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As Mars and Jupiter continued to battle, their armies resumed fighting. Thousands of soldiers rained down from the clouds, including men made entirely of plates of metal. They landed on their feet, quickly arming themselves and ploughing through the screaming crowd.

Now, Claudia had no choice but to fight, arming herself with the sword of a fallen soldier as the people descended on her, sweeping her up into the manic mob.

She swung the sword wildly, inexpertly, trying to stay low and keep her eyes on Gia. Every man was her enemy now, mortal or immortal. Her sword stuck in someone’s thigh, in someone’s arm, as she ducked and dived to avoid being struck, eventually taking shelter in a doorway.

Gia had fallen out of sight.

‘Gia!’ she cried. ‘Gia!’

She couldn’t see her anywhere.

More falling chariots smashed to earth; fallen Pegasi scarpered and scattered, breaking up the brawling Forum.

When another lightning bolt destroyed his chariot, Mars fell back as his soldiers swarmed around him. They raised an enormous white flag, stained red by a god’s blood and signalling peace.

Jupiter was victorious.

Claudia saw Gia across the crowd and ran to her. They climbed up onto the podium of a large bronze statue, keeping them out of the affray, and held on to each other like they were shipwrecked again.

Hovering above the newly constructed building, Jupiter now addressed his citizens, in a voice that could be heard across all of Rome.

‘It is I, Jupiter, king of the gods. Lay down your weapons and bow before the almighty.’

Juno descended from her chariot to float at his side, drawing the attention of the women of Rome.

‘Where are the rest of the goddesses?’ asked Gia.

‘They must be dead, or detained,’ said Claudia.

‘Then this might be it for us.’

Claudia pulled her into one last, end-of-the-world, kiss, her fingers digging into Gia’s flesh. She didn’t want to let go, if letting go meant accepting defeat – not just the kind of loss that would see her dead and dethroned, but the entire world enslaved by gods.

‘I regret nothing,’ said Claudia, holding her gaze. ‘Even now.’

‘I would do it all again, and again, and again,’ said Gia. ‘If this is how it ends, then so be it. We did our best to save the world from men.’

‘The war is over,’ Jupiter boomed. ‘My army is triumphant. All above and below will serve and obey.’

Atop the podium, Claudia felt herself forced forwards, bending at the middle as she bowed against her will. She watched as everyone did the same, all of them compelled by a supernatural force.

Jupiter was forcing them to bow to him.

‘There will be no more mortal emperors. Rome will be ruled by me, and me alone. Only the king of the gods is fit to rule.’

A deathly silence fell. Claudia could not hear a single bird. Even the winged horses had stilled. She looked to General Aquinas, just visible in front of the temple. As he turned to mutter with his soldiers, she was certain that he too had been betrayed by Jupiter, just as he deserved.

‘All others will fall in line, or Rome itself will fall.’

Her journey through the underworld had been a kind of prophecy, she realized, like the one she’d seen of Vesuvius erupting in Pompeii. It was a vision of Rome, should she fail to save it. A terrible nightmare that was now coming true. If Minerva failed, if Claudia failed, Rome would be ruled directly by the gods and the city would be rebuilt on the bones of many mortal sacrifices.

It was her responsibility as empress to protect the people, but she could do nothing as the king of the gods enslaved them all.

‘Pray to me!’ Jupiter commanded.

In perfect synchronicity, Claudia and everyone around her dropped to their knees, unable to resist his control. Beside her, Gia tried to fight it, straining against the god’s power, but it was insurmountable.

Every Roman who had ever prayed to him or made offerings was now under his direct control.