In February 267 Raben returned to Mazbar. Business for Corvus Construction was booming. It had attracted the best architects and engineers, work was done correctly, with good materials, on time and on cost. It had become the premier builder in the vicinity of Rome. Treatises were written on engineering and architecture with mathematical tables to figure out loads and spans for various materials. Formulas for different types of concrete were recorded. The books were copied and sold by Corvus Scriptorium.

I'm thinking of another story. So I wrote this short. Tell me if you want to see this develope.

It all started when I came down sick with some kind of summer "bug" just two days before we were supposed to leave for our vacation.

Our family has been taking vacations together every summer since my dad, a former Staff Sergeant in the Army, was retired on medical grounds. Over the years that he had been serving, he'd seen enough rough and nasty stuff that it almost ate him from the inside out.

I have no idea what happened at the conference that took place in the very back of the main room on the ground floor. I hadn't been invited to join them, and I had enough sense to know that trying to force my way into a meeting involving weres and vampires was downright stupid.

I spent a fair bit of the evening with Kelly-Lynne, Shaneel and Annalise, plus a few other girls, all of us snuggling close on the sofas.

To be honest, I haven't the faintest idea of what was on the big screen TVs above us, as I was too wrapped up in the conversation taking place.

After my all my disappointments last week, I was sure that it was finally my time.

“I’m sorry, I think you’re a little too short to play Romeo,” the drama teacher told me. “Maybe try out for a different role.”

“I know. I’ll try out for Juliet! I’m sure I’ll make the perfect female love interest.”

The teacher looked at me strangely. “I was thinking something more… appropriate to your talents. Maybe Verona Citizen #1.” I was crushed, but I tried to remain firm. I could always try again next year!

When I came around, I felt strange. At first I couldn’t understand what was happening or for that matter what had happened to me.

I soon realised that my hands were bound behind my back and my legs were tied together. I was lying on something hard and dirty.

Slowly I opened my eyes.

“Ah, you are awake,” spoke a voice from out of the shadows.

I moved my head towards the sound of the voice. A man was sitting on a chair looking at me. From my position on the floor, I didn’t get a good view of him but I knew straight away that it wasn’t the man in the picture that Maxine had showed me… Then I realised that I had no idea how long I’d been unconscious.