Page 77 of Thawed Gladiator: Varro

“It’s true,” I add softly when she finishes. “I know it sounds impossible, but…”

Laura’s father leans forward, his eyes searching mine. “You’re really from ancient Rome?”

I nod, bracing myself for rejection.

Instead, he breaks into a wide grin. “Well, I’ll be damned. That’s… that’s incredible!”

Suddenly, the room erupts in excited chatter. Questions fly from all directions about my life, about Rome, and about how I’m adjusting to the modern world.

Laura’s mother reaches across the table, taking my hand in hers. “Varro.” Her voice is thick with emotion, “I can’t imagine how difficult this must be for you. Laura’s never brought a beau home before. She must think you’re more than special. That makes you family now. We’re here for you, no matter what.”

A lump forms in my throat, emotions I’ve kept buried for so long threaten to overwhelm me. “Thank you,” I manage to choke out. “You have no idea how much that means to me.”

“Varro’s existence is amazing.” Jewel flashes me a wide smile. “But tell us the most important part! What happened to thegold?”

“The lengths we went to in order to keep things under wraps was a bit of cops and robbers.” Laura is so expressive as she tells this part of our story, her voice low and compelling. “Before we left Norway, we secured a private vault in one of Oslo’s most reputable banks.”

“Was it like in the movies?” Laura’s mom asked, her voice filled with excitement. “The staff brown-nosing you both? I would have liked to see that.”

“All very posh. They treat you very differently when you have a thousand pounds of gold than when you open a checking account.”

The family laughs.

“The bank manager assured us of their utmost discretion and security. As we signed the paperwork, I couldn’t help but marvel at the irony—treasure from Rome meant to buy gladiator slaves is now sitting in a modern Scandinavian vault and will be used to fund the expedition to retrieve gladiator slaves from the bottom of the Norwegian Sea.”

I don’t precisely understand how much millions of millions are worth in modern money, but when Laura says that we’re richer than Croesus, it makes me feel lightheaded.

She squeezes my hand, a silent reminder that our real treasure isn’t locked away in any vault.

As I look around the table at these people who’ve accepted me so readily, I’m struck by a realization. For the first time since I lost my family at twelve, I feel like I belong somewhere.

Chapter Sixty

Laura

The cool wind whips across the deck as our research vessel cuts through the choppy Norwegian Sea. I’m unsure whether my goosebumps are due to the cold or the excitement thrumming through my veins. We’re close—I can feel it.

With a vault full of gold at our disposal, we have technical bells and whistles Garrison could only dream of. With sonar and expensive drones, we’re working five times faster than when he was in charge of the operation.

Varro stands beside me, his eyes scanning the horizon. Even after all this time, I’m struck by the dichotomy of his presence—an ancient Roman warrior on a high-tech research vessel.

“Anything yet?” His voice is barely audible over the wind.

I shake my head, but before I can respond, a shout comes from the bridge.

“Miss Turner! We’ve got something on sonar!”

My heart leaps as I rush to the monitor. The image is grainy, but unmistakable—partof a sunken ship.

“That’s it,” I breathe. “It’s got to be theFortuna.”It’s five miles from where we found Varro. Right in the vicinity of my calculations.

The next few hours pass in a blur of activity. The Remote Operated Vehicle the crew refers to as an ROV is deployed, its cameras sending back crystal-clear images of the wreck. And there, deep in a nearby trench, we see them—more bodies, preserved in pearly ice that glints unnaturally bright in the murky water.

“By the gods,” Varro murmurs, his eyes wide as he stares at the screen. “There are at least five of them.”

I squeeze his hand, understanding the emotions warring within him. “We don’t have to bring them up if you’re not ready,” I tell him softly.

He shakes his head. “No, they deserve a chance at life. But… we’re not prepared to bring them up now.”

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