Free Beast of Caledonia by Kate Poole

she took she lost precious air. She would awake gasping for breath
as cold sweat soaked her sleeping gown.
    “I am fine. I am just not sleeping well of late. It must be
the change of seasons.”
    She did not tell him about Annachie, of course, and she
prayed he would not find out until the two of them had made their escape. She
considered asking him to help her get out of the city, but quickly dismissed
that idea. He had been away from Rome and had not seen Annachie in the arena,
but as soon as the gladiators returned, her father would know that Annachie had
something to do with her wanting to leave. And if he discovered her pregnancy,
Quintus would then know instantly who the father of her baby was. Sara was sure
that knowledge would only reignite her father’s hatred of Annachie. He might
help her escape to save her life, but he would make sure that Annachie suffered
for what he had done.
    She consoled herself with one thought— Annachie will be here
soon. Soon, and then everything would be all right.
    But she knew it would still be at least another month before
Annachie returned.
    “The emperor is sending me away again,” her father said.
    “Where to?”
    “Not as far this time. Only to Sicilia. To put down an
insurrection. I must admit I feel I am getting too old for this type of
campaign.”
    She felt a tinge of regret at the thought of leaving her
father. She would most likely never see him again. He had loved her more than
her mother had, she knew that. Her mother had been disappointed that Sara was
not a boy, Sara knew that too. But if her father had wished for a son, he had
never shown it to Sara. The two of them were as close as a father and daughter
could be, with never a cross word between them…until Annachie came.
    “Take care of yourself, Father.” She blinked rapidly to keep
her tears from falling. “I love you. Never forget that.”
    He gave her a questioning look, then smiled and kissed her
on the cheek. “I love you, too, Sara. I will see you when I return.”
    And then he was gone.
    She would leave her father a letter, explaining everything,
begging him to understand and forgive her, and saying she would write again
when they were settled in their new home—wherever that might be.
    * * * * *
    A week later, Sara snuck out of the Vestal’s chambers for
the last time. With her swollen belly, it was a tight fit, but she finally
managed to squeeze through the small window.
    She met Thea in the alleyway behind her father’s home.
“Where are we going?” Sara asked the older woman.
    “Letitia, a friend of mine, has agreed to help us. The house
where she works is not far away.” Thea led Sara through a tangle of streets,
down one hill and up the next. She could tell they were heading into a less
affluent section of the city.
    Their breaths puffed out in little white clouds as they
hurried along. Sara pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders. Her nerves
were on end, already chilling her, and the cold night air only made it worse.
By the time they reached their destination, she was shivering from head to toe.
    Letitia, a tall, thin woman of about Thea’s age, met them at
the gate leading into the garden. “Come this way,” she said.
    The night was just bright enough that Sara could see a bit
of the house and grounds. They were not as well-tended as her father’s estate.
The trees in the small garden through which they walked were in sore need of
trimming, and the flowering plants wanted watering and replanting.
    They followed Letitia to a small building in the far corner
of the yard. Sara noticed that it was not easily seen from the house. “In
here,” Letitia said.
    The three of them crammed themselves into the tight space.
Sara tried to move back a little and tripped over something.
    “Careful,” Letitia said.
    “What is this place?” Sara asked.
    “The gardener was sold a month ago, and my master has not
replaced him. This is the tool shed for the garden. You should be safe here,