“So … if we attack again, there will be another flash of light?” Amber asked. Cade could only guess it was a futuristic weapon of some sort.

Marius shook his head. “We believe that they used all their … ammunition … in our first attack. Since then, we have never seen these lights again, even when we ambushed one of their patrols in front of their gates to try to draw them out. They appear to have been reduced to our level once more—it is the only reason we have been able to survive. They have attacked us many times, yet we prevailed. They are poor fighters.”

It was some relief to hear Marius say that.

“Do you think if you were to attack them now, with all your men, you could win?” Scott asked.

Marius shrugged.

“If they met us in open battle, perhaps. There are less than a thousand of them, as far as we can guess, and two hundred of us. But their fort is impenetrable. Our catapults could not pierce its shell when we attacked, though we have not tried since.”

With those words, he stood, and motioned for them to follow, even as Cade sat stunned. All that time … fighting for survival.

“Come,” Marius instructed. “We have a long way to travel yet.”

CHAPTER

15

They arrived at sunset. Early enough for Cade to see the sorry place that the Romans had come to call home.

It was a simple wooden fort. Most likely of earthly origin, for Cade had yet to see any trees on their long journey there. He doubted the half-rotten logs that made up the wall of the fort were from this world.

“Codex,” Cade whispered. “What is this place?”

He did not see the Codex fly off, nor the blue flash as it scanned the fort, but he did hear the quiet reply in his ear.

“Remnant is Fort Caroline, built by several hundred French explorers attempting to colonize Florida in 1564. The settlers were massacred and the fort taken by Spanish conquistadors in 1565, only for the same to happen to them by avenging French soldiers in 1568. The Spanish retook the fort a final time, but later abandoned it. The fort, which was rebuilt three times in the various battles for control of Florida, has never been seen since.”

By the time the Codex finished its long explanation, Cade and his friends had followed Marius to a drawbridge that slowly creaked down over a narrow moat filled with stagnant water.

The fort was triangular in shape, with three bulwarks at each corner. These, in turn, had rusted cannons set in their walls, and sentries in Roman armor patrolled the battlements, their helmets shining bright against the setting sun.

“Marius!” bellowed a soldier in Latin. “What news of the smoke?”

“Jupiter smiles upon us!” Marius replied. “A new headquarters, a stone fort … and new friends!”

By now more men had gathered on the battlements—their faces dirty, and almost as skinny as the Grays had been.