Her humor restored, Lia flung rose petals from her basket. They fluttered down to the ground, splashes of vivid color. She transferred the wooden knife to her belt and trotted up the street. The crowds had thinned out, as this neighborhood was one of the more exclusive parts of Rome.

But not exclusive enough for Flavia Varrone.

That woman of exalted birth was at it again, when Lia hurried into the domus through the slaves' entrance. She'd never heard anyone complain as much as Flavia. The bathwater was tepid, the food undercooked, the house filthy...

"Where is that girl? Send her to me."

Lia rolled her eyes skyward, but she'd barely gone three steps before Gaia, a fellow slave and a friend, called her name from a spare cubiculum.

"Come here!" the human girl hissed. She looked up and down the hallway to make sure no one else had heard her. "Quickly before the domina sees you."

Alarm snaked up Lia's spine. Goddess, she hadn't done anything wrong... other than breaking that freedman's wrist, but he surely couldn't have followed her home and protested to her mistress already. Her silver restraints began to burn.

Think, Lia!

She still had her knife in her belt and a few coins, so she wasn't entirely helpless, but first, she had to find out what Gaia knew.

"What is it?" she said, after Gaia shut the door behind them. The room was empty, but she kept her voice low anyway. "What's the trouble?"

"That girl from Carthage has lung inflammation, the Hellenic physician said."

Lia stifled a laugh. So much for that expensive human slave Flavia Varrone had purchased especially from Carthage! Household slaves often relied upon each other for companionship, since such an alliance could mean survival, but the exotic girl had put on airs immediately upon her arrival and taken her meals separately, something that hadn't endeared herself to the rest. It amused Lia that even she was more well-liked.

"Some would call that justice," Lia murmured.

Concern shone in Gaia's dark eyes. "The domina is furious," she whispered, her hand tightening painfully on Lia's arm. "She meant to give the girl as a gift to her nephew tonight, Lia. But now..."

Lia pursed her lips. "She can hardly offer me up as a substitute, can she?"