Read Praetorian Series [4] All Roads Lead to Rome for Free Online

of Agrippina?  Agrippina!  Whom I know you despise.  Your hatred for her is legendary among legion gossip.”
    “It was out of his control,” Helena explained slowly, as though she was still trying to rationalize it to herself.  “He didn’t choose to become addicted to it, it was forced on him, and now he’s no more in control of his mind than you are of your so-called empire.”
    Galba recoiled at the insult, but he wasn’t finished.  “And what of your son?”  He countered.  “Is it not because of him that he too has been lost to you?”
    “My…” Helena started to say, confusion overtaking her, “… my… son?”
    The poor girl was still in denial, and I wasn’t about to let her wallow in those thoughts much longer.  “That wasn’t Jacob’s fault either,” I finally said, finding the confidence buried deep within me as well as the translation.  But that was all I could think to say, and ordered James to translate for me.  He nodded.  “He took a risk, and we all paid dearly for it, but it wasn’t his fault.  He had nothing to do with the loss of their son.”
    Helena stood there in a daze, the nature of the conversation turning far and away from her.
    Galba, however, wasn’t as easily deterred as he whirled around to face me.  “And who are you?  Your Latin is even worse than the others’.”
    “I’m Jacob’s sister,” I said proudly on my own.  “My name is Diana.”
    Galba recoiled at this announcement, as did a number of his soldiers.
    “Do not tell me that you too are a god,” he said, his voice just barely above a whisper.
    “I’m not a god ,” I said, condescension in my voice at such a stupid statement.  “And neither is Jacob.  I’m just named for one.”
    Mom had always been a voracious reader, but her favorite subject had been the obscure stories found in Greco-Roman mythology… what little of it was known.  I’d only ever seen one slim book on the subject back in her library, but it was one she read often.  There were only a dozen stories in there, but an odd majority of them had revolved around a goddess of the hunt named Diana, who some theorized had also been named Artemis in a previous incarnation.
    Which is where I got both my name and my nickname from.
    Galba didn’t seem to understand what I’d said, but he didn’t seem quite so edgy either.  “Yes,” he said, “well… indeed.  At least you admit as much.  If you were to believe the camp stories that have spawned after recent events, you would believe Hunter to be Remus reincarnated, the son of a god returned to wrack havoc on our great empire and destroy Rome itself in vengeance for what Romulus did to him.”
    “Don’t be ridiculous,” I said.
    “Do not discount my words, girl,” Galba said.  “I will freely admit that Hunter has experienced a great many negative things in recent times, but that does not excuse his actions.  Nor does it free the rest of you from his agreement to come with me to Rome under guard.”
    That was enough to snap Helena out of her stupor.
    “I don’t think so, Galba,” she said, taking a step forward and jabbing a finger into his chest.  His face grimaced at the gesture even though Helena had only struck his body armor.  “You’re not getting between me and Jacob.  Not now.  Not after what happened to him.  I’m going after him.  We all are.”
    She spoke passionately but the rage she’d expended earlier was gone.  Her expression was hard and her eyes focused, but her voice only carried the slightest edge to it.  Galba, however, did not seem impressed, so she continued, her anger returning.
    “Don’t you understand?!”  She yelled, her voice high and almost delirious.  “He doesn’t deserve any of this!  This is his life we’re talking about!  And mine!  I love that man more than you’ll ever be able to understand, Galba.  He’s everything to me!”  She paused, and I could see the turmoil on her face as she anguished over