Courageous

Courageous
Fiona

I wake to the first streams of orange and yellow blazing through the window of the guest room in Marcus’s house, but I have no idea how I got here. I rub my eyes and try to remember going to bed, forcing myself to think back through the events of the night. I remember the fight and the way Marcus stepped in to protect his brother from being killed. I remember bringing Lucius back here and helping tend to his wounds late into the night. But I don’t remember getting into this bed….

I frown and get out of bed, trying to work out the missing pieces. There’s a cloth, a clay basin, a cup, a pitcher of water, and a small dish of crushed herbs and salt sitting on a small wooden table by the wall. I pour water into the basin and rinse my face with the cool water. Then I take the crushed herbs and salt from the dish and rub them over my teeth with my fingers. After that, I pour water from the pitcher into the cup and rinse my mouth out properly. Wiping my face and mouth with the cloth, I think about how different this is than back home. It’s not perfect, and it doesn’t taste very good, but it works.

When I step out into the hallway, Aurelia is walking past me with a tray in her hands. She’s heading toward Marcus’s room, likely taking Lucius breakfast, which is a good sign. I hope he’s well enough to eat because he’ll need his strength to recover from his wounds.

“Aurelia,” I say quietly. “I don’t mean to bother you, but could I ask you a quick question?”

“Of course,” she says, turning on her heel to face me.

“I don’t remember going to bed last night. Do you know how I got there?”

“Dominus Valerius carried you,” she says. “You fell asleep tending to his brother. He carried you to bed and then went back and slept in the chair beside Lucius.”

“I see. Thank you,” I reply, caught off guard. 

She nods and continues past me, focused on her task. 

I already knew Marcus was handsome—anyone can see that, with his dark eyes and hair, his chiseled bronze muscles, and a smile that could make any woman melt. But incredibly brave and kind enough to carry me to bed, too? That’s going to be a problem for us. I need to convince him to help me get everyone out of this city within the next three days, and if I continue to develop romantic feelings for him, it could complicate everything.

I’m still thinking about Marcus and starting to consider how and when I’m going to tell him about Vesuvius when he comes out of the bedroom and walks down the hall. He stops when he sees me. His hair is mussed, and he has bags under his eyes, indicating he hasn’t slept properly, but when he looks at me, he smiles.

“Good morning. Would you like to have breakfast with me?” he asks.

“Yes,” I say, returning his smile. 

We head toward the dining room together, and Felix follows us. At the table, Marcus pulls out my chair, but I hesitate before I lower myself into it.

“Actually,” I say, “would it be all right if we brought our plates in from the kitchen? Aurelia’s busy feeding Lucius his breakfast.”

Marcus pauses and looks at me like he’s considering my request. “You’re absolutely right.”

We turn and walk into the kitchen, Felix following in hopes of getting a scrap, no doubt. 

The food is already plated on the hearth. A woman I haven’t met moves between the counter and the fire. She looks up as we enter, clearly surprised to see us there instead of waiting in the dining room.

“Callista,” Marcus says, “this is my friend, Fiona.”

“It’s very nice to meet you, Callista,” I say. “You’re an amazing cook.” 

“Thank you,” she says softly. From her tone, and her wrinkled brow, it’s obvious she’s confused about why Marcus is in his own kitchen, and I find that a little amusing.

“We’ll take our plates to the dining room,” Marcus says, setting them on the tray. I pick up a couple of cups and a pitcher of water. We thank the cook, and she nods as we head back to the table.

When we return, we sit and serve ourselves. I feed a bite of my eggs to Felix and start eating, suddenly realizing how hungry I am.

“I wanted to thank you,” Marcus says, “for last night. You stopped Lucius’s chest wound from bleeding, which most likely saved his life. Thank you for following me, for going after Quintus, for coming back into that alley, and for staying with my brother. I’ve never met anyone like you, Fiona. You’re the most courageous and selfless woman I’ve ever met.”

For a moment, I’m speechless. He’s such a good man, and it’s the most genuine compliment I’ve received in a long time. I manage a simple, “You’re welcome,” but what I really want to say is that I’m drawn to him—that I’m from two thousand years in the future, and somehow, I think I was sent back in time to save his life.

“Fiona.” He interrupts my thoughts once again, and I welcome the intrusion. “Would you like to join me in visiting Quintus at his home this morning, and then we can attend the parade?”

“Of course, I would love to. Are we bringing Quintus a thank you gift?”

He frowns. “A thank you gift?”

I tear off a piece of bread and hand it down to Felix before answering. “Yes. We could get a nice basket and fill it with items like wine, figs, fruit, bread, and cheese. Just something small to show we’re grateful for what he did last night. Maybe some quail eggs and fresh fish if you have them.”

Marcus looks at me for a moment, then nods, seeming a little surprised. “That’s a very good idea. We’ll do that.”

I smile. “Good.”

After breakfast, I follow Marcus back into the kitchen. “Callista,” he says, “would you please help us put together a basket for Quintus and his family?” 

Felix pads along with us as we fill the basket together. While we work on our little project, I still can’t stop thinking about how I’m going to tell Marcus what I need to say, but for just a little while, it seems like everything isn’t about to be buried in ash. 

We leave his house together, with Felix trotting close at our heels. The streets are already busy with morning workers as we walk. Marcus carries the basket, and I follow his lead when we turn down the road toward Quintus’s house.

When we arrive, Marcus knocks, and Quintus opens the door. “Good morning!” 

“Good morning.” Marcus smiles. “Quintus, you remember Fiona.”

“I do,” he says. “Good morning, Fiona.”

“Good morning.” I give a little wave.

We go inside, and Felix slips through before either of us can fully enter.

“Felix!” Julia and Gaius call out immediately, both of them running toward him. The girl drops to her knees and wraps her arms around his neck while Gaius pats his head, and Felix wags his tail with joy. 

Cornelia comes in from the kitchen a moment later, wiping her hands on her apron, and her eyes move first to Marcus, then to me, and finally to the basket. “You brought a gift?” she asks. 

“A small token of my gratitude for last night,” Marcus answers.

Quintus shuts the door. “You didn’t need to do that.”

“It was Fiona’s idea,” Marcus says, “but honestly, I could never fully repay you.” 

Cornelia takes the basket, lifting the cloth and looking over the goodies inside. “Thank you so much,” she says. “We can use all of this.” 

“You’re welcome,” Marcus says before turning to Quintus. “We’re going to the forum. Will I see you there later?”

“Yes,” Quintus replies. “We’ll be there this afternoon.”

Cornelia nods. “We’ll see you there around sunset for the parade.” She looks at me. “It was lovely seeing you again, Fiona.”

“Likewise, Cornelia. Until this evening,” I reply, following Marcus toward the door.

We all exchange goodbyes, Gaius still petting Felix while Julia gives him one last hug before we head out.

We step back into the street together, and Marcus whistles for Felix, who runs up behind us, while the morning noise of the city picks up around us. We make our way toward the forum.

A few blocks later, I get a rush of adrenaline, and I know I can’t wait any longer. I have to warn Marcus about Vesuvius, even if I sound crazy. Even if he locks me up and throws away the key, I have to at least try to tell him. All over the city there are people like Quintus and his family. They’re beautiful families with darling children, and I can’t wait another moment. 

“Marcus,” I begin, taking a deep breath. “I have something to tell you, and it will sound absurd.”

“You can tell me anything,” he says, not for the first time, meeting my gaze.

I blurt it all out before I lose my nerve. “I’m not really from the north, Marcus. I’m not really even from this time. I was sent back in time from two thousand years in the future to warn you about something horrible that is going to happen to your city within the next three days.”

Marcus stops walking and stares at me with his head tipped to the side, his eyebrows knit together.

“The day you saw me on the temple steps, I was going there to tell the priest of Venus my message. I was hoping he would warn the people, but he didn’t believe me, and he called me a liar. I promise you I’m telling the truth.”

“Fiona, did you hit your head? Did you not sleep well last night?” he asks. 

“I’m well, and I slept fine. Please, just listen. I am from the year 2026. I was here, digging through the ruins of what used to be your city after a great natural disaster… and then I fell through time, and I ended up here. In three days, everything and everyone around us will be buried in ash and dust when Vesuvius erupts. The mountain will explode so quickly it will cover Pompeii entirely in ash.”

His eyes stay on mine, searching my face as if something in it will give him an answer that makes sense of what he has just heard.

“I….” He stops, exhales, and continues. “I don’t know what to say. I don’t know whether I can believe such a story.”

“I would never lie to you,” I say. “I just want you to help me save as many people as we can.”

Marcus looks around us to make sure no one is listening and escorts me off the main street into a narrow side alley between the buildings, where fewer people pass, and Felix joins us.

I lean against the wall of a building, suddenly feeling exhausted, undoubtedly from the weight of my confession. Marcus looks into my eyes again, and I find myself wishing once more that he wasn’t so damn gorgeous because it makes everything feel even more difficult.

“Vesuvius… the mountain outside the city is going to erupt?” he asks.

I nod. “Yes, on the twenty-fourth of this month. In just a few days.”

“And you are telling this to me because you thought I might be able to help get the people out of the city?”

“Together, I think we can make a difference and change history,” I reply. “You have the power and the influence to save many lives, Marcus.”

He steps closer, as though he is reading my eyes, trying to decide if I am a lunatic or a liar. I hold my breath, waiting for him to call me a liar. Instead, he asks quietly, “Where should we begin?” 

And when he says that, I realize he believes me, and all the tension I’ve been carrying alone rises to the surface. All my feelings of fear, confusion, anxiety, and doubt unravel, and I step forward and kiss him. Our lips brush softly at first, and then his hands are on my waist, pulling me closer while deepening the kiss into something more passionate and meaningful. When we finally pull back, something has shifted between us. We are now partners in this misery, ready to see how many citizens of Pompeii we can rescue together.