's revenge had begun. "Forgive me, Jilana."
Jilana's confusion at his words changed rapidly to fear she realized he had spoken, not in Latin, but in the native tongue of this land. "You are Briton!"
'Iceni," Caddaric clarified softly. "This night the cracks apart for both of us, Roman."
The centurion's eyes were filled with the promise of death and Jilana reeled backward. "Father! Mother!"
Her scream was joined by another from the villa and Jilana turned to flee only to find herself caught in the centurion's arms.
"Do not cry out," Caddaric warned. "As you value life, Jilana, do not fight me. You are to be spared."
" My family," Jilana sobbed, struggling to free herself, traitor! Let me go!"
Annoyed, Caddaric shook her roughly. "When it is time, death will find you; do not tempt the gods."
"Nay!" Without thinking, Jilana rammed her knee up centurion's groin and found herself instantly released. Not sparing the groaning man so much as a glance, she turned and ran into the villa before the centurion could recover.
Carnage—absolute and complete—greeted Jilana. Throughout the house servants lay dead or dying and Jilana fought back a scream as she stumbled through the halls. Where were the soldiers? Surely by now their neighbors had heard the screams and given the alarm! Jilana flew from room to room, her horror growing with every step. Where were her parents, and Lucius and Claudia? Had they escaped? When her search of the lower floor proved fruitless, Jilana picked her way over the bodies lining the, staircase and searched the bedchambers.
"Jilana!"
In her own bedchamber Jilana froze, recognizing the centurion's voice. "Juno, protect' me," Jilana murmured. Moving to the door, she pressed an ear to the wood and strained to hear the approach of the centurion.
"Jilana, hear me. There is no place to run, not for you. Should any Iceni happen upon you,
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