Swirling light moves toward us.
“What deviltry is this?” Caligula tightens his hand on my throat, his eyes fierce. “What do you unleash, witch?”
I no longer feel fear.
You asked for me. I am the Messiah!
The emperor’s face contorts hideously. “You are no messiah! You are not the king of the Jews! You’re not a god!”
Blood drips from his nose. He looks astonished. His eyes fall to the witch, dead on the floor.
Fists pound on the door. “Caesar!”
Caligula stumbles off me. I run to the door and find it locked so I rattle the handle. Silence falls in the room as the light fades. The door opens and Silvanus spills inside. Cassius shoves in past him. “What have you done?” he asks in horror.
The emperor grins as blood streams down his front. He steps forward, a look of fear crosses his face—and he falls to the floor. Cassius turns him over; unseeing eyes stare at the ceiling. “Get her out of here! No one can know!”
I stagger against Silvanus. “One of the guards knows.”
“He won’t when I’m finished with him. Now go, before anyone comes! Take the side door!”
The boy drags me through it and we stumble down a flight of stairs. It leads us out into the street. Behind us, voices cry out in alarm and footsteps race toward Caligula’s rooms. Silvanus all but carries me to the river. We follow it until the house comes into sight.
Pilate meets us in the main hall. “What happened?”
“I don’t know! Caligula took her!”
Strong arms catch me before I fall and Pilate carries me to our room. Gentle hands draw damp hair out of my face. “Claudia, what did he do to you?” His voice is cold, tense, but without a hint of volume.
I clutch at his hand. “He sent for the sorceress… she tried to read my dreams.”
Dampness rolls over my lip. I lick it and taste blood.
“I will kill him for this.”
My head throbs; the incense still burns my lungs. I shake my head. I can barely speak. “Don’t.”
“Claudia…”
Tightening my hold on him, I say, “Promise me.”
“No!”
Blood chokes my lungs. “Be a better man than he is!”
Fear enters his eyes. “Silvanus, fetch a physician! Go!”
Sandals pound the marble as Pilate turns to me. I convulse, lean over the edge of the bed, and vomit blood.
I know little after that. Voices sound garbled to my ears. Faces fade in and out. I fight to stay conscious and slip into darkness. Dark and light bleed together into nothingness.
Claudia…
Hands touch me.
She drank poison! I cannot do anything to help her!
Gloom closes in. I am lost, enveloped in nothingness that fills me with contentment. Life ebbs away from me. Though death arrives, fear eludes me. Life leaves me slowly as the darkness merges into light. I want it to go faster, to take me to the Messiah. I sense His presence all around me…
Claudia! A cry from Pilate’s heart reaches me. He is distraught and clutches my hand. Do not leave me!
I cannot stay! Warmth draws me closer to my Lord.
Messiah…
This is not my voice, but his.
Forgive me. Forgive me!
Wet touches the side of my face. He holds me close. His tears are not for me.
Jehovah, save her.
The light blends into grayness.
I believe, Messiah… I believe…
Death releases its hold. The room comes into focus. Pilate embraces me. His breath is ragged in his throat. “I thought I lost you for a moment!”
Our foreheads rest together.
You did.
Epilogue
They say the emperor went mad. He believed himself to be a god. He erected statues of himself in all the temples in Rome, and commanded one for Judea. Marcellus, the new governor, refused… nicely.
We are far from Rome. My spies say Caligula never looked for us nor mentioned the day he met the Messiah. They say he murdered his sister, so she could be a goddess. Others claim she died of a fever. Rumors circulate that Cassius killed Caligula in the end. He insulted him one time too many, or maybe it was out of loyalty to Pilate.
It is fitting in a way, for madness does not suit a god.
After giving birth to my son, my dreams slowed and now that he is older, have ceased. The healing Jesus gave me that day in Bethany was real and his timing perfect. Fleeing from Rome with a small child would have been far more dangerous.
“Paul is here!” our son calls out. Silvanus runs to greet him. He will want to go with Paul when he leaves. Since he is no longer a slave, nothing holds him back.
I rise and go to meet them, winding my arm through Pilate’s in the hall. I do not miss the armor or the Roman man I married. A change has come over Pilate, as it has us all. The Messiah has changed Rome. He did it, not with a sword, but with a cross. We both played a part in his death and now play a part in his resurrected life.
My greatest hope is that all who witness the Messiah in the lives of his followers will believe.
Character Index
Avram: trusted servant in Procula’s household, father of Jacob and Libi.
Barabbas: a known insurrectionist against Rome, sentenced to death as a murderer but freed by the people in exchange for the Messiah.
Caligula: Emperor of Rome from 37-41 AD. Contemporary Roman historians present the first six months of his reign as noble and moderate, followed by cruelty, extravagance, and sexual perversity. His assassination was led by Cassius, a member of his own Praetorian Guard. *
Caiaphas: High Priest of Judea during the period in which Jesus was crucified.
Cassius: a member of the Praetorian Guard, responsible for the murder of Caligula. He endured endless mockery at the hands of Caligula over his high-pitched voice, the result of an injury in battle. He serves as one of Pilate’s friends in the Praetorian Guard. He was executed in 41 AD.
Claudia: the wife of Pilate, a dream-seer, and sympathizer to the Christians.
Demetrius: a Centurion of Rome, first met in Crete, who accompanies Pilate to Judea as his trusted “first” among his personal guard.
Fidelus: a former Roman general and current senator. Father of Hermina and Pilate. His wife was suspected of having an affair with Sejanus, so he murdered her, leading to his fall from popularity.
Germanius: Quintus’ trusted manservant.
Gratus: Prefect of Judea from 15-26 AD. He appointed Caiaphas as High Priest.
Hermina: younger sister of Pilate, suspected daughter of Sejanus, and desired by Caligula.
Herod: ruler of Galilee during the time of Christ. He divorced his first wife in favor of Herodias, his brother’s wife. Responsible for the death of John the Baptist. Herod was exiled in 39 AD by Caligula after facing accusations that he plotted against the Emperor Tiberius with Sejanus.
Herodias: a Jewish princess of the Herodian Dynasty, granddaughter of Herod the Great, and half-sister of her husband, Herod Antipas. Her “incestuous” marriage was criticized by John the Baptist, leading to his death. She accompanied her husband later into exile in 39 AD.
Jacob: son of Avram and brother of Libi. A servant in Procula’s household until his violence against Sejanus sends him in exile to Judea. There, he becomes a Priest in Caiaphas’ temple.
Jesus: the Messiah, whose trial and crucifixion changed history forever.
Lazarus: one of Jesus’ friends who arose from the dead. His sisters Mary and Martha are also included.
Libi: sister of Jacob, daughter of Avram. Trusted friend and faithful servant of Claudia. Pursued romantically by Claudia’s brother, Quintus.
Lucilla: Claudia’s oldest sister, newly married.
Lucius Pilate: Prefect of Judea (26-36 AD), known for his brutality toward the Jews, for attempting to complete the Jerusalem aqueducts, for the massacre of the Samaritans, and for crucifying the Messiah. He was sent to Rome to ans
wer charges by the Samaritan governor. After 36 AD, there is no further record of him. He is the suspected illegitimate son of Sejanus and an early high-ranking member of the Praetorian Guard.
Marcellus: friend and lower official of the Governor of Syria, who served as temporary Prefect of Judea following Pilate’s dismissal.
Peter: one of the twelve apostles of Christ, and the one who “denied the Messiah three times.” Peter was martyred in Rome around 64 AD.
Procula: Claudia’s father, a wine merchant.
Quintus: son of Procula, older brother to Claudia. A Centurion in Rome and in Judea. He is the commander of the Garrison at Jerusalem during the time of Christ. He seeks Libi as his mistress or wife.
Salome: daughter of Herodias and stepdaughter of King Herod, who danced for the king and asked for John the Baptist’s head as a prize.
Sejanus: commander of the Praetorian Guard from 14-31 AD. He reformed the Guard from mere bodyguards into a powerful branch of the government. He influenced Emperor Tiberius and during Tiberius’ withdrawal to Capri in 26, Sejanus became the de facto ruler of Rome. Sejanus’ plotting against Tiberius and Caligula led to his denouncement and execution in 31 AD.
Servia: Claudia’s mother, usually referred to simply as “Mother.” Servia is fascinated with seers and oracles.
Silvanus: the Greek name for Silas, companion of Paul and leader of the early Christian community. A slave in the Roman household of Claudia.
Thais: Claudia’s older, spinster sister.
Tiberius: Roman Emperor from 14-37 AD. One of Rome’s greatest generals, but a dark, somber, and reclusive ruler unloved by the people. He died in 37 AD.
* The Praetorian Guard: an elite group of bodyguards whose sole purpose was to protect the Emperors. Sejanus expanded their power and influence in Rome during his brief period as their prefect.
About the Author
Charity Bishop started writing at eleven years old. Over the years, she moved from mysteries to historical fiction, until finally finding her niche in speculative fiction. She works in publishing as a magazine editor.
When she isn’t writing novels, moving furniture around, or coaxing her neurotic cat out from under the bed, she’s devouring anything literary she can get her hands on. She puts out several novels a year.
You can read more of her work and find out about upcoming releases at www.charitysplace.com.
Contents
I, CLAUDIA
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Epilogue
Character Index
About the Author
Contents
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Text Copyright © 2013 by Charity Bishop
www.charitysplace.com
First Printing: August 2013
Printed in the United States of America
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