Page 77 of Queen of the Hollow Hills

“Emperor?”

“Do as I say!”

Summoning the soldiers, the emperor’s chief man then commanded the legions. The men lined up, ten deep, all along the shoreline. I watched in awe as Caligula mounted his horse and rode into the surf. His animal huffed and pranced in protest but did as his master commanded. When Caligula reached the center of his army, he called out.

“Forward! March!”

The men, not hesitating, began their march into the sea.

Caligula called out once more when the first man in each row was waist-deep. “Halt and attack!”

The men looked confused.

“Attack, Rome. Attack. Defeat Ocean! Attack!”

Perplexed but unwilling to tempt the ire of their emperor, the men pulled their swords and began hacking and jabbing against the waves. The onslaught seemed to last for hours. Only when the men began to tire did the emperor signal to his man to sound the horn, signaling the battle was done.

“Victory!” Caligula called. “Victory for Rome! Collect the treasures of the sea. These shells and glory are your payment,” Caligula said, then reined his horse in and rode back to land once more. One of his men waited for him as he dismounted.

“Emperor,” the man said, barely holding in his shock and fury.

“Prepare to return to Rome. Ocean is defeated.”

“But Emperor Caligula?—”

Caligula turned to the man, fury in his eyes. With his gaze, he dared him to speak.

“Yes, Emperor,” the man replied, then hurried off, shouting orders as he went.

Caligula stopped once more, looking out at the sea.

“You have done well,”I whispered.“You have done well. Return home. Return home and do not come to Britannia again. Ocean is defeated. Go home triumphant, Caligula.”

Smiling, the emperor bent and picked up a seashell. He slipped it into his pocket, then turned and disappeared into the camp, whistling as he went.

I exhaled a deep, shuddering breath, feeling like my spirit was snapping into my body. Gasping, I opened my eyes. Everything hurt. I felt like a bolt of lightning was running through me.

Corva ran to me. “Cartimandua,” she said, aghast.

I lifted my hands from the stones, feeling the burned flesh on my palms, and then looked from Corva to Môd.

“It is done,” I whispered.

The world began to spin around me, black spots appearing before my eyes. And a moment later, I fell into darkness.

When I openedmy eyes again, I was in a soft bed. I could hear the crackling of fire and felt soft coverlets on me. I opened my eyes just a crack. Golden light shone in through an open window casement. My head ached terribly. When I moved to push my covers aside, I realized my hands were bandaged.

“Queen Cartimandua.” Lady Amma appeared over my bedside. She gave me a soft smile and then turned to someone I didn’t see. “Fetch Priestess Corva. Tell her the queen is awake. And let my brother know.”

The door opened and closed.

I looked at my hands, seeing the bandages thereon.

“Priestess Corva said they are burned,” Amma told me, then poured me some water. “May I help you drink, my queen?”

I nodded, then sat up in bed, finding myself in my room in Isurium Brigantum once more.

“How did I get here?” I asked, then took a sip as Amma carefully helped me.

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