Call to Juno (A Tale of Ancient Rome #3)

PRAISE FOR
THE WEDDING SHROUD

“All the drama and sensuality expected of an historical romance, plus a sensitivity to the realities of life in a very different time and world . . .”

—Ursula Le Guin

PRAISE FOR
THE GOLDEN DICE

“Skillfully plotted and with vividly drawn characters,
The Golden Dice
is a suspenseful, romantic exciting drama . . .”

—Sherry Jones, author of
Four Sisters, All Queens

PRAISE FOR
CALL TO JUNO

“
Call to Juno
is a stirring saga of war, sacrifice, and transcendent love.”

—M. Louisa Locke, author of the Victorian San Francisco Mystery series

“Elisabeth Storrs’s Tales of Ancient Rome series should really be called Tales of Ancient Veii, as it brings the Etruscan town to life. Thank you, Elisabeth, for giving a voice to some of the most intriguing pieces of the Museum of Veii.”

—Iefke van Kampen, director of the Museo dell’Agro Veientano, Formello (Rome)

“In
Call to Juno
Elisabeth Storrs tells a vivid story of love and war, honor and revenge set in ancient Rome. Using a skillful blend of history and drama, and full of characters both heroic and human, Storrs transports readers to that long-ago world. Highly recommended.”

—M.K. Tod, author of
Lies Told in Silence

“Not much is known about the ancient Etruscans, but
Call to Juno
is a vivid and fascinating evocation of their fight for survival against the might of Rome. This is a tale of great love and great hatred, of treachery, courage, and honor, told in loving detail by a knowledgeable and practiced storyteller.”

—Felicity Pulman, author of The Janna Chronicles

“Elisabeth Storrs brings ancient Rome vividly to life; her skill as a writer is equivalent to a time machine—we are there amid the history and the drama, immersed so deep that in calling to Juno we expect her to answer back.”

—Helen Hollick, author of the Sea Witch Voyages

“God cults, the different faces of love, and the cruelty of war are among the themes in Elisabeth Storrs’s novel on the rivalry between the Romans and the Etruscans. A well-researched, powerful novel that builds to a memorable and terrifying end.”

—Isolde Martyn, author of
Mistress to the Crown

“With plenty of action and characters you can really root for,
Call to Juno
is a perfect, wholly satisfying conclusion to Elisabeth Storrs’s trilogy. A Tale of Ancient Rome is one of the best ancient-historical series I’ve read in years.”

—Libbie Hawker, bestselling author of
Tidewater, Daughter of Sand and Stone,
and
Mercer Girls

A
LSO BY
E
LISABETH
S
TORRS

The Wedding Shroud

The Golden Dice

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Text copyright © 2016 by Elisabeth Storrs

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

Published by Lake Union Publishing, Seattle

www.apub.com

Amazon, the Amazon logo, and Lake Union Publishing are trademarks of
Amazon.com
, Inc., or its affiliates.

ISBN-13: 9781503951952

ISBN-10: 1503951952

Cover design by Danielle Fiorella

Cover image © Elisabeth Storrs

Map image © Elisabeth Storrs

To Natalie and Joyce

C
ONTENTS

MAP

CAST

PROPHECY

O
NE

T
WO

T
HREE

F
OUR

F
IVE

S
IX

S
EVEN

E
IGHT

N
INE

T
EN

E
LEVEN

T
WELVE

T
HIRTEEN

F
OURTEEN

F
IFTEEN

S
IXTEEN

S
EVENTEEN

SIEGE

E
IGHTEEN

N
INETEEN

T
WENTY

T
WENTY
-O
NE

T
WENTY
-T
WO

T
WENTY
-T
HREE

T
WENTY
-F
OUR

T
WENTY
-F
IVE

T
WENTY
-S
IX

T
WENTY
-S
EVEN

T
WENTY
-E
IGHT

T
WENTY
-N
INE

T
HIRTY

T
HIRTY
-O
NE

CRISIS

T
HIRTY
-T
WO

T
HIRTY
-T
HREE

T
HIRTY
-F
OUR

T
HIRTY
-F
IVE

T
HIRTY
-S
IX

T
HIRTY
-S
EVEN

T
HIRTY
-E
IGHT

T
HIRTY
-N
INE

F
ORTY

F
ORTY
-O
NE

F
ORTY
-T
WO

F
ORTY
-T
HREE

F
ORTY
-F
OUR

F
ORTY
-F
IVE

F
ORTY
-S
IX

F
ORTY
-S
EVEN

F
ORTY
-E
IGHT

EVOCATIO

F
ORTY
-N
INE

F
IFTY

F
IFTY
-O
NE

F
IFTY
-T
WO

F
IFTY
-T
HREE

F
IFTY
-F
OUR

F
IFTY
-F
IVE

F
IFTY
-S
IX

F
IFTY
-S
EVEN

F
IFTY
-E
IGHT

F
IFTY
-N
INE

S
IXTY

S
IXTY
-O
NE

TRIUMPH

S
IXTY
-T
WO

S
IXTY
-T
HREE

S
IXTY
-F
OUR

S
IXTY
-F
IVE

S
IXTY
-S
IX

S
IXTY
-S
EVEN

S
IXTY
-E
IGHT

G
LOSSARY

A
UTHOR’S
N
OTE

A
CKNOWLEDGMENTS

A
BOUT THE
A
UTHOR

CAST

Veii

Caecilia
(Aemilia Caeciliana): Born in Rome, Mastarna’s wife (nickname Bellatrix)

Vel Mastarna Senior: Etruscan king, Caecilia’s husband

Tarchon
Mastarna: Adopted son of Mastarna

Tas
(Vel Mastarna Junior): Caecilia and Mastarna’s firstborn son

Larce
Mastarna: Caecilia and Mastarna’s second son

Arnth
Mastarna: Caecilia and Mastarna’s third son

Thia
(Larthia) Mastarna: Caecilia and Mastarna’s daughter

Tanchvil
: High priestess of Uni

Karcuna
Tulumnes: Sethre’s cousin/guardian, a general

Sethre
Kurvenas: Tarchon’s beloved

Thefarie
Ulthes: General, Mastarna’s friend

Lusinies: General

Semni
Vulca: Wet nurse in Mastarna’s house

Arruns: Mastarna’s bodyguard, Semni’s lover

Cytheris: Caecilia’s maidservant, Aricia’s mother

Aricia: Novice priestess, Cytheris’s daughter

Perca: Junior nursemaid

Seianta: Mastarna’s first wife (deceased)

Hathli: Wet nurse

Aule Porsenna: Zilath of Tarchna, Mastarna’s former father-in-law

Kurvenas: King of Veii (deceased)

Laris Tulumnes Junior: Former king of Veii, Karcuna’s brother

Laris Tulumnes Senior: Former king of Veii, killed at the battle of Fidenae, Karcuna’s father

Rome

Pinna (Lollia): Camillus’s concubine, former prostitute

Marcus
Aemilius Mamercus Junior: Military tribune, Aemilius’s son, Caecilia’s cousin

Marcus Furius
Camillus:
Patrician consular general

Appius Claudius
Drusus:
Friend of Marcus, Caecilia’s admirer

Artile
Mastarna: Soothsayer, Mastarna’s brother

Marcus
Aemilius
Mamercus Senior: Caecilia’s uncle and adopted father, Marcus’s father

Caius
Genucius
: Plebeian consular general

Lucius Furius
Medullinus
: Patrician consular general, Camillus’s older brother

Spurius
Furius Medullinus: Patrician general, Camillus’s younger brother

Scipio: Senator

Icilius
Calvus
: Plebeian people’s tribune

Tatius: Knight

Postumius: Patrician consular general

Titinius: Patrician consular general

Sempronius: Patrician military tribune

Gnaeus Lollius: Pinna’s father (deceased)

Mamercus Aemilius: Former dictator, Marcus’s great uncle (deceased)

The Gods

Nortia/Fortuna: Goddess of Fate

Uni/Juno: Guardian goddess of Veii (Uni), warrior goddess, goddess of marriage/mothers/children, queen of the gods, wife of Tinia/Jupiter

Tinia/Jupiter: King of the gods, husband of Uni/Juno

Aplu/Apollo: God of prophecy, music, healing, and light

Fufluns/Dionysus: God of wine and regeneration (his worshippers follow the Pacha Cult)

Mater Matuta: Goddess of the dawn, mother goddess

Aita: Etruscan god of the Afterworld (his worshippers follow the Calu Cult)

Areatha/Ariadne: Fufluns’s wife, made immortal

Laran/Mars: God of war

Nethuns/Neptunus: God of water

Menrva/Minerva: Goddess of wisdom, war, arts, and commerce

Latona: Divine mother of Apollo and Diana

Herculeus: Son of Jupiter, famous for his “Twelve Labors”

Mercurius: God of commerce, communication, eloquence, and boundaries

Diana: Goddess of the hunt

Atlenta: Mythological huntress

Ba’al: Principal Phoenician god

Astarte: Phoenician goddess of love, war, and fertility

Cities

Veii

Rome

Tarquinia/Tarchna

Graviscae/Gravisca

Nepete

Volsinii/Velzna

Falerii

Capena

Labicum

Anxur

Tusculum

Satricum