When Truth Fails (4 page)

Ellie pulled the hooded cloak tight against her head. She never felt comfortable going out without Magnus but she needed to get some food while he was breaking down camp for the day. The denari that she had received for pawning Lucilia’s jewelry jingled in the leather pouch that Magnus had made for her. Thoughts of the night before raced through her head again.

Magnus was amazing.
How had she not seen it before? Of course, that would be the last thought that went through her head before she was yanked into an alleyway. A jolt of pain shot through her shoulder and she wondered whether or not her shoulder was dislocated in the process. But when the assailant let go, the pain went away. Spinning around to face him, Ellie swung her fist out and hoped to get a piece of the guy but instead the man grasped at her wrist. It was the undertaker.

“You’re a face I was hoping to never see again,” she said.

The undertaker rolled his eyes. “That mouth of yours does not seem to have tamed one bit despite all that you have been through, witch,” he whispered.

Ellie scowled. “What do you want? Are you going to turn me in?”

“No, of course not.”

“What?”

“You are looking for the killer of those women, yes?”

“You know who he is?”

The undertaker chuckled. “Yes, actually.”

“Well, who-”

“Cassius Glabor ordered the death of those women.”

Ellie leaned up against the wall, trying to stay upright through the shock. “Cass?” she sputtered. “That can’t be right.”

“He ordered those deaths because he-” The undertaker paused. “He feels jealous for something that he does not have.”

Ellie cocked an eyebrow. “What?”

“He is prone to certain… proclivities… which men of his status must remain discreet about…”

“What are you going on about, Undertaker,” Ellie sputtered. “Just tell me.”

“Cassius Glabor desires to become as you.”

“A fugitive? A witch? A woman?”

The undertaker shot her a grin.

Ellie brought her hand up to her forehead and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, what?”

“It is the truth. That is why he killed those women.”

“You nearly ripped my arm from my shoulder to tell me this nonsense? Please. I’ve got better things to do with my time.” Ellie turned to walk away from the crazy man but he grabbed her other arm.

“I am serious. Let me take you to one of his victims.”

Ellie faced him. “You’re serious? You have a victim that is alive?”

He nodded his head. “She is in my morgue in a back room. They thought she was dead but she was still alive when they brought her to me. You have to help her.”

Ellie followed the man back to where she started this whole adventure. She wasn’t sure if the dingy walls of his place of business had always looked this bad or if she was imagining the place rotting with the corpses. She covered her nose.
The smell sure as hell didn’t get any better
, she thought.

The frightened young lady was sitting in the back room sewing when Ellie met her. Her hair was a mess and her face was dirty but Ellie could tell that she was a pretty girl. She told the story of her escape. How Cassius had told her and a couple of her friends that they were invited to a party at his place.

“Only the prettiest girls get invited to his parties,” she said. Her voice was just above a whisper. Ellie spotted why. She had a large scar running from one side of her neck to the other. “But when we got there he drugged us and took us to some back room at his villa. It was pretty but I was uneasy there. He must not have drugged me enough because the feeling came back to my legs and I ran as fast as I could. One of his guards grabbed me and-“Her voice cut out and she touched her throat. “I thought I was dead. He did too. He just left me lying on the ground but as soon as he turned away, I stood up and ran here.”

Ellie comforted her as best she could but the girl had already been through hell and back. “I have to tell Magnus,” she said to the undertaker. “I’ll come back with him and we can take the girl to Augustus. He will know what to do.” She put her cloak back over her head and ran out of the building.

She was beginning to know the alleyways of Rome like the back of her hand. Something that she wouldn’t be able to use in her dissertation, she was sure. However, after solving this murder, maybe she could stay with Magnus and be the wife he dreamed of. Her pace quickened with the thought.

A chill ran down her spine. She wasn’t alone. Someone was behind her. She couldn’t hear the footsteps but she could feel him there. Her trot turned into a full on run, which quickly turned to a sprint. She could see the alleyway open into the marketplace. If she could just make it into the marketplace, she could lose her pursuer in the crowd. The light from the opening looked like a light at the end of a tunnel, but she wouldn’t get to bask in the warm glow of it all. She didn’t even hear him sneak up on her before everything went black.

Ellie woke up groggy. “Ugh,” she groaned. “This is getting old.” The world was a gigantic mess of blurred images. A man in a dark cloak. A torch. A taller man in… As she drifted in and out of consciousness, the only clear thought in her head was of Cassius. She needed to expose him.

She hadn’t realized that she had opened her eyes because the room was pitch black. “I can’t see…” she whispered. “Hello?” her voice strengthened as the panic set in. “Hello? Is there anyone there?” Nothing. No sound. Just the familiar sensation of her hands tied behind her back. “Help!” she screamed. “Help me!” but the only response was in her mind. “Magnus!” Tears streamed down her face. “Magnus…”

Threads of an Ancient World: Book 3

The good news is that Ellen has uncovered the murderer who had been terrorizing women in ancient Rome. The bad news is that she is now his captive.

Ellen is no stranger to fear, but once she is blindfolded and threatened with a knife, she’s filled with a dread she’s never known. It will take all her knowledge and wits to safely escape, and it will take all of her faith in her true love to stand by her side, no matter the time, era, or place.

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