Rome was burning.

A girl raced along the city streets, fighting against her speed, unsure who she'd run into around the corner. No one should've been there, not with the flames spreading like the reaches of the wind, but she could hear the screams not very far away.

Smoke nearly suffocated her. She glanced up at the moon, praying at once for speed and the patience not to go as fast as she knew she could.

As a building to her right collapsed, she heard someone roar over the noise, "Rhode!"

She stopped in her tracks and searched the rubble desperately. "Damos?"

Then he hit her from behind. In an instant she was in his arms, as strong and hard as marble, but more comforting than anything she could imagine. He buried his face in her neck as she clung to him. "Thank the gods…" he murmured.

She pulled back to look into his garnet-colored eyes. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he assured her. "I'm fine now. You?"

She shook her head. "I'm so glad you're here." She embraced him again, forgetting the fire raging around her.

They stood in silence for the briefest moment, and then they pulled apart, looking at each other urgently. "Are they chasing you?" he asked.

"I don't think so."

Damianos glanced around. "They're probably after me but I think I lost them for now."

Rhode dreaded the question, but asked anyway, "Who's dead?"

Damianos looked back at her, his face shadowed. "Regula and Sophos. Marinus last night."

She nodded, somewhat relieved. "Good, no one new." Then she told him, "They took Eulimene. They're taking her to the hill, and Praxiteles was slaughtered trying to rescue her. They're going to burn them together."

"Then who's left?"

They stared at each other, both coming to the same realization. Damianos's voice shook. "Rhode, is no one left?"

"Except Eulimene…" Rhode whispered.

A look of furious determination came over Damianos's face. "I'm going to find them."

He began to turn but Rhode caught him desperately by the arm. "You can't fight them all, Damos."

"I don't care, I have to."

He turned away again and made two steps before Rhode grabbed him around the waist, shouting, "Damos!"

He turned to face her and she looked pleadingly up into his face. "We're together now. Let's run while we still can."

Damianos was shocked. "Run?"

"Yes," she answered, "now. Through the river so they can't pick up our scent."

"Run?" Damianos repeated in amazement. "Rhode, we can't run! What's gotten into you?"

"Maybe some sense," she answered bitterly.

"You would've never run before!" Damos cried. "They killed Mormo! They killed everyone!"

"I know! But they haven't killed you yet!"

They both stopped, staring at each other. Rhode went on, "I'm not saying I don't want to rip them to shreds just like you do. I'm saying I want to live to fight another day. They won't be strong forever."

But Damos's face was set. "I can't wait for this, Rhode."

Rhode lifted a hand to his face. "Mormo always said you were too quick to act, that you needed to learn to wait to strike." She lifted the other hand and turned his face so that he was looking into her eyes. "We can repay their sacrifice better alive and victorious later than dead now."

Damianos faltered, but then said, "At least let me find Felix. That's all I want, Rhode. I won't go after Marcus."

Rhode was clearly unconvinced. He took one hand and glanced over her shoulder, northward. "He's just north now. It won't take long."

Rhode hesitated. Then she answered, "Fine. But you have to let me go after Eulimene."

Damos dropped her hand fiercely. "Rhode, no! It's on the other side of the city!"

"Then I'll meet you downriver."

"You're not going alone."

"Then I'll go with you."

Damos groaned exasperatedly. "Rhode-"

"Or I'll go to the southwest and lead them off your trail," she suggested.

"We're wasting time, Rhode!" Damos exploded.

"I want to save Eulimene!" Rhode shouted back. "Let me go!"

Suddenly Damos looked exhausted. He took her hands again. "Rhode," he said softly, "I can't lose you now."

Rhode looked at him hard. "If you go, I go."

Damos began to shake his head. "I'd never forgive myself if-"

"Then let's run," Rhode begged.

They looked at each other hard.

Then all at once the building nearest them shrieked and began coming down. Without a word the two ran for cover. When they stopped in the next street, they looked at each other again, but couldn't find their anger, only desperation.

Damos sighed, "Meet me by the river?"

Rhode nodded. "You know where I'll be."

"If I don't come by dawn don't come after me."

"Or you me."

Damos kissed her, hard and possessively, dying in it. "Be careful," he whispered gruffly when he pulled away.

"You too," Rhode begged him.

He let go of her hand and backed away. "This isn't goodbye. You'll see."

"I love you," Rhode answered.

Then they both turned at the same time and ran in opposite directions.

Rhode sprinted, not caring anymore how fast she was going or who saw. On a night like this nothing mattered.

Rhode's chest was tight and she knew that if she could weep she'd be weeping. She swatted at the corners of her eyes as if there were tears. All she could think about was Damos's face.

What if she had made a mistake? A terrible mistake…

At last she made it beyond the city walls, and then ran down to the riverside, hiding in the trees and watching the road.

She waited there until dawn, and then dived into the river alone, the water soaking her skin like all the tears she could not cry.