When Truth Fails Read Free

childhood. My father used to take me here. He said that it is safe from any eyes – including my mother’s. Which is impressive. She was a huntress.”
    Ellie laughed. “I don’t think she would be very happy to hear you call her that.”
    He scoffed. “On the contrary; she would love it.” He pulled a roll of fabric out from under his arm. “Come on. Let us set up camp for the night.”
     
    “I’ve never seen so many stars before in my whole life,” she said. Ellie was laying on her back, looking up at the night sky through the trees.
    “Can you believe how they shine?” he said. He leaned back against and rested his weight against his forearms. “My father used to tell me that the twinkling meant that the Gods were looking down at us.”
    “Do you believe that?” she asked.
    “No.”
    Ellie watched the expression on his face go from quiet solitude to friendly in a long moment.
    “Hungry?” he asked.
    Ellie watched Magnus as he got up to prepare the meal over the fire. He had gone out earlier to bring back food and came back with a rabbit. The thought of him skinning a rabbit gave her goosebumps. “I’m going to go get some water from the river,” she said.
    She grabbed the bucket and walked slowly toward the river, her mind reeling over curious thoughts. She hadn’t felt this way since high school. Since graduating, her focus had been purely on her career. There was no room for relationships and now, all she could think of was the promise of Cassius’ touch but then… What was that? Magnus had sent shivers down her spine and stirred the butterflies in her stomach. Ellie shook her head, trying to free herself from distraction.
    “No reason to be greedy,” she said to herself. Cassius was who she wanted. She had dreamt her entire life of a man like him. Ellie plopped down on the river bank and scooped up a bucket of water, then set it next to her. But what would Cassius think of her? Women these days weren’t praised for their independence. Then again, Cass said that he loved that about her. Right? “Ugh,” she groaned. She laid back, letting her head rest on the grass, and set her eyes on the stars. “Gods, huh?” she asked the night sky. “Is Cassius right for me? He’s-” But before she could finish her thought, she stopped and let out a small chuckle. “I’m just like my high school girls,” she said with a smile. “No, no, no.” She stood up and brushed herself off before grabbing the bucket and heading back to camp. “Cass will help us.”

Chapter Three
     
    Ellie rubbed her bare neck with the small piece of cloth, soaked in creek water. The cool water felt amazing against her skin. She wasn’t a big fan of the heat and Rome in the midst of some sort of summer heat wave wasn’t exactly her idea of a perfect vacation. Her feet moved wearily along the smooth rocks as she edged a bit deeper into the creek. She rubbed the cloth up her legs, trying to get the dirt off but it didn’t seem to be doing any good. She would do anything for another rose bath. In fact, she was almost expecting one as soon as they got to Cassius’ villa. Unfortunately, she was in no shape to see him as she was.
    Eyeing a large rock, she sat down and dipped her head forward, trying to submerse her hair in the creek water. When she lifted her head back up and smoothed her hair back a chill ran down her spine. Someone was there. She tensed. Her body stiffened but her senses were heightened. Behind her, she could hear a twig snap as someone took a step forward.
    “Here,” said Magnus.
    Ellie simultaneously turned her head and tried to cover herself at the same time. “What are you doing?” she sputtered. “You can’t sneak up on a girl like that.”
    “I am sorry,” he said. “I did not realize that I was sneaking up on a girl . I thought I was just handing this bowl to an oddly shaped boy so that he could better wash his long hair.” He tossed the bowl in her direction.
    Instinctively, she reached