"You could hear the shrieks of women, the wailing of infants, and the shouting of men; some were calling their parents, others their children or their wives, trying to recognize them by their voices. People bewailed their own fate or that of their relatives, and there were some who prayed for death in their terror of dying. Many besought the aid of the gods, but still more imagined there were no gods left, and that the universe was plunged into eternal darkness for evermore." (Pliny the Younger)

Chapter 1

Cassia sprinted into the coliseum, barely taking in the wreckage as she dodged around piles of stone and dead bodies. The ground shook under her feet but she stayed steady as she ran towards her parents' private box. They had to be there—they just had to!

It seemed like ages since the volcano had erupted and her world had been destroyed. Screams of terror and anguish filled the air, along with suffocating ash. As wave after wave of magma and flaming rock burst out of the volcano, thousands of desperate people tried to escape its wrath, but death was on every side. It was as though the gods themselves turned their full wrath against the city of Pompeii and allowed no survivors.

But Cassia refused to give up hope. After Milo had rescued her from her villa, the two of them had raced back to the coliseum to find her parents and escape on one of the ships leaving the harbor. Her parents were extremely wealthy and had connections—they'd secure safe passage for the family and for Milo, and they could go to one of their other half dozen seasonal homes.

Cassia ran up the steps to her parents' box, which was hardly recognizable: crumbled and covered in debris. Her heart plummeted as she saw her parents locked in a rigid embrace, already covered in a light sheet of ash. She sank to her knees beside them as a sob hitched in her throat. She didn't have to touch them to know they were dead.

Her mind involuntarily jumped back to the last time she'd seen them alive, flooding her with even more painful memories. It was during the gladiator games, an event her father, Severus, had organized to convince Senator Corvus to invest in their city.

Senator Corvus—Cassia shuddered at the remembrance of him. From the first time she'd met him in Rome, a temple prostitute draped over his lap while another one held his wine, she'd been disgusted and appalled by the brutal former soldier—and a bit frightened, too. He was so cunning and predatory, and the way he looked at her let her know exactly what his intentions were.

He'd tried several times to get her alone while she was in the capital city, but she was intelligent, too, and she had managed to usually avoid him… except that last party, the one she'd been forced to attend as a gesture of good will towards some of her father's business partners. Corvus was there, too, and already approaching intoxication when he'd caught her. She had ducked out for a breath of fresh air, feeling overwhelmed by the excess and hedonism and glittering greed surrounding her, and he'd suddenly appeared at her side.

"Lady Cassia, doesn't the party amuse you?" he slurred out, still clutching a golden goblet of splashing wine as he leaned in towards her. "This event is the talk of the town, and a woman of your beauty and charm deserves the very best."

Cassia offered a tight smile, falling back on her training in womanly submission while mentally looking for the quickest route away. "I'm afraid I haven't gotten used to the splendor of Rome, yet, Senator," she replied. "It's a bit—dizzying."

Corvus chuckled, leaning against the balcony railing and cornering her. She hated how hungrily his eyes swept along her body. "It can be overwhelming at first," he agreed, "but you'll get used to it. There are so many things Rome has to offer you."

"I'm grateful for this opportunity to visit our empire's grand capital," Cassia said, choosing her words carefully, "but I look forward to returning to my home."

"Pompeii?" Corvus laughed contemptuously. "That backwards, dusty sea port? There's nothing back there for you, Cassia. A woman of your quality needs to live in Rome, to be showcased and admired."

"You make me sound like a trophy," Cassia replied tightly, trying to ease around him and escape back into the party, where she could disappoint into the crowd.

But Corvus didn't move. "You are a trophy," he answered, draping a hand on her shoulder, "a trophy that any man would be proud to have at his side but only the best man deserves—a man like me. Surely you know what I can give you, Cassia: wealth and prestige and national attention."

"Such generosity," she snapped, "but you're offering it to someone who doesn't want it."

"Don't be stupid, girl," Corvus snapped back, his grip on her shoulder tightening as he leaned over her. "Your parents would be thrilled to see our houses united. You're beautiful, certainly, but your family name will only carry you so far. You'll receive no better offer—you should be grateful."

He yanked her towards him for a kiss, but she pushed against him. In the struggle, he accidentally tore her dress sleeve, ripping her dress down the front. Cassia gasped in shock and Corvus snapped out of his drunken insensitivity to realize how far he'd pushed. He let go of her shoulder, fumbling to apologize, but she had already turned and rushed to hide herself in the crowd. She'd quickly found her maidservant and fled to home, and within a week her things had been packed and she'd fled to her real home, Pompeii, determined to never see Corvus again.

But it wasn't to be. He had shown up only days after her return to her country villa, integrating himself with her father and circling her like a hawk. Her father talked of business deals, but Cassia knew the true reason Corvus was in Pompeii. Her parents learned the harsh truth the day of the gladiator games, when Corvus had threatened to denounce them to the emperor as disloyal unless their daughter accepted his marriage proposal.

Cassia remembered that awful afternoon, which seemed like days ago instead of mere hours. The only bright spot was Milo, the brutal yet tender-hearted Celt who had saved her horse from suffering on the trip back to Pompeii. He had fought in the games and, despite insane odds, he'd won. He'd even had the courage to defy the Roman Empire, breaking its banner over his knee. Cassia watched his exploits with giddy excitement, pride and hope swelling in her heart. If Milo could defy the whole empire, maybe the two of them could find a way away from the politics and intrigue and betrayal and greed.

Her heart had frozen with fear when she noticed Corvus about to signal for Milo's death, and, without realizing just what she was doing, she'd shot up from her seat and raised her thumb. The crowds went wild at this signal for Milo's safety.

"What are you doing?" Corvus snarled, grabbing her by her arms and swinging her around to face him.

"You can't let the people see your wife defy you," she replied, correctly guessing Corvus' weakness: his pride. "You can't take the decision back now. You may marry me," she added, glaring up at him, "but you'll never break me."

"Oh, but I will break you," Corvus answered with a grim smile, "and you'll stay broken, to sit, stay and crawl at my command."

Cassia felt a wave of fear wash up inside her, but she refused to let him see.

"Take Lady Cassia back to her villa," Corvus barked over her shoulder to his men. "The games are too intense for her gentle sensibilities."

Four soldiers started to lead her away, but before they'd gone up many steps, Corvus stopped them.

"Wait!" he called, striding over to her. He wrapped an arm around her waist, dragging her against his body, while his other hand caught the back of her neck. And then he kissed her, hard, his lips rough against hers. Cassia struggled against his embrace, but he was too strong. Finally, he let the kiss break, smirking down at her. "A taste of things to come," he said with a malicious grin.

Cassia's cheeks turned pink with mortification and she felt her eyes fill with tears, but she blinked them away stubbornly as she was led away.

"How sweet your daughter tastes, Severus," she heard Corvus gloating. "I look forward to discovering her other—charms."

She twisted around for a last glimpse of her parents, heart wrenching at the sight of her mother's humiliation and her father's helpless rage. That was the last time she'd seen them alive.

Grief threatened to overwhelm her as her mind struggled to comprehend her loss, but another feeling suddenly pierced her body: a feeling of fear. With it came the acute realization that she was not alone. Before she had time to react to the presence behind her, a hand had wrapped around her hair and dragged her roughly to her feet.

"Poor, sweet Cassia," Senator Corvus purred, "it's a true shame you had to see your parents like this."

Cassia struggled to free herself, but Corvus grabbed her arm in a painfully tight grip, pulling her against him so closely they were cheek-to-cheek.

"I wish I could have spared you all this death," he continued, "even if I was the one who caused it."

He chuckled sadistically when she gasped.

"Your father tried to kill me," he told her, his breath hot on her throat. "So I killed him instead. It wasn't difficult. And now you know that the man who stabbed your pathetic father through the throat is the same man who will share your bed and explore your body every night."

"You monster!" Cassia cried, trying to jerk her arm away, but Corvus just laughed and grabbed her by the wrist.

"It's no use struggling, my dear," he said. "I always get what I want."

He dragged her with him to where his soldiers were waiting with a chariot. She tried to resist but he was far too strong. Her only hope was Milo, but as she frantically scanned the arena, he was nowhere to be seen.

Corvus barked orders at his men, and one of them produced a pair of metal shackles that the senator used to handcuff Cassia to his chariot. She was left crouching on the chariot's floor, almost on her knees. She yanked against the shackle to no avail as Corvus smirked down at her.

"Why, Lady Cassia," he leered, "I could get used to you in this position."

Cassia grit her teeth and said nothing, turning her face away as her cheeks reddened with shame.

Corvus turned to his right-hand man, Procolus, ordering, "Stay here in case the barbarian shows up. Then meet me in my villa in Rome. I'd hate for you to miss my wedding."

He flicked the reins and his horses began to canter out of the arena, taking him and Cassia away from the death and destruction of Pompeii but also away from any hope of reuniting with her love, Milo.

"You should make yourself comfortable," Corvus told her with a smug grin. "It's going to be a long ride to Rome, and you'll need your energy once we get there."

Cassia curled into a ball at the senator's feet, forcing herself not to cry as despair welled up in her heart. She looked back towards the coliseum, holding on to that last hope that Milo would burst through the doors and rescue her. But all she saw were Roman soldiers, and smoky ruins, and dead bodies. She was trapped and alone, and there was no way out.