After spending seven fruitless years training as a gladiator, Valerus Claudius Cascus returns from Rome to his hometown of Herculaneum. Upon his arrival, he delivers his father the gift of three dancing girls-one of whom is Flavia, a slave from Briton, a secret member of the Christian faith. Valerus finds himself drawn to the shy and withdrawn Flavia, and her ambition and dedication lead him to a new way of looking at the world and his life. As their worlds slowly intertwine-initially as friends and then as lovers-Valerus becomes blatantly aware that Flavia is first and foremost his father's slave and he can do with her as he pleases. In a heroic attempt to protect Flavia, he soon begins to work toward liberating her from her cruel fate. Unfortunately, neither Valerus nor Flavia suspect the imminent danger that lies beneath the mountain that first brought them together. In this historical tale based on real-life events, a Christian slave and a free Roman fight to keep their love alive-even as the world erupts around them. Some things will always survive.