Pompeii: City on Fire by T. L. Higley Read Free Book Online Page B

evening, when the afternoon's heat fell behind the theater along with the sun, Drusus, their lanista, called them back from their cells to work out in the cooling air.
    Ariella glanced at the back of the theater's two-story façade. What kind of play was being performed there? Valerius had dragged her to several in Rome, each one more embarrassingly vulgar than the next, further proving that Roman society had traded morals for thrills.
    She faced off against her usual partner, Celadus, again, and not many minutes into their sparring, a crescendo of laughter from the theater beyond peaked with a thunder of applause. Ariella pulled back from Celadus and panted.
    "By the end of the week they will be yelling for us." Celadus grinned, gap-toothed.
    Ariella shrugged. "Yelling for our blood."
    He raised his sword. "For honor. For glory. They live it through us. You will see."
    A steady stream of people began to flow into the large enclosure from the far end, nearest the theater. They strolled along the columned porticoes, talking and laughing. Some of them made their way to the end where the fighters practiced, and formed a line along the muddy area to watch the training.
    Though it wasn't a true performance such as they would offer in a few days, Ariella's nerves fluttered at the gaze of so many people, far closer than they would be in the arena. She tried not to take note of those that watched, but one man caught her attention, and she glanced toward him more than once. He had seemed interested at first, but another, larger, man had drawn him away. Even from the distance of twenty gradi, she could see that animosity between the men lay beneath their civility.
    "Over here, Ari," Celadus called. "The fight's over here."
    "Sorry." She refocused.
    But her eyes strayed to the leaner man again. There was something about him that she liked. His wavy hair was styled in the Roman fashion, and his clothes spoke of wealth but were not ostentatious. He carried himself with confidence, like a man who has tried himself on and found it to be a good fit. Strong jawline. Ready smile.
    He had a woman with him, a stunning beauty. She wore a pale blue robe the color of sky, gathered at the shoulders and secured with gold pins. Ariella studied her through a twinge of jealousy. From the way she put her hand to the man's back, she was likely his wife.
    "Ahh!" Celadus's wooden sword clapped down on her shoulder.
    "Keep your eyes where they belong, boy!" Celadus said. "There'll be bigger crowds than this on the sand, and animals besides. You must learn not to be distracted."
    She rubbed her shoulder and grimaced at Celadus. "Fine." She circled so that she could watch the man and the beautiful woman over Celadus's shoulder as they sparred. Drusus would not leave Celadus paired with her for long. The bigger man needed opponents who would challenge him. She had better learn to fight well or she wouldn't fight long enough to survive.
    But the interaction behind Celadus still distracted her. The big man had left with his friends, and another, smaller group had approached, but these seemed to frighten the Roman somehow, and before long he turned and left, nearly running from the enclosure.
    She felt a sharp poke in her side and shot a look at Celadus.
    "You are worthless tonight." He waved his sword. "And lucky I fight with wood."
    Drusus called a break, and Celadus huffed away in disgust toward the lanista, no doubt complaining about having to look after an idiot who could not fight.
    Ariella crossed to the covered walk and collapsed onto a bench. Since arriving in Pompeii yesterday she had recovered much of her energy, but the training was vigorous. She swiped at her damp brow with her forearm and leaned her back against the stone wall.
    A slave approached with a bucket of water and a metal dipper. She glanced at him from under lowered lids, then lifted her head for a better look. He was strong, but a bit grizzled, with deep lines about the eyes. And there was