out all over the brothel. How could he find Fabiola among all the prostitutes, and save her without also leaving this wretch? Unsure what to do, he watched for a moment.
The woman on the bed was injured or half-conscious, because when her tormentor yanked her legs apart, there was barely any resistance. Just a low, terrified moan, which instantly brought back memories of his mother lying beneath Gemellus. Having just seen the merchant, it was too much to bear. Romulus was moving before he knew it. He went in fast and hard, maximising his chances against three uninjured men. With his back to the door, the stocky would-be rapist was oblivious to Romulus' desperate charge. The pair of thugs holding the woman's arms spotted him at once, though.
Their warning shouts came too late to stop Romulus bringing the battleaxe down on the rapist's right shoulder, cleanly taking off his arm. A great roar of pain left the man's throat and he staggered away, bright red blood spurting from the wound. Fortunately, he stumbled into one of the thugs, thus preventing him from going on the attack. The other man was so shocked that he was still reaching for his sword when the axe came humming down to split his skull in two halves. Cleft almost to the chin, his visage wore an expression of total astonishment. Bone and gore flew everywhere, and he dropped to the floor without a sound.
Dragging the blade free, Romulus spun around to face the last ruffian who had managed to extricate himself. With an evil expression, the man shuffled closer, sword at the ready. Romulus took a step towards him. Suddenly the pain in his head was overwhelming. A physical duel was more than his weary body could bear. Then he looked down at the naked figure on the bed and was stunned to recognise Fabiola. A searing fury such as Romulus had never felt before shot through him, sweeping away his exhaustion in a tidal wave of adrenalin. Bellowing an inarticulate scream, he leapt forward to the attack.
Covered in blood from his mutilated comrade, the third thug was already intimidated by the speed of the mad-eyed legionary's entrance. Now his anger unnerved him. Rather than fight, he sprinted for the door. His sandals slapped off the floor as he fled, shouting for his fellows. Romulus knew that any respite would be brief. The ruffian would be back with reinforcements very soon, and then both he and his sister would die. Unless, by some tiny chance, they could escape first. In the meantime, every precious moment had to be wrung from this most unexpected of reunions. Ignoring the moaning one-armed man lying in the corner, he ran to the side of the bed, dropping his axe alongside. Using the shreds of her dress, he gently covered his sister's nakedness as best he could. She flinched at his touch, breaking his heart. 'Fabiola,' he whispered. 'Fabiola.'
There was no reaction.
He shook her by the shoulder. 'It's me, Romulus. Your brother.'
At last Fabiola's eyes opened, revealing a void of terror. Then her pupils widened, and she gasped. 'Romulus?'
Chapter XXIV: Discord
Crying tears that he'd never shed in all the years of their separation, Romulus could only nod. 'It's you. 'You're alive.' Incredulous, Fabiola reached up to stroke his cheek with a shaking hand. 'Thank all the gods.' A sob of relief shook her. They gazed at one another, scarcely able to believe their eyes. After the years of heartbreak and separation, the gods had finally allowed them to meet. It seemed that the impossible had come true. After a moment, Romulus grinned. Eventually Fabiola did too. They clutched each other's hands, scared to let go.
'Are you alone?' she asked.
'Yes.'
Fabiola's face crumpled. 'All my men are dead. Now the bastards are raping the prostitutes.'
'I know,' Romulus replied heavily. 'What can just two of us do, though? We should try and get away. Now.'
Guilt twisted her pretty features. 'I can't just leave the women. They're my responsibility. Help me to sit up.'
Romulus pulled her upright.
Fabiola saw the semi-conscious bleeding figure in the corner. There was a sharp intake of breath. 'The whoreson is still alive!'
'Not for long.' Romulus indicated the enormous pool of blood around him, and the bleeding hole in the side of his trunk.
She smiled. 'Sextus has been avenged then.'
Romulus looked back at the motionless shape. 'Who is he?'
'Scaevola,' she spat. 'He's a fugitivarius. Works for Antonius.'
'The Master of the Horse ordered this?' cried Romulus. 'Why?'
Fabiola had no time to explain. Noise from the corridor stopped their conversation in its tracks. Strangely, it was coming from both ends. Escape was now out of the question. Gripping the axe, Romulus got to his feet.
'Who are you?' a rough voice demanded from near the courtyard. 'Antonius' men? Come to check we've done the job properly?'
'No,' came the calm reply. 'Raise shields!'
Following the order, Romulus heard the familiar clink of scuta off each other.
'Quick! Back outside!' shouted the thug to his companions.
Hope flared in Romulus' heart as the tread of caligae clashed off the mosaic floor. When a middle-aged veteran in a battered bronze helmet popped his head round the door, Romulus could have cried with relief.
'Secundus!' Fabiola cried delightedly. 'You came!'
'Of course we did,' he answered. 'Couldn't get here quick enough when Tarquinius told us what was happening.'
She beamed, and he smiled benevolently.
'You all right in here?'
'Fine,' Romulus replied. 'Thank you.'
With a pleasant nod, Secundus withdrew. From the noise, Romulus judged he had at least twenty companions. Plenty to deal with the situation. As the danger subsided, the pounding in his head became resurgent. Wincing, he sat down on the edge of the bed.
Fabiola noticed the blood in his hair at once. 'What happened?'
'Gemellus hit me,' he muttered, lifting a hand to the wound. 'Not hard enough, though, thank Mithras.'
'You met Gemellus?' she gasped.
'I saw the whoreson coming out of a temple and followed him to the hovel he called home.'
'Called,' said Fabiola slowly. 'Did you kill him?'
'No,' replied Romulus. 'I was going to, had sworn it so many times over the years. But I couldn't. He was utterly pathetic. It would have made me as bad as him.'
'So you walked away?' Fabiola's voice was incredulous.
Romulus nodded, seeing the fury in his twin's eyes. Clearly she would not have acted with the same restraint. This realisation was shocking, but he forced himself to continue. 'Then the coward attacked me from behind. Fortunately Tarquinius was at hand. But for his knife throw, I'd be lying in an alleyway with my skull caved in.'
'Tarquinius?'
'A friend. You'll meet him later.'
'So Gemellus is dead?' Fabiola smiled. 'Can't say I'll miss the piece of shit. It would have been good to tell him I own his latifundium near Pompeii, though.'
Romulus was shocked. She also ran the Lupanar. 'How much does a property like that cost?' he asked.
Fabiola's face clouded. 'A lover bought it for me. Decimus Brutus.'
'Where is he?'
'We argued,' she revealed. 'He left.'
Noise wafted in from the courtyard: the clash of swords off each other, shouted orders from Secundus and the thugs' wails of terror as they realised that there would be no escape.
Romulus was trying to piece things together. 'What has Antonius to do with it then?'
She flushed. 'Stupidly, I had an affair with him. Brutus found out.'
