The shield I'd placed around Radulf would protect him for several minutes, but what would happen to Crispus if he failed to shoot, or if he tried and missed? Radulf was not the only one in danger now.
Seeing the arrow raise toward him, Radulf only stood and called up something to Crispus that I couldn't hear. Based on what I'd seen of Radulf since he'd come back from the Mistress, I suspected Radulf was telling him everything was all right and that he didn't blame Crispus for what was about to hap
pen. But Crispus still shook his head and brushed at his eyes with the back of one hand.
"The emperor offers a trade, Nicolas," Brutus called. "Show yourself. Save the general."
"This will never end," I said, more to myself than for anyone else. "All they want is me."
Aurelia's eyes locked with mine, and in hers I saw fear and sorrow and the same dread that went to the core of my own body too. She wanted to say something -- I felt that urgency in her, but in the end, there were no words to be spoken.
I couldn't let Radulf die.
I couldn't let Crispus be the one to do it.
And I couldn't pretend there was any reason this was all happening, except for one reason alone: They wanted control of me.
"I'm afraid, Nic," Livia said.
Aurelia reached across me to take her hand. And though Aurelia whispered words of comfort, I saw Aurelia's fingers shaking too.
I closed my eyes long enough to call out a request to Caela. I needed her help and hoped she would come. Then I held out my right arm to Livia.
"Unlace the Malice."
Her eyes widened. "No! Use it to stop what's happening."
"Magic is not the solution," I said. "Every time I try it, the Praetors counter it with a trick of their own, and every single time, I end up in worse trouble."
Brutus called out again, "Nicolas, do you think you can stop this arrow by shielding the general? It's costing you strength you will need very soon."
This was true, and it worried me.
"Hurry, Livia," I said. "I will solve this, I promise. But not with the amulets."
With my other arm, I removed the bulla from around my neck. I immediately felt the change in the weight. Soon I would feel the loss of its power too.
I gave the bulla to Aurelia, who shook her head at me. "You're going down there without magic?"
"I have two choices left. One is to stop the Praetors, permanently."
"You're going to kill Brutus?" Livia asked. "Don't do that, Nic. Even for Brutus, it's wrong!"
"The second is to make them believe these amulets are destroyed, that I have no magic to create a Jupiter Stone."
"If they think you have no magic, the punishment they will give you --" Aurelia drew in a sharp breath. "It will be awful."
"I can stop Brutus before that happens. And if I don't, then at least I can make him believe the amulets are destroyed."
With that, Livia finished removing the Malice. "What should we do with these?" she asked.
"Go find Callistus, in the stables of Aurelia's home. He'll carry you to a safe place to hide them."
Livia shook her head. "If people notice us leaving and follow us, what then?"
"Keep the amulets hidden in your robes while you leave. And if there's trouble, you have Aurelia. She'll keep you safe." I took my sister's hand and gave it a firm squeeze. "You must leave this arena immediately, no matter what happens below." In fact, I wanted her to leave before anything happened down there. Either way, it would be ugly.
She nodded and then I turned to Aurelia, who said, "Come back from this, Nic. Remember your promise to me."