The Barbarian (The Herod Chronicles Book 2) Read online

  Happy but tired after the second wedding feast of the week, Lydia smiled, watching Brynhild bustle across the yard, straw-colored braids bouncing with each firm step. Alexandra and Brynhild were getting along wonderfully as they conspired to fuss over Lydia.

  Bryn arrived by the stone fire pit huffing for breath. "I've packed the pitifully small saddlebags with as many provisions as I could stuff into them for the trip."

  "We were supposed to do the packing together, later," Lydia said. "Sit and visit now, please."

  Kadar and Old John made a space for Bryn.

  Bryn swiped her hand. "I'll sit when I awake in Paradise. Until then, I need to keep these old bones moving, or they'll grow stiff."

  Old John's eyes twinkled with mischief. "She'll get her rest on the ship."

  "Trust me," Bryn said, "floating in a wooden box upon a great body of water harboring giant serpents will not be restful."

  "You don't have to come, Bryn," Lydia repeated for the hundredth time. "You're a freewoman, able to do as you please. Nathan and Alexandra would love for you to stay here."

  Bryn batted away the suggestion, and pointed at Old John. "This one keeps assuring me the sea serpents are dead and gone."

  The one-armed man climbed to his feet. "Come on, Old Girl, I'll help you carry the saddlebags to the barn."

  "Don't Old Girl me," the pear-shaped woman chided, her ruddy complexion not quite hiding her blooming blush.

  "Do you want my help or not?" Old John countered.

  "Do you think I walked over here for my health?" Bryn said.

  The pair hobbled off, exchanging their version of pleasantries.

  Alexandra and Nathan invited the wedding guests to walk with them through the flowering olive grove.

  Sharing a smile, Kadar helped Lydia to her feet.

  The children raced ahead, little James with them. Her heart twisted. He'd grown a head taller over the past year. She longed to spend more time getting to know her sweet son, but didn't have the heart to interrupt the fun he was having with his cousins.

  When they reached the edge of the orchard, Nathan and Kadar put their heads together to talk about the coming harvest and plans for shipping premium olive oil to Rome. A few of the neighboring olive farmers were also interested in having Kadar sell and transport their oil.

  Alexandra looped her arm through Lydia's. "My emotions are so mixed. I'm thrilled you and Kadar married, but I'm sad you won't be near to see little James grow."

  They passed through a screen of white blooms. Lydia stopped to sniff the sweet blossoms. She hated to lie to her dear sister, but it couldn't be helped. "You promised to read my letters to him." Judith's family had refused to give little James to her, leaving Lydia and Kadar no option but to steal him away from Judith.

  Alexandra sighed. "I will make sure James writes to you."

  Lydia plucked a waxy white petal from a low-hanging branch. "Your boys will soon be big enough to help Nathan."

  Alexandra laughed. "They help now. Nathan is incredibly patient with them."

  Little James came running toward them, his small legs and arms pumping hard. "Lydia! Come see the nest I found."

  Hearing her son call her Lydia made her heart ache. Kadar told her to be patient, to give little James time to grow used to the idea she was his mother. She held out her hand. "I would love to see the nest."

  Small, sticky fingers clasped her hand. Her son reversed direction and tugged her along. "There's three blue eggs in the nest."

  "Blue is my favorite color."

  "They're the same color as Kadar's eyes," little James added excitedly, halting beside a sapling bristling with green shoots. He smiled up at her. "Kadar promised to teach me how to ride his horse. I asked him if he would wait until next week, because my uncle is getting married on Wednesday. He rolled his large brown eyes. "Weddings. My grandmother needs my help, you know." He shrugged his small shoulders. "My cousins and I get to beat the rugs with sticks. That's fun. Will you be at the wedding, Lydia?"

  She shook her head. "We are leaving tomorrow."

  "I wish you could stay. My grandmother makes good almond cake, better than anyone else in the whole world." His love for his grandmother shone through every word.

  Lydia's throat closed. "Where is the nest hiding, sweet James?"

  His face screwed up. "I'm Judas. Did you forget?" He broke away from her, parted the leafy branches. "See?" he crowed proudly.

  Baby James had been hers, but this tousle-haired boy wasn't her darling baby. He was Judas of Rumah. Eyes blinded by tears, she leaned in to look over his shoulder. "How lovely."

  He reached for the nest. "The eggs are small, small."

  She touched her hand to his slight back. "Don't disturb them." Wasn't it exactly what she was about to do—disrupt her son’s happy life? Once they were a half day’s ride from the ship, Kadar would double back and sneak into Judith's house in the middle of the night and take little James. Discussing it with Kadar and old John and Bryn, Lydia could only think of the risks involved. She hadn't thought about how frightening and upsetting it would be for her boy.

  He turned disappointed brown eyes on her. "I'll be gentle. I promise."

  "You wouldn't mean to hurt them, but might anyway." The knife in her heart twisted deeper.

  He backed into her, and his little warm body melded with hers. "Do you think they will hatch soon?"

  How would she live with herself if she gave him up? How could she live with herself if she wrenched him away from everything he knew and loved? "I’m not sure."

  His cousins raced by, shouting for little James to come along.

  He pushed away from her and ran after his friends. "I'll come check on them every day," he called over his shoulder.

  She hid her face in her hands and gave into the tears.

  Large, strong arms encircled her. "What's wrong, my valkyrie?"

  She turned and tucked her face against Kadar's wide chest. "Taking little James away from his happy life would be terribly selfish of me, wouldn't it?"

  Comforting hands stroked over her back. "Are you hoping I will disagree?"

  She was. "What if he thinks I didn't care? Didn't love him?"

  "Your sister won't allow it to happen. And the hundreds of letters you will write to your little James will be saturated with love."

  She released a shuddering breath. "I can't do it. I can't take him from everything he knows."

  "We could stay in Galilee, move deep into the back country to avoid the hounds trying to collect on your father's reward."

  Memories of the dank caves and Judas the Zealot's somber face arose. If it was just her, she'd brave the wilds and her fears. Could she ask it of Kadar? She knew, without question, he would protect her and find a way to provide for her and their children. But was it the life she wanted for them—always looking over their shoulders, sneaking into Rumah for furtive visits with James?

  She pressed closer to Kadar. "We will go to Rome."

  He hugged her tighter. "Have faith. Someday little James will seek you out on his own."

  "Do you think so?"

  "I know it. Though many years passed after I rescued you, my heart didn't forget. Little James won't forget either. He will remember his mother as kind, fun, and loving. He will want to spend time with his mother."

  She grabbed onto this hope. "And we will have a happy home waiting for him when the day arrives."

  Kadar's blue eyes beamed. "You are certain we will be happy?"

  She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I believe it with my whole heart."

  EPILOGUE

  Napoli, Italy - Ten Years Later

  Lydia stood at the white marble rail edging the veranda of their sprawling seaside villa, watching the newest of their three-tiered triremes glide across the harbor. Peace reigned in Rome, and more riches than ever flowed into the city. Kadar's one hundred-ship fleet plied all the waters of the Great Sea, carrying goods and passengers to and from cities large and small.

&nbs
p; Her heart rejoiced seeing their sandy-haired children—two boys and two girls—sitting at Kadar's knees. Though they'd acquired riches aplenty, Kadar never boasted of his wealth.

  She smiled, hearing the love in his deep voice as he read to their children. Of the many accomplishments her talented husband could boast about, the one he was most proud of was his ability to read and write. They had been welcomed with open arms into a nearby synagogue, where a young, brilliant teacher had offered to school Kadar. The two were now the best of friends.

  Young James's presence made her joy complete. Kadar had assured her repeatedly her first-born son would seek her out. Six months ago his grandmother Judith had died, and young James had sent a note saying he wanted to visit Lydia. The biggest difficulty they'd had to overcome was her initial habit of calling her precious boy James instead of Judas. Today, he sat next to Kadar sketching pictures of palaces. Like his uncle, young Judas hoped to become a master builder.

  Concern for her brother James was the only blight on her happiness. Still shocked at the drastic steps James taken to spite their father, she prayed constantly for her brother's redemption.

  Alexandra and Nathan loved each other more than ever, and their orchards continued to thrive and prosper, thanks to Kadar negotiating top prices for their premium olive oil. Kadar and Lydia planned to take their children to Jerusalem next year to visit their cousins, aunts, and uncles, and to worship at the Temple.

  Much had changed in Jerusalem, but much had stayed the same. Herod ruled as king, although his penchant for ruling with an iron fist made for an uncomfortable peace. Lydia no longer had to worry about her father. He was dead, murdered two years after she left the country. His death had been a relief. These days she hardly ever thought of him.

  She sighed. Kadar heard and sent their noisy, boisterous, wonderful children off to play. Then her broad-shouldered, blue-eyed, magnificent husband stood and strode toward her.

  Her breath caught.

  A glorious smile spread across his rugged face.

  Lydia held out her arms, overjoyed and ever grateful she'd followed her heart's desire.

  The End

  ~ Historical Note ~

  The books in the Herod Chronicles series are a dramatization of historical events. My intentions are to present an overview of the events, while staying true to the spirit of the time.

  I wanted the heart of The Barbarian to be centered on Kadar and Lydia's love story, starting from the low period of Herod's flight from Jerusalem and ending on the high note Herod rescueing his family from Masada.

  But Herod's life was far from quiet during the years Kadar was in the copper mine. Some of the highlights include Julius Caesar's murder, the execution of Herod's ally and friend Sextus Caesar, civil war erupting in both Rome and Jerusalem, and John Hycranus’s double crossing of Herod and Phasael. But the two most important events, by far, were Antipater's death by poisoning (along with Malichus's subsequent execution) and Herod's engagement to Mariamne. Wrestling with how to include pivotal events stretching over many years, yet keep the focus on Kadar and Lydia, I compressed the events and moved Antipater's death and Herod's engagement to Mariamne to the time of Kadar's release from slavery.

  There was a historical family of High Priests named Onias, but Simeon, James, Gabriel, and Nehonya are a fictional branch of the family and wholly my creation.

  As in book one of the series, I use the name Hasmond in place of Antigonus to avoid confusion, as I felt Antigonus was too similar to Antipater.

  For the sake of the story, I heightened the danger surrounding Herod's escape from Jerusalem. Though a bold man who comes across larger than life, Herod did not fight his way out of the city. Josephus reports Herod departed quietly in the middle of the night 'without the enemy's privity.'

  Herod did, however, make a valiant desert stand against the army pursuing him through the wilderness. And keeping his vow to construct a monument to that great victory, Herod 'some time afterwards built a most excellent palace, and a city round about, and called it Herodium'.

  Herod met his brother Joseph in Thressa, not in En Gedi. I made the change in order to use the majesty of Masada as the backdrop to the moment Lydia and Kadar openly declare their love for each other.

  Those interested in a full account of Herod's activities set in proper chronological order should look to the writings of the Jewish historian Josephus.

  Having journied to the point were Herod has been named king, the next book in The Herod Chronicles covers King Herod’s struggle to conquer Jerusalem and claim his kingdom.

  ~ Author Note ~

  Sign up here for The Herod Chronicles Newsletter to receive updates on new book release dates, cover reveals, and advance excerpts.

  http://mad.ly/signups/117768/join

  §

  I hope you enjoyed The Barabrian. The next book in The Herod Chronicles series is Warring Desires features the widowed priest Gabriel Onias and a Samaritan woman who runs a mule train operation, set during Herod’s war to recapture Jerusalem. Find Warring Desires here:

  §

  Thank you for reading The Barbarian! As an author I love feedback. So, tell me what you liked, what you loved, even what you hated. I’d love to hear from you. You can write me at: [email protected] and visit me at: http://www.WandaAnnThomas.com

  Finally, I need to ask you a favor. If you are so inclined, I’d love a review of The Barbarian. Reviews can be hard to come by these days. You, the reader, have the power now to make or break a book.

  All the best,

  Wanda Ann Thomas

  ~ Other Books by Wanda Ann Thomas ~

  The Warrior (Book 1)

  http://dld.bz/TheWarrior

  The Stonecutter: A Herod Chronicles Novella

  http://dld.bz/Stonecutter

  Warring Desires (Book 3)

  http://dld.bz/WarringDesires

  ~ Acknowledgements ~

  I'm fascinated by the longstanding, working relationship between writers and editors. No matter how talented the writer, they have always collaborated with an editor to enhance and improve the quality of the story they've created. Thank you to Faith Freewoman for helping me to put my best foot forward. My book is better for the time and talent Faith poured into it. It's been a pleasure and a privilege for this writer to work with a pro-of -an-editor.

  I want to give special thanks to my critique partner Megan Macijauskas. Her beautiful writing and vivid voice are an inspiration. I'd be happy to write prose half as lovely as hers. My heroes are more heroic and my scenes are more vibrant because of Meg's keen eye for character and setting. What makes our partnership invaluable though, is our agreement to always be honest in our appraisals, to tell it like it is, both good and bad. Thank you, Meg, for pushing me to dig deeper, for challenging me to take my writing to the next level, for encouraging me not to settle for mediocre. I count our teaming up together one of the biggest steps forward on my exhilarating, frightening, unpredictable writing adventure.

  Many thanks to Kimberly Budd for making suggestions for a specific type of wound I needed my hero to suffer and for lending her medical expertise on the blood and guts portion. I also want to thank Kim for her enthusiastic support and praise of the first book of the series. As a debut author it was very heartening to have someone love the story and characters as much as I did.

  Warm thanks to beta-readers Marti Chabot and Wendy Thomas for pointing out typos, mistakes, and inconsistencies. My beautiful cover and cool maps were created by the talented Dar Albert of Wicked Smart Designs. Her incredible patience in the face of my indecision and second guessing myself was most welcomed. Thank you to Nina Pierce for formatting my book for digital and print and for her continuing guidance with my writing career. And hugs to Nina for generously sharing of her expertise, time, and talents whenever I e-mail or call to say "Help!".

  Love and hugs to my wonderful husband and children for laughing with me, and encouraging me, and for making life beautiful. Bountifully blessed,
I count you as the most precious gift of the many blessings the Lord God has graciously bestowed.

  ~ About the Author ~

  Wanda Ann Thomas writes fast-paced historical romance centered on heart-felt love stories. She adores warrior heroes and courageous heroines, who together brave any danger for loved ones and struggle against overwhelming obstacles to win their happy ever after.

  Building stories based in the ancient world, Wanda’s interest in first century history was sparked by reading the works of the Jewish historian, Josephus. The inspiration for The HEROD CHRONICLES came about while doing research for another project and she discovered the particulars of Herod the Great's career. Herod was a fascinating, complicated man who left behind a lasting legacy on the advent one of the great turning points in history.

  A native of the state of Maine, Wanda starts each day bright and early at her computer drinking coffee and writing. When the weather allows she and her husband average three to four rounds of golf a week. She confesses to being overly fond of chocolate chips cookies, winter vacations spent in sunny Florida, and her large boisterous family.

  Table of Contents

  Copy Right

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30