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Do you wish to interfere and bring my
wrath down upon yourself?
Helene elbows me, and, fuming, I keep quiet.
“Get out,” Mother says to the trembling girl. “Aquilla, Veturius. Sit.”
Marcus watches the slave as she leaves. The lust on his face makes me want
to push the girl out of the room faster while gouging the Snake’s eyes out. Zak,
meanwhile, ignores the girl and glances surreptitiously at Helene. His angular
face is pale, and purple shadows darken his eyes. I wonder how he and Marcus
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spent their leave. Helping their Plebeian father with his smithing? Visiting
family? Plotting ways to kill me and Helene?
“The Augurs are otherwise occupied”—a strange, smug smile creeps onto the
Commandant’s face—“and have asked that in their stead, I give you the details
of the Trials. Here.” The Commandant slides a piece of parchment across her
desk, and we all lean forward to read it.
Four they are, and four traits we seek:
Courage to face their darkest fears
Cunning to outwit their foes
Strength of arms and mind and heart
Loyalty to break the soul.
“It is a foretelling. You’ll learn its meaning in the coming days.” The
Commandant faces her window again, her hands behind her back. I watch her
reflection, unnerved at the self-satisfaction oozing off her. “The Augurs will plan
and judge the Trials. But since this contest is meant to weed out the weak, I have
proposed to our holy men that you remain at Blackcliff for the duration of the
Trial. The Augurs agreed.”
I stifle a snort. Of course the Augurs agreed. They know this place is hell, and
they’ll want the Trials to be as difficult as possible.
“I have ordered the Centurions to intensify your training to reflect your status
as Aspirants. I have no say in your conduct during the competition. However,
outside the Trials, you are still subject to my rules. My punishments.” She begins
to pace her office, and her eyes stab into me, warning of whippings and worse.
“If you win a Trial, you will receive a token from the Augurs—a prize, of
sorts. If you pass a Trial but do not win, your reward is your life. If you fail a
Trial, you will be executed.” She lets that pleasant fact sink in for a moment
before going on.
“The Aspirant who wins two Trials first will be named victor. Whoever
comes in second, with one win, will be named Blood Shrike. The others will die.
There will be no tie. The Augurs wish me to stress that while the Trials are
taking place, the accepted rules of sportsmanship apply. You will not engage in
cheating, sabotage, or chicanery.”
I glance at Marcus. Telling him not to cheat is like telling him not to breathe.
“What about Emperor Taius?” Marcus says. “The Blood Shrike? The Black
Guard? Gens Taia isn’t just going to disappear.”
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“Taius will retaliate.” The Commandant passes behind me, and my neck
prickles unpleasantly. “He has left Antium with his gens and is heading south to
disrupt the Trials. But the Augurs shared another foretelling:
Waiting vines circle
and strangle the oak. The way is made clear, just before the end.
”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Marcus asks.
“It means that the Emperor’s actions are not our concern. As for the Blood
Shrike and Black Guard, their loyalty lies with the Empire—not Taius. They will
be the first to pledge themselves to the new dynasty.”
“When do the Trials begin?” Helene asks.
“They may commence at any time.” My mother finally sits and steeples her
fingers, her expression remote. “And they may take any form. From the moment
you leave this office, you must be prepared.”
“If they can take any form,” Zak speaks up for the first time, “then how are
we supposed to prepare? How will we know they’ve begun?”
“You’ll know,” the Commandant says.
“But—”
“You’ll know.” She stares directly at Zak, and he falls silent. “Any other
questions?” The Commandant doesn’t wait for a response. “Dismissed.”
We salute and file out. Not wanting to turn my back on the Snake and the
Toad, I let them go ahead of me but immediately regret it. The slave-girl stands
in the shadows near the stairs, and as Marcus passes her, he reaches out and
yanks her close. She writhes in his grasp, trying to break his iron grip on her
throat. He leans down and murmurs something to her. I reach for my scim, but
Helene grabs my arm.
“Commandant,” she warns me. Behind us, my mother watches from her study
door, arms crossed. “It’s her slave,” Helene whispers. “You’d be a fool to
interfere.”
“Aren’t you going to stop him?” I turn to the Commandant, keeping my voice
low.
“She’s a slave,” the Commandant says, as if that explains everything. “She’s
to receive ten lashes for her incompetence. If you’re intent on helping her,
perhaps you wish to take on her punishment?”
“Of course not, Commandant.” Helene digs her nails into my arm and speaks
for me, knowing that I’m on the verge of earning myself a whipping. She nudges
me down the hall. “Leave it,” she says. “It’s not worth it.”
She doesn’t need to explain. The Empire doesn’t chance the loyalty of its
Masks. The Black Guard will be all over me if they hear I’ve taken a whipping
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T
for a Scholar drudge.
Ahead of me, Marcus laughs and releases the girl, then follows Zak down the
stairs. The girl gulps down air, bruises blooming on her neck.
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