Mark of the Thief

The first-person narrator is Nic, who introduces himself as a Roman enslaved in the mines under Sal, a cruel enslaver with total control over his life. While exploring a cave “believed to contain Julius Caesar’s lost treasure” (1), Sal orders Nic to enter a deep shaft that has killed one man and reduced his friend Fidelius to an incoherent mess. Nic wonders if the cave is haunted or if he is being punished for having earlier spiked Sal’s drink with sand. He regrets any worry he would cause his younger sister, Livia, for whom he has been solely responsible since their mother was sold.

Nic refuses to follow Sam’s order, accusing him of wasting lives in the search for treasure, but Sal is determined to get whatever lies hidden there, especially before the Roman general Radulf arrives. Fidelius warns that Caesar will curse him, but all the miners already assume they are cursed since they work near a temple of the goddess Diana.

Enraged by Nic’s disobedience, Sal orders a guard to kill him, but Nic uses his knowledge of the caves to his advantage and slips away, determined to get Livia and escape with her to freedom.